Hong Kong: SJ stands against foreign meddling

Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng

Last Friday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a fact sheet setting out a host of malicious acts of the US in interfering in Hong Kong affairs and supporting anti-China, destabilising forces. It also shows that the US is in breach of international practice.

Sovereign equality is a basic norm of international relations and a fundamental principle of international law, with the Charter of the United Nations (UN) expressly stating this principle. Meanwhile, the principle of non-intervention is an important concept central to sovereign equality, which was reaffirmed in the declaration on friendly relations and co-operation adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1970. Further, the International Court of Justice in its judgment in 1986 reiterated non-intervention as a principle of customary international law. The fact sheet clearly shows the US interference in Hong Kong affairs and support for anti-China, destabilising forces. Some US politicians continue to blatantly collude with anti-China, destabilising forces attempting to interfere with Hong Kongs affairs. Their acts are in violation of international law and have undermined the spirit of the rule of law. Any society that cherishes the rule of law should condemn such abominable behaviours and indeed has an obligation to stop these from happening.

Over these two years, the central authorities exercised the sovereign rights to enact the Hong Kong National Security Law and make a decision on improving the electoral system in accordance with the law, aiming to plug the national security loopholes and facilitate the implementation of patriots administering Hong Kong. In doing so, Hong Kong is able to stay true to the aspiration of the principle of one country, two systems by safeguarding national sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity as well as maintaining the stability and prosperity of Hong Kong. Since the enactment of the National Security Law, Hong Kong has reverted to a safe, rational and inclusive society. International investors confidence in Hong Kong has also been enhanced. For example, as at the end of May 2021, the amount of initial public offering funds raised is about $184 billion, an increase of 621% when compared with $25.5 billion for the same period last year. In the securities market, the average daily turnover for the first six months of 2021 was $188.2 billion, representing an increase of 60% when compared with $117.5 billion for the same period in 2020. These figures speak for themselves, debunking all the baseless allegations and smears on the National Security Law.

In addition to the outstanding performance in economic development, Hong Kong is also praised for its efforts in safeguarding the rule of law since the return to the motherland. According to the World Governance Indicators published by the World Bank, Hong Kong enjoys favourable scores in the area of the rule of law, rising steadily from 69.85 in 1996 to 91.58 in 2003. Hong Kongs scores have been maintained over 90 since 2003, which are testimony to the international recognition of Hong Kongs effort in safeguarding the rule of law.

It is undeniable that following the enactment of the National Security Law, Hong Kong has been transformed from chaos to governance, and gradually towards development and prosperity. The improvements to the electoral system prove to be an important milestone in Hong Kongs democratic electoral system under which the principle of patriots administering Hong Kong has been fully observed so as to ensure the steadfast and successful implementation of one country, two systems.

In spite of the unilateral coercive measures, which are in violation of international law, imposed by the US on our country and Hong Kong with an attempt to meddle in the internal affairs of China, we all wholeheartedly safeguard the development interests of our nation and our people in accordance with law. Such unscrupulous attempts are to be futile. I strongly support the issuance of the fact sheet by Ministry of Foreign Affairs in order to expose the contemptible acts by the US. I am also committed to rendering my full support in guarding against foreign forces interfering with the internal affairs of Hong Kong.

Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng wrote this article and posted it on her blog on September 26.

This story has been published on: 2021-09-26. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
South Africa: Mkhize remembered as a fine public servant

President Cyril Ramaphosa has hailed the late Deputy Minister in the Presidency, Professor Hlengiwe Mkhize, as a fine public servant who served her country with diligence.

Deputy Minister Mkhize was an exemplary public servant, amongst the finest, President Ramaphosa said.

Delivering the eulogy at Mkhizes funeral on Saturday, President Ramaphosa described her as a dedicated, committed, hardworking and consummate professional.

Her untimely passing was a real blow to the administration, to the team in the Presidency, to the Ministry, her colleague Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane and to the country at large.

I regard her as a woman of all seasons. She was fit for purposes in whatever role she was assigned to. We knew that whatever portfolio she was assigned to, she would throw herself fully into it, and take it upon herself to become fully acquainted with the sector and its issues, President Ramaphosa said.

He said the parting of Mkhize had left a void in the ANC, at a crucial time when the country was preparing for local government elections.

During this time, we were counting on seasoned leaders like her to rally people to participate in the elections in November.

No doubt she would be out with us in our communities, her mask on, bag firmly in hand and in a pair of sensible flat shoes for door-to-door. She had boundless energy and a cheerful spirit, even when she was not well.

Comrade Mkhize was of both good character and good reputation. She was the real thing, President Ramaphosa said.

He described Mkhize as a compassionate leader, a peacemaker and a bridge-builder.

She was an influential leader, but she was humble. She was respectful of our people, and in turn earned their respect. She was an honest leader, he said.

In his tribute, Reverend Frank Chikane said Mkhize was like part of the family of the people of South Africa and a servant of the people.

It is thus not surprising that she ended up being part of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and as chair of the June and Andrew Mlangeni Foundation which Foundation became the reference point for of our trajectory of revolutionary morality and sense of integrity, Chikane said.

Chikane said together with leaders of her generation, she was characterised by high levels of integrity, a leader with clear boundaries of what can, cannot be done@.

Mkhize passed away on 16 September 2021, at the age of 69.

She was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2017 and admitted to hospital on 31 August 2021.

She was appointed to The Presidency in May 2019.

Before her appointment to The Presidency, Mkhize served as Deputy Minister of Correctional Services, Deputy Minister of Economic Development, Deputy Minister of Telecommunications and Postal Services, Home Affairs Minister and Minister of Higher Education and Training.

She was also a former Ambassador to the Netherlands.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2021-09-26. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
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Tasks assigned to put an end to IUU fishing by years end

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has handed out tasks to relevant ministries and agencies with view to achieving the target of eradicating illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing by the end of 2021.













Fishing boats of Vietnam (Photo: VNA)

The Government leader recently chaired a teleconference on the prevention of IUU fishing so as to have the European Commissions yellow card warning lifted.



According to the Government Office, the PM requested that fishing boats violation of foreign sea areas be eradicated by the end of this year.



He asked the national steering committee for IUU fishing prevention to order ministries, sectors, and localities to carry out solutions in a drastic and uniform manner.



The Ministry of National Defence has to coordinate with relevant agencies, ministries, and sectors, and the Peoples Committees of the 28 coastal provincial-level localities to increase examination and strictly control fishing boats activities, especially in overlapping or undemarcated waters between Vietnam and other countries.



The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is tasked with working with related sides to advise the Government about plans to negotiate with the countries sharing overlapping or undemarcated sea areas with Vietnam so as to identify the boundary for legal activities by Vietnamese fishing boats. It is also told to proactively grasp the situation and collect information and evidence in the countries detaining violating fishing boats from Vietnam, while pushing ahead with the protection of fishermen arrested overseas.



The Ministry of Public Security is assigned with boosting the investigation and settlement of the rings brokering illegal fishing in foreign waters.



The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) needs to keep overhauling legal institutions and framework to strictly manage fisheries exploitation.



Cooperation in fisheries and the IUU fishing combat between Vietnam and other countries, regional and international fisheries societies needs to be further enhanced. Besides, Vietnam will fulfill its obligations and commitments to the international agreements and treaties on fisheries to which it is a party.



The Ministry of Planning and Investment is requested to allocate part of the medium-term public investment capital for 2021 - 2025 and other fundings to building and upgrading fisheries infrastructure, fishing ports, and storm shelters for boats, and developing a modern fisheries management system.



The Ministry of Finance should prioritise funding for relevant agencies, ministries, sectors, and localities to carry out programmes and plans on anti-IUU fishing.



The Ministry of Transport has to work with the MARD and other related ministries to examine seafood imported into Vietnam.



In addition, the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs must team up with the MARD to devise a vocational training programme and manage fishery workers in line with domestic and international labour regulations./.
Vietnams rubber export to US sees sharp surge

Vietnam exported 23,510 tonnes of rubber worth USD41.87 million to the US in the first 7 months of 2021, up 61 percent in volume and 92.3 percent in value year-on-year.







According to the Ministry of Industry and Trades Export -Import Department, Vietnam became the 11th largest rubber supplier of the US in the period, accounting for 2.2 percent of the USs total imported rubber, up slightly from 1.5 percent in the same period last year.

At Quang Tri Rubber Co., Ltd (Photo: VNA)



Notably, Vietnam is the fourth largest supplier of natural rubber to the US with 23,460 tonnes worth USD41.65 million, up 60.8 percent in volume and 92.9 percent in value over the same period of 2020.

According to statistics of the United States International Trade Commission, the US imported 1.09 million tonnes of rubber with a total value of USD2.19 billion in the period, a year-on-year increase of 12 percent in volume and 27.6 percent in value. Indonesia, Thailand, Canada, the Republic of Korea and Ivory Coast were the largest suppliers of the product to the US.
Number of complaints filed in Cologne sex assaults now over 500

The number of cases reported to Cologne police following a night of mass sex assaults and thefts continued to rise sharply, with the latest official figures rising to 516 complaints from a previous 379.

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German chancellor Angela Merkel has repeatedly butted heads with the Christian Social Unions leader, Horst Seehofer, over his proposal to allow a maximum of 200,000 migrants to enter Germany in 2016 - less than a fifth of the number that arrived the previous year.

Cologne, Germany (dpa) - Around 40 per cent of the complaints involve allegations of sexual assault, according to the police statement.It said that a 19-year-old Moroccan man had been arrested in connection with the New Years Eve attacks, which saw around 1,000 intoxicated men congregate in front of the western Germany citys main train station.The police are also looking into charges filed against 19 named suspects.Most of the perpetrators are reported to have been of North African or Arab appearance, sparking international debate over Germanys decision to allow over 1 million migrants into the country last year, with many concerned that some men among the arrivals may not adhere to Western values.Justice Minister Heiko Maas believes that the attacks were organized, according to comments in Sundays edition of the Bild newspaper."When such a horde meets to commit crimes, it seems to have been planned in some way. Nobody can tell me that it wasnt coordinated or pre-prepared," Maas was quoted in the popular tabloid as saying.Maas was also not prepared to rule out a connection between the Cologne attacks and those on women elsewhere in Germany.The wave of crimes in Cologne were mirrored in Hamburg on New Years Eve, where 108 complaints were filed, and to a much lesser extent in other cities.At the same time Maas warned people not to draw conclusions about how law-abiding migrants are from the attacks.But Maas warned people against drawing conclusions on crime based on race. "To infer from someones background that he is more likely to commit a crime or not I find to be risky," he said.Chancellor Angela Merkel responded to the tense debate on Saturday by promising tougher action against criminals of foreign nationality, including measures to revoke the right to claim asylum from people who break the law.The leader of the parliamentary group of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), Thomas Oppermann, said on Sunday the coalition partners should not descend into an "ideological row" over the issue.He said he was "confident that the demands by the SPD for more staff and video surveillance could be decided quickly.""We will also look impartially into whether we need to change the legal position," he added, a reference to Merkels proposals.
Is Austria next in line after Brexit and Trump?

Voters in Austria have a choice between a far-right and a Green president. No matter who wins, populism is gaining ground in the country.

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Vienna (dpa) - Europe will look to Austria on Sunday to see if the small but wealthy country will elect Western Europes first far-right president, giving a fresh boost to populists in the wake of Britains Brexit vote and Donald Trumps win in the United States.But even if rightist Norbert Hofer loses and his left-leaning Green rival Alexander Van der Bellen wins the hotly contested presidential race, populism would only suffer a temporary setback rather than a defeat.This is because Hofers Freedom Party is poised to win the next parliamentary election, and its anti-immigration views have been adopted by mainstream parties.Sunday will provide 45-year-old Hofer a second chance to win Austrias top job.In May, 72-year-old Van der Bellen looked certain to become Austrias president when he won the run-off election against Hofer by a narrow margin of 0.6 per cent.However, the opposition Freedom Party successfully challenged the vote in the Constitutional Court by bringing evidence that ballots were counted without proper oversight in many towns.The court ordered a repeat election, which was planned to go ahead in October but had to be pushed back to December after the envelopes for postal votes were found to be manufactured with substandard glue.Hofer, one of the deputy presidents of Austrias parliament, has won support from half of the voters by criticizing the government for allowing 90,000 migrants to enter the country last year.The former aviation engineer has also chided German Chancellor Angela Merkel for her welcoming stance in the face of the wave of migrant arrivals."By announcing We can do it, she [Merkel] encouraged many people to undertake very, very dangerous journeys across the sea," he said in a recent television debate. Austrian taxpayers were footing Germanys bill as many of these migrants ended up in Austria and needed to be housed and fed here, he said.Following Britains referendum decision to leave the European Union, Freedom Party leaders welcomed Brexit and said that Austria should hold a similar vote if Turkey were to be admitted into the European Union, or if the bloc proved to be incapable of reforming itself.However, Austrians have little appetite for exiting the bloc, and the EU-sceptic Freedom Party has since backpedalled.Hofer told dpa that he sees the EU as "a project that is in urgent need of development." However, he sticks to the view that a referendum remains a measure of last resort.Former Green party chief Van der Bellen is pro-European. He keeps warning that Hofers recent soft EU stance only masks his wish to destroy the bloc, in line with like-minded populist movements in France and Germany.On the migration issue, Van der Bellen stands by the many Austrians who have spontaneously formed grassroots projects to help arriving migrants."Do we want to see Austria as a friendly, open, bright country?" the economic scholar said in a speech. "Or do we want to see it as a country that is threatened by conspiracies, where fears take over, where everything is terrible?" he said, challenging the Freedom Partys world view.Although polls predict another neck-to-neck result on Sunday, his position is an increasingly lonely one.Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz has been successful with his strategy of closing down the Balkan migration route, pushing for restrictive immigration policies and demanding the end of Turkeys accession talks with the EU.Kurz currently tops Austrias popularity rating for politicians.The Social Democrats, who form the government coalition with Kurzs centre-right Peoples Party, have gone along with Austrias immigration about-turn and have reluctantly supported a cut-off limit for the number of asylum seekers that can enter per year.An increasingly vocal wing in the Social Democratic party has been mulling cooperation with the Freedom Party after the next parliamentary election, which is due in 2018 at the latest.The Freedom Party has led the polls for more than a year and currently enjoys the support of 35 per cent of voters, according to the latest survey published by the tabloid Oesterreich in early November. "Nothing and no one will stop us," Hofer said at an election rally.
Berlin (dpa) - Leading refugee athletes will be invited to compete at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach has said.



The IOC wants member nations to identify top-level athletes who are currently refugees.



They will be invited to compete at the Games under the Olympic flag and using the Olympic anthem, Bach told the UN General Assembly in New York Monday.



Bach said top-level refugee athletes would have a home together with all the other 11,000 athletes from 206 National Olympic Committees in the Olympic Village.



"This will be a symbol of hope for all the refugees in our world, and will make the world better aware of the magnitude of this crisis," he said.



For an Olympic start, athletes would normally need to be entered by their countrys National Olympic Committee providing they have reached the minimum sporting requirements.



The General Assembly meanwhile approved the observance of the traditional Olympic Truce for the Games.



The truce should be respected from seven days before the start of the August 5-21 Olympics until seven days after the Paralympic Games from September 7-18.




Ivanka Trump comes face to face with Merkel at Berlin women's summit

Ivanka Trump is set to attend a women's conference in Berlin on Tuesday, bringing her face to face with German Chancellor Angela Merkel for the first time since her father Donald Trump took office as president of the United States.

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The so-called Women20 Summit will bring together around 100 delegates from the Group of 20 countries including Christine Lagarde, head of the International Monetary Fund, Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland, Queen Maxima of the Netherlands, German chancellor Angela Merkel and...

Berlin (dpa) - The so-called Women20 Summit will bring together around 100 delegates from the Group of 20 countries including Christine Lagarde, head of the International Monetary Fund, Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands.Trump is scheduled to participate in a panel discussion on the economic and professional advancement of women, as well as visiting a vocational college, the US Embassy and Berlins famed Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe.Trump gave up the management of her fashion brand to serve as an unpaid White House adviser. She has yet to reveal how she plans to implement the child care and parental leave policies she promoted during her fathers presidential campaign.Berlin-based activists were planning to hold a demonstration outside the Deutsche Bank-sponsored Kunsthalle museum later on Tuesday in a effort to highlight "the hypocrisy of Ivanka Trumps participation in the W20.""How can Ivanka Trump refer to womens empowerment while President Trump cuts funding for reproductive health? Ivankas silence on such life-or-death issues says everything," said Kathleen Brown of the left-wing opposition Die Linke party.
Madrid rejects invitation to talks with Catalan separatists

Spain's government rejected an offer of a fresh round of talks with separatist leaders in the country's north-eastern Catalonia region late Wednesday, amid continued uncertainty in the wake of last week's disputed referendum on independence.

GALLERY

Madrid (dpa) - "The government will not negotiate over any illegal acts, nor will it be blackmailed," read an official statement released by the central government in Madrid.Referring directly to Catalonias regional leader, Carlos Puigdemont, who backs the separatist movement, the statement pointed to the serious damage already inflicted by the independence movement and demanded that separatist leaders meet with all parties in the Catalan regional government.Separatist leaders in Catalonia have been accused of attempting to exclude unionist parties from the proceedings.Earlier Wednesday, Puigdemont had called on the Spanish government, led by Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, to meet for new negotiations. However, in a television interview in Barcelona, the 54-year-old Catalan leader stressed that the regions independence would become a reality."My government will not budge a millimetre from its commitment," said Puigdemont.In a report published Wednesday evening, credit rating agency Standard & Poors stated that the region of Catalonia had been given the status of "credit watch negative," and stated that the region could experience major difficulties financing itself in the short term should it actually become independent.The ruling coalition in Catalonias regional government in Barcelona will convene a plenary session on Monday, in which independence could be declared unilaterally. In a controversial referendum on Sunday, a clear majority of voted in favour of Catalonias independence from Spain.The vote took place despite being prohibited by Spains Constitutional Court and despite Madrids express condemnation. Voter turnout in the referendum was 42 per cent, in large part because most of those opposed to independence did not participate.According to the regional government, nearly 900 people were injured as police tried to prevent the vote.
Turkey sends more tanks into Syria as rebels advance on Islamic State

Turkey sent more tanks into northern Syria on Saturday, Syrian opposition sources said, as rebels backed by Ankara said they were moving to seize the last stretch of territory held by Islamic State on the Syrian side of the border.

GALLERY

Turkish soldiers wave as they return from Syria to Turkey after a military operation at the Syrian border as part of their offensive against the Islamic State (IS) militant group in Syria, Karkamis district of Gaziantep, Turkey, 27 August 2016.

Istanbul/Damascus (dpa) - Sources close to Turkish-backed rebel groups, who asked not to be quoted by name, said that the rebels had captured three villages west of the border town of Jarabulus and another three villages near the border village of al-Rai from Islamic State jihadists.A military commander in the Turkish-backed rebel Sultan Murad Brigades said that the operations aimed at capturing the last stretch of the border held by Islamic State, which lies between the two locations.The Turkish border is the jihadist organizations only direct link between its territories in Syria and Iraq and the outside world. It has used it in the past to bring in foreign fighters joining its forces.The group has been expelled from most of the border region over the past 18 months by Kurdish-led Syrian forces, backed by US-led airstrikes.The commander in the Sultan Murad Brigades said Turkey had sent ten tanks and three armoured personnel carriers to back up the rebels, a force he said was sufficient to help them seize that last border region.The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring group, said that Turkish tanks had been seen near al-Rai. It also confirmed the rebel capture of at least three villages west of Jarabulus.Turkeys state-run Anadolu news agency reported that Turkish troops and armoured vehicles had again pushed into Syrian territory north-east of Aleppo to back up rebel forces.Turkey launched a military operation in Syria late last month, sending hundreds of Syrian rebels backed by its own tanks and airstrikes across the border to capture Jarabulus from Islamic State.They seized the town quickly but then turned their attention on the Kurdish-led forces that have battled Islamic State across northern Syria, drawing a sharp rebuke from the United States.Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the Syrian operations were aimed at both Islamic State and the Kurdish forces, which Ankara describes as terrorists due to their links with banned Kurdish rebels operating on Turkish soil.Since Tuesday the Turkish-backed rebels have once more moved against Islamic State, and an undeclared truce appears to be holding with the Kurdish-led forces, who withdrew south of the Sajur river some 15 kilometres from the border.Turkish tanks also returned to a Kurdish-held city further east in Syria, a day after local protesters forced them to retreat, the Observatory reported.The tanks and military vehicles pushed for several metres into Kobane near the Turkish border, where two civilians, including a child, were killed and dozens injured on Friday when Turkish forces shot at protesters, the monitoring group said.Residents in the city have staged protests since August 27 against Turkeys construction of a cement separation wall at the border with Kobane, according to the observatory and Kurdish officials.There was no immediate official comment on the Kobane operations in Ankara.Kobane was the site of the first significant victory over Islamic State when Kurdish forces, backed by US-led air power, recaptured the city from the radical group in January 2015.
Turkey on edge: 5 killed, 36 wounded as suicide blasts rocks Istanbul

A suicide bombing on Istanbul's main shopping street on Saturday killed five people, including the assailant, as Turkey reels from the second such attack this week, the latest blast hitting an area popular with tourists.

GALLERY

Workers check the overhead power lines for a streetcar as people gather near by the scene of a bomb explosion in the downtown Istiklal Street earlier the same day, in Istanbul, Turkey, 19 March 2016. The suicide bomb explosion according to media reports caused the lives of at least five people whil 36 others - among them a dozen foreigners - were injured in the blast, some of them seriously.

Istanbul (dpa) - Among the injured in the blast in Turkeys largest city and economic hub were 24 foreigners, the local governments office said.Health Minister Mehmet Muezzinoglu said at least 36 people were wounded in the explosion near a shopping area on Istiklal boulevard, a main high street in the centre of Istanbul just off Taksim Square.Israeli media reported several Israelis were injured, including two critically, while Dogan news agency in Turkey said at least one of the dead was Israeli and one is Iranian. Seven people were listed in serious condition.The Irish government confirmed that a number of Irish citizens were injured, the Press Association reported.Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu was quoted by Dogan as saying investigations would soon be completed and shed light on the incident.The US State Department condemned the attack and said it would "remain in close touch" with Turkish authorities on the investigation.Emergency services were rushed to the area and more than two dozen ambulances ferried people to hospital.Istiklal street was largely closed down by police following the attack just before 11 am (0900 GMT) and remained that way into the evening. The centre of Istanbul was largely absent of the usual masses who crowd shops and restaurants.A video from a closed circuit camera emerged showing the moment of the explosion which appeared to go off in the middle of a group of several people near a popular fish market."I had just ordered a coffee in the nearby shopping mall when we heard the explosion. It actually was not so loud. At first we thought a large piece of furniture had fallen down from a height," said Tolsum Merey.The German Foreign Ministry advised its citizens in Turkey to stay in their hotels and pay attention to media reports and official statements following the bombing.The government convened security meetings, local media reported.The Turkish authorities instituted a partial broadcast ban on footage related to the bombing and social media websites were being throttled, some users reported. Both steps have become the norm after bombings in the country.The blast comes as Turkey is on edge, following a massive car bombing in Ankara on March 13 which killed 37 people.That attack was claimed by the Kurdistan Freedom Falcons (TAK), a splinter group of the banned Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).A similar attack last month in the capital left 30 dead and was also claimed by TAK.The attack in Ankara this month was preceded by a warning from the US embassy about a potential terrorist act in the area.German diplomatic missions and schools were closed this week in Istanbul and Ankara following what was described as a "concrete" terrorism threat, apparently from Islamic State.However, after two days of being shut, authorities said the embassy in Ankara and consulate in Istanbul would reopen on Monday.There was a large police presence in Istanbul on Friday night, as helicopters with search lights hovered above.Istanbuls normally bustling night life was relatively quiet with many bars and restaurants in the Taksim area seeing few costumers.In January, 12 tourists were killed by a suicide bomber in Istanbul in an attack the authorities blamed on Islamic State.The combined effect of the attacks as well as the war in neighbouring Syria and a diplomatic row with Russia is having a devastating impact on Turkeys vital tourism sector.Violence has been spiralling in Turkey since last summer. The largest terrorist attack in the countrys history came in October, when 100 people were killed in an attack in Ankara blamed on Islamic State.Meanwhile, the country has seen the conflict with PKK militants from the Kurdish minority reignited after a two-year ceasefire collapsed in July and peace talks were abandoned.Hundreds have died, including civilians, in the mostly Kurdish south-eastern regions of the country in recent months. Kurds have long complained of systemic discrimination.Turkey launched fresh airstrikes against the PKKs bases in northern Iraq on Friday and Saturday, Turkish and Kurdish media outlets said.
Truck deliberately drove into Berlin Christmas market, police say

The truck that ploughed into a Berlin Christmas market, killing 12 people and injuring 49, was driven at the crowd deliberately in a presumed terrorist attack, law enforcement officials said Tuesday.

GALLERY

The truck that ploughed into a Berlin Christmas market, killing 12 people and injuring 49, was driven at the crowd deliberately in a presumed terrorist attack, law enforcement officials said Tuesday.

Berlin (dpa) - The truck drove between 50 and 80 metres through the market at the historic Kaiser-Wilhelm Memorial Church late Monday, near one of the German capitals most popular shopping streets. The suspected driver, who fled the scene, was taken into custody shortly afterwards a few kilometres away. Police have not released details on his identity.Public broadcaster RBB reported he came to Germany in December 2015 from Pakistan, A security source earlier told dpa he had registered as an asylum seeker.The suspect was known to police for minor criminal offences, but not terrorist activity, the Tagesspiegel newspaper reported.Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere refused to label the incident a terrorist attack, though he said "a lot points in that direction.""We want to be very, very cautious and operate close to the investigation results, not with speculation," he told broadcaster ARD.A man found dead in the passenger seat of the truck, which was owned by a Polish company, was later identified as a Polish citizen. It was not clear how he died. Police said he had not been behind the trucks wheel when it drove through the market.The companys owner, Ariel Zurawski, told Polish broadcaster TVN 24 that the truck had earlier in the day been driven by his cousin, who had been transporting steel to Berlin and had not been reachable since the late afternoon.He said he was sure his cousin was not an attacker. "It cant have been my driver," he said. "Something must have happened to him ... I am so shocked."German police said later they were working on the assumption that the truck had been stolen from a construction site in Poland.Amateur videos taken directly after the attack and aired on several German broadcasters showed injured people lying on the ground against the backdrop of police sirens."We are mourning the dead and hope the many people injured can get help," German Chancellor Angela Merkels spokesman Steffen Seibert said on Twitter.Security had been increased at many of the nations Christmas markets this year, according to a recent dpa survey, amid fears they could be a target for terrorists.A large number of streets were cordoned off around the church on Breitscheidplatz while police patrolled the area with machine guns.Berlin Mayor Michael Mueller called that attack "dramatic" but said the situation in the capital was under control.If established as a terrorist attack, the incident will come less than six months after two attacks in Germany inspired by the Islamic State extremist group and the Bastille Day attack in France, which left 86 dead.In July, a 17-year-old claiming to be an Afghan asylum seeker attacked passengers on a Bavarian commuter train with an axe and a knife.A week later a 27-year-old Syrian asylum seeker blew himself up outside a music venue in the Bavarian town of Ansbach, injuring more than a dozen people.A 12-year-old boy with dual German-Iraqi citizenship also allegedly attempted to explode a nail bomb at a Christmas market in the western German city of Ludwigshafen a few weeks ago.Christmas markets have a long history in Germany stretching back to the Middle Ages. However, more recently they have grown dramatically to become popular places to socialize - to drink mulled wine and to eat snacks in the weeks running up to Christmas.
Archeological, Religious and Natural Sites around the Gargano

Walking to reach sites that otherwise are inaccessible, enjoying nature while respecting it, observing plants and animals close by, that is: Living the most relaxing vacation of all.

GALLERY

The hights of the Gargano seen from the tableland

Peschici (FG) - Town:Bivio Bosco ReseghettaPeschici (FG) - Town: SfinalicchioThis 5.7 km itinerary winds along the border between Vieste and Peschici: starting in the woods of the Reseghetta and, along the trail, you can find a fabulous Mediterranean maquis, beautiful natural landscapes, and archaeological prehistoric and protohistoric evidence of this territory.From the Reseghetta take a little path to the right and, after a few steps you will find a fork in the path near a house. Continue straight on as indicated by the arrow. Following along the crest of the hill, you will arrive in the zone of the Ripari Sottoroccia - or Under-rock Shelters - dating back to the end of the Upper Palaeolithic. Following the path to the sea, after about 500 m, you are near the end of the path and find another archaeological site: a nucleus of four Daune Tombs (not easily accessible) dug into the rock.about 3 hours -km 5.7 -LowMattinata (FG) - Town: SagroMonte SantAngelo (FG)This trail offers interesting landscapes and natural attractions as well as religious ones. An ancient sheep treck winds through the woods of Vieste that has been used for centuries by pilgrims and shepherds to reach Monte SantAngelo in honour of Saint Michael (29 September) and to reach the livestock fairs that were held periodically in Monte SantAngelo, San Marco in Lamis, and San Giovanni Rotondo.The itinerary begins in Sagro, near the picnic area of Tacca del Lupo. This is where a little road begins, 3 km long, leading to Iacotenente. The trail leads to a spacious and sunny valley known as Piano di San Martino; continuing towards the right, along a red-earth dirt road, you will reach the Piscina della Signora - or the "Lady"s Pool". A trail climbs above the city of Monte SantAngelo: all you have to do is cross the last pasture and reach, after such fatigue, the silent grotto of the Saint, where the itinerary ends.about 9 hours -km 24 -HighVico del Gargano (FG) - Town: Villaggio UmbraVico del Gargano (FG) - Town: CaritateLeaving from the Caserma di Caritate (Caritate Barracks), follow the paved road for about 1 km until you arrive at an equipped picnic area; near the limits of the picnic area you find a forest protection table indicating the trail for Baracconi (first sign). The trail climbs up the hill around more than 25 sharp curves and in one of these you will find the second sign. Continue until you find indications for the Grava di Pozzo Lombardo and further ahead that for Malanotte. After about three hours of walking, you will reach Baracconi, near the Villaggio Umbra.about 11 hours -km 26 -HighNotes: Grava is a term used in Southern Italy to indicate a deep gorge.
Experts say Xi's speech at ZGC Forum contributes to solving global issues

Xinhua) 08:13, September 26, 2021

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, delivers a speech via video at the opening ceremony of the 2021 Zhongguancun Forum on Sept. 24, 2021. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen)

Xi's speech shows China's demonstration to the world that its "course towards innovative development remains unchanged and prioritized," said Andrei Ostrovsky, head of the Institute of Far Eastern Studies under the Russian Academy of Sciences.

"China has consistently advocated the creation of an open, fair and non-discriminatory environment for global scientific and technological cooperation. And it has done a lot for this," Ostrovsky said.

BEIJING, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- Overseas experts have spoken highly of Chinese President Xi Jinping's speech via video at the opening ceremony of the 2021 Zhongguancun Forum (ZGC Forum) on Friday, saying it has provided China's wisdom to resolve important global issues through sci-tech innovation.

They said Xi's call for openness, cooperation in science and technology, and addressing the challenges of the times together has pointed out the direction for world economic recovery, provided a way to solve important global problems and boosted the confidence of all countries in promoting the noble cause of peace and development of mankind.

Photo taken on Sept. 25, 2021 shows a scene of the plenary meeting of the 2021 Zhongguancun Forum (ZGC Forum) in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 25, 2021. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)

Xi's speech shows China's demonstration to the world that its "course towards innovative development remains unchanged and prioritized," said Andrei Ostrovsky, head of the Institute of Far Eastern Studies under the Russian Academy of Sciences, noting that China has made tremendous achievements in such fields as information technology, 5G and space exploration.

"China has consistently advocated the creation of an open, fair and non-discriminatory environment for global scientific and technological cooperation. And it has done a lot for this," Ostrovsky said.

Photo taken on Sept. 17, 2020 shows a passenger-grade autonomous aerial vehicle exhibited during the 2020 Zhongguancun Forum (ZGC Forum) in Beijing, capital of China. (Xinhua/Ren Chao)

Hailing Xi's call for greater scientific cooperation "a very positive development," Malaysian political observer Azmi Hassan said the Association of Southeast Asian Nations should tap the opportunity and cooperate at all levels with China in science and technology, which otherwise would be quite difficult for smaller nations to develop on their own.

Raquel Isamara Leon de la Rosa, professor and researcher of international business at the Meritorious Autonomous University of Puebla in Mexico, said China is growing to become a technology-oriented economy.

Photo taken on Sept. 17, 2020 shows a coffee maker robot at the main venue of the 2020 Zhongguancun Forum (ZGC Forum) in Beijing, capital of China. The forum will be held in Beijing from Sept. 17 to 20. (Xinhua/Ren Chao)

Such technologies as artificial intelligence, green energy and carbon neutrality showcased at the ZGC Forum have drawn worldwide attention, said the professor.

De la Rosa's remarks were echoed by Ronnie Lins, director of the China-Brazil Center for Research and Business, who said Xi's speech has deepened people's understanding of true multilateralism, stressing it is of great significance to help countries share innovative ideas and methods for global development through providing a platform for discussions about cutting-edge technology and industrial growth trends by hosting forums.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
China's HK, Macao affairs office supports release of fact sheet detailing U.S. interference

Xinhua) 08:15, September 26, 2021

Photo taken on June 29, 2021 shows China's national flags and flags of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on a street in south China's Hong Kong. (Xinhua/Li Gang)

BEIJING, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- The Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of China's State Council firmly supports the foreign ministry in releasing the fact sheet on U.S. interference in Hong Kong affairs and support for anti-China, destabilizing forces, a spokesperson with the office said Friday.

The fact sheet, released online earlier in the day, is a powerful counterblow after the United States has repeatedly slandered the Chinese government's governance over Hong Kong and brazenly imposed so-called sanctions on Chinese government officials, said the spokesperson when responding to a journalist request for comments.

The spokesperson pointed out that through the fact sheet, people can tell how hard, nakedly and unscrupulously the United States had been working to interfere in Hong Kong affairs and lend support to anti-China, destabilizing forces.

The solid evidence provided by the document can help people develop a better understanding of the "double standards" the United States has been applying on issues of democracy, freedom, human rights and the rule of law, the hegemonic nature of the U.S. obsession with acting as a preacher dictating others and the evil intention of Washington in its attempts to contain China's development by destabilizing Hong Kong, the spokesperson said.

"However, the U.S. indulgence in wishful thinking will not work after all," the spokesperson said, noting that following the enforcement of the Law on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and improvements to the region's electoral system, Hong Kong is resuming stability and advancing toward prosperity.

No intervention from external forces can shake the firm determination of the Chinese government to fully and accurately implement the policy of "one country, two systems," nor can it stop the "one country, two systems" ship from continuing to cleave through the waves, the spokesperson said.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
China's foreign ministry speaks on Meng Wanzhou's return

Xinhua) 08:15, September 26, 2021

BEIJING, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson on Saturday commented on Meng Wanzhou's return to China.

After the Chinese government's unremitting efforts, Meng left Canada on Sept. 24 local time and is returning on a charter flight organized by the Chinese government. She will soon reunite with her family.

In response to a media query, spokesperson Hua Chunying said the Chinese side's position on Meng's case has been consistent and clear.

Facts have proven that it is a political persecution case targeting a Chinese national with the aim of suppressing Chinese high-tech companies, Hua said.

The so-called fraud charges against Meng are nothing but pure fabrication, she said. Even the HSBC -- the "victim" named by the U.S. side -- has released files proving Meng's innocence.

What the United States and Canada have done is a typical case of arbitrary detention, Hua added.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
Blast rocks Afghanistan's eastern Jalalabad city

Xinhua) 08:18, September 26, 2021

Photo taken on Sept, 25, 2021 shows a damaged vehicle at the site of a blast in Jalalabad city of Nangarhar province, Afghanistan. A blast rocked Jalalabad city, the capital of eastern Nangarhar province, Afghanistan, on Saturday with no report on casualties, local media reported. (Photo by Hamidullah/Xinhua)

JALALABAD, Afghanistan, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- A blast rocked Jalalabad city, the capital of eastern Nangarhar province, on Saturday with no report on casualties, local media reported.

The explosive device, according to local media reports, was placed in a flower base of a street and went off in the morning rush hour.

Security officials in the province have yet to make comments.

Since last Saturday, a series of bomb blasts shocked Jalalabad city and the hardliner Islamic State group has reportedly claimed responsibility.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
Int'l community opposes politicization of human rights issues, baseless allegations against China

Xinhua) 08:22, September 26, 2021

-- Up to 65 countries voiced opposition at a UNHRC session to the politicization of human rights issues, especially those unfounded allegations against China out of political motivation.

-- Chen Xu, permanent representative of China to the UN Office at Geneva, stressed at the session that the trick of taking human rights as a political tool should be jointly opposed and rejected by the international community.

-- The international community has also voiced deep concerns over the human rights situation in some western countries, calling on them to face up to and solve their own problems.

GENEVA, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- In a joint statement delivered Friday at the 48th session of the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council, 65 countries voiced their opposition to the politicization of human rights issues, especially those unfounded allegations against China out of political motivation.

Pointing out that the allegations are based on disinformation, the joint statement, delivered by Pakistan on behalf of the countries, rejected interference in China's internal affairs under the pretext of human rights.

In addition to the joint statement, six member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council issued a joint letter to back China, and more than 20 countries expressed their support for China in their national statements.

As Hector Constant Rosales, permanent representative of Venezuela to the UN Office in Geneva, has said, the latest voice from the international society once again highlighted the need to respect countries' sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, as well as the basic norms and principles that govern international relations.

OPPOSE POLITICIZING HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES

The joint statement delivered by Pakistan said that issues related to Hong Kong, Xinjiang and Tibet are China's internal affairs that brook no interference by any external forces, and reiterated support for China's implementation of "one country, two systems" in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

It called on all states to uphold multilateralism, solidarity and collaboration, and to promote and protect human rights through constructive dialogue and cooperation.

Also on Friday, Chen Xu, permanent representative of China to the UN Office at Geneva, stressed at the session that the trick of taking human rights as a political tool should be jointly opposed and rejected by the international community.

Photo taken on June 8, 2020 shows a protester holding a sign that reads "Black Lives Matter" near the White House during a demonstration over the death of George Floyd in Washington D.C., the United States. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

"Turning a blind eye to their own human rights problems, some countries, out of political purposes, continue to interfere in the internal affairs of others under the pretext of human rights, in an attempt to impose their own values on others," the Chinese envoy said.

He further pointed out that this seriously undermines the sovereignty and independence of other countries as well as international solidarity and cooperation, and causes persistent damage to the international efforts to promote and protect human rights.

Earlier this week, speaking on behalf of a group of countries at another meeting of the ongoing human rights session, Chen highlighted that a democratic and equitable international order is essential to the promotion and protection of human rights.

Urging all parties to practice true multilateralism and make the international order more just and equitable, Chen stressed the importance of the UN-centered international system and the international order underpinned by international law, and expressed opposition to bullying, unilateralism and double standards.

The Chinese diplomat called on all nations to remain open and inclusive, respect the diversity of civilizations and the development paths independently chosen by countries, and refrain from imposing one's own social system and model on others or creating division and confrontation.

Protesters hold placards with anti-racism messages during the Million People March demonstration to protest against systemic racism in the UK in London, Britain, Aug. 30, 2020. (Photo by Ray Tang/Xinhua)

INTERVENTION, POWER POLITICS GET NO SUPPORT

Using human rights as a political tool to serve their own interests, some Western countries have indulged in intervention and power politics, creating countless human rights disasters around the world.

The UN human rights session from Sept. 13 to Oct. 8 is held at a time when Afghanistan is experiencing dramatic changes after the United States' hasty withdrawal from the war-torn country.

Delivering a joint statement on behalf of a group of countries earlier this month, Jiang Duan, minister of the Chinese mission to the UN in Geneva, pointed out that by April 2020, at least 47,000 Afghan civilians had been killed in the war waged by the United States and more than ten million Afghan people had been displaced.

"The United States and its allies have conducted military intervention in Afghanistan for 20 years, which severely undermined the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Afghanistan, compromised its economic and social development, and violated the human rights of the Afghan people," Jiang said.

In another joint statement delivered at the session, Jiang said that although the U.S. military has withdrawn from Afghanistan, the crimes of killing civilians by the U.S. troops and its allies must be thoroughly investigated and the perpetrators must be held accountable.

"The drastic change in Afghanistan shows once again that military intervention and power politics get no support. Imposing the American-style democracy on others will only lead to chaos and turmoil and is doomed to failure," he said.

A man sits beside white flags placed on the National Mall to honor the lives lost to COVID-19 in Washington, D.C., the United States, Sept. 18, 2021. (Photo by Aaron Schwartz/Xinhua)

HUMAN RIGHTS WOES IN THE WEST

The international community has also voiced deep concerns over the human rights situation in some western countries, calling on them to face up to and solve their own problems.

Speaking on behalf of a group of countries on Friday, Jiang told the UN council that systemic racism and racial discrimination are deep-rooted in Britain, while hate speech, xenophobia and relevant violence are increasingly exacerbated there.

The diplomat further pointed out that Britain has serious poverty, with one third of families that have children under the age of five living in poverty.

During the first week of the current UN human rights session, the spokesperson for the Chinese mission to the UN Office at Geneva issued a statement, saying that the United States actually is the "champion" in the world in killing Muslims.

Since 2011, the statement said, illegal wars waged by the United States in Afghanistan, the Middle East and elsewhere have led to more than 800,000 deaths, most of whom are civilians, and tens of millions in displacement.

Photo taken on Aug. 4, 2021 shows the site of a car bomb in Kabul, Afghanistan. (Photo by Sayed Mominzadah/Xinhua)

In recent years, the statement added, the human rights situation and living conditions of Americans have deteriorated, while the U.S. government remains indifferent and has done nothing.

"The United States is the only developed country where millions of people are still in starvation, and nearly one seventh of its population are struggling in poverty," the statement said.

Naming the United States a "human rights perpetrator" and a "loser" in protecting its own people's human rights, including the rights to health during the COVID-19 pandemic, the statement urged the United States to act as a "decent power" and invest its resources in improving the welfare and human rights of its own people, rather than violating the human rights of people in other countries and "playing low political tricks."

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
Meng Wanzhou back in China

Xinhua) 08:27, September 26, 2021

Meng Wanzhou waves at a cheering crowd as she steps out of a charter plane at Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, Sept. 25, 2021. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang)

SHENZHEN, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- Meng Wanzhou, Huawei's chief financial officer, arrived in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen on Saturday night on a charter flight organized by the Chinese government, after being illegally detained for nearly three years in Canada.

At around 10 p.m., the charter flight touched down at the Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport.

Meng, in a red dress, waved to the welcoming crowd after she stepped out of the cabin. As she walked down the stairs, applause and cheers erupted from the crowd. Airport staff presented flowers to her.

The crowd held up a banner reading "Welcome home, Ms. Meng Wanzhou," waved national flags, and chanted "welcome home."

There were no handshakes due to epidemic prevention concerns. Meng made a brief speech at the airport.

"After more than 1,000 days of torment, I am finally back in the embrace of the motherland," Meng said.

"I am back, motherland!" she chanted to the cheering crowd.

"As an ordinary Chinese citizen who had suffered this plight and been stranded overseas for nearly three years, there was never a moment when I did not feel the care and warmth of the Party, the motherland and the people," she said.

"President Xi Jinping cares about the safety of each and every Chinese citizen, including me. I am deeply moved by this," Meng said. "I also thank the relevant departments for their support and help. They have resolutely safeguarded the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises and citizens."

"The motherland provides us the strongest backing," Meng said. "As an ordinary Chinese person, I am proud of my motherland."

The crowd broke into an impromptu rendition of the patriotic song "Ode to the Motherland" after the speech. Meng then sang together with the crowd.

According to epidemic control rules, Meng will be quarantined at a designated hotel after her arrival.

Meng was arbitrarily detained by Canada on a U.S. extradition request on Dec. 1, 2018 at Vancouver International Airport.

Meng has pleaded not guilty to all charges against her and reached a deferred prosecution agreement with U.S. prosecutors. The U.S. side has withdrawn its extradition request.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
Meng Wanzhou back in China

Xinhua) 08:30, September 26, 2021

-- Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou returned to China after reaching a deferred prosecution agreement with U.S. prosecutors.

-- Meng did not plead guilty or pay fines.

-- The return, made possible after the Chinese government's unremitting efforts, was hailed as a major victory achieved by the Chinese people.

SHENZHEN, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- Meng Wanzhou, Huawei's chief financial officer, arrived in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen on Saturday night on a charter flight organized by the Chinese government, after being illegally detained for nearly three years in Canada.

At around 10 p.m., the charter flight touched down at the Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport.

Meng, in a red dress, waved to the welcoming crowd after she stepped out of the cabin, which was emblazoned with China's national flag. As she walked down the stairs, applause and cheers erupted from the crowd. Airport staff presented flowers to her.

The crowd held up a banner reading "Welcome home, Ms. Meng Wanzhou," waved national flags, and chanted "welcome home."

Meng's family members, central and local government officials, as well as her Huawei colleagues were among the more than 100 people waiting at the airport.

There were no handshakes or hugs due to epidemic prevention concerns. Meng made a brief speech at the airport.

Meng Wanzhou waves to a cheering crowd as she steps out of a charter plane at Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, Sept. 25, 2021. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang)

"After more than 1,000 days of torment, I am finally back in the embrace of the motherland," Meng said.

"I am back, motherland!" she chanted to the cheering crowd.

"As an ordinary Chinese citizen who had suffered this plight and been stranded overseas for nearly three years, there was never a moment when I did not feel the care and warmth of the Party, the motherland and the people," she said.

"President Xi Jinping cares about the safety of each and every Chinese citizen, including me. I am deeply moved," Meng said. "I also thank the relevant departments for their support and help. They have resolutely safeguarded the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises and citizens."

"The motherland provides us the strongest backing," Meng said. "As an ordinary Chinese person, I am proud of my motherland."

Meng bowed several times during her speech to the crowd, who cheered and applauded her emotional address.

The crowd broke into an impromptu rendition of the patriotic song "Ode to the Motherland" after the speech. Meng then sang together with them.

Meng waves to the crowd after her arrival at the Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang)

Meng was arbitrarily detained by Canada on a U.S. extradition request on Dec. 1, 2018 at Vancouver International Airport.

She has pleaded not guilty to all charges against her and reached a deferred prosecution agreement with U.S. prosecutors. The U.S. side has withdrawn its extradition request. Meng did not pay any fines.

Facts have proven that the targeting of Meng is a case of political persecution aiming to suppress Chinese high-tech companies, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said Saturday.

The so-called fraud charges against Meng are nothing but pure fabrication, she said. "What the United States and Canada have done is a typical case of arbitrary detention."

Landmark buildings in Shenzhen exhibit giant slogans welcoming Meng's return. (Xinhua/Yin Peng)

WELCOME HOME

The news of Meng's release has aroused a strong reaction among Chinese internet users. Her return, made possible after the Chinese government's unremitting efforts, was hailed as a major victory achieved by the Chinese people.

"I'm so excited, I'm on the verge of tears," said one comment.

Meng's arrival was broadcast by the state broadcaster. People in Shenzhen, where Huawei is based, welcomed her return with enormous enthusiasm.

On Saturday night, many landmark buildings in the city exhibited giant welcome slogans, while drones flew in formations to form welcome messages. At the airport, patriotic songs were played in the terminal.

In accordance with epidemic control regulations, Meng will be quarantined at a designated hotel after her arrival.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
Commentary: Openness, sci-tech cooperation key to overcoming global challenges

Xinhua) 08:45, September 26, 2021

BEIJING, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- The opening of the 2021 Zhongguancun Forum (ZGC Forum) highlights China's firm resolve and concrete actions to sharpen its capabilities in science and technology innovation and enhance openness and cooperation to tackle global challenges.

Speaking via video at the opening ceremony of the event, Chinese President Xi Jinping noted that nowadays profound changes unseen in a century are evolving rapidly in the world and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been far-reaching, posing severe challenges to the global economic recovery. All countries need to strengthen openness and deepen cooperation in science and technology, explore ways and means of jointly solving important global issues through sci-tech innovation, address the challenges of the times together, and promote the noble cause of peace and development for all.

Zhongguancun (ZGC), an embodiment of China's innovation-driven growth, shoulders a significant mission in pursuing national technological advancement. Since its inception in 2007, the ZGC Forum has become a global, comprehensive and open high-end international forum for sci-tech innovation.

It is evident that China boosts development through innovation, constantly explores new technologies, new industries and new forms of business, and seeks and shares new growth drivers with other countries by promoting international innovation and cooperation.

In recent years, China's sci-tech strength has taken a qualitative leap in various fields. Just a week ago, three "taikonauts" of the Shenzhou-12 manned space returned to Earth after their three-month space mission. China's first student powered by artificial intelligence (AI) has appeared at Tsinghua University. The AI student is not only lifelike in appearance and speaks like humans, but is also expected to keep learning and think like humans.

China's development in science and technology is not exclusive. China has been striving to strengthen international sci-tech cooperation that is open, inclusive and beneficial to all.

For example, China has actively cooperated with the world in lunar exploration, Mars probe and satellite projects. It has pledged to make its space station an open platform for international cooperation. A total of 17 countries will participate in the experiments aboard China's space station, covering aerospace medicine, life sciences and biotechnology, and astronomy.

China's Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST) has been available for scientists worldwide since April 1. So far, the FAST has helped scientists discover almost 400 pulsars, two times the pulsars discovered by other telescopes during the same period.

China has also collaborated with many countries in the research and development (R&D) and production of COVID-19 vaccines. China's vaccines have helped save lives in more than 100 countries, making contributions to global solidarity in the fight against the pandemic.

The history of human society is marked by a transition from isolation and exclusion to openness and integration, which is an unstoppable trend of the world.

As China increasingly integrates itself into the international innovation landscape, the country's technological development will become an even more important engine for global innovation.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
China to promote vocational training of migrant workers

Xinhua) 08:50, September 26, 2021

URUMQI, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- China will promote vocational training of migrant workers as part of the efforts to consolidate its poverty alleviation outcomes, an official said Saturday.

By the end of August, China has 30.85 million migrant workers who had shaken off poverty, Liu Xiaoshan, an official with the National Administration for Rural Vitalization said at a news conference.

The expanded training will focus on skills for professions that are in urgent need for employees, Liu said, adding that the country will also sharpen these migrant workers' skills for starting up businesses.

The country will continue hosting various types of vocational skills competitions to equip workers with more professional skills to increase their income, according to Liu.

Local government should spare no efforts to help poor workers secure jobs through various measures such as launching online recruitment and providing face-to-face guidance for jobseekers, he said.

China will host a rural vitalization vocational skills competition in Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region from Sunday to Tuesday.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
Int'l cultural expo, tourism festival on Silk Road held in NW China

Xinhua) 08:52, September 26, 2021

People visit an exhibition of the duplications of Dunhuang overseas fine cultural relics in Dunhuang City, northwest China's Gansu Province, Sept. 24, 2021. The exhibition is one of the main exhibitions of the 5th China Silk Road (Dunhuang) International Cultural Expo and the 10th Dunhuang Tour-Silk Road International Tourism Festival, which kicked off Friday in Dunhuang, a major hub on the ancient Silk Road in northwest China's Gansu Province. A total of 200 replicas of Dunhuang's cultural relics scattered overseas were displayed. (Xinhua/Chen Bin)

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
Zimbabwean university students awarded China-Zimbabwe friendship scholarships

Xinhua) 08:56, September 26, 2021

HARARE, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- Eleven outstanding students from the University of Zimbabwe were awarded scholarships Saturday under the China-Zimbabwe Friendship Scholarship to cover part of their tuition fees.

The inaugural ceremony of the scholarship program, which was hosted by the Confucius Institute at the University of Zimbabwe (CIUZ), was facilitated by the China Africa Economic and Culture Exchange and Research Center (CAECERC) with support from the Chinese Embassy in Zimbabwe.

The China-Zimbabwe Friendship Scholarship was launched earlier this year mainly targeting students from state universities studying engineering and technology, health sciences, agriculture, natural and etc, the CIUZ's director Li Liqin told Xinhua.

Recipients of the scholarship pocketed a 300 U.S. dollar cash prize each.

In addition, winners of an essay writing completion organized by the Chinese Embassy and the CIUZ under the theme "My story with China" also walked away with the latest smartphones and laptops.

Drawn from all walks of life, the participants of the competition wrote about their impressions of China and their Chinese language learning experiences.

After impressing the judges with her essay in which she narrated her first-hand experience with China during a month-long summer school program in Beijing, Rufaro Lucetta Makiwa scooped the first prize of a Lenovo notebook.

Makiwa, an English and Chinese major at the University of Zimbabwe, said the increased engagement between China and Africa motivated her to study Chinese.

"The bilateral relations between China and Zimbabwe motivated me to see that we are now working together, so I just thought if I do this program I will have a lot of opportunities, I won't be stuck," she said.

A scholarship recipient and winner of the second prize of the essay writing competition, Natasha Machaya, narrated her experience learning Chinese characters and the mechanisms she used to master them despite their complexity.

"The scholarship motivates me so that I can get another scholarship next year, and I will work hard towards getting another scholarship for my master's degree in China," she said.

Victor Mugari, Acting Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at the University of Zimbabwe, expressed gratitude to the Chinese community for supporting local education initiatives.

"For our students having the chance to be equipped with the resources to pursue their education is something that is very important to us, we want to see our youths being empowered to pursue what they do best," he said.

Steve Zhao, Director of the CAECERC, said the scholarship program is part of the Chinese community's initiatives to give back to society.

Through the CAECERC, Zhao has facilitated and promoted various cultural exchange programs between Zimbabwe and China including bringing Chinese students and scholars to Zimbabwe as well as sending Zimbabwean students and scholars to China.

One of his signature programs, Dreamstar Zimbabwe Talent Search Competition, has become the most prominent talent show in Zimbabwe.

Each year Dreamstar sends young talented Zimbabwean artists to China to showcase Zimbabwean culture on the international stage.

Winners of the contest have also benefited from educational scholarships offered by Dreamstar with support from the Chinese Embassy.

China has been at the forefront of promoting Zimbabwe's education, with the Asian country providing over a hundred scholarships to Zimbabwean students each year through the Chinese Government Scholarship, Confucius Institute Scholarship, various provincial government scholarships as well as scholarships funded by Chinese enterprises in Zimbabwe.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
China to make firm, strong reactions to US interference in Hong Kong affairs: FM spokesperson

(People's Daily App) 08:59, September 26, 2021

Zhao Lijian, spokesperson of Chinese Ministry of Foreign affairs, urged the United States to earnestly respect Chinas sovereignty, abide by international law and basic norms governing international relations and stop meddling in Hong Kong affairs.

Zhao warned the US not to support or embolden anti-China forces, or it would only shoot itself in the foot.

China will make firm and strong reactions to US interference in Hong Kong affairs, Zhao said.

Zhao made the remarks at a Friday press conference after a 6,000-word fact sheet was published on the ministry's website, which enumerates the instances of US intervention in Hong Kong SAR affairs from February 2019 until July this year.

These US acts led to nearly a year of violence and social unrest in the city, until a national security law was introduced in Hong Kong in June 2020.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
China provides skills training to over 200,000 Africans

Xinhua) 09:17, September 26, 2021

CHANGSHA, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- China has offered skills development training to more than 200,000 Africans over the past five years, said the China-Africa Economic and Trade Relationship Annual Report (2021) released Saturday.

The report came ahead of the second China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo scheduled in Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan Province, from Sept. 26 to 29.

The training covered public administration, the economy, finance, health, social security, energy, and manufacturing, with dynamic adjustments according to the actual needs and evaluations of the students.

The training initiative not only helped students master advanced technologies for their career development through online and offline learning but also deepened the mutual understanding and exchanges between the Chinese and African people.

China has also helped African countries improve vocational and technical training capacity, setting up 11 Luban Workshops so far in ten African countries to promote the development of local vocational education.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
China releases 2021 list of top 500 enterprises

Xinhua) 09:26, September 26, 2021

CHANGCHUN, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- China released the list of top 500 Chinese enterprises for 2021 on Saturday, showing improved business performance and better industrial structure.

Combined operating revenues of the top 500 companies reached 89.83 trillion yuan (about 13.9 trillion U.S. dollars) in 2020, up 4.43 percent compared to that in the previous year, according to the list jointly released by the China Enterprise Confederation and the China Enterprise Directors Association.

The firms raked in 4.07 trillion yuan in total profits, up 4.59 percent compared to that of the companies on the 2020 list.

State Grid Corporation of China topped the list, followed by the China National Petroleum Corporation and the China Petroleum &Chemical Corporation.

The revenue threshold of the top 500 Chinese enterprises increased by 3.28 billion yuan from a year ago to 39.24 billion yuan, the data showed.

The number of companies whose revenues exceeded 100 billion yuan rose to 222, with eight of them reporting revenues of over 1 trillion yuan.

This year's list also showed an improved industrial structure, as more high-tech and modern services companies such as communication equipment makers and logistics firms were included.

The average R&D spending of the top 500 firms came in at 2.94 billion yuan, up 17.95 percent. The ratio of their R&D expenditure to operating revenues hit a new high of 1.77 percent.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
Meng Wanzhou pleads not guilty, reaching agreement with U.S. prosecutors

Xinhua) 09:28, September 26, 2021

China's Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou leaves her residence to the court in Vancouver, Canada, Aug. 18, 2021. (Photo by Liang Sen/Xinhua)

"She has not pleaded guilty and we fully expect the indictment will be dismissed with prejudice after fourteen months," said William W. Taylor, III, counsel to Meng and partner with law firm Zuckerman Spaeder in a statement.

NEW YORK, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- Meng Wanzhou, a Chinese business executive with Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd., pleaded not guilty to all charges against her and reached a deferred prosecution agreement with U.S. prosecutors on Friday afternoon in a virtual hearing in New York.

U.S. prosecutors agreed to defer Meng's prosecution until Dec. 1, 2022, and the U.S. Department of Justice is obliged to "promptly notify Canada's minister of justice that it is withdrawing its request for Meng's extradition," according to the deferred prosecution agreement.

Meng was arbitrarily detained for more than 1,000 days in Canada.

The U.S. Department of Justice will dismiss the indictment against Meng as well as the underlying charging instruments against her as long as Meng remains in full compliance with her obligations under the agreement for the deferred period, said the agreement.

Meng also agreed to a statement of facts as part of the agreement.

Photo taken on Sept. 24, 2021 shows the plane carrying Ms. Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver, Canada. (Photo by Andrew Soong/Xinhua)

"Under the terms of this agreement, Ms. Meng will not be prosecuted further in the United States and the extradition proceedings in Canada will be terminated," said William W. Taylor, III, counsel to Meng and partner with law firm Zuckerman Spaeder in a statement on Friday.

"She has not pleaded guilty and we fully expect the indictment will be dismissed with prejudice after fourteen months," the lawyer stressed.

"This Deferred Prosecution Agreement will lead to the end of the ongoing extradition proceedings in Canada, which otherwise could have continued for many months, if not years," stated Acting Assistant Attorney General Mark J. Lesko for the U.S. Justice Department's National Security Division.

Hours after the announcement of the agreement, Meng boarded a flight to the city of Shenzhen, returning to China for the first time since her arrest at Vancouver's international airport at the behest of U.S. authorities on Dec. 1, 2018.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
2021 Zhongguancun Forum opens in Beijing

Xinhua) 09:31, September 26, 2021

Chinese Vice Premier Liu He, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, attends the opening ceremony of the 2021 Zhongguancun Forum (ZGC Forum) in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 24, 2021. (Xinhua/Liu Bin)

BEIJING, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- The 2021 Zhongguancun Forum (ZGC Forum) kicked off on Friday in Beijing. Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a speech via video at the opening ceremony.

Vice Premier Liu He, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, attended the opening ceremony and declared the forum open.

Cai Qi, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and secretary of the Beijing Municipal Committee of the CPC, presided over the opening ceremony.

The leaders of relevant countries and heads of international organizations attended the ceremony online.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero, World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Director General Daren Tang, secretary-general of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Vladimir Norov, and president of the International Science Council (ISC) Daya Reddy delivered speeches via video.

Before the opening ceremony, Liu and Cai inspected the China Beijing International High-tech Expo and interacted with exhibitor representatives. The exhibition is part of the forum.

Liu called for giving full play to Beijing's advantages in science and technology innovation resources, strengthening basic research, and striving for more breakthroughs in core technologies.

Liu also urged expanding the market for achievements in applied research and innovations so that key and core technologies can generate greater values.

The 2021 ZGC forum, themed "intelligence, health, and carbon neutrality," hosts more than 60 events, including meetings, exhibitions, research achievement releases, competitions in cutting-edge fields, and technology trading.

This year's forum is scheduled from Sept. 24 to 28 in Beijing.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
New evidence suggests lab leak of coronavirus unlikely: Australian report

Xinhua) 09:37, September 26, 2021

People line up at a COVID-19 vaccination centre in Sydney, Australia, on Aug. 16, 2021. (Photo by Hu Jingchen/Xinhua)

The pre-print study released online "provides strong evidence to support the 'natural spillover' hypothesis" of the origins of COVID-19, with results "that are hard to reconcile with the 'lab leak' hypothesis," according to a report from Australian media.

CANBERRA, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- A new study has provided evidence against the "lab leak" hypothesis of COVID-19, according to a report from Australian media.

The pre-print study released online "provides strong evidence to support the 'natural spillover' hypothesis" of the origins of COVID-19, with results "that are hard to reconcile with the 'lab leak' hypothesis," Hamish McCallum, director of the Center for Planetary Health and Food Security, Griffith University, said in an article published on Friday by The Conversation.

According to the article, the study, to be peer reviewed, is based on a detailed examination of the genetic sequences of two early lineages acquired from people infected in late 2019 and early 2020. Both lineages differed by just two nucleotides at two different key sites in the genetic sequence.

"If there was a single lab escape event, the separation into lineages A and B must have happened after the lab escape," it said. "We would therefore expect to see a substantial number of intermediate lineages, with the lineage A nucleotide at one site, and the lineage B nucleotide at the other site."

"However, if almost all of the genetic sequences obtained from humans are pure lineage A or pure lineage B, this suggests there were at least two different spillover events, either directly from bats or via bridge hosts," it continued. "And the evolution of the two lineages occurred before humans were infected."

"The genetic evidence, therefore, suggests very strongly there have been at least two separate spillover events into human populations," it said.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
China says no to cartoons with unhealthy content

Xinhua) 09:37, September 26, 2021

BEIJING, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- China's broadcasting authorities have voiced absolute rejection of cartoons that contain plots or footage of violence, blood, vulgarity or pornography.

Service providers of audio-visual web programs are encouraged to create, import and broadcast cartoons that feature positive values and promote virtues of the true, the good and the beautiful, said the National Radio and Television Administration on its website.

The administration urged internet service providers to develop channels and zones healthy for the consumption of children and adolescents, make further efforts in content regulation and program refinement, and help build cyberspace conducive to the growth of young people.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
Humanitarian crisis from the evasion of responsibility

10:15, September 26, 2021 By Zhong Cheng ( People's Daily Online

Afghans walk in a market in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan, Sept. 15, 2021. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua)

Humanitarian crisis in Afghan

More than 3.5 million people are currently displaced from Afghanistan due to the deteriorating security situation in the country, according to the head of United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) Filippo Grandi. Significant movements across borders are not yet taking place. UNHCR envisages a worst-case scenario of 500,000 Afghan refugees arriving in neighbouring countries by the end of the year, seeking a total of US$299 million to allow UNHCR, other UN agencies and partners to pre-position aid and to prepare for large outflows of refugees.

The two suicide bombings near Kabul Airport on August 26 killed over 100 Afghans and wounded many others, US forces shot at civilians after the blasts, leading to more casualties, plunging the country into further chaos. On August 29, US forces based in Afghanistan launched drone attacks at a civilian residence on counter-terrorism grounds and left ten civilians dead. The youngest victim was only two years old.

These are not unusual cases of the US killing of innocent people in Afghanistan. In 2002, US Air Force carried out an airstrike on a wedding in Uruzgan province, claimed the lives of more than a dozen civilians and injured over a hundred. In 2008, US troops attacked a village in Herat province, killed nearly a hundred civilians including about 50 children and 19 women. In 2019, a US drone strike mistakenly killed at least 30 Afghan farmers in Nangarhar province. A former US soldier and a drone pilot said in a testimony for a UN expert committee that the drone strikes were purely killing for the sake of killing, and that the US airstrikes led to far more Afghan civilian deaths than the official statistics of the US government. Data shows at least 47,245 Afghan civilians died by April 2020 in the war in Afghanistan launched by the US.

The US leaves Afghanistan in more of a mess than it found it, which has caused a new humanitarian disaster comparable to the tragedy of both Syria and Iraq.

Responsibility shall not be evaded from US withdraw

The US sent troops to Afghanistan in the name of fighting terrorism and spreading democracy 20 years ago. That is for achieving its own strategic goals. 20 years later, the American forces are leaving devastated Afghanistan without taking any responsibility, and for its own benefit again. What the US should not do is to simply take to heels and leave a mess behind. However, the US shirks its responsibility and puts the burden on Afghanistans neighbors, asking Pakistan to open its borders and accept more Afghan refugees.

The shambolic exit indicates that the Biden Administration has botched the execution. However, to pass the buck to others is dishonorable, and will be an over-simplification of how things unraveled. In fact, the US and the West have been failing to seriously share the responsibility for protecting the Afghanistan people, let alone those fled their homes in search of safety and security.

According to Amnesty Internationals latest reports, there are 22.5 million refugees worldwide, 84% of which are hosted by developing countries. Meanwhile, many wealthy countries continue to prioritize policies that prevent people from seeking asylum and find ways to prevent people from reaching it at all, while placing the burden on neighboring countries to protect those fleeing for their lives.

The human rights of Afghan people should be defended. The US should provide Afghanistan with urgently needed assistance for the economy, livelihood and humanitarian needs, help Afghan people overcome difficulties and embark on the path of peace and reconstruction at an early date.

Withdrawing from Afghanistan though, yet the murder of civilians by the US forces over the past 20 years must be investigated thoroughly and the killers must be brought to justice. At stake is international justice, the rule of law and world human rights development.

Lessons to be learned from failure

As the dust settles, it will take a ruthless assessment of mistakes made and lessons learned. The tumultuous withdrawal is not the end of responsibility, but the beginning of reflection and correction.

The biggest mistake will still have been to neglect lessons learned from history, that wanton military intervention in other countries and the policy of imposing extraneous values and social systems onto other countries will lead nowhere and is doomed to end up in failure.

The past and present of Afghanistan demonstrate that the realization of peace, stability and economic development will be impossible without the establishment of an open and inclusive political structure, implementation of moderate, prudent foreign and domestic policies and a clean break with all terrorist groups.

Another lesson is, countries should truly respect the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Afghanistan, and genuinely respect the rights of the Afghan people to determine their own future, effectively change the wrong practice of imposing models, sanctions or even using force on others.

Plus, on the issue of counter-terrorism, there must not be any double standard or selective approach. The recent terrorist attacks in Kabul once again proved that the war in Afghanistan did not achieve the goal of eliminating terrorist groups in Afghanistan. Countries should follow international law and Security Council resolutions, and resolutely combat international terrorist organizations such as the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), the Islamic State and al-Qaeda through cooperation.

A snap shot of America crisis

The US is suffering from a double crisis. Headlines in recent months have focused mainly on Americas crisis of democracy, the deepening polarization and spiraling inequalities in a political environment driven by demographic change, media fragmentation and electoral gerrymandering. But its crisis of global power may turn out to be more consequential in the long run.

Following the Cold War, the US enjoyed a power premium. The world routinely overestimated American interests, and the US enjoyed outsize global influence. But resulting from the Iraq War, the 2008 financial crisis and the Trump presidency, the world no longer places a premium on US power. In Latin America, the US can still fulminate against Venezuelas government, but to little effect. In Syria, Libya and the disputed region of the South Caucasus, it is Russia and Turkey that are playing an increasingly bigger role.

Regarding the US staunchest ally Europe, a recent pan-European survey by the European Council on Foreign Relations finds that a majority of Europeans have deep doubts about Americas capacity to come back as a global leader. Similarly, a majority fears that the US political system is broken, and at least 60 per cent of respondents in each country surveyed say they can no longer rely on the US to defend them.

The messy withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan, paired with an apparent lack of consultation among allies before it started, has triggered a ripple effect of concern. A bigger challenge than selling US allies on a China strategy will be to refurbish Americas global image.

Looking back at the chaotic exit from Afghanistan in the future, the symbolism of the American military pullout may increasingly demonstrate as a critical marker of Americas status in a changing world, far eclipsing the flight from Saigon in 1975.

Chinas stance

China holds that turbulence and poverty are the root causes of humanitarian crisis. In order to completely address the issue, both the symptoms and the root causes should be addressed and a necessary environment needs to be created to help the refugees get rid of trouble through development and improvement of people's livelihood.

China has been holding humanitarian spirits and providing help within its capacity to refugee-hosting countries under the UN framework. China is willing to, together with the international community, fully drive to cool down the hotspot issues, help refugee-hosting countries improve the ability of dealing with crisis and make efforts to realize the refugee's wish of returning home.

China's position on the Afghan issue is clear and consistent. It hopes Afghanistan can form an open, inclusive and broadly-based government, uphold moderate and prudent domestic and foreign policies, resolutely combat terrorist forces in all forms, co-exist friendly with all countries, and respond to the shared aspiration of the Afghan people and the international community.

China will as always pursue a friendly policy toward the entire Afghan people, respect Afghanistan's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity and will not interfere in the country's internal affairs.

China believes that a political solution is the only way out for Afghanistan. It stands ready to have dialogue with the US to push for a soft landing of the Afghan issue, so that a new civil war or humanitarian disaster will be prevented in Afghanistan and the country will not relapse into a hotbed and shelter for terrorism. China is willing to coordinate with the US on the premise of mutual respect. However, the US cannot, on the one hand, work hard to contain and suppress China, and on the other hand, counts on China's support. Such logic has never existed in international exchanges.

China will continue to maintain close communication and coordination with all parties in Afghanistan and the international community, combat all terrorist groups including ETIM, provide utmost support and assistance to help Afghanistan restore security, rebuild economy, integrate into the international community for an early realization of peace and reconstruction.

The author is an op-ed contributor to People's Daily and an expert on international studies.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Bianji)
Products of New Zealand, Vanuatu embarked for China International Import Expo

Xinhua) 13:15, September 26, 2021

AUCKLAND, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- Products from New Zealand and Vanuatu have been embarked for the fourth China International Import Expo (CIIE) on Sunday from the Auckland port in New Zealand.

Huang Yuefeng, the economic and commercial counsellor from the Chinese Embassy to New Zealand, believed that the CIIE platform enabled more New Zealand premium products to gain consumer confidence from China and opened up greater cooperative opportunities for New Zealand companies.

"China is New Zealand's largest trading partner and the largest market for New Zealand products. In the past three years, over 150 New Zealand companies participated in the CIIE, which has become a great opportunity for New Zealand companies to showcases their products and services, as well as to strengthen the connection with the China market," said Huang.

Despite the impact of COVID-19, dozens of New Zealand companies are expected to participate in this year's CIIE. Products from New Zealand range from food and beverage products, primary products to health products.

The CIIE also presents opportunities for food and beverage products and art crafts from Vanuatu.

The shipping container, loaded with products from New Zealand and Vanuatu, will arrive at Shanghai Port on Oct. 10, Kang Xiaoyu, Managing Director of COSCO SHIPPING Lines (New Zealand) Limited, told Xinhua.

COSCO SHIPPING, the only official international logistic supplier for the CIIE, overcame logistic uncertainty and restrictions brought by the pandemic.

"It is our fourth year working with New Zealand companies to transport their CIIE products. We set up a working group to coordinate products from New Zealand and especially Vanuatu to ensure their arrival at Auckland port on time and be duly embarked," said Kang.

The fourth CIIE will be held in Shanghai from Nov. 5 to 10, 2021.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
No force can block China's forward progress

20:37, September 26, 2021 By Editorial by People's Daily ( People's Daily

Chinese citizen Meng Wanzhou, arbitrarily detained by Canada on a U.S. extradition request on Dec. 1, 2018, at Vancouver International Airport, returned to China on a charter flight organized by the Chinese government on Sept. 25.

Her return resulted from the Chinese governments unremitting efforts and the strong support of all Chinese people, marking a significant victory achieved by the Chinese people.

It has long been a fully proven fact that this is an incident of political persecution against a Chinese citizen, an act designed to hobble Chinese high-tech companies.

Meng, chief financial officer of Chinese tech giant Huawei, with no violation of Canadian laws, was arbitrarily detained on Dec 1, 2018, at the request of the U.S. at Vancouver International Airport. The so-called fraud charges against Meng are purely fabricated.

It is clear to the international society that the "laws" employed by the US and Canada are nothing but an unjust tool to plunder, oppress others, and seek private profits, no matter how they have abused their bilateral extradition treaty and how hard they have tried to make excuses for their persecution of the Chinese citizen in the name of law.

The stance of the Chinese government on the wrongful detention of Meng has always been consistent and clear. Taking all necessary measures, the Chinese government resolutely safeguards the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises and citizens.

Learning the arbitrary detention of Meng, the Chinese government immediately lodged stern representations and expressed solemn position and provided consular assistance for her at the first opportunity possible. Ever since, the Chinese government has strongly urged the Canadian side to release Meng and practically safeguarded her legitimate rights and interests. Hundreds of millions of Chinese have also made a strong voice of justice. The safe return of Meng to China fully indicated that the Communist Party of China, the 1.4 billion Chinese people, and the great country of the People's Republic of China are always reliable for Chinese citizens.

The wrongful detention of Meng is just another case proving that the Chinese people do not create troubles, nor are they afraid of troubles. China will never accept any form of political coercion or abuse of justice and will never allow its citizens to fall prey to other countries political persecution. Chinese are a people who uphold justice and are not intimidated by threats of force. As a nation, they have a strong sense of pride and confidence. The Chinese people have never bullied, oppressed, or subjugated the people of any other country, and they never will. By the same token, they will never allow any foreign force to bully, oppress, or subjugate themselves. Anyone or any force attempting to do so will finally end up in vain.

The essence of Meng being wrongfully detained is the U.S. trying to undermine and even stop China's development course. What China has done has not only safeguarded the rights and interests of a single Chinese citizen or enterprise but also protected the rights of all the Chinese people to enjoy a better life and modernization. The wrongful detention of Meng mirrored the fact that China must unswervingly follow its own path and do its own things well when the world is facing changes unseen in a century to achieve independent development of high technologies and make itself a stronger country.

Today, Chinas national rejuvenation has become a historical inevitability. The country knows for sure that the closer it gets to its national rejuvenation, the more challenges and risks it will face. However, it believes that no force can shake its position or block its forward progress as long as it stands with the trend of history and human advancement and keeps going forward despite the challenges and risks.

(Web editor: Du Mingming, Bianji)
Volkswagen AG said on Thursday it has started construction on a battery system production factory in East China's Anhui province, as the German car giant accelerates its electrification campaign in its largest market. The world's second largest carmaker said it is investing over 140 million euros ($164 million) until 2025 in the new plant and its facilities, with production scheduled to begin in the second half of 2023. The plant, covering an area of over 45,000 square meters, is located next to the production facilities of Volkswagen Anhui, the carmaker's first majority-owned joint venture in China for all-electric vehicles. Volkswagen said the battery plant's initial annual capacity will be 150,000 to 180,000 high-voltage battery systems, which will be used for electric vehicles to be built at Volkswagen Anhui. Stephan Woellenstein, CEO of Volkswagen Group China, said, "With a significant increase of battery-electric vehicles in the future, we need to focus on keeping key components like battery systems in our own value chain, allowing us to leverage group-wide synergies and innovations." Woellenstein said Volkswagen expects 40 percent of models in China under all its marques from Audi to Skoda to be electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids by 2030. The car group is currently producing electric vehicles in China under Volkswagen and Audi brands. The number of electric models is expected to grow fast as its local electric car plants are opening one after another. The battery plant in Anhui will become the strategic backbone of our e-mobility offensive and a strong foundation for producing the next-generation batteries for the Chinese market, said Frank Engel, executive vice-president of Volkswagen Group China. The new Anhui plant will leverage existing synergies with the Group's wholly owned battery plants and workshops in Braunschweig, Germany, and North China's Tianjin, said Volkswagen. The Braunschweig plant is regarded as Volkswagen's lead plant for the planning, development and production of battery systems. The carmaker said experience gained at the plant, which has been running since 2019, is thus transferred across the group. Besides the Anhui plant, Volkswagen is building up battery manufacturing facilities in the Czech Republic and the United States. The plan is to manufacture more than 1 million battery systems globally per year in a few years, said Volkswagen. By 2025, Volkswagen is aiming to make and sell up to 3 million electric cars each year. By 2040, it expects to achieve nearly 100 percent zero-emission vehicles in all major markets.


Zhongguancun Forum hears his call for joint action on world's major challenges China will strengthen international exchanges on science and technology with a more open attitude, proactively take part in the global innovation network and jointly move forward with fundamental research, President Xi Jinping said on Friday. In a speech delivered via video link at the opening of the 2021 Zhongguancun Forum in Beijing, Xi reaffirmed the nation's commitment to scaling up protection of intellectual property rights, creating a top-notch climate for innovation and fostering the concept of using technology for good purposes. With the broad and far-reaching influence of the COVID-19 pandemic and severe challenges facing global economic recovery, it is even more important for different nations to step up openness and innovation in science and technology and jointly explore pathways and methods to solving key global issues with innovation, he said. The president also stressed the need for a joint response to current challenges and jointly promoting the noble cause of peace and development of mankind. A global vision is a prerequisite to developing science and technology in today's world, and it is important to grasp the pulse of the times and closely focus on the new requirements of production and life, he said. China attaches great importance to innovation in science and technology and remains committed to promoting global coordination in this regard, he said, adding that the nation will continue to promote the transformation of scientific and technological outcomes and foster new engines of economic growth. Xi also underlined the importance of improving global governance in science and technology and further enhancing the well-being of mankind. He pledged to support Beijing's Zhongguancun, the nation's first demonstration zone for independent innovation, in conducting a new round of pilot reform and expediting steps to develop itself into a leading global tech park. The president expressed hope that participants at the foruma national platform for global exchanges and cooperation in scientific and technological innovationwill conduct in-depth exchanges and contribute their wisdom to global innovation in science and technology and the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. The forum, under the theme of Intelligence, Health and Carbon Neutrality, runs from Friday through Tuesday. Jia Jingdun, director of the Torch High Technology Industry Development Center under the Ministry of Science and Technology, noted that this year's forum was hosted at a much higher level, and its representatives have focused on cutting-edge technological breakthroughs. He said that the forum is an opportunity to take opening-up to a higher level, and the partnerships and exchange mechanisms forged at the event will have a much deeper influence in the future. Pan Jiaofeng, dean of the Institutes of Science and Development at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said it's important to bring together global resources and gather wisdom. "In the forum, scientists could apply more open methods to give full play to the advantages of professional think tanks and conduct research on future technology industry models, which will play a supporting role in decision-making on future industry development strategies," he said.


Troops participating in the "Peace Mission 2021," a counter-terrorism military exercise for Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states, conducted a live ammunition drill in Russia.
By Da Zhigang

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe claimed in a recent interview that something is likely to happen in Taiwan soon that will cause immense consequences, with which he urged Japan to make strategic and military preparations, especially expediting the revision of Article 9 of the Constitution of Japan. This was not the first time that Abe played the Taiwan card. Now he chose to bring this up again in the home stretch of the Liberal Democratic Partys election for two purposes  to pump up the right-wings support for Sanae Takaichi, who he also supported, and to free Japan from the righteous restriction imposed by the international community after WWII.

From Abes long reign to Yoshihide Sugas short-lived term, Tokyo has never stopped creating topics on the Taiwan question and has constantly trampled on Chinas sovereign redline on the island. It has taken Taiwan as a bargaining chip in its attempt to hype up the public opinions and international environment for Japan to lift the ban on its right to collective defense and send military forces overseas. In fact, Japans conservative forces are so keen on playing the Taiwan card partly because it is a traditional trick passed down from history, and partly because of their eager geopolitical plans and military ambitions.

First of all, Japan wants to break away from the restriction imposed by the post-WWII arrangement and international order. Japan under Abes rule turned increasingly rightist politically, and the false claims by politicians and the media made the people believe that they were the real victims of the war and that the post-WWII arrangement was an unjust one imposed by the winning party on the losing party.

Second, Japan wants to create the basis and public opinions for revising Article 9 of its Constitution. As the Japanese society gets more conservative about Article 9 in the background of the pandemic, Abe and other Japanese politicians, taking advantage of the peoples desire to live in a normal country, have kept urging them to abandon the self-criticizing view on history and recognize the external threats. As a result, revising Article 9 is getting more and more acceptable for Japanese society.

At last, Japan wants to free itself from military restrictions. The Constitution of Japan restricts the country from launching external wars, and Japanese politicians, represented by Abe, know very well that no breakthrough can be made from the perspective of defense only. Under such circumstances, the Taiwan question becomes the perfect excuse that can arouse tension among the people, secure more support from the US, and accelerate the lifting of military restrictions.

There are two reasons why Japan has followed the path of peaceful development and not run amuck in military development and lifting the ban on its right to collective defense for such a long time after WWII. For one, it is restricted by the Constitution, especially Article 9 stating that land, sea, and air forces, as well as other war potential, will never be maintained. The right of belligerency of the state will not be recognized. For the other, it is checked by surrounding countries and the international community. While peaceful and progressive forces within Japan are consistently resisting the countercurrent in the government, countries that used to be invaded by Japan, including China and ROK, are also countering its unending efforts to seek more military freedom.

But given the new and complicated changes in the geopolitical situation and the aggravation of major-power struggles, Abe and the like are getting closer to their goal of revising Article 9. Once the restriction is lifted, its imaginable that Japan is very likely to become the new unstable factor in East Asia and even the Indo-Pacific region. Once militarist and aggressive, the country has every possibility to once again become the source of regional conflicts.

While Japan is subtly testing the bottom line and quickening its steps to make the dangerous move, Americas connivance and even indulgence are worrying. As the US, Japan and Australia are ever more eager to gang up against China, Washington is more indulgent of Japan, an opportunity seized by Japan to free itself militarily more quickly. The Taiwan question is a wind vane that tests Japans intention of getting rid of the constitutional restriction and barometer that shows how far the US indulgence will go. Washington should think twice about what its doing, and Tokyo needs to stop walking down the wrong path before its too late.

(The author is director and researcher at the Institute of Northeast Asian Studies, Heilongjiang Provincial Academy of Social Sciences)

Editor's note: This article is originally published on huanqiu.com, and is translated from Chinese into English and edited by the China Military Online. The information, ideas or opinions appearing in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of eng.chinamil.com.cn.
BEIJING, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping Sunday sent a congratulatory letter to the 2021 World Internet Conference Wuzhen Summit, which opened in Wuzhen, east China's Zhejiang Province.

In his letter, Xi noted that digital technology is being fully integrated into all fields and the whole process of economy, politics, culture, society and ecological civilization construction with new ideas, new forms and new models, having extensive and profound impacts on the production and life of humankind.

Nowadays, profound changes in the world unseen in a century and the epidemic situation are intertwined. It is imperative for the international community to join hands to seize opportunities and meet challenges by following the trend of informatization and digitalization, as well as networking and smart development, he added.

Xi emphasized that China is willing to work with other countries to shoulder the historical responsibility of promoting human progress by stimulating the digital economy vitality, enhancing the digital government efficiency, optimizing the digital social environment, setting up a digital cooperation structure, and building a strong digital security shield.

China is also willing to work with other countries in the world to make the digital civilization benefit people of all countries, and promote the building of a community with a shared future for humankind, he added.

The summit opened Sunday with a theme of "Towards a New Era of Digital Civilization -- Building a Community with a Shared Future in Cyberspace." It is jointly organized by the Cyberspace Administration of China and the Zhejiang provincial government.
By Liu Jimei

ZHUHAI, Sept. 26 -- The 13th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition (Airshow China 2021) will be held in Zhuhai, south Chinas Guangdong Province, as scheduled from September 28 to October 3.

An array of main combat equipment including the J-20 stealth fighter, Y-20 heavy transport aircraft, KJ-500 early warning aircraft, H-6K bomber, and HQ-9B air-defense missile system will appear together in the exhibition. Chinas J-16D electronic warfare aircraft and WZ-7 high-altitude reconnaissance drone are to debut at the upcoming air show. The systematical display of multi-type main combat equipment of the PLA Air Force (PLAAF) demonstrates the new achievements of its strategic transformation.

The J-16D is a new-type electronic warfare aircraft independently developed by China based on the J-16 fighter jet with the combat capabilities of reconnaissance, offense and defense. According to Senior Colonel Shen Jinke, spokesperson for the PLA Air Force, the J-16D serves to further improve the PLAAFs electronic offensive capabilities and guarantee its expansion of operational range and strategic transformation.

Domestically developed and produced by China, the WZ-7 is a high-altitude reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicle to conduct missions including border reconnaissance and patrol over Chinas territorial waters.

The independently-developed JL-10 fighter trainer will participate in the Airshow China for the first time. As a new generation of advanced trainer aircraft, it is of great significance to improving the technical and tactical capabilities of pilots, narrowing the gap of aircraft generations between aviation colleges and combat units, and enhancing the quality and effectiveness in cultivation of pilots capable of winning in air battles.

The J-20 stealth fighter jet, independently developed by China, made its maiden flight demonstration in the 11th Airshow China held in November 2016. The PLAAF has started to equip more combat units with the J-20 to further beef up its comprehensive combat capabilities, so as to better shoulder the sacred mission of safeguarding national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity.

In addition, the PLAAF has also set up the pilot cadets recruiting exhibition zone and the PLAAF history and honor exhibition zone for the first time in the air show. The former one is composed of an intelligent technology interaction area, a simulated flight experience area, a psychological check area, a holographic display-based photographing area and a recruitment policy consultation area, aiming to attract more aspiring youths to join in the formation of air force pilots. The PLAAF history and honor exhibition zone will be a display of historical materials, cultural relics and products that reflect the glorious history and inheritance of fine traditions of the PLAAF.
One in 10,000! Citizen picks up the fairy of birds

By:Eastday | From:english.eastday.com | 2021-09-24 18:57

A lady in Shanghai came across an injured colorful bird in a park in Baoshan District. After her granddaughter called the police, it was sent to the local wildlife rescue station. There are only 10,000 Pitta nympha in the world and due to its eight-colored feathers, the medium-sized bird with a body length of about 20 cm is often described as the fairy of birds.

(Video by Jiang Meiqing)


Literary giant Lu Xuns last residences in Shanghai

By:Wu Qiong | From:english.eastday.com | 2021-09-25 20:32

Today marks the 140th anniversary of the birthday of Lu Xun, a literary giant in modern China. The writer had a deep affection for Shanghai. The last ten years of his life (1927-1936) were spent here, and his residences were all situated in Hongkou District.

Lu Xun's first home was at Jingyun Lane. Built in 1925, it is situated at Lane 35 Hengbing Rd, and consists of three rows of shikumen (a Shanghainese architectural style) buildings. Around 80 years ago, it was home to many literati, among whom were Zhou Jianren (Lu Xuns younger brother), Mao Dun and Ye Shengtao.





On October 3, 1927, Lu Xun and Xu Guangping arrived in Shanghai by boat. The two first lived in a hotel, and 5 days later, they moved into No.23 Jingyun Lane.

According to historical records, during the two and a half years when Lu Xun lived there, he moved twice between the buildings, as the neighborhoods mahjong and singing noise was too disturbing for him to focus on his writing. In May 1930, he decided to move to the Ramous Apartments at No. 2079-2099, North Sichuan Road, Hongkou District.

Built in 1928 by a British man, the Ramous Apartments is a four-story reinforced concrete building, which was considered a high-end residence at that time. Recommended by his Japanese friend Uchiyama Kanzo, Lu Xun rented a flat on the third floor. It was in the flat that Lu Xun created around 170 pieces of writing and compiled some essay collections.





On April 25, 1931, Lu Xun and Feng Xuefeng compiled the inaugural issue of Qianshao (meaning Outpost in English). After that, Rou Shi, Feng Xuefeng, Agnes Smedley and Uchiyama Kanzo often visited Lu Xuns home in the apartment.





After the Battle of Songhu broke out in 1932, for the security and health of his son Haiying, Lu Xun moved out of the apartment to the Continental Terrace with the help of Uchiyama Kanzo.

The writer lived there until his death from tuberculosis on October 19, 1936. Now the residence has become a hotspot among tourists.
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Gabon : Quelle(s) difference(s) entre le Coordonnateur general des affaires presidentielles et le Haut-commissariat cree pour epauler le president de la Republique ?







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Felicia Frazar is the managing editor of the Seguin Gazette. You can e-mail her at felicia.frazar@seguingazette.com .
SpaceCast Weekly is a NASA Television broadcast from the Johnson Space Center in Houston featuring stories about NASA's work in human spaceflight.

They include the International Space Station and its crews and scientific research activities, and the development of Orion and the Space Launch System, the next generation American spacecraft being built to take humans farther into space than they've ever gone before.

Please follow SpaceRef on Twitter and Like us on Facebook.
After improving to a perfect seven-for-seven by registering a clean sweep in the Peaceful Way, Venerable ($3.90) found herself up against a new challenge in Saturday's (Sept. 25) Mohawk Million at Woodbine Mohawk Park: mixed company. But, just as she had done every other time she has set foot on the racetrack, the daughter of Walner and Jolene Jolene lived up to her name, parrying Duly Resolved in a gritty stretch duel to take the second renewal of the event for rookie trotters in 1:54.2.

Venerable, driven by David Miller, was one of many outside leavers in the 10-horse field, and she found herself flanked by Duly Resolved (Paul MacDonell) and Selfie Queen (Dexter Dunn) through a cutthroat :27.1 first-quarter battle royale  one that was devoid of the presence of William Wellwood Memorial winner King Of The North, who had broken stride on approach to the first turn. When Selfie Queen broke stride upon reaching the backstretch, Miller found that as his cue to work Venerable to the top.

"My game plan was to leave and maybe get in the middle somewhere, but it wasn't working out that way," Miller said. "When Dexter hadn't made the lead, I kind of pushed her on. It was a big quarter  :27  but she got a pretty soft middle half, and her heart and her guts got her to the wire."

Venerable indeed pulled the half back to :56.3, and kept the pace relaxed to three-quarters in 1:26.1 despite facing mild first-over pressure from long shot Southwind Domino (Louis-Philippe Roy) through the far turn. She made easy work of that rival off the home turn, but a familiar foe in Duly Resolved resurfaced in the final furlong as MacDonell angled the five-time winner off the pegs  and the battle of the sexes was on. Venerable reached for the line and barely found it, staving off Duly Resolved by a head in 1:54.2.

Valentina Blu (Andy McCarthy) lifted from astern to finish third, 3-1/2 lengths in arrears.

"I can't really explain how game, how tough she is," Miller said. "Her performance on the track is what shows it."

Now a millionaire, Venerable has more than recouped her $210,000 purchase price for the partnership of David McDuffee, Melvin Hartman, Paul Bordogna and Steven Arnold. Richard 'Nifty' Norman trains the filly, whose marquee wins also include the New Jersey Sire Stakes final and the Jim Doherty Memorial, which she won in a career-fastest 1:52.

"We started thinking about [the Mohawk Million] right around the Peaceful Way; it just seemed like it was the right thing for her," said McDuffee, indicating that his partnership arranged for Venerable to race in the Million in a slot owned by Brad Grant. "We had to give up a couple of nice races in Kentucky and Hoosier, but there's not many for a million dollars, so this was the right place to go, and going up against the boys was the frosting on the cake. It puts her right up there."

The 2021 Mohawk Million was the centrepiece of Canada's richest card of harness racing. Read about all the stakes from the card in the Mohawk Million News Centre.
Wikimedia

Two cheers for New Orleans. Weve taken down four monuments to white supremacy. They have disfigured the city for nearly a century and a half, and they have offended me every day of my life.

But lets not pretend the struggle is over. Its important  indeed, imperative  that we recognize the statues as no more than scabs plucked off a deeper municipal wound: the neo-Confederate values that rot the New Orleans body politic to this day.

The very ugly squabbling over the monuments has laid bare subconscious enmity, coded bigotry and blatant racism. Theres no reason to think its toxic effect on the lives and hopes of African-American families has been mothballed along with the statuary.

How else to explain the vast and shameful racial disparities  in wages, wealth, health, education, enterprise, incarceration? Why such disparities a century and a half after the Confederacy fell?

Whats new about the new New Orleans, as the post-Katrina city has been calling itself, when more than half of our fellow citizens have been left behind. The ragtag forces who mustered themselves to oppose removal of the monuments offer a glimpse of the reason: the wide and continuing embrace of the Cult of the Lost Cause and the values it represents.

I appreciate Mayor Mitch Landrieus steadfast commitment to ridding the city of these abominable symbols of hate. While he failed to credit the leaders and legions who have long advocated the removal of all public monuments to white supremacy in New Orleans, Landrieu punctuated Lees removal May 19 with remarks of poetic eloquence.*

But lets be real: His administrations priorities and policies over the past seven years have only widened the disparities  by prioritizing, for example, downtown development over human development, tourism over training for good-paying jobs, and legalization of Airbnb over affordable housing.

For irrefutable evidence, look to the empirical analyses provided in the recent Brookings Index of Economic Inclusion or the 2015 Urban League State of Black New Orleans, to cite only two of many studies that document the economic losses and reduced quality of life the African-American families of New Orleans have suffered in recent years:

 Between 2010 and 2015, New Orleans ranked dead last among the countrys 100 largest cities in terms of economic prosperity. Worker productivity, average standard-of-living, and average wages all declined. (Brookings)

 The unemployment rate for African-Americans in New Orleans is nearly twice the rate for whites, and nearly half of all black men in New Orleans are unemployed, according to a 2015 report by the Louisiana Workforce Commission.

 The median income for African-Americans in New Orleans is less than half the median income for whites. (Urban League)

 While African-Americans make up 53 percent of the workforce, only 27 percent of management and professional jobs are held by blacks, compared to 60 percent held by whites. (Urban League)

 After a post-Katrina dip as recovery money poured into New Orleans, the citys rate of childhood poverty has risen to pre-Katrina levels. More than a third of New Orleans children live in poverty.

 One in five African-Americans in New Orleans lacks a high school diploma, more than five times the rate among whites.

 Less than 17 percent of all businesses in New Orleans were owned by African-Americans in 2015, and they accounted for only 2 percent of gross receipts. (Urban League)

 New Orleans homicides in 2016 climbed to their highest level since 2012  making for a per-capita rate more than 50 percent higher than Chicagos.

If, as we approach our citys Tricentennial, we are going to be honest about the Civil War, Reconstruction and Jim Crow, we need to be just as honest about the last several years. We need to face up to how the new New Orleans, so celebrated by the Mayor and the self-anointed civic elite, in fact amounts to a hostile assault on African-American families and the working poor.

The self-congratulation at City Hall conceals a deficit of real leadership. That deficit has denied us the opportunity to engage in the mutually respectful, community-wide discourse about race so urgently needed in New Orleans.

Before we can have real reconciliation, we must have a reckoning with bias and inequity based on truth and fact. And only in a climate of reconciliation once achieved can we begin to live the values we claim this troubled city aspires to. That should be our collective goal for New Orleans Tricentennial.

Removing the Confederate monuments was a step in the right direction, but the headwinds are gaining force. Dealing boldly and frankly with race is likely to prove uncomfortable for a term-limited mayor with a ticking clock on his legacy. And even if Landrieu were to embrace that goal more than rhetorically, he is unlikely to draw much support from the civic and business leadership of a city more captive to tourism  an industry that thrives on low wage, no-benefit jobs and tax subsidies  than at any time in my adult life.

I think Beverly McKenna got it right two years ago in her front page editorial in the New Orleans Tribune: We Got 99 Problems and Lee Circle Aint One.

I hope the coming elections inspire some real discussion about all of this, but without a popular uprising, I dont have much faith that they will. The forces that most decisively shape popular opinion  major media, politicians, the business elite  are far too invested in papering over our troubles and truths.

They see a personal bonanza in the coming Tricentennial  while failing to realize that a city still split along racial fault lines after 300 years is nothing to celebrate.

Nevertheless, the struggle continues.

Jacques Morial is a public policy strategist and community organizer. He is the son of Dutch Morial, New Orleans first African-American mayor, and the brother of its third, Marc Morial.
Photo by Travis Gauthier

As each one of us at The Independent (and ABiz) plans for a new chapter in our respective lives , we have to admit that this is a damn fine way to go out.This weekend in Biloxi, Miss., the Louisiana Press Association bestowed its highest honor, the Freedom of Information Award, on The Independent for its investigative work into the shenanigans of Lafayette City Marshal Brian Pope, who is scheduled to go to trial Sept. 25 on seven felony counts of malfeasance in office and perjury and is facing an effort to recall him in a special election. Read the latest on the never-ending saga of his administration here. IND Staff Writer Christiaan Mader was the lead reporter on the Pope investigative series, with IND editors Leslie Turk and Walter Pierce contributing to the reporting and editing of the body of work. IND Photo Editor Robin May and contributing photographer Wynce Nolley captured the story through powerful images of Pope, from his bizarre 2015 press conference to his numerous trips to the parish courthouse and multiple bookings into the Lafayette Parish Correctional Center.Heres what the LPA had to say at the convention about this year's Freedom of Information Award, which The IND also won a decade ago for its investigative reporting on the Horse Farm:

For its fight on behalf of the publics right to know, please congratulate The Independent for earning this years Freedom of Information Award.



Lafayette City Marshal Brian Pope has been in a lot of trouble with the law, and much of it is the result of dogged investigative reporting and use of public records by The Independent. The newspaper sought the records, including scores of invoices and emails, after Pope staged a news conference criticizing the local sheriff over immigration enforcement and other issues. As the Independents investigation revealed, Pope had used the resources of his office to aid the campaign of [a candidate for sheriff.]



For more than a year, the Independent waged a court battle to obtain the records that ultimately resulted in Popes indictment on criminal charges. A judge ultimately held Pope in contempt for his blatant refusal to comply with the Independents public records request. The judge ordered Pope to serve seven days under house arrest and perform more than 100 hours of community service for allegedly lying under oath when he was questioned during the public records litigation. He was also charged with malfeasance for alleged misuse of public resources for political purposes.



Heres what one judge said about The Independents work:



This entry involved an important controversy involving political corruption and other sins. The paper used the public records law to assist in this coverage and also let its readers know the significance of the public records investigation. In addition, for the first time a records custodian was held in criminal contempt. This consequence by itself is highly significant and should serve as a warning for other custodians who consider resisting public records requests.



The paper also won first place for investigative reporting in its division for the Pope series and took home another first for Maders food writing in the Lifestyle category.






Majid Al Futtaim, a leading shopping malls, communities, retail and leisure pioneer across the Middle East, Africa and Asia, has announced the expansion of its people development programme that is set to create thousands of career opportunities for Emiratis across multiple industries in the UAE and beyond in response the governments federal Nafis programme.

Majid Al Futtaim said it is committed to a series of initiatives focused on the professional advancement of its local talent.

In line with the programmes mission, to encourage public and private sector partnerships that will strengthen the long-term development of the workforce, Majid Al Futtaim will recruit 3,000 Emiratis seeking to build their careers in the private sector throughout the coming five years, it stated.

In removing barriers and making private sector jobs more attractive to Emirati talent, this partnership is a welcome step in inviting the private sector to more actively contribute to delivery of the UAEs Projects of the 50, said the statement from Majid Al Futtaim.

Emirati nationals who wish to join the company under the NAFIS programme can apply online. Currently accounting for 3% of the total 13,700 UAE-based MAFers, Emiratisation at Majid Al Futtaim is ahead of the programmes first-year target of 2% and on track to meet the programmes second-year goals.

On the commitment, CEO Alain Bejjani said: "We have a collective sense of responsibility to support and upskill the talented and ambitious national workforce that exists in the UAE. There have been commendable efforts over the years to create more opportunities for UAE nationals within the public and private sectors."

"The Nafis programme announced by the UAE government this week will make careers in the private sector even more attractive to young Emiratis, whose contributions are crucial to building a sustainable future. We remain committed to increasing Emirati representation in our company over the next five years."

"Employing local talent is a priority at Majid Al Futtaim and we view it as a competitive advantage that is integral to our long-term success. We are proud to support the UAE Governments vision to build the regions most competitive economy," he added.

Majid Al Futtaims commitment to develop local talent across its markets has seen some of the best and brightest Emirati talent appointed to the most senior leadership roles across its 18 UAE-based shopping malls.

In addition to dedicated talent development programmes that ensure opportunities for continuous learning, the companys human capital strategy also focuses on recruiting, developing and promoting new local talent.

Majid Al Futtaims Tomouhi Graduate Programme is centred on a Train-to-Hire process for young Emirati graduates looking for the first step in building their careers.

These initiatives and more, enable Majid Al Futtaim to continually invest in the communities in which it operates.-TradeArabia News Service
Saudi Arabias World Defense Show has revealed its official venue model at the ongoing Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) exhibition being held in London.

With Hall One nearing completion and infrastructure being put in place for Hall Two, the unveiling of the scale model and new renders at the Saudi Pavilion - alongside show founder General Authority for Military Industries (GAMI) and strategic partner Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI) brings the World Defense Show grounds to life for the first time.

The state-of-the-art venue, on a site spanning 800,000 sq m, will welcome more than 30,000 visitors and 800 exhibitors during the four-day event which kicks off on March 6.

A regular programme of site visits for local businesses, government officials and industry leaders is underway, with major interest in on-site progress from across the defense sector.

Features of the venue include the worlds first purpose-built runway dedicated to defense events, dedicated exhibition space across two halls, hard standing for ground equipment and dozens of hospitality suites with views over the static display area and runway.

Located on the outskirts of the Saudi capital Riyadh, the space is custom-built for World Defense Show and outfitted with world-class facilities designed to ensure the ultimate visitor experience.

Featuring design elements inspired by traditional Saudi architectural styles, the venue hosts immersive experiences, offering a window into the future of defense.

World Defense Show will serve as the global stage for defense interoperability, a topic that has become a growing challenge for decision-makers around the world, connecting all five key domains  air, land, sea, space and security.

It is the first event to put KSA on the map as a global defense hub, gathering peers and partners from the east and west to work together.

The centerpiece of the show, which is held under the patronage of Saudi King Salman, is a 2.7km-long and 50m-wide purpose-built runway where live demonstrations of air power will fly over static aircraft and land equipment displays.

An interactive on-site command and control center, equipped with the latest systems and technologies from the worlds leading defense companies, will showcase integration and interoperability across the various domains.

The World Defense Show site is located adjacent to two major highways, offering convenient access for display products and visitors. Shuttle busses will be available to and from the show site, departing and arriving from select hotels.

World Defense Show CEO Shaun Ormrod said: "We started from a blank slate when designing the venue, so everything is completely purpose-built in line with the requirements of a modern defense event."

"Dedicated spaces have been specifically created to meet the needs of our exhibitors, including a two-kilometer runway, hard standing for ground equipment and a command and control center which facilitates the show theme of interoperability," noted Ormrod.

"Ultimately, this will enable exhibitors to fully demonstrate the capabilities of a wide range of products providing a real immersive experience for visitors of the show," he said.

"As you would expect, our venue will also deliver key networking areas, on-the-floor conference spaces and hospitality to entertain, connect and unlock business leads and opportunities," he added.

The biennial event will enable the industry to keep pace with developments across defense and technology. The speed at which these developments take place compels the industry to cooperate across borders and domain expertise to generate opportunities throughout the defense value chain.

By connecting key defense contacts, primes, SMEs, and buyers, World Defense Show has laid the foundations to advance the defense industry and address the challenges presented by ever-deeper defense systems integration.-TradeArabia News Service
Abu Dhabi-based Tawazun Economic Council has signed an agreement with the UK Defence and Security Exports Department for International Trade for defence industrial cooperation.

The signing, which took place virtually on the sidelines of the visit made by HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, to the UK.

The MoU builds on the growing strategic ties between the two countries, under the vision and guidance of their leaderships, stated its CEO Tareq Abdulraheem Al Hosani after signing the MoU with Graham Stuart, British Minister of Exports.

It aims to establish a framework to strengthen ties in defence and security industry fields and to identify new opportunities for commercial cooperation, he added.-TradeArabia News Service
After a year of remote and virtual events, Tawdheef, the leading Emiratisation event, is returning to Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (Adnec) for its 15th edition in October, in a physical format. It will fully connect the youth-industry-academia circle and drive Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030 goals for a knowledge-based economy powered by a dedicated, prepared workforce.

Held under the patronage of Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industries, and running from October 27 to 29, Tawdheef will, for the first time, be co-located with Najah Abu Dhabi, the one-stop higher education source.

The co-location of Tawdheef and Najah events is a strategic shift to connect the UAE youth directly with industry leaders and higher education institutions who will help prepare them to become future changemakers and significant contributors to the UAEs future economy.

Just this week, the UAE announced that it was investing AED24 billion ($6.53 billion) to create 75,000 new private sector jobs for UAE nationals. The programme will be managed by the newly formed Emirati Talent Competitiveness Council, with the aim of building on public-private sector partnerships.

Private sector companies will be able to build the Emirati contribution to their workforce over time. The initiative will start with a target of 2% of Emiratis in skilled roles, rising in scale to 10% Emirati contribution over the coming five years.

Tawdheef is the leading event for companies to talk directly with the countrys top young talent and future captains of industry. The decision to align Tawdheef and Najah was born out of a desire to join the education-recruitment ecosystem, to create even stronger synergies and support some key priorities of the UAE Vision, with a specific focus on boosting the number of UAE nationals in the workforce and supporting their career development, said Tamer Nahas, Portfolio Director of Najah and Tawdheef.

Our new integrated event will help industry players close the skills gap in the UAE by engaging the countrys young people early, start preparing them for the jobs of the future and contribute to realising the UAE Governments goals. Conversely, young people, and their families, will get in-depth insight into future jobs and the requirements of some of the countrys leading organisations, before they engage with universities to understand the next step on their journey to preparedness.

Tawdheef will focus on preparing the UAE youth for employment through facilitating direct interaction with industry leaders from some of the UAEs biggest public and private organisations, including Abu Dhabi Police, Etisalat, National Marine Dredging Company, and many more.

Meanwhile, in extension of Tawdheef and to support the grand vision in empowering the UAE youth and strengthening their role in various sectors, Informa Connect in collaboration with Ministry of Education UAE is organising the Youth Preparedness & Knowledge Economy Summit from September 20 to 21 in ADGM Authorities Building, Al Maryah Island. The keynote will be delivered by Hussain Ibrahim Al Hammadi, Minister of Education with focus on Educating & Empowering the Youth of the Future.

The Youth Preparedness & Knowledge Economy Summit will see invited C-suite figures discuss best practices in Emiratisation as well as collaborations between academia and leading industry organisations and key government entities.-- TradeArabia News Service
Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza) and Dubai Courts have launched the Middle Easts first Virtual Court to handle labour litigations involving companies operating from the free zone and its employees.



The parties involved in labour litigations can approach the Virtual Court that is equipped with a live broadcast system linked to Dubai Courts and the highest levels of electronic security. Judges can conduct hearings and adjudicate and access all the details using the electronic link with Jafzas digital labour contracts system and other related information to issue their verdicts.



The move follows a cooperation agreement signed between Jafza and Dubai Courts in 2019, in the presence of Major General Obaid Muhair bin Suroor, Deputy Director General the GDRFA in Dubai, and the Chairman of the Permanent Committee for Labor Affairs in Dubai, to establish a labour court that uses live broadcasting technology to handle labour litigations involving companies operating from the free zone and its business units.



The Virtual Court marks the beginning of a new era to facilitate litigation procedures. It is equipped with everything required for the litigation process, similar to traditional courthouses in Dubai Courts headquarters.



The technology-driven Virtual Court is supported by state-of-the-art cybersecurity systems, enabling the judges, lawyers, companies and litigants to remain connected the entire time.



Abdulla Bin Damithan, CEO & Managing Director, DP World  UAE Region and Jafza said: "People First is our principle at DP World - UAE Region, and all our economic clusters and free zones. It is a value instilled in us by our founding fathers and a key pillar of Jafzas organisational excellence as licensing authority and a world-class business hub.



Thanks to this well-established approach in protecting rights, our system has been recognised by international companies and professionals. This has given Jafza the reputation of being a model destination for conducting business, with more than 8,500 companies, employing nearly 130,000 people.



Bin Damithan added: "This achievement would not have been possible without the unlimited support from Dubai Courts, which is a pioneer in the digital transformation of the legal sector. We are confident that this experience, which is the first-of-its-kind in the UAE and the region, will be a unique success story that will be emulated in many free zones across the world."



Chief Justice Jamal Al Jabri, Head of the Labour Court at the Dubai Courts said: Establishing a Virtual Court to handle labour litigations involving companies operating from the Jebel Ali Free Zone is a major step in developing the judicial system.



This supports our ongoing efforts to meet the requirements of the rapidly changing world, thus complementing the existing integrated judicial service system. It will give workers access to justice, also protecting their rights, which are guaranteed by law. The new system also ensures comprehensive access to services and prompt judicial justice, in line with Dubai Courts vision to become a pioneering and internationally distinguished court.



Al Jabri added:Ensuring the efficiency of the judicial system is the top priority at Dubai Courts. This is done by harnessing modern technologies and anticipating the future according to plans and strategies that support the vision of our wise leadership to be pioneers and retain our leading global status, especially in the World Justice Project Rule of Law Index.



More than 8,500 companies from more than 140 countries, employing nearly 130,000 employees can benefit from the services of the smart court.  TradeArabia News Service
In continuation of its commitment to further strengthen collaborations with regional suppliers, GE Gas Power has organised the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia (MEASA) Partnership Summit 2021.

Representatives of up to 220 organisations from over 30 countries attended the event, which was held under the theme Grow Global Reach, Drive Regional Impact.

Joseph Anis, President and CEO of GE Gas Power Europe, Middle East, and Africa said: At GE, we are driven by the vision of a world that works better, and our suppliers are critical partners in helping us realise this goal. We remain committed to growing local entrepreneurship and strengthening the regional supplier ecosystem across the power sector because by cooperating closely, we can find better, faster, and more economical solutions to address our customers needs. In doing so, we can all grow faster together, while contributing towards economic diversification, job creation, and national development objectives.

In 2020, GE Gas Power worked with over 650 suppliers within region as well as globally, to support various services and projects across Measa. Additionally, GE Gas Power actively developed over 125 regional companies for worldwide requirements, to meet global standards of safety, quality, delivery, and competitiveness.

The Partnership Summit is held annually and enables participants to identify the opportunities and address the challenges of delivering cleaner, more accessible energy that people depend on across the region.

This years event had a special focus on adapting to the Covid-19 pandemic and a rapidly evolving energy landscape focused on addressing the need for more sustainable, affordable, and reliable power.

It was organised as a week-long virtual forum that included broadcasts, online trainings, an interactive question and answer session, as well as one-on-one meetings between various suppliers and GEs leadership teams. The agenda encompassed sessions on safety and compliance; the future of energy across Measa; regional market dynamics; deep dives on key products, services, and projects; supply chain and sourcing overviews; the benefits of inclusion and diversity at the workplace; and cyber-security.

The Summit also included a Key Suppliers awards ceremony to recognise the achievements of organisations that delivered exceptional outcomes in the areas of Quality, Safety, Delivery, Competitiveness, and Culture. From the UAE, Osborne Engineering LLC and Kamlesh Trading were recognised in the Quality category for collaborating to deliver an excellent customer experience.

GE has supported the development of the Gulf Cooperation Councils (GCCs) energy infrastructure for over 80 years. Today, GE-built power generation technologies are installed in up to 350 sites across the region, generating up to half of the GCCs power.

GEs investments in the GCC include a service centre in Jebel Ali, Dubai, which provides maintenance, testing, and repair solutions for generators and gas turbines; the GE Manufacturing and Technology Centre (GEMTEC) campus in Dammam, which includes a Service and Repairs Centre for gas turbines, a Hot & Harsh Research & Development (R&D) Centre, a Monitoring & Diagnostics Centre for the remote monitoring of power generation assets, as well as GE Saudi Advanced Turbines (GESAT), a joint investment by Dussur and GE to manufacture gas turbines and components in the Kingdom; and the GE Kuwait Technology Centre (GEKTC), a first-of-its-kind facility in the country that includes training, tooling, and R&D cells.-- TradeArabia News Service
Abu Dhabi Ship Building (ADSB), the regional leader in the design, new build, repair, maintenance, refit and conversion of naval and commercial vessels, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with SNO Yachts, a leading Italian superyacht brand, for the construction of Nautilus 45, a first-in-class superyacht shadow and explorer vessel, for one of SNO Yachts existing clients.

While the state-of-the-art platform will be built by ADSB in the UAE, SNO Yachts will carry out the final outfitting in Italy. David Massey, CEO of ADSB, and Andrea Pirro, Chairman of SNO Yachts, signed the strategic deal at the Abu Dhabi pavilion during the Monaco Yacht Show (MYS 2021).

The Department of Culture and Tourism (DCT) Abu Dhabi and Abu Dhabi Maritime welcomed ADSB to participate at the Abu Dhabi Parvis Piscine stand to promote the UAEs capital as a leading tourism destination with world-class facilities for superyachts, mega events, natural islands to visit, and exceptional routes connecting the east and west. Throughout the four-day event, the Abu Dhabi team highlighted the latest products and services to key players in the industry through an interactive exhibit.

The new partnership is expected to pave the way for new opportunities for ADSB while reinforcing the companys mission to deliver innovative and dependable solutions that add value for its clients and stakeholders.

Speaking on the occasion, David Massey said: We are very grateful to attend the worlds most prestigious superyacht event, MYS 2021, to promote Abu Dhabi as a leading superyacht destination that welcomes yacht owners and mariners alike. With the support of the Department of Culture and Tourism and Abu Dhabi Maritime, we are delighted to announce our partnership with SNO Yachts to build a state-of-the-art superyacht shadow vessel. Collaborating with industry-leading companies enables ADSB to anticipate and address evolving market demand. We look forward to a mutually beneficial and enduring partnership.

Andrea Pirro said: We are proud to have participated at MYS 2021, which brought together yacht industry leaders from all around the world. ADSB boasts a long track record of success in building cutting-edge vessels and boats to meet varying requirements. We have the utmost confidence in our partners in Abu Dhabi and believe this synergy will set the tone in ensuring greater interoperability among our entities in the future. -TradeArabia News Service
Jaeger-LeCoultre, a luxury Swiss fine watchmaking brand, has set another milestone in its dedication to the Middle East region with the unveiling of its partnership with Saudi Arabias AlMalki Group.

Building on the brand's retail vision, Jaeger-LeCoultre has launched its new boutique at Mode Al Faisaliah Mall, Riyadh.

Saudi Arabia has always been an important market for Jaeger-LeCoultre, both regionally and as part of our global retail presence. We look forward, along with the AlMalki Group, to bring to life the heritage, savoir-faire and fine watchmaking expertise of our Grande Maison in Saudi Arabia and welcoming our clients in our new boutique at Mode Al Faisaliah Mall, said Nader Iskander, Brand Director  Middle East, India & Africa at Jaeger-LeCoultre.

We are eager and excited to start this new partnership. I am confident of the success of the Maison in Saudi Arabia and we are looking forward to welcoming customers to the boutique, said Faysal AlMalki, Chief Executive Officer - AlMalki Group.

The boutique reflects an art deco style which has also been the inspiration for some of the most known collections by the Maison, the interiors mirror the calm and exquisite atmosphere from the forests and lakes of Vallee de Joux, home to Jaeger LeCoultre and an immediate association with fine watchmaking. The intimate setting of the boutique instantly connects the clients with the feeling of exclusivity and privacy.

To mark the special partnership, the Reverso Tribute Nonantieme and Reverso Tribute Small Seconds, revealed during Watches & Wonders 2021, will be displayed at the boutique.

In addition to welcoming the clients with the latest collections, Jaeger-LeCoultre continues to provide the best-in-class services with the Care programme, offering a dedicated digital platform, highly personalised with value-added information and services as well as an up to eight-year International limited warranty across all clocks and watches.  TradeArabia News Service
The newly-formed Creative Media Authority (CMA) will play a key role in furthering Abu Dhabis strategy for the Culture and Creative Industries by creating a powerful alliance of interconnected creative domains.

As part of the DCT Abu Dhabi, the new entity is the latest milestone in the emirates AED30+ billion ($8.17 billion) investment strategy to expand the entire Culture and Creative Industries (CCI), a WAM report said.

The establishment of the CMA is part of a 10-year investment strategy across Abu Dhabi by both the public and private sectors to develop the emirates culture and creative infrastructure, with AED8.5 billion invested over the past five years and a further AED22 billion being rolled out in the next five years.

The move brings the CCI industry under one umbrella, as DCT Abu Dhabi now consolidates Abu Dhabis multidisciplinary domains such as film and TV production, popular music, gaming and esports with cultural fields such as heritage, crafts and design, publishing, performing arts, and visual arts, as well as the Arabic Language Centre.

Following the issuance of a law by UAE President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in his capacity as Ruler of Abu Dhabi, establishing the CMA, the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) has launched the authority with a mission to accelerate the growth of Abu Dhabis multidisciplinary creative sector.

The new entity will also oversee a range of talent development programmes to nurture the next generation of skilled professionals working in sustainable creative careers, as well. as grow the burgeoning gaming and esports sector in the emirate, and support and launch prizes that contribute to the development of media production and interactive media.

Commenting on the launch of the CMA, Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of DCT Abu Dhabi, noted that the Culture and Creative Industries are key drivers of social and economic growth and diversification in Abu Dhabi, and that by harnessing the natural synergies in these sectors, DCT Abu Dhabis Culture and Creative Industries Strategy is enabling the development of outstanding facilities, world-class talent and diverse opportunities.

He added that with the launch of the CMA, various sectors are being unified into a single sustainable ecosystem that will enable creative individuals and businesses to express themselves and reach new levels of commercial success, further bolstering Abu Dhabis flourishing culture and creative scene.

-- TradeArabia News Service
Union Coop, the largest consumer union coop in the UAE, said that the volume of its sales of local, organic and hydroponic fresh vegetables and fruits, amounted to more than AED29 million ($7.89 million) since the beginning of 2021.



The coop that supporting and encouraging local agriculture comes at the top of its priorities to achieve sustainable agricultural goals and enhance stocks and food security in the country.



Yaqoob Al Balooshi, Fresh Category Trade Dept. Manager, Union Coop, said that Union Coop has been keen for decades to support local products of all kinds and types and to support Emirati farmers on an ongoing basis by providing great facilities to local farms to encourage sustainable agriculture, in addition to contributing to building sustainable food security.



He pointed out that the number farms that the Union Coop deals with is about is 52 of which 24 are organic, 12 are traditional, and the hydroponic farms that the Union Coop deals with are 16, adding that the Union Coop imports varieties of vegetables and fruits directly from many countries to ensure the availability of products to meet the needs of valued shoppers and offer at competitive prices.



He stated that the value of sales of local products since the beginning of this year in the various branches and centres of the Union Coop exceeded AED 29 million, as the value of purchases from traditional farms amounted to AED8 million, and the value of purchases from hydroponic farms AED6 million, and the value of purchases from organic farms AED15 million approx.



He pointed out that the average quantities of vegetables and fruits supplied to the Union Coop, whether imported or from local farms, are 100 tons per day, of which fruits are about 40 tons per day, and vegetables are about 60 tons per day.



In addition, he indicated that the Union Coop has many plans and strategies to support local farms, the most important of which are the easy registration procedures and easy contracting with farmers and the payment of financial dues to Emirati farmers in record times.



Union Coop is also the strategic partner and supporter of the (Zaari) Hydroponics Program of the Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development; it has been marketing organic farm products of Emiratis since 2007 and hydroponic products since 2009. It also allocates spaces for displaying the products of Emirati farmers in all branches free of cost, creating investment opportunities for Emirati farmers, and directing them to cultivate important and required varieties of popular products to consumers through a pre-planned annual program.



Al Balooshi added that Union Coop also organizes periodic visits to farms and works to follow up production inputs and lines, and holds timely meetings under its supervision to exchange experiences and best agricultural and commercial practices with Emirati farmers.



The coop holds workshops and training courses for them in the cooperative to encourage them to develop and innovate the way of presentation and mobilization and help them develop special slogans for marketing.  TradeArabia News Service
To streamline its operations to enable them to meet the growing demands of the energy sector, Euro Mechanical, a leading service provider has selected InTWO to support its strategic growth plans.

InTWOs (formerly Levtech Consulting) team will be deploying Microsoft Dynamics 365, a cloud-based ERP solution that would automate Euro Mechanicals entire business processes allowing them to provide better customer experience through enhanced data analytics, customer relationship management, resource planning, and inventory management.

Jon Rawding, CEO  Euro Mechanical said: Technology has always remained at the forefront of our operations. With Microsoft Dynamic 365 combined with InTWOs expertise, we would be in a great position to scale our operations further and remain competitive. We expect that Dynamics 365, ERP and CRM will give us a comprehensive view of our entire operation  by reducing any downtime, increasing team collaboration, and improving our overall business performance significantly.

Anilesh Kumar, EVP  Business Applications, InTWO said: It was critical for Euro Mechanical to adopt the right business applications platform to transform and grow. Microsoft Dynamics provides an industry-specific scalable solution that helps them innovate to stay in step with demand and position itself as a stalwart of energy-centric innovation. Moving to Dynamics 365 will help Euro Mechanical solve multiple business challenges, boost productivity, and offer a seamless service while reducing significant costs.-- TradeArabia News Service
Leading Dubai developer Union Properties has signed an investment agreement with real estate company Aqua Properties for the Motor City Hills, a first-of-its-kind project in Motor City.

As per the deal, Aqua Properties will play an exclusive role in the marketing and sales operations of the Phase One of the project featuring a total of 415 three-storyed townhouse villas with an area of up to 3000 sq ft, composed of 4 bedrooms. The completion of the Phase One is expected in August 2024.

According to Union Properties, it is being designed as a residential project to accommodate the family needs according to the highest standards and specifications.

The project, ideally located on land owned by Union Properties in the heart of Motor City, will include two types of villas ranging between 2,500 to 3,000 sq ft consisting of 4 en-suite bedrooms, including maids room.

Motor City Hills offers easy access to major roads, such as Hessa Street, Umm Suqeim Street and Sheikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Road. It is roughly a 20-minute drive away from the bustling city areas, such as Downtown Dubai, Palm Jumeirah, and Dubai Marina.

It features a vibrant and spacious space combined with an array of exciting communal amenities such as swimming pools, green playgrounds, and children's play areas.

Commenting on the launch, Chairman Khalifa Hassan Al Hammadi said: "As promised to our shareholders, doubling our efforts to return Union Properties to its prestigious position alongside the leading real estate developers in Dubai, today, we launch our second project in Motor City, which is "Motor City Hills" project."

"Commencing from our core pillars of customer-centricity more family-oriented units are added to this project to meet their requirements, this is considered the second shift in implementing the company's board of directors' vision to complete the development of the said area, which comes after laying the foundation stone for the first project, "Motor City Views" and the second during this year and in less than a month from the launch of the first project," he added.

Aqua Properties Founder Ali Tumbi said: "We are very excited about this new project consisting of uniquely designed three-story townhouses as we have seen a change in the demand for the type of real estate during the last period as a result of the pandemic shifting to villas and townhouses."

The project's sales would begin in October, he added.-TradeArabia News Service
Boeing has forecasted that Chinas airlines will require 8,700 new airplanes by 2040, valued at $1.47 trillion, to meet expanding commercial air travel demand.



The 20-year forecast reflects the China markets rebound and further evolution of its airline business models. Boeing shared the China forecast as part of the 2021 Commercial Market Outlook (CMO), the companys long-term forecast of demand for commercial airplanes and services.



Chinas economic fundamentals lay the foundation for healthy air traffic increases, including 4.4% annual economic growth and a middle-income demographic that will double by 2040, according to the CMO. By 2030, Chinas domestic passenger market will exceed intra-European traffic; by 2040, Chinas domestic traffic is expected to also exceed air travel within North America.



The CMO also forecasts that Chinas civil aviation industry will require more than 400,000 new aviation personnel by 2040, including pilots, technicians and cabin crew. Boeings commitment to China involves investing in people who will power the future of aviation, such as training nearly 100,000 Chinese aviation professionals and employing more than 2,500 Boeing employees. Across its businesses, training, supply chain and other activities, Boeings presence and partnerships in China contribute more than $1.5 billion annually to the economy.



The rapid recovery of Chinese domestic traffic during the pandemic speaks to the markets underlying strength and resilience, said Richard Wynne, managing director, China Marketing, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. In addition, there are promising opportunities to significantly expand international long-haul routes and air freight capacity. Longer term, there is the potential for low-cost carrier growth to further build on single-aisle demand.



The 2021 China CMO includes these projections through 2040:



 Annual passenger traffic growth of 5.4%, similar to the 2020 forecast.

 Two-thirds of deliveries supporting Chinas aviation industry growth and one-third of deliveries for fleet replacement, which will move airlines toward more sustainable, fuel-efficient airplane models.

 Single-aisle jets account for nearly 6,500 deliveries; widebody deliveries, including passenger and cargo models, will total 1,850, accounting for 44% of demand by value.

 According to the CMO, a nearly $1.8 trillion commercial aviation services market opportunity exists in the region.  TradeArabia News Service
Etihad Airways will be operating more flights to Seychelles from October to provide holidaymakers and families with convenient travel options to the tropical paradise.

The national airline of the UAE will upgrade its Seychelles service from four to five weekly flights from October 7, as well as operate seven additional services between October 15 and 24 to coincide with the half-term holidays.

These additional flights have been scheduled to provide families with younger children with more travel options during the school break, a statement from the airline said.

Senior Vice President Sales and Cargo Martin Drew said: This is the perfect time to discover the beauty of Seychelles, with balmy temperatures and calm waters ideal for snorkelling, diving and enjoying its beaches.

Seychelles is a one-of-a-kind destination, and with vaccinated travellers in the UAE being able to fly there and back without quarantine. It is the perfect destination for a short getaway or a longer family holiday.

Etihad Airways has launched a sale on fares to Seychelles, valid only on etihad.com until midnight on October 2. Available on a first come, first served basis, return fares will start from AED1,795 in Economy, for travel in October and November.

Located in the middle of the Indian Ocean, Seychelles is 4 hours and 35 minutes flight from Abu Dhabi. The airline flies to the largest island of Mahe which is home to the capital of Victoria.

Travellers will need to present a negative PCR test before boarding flights.-TradeArabia News Service
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, a leading hotel franchising company, is expanding its international footprint with the opening of the 131-room Days Hotel by Wyndham Dubai Deira, its first property in the UAE under the renowned brand.

Located close to Dubais popular landmarks with access to the Dubai Metro, the launch of the Days Hotel joins the recent openings of the Super 8 by Wyndham Dubai Deira and Wyndham Dubai Deira as part of the Deira Enrichment Project and as a continuation of Wyndhams growth across the region.

Days Inn by Wyndham is one of the largest and most recognised economy hotel brands in the world, with a global portfolio of 1,600 properties. The launch of Days Hotel follows the brands debut in Turkey in June 2021 and marks the eighth hotel brand Wyndham has launched in the UAE, following the debut of the La Quinta by Wyndham brand in Bur Dubai.

Wyndham Hotels & Resorts Middle East and Africa Regional Director Michel Augier said: Dubai is one of the most sought out destinations for travellers from all corners of the globe, making it the ideal location to launch our Days Inn by Wyndham brand.

"The launch of the Days Hotel complements the recently opened Wyndham Dubai Deira and the Super 8 by Wyndham Dubai Deira, which are situated within the Deira Enrichment Project and our portfolio of over 60 hotels in the Middle East and Africa.

Ithra Dubai CEO Issam Galadari said: We are pleased to be partnering with Wyndham Hotels & Resorts to bring more accommodation options to our Deira Enrichment Project. Days Hotel by Wyndham Dubai Deira marks another milestone in the development of the project and furthers the growth of Dubai hospitality and tourism.

The Deira Enrichment Project  a development by Ithra Dubai, a fully-owned subsidiary of Investment Corporation of Dubai  is a mixed-use project situated along the Dubai creek and waterfront in the western part of Deira.

The new Dubai property is located in one of the citys commercial hubs offering access to attractions like the Dubai Creek, The Dubai Mall, the Dubai Frame, Deira Gold Souk and Jumeirah Mosque, as well as the Dubai World Trade Centre and the citys financial district.

The new hotel adds to Wyndhams current portfolio of 19 hotels in the UAE, including 11 in Dubai.-TradeArbia News Service
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Heavy fighting struck various areas of Yemen's oil-rich northern province of Marib on Sunday amid intensified airstrikes, a military official told Xinhua.

"More than 28 members of the Houthi rebel group and 16 soldiers of the pro-government Yemeni forces were killed during the past 24 hours in Marib's fighting," the local military source said on condition of anonymity.

The Houthi fighters carried out simultaneous attacks against several positions controlled by the pro-government forces in the southern and northwestern areas of Marib, he said.

He clarified that the Houthis used explosive-laden drones and missile attacks to target the pro-government forces stationed in Marib.

"The Houthis succeeded in achieving limited on-ground progress after launching a number of multi-pronged attacks in the fighting with the pro-government forces," he added.

Warplanes of the Saudi Arabia-led coalition carried out a series of airstrikes targeting Houthi-controlled areas and reinforcements in Marib's western part, according to the official.

The Houthis began in February a major offensive on Marib in an attempt to seize control of the oil-rich Yemeni province, the government's last northern stronghold.

Yemen's civil war flared up in late 2014 when the Iran-backed Houthi group seized control of much of the country's north and forced the internationally recognized government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi out of the capital Sanaa.

The Saudi-led Arab coalition intervened in the Yemeni conflict in March 2015 to support Hadi's government.

(ANI/Xinhua)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday returned to New Delhi after concluding his three-day US visit, where he addressed the United Nations General Assembly and attended the first in-person Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD) Summit.

Bharatiya Janata Party National President Jai Prakash Nadda along with party General Secretaries Arun Singh and Tarun Chugh, Former Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, Delhi BJP President Adesh Gupta and senior party functionaries were present at the airport to receive PM Modi and welcomed him with 'Dhol' and 'Nagadhas'.

During his US visit, PM Modi was hosted by President Joe Biden at the White House with whom he held a bilateral meeting. This was the first in-person meeting between the two leaders after Biden took over as US President on January 20.

PM Modi also held bilateral meetings with Vice President Kamala Harris and CEOs of several American companies.

He also met and held bilateral meetings with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Japan Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on the sidelines of the first in-person Quad summit after the COVID-19 pandemic. During the summit, PM Modi proposed a common international travelling protocol involving mutual recognition of the COVID-19 vaccination certificate.

PM Modi also addressed the General Debate of the High-Level Segment of 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York during his US visit.

The US visit marked the first visit of the Prime Minister beyond the neighbourhood since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla had earlier described that PM Modi's visit to the US has been "very successful".

(ANI)

Also Read: Ayushman Bharat scheme for poor is dedicated to Antyodaya philosophy of Deen Dayal Upadhyaya: PM Modi
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's sister, Kim Yo Jong has issued a statement through the state-run Korean Central News Agency that an inter-Korean summit could be discussed if mutual respect is assured.

In her statement issued on Kim Yo Jong said she thinks that "only when impartiality and the attitude of respecting each other are maintained, can there be a smooth understanding between the North and the South," reported NHK World.

She also mentioned the possibility of re-establishing the North-South joint liaison office, a declaration to formally end the Korean War, and the North-South summit, saying that constructive discussions can bring meaningful and successful solutions.

She expressed dissatisfaction with South Korea and the United States, saying North Korea's acts of self-defense to counter military threats on the Korean Peninsula are denounced as provocations while their arms buildup is beautified as a deterrent, reported NHK World.

Meanwhile, North and South Korea conducted ballistic missile tests within hours of each other earlier in September.

The display of military power raised tensions on the Korean Peninsula amid stalled talks over Pyongyang's nuclear program.

According to the South Korean military, the North Korean missiles flew 800 kilometres (500 miles) toward the Sea of Japan after being launched inland.

UN resolutions ban North Korea, a self-declared nuclear power, from any tests of ballistic missiles, which can carry nuclear warheads depending on their design.

Hours later, South Korea said one of its submarines had for the first time successfully fired a domestically-built ballistic missile underwater.

Since leader Kim Jong Un's failed summit with former US President Donald Trump in Vietnam in February 2019, talks on halting the country's missile program have stalled.

At a party congress earlier this year, Kim announced his country would continue to pursue a path of nuclear deterrence with new weapons, including new intercontinental ballistic missiles.

The moves of Kim Yo Jong apparently seek to obtain concessions from Seoul by hinting at Pyongyang's willingness to improve inter-Korean relations.

(ANI)

Also Read: G20 summit to discuss Afghanistan crisis on September 28
Weddings can be extremely complicated social and family events, and sometimes marrying couples deliberately dont invite people to their weddings because they dont want them to feel pressured to go to the trouble and expense to attend. Its possible that you fell into that category. Or the couple simply limited their guest list, and you didnt make the cut.
No. 2, take a look at what I inherited when I came into office. When I came into office, the state of affairs, and where we were: We had 4 million people vaccinated. We had no plan. We had  I mean, I can go down the list, Biden added. So, you know, part of it is dealing with the panoply of things that were landed on my plate. Im not complaining; its just a reality.
Police said the man was walking when a dark-colored van pulled up and someone fired shots, striking him to the right side of the chest. He was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center where he was listed in good condition, police said.
In a shooting that occurred Friday, a 17-year-old Chicago boy was injured on the Dan Ryan Expressway (I-90-94) near 43rd Street about 9:20 a.m. The boy was in the back seat of a car traveling south when someone in an unknown vehicle fired shots and he was struck. He was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, Illinois State Police said.
Thomas, who was the only person in the car, turned on the hazard lights, prosecutors said. As the officers got out of the squad car, Thomas got out of his car and walked toward the passenger side of the squad car, where an officer was sitting.
China's broadcasting authorities have voiced absolute rejection of cartoons that contain plots or footage of violence, blood, vulgarity or pornography.

Service providers of audio-visual web programs are encouraged to create, import and broadcast cartoons that feature positive values and promote virtues of the true, the good and the beautiful, said the National Radio and Television Administration on its website.

The administration urged internet service providers to develop channels and zones healthy for the consumption of children and adolescents, make further efforts in content regulation and program refinement, and help build cyberspace conducive to the growth of young people.
You are here: Arts

China on Friday announced measures to reform the country's college entrance exams for art students.

Arts programs that are in low demand or substandard in quality will scale back enrollment or simply stop the enrollment to optimize the overall configuration of art majors, according to a document released by the Ministry of Education.

By 2024, each provincial-level region will have introduced unified exams corresponding to specific areas of focus for art program applicants, said the ministry.

Enrollment policy will be improved, with an emphasis on the requirement of art disciplines and students' academic performance, according to the document.

The reform kicks start in 2021, said the ministry.
You are here: Business

China released the list of top 500 Chinese enterprises for 2021 on Saturday, showing improved business performance and better industrial structure.



Combined operating revenues of the top 500 companies reached 89.83 trillion yuan (about 13.9 trillion U.S. dollars) in 2020, up 4.43 percent compared to that in the previous year, according to the list jointly released by the China Enterprise Confederation and the China Enterprise Directors Association.

The firms raked in 4.07 trillion yuan in total profits, up 4.59 percent compared to that of the companies on the 2020 list.

State Grid Corporation of China topped the list, followed by the China National Petroleum Corporation and the China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation.

The revenue threshold of the top 500 Chinese enterprises increased by 3.28 billion yuan from a year ago to 39.24 billion yuan, the data showed.

The number of companies whose revenues exceeded 100 billion yuan rose to 222, with eight of them reporting revenues of over 1 trillion yuan.

This year's list also showed an improved industrial structure, as more high-tech and modern services companies such as communication equipment makers and logistics firms were included.

The average R&D spending of the top 500 firms came in at 2.94 billion yuan, up 17.95 percent. The ratio of their R&D expenditure to operating revenues hit a new high of 1.77 percent.
Chinese Vice Premier Liu He, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, attends the 2021 World Internet Conference Wuzhen Summit and reads Chinese President Xi Jinping's congratulatory letter to the summit via video, Sept. 26, 2021. [Photo/Xinhua]

The 2021 World Internet Conference Wuzhen Summit gathers people from around the world to share wisdom on building a digital civilization via online and offline events.

The summit, which kicked off on Sunday in Wuzhen, east China's Zhejiang Province, features 20 sub-forums under the theme of "Towards a New Era of Digital Civilization -- Building a Community with a Shared Future in Cyberspace."

Chinese Vice Premier Liu He, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, addressed the summit via video.

Noting that advancement of the internet has made a profound impact on industrial development, economic structure, social life and international landscape, Liu said the internet is now catapulted onto a new stage, with comprehensive diffusion and cross-field integration, while digital technology continuously creates new models of business, providing opportunities to countries around the globe.

He said that science and technology as a force for good is an inherent requirement of the community with a shared future for mankind. He called for joint efforts to safeguard the safety and reliability of infrastructure, crack down on illegal activities on the internet, and earnestly protect fair competition and promote innovation.

China's macroeconomy remains generally stable, Liu said, adding that the country is experienced in and capable of controlling risks, and hence has a bright future.

China will stand firm to advance reform and opening up, and high-quality development. Efforts will be made to strengthen the development of new types of infrastructure, and boost the software industry, he said.

The country will support the sound development of the private sector, the innovation and startups of entrepreneurs, and the healthy development of the internet and digital economy, he said.

The sub-forums were set to contribute insights on data governance, the rule of law on the internet, social responsibilities of tech companies, global COVID-19 response and international communication among other topics of public interest through discussions on new internet technology trends including 5G, artificial intelligence, open-source ecology, internet of the next generation, data and algorithm.

Around 15 top-level achievements of internet technology are scheduled for release during the conference, said the organizer.

Other highlights include an international internet expo, a global competition on innovation and entrepreneurship, and the release of two reports, namely "World Internet Development Report 2021" and "China Internet Development Report 2021."

The conference is scheduled to close on Sept. 28.
The crowd hold up a banner reading "Welcome home, Ms. Meng Wanzhou," and wave national flags while welcoming Meng Wanzhou, Huawei's chief financial officer, at the Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, on Sept. 25, 2021. Meng arrived in Shenzhen on Saturday night on a charter flight organized by the Chinese government, after being illegally detained for nearly three years in Canada. Meng has pleaded not guilty to all charges against her and reached a deferred prosecution agreement with U.S. prosecutors. The U.S. side has withdrawn its extradition request. [Photo/Xinhua]
Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Carrie Lam said Saturday that the HKSAR government firmly supports the central government and strongly opposes any external interference in Hong Kong affairs.

Lam made the remarks after the Chinese Foreign Ministry released Friday a fact sheet on U.S. interference in Hong Kong affairs and support for anti-China, destabilizing forces.

Over the past two years, the external forces including the United States used social unrest and other events as excuses to support anti-China elements in obstructing the HKSAR government's administration, advocating "Hong Kong independence" and "self-determination," and seriously endangering national security, Lam said.

Those external forces continuously slandered China, vilified the HKSAR government and smeared the national security law in the HKSAR through diplomatic and other domestic political means, Lam said.

Lam noted that the U.S. interfering acts listed in the fact sheet are indisputable.

The international community and Hong Kong people will grasp clearly the U.S. hegemony acts that wantonly interfere in Hong Kong affairs through the fact sheet, she said.

A number of representatives of different countries spoke in support of China at the United Nations Human Rights Council session held recently and opposed to interference in Hong Kong affairs, Lam said.

The implementation of the national security law in the HKSAR and the improvement to Hong Kong's electoral system are proper, reasonable and necessary, Lam said.

Following the implementation of the national security law, stability has been restored in Hong Kong society, actions have been taken against offenders, and anti-China forces have significantly diminished, she said.

The improvement to the electoral system ensures the principle of "patriots administering Hong Kong," and prevents anti-China elements from entering the political system of the HKSAR through elections, Lam said.

The actions of the central authorities have helped the HKSAR guard against the interference of external forces, which are crucial to safeguarding national security and the long-term prosperity and stability in Hong Kong, Lam said.

Hong Kong continues to be a free and open international city, where the business environment remains intact and the rights of the overseas enterprises in Hong Kong are even better protected than before, Lam said.

As Hong Kong is better positioned to integrate into the overall development of the nation, overseas enterprises in Hong Kong will be presented with more opportunities than before, she said, adding that Hong Kong continues to welcome foreign enterprises.
Chinese President Xi Jinping Sunday sent a congratulatory letter to the 2021 World Internet Conference Wuzhen Summit, which opened in Wuzhen, east China's Zhejiang Province.

In his letter, Xi noted that digital technology is being fully integrated into all fields and the whole process of economy, politics, culture, society and ecological civilization construction with new ideas, new forms and new models, having extensive and profound impacts on the production and life of humankind.

Nowadays, profound changes in the world unseen in a century and the epidemic situation are intertwined. It is imperative for the international community to join hands to seize opportunities and meet challenges by following the trend of informatization and digitalization, as well as networking and smart development, he added.

Xi emphasized that China is willing to work with other countries to shoulder the historical responsibility of promoting human progress by stimulating the digital economy vitality, enhancing the digital government efficiency, optimizing the digital social environment, setting up a digital cooperation structure, and building a strong digital security shield.

China is also willing to work with other countries in the world to make the digital civilization benefit people of all countries, and promote the building of a community with a shared future for humankind, he added.

The summit opened Sunday with a theme of "Towards a New Era of Digital Civilization -- Building a Community with a Shared Future in Cyberspace." It is jointly organized by the Cyberspace Administration of China and the Zhejiang provincial government.
China and Central and Eastern European Countries (CEECs) will continue to deepen cooperation in science, technology and innovation for sustainable development, said participants of a conference held on the sidelines of the ongoing 2021 Zhongguancun Forum (ZGC Forum) in Beijing.

China's Minister of Science and Technology Wang Zhigang said at the fifth China-CEEC Conference on Innovation Cooperation that China-CEEC cooperation has been fruitful in vaccine research and development, expert exchanges and epidemic prevention material assistance, among other areas.

Wang noted that China's scientific and technological innovation is carried out in an open environment, and the country is ready to work with CEEC to continue to conduct scientific and technological exchanges in response to COVID-19.

Effective cooperation in scientific research has been carried out among the countries. Laszlo Palkovics, Hungary's minister for innovation and technology, said that more than 100 Hungarian-Chinese bilateral researcher mobility projects have been awarded a grant, which has enabled Hungarian and Chinese researchers to successfully work together on projects of mutual interest in life and natural sciences, agriculture, food, environmental and energy technologies.

Ambassador of the Czech Republic to China Vladimir Tomsik said that the Czech Academy of Sciences has signed agreements with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and the National Natural Science Foundation of China that allow mutual mobility of researchers, and the country would like to extend its range of partners in China.

Many participants noted the importance of cooperation in dealing with COVID-19 and expressed their willingness to join forces.

"Acknowledging the importance of the international scientific and technological cooperation at the stage of post COVID-19 recovery, Bulgaria is ready and willing to be an active member and a capable partner in the China-Central and Eastern European Countries initiative, said Nikolai Denkov, minister of education and science of Bulgaria.

"Today we must recognize the important role of science in pandemic response, economic recovery and post COVID-19 world in general," said Minister of Civil Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina Ankica Gudeljevic. "We are committed to collaborating in science and technology research and development, with a view to addressing our common challenges and promoting sustainable economic development."

Themed "intelligence, health, and carbon neutrality," the 2021 ZGC Forum is scheduled from Sept. 24 to 28 in Beijing. It hosts more than 60 events, including meetings, exhibitions, research achievement releases, competitions in cutting-edge fields, and technology trading.
The Belt and Road Initiative proposed by China in 2013 ushered in a new era for international development. It offers a new paradigm for mutually beneficial cooperation between participating countries based on a people-centric approach and the revolutionary idea of building a community with a shared future for humanity.

In 2017, China launched the Digital Silk Road, adding a new dimension to the initiative. The program aims to boost digital connectivity among participants and provide the developing world with the necessary digital tools to foster economic development. Digital infrastructure is becoming even more essential to modern economies with the arrival of faster networks, cheaper sensors, and the proliferation of connected devices.

As one of the world's ancient civilizations, Armenia played a vital role in the functioning of the ancient Silk Road. Its medieval capital of Ani was situated along the road connecting Asia with Europe. The country played a critical role in developing the information technology (IT) of the Soviet Union from the 1960s to the 1980s.

Armenia gained independence in 1991 and, after the initial problems of the transition period, it regained its status as the IT and digital hub in the region. In the recent decade, IT was the primary tool for developing the Armenian economy, registering an astonishing average annual growth of 20-25 percent. The country is home to some of the most successful global IT startups, including Picsart, Krisp and Renderforest. The government has allocated significant resources to the advancement of the sector, including funding for the establishment of a modern education system to prepare younger generations for a future in IT. Even the global economic slowdown triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic could not stifle the growth of Armenia's IT sector.

Armenia has forged a strong partnership with China. This relationship is based not only on more than 4,000 years of shared history, but also on the mutual desire to keep up national traditions and values such as respect and care for the elderly and children. Both Armenia and China have embraced globalization and simultaneously have executed efforts to retain their national identity.

Armenia welcomes the Belt and Road Initiative. Their similar and sometimes identical views on critical issues faced by the international community have paved the way for the rapid development of Armenia-China economic relations. Bilateral trade reached almost $1 billion in 2020. However, there still exist vast untapped resources for further development. The Digital Silk Road program may take on a vital role in boosting economic cooperation.

The developing IT sector in Armenia requires a quick deployment of 5G networks, which will allow for the rapid growth of the Internet of Things. Chinese companies such as Huawei may play a primary part here. The land borders with Georgia and Iran make Armenia a favorable data transit country to connect Europe with the Middle East, and Central and Southeast Asia.

Meanwhile, Armenian IT companies can act as a bridge for Western companies to enter the Chinese market. With one branch already operating in Xi'an, capital of China's Shaanxi Province, the Digital Silk Road Center opened in the second largest city of Armenia, Gyumri, in May, lifting Armenia-China IT cooperation.

Its 2015 accession to the Eurasian Economic Union provides Armenia with tariff-free access to the vast Russian market, while the Generalized System of Preferences+ allows Armenia to export products to the EU with zero customs duty. This combination creates yet another opportunity for Chinese IT companies to invest and produce in Armenia and later export to the aforementioned markets.

The Digital Silk Road is a long-awaited boost to close the gap between developing and developed countries in the digital realm. As a regional IT hub, Armenia welcomes this program and is ready to use the opportunity to further advance its relationship with China.

The author is chairman of the Center for Political and Economic Strategic Studies, Armenia.
You are here: World

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A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson on Saturday commented on Meng Wanzhou's return to China.

After the Chinese government's unremitting efforts, Meng left Canada on Sept. 24 local time and is returning on a charter flight organized by the Chinese government. She will soon reunite with her family.

In response to a media query, spokesperson Hua Chunying said the Chinese side's position on Meng's case has been consistent and clear.

Facts have proven that it is a political persecution case targeting a Chinese national with the aim of suppressing Chinese high-tech companies, Hua said.

The so-called fraud charges against Meng are nothing but pure fabrication, she said. Even the HSBC -- the "victim" named by the U.S. side -- has released files proving Meng's innocence.

What the United States and Canada have done is a typical case of arbitrary detention, Hua added.
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Romanian Prime Minister Florin Citu was elected Saturday Chairman of the main ruling National Liberal Party (PNL) at the party congress.

Citu, 49, won 60.2 percent of the votes in the voting of nearly 5,000 delegates from around the country, defeating incumbent Chairman and Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Ludovic Orban who sought a new mandate.

"This vote honors and makes me responsible ... I promise you I will be the chairman of all Liberals, regardless of how you voted," said Citu after winning the elections, adding that "starting today, we're a united party ..."

On his part, Orban said: "My resignation as Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies will be on Monday on the table of the elected chairman, Florin Citu."

On Sunday, the National Council of the PNL will take place, with 2,000 delegates, to choose other party leadership positions.

However, the days after the congress will not be easy for the party, as the cabinet led by Citu will have to face the censure motion initiated by the USR PLUS, the junior party in the newly-split ruling coalition, which requested the prime minister's replacement so as to keep the coalition in place.

Local analysts believe that Citu cannot find other allies but USR PLUS in the parliament to ensure a majority government. However, Citu stressed that he would not give up the prime minister position.
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United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday called on countries to rapidly shift towards decarbonized energy systems, redirect their fossil fuel subsidies to renewables and place a price on carbon.

"By 2030, solar and wind capacity should quadruple to respectively 630 and 390 gigawatts added annual capacity," the UN chief told the UN High-level Dialogue on Energy, which saw nations commit to accelerating previous pledges to advance clean energy for all by 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.

Member states will reinforce efforts to meet the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the targets set out by the global 2015 Paris Agreement on climate-change mitigation.

"We must intensify our efforts to improve energy efficiency. There must be no new coal plants built after 2021," Guterres said.

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development countries must commit to phasing out existing coal capacity by 2030, with all other countries following suit by 2040.

On universal energy access, the secretary-general said that to reach the goal by 2030 and maintain a net-zero trajectory by mid-century, "we must mobilize predictable finance at scale and promote technology transfer to the developing world."

"We need to triple investment in renewable energy and energy efficiency to 5 trillion U.S. dollars a year. And access to finance by developing countries must be simplified, facilitated and expedited," he said.

"We need to redirect fossil fuel subsidies to renewables and put a price on carbon," said the secretary-general. "And all development banks -- multilateral, regional and national -- need to help countries as they transition their economies. Public and private finance must be urgently mobilized and deployed at scale to accelerate the global phase out of coal power generation."

"Investing in renewable energy -- instead of spending billions on propping up fossil fuels -- can create tens of millions of good jobs and empower the most vulnerable," Guterres said.

"Every country, city, financial institution, company and civil society organization has a role to play in building a sustainable and equitable energy future," he said.

"We cannot wait another 40 years. The age of renewable, affordable energy access for all must start today," said the secretary-general.

"Without deep and rapid decarbonization of our energy systems over the next 10 years, we will never reach the Paris Agreement goal of limiting temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius," he said.

Friday's meeting on energy was the first held under the auspices of the General Assembly since 1981. It also came weeks ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) later this year, which hopes to see nations commit to ambitious 2030 emissions reductions targets.
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Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said on Saturday that he will hold his first meetings with senior Gulf ministers in New York.

Bennett was set to depart on Saturday night to the United States to address the UN General Assembly on Monday, his office said in a statement.

On Sunday, he is expected to meet Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Minister of State Khalifa Shaheen Almarar, according to the statement.

He will also meet the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

The meetings come amid Israeli efforts to strengthen ties with Arab countries. Bahrain and the UAE normalized ties with Israel in 2020.
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With one week to go until Expo 2020 Dubai, a special event showcasing traditional Arab culture was held in Beijing on Friday.

"The expo always serves as a platform to create innovation, to bring new ideas, to connect people, and to send messages of humanitarian care," noted Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to China Ali Obaid Al Dhaheri during the event.

This year marks the golden jubilee of the establishment of the UAE, and events are being held across the country to celebrate the drastic changes of the past five decades. Expo 2020 Dubai is one such event.

During the opening speech of the special Beijing event, the ambassador briefed attendees about the pavilions and participants of the expo, promising that the expo would be "unprecedented."

Ambassador Ali Obaid Al Dhaheri performs the Al Ayala dance, Sept. 24, 2021. [Photo provided to China.org.cn]

He highlighted the China Pavilionone of the biggest pavilions covering an area of more than 4,600 square meters. "The China Pavilion, expected to be one of the most popular pavilions, will display the country's latest advancements in innovation, science and technology."

According to Al Dhaheri, apart from showing progress in science and technology, this expo will feature subjects like gender equality, climate change and the prosperity of the younger generation.

Dhaheri also emphasized that since all the people living in today's small world are interconnected to each other one way or another, maintaining peace and harmony is crucial, which is the message the UAE seeks to convey though the expo.

Traditional Arab music is played during a cultural event held in Beijing celebrating one week to go until Expo 2020 Dubai, Sept. 24, 2021. [Photo by Xu Xiaoxuan/China.org.cn]

After the speech, a video was played to promote tourism in Dubai. According to the video, Dubai received about 37 million overnight visitors between July 2020 to May 2021. The city is also using "world-leading health and safety standards" to welcome tourist across the globe.

During the celebration, traditional Arab food, including that made from dates and chickpeas were offered, while attendees enjoyed the traditional UAE Al Ayala dance and Arab music.

The expo was set to run last year but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is now set to run from Oct. 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022, and is themed "Connecting Minds, Creating the Future." The expo is expected to fuel Dubai's tourism, commerce and trade, and employment.
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The newly-formed administration of Afghanistan has welcomed the United States recent measure allowing flow of humanitarian assistance to the Asian country, the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Sunday.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) welcomes recent decision by U.S. Treasury Department allowing U.S. government agencies along with international and non-governmental organizations and banks to facilitate flow of food and medicine to the IEA," Abdul Qahar Balkhi, the ministry's spokesman, said in a statement.

Afghanistan hoped all countries including the U.S. and international organizations will continue to establish and enhance ties with the Afghan government, and to continue providing humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people, he added.

Amir Khan Muttaqi, acting foreign minister of Taliban caretaker government, on Thursday said that Afghanistan wants to have friendly relations with the international community, including the neighboring and regional countries.

On Friday, the United States issued general licenses, allowing the U.S. government, NGOs and certain international organizations to engage in transactions that are necessary to provide humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan.

Earlier this month, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that possibility of a complete economic collapse in Afghanistan was "serious," highlighting an urgent need for funding support to Afghans.

He also appealed to the countries pledging 1.2 billion U.S. dollars in relief for Afghanistan to take action quickly.

Besides, Taliban authorities have vowed that the aid will reach those in need in a completely transparent manner.
Nellore: Ministers Botsa Satyanarayana, Perni Venkatramaiah (Nani), and Dr Anilkumar Yadav came down heavily against actor-politician Pawan Kalyan for his utterances against Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy and the YSR Congress.

The Jana Sena chief speaking at a pre-release function of Sai Dharma Teja film Republic in Hyderabad on Saturday night alleged that the state government has been troubling cinema theatres in Andhra Pradesh on the issue of online tickets.

It came in for sharp criticism from I&PR minister Venkatramaiah, who, on Sunday, said in Vijayawada that on the contrary it was the film industry that has been asking the government for online ticketing since 2003. Nani added that Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce secretary Damodar Prasad had given a representation to them seeking online ticketing on December 24, 2016, and again on December 1, 2018.

Later, Chiranjeevi and other Tollywood representatives met the Chief Minister in June 2020 and submitted a representation under the name of Narayanadas Kishan Das Narang seeking the same.

He said the film industry bigwigs had met him on September 20 this year seeking online ticketing. The minister asserted that the state government had okayed online ticketing only after considering the requests of the film industry. He clarified that the state government would only run the online portal and theatre staff will sell tickets online. The amount collected through the portal will be transferred to the theatre owners through the RBI gateway the next day. He slammed Pawan Kalyan for having no knowledge of the issue.

Disputing Pawan Kalyans remarks on ticket prices, he said that it was Jagan Mohan Reddy who had given a 40 per cent hike to movie tickets after eight years. He was not crushing Tollywood, Nani said. He asked the actor-politician to instead question the Prime Minister over GST and taxes on movies.

In Vizianagaram, Botsa Satyanarayana questioned the rationale behind Pawans outburst. He also warned the actor against using derogatory remarks against the Chief Minister.

In Nellore, water resources minister Dr Yadav alleged that Pawan Kalyan is making comments against YSRC only for his political survival. He said there were no chances of improving Jana Sena's position in Andhra Pradesh and it would be in the fitness of things if the actor winds it up.

Dr Yadav explained that they had brought an online movie ticket portal to ensure transparency and there was no distinction in ticket prices of films of star heroes and others like Sampoornesh Babu.

In a spontaneous reaction to the statement, Sampoornesh Babu thanked the minister for comparing him with a good-hearted person like Pawan Kalyan.

Meanwhile, using his Twitter platform, popular actor Nani said keeping aside the political differences between Pawan Kalyan sir and AP government, the film industry issues addressed are genuine and needs immediate attention.

Another actor Karthikeya said he is not supporting or being against any political party but the issue addressed by Pawan with respect to the Telugu film industry makes sense.

Telugu film chamber thanks Jagan for support

Meanwhile, Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce and several actors posted tweets on the issue.

The chamber, in a release on Saturday, said that they were grateful to Andhra Pradesh government and Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy for patiently understanding and positively responding to their concerns.

President of the forum, Narayanadas Kishandas Narang said the film industry has suffered the onslaught of the division of the state, the pandemic, and other issues.

Our industry is in the worst possible situation. Various individuals have expressed their views, opinions, and anguish on different platforms.

These are not the voices of the industry as a whole. We wish to reiterate that the apex body of our industry is the Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce in both Telugu states.

While reacting to Pawan Kalyan's call for his intervention, veteran actor Mohan Babu thanked him for pulling him into the issue. In a tweet, he said his son is contesting for the president post of Movie Artists Association and he would reply to the points raised by Pawan after the election.
HYDERABAD: Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao on Saturday urged the Centre to amend the gazette notification issued by the Union ministry of Jal Shakti and postpone its implementation from October 14, according to official sources.

Rao met Union Jal Shakti minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in Delhi in this regard. He was accompanied by MLAs representing the erstwhile Mahbubnagar district  C. Laxma Reddy, S. Rajender Reddy and Ala Venkateshwar Reddy.

The Chief Minister's Office (CMO) usually issues press releases whenever the Chief Minister meets Union ministers in Delhi and submits representations on various issues. But on Saturday, the CMO did not issue any press release on Raos meeting with Shekhawat. It just released pictures of the meeting.

Official sources said in his 40-minute-long meeting with Shekhawat, the Chief Minister requested him to amend the gazette notification issued on July 16 bringing all irrigation projects on Krishna and Godavari under respective River Management Boards (GRMB and KRMB).

Rao urged Shekhawat to bring only the joint irrigation projects of Telangana state and Andhra Pradesh such as Srisailam, Nagarjunasagar etc under the control of respective Boards. He urged him to exclude all other irrigation projects from the gazette, which fall only in the jurisdiction of respective states and are managed independently by the state governments.

The CM brought to Shekhawats notice that bringing such independent projects under the Centre's control would not serve any purpose but also complicate things for the respective state governments during operation and maintenance.

The Chief Minister also urged Shekhawat to allow boards to take control of the projects only after the water share of both the states was finalised in Krishna and Godavari. Sources said the Chief Minister also took up water-sharing disputes between Telangana and AP. He is said to have submitted a representation to Shekhawat on five issues pertaining to the irrigation department and also sought him to intervene to stop the ongoing works of Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Scheme (RLIS) in AP. He told him that RLIS was detrimental to the erstwhile Mahbubnagar district.



He urged Shekhawat to issue final approvals for the Palamuru-Ranga Reddy Lift Irrigation Scheme, apart from making necessary water allocations in Krishna for this project.
Addressing a Rajaka Atmeeya Sammelanam in Huzurabad on Sunday, Harish Rao pointed out that in his 18 years of political career, Rajendar has not given even a cent of land to people of Rajaka community. (DC File Image)

Karimnagar: Finance minister T. Harish Rao maintained that there is nothing former minister Etala Rajendar, who has joined the BJP, will do for Huzurabad in Karimnagar district, as he had not done anything for the constituency despite being a minister in the TRS government.

Addressing a Rajaka Atmeeya Sammelanam in Huzurabad on Sunday, Harish Rao pointed out that in his 18 years of political career, Rajendar has not given even a cent of land to people of Rajaka community. But the state government, under the leadership of Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao, had allotted Rs 250 crore for people of Rajaka community in the budget.

The finance minister underlined that the state government had allotted 4,000 double bedroom houses to Huzurabad constituency. Despite being a minister, Rajendar did not allot even a single house to any beneficiary. Then, how will he benefit people if they vote for him; now that he is in opposition BJP, he asked.

It is my responsibility that 5,000 double bedroom houses are constructed and distributed to beneficiaries after completion of Huzurabad byelections, Harish Rao declared at the gathering. He pointed out that already, three acres of land has been allotted to Rajaka community in Hyderabad, in addition to Rs 5 crore being sanctioned for the community.

The finance minister announced that if TRS candidate Gellu Srinivas Yadav wins Huzurabad bypolls, state government will construct Chakali Ilamma buildings at the headquarters of all five mandals in Huzurabad constituency.

He maintained that the BJP, instead of inviting Union ministers for campaigning in Huzurabad, must first tell people what it is going to do for people of the constituency. People must choose between BJP, which is imposing taxes on people throughout the country, or TRS, which is already working for the benefit of people in Telangana, he said.

BC welfare minister Gangula Kamalakar, MLA Rasamayee Balakishan, MLC Basawaraju Saraiah, SC Corporation chairman Banda Srinivas, BC Corporation chairman V. Krishna Mohan, TRS candidate Srinivas Yadav and Padi Koushik Reddy were among those present at the meeting.
BJP state president Bandi Sanjay Kumar and former MP Vijayashanthi at Praja Sangrama Yatra Ankireddypalli village in Rajanna Sircilla district on Saturday. (DC Image)

HYDERABAD: BJP state president and MP Bandi Sanjay Kumar on Saturday set a Diwali deadline to the state government for issuing employment notifications for filling up all vacant positions across departments. He warned of a Million March of unemployed youth in Hyderabad that could eventually lead to toppling the government.

Sanjays walkathon entered its 29th day in Rajanna-Sircilla district on Saturday.

Addressing a public meeting in Ankireddypally village in Tangallapalli mandal, he urged unemployed youth not to take any extreme steps over the delay in employment notifications. He recalled that with hopes of ample employment opportunities in the new state getting dashed, Srikantha Chary, Kistaiah, Yadagiri, Sunil Naik and several unemployed youth had sacrificed their lives.

He said unemployed youth from Bhainsa had joined his padayatra while many had migrated to Gulf countries in search of livelihood.

There are 1.91 lakh job vacancies in the state and around 25 lakh unemployed youth have registered with Telangana State Public Service Commission going by assurances of a government job for each household and unemployment allowance. He criticized the government for removing vidya volunteers and field assistants. Sanjay said that Chandrasekhar Rao had assured Rs 100 crore for Sri Raja Rajeshwara temple in Vemulawada but funds have not been released till date.

Union minister for fisheries Parshottam Rupala, who joined the padayatra, recalled that he had also taken out a walkathon in Gujarat in 1998. People of the country blessed Narendra Modi for two successive terms ruling and people from Telangana would likewise bless Bandi Sanjay in 2023, he said.

Senior leader Vijayashanthi said that the Chief Minister was unable to digest criticism against him and his policies. He was showing his frustration by registering police cases against his critics and sending them to jail.

Party leaders NVSS Prabhakar, Bhanu Prakash, T. Veerender Goud, Lankala Deepak Reddy, Prathani Ramakrishna and others were present.
The money including the interest will be released after selection of units by the beneficiary, after completing the process of grounding and following orders issued by district collector R.V. Karnan. Representational Image. (PTI)

Karimnagar: Implementing the Dalit Bandhu scheme as a pilot project in the Huzurabad Assembly constituency, the state government has deposited Rs 10 lakh into the bank accounts of 2,931 Dalit families in 15 villages in Ellanthakunta mandal.

Many beneficiaries are in a confused state; they are not able to understand how they can utilise the money. They are also unable to decide which of the units shortlisted by the government suits them best.

Asked about this in an interview, Vemuri Sai Krishna, manager of the Telangana Grameena Bank (TGB) in Jammikunta of Huzurabad constituency, said the government had established help desks in all the banks for the convenience of the beneficiaries who have doubts.

What if the beneficiary does not select any unit? Will the bank allow beneficiaries to withdraw the money? No, said Sai Krishna. As per guidelines, the banks pay an interest of Rs 2,475 for every month that the money is not withdrawn.

To help those who are undecided, the government along with the SC Development Corporation had identified 47 units one of which the beneficiary could opt for. Wide publicity was given explaining the benefits of each unit. The beneficiaries will be given training separately, Sai Krishna said.

The money including the interest will be released after selection of units by the beneficiary, after completing the process of grounding and following orders issued by district collector R.V. Karnan.

He said the help desk at the Telangana Grameena works from 10 am to 6 pm, and would render its services to the beneficiaries without creating any hurdles for

The beneficiaries can utilise the bank and help desk services for clearing their doubts. We are ready to give suggestions for the establishment of units, he said.

Is there any possibility that the deposited amount will be taken back by the government under any circumstance?

Sai Krishna replied; The main intention of the government is to generate income sources so that the beneficiaries can benefit and develop economically. Beneficiaries should not believe such rumours that the amount will be taken back by the government.
New Delhi: A day after Pakistan raised the Kashmir issue at the UN General Assembly, Prime Minister Narendra Modi responded rather tersely as he cautioned countries against regressive thinking and extremism. Using terrorism as a political tool will backfire on those practicing it, he said.

He added the world must be alert to ensure no nation takes advantage of the fluid situation in Afghanistan to pursue its own agenda in a veiled comment on Pakistan while addressing the UNGA on Saturday.

The danger of regressive thinking and extremism is rising Countries with regressive thinking that are using terrorism as a political tool need to understand that terrorism is an equally big threat for them. It has to be ensured that Afghanistan is not used to spread terrorism or launch terror attacks, he said.

Rooting for the women, children and minority in Afghanistan, Modi urged countries to help them. He said the Afghanistan people need help.

At this time, people of Afghanistan need help. We must fulfil our duties by helping them, he said.

In an indirect reference to China, he urged countries to keep the worlds shipping lanes free from expansionism.

Our oceans are shared assets. We must make use of them and not abuse them. They are also the lifeline of global trade. We must protect them from expansion. The international community must speak in one voice to stren-gthen a rule-based world order, said Prime Minister Modi.

PM Modi also invited vaccine manufacturers from across the world to make vaccines in India.

Later, elaborating on the PMs speech, external affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said, PMs powerful and impactful address at UNGA had 12 big policy takeaways.

1) Representing the Mother of Democracy and based on his own experiences, PM affirmed that democracy can deliver, democracy has delivered. 2) His governance vision is one where no one is left behind. Therefore, the pursuit of integrated and equitable development. 3) The numbers PM shared speak for our governments record. The impact of Indias development on global progress is evident. As PM noted, when India grows, the world grows; when India reforms, the world transforms. 4) A strong message of a foreign policy for global good. Indias importance as a responder and a contributor underlined. 5) Resumption of vaccine supplies to the world is one clear indicator in that regard, EAM said in a series of tweets.

Elaborating further he said, PMs speech 6) Highlights the transformational role of technology in our daily lives. But equally, emphasized the significance of Technology with Democratic Values. 7) Diversified, resilient and expanded global value chains and production centers is in our collective interest. 8) Speaks of Indias strong record on climate action and its ambitious vision, including renewable energy goals and green hydrogen. 9) The ocean and its resources must be protected. This lifeline should be safeguarded from expansion and exclusion. 10) Cautions against regressive thinking and extremism. Using terrorism as a political tool will backfire on those practicing it. 11) On Afghanistan, must not allow use of its soil by terrorists. Nor should its predicament be taken advantage of by other states. The world has an obligation to its women, children and minorities. 12) The United Nations must enhance its effectiveness and reliability. There are questions on that count.
The former Brexit party member, MEP Ann Widdecombe, remarked that US President Joe Biden had not performed well, and VP Kamala Harris might step in. She said that it might get worse with his vice president, should he be replaced.

Worse to come when Biden steps down

Widdecombe stated that many are fixated on the failing of Biden, that Harris is silent and conveniently disengaged until the right moment. The former Delaware senator is losing approval, while the current VP is more acceptable in polls.

Like many British politicians, the ex-Brexit MEP has been critical of how decisions in the White House have gone south, but his ally Harris allegedly does not inspire much confidence in the US.

Widdecombe made it clear the vice-president keeping away from debacles like the Afghan pull-out, the southern border that she avoids if she can. She added that Harris would do more harm than good if Biden were to step down.

One scenario is far-left policies will be implemented more, impacting an already tentative atmosphere in the US, which is not an ideal situation to land in. Also, the Democrats are supposed to be pushing the far-left associated with Harris alleged defense of rioters, reported the Express UK.

Biden's cognitive test could expose deficiencies

Former Brexit party member Widdecombe gave her two cents worth of the Biden presidency which is not so glowing but warned not to ignore VP Harris. Like how the world stage had allegedly exposed his deficiencies and allowed his VP to go on less criticized, cited News7 Trends.

Read Also: UK Foreign Secretary Called Joe Biden's Snub for Brexit Deal Waste of Time, Says Trans-Pacific Deal Could be Possible

Stated that the US president may not be qualified to sit in the White House, will not allegedly take a cognitive test to silence his critics. His greatest critic took one when challenged, passed very excellently, and mocked his critics who were incensed at him. There are always prompt cards for every engagement, which he relies on due to his advanced age.

Widdecombe added that getting older will make someone forgetful with many names and similar things, which will be challenging to recall. Citizens would ask how anyone can lead a nation if there is a cognitive difficulty.

One report in August 2020 asked if Biden was afraid of the results of a test of his mental ability. He said there is no need for a cognitive test, and with his signature 'come on man,' deflecting the question, noted UK News Chant.

When former President Donald Trump passed the test, he shot back at critics who were offended by his puns.

Widdecombe says VP Harris could harm US

Former MEP Widdecombe said if the president were to give way to VP Harris, it would be worse for conservatives than it is now. She will harm the US affected by mistakes and probably more problems.

Democrat political strategists are allegedly setting up the VP to command the White House, which explains her absence and not getting the brunt of the political fallout. Kamala Harris has pushed policies defunding the police and the death penalty.

Press members complain that their questions are ignored, but they get answers when the media is biased, which is a far cry from the free for with ex-president Trump. UK press was not allegedly allowed to ask a question when he met the UK PM Boris Johnson.

The former Brexit party member, Widdecombe, gave these statements but stressed VP Kamala Harris should not be ignored.

Related Article: Joe Biden Passes Questions to Boris Johnson During the White House Meeting About Not so Sure Brexit Deal

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After the AUKUS deal joined by the US, Australia, and the UK, China says they don't trust these countries from initiating a possible nuclear strike. China has not fired off nuclear weapons as a policy, which has changed after the Biden administration's offer of nuclear submarines to the UK and Australia.

Beijing has been forced to ready itself from a nuclear attack launch from submarines built from the tripartite nation deal.

Russia has slammed the submarine deal as a move that counters non-nuclear proliferation against China. He added the US does not want to do it alone and will get cohorts from willing allies.

Submarine deal escalates the Indo-Pacific standoff

Beijing said that the Indo-Pacific would be contested more, as the US will enlist allies to stop the PLA with a wall of nuclear-armed submarines, reported the Express UK.

Among the unidentified, Chinese leaders remarked it is about time to drop the 'no-first-use' of nuclear weapons, and one could argue until the submarine deal, the mainland would not consider the use of nukes.

In a statement, Sha Zukang, ex-ambassador to the United Nations, spoke to the China Arms Control and Disarmament Association that it is about time to reassess how the appropriate use of nukes must be redefined due to the threat.

Mr. Sha added that the policy is detrimental to the country's safety and will tie the arm forces' hands. The US has the three-nation alliance in the AUKUS deal. Even if China is belligerent, it has never stated nukes might be used. Also, the Biden administration has passed its duties in the Indo-Pacific defense that might end in a possible nuclear strike.

Read Also: Putin Reveals Plans To Organize Asian NATO Countries; AUKUS Deal has Destabilized the Fragile Security in the Indo-Pacific

US advocates a critical option

One aspect of the US pivot to the Indo-Pacific is its tragic withdrawal from Afghanistan. The White House allegedly shows the allies it can win in the South China Sea, East China Sea by heading a multination force.

Mr. Sha added China might be right in firing its nuclear arms in defense, not in the offense. Furthermore, it was not sufficient as a deterrent against the US, and there must be a deal not to fire nukes at each other before anything else.

The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons is set to come into force in January, representing an encouraging and meaningful commitment towards the UN's highest disarmament priority. https://t.co/lmCysuk8NA  United Nations (@UN) October 26, 2020

The US will inevitably see China as a competitor in everything and an enemy, and a power struggle will not be far from happening in the future.

CCP shows its belligerence in its claims, but the government has kept a strict nuclear attack in defensive instances since 1968.

Western sources mention China has the fifth most extensive nuclear arsenal of 250 to 350 warheads, joining as a bonafide superpower. But, it pales to the US arsenal. There is no way it can be matched.

The Global Times reports that the People's Liberation Army (PLA) must have no less than 1000 warheads in store, more than twice the present number. He stressed the US would think twice if there were more nukes in the PLA's possession, to stop its interference in the region. Another is that it is pushing in the Indo-Pacific. To have no aggression and peace among countries, having nukes is the next best thing to have the best deterrent, noted the Swift Headline.

The AUKUS deal in an alliance with nuclear subs is a detriment to Asia, opens up an arms race for nuclear supremacy, pushing fears of a possible nuclear strike as a preemptive outcome.

Related Article: EU Needs to Develop Own Army After AUKUS Deal Casts Division With US Alliance

@ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) has said that it would not seek Taliban approval for anti-terrorist airstrikes in Afghanistan.

Department of Defense Pledged To Continue Airstrikes

In a recently published article in Newsweek, even though U.S. military troops left the nation at the end of August, Department of Defense officials have promised to continue airstrikes in the area to target ISIS-K and Al-Qaeda militants.

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said that they maintain the necessary powers to conduct over-the-horizon counterterrorism operations and are confident in their ability to do so in the future. Without elaborating on the precise rules of engagement governing airstrikes, the Taliban presently does not need to clear airspace. They do not anticipate that any future counterterrorism operations would be contingent on such clearance.

Read Also: US Drone Strike Against ISIS, Biden Says There Will Be Another Terrorist Attack in 24-36 Hours

Permission To Conduct Airstrikes

Generally, the U.S. obtains permission from a country's authorities before conducting anti-terrorism operations inside its boundaries. However, since August, when Taliban troops overthrew Afghanistan's elected government, the Pentagon has seen the nation as "basically a free area."

Kirby did not specify if the U.S. has obtained authorization from the Taliban to undertake attacks in Afghanistan. He did, however, state that U.S. planes would use enhanced defensive tactics to prevent being shot down by Taliban military forces, according to a published article in The New York Times.

Furthermore, the Department of Defense has expressed concern that terrorists would rush to Afghanistan now that U.S. military troops no longer occupy the nation. However, anti-terrorist airstrikes in Afghanistan have resulted in many civilian deaths, weakening the Department of Defense's legitimacy.

DOD Admitted that the Previous Drone Airstrike Was a Mistake

In a published article in CNBC, on September 17, the Department of Defense acknowledged that a fatal drone attack against suspected ISIS-K members was indeed a "mistake" that resulted in the deaths of 11 civilians, including seven children. The White House made no mention of holding military personnel responsible for the fatal mistake.

Officials with the Department of Defense initially said that the strike killed several suicide bombers who intended to assault Kabul's Hamid Karzai International Airport. The DOD also confirmed that three people were killed in the drone attack.

Moreover, Zemari Ahmadi, 43, was killed in the drone strike. He worked for Nutrition and Education International, a California-based organization that works in Afghanistan. Additionally, it claimed the lives of ten members of his family, including seven children.

The U.S. military was closely monitoring terrorist threats at the time of the strike in response to ISIS-K operatives assaulting the airport. The airport grew overcrowded as the U.S. pressed its attempts to evacuate civilians, military personnel, and Afghan allies before the agreed-upon August 30 deadline.

Trump Criticized Biden Administration

The fatal tragedy prompted Republican former President Donald Trump to attack Democratic President Joe Biden's administration. However, the number of Afghan civilians killed in airstrikes increased by 330 percent under Trump's presidency compared to the previous Democratic government of Barack Obama.

Over 700 people were killed in airstrikes in Afghanistan alone in 2019. According to the study, this was higher than any previous year since the conflict began in 2001 and 2002.

Related Article: ISIS Remains a Lurking Danger in Afghanistan as US Continues To Withdraw Troops



@ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
As a warning, the Taliban hung the corpse of a person suspected of abduction from a crane at the Herat city plaza in western Afghanistan.

Taliban Hanged a Dead Body

In a recently published article in MSN News, the Taliban hung a corpse from a crane parked in a central plaza in Afghanistan on Saturday. This horrible spectacle indicated the hard-line movement's return to some of its previous harsh methods.

Taliban authorities took four corpses to Herat's central plaza. They then transferred three of them to different areas of the city for public display and exhibition, according to Wazir Ahmad Seddiqi, who owns a pharmacy in the town's outskirts.

According to Seddiqi, Taliban authorities claimed that the four were apprehended early Saturday and killed by police. Ziaulhaq Jalali, a Taliban-appointed district police commander in Herat, subsequently said that following an exchange of gunfire, Taliban fighters freed a father and son kidnapped by four kidnappers in a published article in Associated Press.

Read Also: US Department of Defense Pledges To Continue Airstrikes in Afghanistan To Target ISIS-K and Al-Qaeda

Executions and Amputations Would Be Returned as Punishments

Since the Taliban seized control of the country on Aug. 15, Afghans and the rest of the world have been watching to see if they will recreate the harsh rule of the late 1990s, which included public stonings and limb amputations of alleged criminals, some of which occurred in front of large crowds at a stadium.

Mullah Nooruddin Turabi, a Taliban founder, said Thursday that executions and hand amputations would return in the nation. Still, according to a published report in ALJAZEERA, he expressed uncertainty over whether the punishments would be carried out publicly.

Meanwhile, the Taliban overthrew the Afghan government after seizing Kabul, forcing President Ashraf Ghani to flee. Whether the organization will reintroduce the severe measures of punishment used under their previous reign of Afghanistan has been a source of public debate and press inquiry ever since.

Furthermore, Mullah Nooruddin Turabi said that everyone chastised them for the stadium's penalties, but they did not refer to the laws and punishments of other nations. He also added, "No one will tell us what our laws should be. We will follow Islam, and we will make our laws on the Quran," according to a report published in Yahoo News.

Biden Administration Would Not Tolerate the Punishments; International Leaders Issued Warnings

International officials, including members of the Biden administration, have warned the Taliban to respect women's rights, who were forced to wear burqas and were restricted from leaving their homes. Women and girls were also denied access to education based on the group's interpretation of Islamic law.

Recent reports indicate a return to that way of life, as girls have been prohibited from going to school, and women have been forced to quit the labor.

Additionally, at Friday's briefing, spokesman Ned Price assured reporters that the US would work with the international community to bring perpetrators of any such crimes responsible. However, even as they embrace modern advances like video and cell phones, the Taliban's leaders remain rooted in a profoundly orthodox, hard-line ideology.

Related Article: Amputations, Executions To Return in Afghanistan Under Taliban Government; Interim Officials Working To Develop New Policy

@ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Representative Bennie Thompson, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, criticized the "horrifying" treatment of thousands of Haitian migrants in Texas and asked the Biden administration to stop repatriation flights.

Thompson's Letter To the DHS

In a recently published article in Newsweek, Thompson addressed the issue at the Southern border in a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas dated Friday and urged the U.S. government to "do better" to enable refugees to seek asylum securely.

Thompson wrote that the Biden administration had promised the American people a more compassionate border policy. Del Rio's treatment of asylum seekers does not live up to that promise. Immediate suspension of repatriation flights to Haiti is the first step toward improving the situation since the country's circumstances remain grave.

The Democratic Chairman added, "We must act in line with our values and uphold our legal obligation to provide Haitians, and other migrants, an opportunity to apply for asylum," according to a recently published article in Human Rights Watch.

Read Also: Texas Rep. Pfluger Worries About the Increasing Migrants in Del Rio; Officers Describe the Situation as "Out of Control"

Thompson Criticized the Treatment to Migrants; Suggests To Improve Training

After seeing video evidence of border patrol agents on horseback allegedly lashing out at Haitians with leather reins, Thompson went on to condemn the treatment of migrants. On Thursday, the Department of Homeland Security said that the Del Rio horse patrol unit had been temporarily halted and that the agents' conduct was being reviewed.

As a result, the Democratic chairman urges the Department of Homeland Security to revise its use-of-force rules and enhance border patrol officer training. He stated that before putting men and women on the front lines to defend the border and deal with migrants and other vulnerable groups, the USBP should provide them with the best training possible, according to a published article in CBS News.

Number of Haitian Migrants in the Texas Border

Thompson's letter came a week after 14,000 Haitian migrants crossed the Rio Grande into Del Rio, Texas. Due to the recent influx, the Department of Homeland Security increased border enforcement operations. It quickly deported around 2,000 migrants, while thousands more may be deported under pandemic authorities that deny individuals the right to claim asylum.

According to a news outlet, Mayorkas said Friday that approximately 5,000 migrants are in the department's custody and are being processed to decide whether they would be deported or given asylum. According to Mayorkas, the U.S. has let approximately 12,400 people enter the country temporarily while pursuing petitions to remain before an immigration court.

Furthermore, the surge of Haitian refugees follows the murder of Haiti's prime minister and a devastating 7.2-magnitude earthquake, which threw the country into political and environmental turmoil. Thousands of migrants seek a better life in the United States, and Democratic legislators have condemned the expulsions, calling the situation "inhumane."

Local and federal authorities claimed no migrants remained in the Texas border encampment where over 15,000 people, the majority of whom were Haitians, had gathered only days before seeking asylum. Last Saturday, the number surged when migrants gathered at the border crossing between Del Rio, Texas, and Ciudad Acuna, Mexico, spurred by uncertainty about the Biden administration's policy and misinformation on social media, according to Associated Press.

Related Article: U.S. Border Agents on Horseback Chasing Haitian Migrants Stirs Outrage; Democratic Lawmakers Demand Accountability

@ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Thursday, 7 October 2021

Copyright  1995-2016 HR-Net (Hellenic Resources Network). An HRI Project.

All Rights Reserved.

Visit our archive of Documents on Greece & the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM)
About This Property Looking to create a compound in the Berkshires? A subdivision? Or just escape from it all? This parcel of land comprises 130 plus acres on a quiet country road in rural Savoy! Over 2000 feet of road frontage with acreage on both sides of the street - the opportunities abound in many directions. The 1870's old homestead has been used for summer seasons only (no heating system) but easy to open and close. One hundred plus acres of recently timbered and wooded acreage on the ''left side'' while the ''right side'' is another 30 plus acres of open manicured, level lawns and paths abutting state forest! First time offered and a must see opportunity!!



Land Details Community Details Acres Apx: 133.00

Parking Type: Off Street

Region: Berkshire - North

Elem School: Emma L Miller Elementary School

High School: Hoosac Valley Middle & High School

Exterior Details Interior Details Color: cream

Style: NE Farmhouse

Construction: Wood Frame

Exterior: Wood

Water: Well

Sewer: Private

Underground Oil Tank: No,Unk

Views: Distant,Pastoral,Scenic

Garage: None

Total Rooms: 6

Total Full Baths: 1

Fuel: None

Hot Water: Propane

Electric: Other

Floor: Wood

Lead Paint: Unk

Heat/Cool: None

Insulation: Unknown

Appliances Incl: Range/Stove,Refrigerator



Search More Properties With these Features Fireplace (s)




LG Uplus, a major South Korean mobile carrier, said Sunday it will offer Disney+ through its internet protocol television (IPTV) platform as the flagship streaming service from U.S. media giant Walt Disney is set to launch in the country in November.







The carrier said it has signed a deal with Walt Disney Company Korea so that Disney+ will be accessible from its U+tv platform, strengthening competitiveness against rivals KT and SK Telecom.







LG Uplus already bundles Netflix with its IPTV service, and the company said it will unveil new service plans with Disney+ on Nov. 12, when the streaming service makes its debut in the country.







The deal also allows its 4G LTE and 5G network mobile users easier access to Disney+, although specifics of the service are currently in the works, according to a company spokesperson.







The partnership between LG Uplus and Disney is expected to expand accessibility for the highly anticipated streaming service in South Korea and heat up the competition between streaming platforms, currently dominated by Netflix.







As of June, Netflix had 7.9 million monthly active users in the country, while Wavve, a homegrown streaming platform run by major broadcasters KBS, MBC and SBS, as well as mobile carrier SK Telecom, had 3.9 million users, according to data from market tracker Nielsen Koreanclick. (Yonhap)






A North Korean researcher berated Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Sunday for his recent remarks at the U.N. General Assembly, stressing Pyongyang would not associate with whoever his successor will be if Tokyo's "hostile policy" toward it continues.







Ri Byong-dok, a researcher at the Institute of Japan, made the remarks in a piece posted on the website of the North's foreign ministry, after Suga made the video message Friday (New York time), stressing the North's recent ballistic missile launches threatened peace in Japan, the region and the world.







"(Suga's speech) revealed again the true character of a hostile policy against the republic by misrepresenting the character and nature of the issue," Ri wrote.







The researcher also stressed, "Going forward, we will never associate with any politician that would follow the hostile policy against North Korea of their predecessors, including Abe and Suga, whoever will become the next prime minister."







Suga earlier offered to resign as Japan's prime minister, and the process of electing the new chairman of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), who will serve as the next premier, is expected to take place later this month. (Yonhap)


Kim Yo-jong, second from left, talks with a North Korean official during her visit to Cheong Wa Dae in February 2018. Korea Times file



North Korean leader's sister expresses openness to another inter-Korean summit



By Kang Seung-woo



North Korea's second straight day of positive statements concerning inter-Korean engagement are a means to get South Korea to advocate on its behalf with the United States for sanctions relief rather than a serious attempt at improving ties with Seoul, according to diplomatic observers.



Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, issued a statement Saturday night that said the totalitarian state was ready to mend ties with South Korea, and may even discuss another summit between their leaders if Seoul scrapped its "double standards" and hostility toward Pyongyang.



The remarks came a day after she also described President Moon Jae-in's proposal to formally end the Korean War as "admirable," while adding her country was willing to discuss this if certain conditions were met. Moon made the peace overture at last week's 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.



"Kim Yo-jong's latest statements may be part of Pyongyang's efforts to continue baiting Seoul," said Soo Kim, a former CIA analyst now with the Rand Corp.



"Time is not on the Moon administration's side. Pyongyang is clearly aware of this  and the Moon administration has also worn its emotions on its sleeve by continuing to underscore the importance of inter-Korean reconciliation at nearly every possible opportunity."



President Moon is scheduled to leave office in May next year.



Harry Kazianis, senior director of Korean Studies at the Center for the National Interest, said the North Korean leader sees his South Korean counterpart as someone who could, once again, be a bridge for better rapport with the U.S., that would help alleviate his country's desperate economic situation, which has been exacerbated by COVID-19 and international sanctions.



"The DPRK knows President Moon wants to take one last shot at forging a peace regime on the Korean Peninsula, while the North wants sanctions relief," Kazianis said. The DPRK is an acronym for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the official name of North Korea.



"It seems to me that due to these factors  and if the U.S. is at least willing to entertain some sort of sanctions relief  an inter-Korean summit seems inevitable," he added.



Ramon Pacheco Pardo, a professor of international relations at King's College London, said North Korea was well aware that relations with the U.S. will only improve in parallel with inter-Korean relations now that the Joe Biden administration is in office.



"With the U.S. indicating its willingness to talk, Pyongyang also needs to talk to Seoul if it is going to try to resume dialogue with Washington," he said.





President Moon Jae-in poses with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during their summit in Pyongyang, Sept. 19, 2018. Korea Times file




By Jun Ji-hye







The National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) has concluded that Sogang University violated the human rights of its students by trying to get them to accept civil and criminal liability if they became infected with COVID-19.







Sources familiar with the issue said Sunday that the NHRCK will soon advise the university to draw up appropriate measures to prevent further violations.







Controversy arose after the university tried to get students living in the Gonzaga Hall dormitory building to sign an agreement that read, "When I go out, I will comply with quarantine rules thoroughly and refrain from visiting places that have a risk of COVID-19 infections. If I am infected with the coronavirus after visiting those places, I will take all civil and criminal liability in addition to responsibility for any economic losses."







The dormitory demanded students enter the agreement in March following COVID-19 infections among students living there.







Places cited by the dormitory as posing risks for COVID-19 infections included bars, singing rooms, dance studios and indoor standing concert halls, among others.







The agreement drew huge criticism from students claiming that the university was attempting to shift responsibility for the outbreak onto them.







"The university should have taken responsibility for its failure to carry out appropriate antivirus measures in the dormitory and not shifted responsibility to the students," one student wrote on the university's online community.







Some students even accused the dormitory of coercing them into the agreement.







Amid mounting controversy, a graduate of the university filed a petition with the NHRCK against the university.







In response to the backlash, the university decided not to make students sign the agreement.














A ceremony unveiling a monument for 12 graduates from the U.S. Military Academy who were killed in action during the 1950-53 Korean War takes place at West Point Memorial Park inside the Korea Military Academy (KMA) in Seoul, Friday. A number of dignitaries, including KMA President Kim Jeong-soo, fourth from left, Major Gen. Patrick Matlock, fourth from right, and Korea Defense Veterans Association (KDVA) Korea Chapter President Lee Seo-young, third from left, attended the event. Courtesy of KDVA
Members of major media workers' groups hold a press conference in Seoul to call for the establishment of a body to build social consensus on a disputed media bill, Sept. 1. Yonhap



Five groups of media workers urged political parties Sunday to renounce a possible parliamentary vote this week on a bill accused of hurting press freedom, stressing the need to form a consultative body to build social consensus on the issue.



The groups, including the Journalists Association of Korea, issued a joint statement, as the ruling Democratic Party hopes for the bill to be passed Monday, following talks with the main opposition People Power Party.



The legislation, titled the Press Arbitration Act, calls for punitive damages of up to five times more than usual if a media outlet is found guilty of running false or manipulated news reports. Critics warn the bill could be used to silence critical media.



"If political circles answer the proposal to explore prudent, reasonable alternatives through a social consensus organization, journalists currently in the profession will actively join the efforts to improve law and institutions for restoring trust in the press and for strengthening support for victims," their statement read.



The groups said that a consensus can hardly come from the "eight-person" consultative body  consisting of lawmakers and journalism experts  launched earlier this month to review the bill.



They also noted the potential negative aspects of the eight-person body, saying the ruling party would see it as a rationale for ramming the bill through parliament later, with the opposition party possibly using it to back its offensive against the ruling rival ahead of next year's presidential election.



The groups, in addition, called attention to the recent remarks by Irene Khan, a U.N. special rapporteur on freedom of expression, who said some elements in the bill, such as punitive damages, are "seriously detrimental to freedom of expression."



The ruling and opposition parties, as well as experts, were expected to engage in last-minute negotiations over the details of the bill during a session of their eight-person body later in the day.



Should an agreement be struck, the Democratic Party could seek a vote on the bill at a plenary session Monday. But it remains uncertain whether National Assembly Speaker Park Byeong-seug will allow the bill to be put to a vote amid continuing opposition. (Yonhap)


Gyeonggi Provincial Governor Lee Jae-myung, the first-runner of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK)'s presidential primary, fist bumps his supporters during a regional primary event for North Jeolla Province held at a gym in Wanju County of the province, Sunday. Governor Lee won by a landslide in the primary in North Jeolla Province with 54.55 percent support, garnering 22,276 votes. Yonhap



Frontrunner Lee faces crisis over controversial development project



By Jung Da-min



Gyeonggi Province Gov. Lee Jae-myung has solidified his lead in the ruling Democratic Party of Korea's (DPK) regional primaries after clinching a landslide victory in the North Jeolla Province poll, Sunday, despite a controversial land development scandal surrounding him.



The win was also a bounce back from his first loss of the primaries to former DPK Chairman Lee Nak-yon in Gwangju and South Jeolla Province, Saturday.



In the latest primary, Governor Lee earned support of 54.55 percent with 22,276 votes, compared to the former party leader's 38.48 percent with 15,715 votes.



In the Saturday primary, Lee Nak-yon won eked out a win with 33,848 votes out of 71,835, accounting for 47.12 percent, against the Gyeonggi governor's 33,726 votes, or 46.95 percent.



As of Sunday, the governor has accumulated 53.01 percent or 341,858 of the votes cast in the six regional primaries, while Lee Nak-yon has 34.48 percent or 222,353 votes. The six regions are Daejeon, South Chungcheong Province; Sejeong, North Chungcheong Province; Daegu, North Gyeongsang Province; Gangwon Province; Gwangju, South Jelloa Province; and North Jeolla Province.



Although the Gyeonggi governor, who came in third in the 2017 party primary behind President Moon Jae-in and former South Chungcheong Province Gov. Ahn Hee-jung, has established himself as the DPK's flag bearer for the presidential election in March 2022, the 56-year-old is facing a crisis in his bid due to a growing controversy surrounding a highly lucrative land development project in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province that began in 2015, when he was serving as the city's mayor.





Former ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) Chairman Lee Nak-yon, right, shakes hands with Gyeonggi Provincial Governor Lee Jae-myung, after winning the party's regional primary event in Gwangju and South Jelloa Province held at the Kim Dae-jung Convention Center in Gwangju, Saturday. This was the first win for the former DPK head in the regional primaries, as the governor has won all five previous polls. Yonhap
By Kim Sun-ae





This summer, we realized that developed countries are not safe from the impacts of climate change either. Unprecedented floods caused by heavy rains greatly damaged Western Europe including Germany and the Netherlands. On the other hand, in the Western part of Canada, where it wasn't that hot even in summers of the past, the temperature went up to about 50 degrees Celsius.



Climate change is the cause of the increase of such extreme weather phenomena. According to the Working Group I contribution to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) approved this August, even at the 1.5 degrees Celsius global warming level, the frequency and intensity of hot temperature extremes will likely grow greatly.



The annual average global temperature has risen by approximately 1.1 degrees Celsius from pre-industrial levels. Already, however, so many climate-related disasters have severely affected a lot of people in the world.



So, if we don't limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, what will happen? The IPCC report shows that if we maintain the current level of greenhouse gas emissions until the mid-21st century, the world is likely to breach the 1.5 degrees Celsius warming mark between this year and 2040.



The report forecasts that as global temperatures rise, the East Asian region including Korea will face more heat waves and the growth in the intensity and frequency of torrential rains and floods.



Individual practices to reduce carbon emissions are important, but are not enough to halt global warming. Policies that change the social system are essential to realize zero carbon emissions.



For example, the Korean government is not stopping the construction of seven new coal-fired electrical power plants. Coal power plants are one of the main sources of greenhouse gas emissions. In Germany, coal power plants have been closed, with the government compensating for them. The German government will also compensate workers of these plants and coal mines. To cut greenhouse gas emissions, the Korean government needs to learn from this case and stop constructing new coal power plants.



If the government does not implement active policies to curb global warming, citizens should urge it to do so. With Korea's presidential election coming, Youth 4 Climate Action Korea, a youth-led climate action organization, is conducting the campaign "Climate Politics for All."



The organization's demands in the campaign are as follows: practically reduce carbon emissions; change energy sources from fossil fuels to renewable energy in a just way; minimize damage caused by climate change; and protect all people's lives against the climate crisis.



Those who want to halt global warming can join and support the campaign through an online petition on the organization's website (https://youth4climateaction.org/our_crew). The activists of the organization will demand that presidential candidates present concrete policies for a society safer from the climate crisis.



I will closely examine the candidates' pledges regarding climate action and vote for the one who will carry out active and just climate policies.





Kim Sun-ae (blog.naver.com/dancinglf) wrote "Old Potato, New Potato" and translated "Little Lord Fauntleroy."


A close-up view of a whale stranded purportedly in Korea in 1946-47. Robert Neff Collection



By Robert Neff



In February 1912, an American arrived at a small Japanese whaling station near Ulsan, Korea. He was 28 years old, a naturalist and an explorer, and possibly the inspiration for Indiana Jones; he was Roy Chapman Andrews.



Andrews came to Korea in search of the Koku Kujira, or "devilfish," that were said to haunt the coasts of the Korean peninsula. He was convinced that the Koku Kujira were, in fact, gray whales. These whales were once encountered in great numbers off the western coast of North America, but were hunted so extensively that by 1870 they were nearly, if not completely, extinct.



Andrews convinced his employer  the American Museum of Natural History in the United States  to allow him to travel to Korea on a great scientific mission "to rediscover a supposedly extinct species."



The whaling station, situated in a bay sheltered by tree-less hills, would be his home for the next six weeks. Judging from Andrews, the whaling vessels at the station were privately owned by Scandinavians  especially Norwegians  who hunted the whales for a commission. The crews of these whaling vessels were mainly European and Japanese. The surrounding Korean population tended to their own small farms or loitered around the station in hopes of part-time work.



The situation may have been true years earlier (and possibly in this case), but by the early 1910s, most of these whaling operations seemed to have been mainly Japanese enterprises. In November 1909, the Oriental Whaling Company had three whaling vessels operating along the coast of Gangwon Province. The three ships had a combined crew of one hundred and three men (85 Japanese and 18 Koreans) and was so successful that the company intended to purchase several more ships.





View of the whale from the roadside in 1946-47. Robert Neff Collection



It is interesting to note that whales may have been the reason why he was in Korea, but one of the first subjects Andrews described was Korean women. He seems to have been greatly intrigued by them.



"Women in voluminous white skirts with bright colored sashes and jackets so short that their naked breasts appeared beneath. Some girls were really lovely: delicate oval faces, skins almost white and soft brown eyes. To a Westerner the Korean girls are much prettier than either the Chinese or Japanese women. I suppose because their features more nearly approximate our own."



He was somewhat perplexed with the Korean idea of modesty, noting that a woman's room was inviolate  only her husband, brother or father were allowed to enter. Men were prohibited from going upon their own roofs unless they first warned their neighbors, so that the women of the household could be safely ushered away from the inadvertent wandering eye of a male who was not part of their household. "Custom decrees that women may expose their faces and breasts without offense, but nothing else."



Andrews had "an insatiable curiosity" about his Korean hosts, so he sought answers from a fairly unlikely source:



"I could speak Japanese fairly well and one of the young clerks at the station knew a little English. I am afraid I exhausted him with my ceaseless questioning but he was invariably polite."



Curiosity, however, went both ways. Andrews claimed that whenever he went into the small Korean village near the whaling station, the Korean women would poke holes in their paper windows and spy upon him as he passed by; their "gurgling sounds of laughter" trailed behind him.



Life at the whaling station when there were no whales to butcher, was generally spent drinking and in the company of the Japanese geisha and the Korean "sing-song" girls. However, when one of the whaling ships arrived in port with a whale, the port became a busy, vibrant and smooth-running operation. Within hours of the whale's arrival at the station, it was butchered into great chunks of meat and shipped to Japan in a meat steamer. Only the head, flippers, viscera and bones remained.





Stranded whales, sometimes referred to as the "lottery of the sea," could be sold for a very good price in Korea. Circa 1946-47. Robert Neff Collection
By Jang Daul





The global tech giant Samsung Electronics remained the No. 1 company in South Korea as well as the leader in the global smartphone market in 2020. Being such a leading company comes with greater responsibilities to society and around the world.



One of the key responsibilities of a global business like Samsung Electronics is to address climate change, which is an existential threat to humanity.



The U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change released another alarming report recently, analyzing the latest 2030 greenhouse gas emission reduction goals of the 191 parties to the Paris Agreement as submitted up by July 30.



It points out that without urgently redoubling our climate mitigation efforts, we are not going to keep the global temperature increase from rising more than 1.5 degrees Celsius as per the Paris Agreement, but will face a temperature rise of about 2.7 degrees Celsius. If that happens, it will be a disaster for the global economy and humanity.



In this era of a global climate crisis, many of the world's most influential companies are proactively leading various transitions to decarbonize the way they do business, while either maintaining or even improving their global market competitiveness.



The best-known global initiative is RE100. It is an initiative that brings key global businesses together to drive the transition to 100 percent renewable electricity sources for themselves as well as their suppliers.



More than 300 global corporations have already joined the initiative and according to the RE100's 2020 annual report, three quarters of the RE100 members plan to reach 100 percent renewable electricity by 2030.



There were no Korean RE100 members until November last year. Since last December, a number of Korean corporations, including SK hynix and LG Energy Solution, have joined the initiative.



However, the No. 1 Asian company in terms of profit in 2020, Samsung Electronics, has not yet committed to both carbon neutrality by 2050 and 100 percent renewable energy resources by 2030.



These two pledges have become global and regional standards and Samsung Electronics is falling behind in regional and global corporate climate leadership.



In fact, Samsung Electronics committed in June 2018 to achieve 100 percent renewable electricity by 2020 only in the U.S., Europe and China.



According to a Greenpeace report titled "Samsung Electronics Roadmap to 100% Renewable Energy," Samsung did keep that promise. And efforts need to be recognized.



However, such a "partial" commitment and achievement increased the share of renewable energy in Samsung's overall energy mix up to only 17.6 percent. It's not a high standard considering the fact that there are more than 50 companies, including Apple, that have already achieved 100 percent renewable energy in all of their operations.



Samsung needs to commit to procure 100 percent of its electricity from renewables in all locations before 2030, including Korea and Vietnam, where more than 80 percent of Samsung's total energy is consumed.



The company is the largest electricity consumer in Korea. Therefore, it needs to be an important part of any plan to achieve an energy transition in the Korean power generation sector from fossil fuels to renewables.



It alone consumed almost one fifth of the total electricity used by 21 million households in South Korea. What Samsung does and how much effort it puts into procuring as much renewable electricity as possible have a huge influence on the Korean power market and society.



Samsung Electronics, whose emissions are equivalent to 12 million tons of carbon dioxide, was the third-largest private greenhouse gas emitter in the country in 2020 after POSCO and Hyundai Steel, excluding the five state-run power producers.



Based on its scale of business and impact on the overall economies of Korea and Vietnam, Samsung Electronics is able to lead proactive advocacy for improved access to and investment in renewable energy capacity in the two countries.



For example, in Japan there is a coalition of more than 100 companies called the Japan Climate Leaders' Partnership (JCLP). It aims to create a zero-carbon society built on the idea that decarbonization is essential to economic development.



The JCLP, including key companies Apple, Amazon Japan, Google Japan and Fujitsu called on the government there to set an ambitious goal of 50 percent renewable power by 2030 to achieve net-zero GHG emissions by 2050.



Samsung Electronics also needs to show similar leadership in South Korea and also in Asia. Officially committing to 100 percent renewable electricity with a roadmap before 2030 in all of its operations, followed by leading a private coalition to demand more aggressive renewable energy policies by the government will be the ideal leadership path for Samsung Electronics.



In this way, Samsung Electronics meets its role and responsibilities as the No. 1 company nationally, and as one of the top-tier companies regionally and globally. As clearly written in its 2021 Sustainability Report, as a "sustainable, centennial company," it's time for Samsung Electronics "to grow together with society to ensure we create a lasting legacy for future generations to come."





Jang Daul (daul.jang@greenpeace.org) is a government relations and advocacy specialist at Greenpeace East Asia Seoul Office.


LG Chem researchers conduct experiments to find new drugs. Courtesy of LG Chem



This is the first in a series of articles to highlight the growing importance of the biotech industry after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and shed light on the nation's biotech companies.  ED.



By Baek Byung-yeul



The outbreak of COVID-19 served as a momentum to further highlight the importance of fostering the nation's biotech industry. President Moon Jae-in has outlined the country's vision to become a biotech powerhouse and vowed to provide active support to nurture future experts in the sector and help local firms develop new drugs.



In line with the country's vision to expand the biotech industry to produce Korea's core exports, which already include semiconductors and electric car battery cells, LG Chem is also strengthening its biopharmaceutical business.



The chemical, battery and biotech affiliate of LG Group said the company has been expanding its presence in neighboring countries such as China and Japan with its hyaluronic acid filler, "Yvoire," and rheumatoid arthritis treatment, "Eucept."





LG Chem's Yvoire and Y-Solution fillers / Courtesy of LG Chem



Yvoire filler sees market share increasing in China



LG Chem launched its Yvoire filler product in China in 2013 as the second imported brand there. The company has been increasing its market share in China every year since 2016, which now stands at around 25 percent. The Chinese filler market is scaled at an estimated 600 billion won ($508 million).



Taking a cue from the success in China, LG Chem has exported Yvoire to a total of 44 countries in Asia, Europe and Latin America.



LG Chem said it was able to succeed in China thanks to its market-oriented strategy and the product's quality.



"At the time of the launch of Yvoire, China's filler market was extremely polarized. Local Chinese companies dominated the low-priced market, while European imports were the only products available on the high-priced market," an LG Chem official said.



"The filler treatment cost in China was about three to four times higher than the average cost in Korea and the main customers were in the middle or high-class segments. As it is difficult to increase market share simply by selling low-priced products there, we have focused on providing reliable and high-value products," he added.





HLB transforming into prominent biopharma company ABL Bio leading Korea's new drug development Samsung Biologics aims for win-win growth with local bio industry Seegene spearheading Korea's biotech drive Due to the high preference for reliable brands, LG Chem provided mid-priced, high-quality and cost-effective products and was able to secure the largest market share in just three years.



Also effective was a dual-marketing strategy targeting both doctors and consumers. For doctors there who are unfamiliar with filler procedures, LG Chem invited experienced Korean doctors and held conferences to pass on knowhow and share experiences.



For general consumers, the company recruited influencers on social network services to let them experience the effectiveness of its Yvoire fillers. Thanks to these efforts, Yvoire has grown into a famous filler product in China.



In order to improve its presence in the high-end filler market, LG Chem plans to launch the premium filler brand, "Y-Solution," which is more effective for temporary wrinkle improvement and volume restoration by injecting cross-linked hyaluronic acid containing lidocaine.



LG Chem's rheumatoid arthritis treatment Eucept / Courtesy of LG Chem

Eucept rheumatoid arthritis treatment boosts presence in Japan



LG Chem is also expanding its presence in Japan's medical market with its rheumatoid arthritis treatment, "Eucept."



Eucept is a biosimilar version of multinational biotech firm Pfizer's "Enbrel." Industry data shows Eucept's market share among drugs with the same ingredients in Japan, including Enbrel, rose to the mid-30 percent range in the first quarter of 2021. In other words, one out of three users administers LG Chem's Eucept in the Japanese market, where five products, including Enbrel, are competing.



The market share of Eucept stood only at around 5 percent in 2018 when the product was launched in Japan. However, the figure grew to 18 percent only a year later and reached the 30 percent milestone in 2020.



The expansion of market share was largely due to the launch of Eucept as a biosimilar product, LG Chem said.



"Patients with rheumatoid arthritis in Japan have to pay 30 percent of the drug price. Patients who were using Enbrel can save about 100,000 won per month when replacing them with a biosimilar product like Eucept," the company official said.



The LG Chem official said Eucept's presence in Japan will continue to increase due to the price advantage and product quality.



"In the Japanese rheumatoid arthritis market, the preference for biosimilar products continues to increase because the difference in drug prices is directly related to the patient's direct cost," he added.



Since LG Chem launched Eucept, three additional Japanese pharmaceutical companies have released products, but the market share of its competitors stands at only about 10 percent, while Enbrel's share has fallen sharply to 50 percent in two years.




In this photo released by China's Xinhua News Agency, Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou waves as she steps out of an airplane after arriving at Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport in Shenzhen in southern China's Guangdong Province, Sept. 25. Xinhua via AP-Yonhap



Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou returned to China Saturday shortly after two Canadians released from prison in China also arrived in Calgary, ending a bitter diplomatic row that has poisoned ties for three years.



Meng and the two Canadians  former diplomat Michael Kovrig and businessman Michael Spavor  were detained in a bitter spat critics have called "hostage diplomacy".



Meng, the 49-year-old daughter of Ren Zhengfei, the billionaire founder of Chinese telecoms giant Huawei, was granted release in a Vancouver court hearing after three years of house arrest in Canada while fighting extradition to the United States.



This came hours after US prosecutors announced an agreement under which fraud charges against her are to be suspended and eventually dropped.



She then quickly boarded a flight to the southern city of Shenzhen, returning to China for the first time since her arrest at Vancouver's international airport at the behest of US authorities in December 2018.



Meng received a red-carpet welcome home  Huawei employees waited on the airport tarmac waving Chinese flags as a staffer in full protective gear offered her a bouquet of flowers, according to a live feed on state broadcaster CCTV.



"Being an ordinary citizen, I could not have secured my freedom without the support of my beloved country, and the love of the Chinese people," Meng told supporters from the tarmac, before leading the crowd in a rendition of a patriotic Chinese song.



Gushing coverage in Beijing's state media framed Meng's return as a victory for China against US attempts to stifle its success.



Several hundred supporters gathered at Shenzhen airport arrivals hall waving Chinese flags and banners, with a red banner reading "Welcome home".



Some chanted "Go Huawei!" and sang the national anthem.



Earlier, the two detained Canadians arrived back in Calgary, western Canada on Saturday, and were shown on TV being greeted and hugged by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.



The "two Michaels"  as they have been dubbed by international media  were detained just days after Meng on what Ottawa has contended were "trumped up" espionage charges.



In turn, China's foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said Saturday that the detention of Meng was an "incident of political persecution against a Chinese citizen."



The two freed Canadians "were in good spirits and looked to be in good shape physically," a Canadian official who was present during the arrival told AFP.



Spavor was reunited with his family at the Calgary airport while Kovrig flew on to Toronto and met with his loved ones, the official added.



On Canadian TV Kovrig was seen smiling broadly with his wife but he made no public statement.



"I find myself at a loss for words because the moment is so incredible.



It's finally here after 1020 days," his wife, Vina Nadjibulla, said before his arrival, adding that he was in good health.





People walk in front of a Huawei store in Beijing, China, Sept. 25. EPA-Yonhap
President Joe Biden hosts a Quad Leaders Summit with India Prime Minister Narendra Modi, left, Japan Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken in the East Room at the White House in Washington, DC, Sept. 24. UPI-Yonhap



President Joe Biden and the leaders of Australia, India and Japan promised Friday to work together for a stable, open and democratic Indo-Pacific in a veiled dig at China during their first in-person summit together.



In Biden's latest effort to cement US leadership in the face of a rising China, the so-called Quad agreed to move ahead on a joint plan to provide COVID-19 vaccines around Asia, launched a new climate initiative and said the four nations would begin holding annual summits.



Without any explicit mention of China, the leaders of the four democracies in a joint statement said they were committed to "promoting the free, open, rules-based order, rooted in international law and undaunted by coercion."



"We stand for the rule of law, freedom of navigation and overflight, peaceful resolution of disputes, democratic values and territorial integrity of states," they said.



"Free and open" has become code for expressing worry about swelling Chinese economic, diplomatic and military presence  including threats to vital international sea lanes.



Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, speaking as the talks opened, said that the four "liberal democracies" were working to build a "strong, stable and prosperous region."



Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said the summit showed the four nations' "common vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific," while Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi  whose own track record on minority rights has been controversial at home  hailed the Quad's "shared democratic values."



While the leaders carefully avoided public mention of China, Suga voiced "strong concern" during the talks about Beijing's assertiveness at sea, its trampling of Hong Kong's special status and its mass incarceration of the Uyghur minority, Japanese foreign ministry spokesman Tomoyuki Yoshida said.



Showing action on vaccines



Biden, who often talks about democracies needing to prove their capability in an age of powerful autocracies in Russia and China, sought to show the Quad was about action.



"We're four major democracies with a long history of cooperation. We know how to get things done and we are up to the challenge," he said.



India said it would export eight million one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccines by the end of next month.



"This is an immediate delivery from the Quad into the Indo-Pacific region," Indian Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla told reporters, vowing to supply "quality and affordable" vaccines.



While modest in number  Biden promised earlier this week that the US would donate an extra 500 million doses to the world  it represents the return of India's giant pharmaceutical industry after New Delhi stopped exports to handle the country's own severe COVID outbreak.



During virtual talks in March, the Quad leaders said they would supply more than one billion vaccines by the end of 2022, with India providing production, Japan and the United States financing and Australia the logistics.



On another key priority for Biden, the Quad leaders said the four nations would all make "ambitious" announcements at the upcoming Glasgow climate summit with an aim of bringing the warming planet to net zero emissions by 2050.



India has so far only committed to reducing its carbon intensity, not necessarily its emissions, arguing that sweeping cuts are unrealistic for an emerging economy that is not historically responsible for most of the world's warming.



In one key area of work, the Quad leaders said they would set up a task force to work to slash emissions by 2030 in shipping, coordinating among the key ports of Los Angeles, Mumbai, Sydney and Yokohama.





President Joe Biden listens during the Quad summit with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Sept. 24. AP-Yonhap
Since 2007, 16 African journalists have won either an APO Group Media Award or an all-expenses paid international event invitation. Today, APO Group (www.APO-opa.com), the leading Pan-African communications consultancy and press release distribution service, is celebrating African journalism with the release of a video featuring some of the APO Group prize-winners over the last 14 years.

In the video, the winners reminisce and discuss the impact the awards have had on their lives.

Watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFFUrX1hPTY

The full list of APO Group Awards and event invitation winners:

Pius Sawa (Kenya)

Sumitra Nydoo (South Africa)

Kristia van Heerden (South Africa)

Catherine Nambi (Uganda)

Debra Matabvu (Zimbabwe)

Frank Eleanya (Nigeria)

Julius Uma (Uganda  South Sudan)

Kofi Adu Domfeh (Ghana)

Lilian Mutegi (Kenya)

Monica Nkodo (Cameroon)

Nila Yasmin (Uganda)

Oluseyi Awojulugbe (Nigeria)

John Churu (Botswana)

Aimable Twahirwa (Rwanda)

Issac Khisa (Uganda)

Agreey Mutambo (Kenya)

Watch some of their individual stories here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTH23_eZZMTYSA5SUuf4YQrHRoEThix-8

APO Groups Media Awards and event invitations are about recognizing the achievements of African journalists, and creating opportunities for them to develop their careers or travel to new places.

Founded by former African journalist and deputy president of the Pan-African Press Association in France (APPA), Nicolas Pompigne-Mognard (www.Pompigne-Mognard.com), APO Group has a rich history of working alongside African media.

APO stands for the African Press Organization, and when I founded the company it was primarily to provide relevant content to African journalists. As we have grown, the relationships we have established with these journalists have helped our African and multinational clients thrive across the continent and connect with African audiences. Funding awards and creating unique professional opportunities is our way of giving something back to the African media community that has been so vital to our success, said Nicolas Pompigne-Mognard.

International event invitation awards are selected at random from entries all over Africa  and, as such, they are an inclusive way of providing new opportunities to any journalist from the continent, with winners getting to attend prestigious industry events such as the Web Summit, the African Development Bank Annual Meeting, the Annual Investment Meeting (AIM), the Africa Hotel Investment Forum (AHIF), the EurAfrican Forum, and more.

Other awards, such as the APO Group African Media Award, and the APO Group African Women in Media Award, are voted for by jury panels, with winners chosen for excellence in their journalistic field. These awards offer some unique prizes, with the winner of the APO Group African Media Award receiving:

$500 a month for one year

a laptop

one intercontinental flight ticket to any destination of his or her choice

one years access to over 600 airport VIP lounges worldwide

The second and third place winners receive $300 and $200 a month respectively for a period of one year.

The winner of the APO Group African Women in Media Award wins a $2,500 cash prize, an all-expenses paid trip to a prestigious International Womens Forum, and online courses from one of the most respected international universities.

Often though, the biggest prize is the impact on a winners life, with many using the award as a springboard to career progression.

The APO Group Awards programme offers all African journalists a chance to engage with new people, travel to new places and grow their careers. We are proud to have had such an impact on these journalists lives, and it is wonderful to hear how they have progressed since winning an APO Group Award, said Nicolas Pompigne-Mognard.

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ATTACHMENT A

STATEMENT OF FACTS

Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei) has been charged with a total of

16 counts in

the U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of New York (EDNY), and

two Huawei

subsidiaries have been charged with nine counts in the U.S. District Court

for the Western

District of Washington. See United States v. Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.,

et al., 18-CR-457

(E.D.N.Y.), Dkt. No. 126 (the EDNY Indictment). Meng Wanzhou, Huaweis

Chief Financial

Officer, has also been charged in four of the counts in the EDNY Indictment.

Ms. Meng and the

U.S. Department of Justicethe Criminal Divisions Money Laundering and

Asset Recovery

Section, the National Security Divisions Counterintelligence and Export

Control Section, and

the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Eastern District of New York (the 

Government)have

agreed to enter into a Deferred Prosecution Agreement (the Agreement) in

connection with

the EDNY Indictment.

The following Statement of Facts is incorporated by reference as part of the

Agreement between Ms. Meng and the Government.

* * *

Huawei is a Chinese company headquartered in Shenzhen, Guangdong, and a

leading

global provider of information and communications technology. Huawei,

including its corporate

subsidiaries and affiliates, employs more than 197,000 people and operates

in over 170 countries

and regions.

Ms. Meng is a Chinese citizen and the daughter of Huaweis founder, Ren

Zhengfei, and

since 2010 has served as Huaweis Chief Financial Officer. Ms. Meng also

serves as Deputy

Chairwoman of Huaweis Board of Directors.

Skycom Tech. Co. Ltd. (Skycom) was a Hong Kong company that primarily

operated

in Iran. As of February 2007, Skycom was wholly owned by Huawei subsidiary

Hua Ying

Management (Hua Ying). In November 2007, Hua Ying transferred its shares

of Skycom to

another entity that Huawei controlled, Canicula Holdings (Canicula). At

the time Hua Ying

transferred its Skycom shares to Canicula, Ms. Meng was the Secretary of Hua

Ying.

In February 2008, after Huawei transferred ownership of Skycom from Hua Ying

to

Canicula, Ms. Meng joined Skycoms Board of Directors, which was comprised

of Huawei

employees. She served on the Board until April 2009. After Ms. Meng departed

from Skycoms

Board, Skycoms Board members continued to be Huawei employees, Canicula

continued to

own Skycom, and Canicula continued to be controlled by Huawei. As of August

2012, Huawei

included Skycom among a list of other Huawei subsidiaries in Huawei

corporate documents

written in English.1

Between 2010 and 2014 (the Relevant Time Period), Huawei controlled

Skycoms

business operations in Iran, and Skycom was owned by an entity controlled by

Huawei. All

1 Skycom ceased to exist no later than 2017.2

significant Skycom business decisions were made by Huawei. Moreover, Skycom

s country

managerthe head of the businesswas a Huawei employee. Individuals

employed by Skycom

believed they worked for Huawei. Indeed, Skycom employees used email

addresses with the

domain huawei.com.

During the Relevant Time Period, Huawei employees engaged with a U.K.

staffing

company to provide engineers in Iran to support Skycoms work with Iranian

telecommunications service providers. Negotiations and contracting on behalf

of Skycom were

conducted by Huawei employees. To pay for these contractors, Huawei sent at

least $7.5 million

to the U.K. staffing company in a series of approximately 80 payments from

Skycoms bank

accounts in Asia, including at a multinational financial institution (

Financial Institution 1), to

the U.K. staffing companys account in the United Kingdom. The transactions

were denominated

in U.S. dollars and cleared through the United States.

In December 2012 and January 2013, various news organizations, including

Reuters,

reported that Skycom offered to sell embargoed equipment from a U.S.

computer equipment

manufacturer in Iran in potential violation of U.S. export controls law, and

that Huawei had close

ties with Skycom. In a statement to Reuters published in a December 2012

article, Huawei

claimed that Skycom was one of its major local partners in Iran. Reuters

reported that Huawei

had further stated that Huaweis business in Iran is in full compliance

with all applicable laws

and regulations including those of the U.N., U.S. and E.U. This commitment

has been carried out

and followed strictly by our company. Further, we also require our partners

to follow the same

commitment and strictly abide by the relevant laws and regulations.

In January 2013, a subsequent Reuters article reported that Ms. Meng had

served on the

Board of Directors of Skycom between February 2008 and April 2009 and

identified other

connections between Skycom directors and Huawei. The article also quoted a

statement from

Huawei that: The relationship between Huawei and Skycom is a normal

business partnership.

Huawei has established a trade compliance system which is in line with

industry best practices

and our business in Iran is in full compliance with all applicable laws and

regulations including

those of the UN. We also require our partners, such as Skycom, to make the

same

commitments. This statement was incorrect, as Huawei operated and

controlled Skycom;

Skycom was therefore not Huaweis business partner.

After these articles were published, Financial Institution 1 and other

global financial

institutions that provided international banking services to Huawei (

collectively, the Financial

Institutions), including U.S. dollar-clearing, made inquiries to Huawei in

response to the abovedescribed press reports. In early 2013, Huawei

employees represented to the Financial

Institutions that Skycom was just a local business partner of Huawei in Iran

and that Skycom had

not conducted Iran-related transactions using its accounts at the Financial

Institutions.

To address the allegations in the news reports, Huawei requested an in-

person meeting

with a senior Financial Institution 1 employee. That meeting occurred on

August 22, 2013 (the

August Meeting), at which time Ms. Meng met in Hong Kong with an

executive of Financial

Institution 1 responsible for operations in the Asia Pacific region. During

the meeting, Ms.

Meng delivered a PowerPoint presentation written in Chinese, which was

translated by an3

interpreter into English. Ms. Meng stated that she was using an interpreter

to be precise in her

language.

In her presentation, Ms. Meng stated, among other things, that Huaweis

relationship with

Skycom was normal business cooperation and normal and controllable

business cooperation,

and she described Skycom as a partner, a business partner of Huawei,

and a third party

Huawei works with in Iran. Those statements were untrue because, as Ms.

Meng knew, Skycom

was not a business partner of, or a third party working with, Huawei;

instead, Huawei controlled

Skycom, and Skycom employees were really Huawei employees. It would have

been material to

Financial Institution 1 to know that Huawei controlled Skycom. In addition,

Ms. Meng stated that

Huawei was once a shareholder of Skycom but had sold all its shares in

Skycom. Those

statements were untrue, because, as Ms. Meng knew, Huawei had sold its

shares to an entity

that Huawei controlled. Specifically, Huawei transferred Skycom shares from

a Huawei

subsidiary (Hua Ying) to another entity that was controlled by Huawei (

Canicula). It would have

been material to Financial Institution 1 to know that Skycom was transferred

from one Huaweicontrolled entity to another. Finally, Ms. Meng stated that

Huawei operates in Iran in strict

compliance with applicable laws, regulations and sanctions and that 

there has been no violation

of export control regulations by Huawei or any third party Huawei works

with. These

statements were untrue because Huaweis operation of Skycom, which caused

the Financial

Institutions to provide prohibited services, including banking services, for

Huaweis Iran-based

business while Huawei concealed Skycoms link to Huawei, was in violation

of the U.S.

Department of the Treasurys Office of Foreign Assets Controls Iranian

Transactions and

Sanctions Regulations, 31 C.F.R. Part 560. Moreover, during the Relevant

Time Period, Huawei

caused Skycom to conduct approximately $100 million worth of U.S.-dollar

transactions through

Financial Institution 1 that cleared through the United States, at least

some of which supported its

work in Iran in violation of U.S. law, including $7.5 million for Iran-based

contractors from the

U.K. staffing company to do work in Iran.

At no point during or after the August Meeting did Ms. Meng, who was aware

of

Huaweis public statements about Skycom published by Reuters, retract or

amend any of those

statements. Moreover, Huaweis Treasurer, who also attended the August

Meeting, did not

correct or amend any of the statements made by Ms. Meng.

During the Relevant Time Period, Ms. Meng possessed a computer file that

contained

Suggested Talking Points about Huaweis relationship with Skycom that

closely tracked the

untrue statements made during the meeting in Hong Kong. Specifically, that

file contained the

following text, written in Chinese: The core of the suggested talking

points regarding

Iran/Skycom: Huaweis operation in Iran comports with the laws, regulations

and sanctions as

required by the United Nations, the United States and the European Union.

The relationship

with Skycom is that of normal business cooperation. Through regulated trade

organizations

and procedures, Huawei requires that Skycom promises to abide by relevant

laws and

regulations and export controls. Key information 1: In the past  ceased to

hold Skycom

shares 1, With regards to cooperation: Skycom was established in 1998 and is

one of the

agents for Huawei products and services. Skycom is mainly an agent for

Huawei.

Shortly after the August Meeting, Huawei prepared an English version of the

PowerPoint presentation at Financial Institution 1s request. Ms. Meng

later arranged for a4

paper copy of that PowerPoint presentation to be delivered to the Financial

Institution 1

executive in September 2013. The representations in the English version of

the PowerPoint

presentation closely tracked the ones Ms. Meng gave during the in-person

August Meeting.

After the August Meeting, and subsequent receipt of the PowerPoint

presentation,

Financial Institution 1 decided to continue its relationship with Huawei.

The other Financial

Institutions similarly continued their respective relationships with Huawei.



--

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 : Re: 

: BBS  (Sat Sep 25 16:37:46 2021, )



PDF











--

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: BBS  (Sat Sep 25 16:38:38 2021, )







  wsn01 () : 

: 

:

: ATTACHMENT A

: STATEMENT OF FACTS

: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei) has been charged with a total

of

: 16 counts in

: the U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of New York (EDNY),

and

: two Huawei

: subsidiaries have been charged with nine counts in the U.S. District Court

: for the Western

: District of Washington. See United States v. Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.

,

: et al., 18-CR-457

: (E.D.N.Y.), Dkt. No. 126 (the EDNY Indictment). Meng Wanzhou, Huawei

s

: Chief Financial

: Officer, has also been charged in four of the counts in the EDNY

Indictment.

: Ms. Meng and the

: U.S. Department of Justicethe Criminal Divisions Money Laundering and

: Asset Recovery

: Section, the National Security Divisions Counterintelligence and Export

: Control Section, and

: the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Eastern District of New York (the 

: Government)have

: agreed to enter into a Deferred Prosecution Agreement (the Agreement)

in

: connection with

: the EDNY Indictment.

: The following Statement of Facts is incorporated by reference as part of

the

: Agreement between Ms. Meng and the Government.

: * * *

: Huawei is a Chinese company headquartered in Shenzhen, Guangdong, and a

: leading

: global provider of information and communications technology. Huawei,

: including its corporate

: subsidiaries and affiliates, employs more than 197,000 people and operates

: in over 170 countries

: and regions.

: Ms. Meng is a Chinese citizen and the daughter of Huaweis founder, Ren

: Zhengfei, and

: since 2010 has served as Huaweis Chief Financial Officer. Ms. Meng also

: serves as Deputy

: Chairwoman of Huaweis Board of Directors.

: Skycom Tech. Co. Ltd. (Skycom) was a Hong Kong company that primarily

: operated

: in Iran. As of February 2007, Skycom was wholly owned by Huawei subsidiary

: Hua Ying

: Management (Hua Ying). In November 2007, Hua Ying transferred its

shares

: of Skycom to

: another entity that Huawei controlled, Canicula Holdings (Canicula).

At

: the time Hua Ying

: transferred its Skycom shares to Canicula, Ms. Meng was the Secretary of

Hua

: Ying.

: In February 2008, after Huawei transferred ownership of Skycom from Hua

Ying

: to

: Canicula, Ms. Meng joined Skycoms Board of Directors, which was

comprised

: of Huawei

: employees. She served on the Board until April 2009. After Ms. Meng

departed

: from Skycoms

: Board, Skycoms Board members continued to be Huawei employees, Canicula

: continued to

: own Skycom, and Canicula continued to be controlled by Huawei. As of

August

: 2012, Huawei

: included Skycom among a list of other Huawei subsidiaries in Huawei

: corporate documents

: written in English.1

: Between 2010 and 2014 (the Relevant Time Period), Huawei controlled

: Skycoms

: business operations in Iran, and Skycom was owned by an entity controlled

by

: Huawei. All

: 1 Skycom ceased to exist no later than 2017.2

: significant Skycom business decisions were made by Huawei. Moreover,

Skycom

: s country

: managerthe head of the businesswas a Huawei employee. Individuals

: employed by Skycom

: believed they worked for Huawei. Indeed, Skycom employees used email

: addresses with the

: domain huawei.com.

: During the Relevant Time Period, Huawei employees engaged with a U.K.

: staffing

: company to provide engineers in Iran to support Skycoms work with

Iranian

: telecommunications service providers. Negotiations and contracting on

behalf

: of Skycom were

: conducted by Huawei employees. To pay for these contractors, Huawei sent

at

: least $7.5 million

: to the U.K. staffing company in a series of approximately 80 payments from

: Skycoms bank

: accounts in Asia, including at a multinational financial institution (

: Financial Institution 1), to

: the U.K. staffing companys account in the United Kingdom. The

transactions

: were denominated

: in U.S. dollars and cleared through the United States.

: In December 2012 and January 2013, various news organizations, including

: Reuters,

: reported that Skycom offered to sell embargoed equipment from a U.S.

: computer equipment

: manufacturer in Iran in potential violation of U.S. export controls law,

and

: that Huawei had close

: ties with Skycom. In a statement to Reuters published in a December 2012

: article, Huawei

: claimed that Skycom was one of its major local partners in Iran.

Reuters

: reported that Huawei

: had further stated that Huaweis business in Iran is in full compliance

: with all applicable laws

: and regulations including those of the U.N., U.S. and E.U. This commitment

: has been carried out

: and followed strictly by our company. Further, we also require our

partners

: to follow the same

: commitment and strictly abide by the relevant laws and regulations.

: In January 2013, a subsequent Reuters article reported that Ms. Meng had

: served on the

: Board of Directors of Skycom between February 2008 and April 2009 and

: identified other

: connections between Skycom directors and Huawei. The article also quoted a

: statement from

: Huawei that: The relationship between Huawei and Skycom is a normal

: business partnership.

: Huawei has established a trade compliance system which is in line with

: industry best practices

: and our business in Iran is in full compliance with all applicable laws

and

: regulations including

: those of the UN. We also require our partners, such as Skycom, to make the

: same

: commitments. This statement was incorrect, as Huawei operated and

: controlled Skycom;

: Skycom was therefore not Huaweis business partner.

: After these articles were published, Financial Institution 1 and other

: global financial

: institutions that provided international banking services to Huawei (

: collectively, the Financial

: Institutions), including U.S. dollar-clearing, made inquiries to Huawei

in

: response to the abovedescribed press reports. In early 2013, Huawei

: employees represented to the Financial

: Institutions that Skycom was just a local business partner of Huawei in

Iran

: and that Skycom had

: not conducted Iran-related transactions using its accounts at the

Financial

: Institutions.

: To address the allegations in the news reports, Huawei requested an in-

: person meeting

: with a senior Financial Institution 1 employee. That meeting occurred on

: August 22, 2013 (the

: August Meeting), at which time Ms. Meng met in Hong Kong with an

: executive of Financial

: Institution 1 responsible for operations in the Asia Pacific region.

During

: the meeting, Ms.

: Meng delivered a PowerPoint presentation written in Chinese, which was

: translated by an3

: interpreter into English. Ms. Meng stated that she was using an

interpreter

: to be precise in her

: language.

: In her presentation, Ms. Meng stated, among other things, that Huaweis

: relationship with

: Skycom was normal business cooperation and normal and controllable

: business cooperation,

: and she described Skycom as a partner, a business partner of Huawei,

: and a third party

: Huawei works with in Iran. Those statements were untrue because, as Ms.

: Meng knew, Skycom

: was not a business partner of, or a third party working with, Huawei;

: instead, Huawei controlled

: Skycom, and Skycom employees were really Huawei employees. It would have

: been material to

: Financial Institution 1 to know that Huawei controlled Skycom. In addition

,

: Ms. Meng stated that

: Huawei was once a shareholder of Skycom but had sold all its shares

in

: Skycom. Those

: statements were untrue, because, as Ms. Meng knew, Huawei had sold its

: shares to an entity

: that Huawei controlled. Specifically, Huawei transferred Skycom shares

from

: a Huawei

: subsidiary (Hua Ying) to another entity that was controlled by Huawei (

: Canicula). It would have

: been material to Financial Institution 1 to know that Skycom was

transferred

: from one Huaweicontrolled entity to another. Finally, Ms. Meng stated

that

: Huawei operates in Iran in strict

: compliance with applicable laws, regulations and sanctions and that 

: there has been no violation

: of export control regulations by Huawei or any third party Huawei

works

: with. These

: statements were untrue because Huaweis operation of Skycom, which caused

: the Financial

: Institutions to provide prohibited services, including banking services,

for

: Huaweis Iran-based

: business while Huawei concealed Skycoms link to Huawei, was in violation

: of the U.S.

: Department of the Treasurys Office of Foreign Assets Controls Iranian

: Transactions and

: Sanctions Regulations, 31 C.F.R. Part 560. Moreover, during the Relevant

: Time Period, Huawei

: caused Skycom to conduct approximately $100 million worth of U.S.-dollar

: transactions through

: Financial Institution 1 that cleared through the United States, at least

: some of which supported its

: work in Iran in violation of U.S. law, including $7.5 million for Iran-

based

: contractors from the

: U.K. staffing company to do work in Iran.

: At no point during or after the August Meeting did Ms. Meng, who was aware

: of

: Huaweis public statements about Skycom published by Reuters, retract or

: amend any of those

: statements. Moreover, Huaweis Treasurer, who also attended the August

: Meeting, did not

: correct or amend any of the statements made by Ms. Meng.

: During the Relevant Time Period, Ms. Meng possessed a computer file that

: contained

: Suggested Talking Points about Huaweis relationship with Skycom that

: closely tracked the

: untrue statements made during the meeting in Hong Kong. Specifically, that

: file contained the

: following text, written in Chinese: The core of the suggested talking

: points regarding

: Iran/Skycom: Huaweis operation in Iran comports with the laws,

regulations

: and sanctions as

: required by the United Nations, the United States and the European Union.

: The relationship

: with Skycom is that of normal business cooperation. Through regulated

trade

: organizations

: and procedures, Huawei requires that Skycom promises to abide by relevant

: laws and

: regulations and export controls. Key information 1: In the past  ceased

to

: hold Skycom

: shares 1, With regards to cooperation: Skycom was established in 1998 and

is

: one of the

: agents for Huawei products and services. Skycom is mainly an agent for

: Huawei.

: Shortly after the August Meeting, Huawei prepared an English version of

the

: PowerPoint presentation at Financial Institution 1s request. Ms. Meng

: later arranged for a4

: paper copy of that PowerPoint presentation to be delivered to the

Financial

: Institution 1

: executive in September 2013. The representations in the English version of

: the PowerPoint

: presentation closely tracked the ones Ms. Meng gave during the in-person

: August Meeting.

: After the August Meeting, and subsequent receipt of the PowerPoint

: presentation,

: Financial Institution 1 decided to continue its relationship with Huawei.

: The other Financial

: Institutions similarly continued their respective relationships with

Huawei.

--

  Android  20.11.08

--

 :WWW  mitbbs.com [FROM: 76.]

sungo   board=Military&u=sungo [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [ 4 ] : sungo (sungo), : Military

 : Re: 

: BBS  (Sat Sep 25 16:48:45 2021, )



Ms. Meng stated that Huawei was once a shareholder of Skycom but had 

sold all its shares in Skycom. Those statements were untrue

Ms. Meng stated that Huawei operates in Iran in strict compliance with

applicable laws, regulations and sanctions and that there has been no

violation of export control regulations by Huawei or any third party

Huawei

works with. These statements were untrue

 stated UNTRUE



CFOSKYCOM BOARD OF DIRECTORSKYCOM

  wsn01 () : 

: 

: ATTACHMENT A

: STATEMENT OF FACTS

: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei) has been charged with a total

of

: 16 counts in

: the U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of New York (EDNY),

and

: two Huawei

: subsidiaries have been charged with nine counts in the U.S. District Court

: for the Western

: District of Washington. See United States v. Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.

,

: ...................







--

 :WWW  mitbbs.com [FROM: 166.]

fhnan   board=Military&u=fhnan [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [ 5 ] : fhnan (), : Military

 : Re: 

: BBS  (Sat Sep 25 16:58:46 2021, )



 







  sungo (sungo) : 

: Ms. Meng stated that Huawei was once a shareholder of Skycom but had 

: sold all its shares in Skycom. Those statements were untrue

: Ms. Meng stated that Huawei operates in Iran in strict compliance with

: applicable laws, regulations and sanctions and that there has been no

: violation of export control regulations by Huawei or any third party

: Huawei

: works with. These statements were untrue

:  stated UNTRUE

: 

: CFOSKYCOM BOARD OF DIRECTORSKYCOM

: ...................









--

  iPhone  1.24.11

--

 :WWW  mitbbs.com [FROM: 173.]

sungo   board=Military&u=sungo [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [ 6 ] : sungo (sungo), : Military

 : Re: 

: BBS  (Sat Sep 25 17:07:19 2021, )









  fhnan () : 

:  







--

 :WWW  mitbbs.com [FROM: 166.]

fhnan   board=Military&u=fhnan [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [ 7 ] : fhnan (), : Military

 : Re: 

: BBS  (Sat Sep 25 17:47:48 2021, )





  

 







  sungo (sungo) : 

: 

: 

: 









--

  iPhone  1.24.11

--

 :WWW  mitbbs.com [FROM: 173.]

[:1 ]  0  [] [ ] []    








THE EVIL SYSTEM JAILS MY CHILD IN JEWISH MEDICAL CENTER [:][WangLimin] , 2021092519:57:42 ,203,10 APP   0  [:1 ] WangLimin   board=NewYork&u=WangLimin [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [ 1 ] : WangLimin (), : NewYork

 : THE EVIL SYSTEM JAILS MY CHILD IN JEWISH MEDICAL CENTER

: CHILD JAILED BY JEWISH MEDICAL CENTER

: BBS  (Sat Sep 25 19:57:43 2021, )

THE EVIL SYSTEM JAILS MY CHILD IN JEWISH MEDICAL CENTER

September 25, 2021

by Limin Wang



LONG ISLAND jewish medical center JAILS MY 17-yr-old Child

September 25, 2021

by Limin Wang



It has been said that my 17-yr-old CHILD Alexandria had been sent by EMS to

Long Island Jewish Medical Center Northwell Health (270-05 76th Ave, New

Hyde Park, NY 11040) by EMS in very early hours of today. The SYSTEM knows

all the miserable situations of this family, but the humanscums by the name

of helpers INTENTIONALLY sent my child SO FAR away from home to a JEWISH

hospital. I had been murder-attempted at workplace and then further murder-

attempted at the medical places mostly by Jews! I do not have a car to go

and it's even out of the five boroughs of NYC by MTA!



I called this medical center in total about eight times between 6:30 pm to 8

:30 pm. at their number (718) 470-7000, and a MALE claimed he was the

treating physician and would hospitalize my daughter for one to two weeks. I

said NOBODY LEGALLY COMPETENT from this family has given them the needed

consent for these shameless ones to pretend giving such "care". He hung up.

My wife Li Li has been turned into a PSYCHOPATH since Li Li ran away twice

in 2014 aided and coerced by this EVIL AMERICAN SYSTEM, and the psychiatric

Li Li has been the MAIN reason that my 17-yr-old child finally fell into the

SYSTEM'S HUMANSCUMS' TRAPS and made things WORSE by wishing for HELP from

the SYSTEM and then tragedy came to last night's point!!!!!!! In other

words, my wife Li Li should NOT be considered NOW by the EVIL AMERICAN

SYSTEM to be COMPETENT to give any consent to anything like long-term or

expensive "treatments" as a PARENT/CUSTODIAN!!!!!! I Have said the mental

situation of Li Li to the police last night. The police came so late and

took my driver license ID for a while. Their delay was probably for

designing a scheme upon the situation development.



Readers, please get a sense of what kind of evil hospital it is FROM THEIR

HANDLING OF PHONE CALLS. That male presumed to be a physician arrogantly

talked as if he HAD the sole power to give the "treatments" to anyone he

deems as a patient! So many other calls were either not picked up or simply

long wait or long wait after long wait. On one call, some woman tried to

PRETEND to be my child by stating my child's first name! Some women over

there were claiming either that I screamed so the phone was hung up, or

claiming my child went to sleep at such early time and my wife was still

talking to the doctor so neither of my family members could talk to me; or

claiming the nurse "caring" my child was not available over the whole two

hours to pick up my phone; or claiming the male doctor has talked to me MANY

TIMES already, or claiming that I have been calling them ALL DAY. WHAT KIND

OF HUMANSCUMS ACTING AS MEDICAL PROVIDERS CAN ACTUALLY PROVIDE? THEY COULD

NOT EVEN MAKE A PHONE CONTACT WORK OVER TWO HOURS BY MULTIPLE EFFORTS! Also,

this jewish hospital prevents patients to use their phones there and doesn'

t provide any outlet for patients to charge their phones, simply by the "

hospital" hostile rule. I truly believe they are so cowardous that people

may use their phones to record some UGLY OR EVIL things about them.



I called 911 about this, and the woman said 911 could not ensure the jewish

hospital establish the phone connection or bring my child and wife back

while NO legally valid consent exists. I truly believe the recent series of

things are just part of the evil scheme that the EVIL AMERICAN SYSTEM has

been taking on this family, every member of this family, no matter youngster

or adult!!!!!!! I would NEVER give any consent of any treatments by such a

Jewish Medical Center other than a verbal consultation to my minor child

with the presence of Li Li, and I want the child and Li Li to come back NOW.

--

WangLimin People's Voice

http://blog.mitbbs.com/WangLimin

http://www.mitbbs.com/pc/index/WangLimin

 :WangLimin  Sep 25 21:14:36 2021 [FROM: 2603:7000:101:87]

 :WWW  mitbbs.com [FROM: 2603:7000:101:8]

WangLimin   board=NewYork&u=WangLimin [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [ 2 ] : WangLimin (), : NewYork

 : Re: THE EVIL SYSTEM JAILS MY CHILD IN JEWISH MEDICAL CENTER

: BBS  (Sat Sep 25 21:42:39 2021, )



WHAT THEY REALLY PROVIDE? HARM, INJURY, DISEASE, BRAINWASH, STUPIDITY,

INSANITY, DEATH?

  WangLimin () : 

: THE EVIL SYSTEM JAILS MY CHILD IN JEWISH MEDICAL CENTER

: September 25, 2021

: by Limin Wang

: LONG ISLAND jewish medical center JAILS MY 17-yr-old Child

: September 25, 2021

: by Limin Wang

: It has been said that my 17-yr-old CHILD Alexandria had been sent by EMS

to

: Long Island Jewish Medical Center Northwell Health (270-05 76th Ave, New

: Hyde Park, NY 11040) by EMS in very early hours of today. The SYSTEM knows

: all the miserable situations of this family, but the humanscums by the

name

: ...................







--

WangLimin People's Voice

http://blog.mitbbs.com/WangLimin

http://www.mitbbs.com/pc/index/WangLimin

 :WWW  mitbbs.com [FROM: 2603:7000:101:8]

WangLimin   board=NewYork&u=WangLimin [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [ 3 ] : WangLimin (), : NewYork

 : Re: THE EVIL SYSTEM JAILS MY CHILD IN JEWISH MEDICAL CENTER

: BBS  (Sat Sep 25 21:43:54 2021, )



Look at all the reviews of only 1 point in GOOGLE REVIEW about Jewish

Medical Center! Is it the EVIL AMERICAN SYSTEM INTENTIONALLY ADDS INJURY TO

INJURY?

  WangLimin () : 

: THE EVIL SYSTEM JAILS MY CHILD IN JEWISH MEDICAL CENTER

: September 25, 2021

: by Limin Wang

: LONG ISLAND jewish medical center JAILS MY 17-yr-old Child

: September 25, 2021

: by Limin Wang

: It has been said that my 17-yr-old CHILD Alexandria had been sent by EMS

to

: Long Island Jewish Medical Center Northwell Health (270-05 76th Ave, New

: Hyde Park, NY 11040) by EMS in very early hours of today. The SYSTEM knows

: all the miserable situations of this family, but the humanscums by the

name

: ...................







--

WangLimin People's Voice

http://blog.mitbbs.com/WangLimin

http://www.mitbbs.com/pc/index/WangLimin

 :WWW  mitbbs.com [FROM: 2603:7000:101:8]

mary00   board=NewYork&u=mary00 [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [ 4 ] : mary00 (mary), : NewYork

 : Re: THE EVIL SYSTEM JAILS MY CHILD IN JEWISH MEDIC

: BBS  (Sun Sep 26 01:54:39 2021, )



, , , , 

elmhurst, , 





  WangLimin() : 

<br>: Look at all the reviews of only 1 point in GOOGLE REVIEW about Jewish

<br>: Medical Center! Is it the EVIL AMERICAN SYSTEM INTENTIONALLY ADDS

INJURY TO

<br>: INJURY?

<br>: to

<br>: name

<br>

--

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WangLimin   board=NewYork&u=WangLimin [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [ 5 ] : WangLimin (), : NewYork

 : Re: THE EVIL SYSTEM JAILS MY CHILD IN JEWISH MEDIC

: BBS  (Mon Sep 27 16:04:46 2021, )





  mary00 (mary) : 

: , , , , 

: elmhurst, , 

: <br>: Look at all the reviews of only 1 point in GOOGLE REVIEW about

Jewish

: <br>: Medical Center! Is it the EVIL AMERICAN SYSTEM INTENTIONALLY ADDS

: INJURY TO

: <br>: INJURY?

: <br>: to

: <br>: name

: <br>







--

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http://blog.mitbbs.com/WangLimin

http://www.mitbbs.com/pc/index/WangLimin

 :WWW  mitbbs.com [FROM: 2603:7000:101:8]

WangLimin   board=NewYork&u=WangLimin [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [ 6 ] : WangLimin (), : NewYork

 : Re: THE EVIL SYSTEM JAILS MY CHILD IN JEWISH MEDICAL CENTER

: BBS  (Mon Sep 27 16:06:24 2021, )



My wife Li Li came back home at 14:30, and I saw a marked big van (related

to Long Island Jewish Medical Center) parked in front of this building. My

wife said she could NOT talk to the 17-yr-old child Alexandria Wang much and

could NOT stay together with the 17-yr-old child Alexandria Wang much!!!!!!

!! Li Li also said that she was NOT provided any food or sleeping space

there. Li Li came back just to grab some of her clothes etc everyday stuff

to bring with her, and boarded on that van at 14:45 or so. She was very

agitated, not to me, but by the whole thing the AMERICAN EVIL SYSTEM throws

to her during these recent days. Li Li said she was hopeless that she could

NOT bring the child out of that jail --- Long Island Jewish Medical Center.

I went to the van at 14:41, and saw a young black man on the front passenger

seat, and I knocked the window twice, and he lowered down the glass window

and started to use his phone to video-tape me. This guy is in uniform

apparently of Long Island Jewish Medical Center. I said to him and his phone

that NOBODY gives any consent for LIJMC's any treatments, and I strongly

urge LIJMC to let my know-nothing-about-this-real-world child go home. These

humanscums are only using my child as a tool to hurt herself and the whole

family further and further. The blackman security guy did NOT say anything.

I came back to my apartment a minute later.

Then at 15:02 today, I called 911 again. I called 911 on Sept 26, 2021, to

ask the SYSTEM to let my child go, because I had known that my child WANTED

TO GO AWAY FROM LONG ISLAND JEWISH MEDICAL CENTER as early as Sept 26, 2021,

the day she and her mother were brought there by EMS. 911 woman said 911

could NOT help, and reportedly would connect me to 311, but the call was cut

off by 911! Today's nine minutes call made the 911 lady promise to dispatch

police to Long Island Jewish Medical Center, after she had taken this as a

regular 911 call and demanded to send police over to me. I briefly talked to

the 911 lady generally that Long Island Jewish Medical Center has been

jailing my child over there since NOBODY with the legal responsibility has

been acknowledged of whatsoever tests or treatments, and NOBODY has given

the needed CONSENT. ONCE AGAIN, the humanscums from the AMERICAN EVIL SYSTEM

only want to FOOL and HARM and RUIN people with a SHROUD of "care". Who

cares what?????? They now at this time consider my psychiatric wife Li Li as

a normally-functioning adult and parent now by pretending they know nothing

how the humanscums including medicals have turned Li Li into a psychopath.



I can list out all the known names (presumably to their REAL names, but very

likely to be PSEUDONAMES because of this murderous fraudulent system) of

the so-called medical professionals who have touched on my injury case about

the fall from the slavery warehouse. MOST, IF NOT ALL, OF THEM ARE

HUMANSCUMS, ARROGANT, VICIOUS, TREACHEROUS, PROFESSIONAL HUMANSCUMS WHO "

TREAT" HUMANS AS "ALIVE TOOLS" FOR THEIR UNSCRUPULOUS PROFIT. AND, IN MY

INJURY CASE, THESE HUMANSCUMS, ARE THE REAL SO-CALLED NAZI OR 731 TROOP

MEDICALS IN THE USA, PREVENT THE REAL DIAGNOSIS LIKE MRI FROM HAPPENING, OR

FROM REPORTING TO ME THE PATIENT THE TRUE INJURIES, SURPRISINGLY PROVIDE

METALLIC POWDER FOR THE UNPREPARED AND DAZED ME TO INHALE AND THEN SOME

METAL PARTICLES SHOW UP IN MY RESPIRATORY SYSTEM, SUDDENLY AND VIOLENTLY

TWIST MY RELAXED HEAD AND NECK WHILE I AM TOLD TO LIE PRONE AND STRETCH OVER

THE TABLE END, ELECTRICALLY SHOCK ME FROM MY FOREHEAD THROUGH NECK DOWN TO

MY LEFT ARM, PRESCRIBE AND AUTHORIZE MANY MANY TIMES OF LARGE DOSE OF

PAINKILLER OVER MANY MONTHS, AS WELL AS ABOUT A DOZEN OF OTHER "MEDICATIONS"

WHILE NEVER TELLING ME ANY BIT OF THE POTENTIAL DEADLY "SIDE-EFFECT", ETC

ETC, ONLY BECAUSE THESE HUMANSCUMS WANT TO PROFESSIONALLY, PROFESSIONALLY,

PROFESSIONALLY ... MURDER ME!!!!!! A LOT OF THESE HUMANSCUMS' DEEDS HAVE

BEEN REPORTED TO THE AMERICAN SYSTEM, BUT THE HUMANSCUMS WITHIN THE AMERICAN

SYSTEM HAS NEVER CARED!!!!!!!!!JUST LIKE THE WHOLE AMERICAN SOCIETY, WHO

CARES. IT IS A CANNIBALISTIC WORLD.



  WangLimin () : 

: THE EVIL SYSTEM JAILS MY CHILD IN JEWISH MEDICAL CENTER

: September 25, 2021

: by Limin Wang

: LONG ISLAND jewish medical center JAILS MY 17-yr-old Child

: September 25, 2021

: by Limin Wang

: It has been said that my 17-yr-old CHILD Alexandria had been sent by EMS

to

: Long Island Jewish Medical Center Northwell Health (270-05 76th Ave, New

: Hyde Park, NY 11040) by EMS in very early hours of today. The SYSTEM knows

: all the miserable situations of this family, but the humanscums by the

name

: ...................







--

WangLimin People's Voice

http://blog.mitbbs.com/WangLimin

http://www.mitbbs.com/pc/index/WangLimin

 :WWW  mitbbs.com [FROM: 2603:7000:101:8]

WangLimin   board=NewYork&u=WangLimin [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [ 7 ] : WangLimin (), : NewYork

 : Re: THE EVIL SYSTEM JAILS MY CHILD IN JEWISH MEDICAL CENTER

: BBS  (Mon Sep 27 18:24:10 2021, )





2018630911



elmhurstQueens General Hospital





924

10

17





 









  WangLimin () : 

: THE EVIL SYSTEM JAILS MY CHILD IN JEWISH MEDICAL CENTER

: September 25, 2021

: by Limin Wang

: LONG ISLAND jewish medical center JAILS MY 17-yr-old Child

: September 25, 2021

: by Limin Wang

: It has been said that my 17-yr-old CHILD Alexandria had been sent by EMS

to

: Long Island Jewish Medical Center Northwell Health (270-05 76th Ave, New

: Hyde Park, NY 11040) by EMS in very early hours of today. The SYSTEM knows

: all the miserable situations of this family, but the humanscums by the

name

: ...................







--

WangLimin People's Voice

http://blog.mitbbs.com/WangLimin

http://www.mitbbs.com/pc/index/WangLimin

 :WWW  mitbbs.com [FROM: 2603:7000:101:8]

WangLimin   board=NewYork&u=WangLimin [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [ 8 ] : WangLimin (), : NewYork

 : Re: THE EVIL SYSTEM JAILS MY CHILD IN JEWISH MEDICAL CENTER

: BBS  (Tue Sep 28 17:02:04 2021, )



From around 15 pm, September 28, 2021, Tuesday, I have been calling and

waiting long after I dialed (718) 470-7000 so far twice. My phone has been

transferred around and around, and a male sound like from a pervert or drug-

addict weirdly asked my child Alexandria Wang's name and calling reason, and

then I was kept waiting on the phone so long without anyone picking it up.

During the second call to -7000, Long Island Jewish Medical Center female

operator (old sound) transferred my phone, and a woman eventually picked up

my phone, and with a friendly-enough tone asked my child's name and Date Of

Birth, and then claimed she could NOT find my child at the whatever Hillside

Hospital, but found my child was still at the Pediatrician Emergency at

Long Island Jewish Medical Center, and then phone was transferred

specifically by this good-heart lady specifically to the Pediatrician

Emergency at LIJMC, and then the same male voice now briefly asked, and I

then was put on waiting. After about ten minutes, then a blurry woman voice

came over to talk jibbish over the phone, and I know definitely that's not

my child. And then the phone was transferred around again to the beginning

operator.... This kind of phone call last about THIRTY MINUTES. What Long

Island Jewish Medical Center provides?



Then I called 911 again. A woman voice, soon turned into a heavy-accented

voice, answered me. She claimed that I have the parental right on my 17-year

-old child and claimed the police can NOT rescue my child out of LIJMC. She

claims I have to travel over to the hospital over there to bring my child

out. I said to her about what LIJMC has so far mistreated me the parent over

the phone, and explicitly said it would more likely to be a plot of the

EVIL AMERICAN SYSTEM to irritate me there and then SIMPLY claim I am

psychiatric and then these humanscums would hurt me or shot me. She first

doubted my suspicion by her weird saying, almost verbatim quoting here, "you

are saying they will shoot you again and again". Then I brought up one

example of the many dangerous encounter with the NYC police. I started the

beginning of the June 30, 2018 call of 911. When I said that the police came

and immediately disperse the family members and a white male policeman

called me to the rental apartment building's front, and hostilely began the

talk by asking me, "What's in your pocket?" I was wearing a white short

sleeved shirt and a shorts at the bottom. Since of the past dangerous

encounters with the NYC police, so I was alert against their potential

motivations and moves, and I then said it's nothing and I did not reach my

pocket. When I said to here, the 911 woman wanted to shift the talk away of

police murdering plot, but I insisted that she let the brief whole account

of this time's premeditated murder by NYC police. I continued that then the

police shifted to a corner spot so security cameras could not catch his

moves. Then he was not talking about the reason of that 911 call. Instead,

he started to use body language and verbal language attempting to irritate

me. I stayed calm and quite to his irritations. Then more male police came

over, and a mid-aged blackman seemed to be a leader. Among this new group of

policemen, an Asian policeman was joking to the irritating white police, "I

heard you were screaming for back-up." Then a couple of other policemen,

white, were simply verbally and body-languagely irritating me, one was

saying, "you are ranting." while I was ABSOLUTELY NOT RANTING. Enough

evidence convinces readers the NYC police's premeditated murder? I had been

premeditatedly and coordinatedly murder-attempted by humanscums at slavery

workplace through heavy or intentionally-made-faulty ladders, and then by

medical professional humanscums in disguise of diagnoses and treatments

earlier. And on June 21, 2018, I contacted the Chinese government Foreign

Affairs Department to renew my Chinese passport and reported that I have

been multiple-times murder-attempted. Then NYC police wanted to take my 911

call about my wife, who had been CREATED as a psychopath by the EVIL

AMERICAN SYSTEM, to murder me and then to cover up all of these humanscums'

evil deeds done to me and my family.



Back to this time my 17-yr-old child being falsely imprisoned by LIJMC by

the police's claim that my daughter Alexandria Wang wants to commit suicide

so he brought the EMS to take my child away. I HAVE NEVER HEARD FROM MY

CHILD ALEXANDRIA WANG ANYTIME THAT SHE WOULD POSSIBLY COMMIT SUICIDE. But,

the policeman took my driver license ID away for a moment because he claimed

he needed it. Then the police and EMS took my child to the ambulance. The

police prevented me from going together with the child. My wife, Li Li, was

so psychiatrically resisting to go together with the child. It's the NYC

police kind of forcefully persuading Li Li to come out of the hallway again

and leave the building.



Now, readers, what the EVIL AMERICAN SYSTEM HAS DONE to me? I have said

about the hospital LIJMC's hostility. I have said about the 911's now-non-

responsibility. The American Children Service or whatever related name kept

coming to this rental place and kept calling my phone. I have been frankly

texting with an ACS man since last night until early this afternoon. The NYC

-WELL, whose two blacks, one man and one woman, brought a swarm of police on

the late afternoon of September 22, 2021, so far has NOT sent anyone here

about Li Li's psychiatric issues. Nobody was treating Li Li's psychiatric

issues at LIJMC.



Those are something I mentioned about the AMERICAN SYSTEM'S "treatments"!

Readers to judge. Why they could not use Li Li again to sign up for whatever

documents for claimed transfer-to-another-hospital or release now??????????

??? Why these humanscums could NOT consider Li Li as a competent mother now?

??????

  WangLimin () : 

: THE EVIL SYSTEM JAILS MY CHILD IN JEWISH MEDICAL CENTER

: September 25, 2021

: by Limin Wang

: LONG ISLAND jewish medical center JAILS MY 17-yr-old Child

: September 25, 2021

: by Limin Wang

: It has been said that my 17-yr-old CHILD Alexandria had been sent by EMS

to

: Long Island Jewish Medical Center Northwell Health (270-05 76th Ave, New

: Hyde Park, NY 11040) by EMS in very early hours of today. The SYSTEM knows

: all the miserable situations of this family, but the humanscums by the

name

: ...................







--

WangLimin People's Voice

http://blog.mitbbs.com/WangLimin

http://www.mitbbs.com/pc/index/WangLimin

 :WWW  mitbbs.com [FROM: 2603:7000:101:8]

WangLimin   board=NewYork&u=WangLimin [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [ 9 ] : WangLimin (), : NewYork

 : Re: THE EVIL SYSTEM JAILS MY CHILD IN JEWISH MEDICAL CENTER

: BBS  (Tue Sep 28 23:02:25 2021, )



911 played on me; Long Island Jewish Medical Center TRAMPLED on my child

Alexandria's welfare and the parents' rights. Later, without my knowledge or

consent, and most likely without Li Li's or Alexandria's consent, LIJMC

transferred my child Alexandria Wang to South Oaks Hospital (400 Sunrise Hwy

, Amityville, NY 11701). These humanscums used my helpless young child to

make a phone call from (631) 264-4000 later this afternoon of September 28,

2021, Tuesday, and Alexandria said about whatever two doctors claimed so-

called "involuntary treatment", actually FALSE IMPRISONMENT. My child asks

me to go over so far, further far, into Long Island to sign some whatever

undisclosed documents at South Oaks Hospital for her release from there.



AMERICAN EVIL HUMANSCUMS, YOU ARE TORTURING MY MINOR CHILD MORE AND MORE,

AND YOU ARE INFLICTING MORE AND MORE HARM TO THIS FAMILY. I URGE THE

HUMANSCUMS RELEASE MY 17-yr-old CHILD ALEXANDRIA WANG TOMORROW MORNING

WITHOUT ANY CONDITIONS. AMERICAN SYSTEM HUMANSCUMS, YOU BELIEVE YOU HAVE

SUCH AN EVIL SYSTEM TO COVER UP WHATEVER YOUR EVIL DEEDS, BUT I AM TELLING

YOU, THIS AMERICAN EVIL SYSTEM AND YOU THE HUMANSCUMS WILL PAY DUE TO SUCH

WANTON TORTURE!



  WangLimin () : 

: THE EVIL SYSTEM JAILS MY CHILD IN JEWISH MEDICAL CENTER

: September 25, 2021

: by Limin Wang

: LONG ISLAND jewish medical center JAILS MY 17-yr-old Child

: September 25, 2021

: by Limin Wang

: It has been said that my 17-yr-old CHILD Alexandria had been sent by EMS

to

: Long Island Jewish Medical Center Northwell Health (270-05 76th Ave, New

: Hyde Park, NY 11040) by EMS in very early hours of today. The SYSTEM knows

: all the miserable situations of this family, but the humanscums by the

name

: ...................







--

WangLimin People's Voice

http://blog.mitbbs.com/WangLimin

http://www.mitbbs.com/pc/index/WangLimin

 :WWW  mitbbs.com [FROM: 2603:7000:101:8]

WangLimin   board=NewYork&u=WangLimin [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [ 10 ] : WangLimin (), : NewYork

 : Re: THE EVIL SYSTEM JAILS MY CHILD IN JEWISH MEDICAL CENTER

: BBS  (Wed Sep 29 13:25:25 2021, )



Email o Bronx High School of Science For Help Rescuing Alexandria

Limin Wang

September 29, 2021, Wednesday



September 29, 2021, Wednesday

Re: PLEASE HELP SAVE MY CHILD ALEXANDRIA WANG FROM EVIL



Ms. Golan,



I am the father of Alexandria Wang. Alexandria is a senior student in Bronx

High School of Science, I think in class D17. I do not know clearly yet how

this whole series things started from Bronx Science about so-called CHILD

CARE and REFERRAL TO AMERICAN CHILDREN SERVICE since September 21, 2021

, a very special day to the family and Chinese culture. Alexandria

later on that day said she would go from Bronx Science to and live at a

unknown-to-the-parents place. Now Alexandria has missed THREE DAYS of

school attendance because Alexandria Wang has been practically hijacked and

jailed by the AMERICAN SYSTEM in a namely hospital. I request Bronx High

School of Science for the right help onto my child, first of all, rescuing

my child out of South Oaks Hospital (400 Sunrise Hwy, Amityville, NY 11701.

Tel: (631) 264-4000). My child loves school and studying and strongly wants

to be FREED from "hospitals".



Alexandria was taken by police and EMS from our rental home at 136-09 59th

Ave, Flushing, NY 11355 outside of New York City boroughs to Long Island

Jewish Medical Center (270-05 76th Ave, New Hyde Park, NY 11040. Tel: (718)

470-7000) at 2 am-ish of September 25, 2021, Saturday. The two policemen on

this job talked to Alexandria and me separately, and SOMEHOW the police said

to me that Alexandria told them that she wants to commit suicide, and that'

s how Alexandria was taken away. I the parent has never heard or known that

my 17-yr-old child Alexandria Wang would even ever have the thought of

committing suicide, although I understand she suffers greatly from the

miserable family situation created by the AMERICAN SYSTEM.



Li Li, a psychopath generated by the AMERICAN SYSTEM, was kind of forced by

police to go together to LIJMC that night, but I the father was NOT ALLOWED

to go together. NOBODY FROM THIS FAMILY, INCLUDING ALEXANDRIA WANG herself,

HAS GIVEN THE CONSENT TO ANY DIAGNOSES, TESTS, TREATMENTS BY THE SO-CALLED

MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS TO MY 17-yr-old Alexandria Wang. I was only thinking

that probably the medical professionals can have verbal communications with

Alexandria while Li Li is actively present.



Although Alexandria Wang and Li Li both have demanded to leave LIJMC for

home, LIJMC would NOT let them go. I tried so many calls to LIJMC to reach

to Alexandria and Li Li, but LIJMC taunted me by transferring and waiting,

and I could NOT even once talked either to Alexandria or Li Li during their

"JAIL" time at Long Island Jewish Medical Center (or Hospital) between

September 25 to 28, 2021. Alexandria and Li Li have only Alexandria's cell

phone, but LIJMC would NOT allow they to use their cell phone within the

hospital, and would NOT provide any electrical outlet for my child to use

her phone charger to charge the phone battery. These medical professionals

are executing their "Yes, We Can" onto the oppressed people.



Without any consent from Alexandria Wang herself, or from Li Li the mother,

or even knowledge to and consent from me the father, the AMERICAN SYSTEM's

Long Island Jewish Medical Center forced my child to get onto an ambulance

and to be transferred to South Oaks Hospital, so far far away to a destitute

family which has a severely injured father due to humanscums' numerous

murder-attempts, a psychiatric mother who could not survive in adverse

working environment such as nail salons or spas and then deserted twice in

2014 and reportedly could NOT be found by powerful AMERICAN POLICE, and two

still-way-too-young-to-survive-independently-in-a-cannibalistic-system

daughters. The AMERICAN SYSTEM HAS NOT RENDERED JUSTICE TO PERPETRATORS AT

ALL, BUT HAS KEPT INFLICTING HARMS OR EVEN ATTEMPTED-MURDERS TO THIS FAMILY.

For example, on September 22, 2021, two blacks reportedly from NYC WELL

service called a swarm of police to my eviction-threatened-residence and

police threatened to break in by the name of checking welfare. The evil

ridicule is POLICE HAVE THEIR WAY TO BRING MY CHILD AWAY, BUT NOW THEY

REPETITIVELY CLAIM THAT THE POLICE COULD NOT BRING MY CHILD BACK HOME FROM

THE NAMELY HOSPITALS WHICH ACTUALLY ARE JAILS in this matter.



My child Alexandria Wang has been a very good child, caring about the family

, trying to help the family, but she is too young too naive yet, and she

gets herself into such a TREMENDOUSLY TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCE NOT OVER YET FROM

THE SO-CALLED PSYCHIATRISTS WITHIN AMERICA. To just challenge those

psychiatrists whose REAL names and affiliations may never be publicly

disclosed, WHAT THE FUCK HEALTH CARE YOU EVER PROVIDE TO A 17-YEAR-OLD GIRL

WHEN SHE JUST ONCE SOMEHOW SAID TO POLICE TO COMMIT SUICIDE BUT LATER

STRONGLY AND PERSISTENTLY AND URGENTLY DEMANDED LEAVING HOSPITAL. THESE SO-

CALLED MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS ARE HUMANSCUMS, VICIOUS PROFESSIONAL HUMANSCUMS

, JUST AS THE ONES WHO HAVE "DIAGNOSED" AND "TREATED" ME WITH THEIR COVER-UP

, SHIFTING, DELETING, DENYING, SUDDENLY SPRAYING METAL POWDER FOR THE

UNPREPARED ME TO BREATHE IN BY MARTIN B. GILLMAN, VIOLENTLY TWISTING MY

RELAXED HEAD AND NECK AND CRUSHING MY BACK BY YAZAN RAJAI JABAJI WHILE I WAS

TOLD TO LIE PRONE, ELECTRICALLY SHOCKING MY HEAD, NECK, AND LEFT ARM,

GIVING ENDLESS LARGE DOSES OF PAINKILLER AND ABOUT A DOZEN OF 'MEDICATIONS'

WHICH SOME ARE DEADLY BUT "SIDE EFFECTS" HAVE NEVER EVEN BEEN MENTIONED BY

PRESCRIBERS, ETC, ETC.



My child is too young too weak yet to well learn and well respond to the

real human world yet. Please, Bronx High School of Science, help bring my

child out of the de facto prisons for a BETTER life. The hospitals try

to force the parents to sign whatever their documents for them to RELEASE

the child. I ask, I did not sign anything, how the AMERICAN SYSTEM hijacks

and jails my 17-yr-old child INTO "hospitals"?



Thanks for your attention. The school has my valid phone number.



Limin Wang

Father of Alexandria Wang

  WangLimin () : 

: THE EVIL SYSTEM JAILS MY CHILD IN JEWISH MEDICAL CENTER

: September 25, 2021

: by Limin Wang

: LONG ISLAND jewish medical center JAILS MY 17-yr-old Child

: September 25, 2021

: by Limin Wang

: It has been said that my 17-yr-old CHILD Alexandria had been sent by EMS

to

: Long Island Jewish Medical Center Northwell Health (270-05 76th Ave, New

: Hyde Park, NY 11040) by EMS in very early hours of today. The SYSTEM knows

: all the miserable situations of this family, but the humanscums by the

name

: ...................







--

WangLimin People's Voice

http://blog.mitbbs.com/WangLimin

http://www.mitbbs.com/pc/index/WangLimin

 :WWW  mitbbs.com [FROM: 2603:7000:101:8]

WangLimin   board=NewYork&u=WangLimin [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [ 11 ] : WangLimin (), : NewYork

 : Re: THE EVIL SYSTEM JAILS MY CHILD IN JEWISH MEDICAL CENTER

: BBS  (Wed Sep 29 13:54:53 2021, )



My child Alexandria Wang was calling from 631264-4000 saying she feels

SO COLD at South Oaks Hospital. Her extra clothes were brought by her

mother Li Li to Long Island Jewish Medical Center on Sept. 26, 2021, Sunday,

but were not able to be brought together with Alexandria Wang during her

forced-transfer from Long Island Jewish Medical Center to South Oaks

Hospital. South Oaks Hospital runs its place like a jail. Alexandria told me

that the doors are all locked, and she is forced on with the "hospital's"

schedule of daily "activities". When a hospital can NOT even provide the

basic human health need --- warmth, what kind of fraud that hospital is.



  WangLimin () : 

: THE EVIL SYSTEM JAILS MY CHILD IN JEWISH MEDICAL CENTER

: September 25, 2021

: by Limin Wang

: LONG ISLAND jewish medical center JAILS MY 17-yr-old Child

: September 25, 2021

: by Limin Wang

: It has been said that my 17-yr-old CHILD Alexandria had been sent by EMS

to

: Long Island Jewish Medical Center Northwell Health (270-05 76th Ave, New

: Hyde Park, NY 11040) by EMS in very early hours of today. The SYSTEM knows

: all the miserable situations of this family, but the humanscums by the

name

: ...................







--

WangLimin People's Voice

http://blog.mitbbs.com/WangLimin

http://www.mitbbs.com/pc/index/WangLimin

 :WWW  mitbbs.com [FROM: 2603:7000:101:8]

[:1 ]  0  [] [ ] []    












International

Israeli troops kill 4 Hamas operatives in West Bank

JERUSALEM, SEP 26 (IANS) | Publish Date: 9/26/2021 12:07:36 PM IST

Israel said on Sunday that its troops killed four armed Hamas operatives in the West Bank during an overnight raid.

An Israeli military spokesperson said in a statement that the four were killed amid fire exchanges during an operation to arrest suspects involved in a Hamas cell in five different locations in the West Bank, reports Xinhua news agency.

The first incident took place just after midnight, as Israeli forces raided the Jenin area in the northern West Bank.

Gunmen opened fire at troops in the town of Burqin near Jenin after the troops encircled a building where suspects were hiding. The soldiers responded with fire, killing one of the gunmen, according to the statement.

Near Ramallah city in the central West Bank, Israeli troops killed three other armed suspects during fire exchanges, the spokesperson said, adding that three more Palestinians were arrested.

In response to the killings, Hamas spokesman Abdel Latif al-Qanua warned in a statement the deaths of the Palestinians will fuel the Palestinian protest and struggle by all means.

Al-Qanua said the killings were a result of the security coordination between Israel and the Fatah-controlled Palestinian Authority and the meetings between senior officials of the two sides. The Palestinian Authority must immediately stop the security coordination, he said.

The West Bank was occupied by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war.

Israel has controlled these territories ever since, despite international criticism.
International

S Korea urges North to restore hotlines for talks

Kim Yo Jong & Moon Jae-in

SEOUL, SEP 26 (AP) | Publish Date: 9/26/2021 11:52:01 AM IST

South Korea on Sunday urged North Korea to restore dormant communication hotlines, a day after the North repeated an offer to open conditional talks.

The North might be seeking to extract concessions about two weeks after it raised tensions by carrying out its first missile tests in six months. North Korea has twice reached out to South Korea saying its open to talks if conditions are met.

Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, said Saturday the two Koreas can take steps toward reconciliation if South Korea abandons hostile polices and double-dealing standards. She didnt elaborate on what specific steps she wants South Korea to take. But some experts say North Korea wants South Korea to play a role in winning relief from U.S.-led sanctions, getting aid, or receiving other concessions such as international recognition as a nuclear weapons state.

On Sunday, South Koreas Unification Ministry said it highly values Kim Yo Jongs statement as the South has been consistently pushing to achieve denuclearization and peace on the Korean Peninsula through dialogue.

To hold talks on beginning steps toward reconciliation, a South Korea ministry statement said that suspended cross-border communication lines must be reactivated quickly to promote stable communications between the divided countries. It said Seoul hopes the two Koreas can resume talks on many pending issues.

The South Korean statement refers to a set of phone- and fax-like communication channels between the rivals, which have been largely dormant for more than a year.

The two Koreas briefly resumed communications over the channels for about two weeks this summer, but North Korea later refused to exchange messages again after Seoul staged annual military drills with Washington. Earlier this month, North Korea carried out tests of ballistic and cruise missiles in its first such launches since March, displaying an ability to attack South Korea and Japan, both key U.S. allies.

North Korea still maintains a moratorium on testing longer-range missiles capable of reaching the American homeland, a suggestion that it wants to keep alive the chances for future diplomacy with the U.S.

Relations between the Koreas flourished in 2018, when Seoul helped arrange high-profile nuclear diplomacy between Washington and Pyongyang, including a summit between Kim Jong Un and then-U.S. President Donald Trump.

But Pyongyang cut off ties with Seoul after the Kim-Trump diplomacy broke down in 2019 due to disputes over the U.S.-led sanctions.

The recent North Korean outreach came as a response to South Korean President Moon Jae-ins renewed calls for a political declaration to officially end the 1950-53 Korean War as a way to promote peace. The Korean War ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty, leaving the Korean Peninsula still technically at war.

As possible reconciliation steps, Kim Yo Jong floated the idea of announcing the wars end as Moon wished, rebuilding a joint liaison office that North Korea destroyed last year and holding an inter-Korean summit.

North Koreas already devastated economy has suffered further recent setbacks from the coronavirus pandemic, which has decimated its external trade, mostly with its last major ally, China. Kim Jong Un has said his country faces the worst-ever crisis due to a combination of the pandemic, the sanctions, and a series of natural disasters.

Its unclear if the Norths outreach would provide it with badly needed sanctions relief and other rewards. U.S. officials have repeatedly expressed hopes to sit down for talks with North Korea, but have also made it clear they will continue sanctions until the North takes concrete steps toward denuclearization.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-26 01:24:15|Editor: huaxia

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A cyclist rides past election posters of Chancellor candidates (from L to R) Annalena Baerbock of the Green Party, Olaf Scholz of German Social Democratic Party (SPD) and Armin Laschet of German Christian Democratic Union (CDU)/Christian Social Union (CSU) in Berlin, capital of Germany, on Sept. 25, 2021. Germans will elect the members of the country's 20th Bundestag (lower house of Parliament) on Sunday. In total, 6,211 candidates from 47 political parties will compete for at least 598 seats. (Xinhua/Shan Yuqi)

BERLIN, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- Germans will elect the members of the country's 20th Bundestag (lower house of Parliament) on Sunday. In total, 6,211 candidates from 47 political parties will compete for at least 598 seats.

A new government will be formed after the election. The current German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, is not seeking re-election after 16 years in office.

The Bundestag exercises legislative power, supervises the implementation of laws, elects the chancellor and oversees the work of the federal government.

This year, around 60.4 million people are eligible to vote in Germany, and the country is divided into 299 electoral districts according to population.

Voters cast two votes. The first for an individual constituency candidate. The candidate who gets the most constituency votes (relative majority voting) will become a directly elected member of the Bundestag. The second vote is for political party lists. The share of second votes won by the party lists determines the total number of seats they will hold in the Bundestag.

Currently, the Bundestag has 598 seats by law. The 299 lawmakers directly elected by their constituents (first vote) ensure that, in principle, every region is represented in the Bundestag. The proportion of second votes won by the political party lists determines the distribution of party power in the legislative body. As a rule, only parties receiving at least five percent of the second vote or winning at least three directly elected seats can enter the Bundestag.

However, an excess of seats may arise when a party obtains more directly elected seats in the first vote than the total number of seats it is entitled to on the basis of the second vote. In this case, the number of directly elected seats must be retained in full and the other parties are given additional seats to balance the proportion. The actual size of the Bundestag is thus greater than 598 seats. The last Bundestag elections in September 2017, for example, produced an unprecedented 709 seats.

Voters can bring their ballot papers and identity documents to their nearest polling station on polling day between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m., or they can choose to vote by post in advance, provided they ensure that their ballot papers reach the relevant authorities before 6 p.m. on polling day, when voting closes and counting begins.

In Germany's current electoral system and party landscape, it is very unlikely that any one party will be able to secure an absolute majority of seats to govern alone. Therefore, after the election results are announced, the parties with the highest number of votes will try to make contact and discuss the possibility of forming a governing coalition. The parties that decide to govern together will negotiate the choice of a chancellor, the composition of the cabinet, policy directions and other issues, and eventually come up with a joint cabinet agreement.

Once the parties have agreed on all these, the new Bundestag will put the election of a chancellor on its agenda. As a matter of procedure, the chancellor will be nominated by the federal president of Germany and voted on by the members of Bundestag.

Once all the issues related to the formation of the government have been settled, the new government will start to implement its campaign promises and lead the country into the next phase. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-26 14:42:27|Editor: huaxia

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Displaced Afghan people who fled from their homes during the fights take shelter in a public park in Kabul, Afghanistan, Aug. 11, 2021. (Photo by Sayed Mominzadah/Xinhua)

The Taliban caretaker government welcomes the United States' recent measure allowing the flow of humanitarian assistance to the Asian country and Pakistan's fruit tax exemption.



KABUL, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- The newly-formed administration of Afghanistan has welcomed the United States' recent measure allowing the flow of humanitarian assistance to the Asian country, the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Sunday.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) welcomes recent decision by U.S. Treasury Department allowing U.S. government agencies along with international and non-governmental organizations and banks to facilitate the flow of food and medicine to the IEA," Abdul Qahar Balkhi, the ministry's spokesman, said in a statement.

Photo taken on Aug. 4, 2021, shows the site of a car bomb in Kabul, Afghanistan. (Photo by Sayed Mominzadah/Xinhua)

Afghanistan hoped all countries including the United States and international organizations will continue to establish and enhance ties with the Afghan government, and to continue providing humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people, he added.

Amir Khan Muttaqi, acting foreign minister of Taliban caretaker government, on Thursday said that Afghanistan wants to have friendly relations with the international community, including the neighboring and regional countries.

On Friday, the United States issued general licenses, allowing the U.S. government, NGOs and certain international organizations to engage in transactions that are necessary to provide humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan.

Earlier this month, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that the possibility of a complete economic collapse in Afghanistan was "serious," highlighting an urgent need for funding support to Afghans.

The UN Security Council votes on a draft resolution to extend the mandate of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan at UN Headquarters in New York, on Sept. 17, 2021. (Ariana Lindquist/UN Photo/Handout via Xinhua)

He also appealed to the countries pledging 1.2 billion U.S. dollars in relief for Afghanistan to take action quickly.

Besides, Taliban authorities have vowed that the aid will reach those in need in a completely transparent manner.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) of the Taliban caretaker government also welcomed on Sunday Pakistan's decision on exempting Afghan traders from paying sales tax on fresh fruit.

"As a result of efforts by MoFA of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and through negotiations and agreement aimed at resolving issues of fresh fruit export, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan has exempted previously levied 17 percent sales tax on fresh fruit exports from Afghanistan effective Sept. 24, 2021," spokesman Balkhi said in a statement.

A Pakistani soldier guides Afghan people entering Pakistan at the border crossing point of Torkham between Pakistan and Afghanistan, on Sept. 3, 2021. (Xinhua/Ahmad Kamal)

He said land-locked Afghanistan has welcomed "this decision and calls for increased trade and transit, and further facilitation between the two countries."

Afghan traders also welcomed the measure, describing Pakistan as a good market for Afghan fruit, calling upon the government to facilitate the export of their fruit to the neighboring country.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-26 15:44:36|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping Sunday sent a congratulatory letter to the 2021 World Internet Conference Wuzhen Summit, which opened in Wuzhen, east China's Zhejiang Province.

In his letter, Xi noted that digital technology is being fully integrated into all fields and the whole process of economy, politics, culture, society and ecological civilization construction with new ideas, new forms and new models, having extensive and profound impacts on the production and life of humankind.

Nowadays, profound changes in the world unseen in a century and the epidemic situation are intertwined. It is imperative for the international community to join hands to seize opportunities and meet challenges by following the trend of informatization and digitalization, as well as networking and smart development, he added.

Xi emphasized that China is willing to work with other countries to shoulder the historical responsibility of promoting human progress by stimulating the digital economy vitality, enhancing the digital government efficiency, optimizing the digital social environment, setting up a digital cooperation structure, and building a strong digital security shield.

China is also willing to work with other countries in the world to make the digital civilization benefit people of all countries, and promote the building of a community with a shared future for humankind, he added.

The summit opened Sunday with a theme of "Towards a New Era of Digital Civilization -- Building a Community with a Shared Future in Cyberspace." It is jointly organized by the Cyberspace Administration of China and the Zhejiang provincial government. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-26 19:48:41|Editor: huaxia

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Photo taken on May 28, 2021 shows the U.S. Capitol building behind a traffic sign in Washington, D.C., the United States. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

Such morbid fascination with containing others stems from the mounting anxiety of the United States, the world's sole superpower whose dream of global hegemony has run into intractable predicaments.

BEIJING, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- In recent years, the U.S. government has indulged in suppressing China, which ranges from illegal arrests of Chinese citizens and unwarranted oppression of Chinese enterprises to reckless interference in China's internal affairs and sinister attempts to form anti-China cliques.

Such morbid fascination with containing others stems from the mounting anxiety of the United States, the world's sole superpower whose dream of global hegemony has run into intractable predicaments.

America's anxiety can find its deep roots in Washington's long-standing hubris, which has been prevailing throughout the U.S. history. Since the declaration of independence in 1776, the United States has been bent on expanding its territory and influence.

After the United States' total industrial output jumped to the first place in the world in 1894, its expansion ambition has gone global. Since the end of World War II, the United States has reaped massive gains through military and financial supremacy.

With the collapse of the Soviet Union, the United States embraced its unipolar moment, and geared up to impose American-style values and democracy around the world.

From plotting "color revolutions" and promoting the "Neo-Monroe Doctrine" abroad to turning against its allies and quitting international treaties and bodies, Washington has spared no effort to defend its hegemonic status.

Photo taken on Sept. 17, 2021 shows the U.S. Capitol building, seen through a barrier fence, in Washington, D.C. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

However, the United States is increasingly finding that its pursuit of global hegemony is encountering some serious challenges, which is mostly exemplified in its anti-pandemic debacle and the chaotic military withdrawal from Afghanistan.

As Francis Fukuyama, a senior fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford University, pointed out, the long-term sources of American weakness and decline are more domestic than international.

Regrettably, Washington seems to have failed to realize that. To alleviate the anxiety resulting from its own problems, Washington has been accelerating its pace of containing China.

According to a recent study from Oxford Economics, a leading global advisory firm, Americans witnessed a boom of savings during the pandemic, but most of the gains went to the wealthiest 20 percent of Americans.

What's worse, deep-rooted racism, xenophobic tendencies and extremism in the United States are spreading along with the virus, with violence against Asian immigrants surging across the country.

People rally to protest against anti-Asian hate crimes on Foley Square in New York, the United States, April 4, 2021. (Xinhua/Wang Ying)

Meanwhile, the intensifying bipartisan struggle is tearing up the U.S. society, which severely undermines the continuity and rationality of the U.S. government's decisions.

The United States is suffering from these problems not because of China. Therefore, containing China can in no way to mitigate America's growing anxiety. Instead, containment is a double-edged sword. While containment has indeed hit some Chinese industries, but at the same time, it has increased the burden on America's domestic enterprises and ordinary people.

In the eyes of Martin Wolf, chief economics commentator at the Financial Times, "there will be much competition, but there must also be deep co-operation" between the two countries, and "containing China is not a feasible option."

The China-U.S. relationship is widely deemed as the most consequential relationship in the world. The two countries and the rest of the world will benefit from China-U.S. cooperation but suffer from their confrontation. A healthy and stable development of China-U.S. relations is not only in the fundamental interests of the two peoples, but also a common expectation of the international community.

Washington must be aware that its anxiety will never be relieved by smearing or attacking China. The antidote for the United States is to devote itself to combatting the pandemic, bridging social gaps and improving the welfare of its own people.

Washington should also sober up to the fact that China's peaceful development is unstoppable and can never be contained. Getting bilateral relationship right is not optional, but something must be done and must be done well. 
Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-26 21:27:25|Editor: huaxia

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Chinese Vice Premier Liu He, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, attends the 2021 World Internet Conference Wuzhen Summit and reads Chinese President Xi Jinping's congratulatory letter to the summit via video, Sept. 26, 2021. The summit kicked off on Sunday in Wuzhen, east China's Zhejiang Province. (Xinhua/Ding Hongfa)

HANGZHOU, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- The 2021 World Internet Conference Wuzhen Summit gathers people from around the world to share wisdom on building a digital civilization via online and offline events.

The summit, which kicked off on Sunday in Wuzhen, east China's Zhejiang Province, features 20 sub-forums under the theme of "Towards a New Era of Digital Civilization -- Building a Community with a Shared Future in Cyberspace."

Chinese Vice Premier Liu He, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, addressed the summit via video.

Noting that advancement of the internet has made a profound impact on industrial development, economic structure, social life and international landscape, Liu said the internet is now catapulted onto a new stage, with comprehensive diffusion and cross-field integration, while digital technology continuously creates new models of business, providing opportunities to countries around the globe.

He said that science and technology as a force for good is an inherent requirement of the community with a shared future for mankind. He called for joint efforts to safeguard the safety and reliability of infrastructure, crack down on illegal activities on the internet, and earnestly protect fair competition and promote innovation.

China's macroeconomy remains generally stable, Liu said, adding that the country is experienced in and capable of controlling risks, and hence has a bright future.

China will stand firm to advance reform and opening up, and high-quality development. Efforts will be made to strengthen the development of new types of infrastructure, and boost the software industry, he said.

The country will support the sound development of the private sector, the innovation and startups of entrepreneurs, and the healthy development of the internet and digital economy, he said.

The sub-forums were set to contribute insights on data governance, the rule of law on the internet, social responsibilities of tech companies, global COVID-19 response and international communication among other topics of public interest through discussions on new internet technology trends including 5G, artificial intelligence, open-source ecology, internet of the next generation, data and algorithm.

Around 15 top-level achievements of internet technology are scheduled for release during the conference, said the organizer.

Other highlights include an international internet expo, a global competition on innovation and entrepreneurship, and the release of two reports, namely "World Internet Development Report 2021" and "China Internet Development Report 2021."

The conference is scheduled to close on Sept. 28. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-26 23:24:32|Editor: huaxia

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Dancers of Xinjiang Art Theater perform at the Xinjiang International Grand Bazaar in Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, March 22, 2020. (Xinhua/Wang Fei)

-- The Uygur population in Xinjiang has maintained a relatively high growth rate, growing at a compound annual rate of 1.67 percent from over 8.34 million in 2000 to over 11.62 million in 2020. The growth rate was much higher than that of the country's total ethnic minority population, which stood at 0.83 percent.

-- China will continue to promote unity, harmony and cultural progress and strive for a prosperous and eco-friendly Xinjiang under socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era.

-- The accusations of "genocide" conjured up by anti-China forces in some countries such as the United States lay bare their hideous double standards, hypocrisy, and hegemonic mindset.

BEIJING, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- China's State Council Information Office Sunday issued a white paper detailing the demographic development in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, slamming groundless fabrications against Xinjiang by various anti-China forces.

The white paper, titled "Xinjiang Population Dynamics and Data," said over the past 70 years, Xinjiang has seen rapid and steady population growth, improving population quality, higher life expectancy, and faster urbanization and modernization.

HIGH POPULATION GROWTH

Xinjiang's population growth from 2000 to 2020 was 1.15 percentage points higher than the national compound annual growth rate (CAGR) average, said the white paper.

Preliminary data from the seventh national census conducted in 2020 showed that the population of Xinjiang reached 25.85 million, increasing by 4.04 million from 2010 with a CAGR of 1.71 percent.

The Uygur population in Xinjiang has maintained a relatively high growth rate, growing at a CAGR of 1.67 percent from over 8.34 million in 2000 to over 11.62 million in 2020. The growth rate was much higher than that of the country's total ethnic minority population, which stood at 0.83 percent, said the document.

Students read textbooks at a primary school in Awat Township of Kashgar, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, March 31, 2021. (Xinhua/Ding Lei)

The census figures are powerful evidences refuting the accusations of "genocide" in Xinjiang fabricated by anti-China forces to deceive the international community, mislead international public opinion, and impede China's development and progress.

The white paper slammed accusations of "suppression of birth rates" and "demographic genocide" in Xinjiang as utterly groundless, saying the northwestern region implements its family planning policy in accordance with the law, and forced birth control and pregnancy tests are strictly prohibited.

It is up to individuals to decide whether or not to use contraceptives and how to use them. No organization or individual may interfere with this freedom, said the document.

Xinjiang's population, in particular that of ethnic minority groups, will continue to maintain steady growth in the near term. Its ethnic minority groups have considerable potential to grow as they have a relatively young population and a large number of women of childbearing age, according to the white paper.

Xinjiang's demographic development marks the success of a unified multiethnic country in ensuring healthy population growth of its ethnic minorities, it said.

People promote Hami melons via livestreaming in Turpan of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, May 19, 2021. (Xinhua/Ding Lei)

China will continue to promote unity, harmony and cultural progress and strive for a prosperous and eco-friendly Xinjiang under socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era, the document said.

SLAMMING FALSE CLAIMS

Various anti-China forces smear Xinjiang, demonize China, and vilify the country's governance of the region, accusing the nation of "forced labor," "mandatory sterilizations," "parent-child separation," "cultural genocide," and "religious persecution" in recent years, according to the white paper.

The accusations of "genocide" conjured up by anti-China forces in some countries such as the United States lay bare their hideous double standards, hypocrisy, and hegemonic mindset, the white paper stated.

The Chinese government protects the rights of the Uygurs and all other ethnic minority groups in Xinjiang in accordance with the law. "This fact stands in sharp contrast to the fabrications by anti-China forces," said the document.

The economic, social and family status of women of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang has continued to improve, allowing them to have more opportunities to access secondary and higher education, and engage actively in economic and social life, it said.

Kader Rahman (3rd R) teaches as local embroiderers learn embroidery techniques in Yizhou District of Hami, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, March 22, 2021. (Xinhua/Wang Fei)

Through the "forced labor" lie, anti-China forces malign the country's actions against terrorism and extremism, suppress the development of Xinjiang industries such as cotton, tomatoes, and photovoltaic products, and undermine China's participation in global industrial chain cooperation, the white paper said.

Workers of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang, including graduates from the vocational education and training centers, always choose jobs of their own volition, and there is no coercion of any kind, it said.

The white paper slammed the false claim made by anti-China forces that boarding schools in Xinjiang were built for separating Uygur parents from their children. Instead, the boarding schools can help consolidate universal access to compulsory education and promote balanced education, it said.

Aherke Zhuma, a seventh grade student of Oymak Boarding School, touches a horse during an equestrian class in Burqin County, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, March 30, 2021. (Xinhua/Hou Zhaokang)

Due to Xinjiang's vast land area of 1,664,900 square km, villages and towns are far apart and residents in some farming and pastoral areas are sparsely distributed, making the daily commute between home and school very difficult for some students.

Establishing boarding schools is a standard practice in China's compulsory education sector, and it is up to students' families to decide whether to let their wards board or not, stated the white paper.

The document also refuted the claim that Xinjiang's efforts to promote standard Chinese represent a campaign of "cultural genocide." The right of Xinjiang's ethnic minorities to learn and use their own languages are effectively protected and their cultures well preserved, it added.

The official document also rejected the accusations of "religious persecution" as completely baseless, saying that Xinjiang protects freedom of religious belief and ensures orderly practice of religion.

Believers are free to engage in lawful religious activities, including worship, fasting, and observance of religious festivals, in accordance with religious doctrines, canons and traditions at religious venues or in their homes, it said.

(Reporting by Li Baojie, Pan Ying, Wang Qi, Gao Lei and Fan Sixiang)
Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-26 21:33:33|Editor: huaxia

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Clients test a car during the Live Drive Expo (LDX), a car test drive exhibition, held in New Cairo of Egypt, Sept. 24, 2021. Live Drive Expo (LDX), the first test drive exhibition in Egypt, was held from Sept. 23 to 26 in New Cairo, southeast of the capital city, where car enthusiasts can drive and compare 16 of the biggest car brands in Egypt. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)

by Marwa Yahya

CAIRO, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- "Finally, I can take my time to test new cars before signing a sales deal," said Mostafa Mahmoud, a 40-year-old media worker who was driving a 2022 Peugeot 3008.

Live Drive Expo (LDX), the first test drive exhibition in Egypt, was held from Sept. 23 to 26 in New Cairo, southeast of the capital city, where car enthusiasts can drive and compare 16 of the biggest car brands in Egypt.

"I read a lot about Peugeot 3008 specifications, but driving it helped me make a decision of purchase," Mahmoud told Xinhua, adding that the expo is diversified and people are able to test cars in suitable tracks.

Sherief Omar, executive manager of Cut Communication Company that organized the event, said that people who want to buy a car should test it and compare it with other models at first.

"Instead of testing cars in different places, clients now can visit one place that included the most famous car brands," said Omar, noting that now clients do not have to take a day off from work and test cars in remote areas anymore.

He said the expo showcases the car brands which have high demand with average prices in the Egyptian market, such as Hyundai, Chevrolet, KIA, Mazda, Subaru and so on.

According to Omar, they plan to hold the LDX every three months to push the sales, and to change the mode of buying cars in Egypt.

"Purchasing a car is a very important decision that shouldn't be made upon impressions or experience of others," he emphasized, saying that the expo is opened every four hours for four times a day, making all clients feel comfortable to test different cars but not too crowded.

The testing tracks in the expo are also suitable for ordinary people to check the components like engine, brakes, lights, Omar explained.

Ahmad Amaar, the manager of the testing track, explained that the expo visitors can take a minute and a half to test cars' acceleration and braking via designed routes.

"In one track, three cars can go in parallel," Amaar said, highlighting that 100 tests drive could be done in one hour.

The LDX is a brand new idea for the Egyptian automobile market, many visitors wish it could be developed into different locations across the country and including other car categories.

Munir Kamal, an expert with Egypt Car Branch in Chamber of Commerce, sees the expo as a good way for improving Egypt's automotive market sales, as he believes that it can help boost the consumption desire.

Following 2014 and 2015 that witnessed high sales volume in Egypt, in 2016 and 2017, the Egyptian vehicle industry has been rocked by a devalued currency and hikes in fuel prices.

"In 2018, the cars sales were recovered in light of the success of the government economic reform program that started to be fruitful," said Kamal, while adding that the market was hit again in 2019, ending the year with 11.3 percent drop from 2018.

He explained that in 2020 the auto market was also fluctuated as many people lost their jobs or sources of income amid COVID-19. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-26 10:12:21|Editor: huaxia

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UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Saturday called on Washington to play a "more active role" in helping resume the stalled talks aimed at reviving the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.

"The current (U.S.) administration was, in fact, the author behind the JCPOA (the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action). So, it seems evident that they should be more active in resolving all issues related to this," Lavrov told a press conference here during the annual gathering of world leaders at the UN General Assembly.

"We would like the negotiations for the full-fledged restoration of the JCPOA to resume as soon as possible," said the Russian top diplomat, hoping that the talks on the strained arms control agreement would start again.

The Europeans, who are mediating the negotiations, are seeking the U.S. return to the Iran deal that was scrapped by the former Donald Trump administration.

When Washington exited the deal, "Iran, for more than a year, continued to comply in good faith with everything that it had undertaken in accordance with that document, in the hope that the U.S. would come to its senses and come back to that deal," Lavrov said.

Former U.S. President Trump withdrew from the 2015 agreement in May 2018 and unilaterally re-imposed old and new sanctions on Iran. In response, Iran has gradually stopped implementing parts of its commitments to the deal since May 2019.

After six rounds of talks in Vienna since April, the parties said serious differences remain between Iran and the United States for the revitalization of the deal. The sixth round of talks ended on June 20, with the talks currently on hiatus. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-26 20:51:16|Editor: huaxia

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HELSINKI, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- The Iceland's coalition government increased its parliamentary majority by two seats from 35 to 37 in the country's 63-seat parliament after Saturday's election.

But the results of the election left the future cabinet coalition open as the success of the coalition parties still remains uncertain.

Altogether eight parties were represented in the parliament.

Of the three coalition parties, the liberal-conservative Independence Party remains the largest in the country with 24.4 percent backing and 16 seats.

The center-right Progressive Party became the election winner and second largest in the coalition, increasing its support by 6.6 percentage points to 17.3 percent and raising its seats from eight to 13.

Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdottir's Left-Green Movement was down to eight seats from its previous 11, with 12.6 percent backing, down 4.3 percentage points.

Among the opposition parties, Social Democratic Alliance, the People's Party, and the Pirates all received six seats respectively, while the Liberal Reform Party gained five and the Center Party, three.

For the first time, the Icelandic parliament will have more female MPs (33) than male MPs (30).

Jakobsdottir said early Sunday that talks to form a government will be complicated.

The leaders of the three coalition parties said before the election that if the government prevailed, it would be the first option to discuss continued government cooperation.

Turnout of voters in the whole country was 80.1 percent, slightly lower than the previous election in 2017. Enditem


PRESIDENT Mnangagwa yesterday showed that he is a listening leader in touch with the people when he travelled by road from Bulawayo to Lupane and also returned by road in order to have a personal feel of the needs of communities and assess developmental work being carried out by government.

The President is usually flown but this time around is said to have insisted that he would rather travel the 352 kilometre stretch to Lupane and back by road so as to gain a personal appreciation of the needs of the community.

He was going to officiate at the commissioning of the Lupane water supply station and Bubi-Lupane Irrigation Scheme acceleration model.

This comes as the President has also given the green light for the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement to include rural development in its portfolio, as the Government ups it rural development thrust.

Addressing delegates at the commissioning, President Mnangagwa revealed that the name change, which is the second time this year after Fisheries were also included in January, was after a special request from the responsible Minister, Dr Anxious Masuka.

As I recognise Minister Masuka, I must say that he has requested that we add rural development to his portfolio of which I have agreed. I must point out that this is the first time in all my years in Government that a minister has actually come to me and requested a name change, said President Mnangagwa.

The President said rural development would remain at the core of the Second Republics thrust noting that it was now up to everyone to play a role in that regard.

No one but ourselves will build our communities and our country. True empowerment and sustainable development will only be realised through greater participation of communities, especially women and youth in National development projects and programmes. As Zimbabweans, we are a hardworking and productive people. We will never be mere objects of charity. As the Second Republic, we will, thus continue to prudently use domestic resources to propel a development agenda which leaves no one, and no place behind, for the good of our people, said the President.





He said under the Second Republic, the holistic completion of development projects was key to spurring production, productivity and profitability across all sectors of the economy. Speaking on the Presidents insistence on travelling by road to assess the needs of the Matabeleland North province and progress on major developmental projects, Vice-President, Dr Constantino Chiwenga, who is also the Minister of Health and Child Care said this was testament of his commitment towards all projects under the Second Republic.

Today, the guest of honour having travelled by road all the way from Bulawayo, he did not fly, he said; I want to see the problems affecting people in Matabeleland North from their roads right up to their projects. So he travelled here by road, trying to pick up all the issues and so he has now arrived to launch the Agriculture Rural Authority Vision 2030 accelerator model programme, said Vice-President Chiwenga.

In his address, Minister Masuka said his ministry was now engrossed with rural development and would ensure that most projects that they embark on will have a bearing towards the countrys endeavour of Vision 2030.

Your vision for this country to become a prosperous and empowered upper-middle class economy by 2030 is gaining the much needed traction every day. Your Excellency, under your guidance the Bubi-Lupane Dam is no longer the project. We used to build a dam, commission and celebrate but now the dam is now part of the broader projects and not the project. The project is rural development for the attainment of Vision 2030 and in the agricultural space, the components are dam construction, irrigation development, electricity generation, provision of drinking water and fisheries development, the Bubi-Lupane Dam has now achieved the two of the five aspects, said Dr Masuka.

He revealed that the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) will soon transform and not only focus on provision of water to mainly towns and cities but was also angling towards provision of water to rural communities.

The ministry is also accelerating parastatal reforms. Zinwa currently provides water to towns, cities, growth points and rural service centres but has never ventured into providing water for our villages, this left 70 percent of our population vulnerable.

Zinwa now has an expanded mandate and 40 drilling rigs are going to be purchased for Zinwa so that they can provide water to the 35 000 villages we have in the country, all the 9 600 schools and an additional 3 600 youth centres in various wards, he said.Dr Masuka said Zinwa will also deal with irrigation conveyance working together with the Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (ARDA) to accelerate rural development which must cause rural industrialisation. Sunday News
POLICE in Bulawayo are investigating the death of a mental patient who was found dead in his bedroom at Hope Fountain on Friday.

Bulawayo provincial police spokesperson Inspector Abednico Ncube said Nhlalo Moyo (37) was found dead in his bedroom with his head severely fragmented. Insp Ncube said 20 minutes after he went into his room his parents heard a sound like a bomb blast coming from the room.

When his father checked what could have happened through the window, he saw smoke coming out through the window.

Insp Ncube said his parents then opened the window and saw his body on the bed with a skull fracture, while the walls were stained with blood.

When the police arrived at the scene, they found the body lying on the bed facing upwards with his head destroyed into fragments and a box of matches was found on the left side of the bed next to his body. Pieces of exploded dynamites were found under the bed attached to a fuse. We urge members of the public to continuously monitor their mentally-challenged relatives and supervise them to make sure they do not abscond on medication as doing so is dangerous to the patients and other members of the community, he said. Sunday News
Private aircraft have been sneaking in and out of the Robert Gabriel Mugabe (RGM) International Airport and other Zimbabwean flight ports without detection due to poor air traffic control, investigations have revealed.

An association of local air traffic controllers is worried that the repeated breaches pose a national security threat, investigations by The Standard  working in partnership with Information for Development Trust (IDT) and Zimstar News, an online publication  have revealed.

The IDT is a non-profit organisation helping promote the capacity of local and southern African journalists to investigate corruption and bad governance.

The shocking breaches were exposed in a high-level meeting held on May 10 this year between the Air Traffic Controllers Association of Zimbabwe (ATCAZ) and the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ) board of directors.

The meeting, which was held at the third level boardroom at the RGM International Airport, was the first of its kind and came after ATCAZ repeatedly requested engagement with the board so that it could air its grievances relating to the handling of air traffic control over the years, minutes show.

The main meeting, it was established, excluded the CAAZ management so as to allow for the (board) members to fully hear the ATC (air traffic control) issues.

The ATCAZ team was led by Learnmore Maranda, the associations president who came with Anderson Shonhiwa, Gift Munyaradzi Shoko, Ashlove Kudakwashe Chihota  an executive board member representing Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport  and Francisca Demawatema, who stood in for the RGM International Airport.

Bertha Muzangaza, the company secretary, took down the minutes.

Zimbabwes aviation system had, since 2010, operated without a surveillance system, the air traffic controllers told the CAAZ board.

Air traffic controllers representatives advised that, because of the absence of a surveillance system since 2010  aircraft come into our airspace and leave without the ATCs (air traffic controllers) knowing, the minutes read.

They (ATCs) further highlighted that such occurrences are a threat to Zimbabwes national security and that they are also a loss of revenue to CAAZ, the minutes continued.

Two weeks before the meeting, the air traffic controllers told the CAAZ board that a helicopter from Zambia sneaked into the RGM port.

They (ATCs) further highlighted that just two weeks back, a helicopter from Zambia landed at RGM International Airport without the ATCs seeing it nor knowing about it, the minutes further read.

They had no communication with it and they were actually surprised to see it already landed at the international landing area.

As a result, their biggest fear is with the VVIP aircraft.

The ATCs then quizzed the helicopter crew, which reportedly claimed that it had tried to communicate with the control tower attendants, but did not get a response.

This revelation, according to the minutes, shocked the board members who wondered why CAAZ was, in the first place, taking air navigation fees and failing to fulfil its mandate.

Poor air traffic surveillance was promoting smuggling too as private planes came and went unnoticed.

They (ATCs) highlighted further that these private aircraft engage in smuggling activities daily, as they can fly in and out of the country without being detected due to the absence of a primary radar, the meeting record noted.

The ATCAZ recommended that the Defence ministry should help with surveillance of all planes as CAAZ did not have the capacity to cover aircraft flying at low levels and added that it was also possible for commercial flights to land without detection.

Poor air traffic control has raised the risk of collisions and reduced the capacity to prevent accidents, said the ATCs.

They blamed the recent horror crash of an Air Force of Zimbabwe (AFZ) helicopter in Goromonzi district just outside Harare on poor communication.

The helicopter, which was on a training mission, crashed into a house in Goromonzi in late April, killing an 18-month old toddler.

The crew, comprising Thomas Manyowa, a wing commander, Anita Mapiye, a female flight lieutenant, and Tinodiwanashe Chikamhi, a flight sergeant and technician, also died in the crash.

The real cause of the crash has not been publicly communicated by either AFZ, CAAZ or the Defence ministry.

The ATCs felt that the accident could have been avoided if their controllers at the RGM port had managed to communicate with the helicopter crew on time.

It is also not clear if the Manyame Airbase operators were aware of the technical problems that the helicopter was facing.

Ironically, the RGM ATC learnt of the crash from the small Charles Prince Airport in Mt Hampden, which is facing severe operational challenges, as established by our investigations.

The respective airports throughout Zimbabwe, notably at RGM, Victoria Falls, Bulawayo, Hwange, Buffalo Range and Charles Prince, have been operating with depleted ATCs.

The Masvingo port has been closed for some time because of lack of ATCs, according to the meeting minutes.

A CAAZ board delegation visited the Hwange airport last year and was taken aback by the fact that the facility only had one ATC. To make matters worse, the lone ATC recently married and went on a honeymoon for two weeks, leaving the port unmanned.

International air traffic control regulations stipulate that an airport should have at least one ATC at any given time and prohibits its operation without an air traffic controller.

At the Buffalo Range airport in Masvingo, aircraft are landing and departing with no ATC services during weekends and, in the event of a collision happening in such circumstances, the repercussions on a country are dire, read the minutes.

Investigations also established that the South African aviation authority has, at times, picked potential collisions in Zimbabwean air space and alerted local ATCs.

They (ATCs) highlighted that  CAAZ and ACZ (Airport Company of Zimbabwe) are allowing airports to operate without the presence of ATCs and that there is a disaster in the making, the minutes noted.

The Charles Prince Airport is in a state of shambles and should not continue to operate, according to the Directorate of Flight Safety and Standards, a regulatory arm of CAAZ.

However, this advice has been ignored and the airport is still running.

The pavements, runways and taxi-ways at the airport are in a state of disrepair, the board was told.

When Blessing Ngwarai  the CAAZ Air Navigation and Technical Services director who earlier this year briefly held the acting director-generals position  was called for a question-and-answer segment after the main meeting, he professed ignorance on who had blocked the closure of Charles Prince, but sources later alleged that the directive came from the Office of the President and Cabinet.

Ngwarai, the meeting minutes reveal, professed ignorance over the Zambian helicopter incident which took place when he was the acting director-general in April this year.

The RGM International Airport has not had distance measuring equipment (DME) for years, yet this is equipment which an air traffic controller cannot do without, the minutes indicated.

Investigations discovered, however, that the airport recently managed to secure one after Ngwarai made passionate pleas for its procurement.

A DME is a navigation beacon that enables aircraft to calculate their distance relative to that device using the speed of light. It is essential for landing facility location and timing. Standard
THE Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) has said people who may be in possession of ill-gotten wealth can surrender it and be granted amnesty.

Speaking during the official opening of the Governance and Accountancy Institute of Zimbabwe 50th anniversary in Victoria Falls on Friday, Zacc chairperson Justice Loice Matanda-Moyo bemoaned the lackadaisical stance by the private sector in the anti-corruption war.

Zacc recently took the anti-corruption drive to churches and Justice Matanda-Moyo said she was happy that members of different churches were now raising awareness against graft.

Justice Matanda-Moyo said Zacc is built on pillars of raising citizen awareness hence the commission had partnered churches to be able to reach every citizen.

She said research shows that more than 80 percent of Zimbabweans are Christians or attend church hence partnering churches makes fighting the anti-corruption war easier.

Zacc was established to fight all corruption in public and private spaces. We have been concentrating on the public sector, but now we are coming to the private sector and you will be seeing more of us in your circles.

We shouldnt be having sinners in Zimbabwe because a majority of people go to church. I am happy that churches are now preaching anti-corruption sermons.

Those in possession of ill-gotten wealth, bring it back and you wont be arrested, we will give you amnesty, said Justice Matanda-Moyo.

President Mnangagwa officially opened the event and spoke about the Second Republics efforts and desire to end and prevent corruption in the country.

Justice Matanda-Moyo said corruption is more expensive, undermines service delivery, deprives Government of taxes, and causes capital flight while also making the country unattractive to foreign direct investment.

She said Government is carrying out many projects under the National Development Strategy 1(NDS1) and Devolution Agenda among others, and continuing to allow corruption will result is substandard work being done.

Zacc led the National Anti-Corruption Strategy launched by President last year and it is sad to note that the private sector has not been coming on board.

The private sector should be part of the steering committees in the strategy but few are coming on board, said Justice Matanda-Moyo.

She said Zacc signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the private sector and Zacc is visiting parastatals and organisations doing compliance tests.

Justice Matanda-Moyo said Zacc is this year focusing on preventing corruption, which is cheaper than to chase after stolen wealth.

To win the anti-corruption war, there have been calls by various stakeholders for inclusion of anti-corruption studies in the countrys learning curriculum, including at Early Childhood Development. Chronicle
New York, US (PANA) - Sudan continues the path to democracy, two years after the revolution that carried the aspirations of our people for freedom, peace and justice, Prime Minister Abdalla Adam Hamdok told the UN General Assembly on Saturday
Welcome Guest! You Are Here:
A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind.
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CQ Hou Koers and Jamboree on the Air

During the weekend of 16 and 17 October 2021, South Africa will have many young voices on the air for CQ Hou Koers and Jamboree on the Air.

The Voortrekkers will be running CQ Hou Koers on Saturday 16 October, while the Scouts and Guides will be running JOTA on 16 and 17 October.

To make these events special for the Voortrekkers, Scouts and Guides, we need radio amateurs to set-up stations at a camp site or meeting place and, under their supervision, allow the young people to speak to other young people.



The Unika Voortrekkers in Randburg need the assistance of a radio amateur at the Unika Primary School in Randburg on 16 October, so please contact Eugene Geldenhuys on mobile 083 572 1121.

Contact Andries Visagie, ZS6VL if you want to help with CQ Hou Koers and Richard Hooper, ZS6RKE if you want to help with JOTA.

SARL
The Tibetans in exile have formed a government of their own and are constantly raising their voice about the injustice done to Tibet and demanding freedom and independence for Tibet from Chinas aggressive control.

by N.S.Venkataraman

It is now more than six decades since China forcibly occupied Tibet by sending its military and massacred the protesting Tibetans mercilessly. The Dalai Lama and his followers were left with no alternative other than leaving Tibet and China has been taking stern steps to consolidate its hold over the Tibetan region. It has been systematically taking measures to dilute the Tibetan race by settling native Chinese in Tibet and brainwashing the present generation of Tibetans who have not seen the Dalai Lama. China is trying to rewrite the history of Tibet.

However, it is now clearly seen that China has not been fully successful in crushing the Tibetan spirit. This is more than well proven by the fact that China is not willing to permit citizens from any other country to visit Tibet and see the conditions for themselves in this great Buddhist region. Obviously, China has more to conceal than reveal in Tibet. China is now guarding Tibet with an iron curtain.

The Tibetans in exile have formed a government of their own and are constantly raising their voice about the injustice done to Tibet and demanding freedom and independence for Tibet from Chinas aggressive control. Several Tibetan associations are functioning in democratic countries. However, the ground reality is that the cry of Tibetans for free Tibet appears to have become cry in the wilderness as the world , by and large, have ignored the plight of Tibet.

While India has given place for the Tibetans to live and run their government in exile in India, India has not done anything more than this. Once in a way, US government has voiced its concern about the plight of Tibetans but have done nothing beyond this. It appears that US government thinks that the fact that it has given freedom to Tibetan associations to function in USA is adequate for the present.

One ground reality is that over the six decades, many Tibetan families originally from Tibet have migrated to other countries and the descendants of the families have become citizens of other countries. While they are concerned about the humiliation suffered by Tibet at the hands of the Chinese government , they could do nothing more than this and appear to be hoping against hope that some miracle would take place sometime in future when Tibet would get back its freedom and glory. Today, no one is sure whether it would happen and how it would happen.

In the 1960s, when China entered Tibet , India could have been one country which could have protested and termed it as an illegitimate act of the Chinese government. On the other hand, the then Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru , who is a known historian himself, failed in his duty and virtually approved the occupation of Tibet by China. Later on, to add insult to injury, Indian Prime Minister Vajpayee , who is an experienced politician and should know better , virtually sealed the fate of Tibet by officially approving the occupation of Tibet by China.

Therefore, history would record that, apart from China, India too has been the principal country which has acted against Tibets interests by remaining silent on Chinese aggression and providing some sort of approval for Chinas unacceptable occupation of Tibet. When India acted in this way, the world too remained silent, leaving Tibet alone and leaving Tibetans to fight the battle for freedom all by themselves.

It is now high time that India has to atone for its historical mistake in approving Chinas occupation of Tibet.

Today, India is facing the full brunt of Chinas expansionist ambitions and has to fight against China militarily to protect its borders more than once. China claims Indias province Arunachal Pradesh as its own and it has not concealed its ambition to control and checkmate Indias progress in whatever manner possible.

At present,China considers India as its prime enemy while it considers USA as its competitor. With Afghanistan going under the control of Talibans and Indias bitterest enemy Pakistan and China working in unison and Islamic terrorists targeting India, India has to fight against China with back to the wall.

China has already done enough harm to India, short of sending its force to occupy Indian province Arunachal Pradesh. In such circumstances, India trying to appease China or buy peace with China is a wasteful and even humiliating exercise.

China occupying Tibet is a big military threat for India and it is known that China is already building a strong military base in Tibet , targeting India.

Now, India has no alternative other than asserting itself against China with no nonsense attitude . It has to expose Chinas aggressive territorial ambitions in the eyes of the world and the world should be made to realise that inspite of its military and economic power, China has now become a villain of peace due to its unconcealed ambition to expand its horizon militarily and economically in Asia and Africa.

India has to put China at its place and make China know that India will not be a sitting duck.

The effective and only way of doing this is to recognise the exile Tibetan government as the legitimate government of Tibet. If India would bell the cat in this way, it would certainly clear its conscience . Possibly, countries like the USA and other democratic countries would also follow suit, that would be the starting point for Tibet gaining back its independence and freedom. The ball is clearly in the court of India, as far as the Tibetan issue is concerned.

At present, several countries have concerns about Chinas intentions and methods and blocks are being formed amongst countries primarily to checkmate China. Now is the time to strike while the iron is hot.

By recognising Tibet as an independent country, India will create a strong resistance in the onward march of Chinas territorial ambition plans and strategies.

In the process, the world would become a better place ,as the world would have done its duty of restoring the freedom of Tibet and the glory of the country and give Tibet its rightful place in the global arena.




The Business of Legal: The Data-Driven Law Practice

Written by: Mary Juetten

Available In: eBook|Paperback

Author Website: https://www.amazon.com/Mary-Juetten/e/B07HCPKM34?ref_=dbs_p_ebk_r00_abau_000000

Mary Juettens second book, The Business of Legal: The Data-Driven Law Practice, draws from her business, accounting, and consulting background to provide advice for lawyers looking to improve their firms. Again written in plain English, with simple case studies, Juetten creates a roadmap for attorneys and other legal technicians use data and process to drive change. In fact, any professional who works with clients can use the approach to create a data-driven successful practice.



The Business of Legal explains how lawyers can collect data; analyze processes; and implement change; all required to compete and succeed in todays challenging market. This case study applies to firms of almost all sizes and in any country. From goal setting to identifying problems, the book follows a firm that is trying to improve their new client development process. Juetten explores the client-centric requirement of all services and professions today as an integral part of the successful law practice today.



The topics include not only data and profitability but also how to evaluate clients for an ideal financial fit and firm cash management. Accounting principles and the need for tracking time are explored to maximize the impact of that important data. A second case study reviews some of the unique challenges faced by solo who are just starting their firms. Compensation and how a firm should keep track or score of data and metrics are also included.



While the laws may differ, the core of business and management is universal. Juettens book is not just for tech-savvy lawyers. In fact, learn the concepts in this book before trying to solve your problems with technology.
Amanat Holdings, a leading healthcare and education investment company said that Saudi Healthcare and Education Fund, in which Amanat through its subsidiaries indirectly holds 100% of its units, has completed the sale of its minority equity interest representing 13.13% of the shares in International Medical Center KSA (IMC) to a private investor for a total consideration of SR443 million ($118 million).



The said divestment has resulted in a total cash return of about AED100 million ($27.2 million), including dividends, and is expected to report a gain from sale of about AED40 million.



The Fund first acquired its equity interest in IMC, a 300-bed multi-disciplinary tertiary care hospital that serves Saudi Arabias Western Region and targets the high-end segment of the market, in January 2017, and exited IMC at a multiple of c. 15x EV/EBITDA LTM June 2021.



The exit is in line with Amanats communicated strategy to exit minority investments where the path to control is challenging or limited and focus on being influential shareholders. The exit enables Amanat to pave the way forward towards more specialized opportunities in healthcare and education and to expand their platforms by building scale and synergies for future monetization.



Amanats Chairman, Hamad Alshamsi said: IMC has a unique market position in Saudi Arabia and is a reputable provider of quality healthcare. We invested through the Fund in IMC nearly five years ago, with a different vision to obtain exposure across recognized assets through minority stakes.



Today, Amanat has begun forming specialized platforms that have the potential to also be leading providers with Amanat as an influential or majority shareholder. The divestment of IMC was timely and at an attractive multiple as we continue to deliver on our strategic priorities and exit minority positions that can enable us to recycle capital for investments that are better aligned with Amanats platform model.



Alshamsi added: As we continue to surmount the repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic we are also cognizant of the value our team delivers to our shareholders and I would like to commend the Amanat Management team for a series of solid deliverables since the beginning of 2021. We look forward to continuing on this trajectory which has resulted in the expansion of Amanats profitability enabling us to deliver shareholder value at every milestone.



Dr Mohamad Hamade, CEO of Amanat, commented: It has been a pleasure working alongside the esteemed founders, board of directors, management and medical staff of the renowned IMC over the years. Since the Funds investment in IMC, we have made headway despite our limiting ownership.



We stepped up to support IMCs management at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic to ensure business continuity and a healthy balance sheet and led on the bolt-on acquisition of First Clinic in North Jeddah that paved the way for IMC to become a hub-and-spoke model adding significant capacity in the groups core market. That said, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the IMC stakeholders for their continuous support and for their ongoing contribution to society.



The exit from IMC was an independent sale process during a challenging economic climate and I believe we managed to seize a solid opportunity as we continuously work to deliver on our promise to grow total shareholder returns. Looking ahead, as disciplined investors with a healthy pipeline across both healthcare and education, we look to invest in high yielding opportunities and focus on businesses that are leading the transformation of the healthcare and education sectors to build long-term sustainable value while delivering solid returns to shareholders. Hamade added.



The divestment of IMC, which was sourced and executed internally, demonstrates Amanats capabilities across the investment cycle, from disciplined acquisition to portfolio management and value creation, and ultimately divestment.



Given Amanats strong balance sheet and the proceeds generated from the exit of both IMC and Taaleem this year, the company has north of AED700 million of dry powder to facilitate funding for the right future investments.  TradeArabia News Service
Bahrain is considering several options to support the financial and economic recovery and to maintain social support for eligible citizens, including adjusting the rate of the value-added tax (VAT), it was revealed at a key meeting.

Government ministers attending a joint meeting of the legislative and executive branches noted that the best option is always which has the minimum effect on citizens, especially those with limited income. They stressed keenness to maintain the exclusion of 49 basic food commodities from VAT, in addition to basic services and 1,400 government services, said a Bahrain News Agency report.

The joint meeting was chaired by Speaker of the Representatives Council Fawzia bint Abdullah Zainal, in the presence of Shura Council Chairman Ali bin Saleh Al Saleh, Finance Minister Shaikh Salman bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, Minister of Labour and Social Development Jamil bin Mohammed Ali Humaidan, Minister of Parliament Affairs Ghanim bin Fadhel Al Buainin, Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism Zayed bin Rashid Al Zayani, Shura Council First Deputy Chairman Jamal Fakhro, Second Deputy Chairman Jamila Salman, Representatives Council First Deputy Speaker Abdulnabi Salman Ahmed, Second Deputy Speaker Ali Zayed and Heads and members of the Shura and Representatives Councils Financial and Economic Committees, it said.

The meeting reviewed plans and initiatives related to financial and economic recovery after the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.

The government team stressed that Bahrain, in line with the directives of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, has prioritised citizens health in all stages of dealing with the pandemic which faced the whole world. They said the efforts were focused first on protecting the health of citizens and residents, combat the virus and preserve national achievements. Then, they added, the kingdom took steps to support the national economy and the private sector, maintain economic growth, create quality opportunities for citizens, protect jobs and ensure stability of the labour market.

The government team pointed out the launch of the financial and economic package to maintain continuity of the states programmes to achieve sustainable development and weather the economic impact of the pandemic on the private sector. They also pointed out the initiatives taken to support citizens and alleviate the repercussions of the pandemic on them, in line with the directives of His Majesty the King and under the follow-up of the government led by HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister.

The government team clarified that the results achieved until February 2020 of the Fiscal Balance Programme to balance government expenditures and revenues exceeded the interim goals set. They said due to the repercussions of the coronavirus pandemic on the world and the economic situation, in general, those results did not continue, which is what prompts at the current stage to adopt initiatives to protect the society through economic recovery, enhancing financial stability and putting the fiscal balance programme on track to achieve its goals.

They said to avoid any direct impact on citizens, the goal of the fiscal balance programme will be modified to 2024, said the report.

The Minister of Finance and National Economy pointed out the governments adherence to the principles adopted in achieving the goals of the fiscal balance programme. He pointed out the steps taken by the government in this regard such as rationalising and boosting the competence of expenditure, reducing the operational ones, maintaining social support for eligible citizens, ensuring continuous provision of good quality services for citizens and continuing the fiscal balance programme according to its goals through achieving economic recovery during the next phase.

The Minister stressed that priority in the next phase will be given to the importance of the national economic recovery through implementation of initiatives that are consistent with the current requirements to bring the growth rates back to their aspired levels. He praised the one-team spirit in facing challenges, stressing keenness on putting the supreme national interest above any other consideration.

The Speaker praised the constructive cooperation between the government and the legislative branch to serve citizens. She hailed keenness of the government to inform the legislative branch about future plans and projects and their impact on the community. She stressed that the meeting reflects keenness of the legislative and executive branches to maintain continuous coordination and cooperation to ensure success of plans and initiatives aimed at achieving the goals of the Economic Vision 2030.

The Shura Council Chairman stressed the positive economic indicators of Bahrain over the past eight months of 2021. He said the results, parallel to the levels recorded in 2019, before the global spread of the coronavirus pandemic, affirm the Kingdoms financial stability and excellence in implementing policies to achieve sustainability of the national economy, the report said.
Joramco, the Amman-based maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) provider and the engineering arm of Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE), has appointed Fraser Currie as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective October 1, 2021.



Currie joined Joramco in April 2018 as Chief Commercial Officer. Prior to joining Joramco, Currie held the position of Chief Executive Officer at Texel Air, a Bahrain based cargo airline. Currie has 38 years of industry experience, the last 17years of which at senior executive levels. Currie holds an MBA from the Open University.



Currie succeeds Jeff Wilkinson, who is taking an expanded role at DAE Engineering to grow the engineering divisions footprint.



Currie said: I am delighted to take the helm of such a competent and capable team. Joramco has gone through a very successful transformation over the past few years, and I am looking forward to developing the company further with a clear vision.



I would also like to use this opportunity to thank Jeff Wilkinson for his years of commitment and strategic leadership to transform the operational cadence of Joramco and look forward to continue working with him as part of DAEs wider engineering ambition.



Jeff Wilkinson commented: I would like to congratulate Fraser Currie on his appointment. Having worked closely together over the last years and significantly growing the revenue and customer base, I am confident that Fraser will lead Joramco into its next phase of growth.  TradeArabia News Service
Al Fardan Jewellery has further enhanced its offerings by adding Yeprem, another world-famous brand to its progressive collection.

The exquisite range from Yeprem is purposefully designed to turn heads and make waves. A familiar sight on star-studded red carpets and at Hollywood parties, its exclusive fan base includes some of the most inspiring, glamorous and powerful women in the world.

Renowned for its brave, bold and eye-catching statement designs, Jennifer Lopez, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Rita Ora, Pink, Beyonce, Oprah Winfrey, Madonna and Bella Hadid are just a few of the big names who are proud to wear these beautiful creations.

Specialising in precious diamond jewellery, the family-run company was founded in Beirut, Lebanon in 1964. Yeprems wearable pieces of art are of the highest quality, featuring enticing designs that are totally one-of-a-kind.

This makes the brand the perfect match for Al Fardans vibrant new concept, which boasts a range of classy and delicate looks designed to appeal to all ages and tastes.

Providing a gorgeous array of necklaces, rings, chokers, bracelets, hand pieces and pendants, the Yeprem collection is available alongside Al Fardans own personal collection of masterfully, handcrafted pieces.

As one of the Middle Easts leading luxury retailers for almost 70 years, Al Fardan prides itself on staying true to its Emirati heritage, whilst still embracing the leading trends of the current day and adapting to the changing modern world.

In addition to Yeprem, the destination also stocks sleek and sophisticated accessories from a number of other international brands.

This includes Guatemalan-inspired Alessa Jewellery, world-famous Italian jewellers Repossi, Swiss watch manufacturer Corum, and veteran Parisian accessory specialist Chaumet.

Hasan Fardan Al Fardan, CEO of Al Fardan Group, said: Im so excited to introduce Yeprem to the UAE and encourage women from across the region to embrace their femininity and discover new styles that bring out their own individual personalities. Ground breaking and forward thinking, yet at the same time elegant and classic, the brand fits perfectly with our own unique identity and love for edgy and dynamic designs.

Im sure the pieces will be a big hit with all our customers, both new and returning, and I cant wait to help our guests become better acquainted with them.-- TradeArabia News Service
IBM, in collaboration with business partner ACME Saico, has announced the automation of 22 wheat silos across Egypt by the end of this year using IBM AI-powered automation software.

This supports the Ministry of Supply and Internal Trades plans to digitise the wheat supply chain and implement governance systems on the countrys strategic stock.

In line with the national plan for digital transformation, the Ministry of Supply and Internal Trade represented by the Egyptian Holding Company for Silos and Storage (EHCSS) selected IBM and ACME Saico to create a platform powered by IBMs AI-powered automation software in a hybrid cloud environment.

Using IBM Cloud Pak for Business Automation and IBM Cloud Pak for Integration, the new solution will allow full automation and governance of all the steps of shipping, transport, storage, and supply of the wheat silos.

Through this advanced technology, the automated platform collects data from different sensors that are embedded in the silos. These sensors send near real-time quantitative analytics of the wheat supply and stock status to the main platform at the Ministry of Supply.

Thus, the EHCSS will be able to monitor and store all information related to the incoming shipments to maintain quality standards, report accurate views of the stock in silos, as well as reduce the leakage in wheat silos extensively.

The system will also help to better manage the communication and coordination between different storage points, and mills.

We are committed to expanding the wheat silos automation across the country. The automation enables us to instantly monitor the wheat stock through a digital platform, providing the needed visibility to secure the supply chain. The platform, powered by IBM technology, ensures efficiency, stock protection, in addition to addressing logistical redundancies. This project is part of Egypts digital transformation strategy to upgrade services level and performance across all fields, stated Dr Ali El-Moselhi, Minister of Supply and Internal Trade.

"After renovating and increasing the number of silos across the nation, our goal was to build a digital platform to connect all silos with the main centre at the EHCSS. Another goal was to automate the documentation processing of the wheat supply chain and monitoring process of the 22 silos and storage points, added Major General Sherif Bassili, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Egyptian Holding Company for Silos & Storage.

We are proud to be part of this strategic project that supports the countrys digital transformation journey. By offering IBMs AI and hybrid cloud approach, we're supporting Egypt to achieve its strategy for sustainable development as part of the countrys 2030 Vision, said Wael Abdoush, General Manager, IBM Egypt.

Dr Khaled Derbala, CEO of ACME Saico added: We are honored to be part of this national achievement. After months of studying the nature of the food industry, we were able to create a robust and agile system to ensure more governance that doesnt affect the flow of business. The Ministry was able to see the links between implementing their strategic plans and the tailored digital system we created with IBM.

Earlier this year, the launch of the pilot model for the first automated wheat silo took place in Banha, Qualyubia Governorate. Following the success of the pilot, the Ministry decided to expand automation to 22 silos before the end of this year.

All silos will be monitored from the Ministry headquarters and the General Authority for Supply Commodities through IBM Cognos Analytics with Watson connected to the automation platform in use.

As part of the sustainable development strategy of Egypts vision for 2030, the government is planning to automate 400 silos adding them to the wheat supply chain monitoring system.-- TradeArabia News Service
Petrofac Limited has announced that it has reached a plea agreement with the UK Serious Fraud Office (SFO) in relation to its investigation into the companys historical use of agents.

Pursuant to this plea agreement, the company has today indicated guilty pleas to seven counts of failing to prevent former Petrofac group employees from offering or making payments to agents in relation to projects awarded between 2012 and 2015 in Iraq, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, contrary to Section 7 of the UK Bribery Act 2010. These offers or payments were made between 2011 and 2017. All employees involved in the charges have left the business, a statement from the company said.

A sentencing hearing is scheduled to take place at Southwark Crown Court commencing on September 27. The company will make a further announcement following sentencing or any adjournment, it said.

"The penalty will be determined at the sole discretion of the court. It may take into account submissions by the company as to its ability to pay, along with the SFOs recognition that Petrofac is a changed company with transformed leadership, personnel, compliance and assurance processes," it said.

Chairman Rene Medori said: This was a deeply regrettable period of Petrofacs history. We are committed to ensuring it will never happen again. We have fundamentally overhauled our compliance regime, as well as the people, and the culture that supports it. Our comprehensive programme of corporate renewal has been acknowledged by the SFO. Petrofac has been living under the shadow of the past, but today it is a profoundly different business, in which stakeholders can be assured of our commitment to the highest standards of business ethics, wherever we operate.

Group Chief Executive Sami Iskander said: With my new management team we are rebuilding the company into a new Petrofac thats relevant for the future, across both traditional and new energies, built on a foundation of the highest ethical standards.

Petrofac, today, has a well-developed, comprehensive compliance and governance regime. This is supported by a dedicated compliance and investigations team, new systems and technologies, mandatory training and a company culture based on ethical business conduct and transparency, said the statement.

"Its compliance regime is championed, supported, and overseen at local, divisional and Board level, and supplemented by regular independent verification. Agents are no longer used other than where required by law and are subject to enhanced audit and additional controls," it added. - TradeArabia News Service
British oilfield services company Petrofac has pleaded guilty on seven counts of bribery committed to obtain projects in Iraq, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. A plea agreement was reached with the UK Serious Fraud Office (SFO).

In a statement on Sunday, Petrofact said: "Pursuant to this plea agreement, the company has today indicated guilty pleas to seven counts of failing to prevent former Petrofac group employees from offering or making payments to agents in relation to projects awarded between 2012 and 2015 in Iraq, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, contrary to Section 7 of the UK Bribery Act 2010. These offers or payments were made between 2011 and 2017. All employees involved in the charges have left the business."

A sentencing hearing is scheduled to take place at Southwark Crown Court commencing on September 27, 2021.

The statement further said the penalty will be determined at the sole discretion of the court, adding it may take into account "submissions by the company as to its ability to pay, along with the SFOs recognition that Petrofac is a changed company with transformed leadership, personnel, compliance and assurance processes".

According to Rene Medori, Petrofac Chairman, said: This was a deeply regrettable period of Petrofacs history. We are committed to ensuring it will never happen again. We have fundamentally overhauled our compliance regime, as well as the people, and the culture that supports it. Our comprehensive programme of corporate renewal has been acknowledged by the SFO. Petrofac has been living under the shadow of the past, but today it is a profoundly different business, in which stakeholders can be assured of our commitment to the highest standards of business ethics, wherever we operate.

Sami Iskander, Group CEO, said: With my new management team we are rebuilding the company into a new Petrofac thats relevant for the future, across both traditional and new energies, built on a foundation of the highest ethical standards. --Tradearabia News Service
The ancient coffin of Priest Psamtik has arrived in Dubai to be displayed at the Egypt Pavilion at Expo Dubai 2020.

The coffin of priest Psamtik, the son of Pediosir is one of the coloured wooden coffins that were recently discovered in the area of Saqqara by the archaeological mission of the Supreme Council of Antiquities of Egypt.

The coffin is decorated with a large necklace that ends with the heads of a falcon, with the goddess of sky "Nut" appears spreading her wings, carrying the two feathers of Maat (the goddess of truth and justice).

The centre part of the coffin is decorated with religious incantations. Around its sides are two rows of Was" deities holding a scepter in her hands. At the lower part of the coffin, two figures of the god of afterlife Anubis appear above his cottage standing in front of the deceased.

A group of modern replicas of King Tutankhamun have also arrived to be displayed at the Egypt Pavilion. The collection includes his golden mask, his own sarcophagus, the Ka guardian statue of the king, the special festive chair as well as the golden king's throne.

The notion of coffins in the ancient Egyptian civilization is of great significance from a religious and symbolic point of view, as it is the most important phase in the burial process and the place where the body of the deceased is prepared for the process of judgment in the afterlife.

The transfer of these artifacts comes to assure the keenness of all Egyptian state agencies to maximise all their capabilities to ensure the success of the Egyptian participation in Expo Dubai 2020.

It also aims to reflect the significance of the countrys role as one of the top tourist attractions and archaeological destinations in the world, said a statement. - TradeArabia News Service
Dubai-based low-cost airline flydubai has resumed its operations to the European cities of Prague in Czech Republic and Zagreb in Croatia.

The carrier will operate up to five weekly flights from Dubai International to Prague International Airport and fly twice a week to Franjo Tuman Airport Zagreb.

The airline said it will increase the frequency of its operations to Zagreb to four weekly flights from December this year. Emirates will codeshare on these routes offering travellers more connections through Dubais international aviation hub.

flydubai Chief Commercial Officer Hamad Obaidalla said: We are excited to resume operations to Croatia and the Czech Republic which are two popular destinations on our network.

"We are confident that passengers will enjoy flydubais service and the comfortable cabin of our Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, which offers a flatbed in Business Class, and is scheduled to operate on these routes.

With international travel restrictions gradually easing, flydubai has grown its network to over 95 destinations in 50 countries across Africa, Central Asia, the Caucasus, Central and South-East Europe, the GCC and the Middle East, and the Indian Subcontinent.

"The restart of flydubais operations to the Czech and Croatian markets will enable more people to travel to Dubai as Expo 2020 Dubai opens its doors to visitors from beginning of October," a spokesperson said.

The airline also said that passengers booking a flydubai flight to Dubai will enjoy a complimentary 1-day ticket to visit Expo 2020 Dubai, taking place from October 1-March 31, 2022. The initiative is valid for all bookings made from September 1 for travel during the event dates.-TradeArabia News Service
The Khalk Maslakhaty (People's Council) of Milli Gengesh (National Council) of Turkmenistan held a meeting in Ashgabat chaired by President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the country's independence.

In his keynote speech, the head of state summed up the results of the country's socio-economic development over three decades of independent development.

According to the Turkmen leader, a solid foundation was laid in this period for building a democratic, legal and secular state, including adoption of the Constitution of Turkmenistan that defined the state structure. The military, law enforcement and national security agencies were also reformed. The National Army was established and the national currency was put into circulation.

Speaking about the economic development of the country, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov noted that investments in Turkmenistans economy exceeded 200 billion US dollars over the past 30 years. More than 60 percent of these funds were channeled into development of the industrial sector, and the share of foreign capital in the total investments is about 15 percent.

The head of state also stressed that a lot of investments was made into development of human capital in science, education and healthcare.

He emphasized that about 2.5 thousand large facilities with worth over 37 billion US dollars are currently being built in the country.

The head of state expressed confidence that Turkmenistan, guided by its neutral status, taking advantage of a favorable geopolitical position, rich reserves of raw materials, as well as powerful human potential, will turn into one of the industrially developed countries in the near future.

During the meeting, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov signed a number of decrees on state awards to citizens who distinguished themselves in labor in honor of the 30th anniversary of Turkmenistan's independence.

In particular, the head of state announced the decision to award Executive Secretary of the National Commission of Turkmenistan for UNESCO Chynar Rustemova the highest state distinction - the title of Hero of Turkmenistan. As Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov noted, working for a long time in the country's Foreign Service, she made a great personal contribution to strengthening the sovereignty, constitutional order, state independence and permanent neutrality of Turkmenistan.

Considering Chynar Rustemovas outstanding services to the Motherland and the people, the successes achieved, as well as many years of hard and dedicated work, it was decided to award her the title of Hero of Turkmenistan and present her with the gold medal Altyn ay (Golden Moon), the Turkmen leader said. To the applause of the meeting participants, President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov presented Chynar Rustemova with the highest state award.

In his closing remarks, the head of state noted that he finished work on another book called Independence is our happiness. The President of Turkmenistan stressed that in the new book he wanted to outline the role of the international legal status of permanent neutrality in solving key problems of our time. Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov expressed hope that the new book would be interesting and useful and become a gift to readers for the 30th anniversary of Turkmenistan's independence.

At the end of the meeting, following the resolution of the Mejlis of Milli Gengesh, a ceremony was held to present President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov with the jubilee medal The 30th Anniversary of Independence of Turkmenistan and the commemorative coin of the national currency Altyn say (Gold Coin). Then, the head of state presented commemorative medals and coins to the government officials, the Chairman of the Mejlis and the Deputy Chairman of the Khalk Maslakhaty of Milli Gengesh of Turkmenistan.

 TURKMENISTAN.RU, 2021
Lucknow, Sep 26(UNI) Bahujan Samaj Party(BSP) supremo Mayawati has extended her supported to the Bharat Bandh called on Monday by various farmers organisations and reiterated her party's demand for withdrawal of the 3 new farm laws enforced by the Centre.



Ms Mayawati tweeted on Sunday morning, "The farmers of the country are dissatisfied with the three agricultural laws made hastily by the Center. They have been agitating across the country and especially in the states around Delhi for almost 10 months, demanding withdrawal of the new laws. Now the farmers have called for 'Bharat Bandh' tomorrow and BSP will support a peaceful bandh".



She also said that, "Along with this, there is also an appeal to the Central Government to withdraw all the three controversial agricultural laws by showing sympathy and sensitivity towards the farming community. Government should further bring a new law with proper consultation and consent of the farmers so that this problem can be resolved amicably. If the farmers are happy, then the country is happy too".

UNI MB ACL1035
Source: Xinhua| 2021-03-24 17:17:14|Editor: huaxia

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LIBREVILLE, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Gabonese President Ali Bongo Ondimba and his wife Sylvia Bongo Ondimba received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by Sinopharm on Tuesday in Libreville, said a press release from the Presidency.

"As he himself announced, the President of the Republic has been vaccinated against COVID-19," the release said.

The First Lady had also published on social media the photos taken during her vaccination.

On Tuesday, Gabon's Minister of Health Guy Patrick Obiang Ndong officially launched the national vaccination campaign against COVID-19.

The kick-off of this campaign was made possible by a donation of Sinopharm's vaccine to the Gabonese people by China.

In a message to the nation on Monday evening, the Gabonese president specified that the first phase of vaccination would mainly target health personnel, the military and similar forces as well as vulnerable people.

The first confirmed case of COVID-19 was discovered in Gabon on March 12, 2020. In about one year's time, Gabon has lost 108 people as a result of this pandemic, according to the latest data published by the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-17 23:01:02|Editor: huaxia

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LIBREVILLE, May 17 (Xinhua) -- Gabon, a French-speaking country in Africa, has decided to knock on the door of the Commonwealth, almost all of whose members are the former territories of the British Empire.

Gabonese President Ali Bongo Ondimba said last Tuesday that his country plans to join the Commonwealth in a short time. Speaking of a "historic turning point," he made this major announcement in London after a meeting with Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland.

LANGUAGE EMANCIPATION

Gabon's willingness to join the Commonwealth is not a decision that comes out of nowhere.

Ali Bongo, a perfect English speaker who spent part of his childhood in the United States, has never hidden his intention to lead Gabon into the Anglosphere, in order to realize modernization.

Though international, the French language, the official language of Gabon, is not the most spoken in the world, while English is still the language of business, a shared opinion among the Gabonese officials.

"Gabon wants to develop and offer itself the best opportunities. When you leave the French-speaking zone, if you don't understand English, you are almost handicapped. It is about ensuring that Gabonese people are better armed," said Alain-Claude Bilie-By-Nze, former spokesman for the Gabonese presidency.

In October 2012, the Gabonese president paid a short visit to Kigali to "examine the experience of English-French bilingualism" in Rwanda, a French-speaking community that also belongs to the Commonwealth.

The president had followed the example by sending a group of teachers to Ghana to learn English teaching. But his plan to make room for English in schools had failed when the country had sledded in a severe economic crisis following the fall in commodity prices in 2014.

ECONOMIC DIVERSIFICATION

In his major announcement last week, the Gabonese president said the goal is to diversify Gabon's economy. His spokesman, Jessye Ella Ekogha, added that it was a choice aimed at "sustainable development of the country."

In Africa, there has been an opinion among observers that economic development tends to be more dynamic in English-speaking countries than in most French-speaking countries. Libreville intends to vary its development choices based on the development models of the English-speaking countries, according to the Gabonese Foreign Ministry.

The option of making Gabon a bilingual country was also in line with the country's ambition to develop the tertiary sector as part of the diversification of an economy that is overly dependent on oil, wood and mineral sectors.

Since 2012, Gabon with Chinese support has invested heavily in the construction of stadiums, hotels and other infrastructure with the goal of turning itself into a tourism hub.

A DECISIVE SUMMIT

Libreville is now patiently waiting for its candidacy to be validated at the next Commonwealth summit in Kigali, Rwanda.

However, the summit, scheduled for June, was postponed indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to a source close to the Gabonese Foreign Ministry, Gabon had already applied for several months and the Commonwealth had sent a delegation to Libreville for an assessment to determine whether Gabon is eligible for its criteria.

Gabon, for example, has adopted in March a revision of the civil code to defend gender equality and combat domestic violence, a cause supported by Patricia Scotland. If all goes well for Libreville, it would become the third non-English speaking country to join the organization, after Mozambique in 1995 and Rwanda in 2009. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-04 16:59:22|Editor: huaxia

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VIENTIANE, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- Local cases of COVID-19 continued to increase and spread across multiple provinces in Laos, with 64 new infections reported on Saturday.

Director General of the Department of Communicable Disease Control under the Lao Ministry of Health Rattanaxay Phetsouvanh told a press conference in the Lao capital Vientiane on Saturday that 156 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and one new death from the pandemic were recorded over the past 24 hours, bringing the total tally to 15,761 cases with 16 deaths.

A total of 64 community cases were newly recorded, with 25 detected in Khammuan province, 20 in Champasak, six each in Savannakhet and the capital Vientiane, five in Luang Prabang, and two in Bokeo province.

Meanwhile, 92 imported cases were recorded, with 46 in Saravan province, 17 in Savannakhet, 12 in Champasak, seven each in Luang Prabang and the capital Vientiane, two in Khammuan, and one in Xayaboury.

The new death involved a 31-year-old man living in Savannakhet province.

As of Saturday, a total of 10,177 COVID-19 patients have recovered and been discharged from hospitals across the southeast Asian country.

Laos reported its first two confirmed COVID-19 cases on March 24 last year. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-07 17:03:02|Editor: huaxia

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ULAN BATOR, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Mongolia's COVID-19 tally rose by 3,963 to 240,042 in the last 24 hours, its highest daily increase of infections, the health ministry said Tuesday.

It also marked the seventh straight day to exceed 3,000 cases daily. Meanwhile, eight more patients, all aged over 40, died in the past day, pushing the national death toll to 976.

The ministry said that more than 8,200 samples were tested across the country in the past day, and the latest confirmed cases were all local infections.

A total of 50,078 COVID-19 patients, including 2,617 children and 710 pregnant women, are now being treated across the country, according to the ministry.

Health authorities have urged the public to strictly follow all health protocols as the highly contagious Delta variant is spreading fast across the country and has been detected in most of the 21 provinces.

Nearly 65 percent of Mongolia's population have been fully vaccinated since the Asian country launched a nationwide COVID-19 vaccination campaign in late February. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-07 20:56:30|Editor: huaxia

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BISHKEK, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- The Rubezh-2021 joint exercises of the Collective Forces of Rapid Deployment of the Central Asian region of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) were held in Kyrgyzstan on Tuesday.

The CSTO Joint Staff and Secretariat, and military contingents and operational groups of CSTO member states, namely Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan, attended the exercises, said the press service of the Kyrgyz Ministry of Defense.

In total, more than 1,000 people and 150 units of military and special equipment, including multiple launch rocket systems and aviation such as Su-30SM fighters, Su-25 attack aircraft and Mi-8 helicopters were involved.

The exercises will focus on the preparation and conduct of hostilities to destroy illegal armed groups that invade CSTO member state's territory.

The exercises mainly aim to improve the practical skills of officials of the command and control bodies of the troops and increase the coherence of the units in implementing tasks during a joint operation.

The CSTO Collective Forces of Rapid Deployment of the Central Asian region are designed to carry out tasks to ensure the military security of the CSTO member states, including repelling external military aggression and conducting joint counterterrorist operations.

The total number of Collective Forces of Rapid Deployment is about 5,000 people. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-08 19:52:31|Editor: huaxia

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ULAN BATOR, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Mongolia's COVID-19 infections grew by 3,677 to 243,719 in the past 24 hours, the health ministry said Wednesday.

It also marked the eighth straight day to exceed 3,000 cases daily.

The disease has so far claimed 982 lives in the country after six more patients aged over 60 died in the past day.

More than 19,400 COVID-19 patients across the country remain hospitalized, while over 29,600 asymptomatic or mild cases are receiving treatment at home, according to the ministry.

The resurgence of infections came with the highly contagious Delta variant spreading fast in most of the country's 21 provinces.

Health authorities said the country's Delta wave is expected to peak in late September, urging the public to follow all relevant health guidelines.

The Asian country reported its first imported COVID-19 case in March 2020, and confirmed its first locally transmitted case in November last year. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-14 20:16:32|Editor: huaxia

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NANNING, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- Seated in front of bright lights, four Lao students in ethnic wear promote tea products in a livestream studio in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region to hundreds of thousands of viewers in Laos.

Among them is Boudsada Lathsakoumman, who was admitted to a vocational college in Guangxi's Liuzhou city two years ago. "I had never expected to develop a bond with China's tea culture," says the 21-year-old.

In 2019, the college joined hands with a Lao company to set up a training base to nurture talent in the tea industry. "I have attended plenty of 'tea art performance' contests in recent years and got to make many Chinese friends," says Lathsakoumman, one of the trainees.

A major in logistics management, the young trainee experienced fast and efficient logistics that bolsters the booming e-commerce economy in China.

"Studying in Guangxi which lies close to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region gives me the opportunity to have a closer look into regional connectivity, and the greater mutual cooperation between China and ASEAN countries," she says.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Laos. In recent years, more and more Chinese enterprises have invested in Laos, covering fields such as mining, electric power, agriculture, and the service industry.

Nowadays, China has become the second-largest trading partner and the country with the largest foreign direct investment in Laos.

Meanwhile, products from Laos are gaining popularity in China. Listed as one of the world's 10 best beers, Beerlao has been in the Chinese market since 2011, and the Lao Brewery Co., Ltd. that produces the drink became the first ASEAN company to sponsor the China-ASEAN Expo in 2012.

Within years, China has become the largest overseas market for the fast-selling beer brand, accounting for about 70 percent of its total sales worldwide.

During this year's 18th China-ASEAN Expo that concluded on Monday, Laos was the Country of Honor, for the third time. Liang Yiguang, deputy secretary-general of the expo secretariat said a number of specialty goods from Laos such as beer and coffee saw in the expo an opportunity to enter the Chinese market.

Lathsakoumman participated in an activity organized by the China-ASEAN Youth Campus during the summer vacation, and took the high-speed train for the first time. "The high-speed rail service in China is so convenient and efficient," she says.

The construction of the China-Laos railway is taking place under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative.

In the future, the railway will become an important driving force for the two sides to conduct mutual cooperation in economy, trade, investment, tourism, employment, cultural exchanges, and people-to-people exchanges, said Lao Prime Minister Phankham Viphavanh.

Data shows that bilateral trade volume between China and Laos continues to grow. In the first half of this year, the bilateral trade volume between the two countries reached 14.89 billion yuan (about 2.3 billion U.S. dollars), up 36.8 percent year on year. China's foreign direct investment in Laos reached 1.24 billion U.S. dollars, up 8.9 percent year on year in 2020. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-19 11:58:17|Editor: huaxia

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VIENTIANE, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- Lao capital Vientiane's administration has imposed a ban on all travels to and from Vientiane and within four major districts of the capital city from Sunday to September 30, 2021.

The four prohibited districts are Chanthaboury, Sisattanak, Sikhottabong and Xaysettha. Travels to particular areas in other three districts namely Xaythany, Hadxayfong and Naxaythong in the Lao capital were also prohibited.

The move came after Vientiane witnessed a rocket surge in community cases on Saturday, when the National Taskforce Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control announced that 467 new cases had been recorded nationwide over the past 24 hours including 384 locally transmitted cases with 265 reported in Vientiane, the highest daily community infection ever recorded in the capital city.

More than 90 percent of the local cases in Vientiane were linked to a garment factory in Chanthaboury district. Up to 260 out of more than 1,000 workers employed by the factory were confirmed positive to COVID-19 on Saturday.

According to Lao News Agency (KPL), as of Saturday, the country has recorded a total of 18,814 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 3,665 active cases and 16 deaths. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-26 16:59:45|Editor: huaxia

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ULAN BATOR, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- Mongolia's COVID-19 cases increased by 2,184 to 294,375 over the past 24 hours, the country's health ministry said on Sunday.

The latest confirmed cases were all local infections, and around half of them were detected in the national capital of Ulan Bator, which is home to half of Mongolia's population of around 3.4 million.

The viral disease has claimed 1,133 lives in the country since its first case was confirmed in March last year, according to the ministry.

There are now over 88,800 active COVID-19 cases in the country, and most of them are receiving home-based care due to a shortage of hospital beds and medical staff.

The country's health authorities have urged the public to follow all relevant health guidelines as the highly contagious Delta variant of the virus is spreading fast across the country.

So far, 65.4 percent of the country's population has been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 since a nationwide vaccination campaign was launched in late February. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-26 18:37:13|Editor: huaxia

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KABUL, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- The Kabul International Airport is now fully operational for international flights and all airliners can resume airlifts, spokesman of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Taliban caretaker government announced on Sunday.

"As the problems at Kabul International Airport have been resolved and the airport is fully operational for domestic and international flights, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan assures all airlines of its full cooperation and expects all airlines and countries that had previously flown to Kabul to resume their flights as before," spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi said in a statement.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs once again assures full cooperation on its part in conducting flights more than 40 days after Taliban takeover, he added.

The Kabul airport was damaged with its many facilities destroyed during the withdrawal of U.S.-led forces and American nationals on Aug. 31.

Airport authorities confirmed that the Kabul airport has received planes carrying humanitarian assistance from Qatar, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Pakistan as well as a number of commercial flights from Pakistan, Iran and Qatar in recent weeks despite long suspension in the flights since mid-last month. Enditem
#VacunateYa | Esta noche llego al Peru un primer lote de 163 200 vacunas contra la #COVID19 adquiridas al laboratorio britanico AstraZeneca a traves de un contrato bilateral suscrito con el #Minsa. pic.twitter.com/iN1ZmFbNX9
In an interview with the Official Newspaper El Peruano, the head of the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) explains how private capital will be boosted.





What measures will you take to boost private investment?





We maintain a private investment promotion policy. There are a number of Public-Private Partnership projects which are underway and others that we want to promote. Currently, the expansion of Jorge Chavez International Airport and Lima Metro Line 2 are very important. Likewise, there are strictly private initiatives such as the Chancay Port, which is progressing quite well and entails great resources.





On the other hand, at the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) , we are hosting executive roundtables that seek to bring various elements of the public administration and the private sector together to unlock and ease the development of new businesses.





This month, one of our tasks will precisely be to give new impetus to the executive roundtables. We begin with two sector roundtables that seem very significant to us. The first is aquaculture, a sector that has experienced some growth, but has plenty of potential because it can be carried out on the coast, mountains, and jungle. We want to give it a great boost.





The second is the mining sector roundtable because there are paramount projects whose problems and obstacles need to be solved, trying to avoid conflicts so that initiatives can move forward. Our goal this month will be a new push to two roundtables per week.





It was announced that 52 projects will be sped up, which are worth S/114 billion (about US$27.804 billion). Is it public, private or mixed investment?





They are of the three types, and this idea basically responds to the National Plan of Infrastructure for Competitiveness, which identifies the major gaps that our country faces in terms of telecommunications, roads, and ports, among others.





There are projects that can be executed in a strictly public manner; others are carried out under the Public-Private Partnership scheme.





In both cases, it is necessary to provide a closer follow-up because one issue is that the initiative be approved. Yet from there until the execution progresses and ends, there are a series of barriers and issues that must be continuously addressed.





There are also some projects which are concessions but respond exclusively to private investment the best example is Chancay Port.





Is that included among these 52 projects?





Yes, indeed.
?? AHORA | El titular de la PCM, @GuidoPuka, junto a los congresistas Jaime Quito y Alex Paredes, se encuentra en Arequipa donde participa del Encuentro con organizaciones de bases sindicales y sociales. pic.twitter.com/biQ0MTshOK
In a meeting with people from Anguia district in Chota Province, the Head of State underscored that fighting the scourge of corruption is essential, as works and projects need to be executed for the benefit of the entire population in the national territory.

"We will distribute the budget to regions, and we hope that population is organized. We are undertaking the real decentralization process in the country," he stated.

"The population must pay attention to the budget funds that we will allocate to regional governments, as well as to provincial and district mayors," the top official remarked.

He said the country will be able to move forward if people work with authorities and lend a shoulder, since the Government seeks to promote development to improve living conditions of all citizens.

Addressing the population, President Castillo indicated that health and life have to be prioritized, hence the need to secure the supply of COVID-19 vaccines for the entire population and to unlock projects that need it so.

"The budgets must reach the most remote communities, but transparently," the President said, noting that every act of corruption must be punished.

The Peruvian leader affirmed that just as acts of corruption are rejected, terrorist acts which spread terror in the country for a long time are condemned and repudiated.

El presidente @PedroCastilloTe, junto con los titulares de @viviendaperu y del @MTC_GobPeru, sostuvo un encuentro con la poblacion del distrito de Anguia, en Chota, Cajamarca. pic.twitter.com/E6YN0MDeA7
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 9, ARMENPRESSS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan sent a congratulatory message to the President of the Republic of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon on the occasion of Independence Day, the PMs Office told Armenpress.

The message runs as follows,

Honorable Mr. President,

I cordially congratulate you on the Independence Day of Tajikistan.

I sincerely wish Tajikistan development, as well as progress in the main directions of socio-economic transformations aimed at improving the welfare of citizens and increasing your country's role in the international arena.

I am convinced that the cooperation between Armenia and Tajikistan, based on the friendship of the peoples of our countries, can get a new impetus covering wider spheres of interstate cooperation through joint efforts.

I wish you, Honorable Mr. President, health, happiness and success, and peace and prosperity to the friendly people of Tajikistan.
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Auburn firefighters responded to a report of a structure fire at 34 Franklin St. on Wednesday night. The first call came in at about 7 p.m. fo
Gov. Kathy Hochul put considerable emphasis last week on goals and projects aimed at tackling climate change and helping New York communities become more resilient to its effects.

One of those effects, as residents in the Owasco Lake Watershed know far too well, is the proliferation of harmful algal blooms. Warmer water temperatures that foster HAB growth and an increase in extreme precipitation events that wash damaging nutrients into water bodies have caused a need for revamped watershed environmental regulations.

Thanks to the comprehensive efforts of a wide spectrum of stakeholders in the Owasco Lake Watershed, a revised set of rules and regulations have been developed and sent to the state.

But 11 months since New York's Department of Health received that proposal, no final action has taken place.

The time for excuses on this inaction is over. It's been over for months. When local officials passed a resolution in July urging to the health department to prioritize and finish the work, nothing seemed to happen. With Hochul recently taking over for Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Auburn and Owasco officials passed another resolution earlier this month specifically asking the new governor to get involved.
In anticipation of the SCOTUS Dobbs ruling which may place limits on abortion, New York State Gov. Kathy Hochul spoke about New York being a haven for women from other states seeking abortions. The realization that New York has no real limitations on the practice is disconcerting. However, it is a scandal that the governor made the statement in New York Citys Central Park in front of the statue of Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Harriet Tubman. She claimed to be inspired by these great women.

Susan B. Anthony was the owner and publisher of The Revolution. Anthony, who lived in New York State, owned and produced The Revolution a few miles from Central Park, at its publishing office on Park Row. Other 19th century publications chose to be delicate and polite about pregnancy and childbirth. However, The Revolution broke that tradition. Lecturers like Anna Densmore French, who were featured in The Revolution, believed addressing embryology would enlighten consciences and stop, premeditated child destruction before birth.
Texas recently passed a law that outlawed abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. Lets forget for the moment that many women may not know that they are pregnant by that time and that the Texas law is blatantly unconstitutional. Apparently, the current conservative majority on the federal Supreme Court simply does not care. In any case, I have to commend the Texas legislature for not allowing an exception for rape or incest. By not including such an exemption they refuse to be politically correct. Theyve shown great courage and are not being hypocritical as they stick to the main argument among abortion foes that, regardless of the circumstances, a fetus is indeed a person.

Now, lets take this to its logical conclusion. Any woman getting an abortion in Texas after the six-week mark has committed a crime. She has, in effect, hired a hit man (her doctor) to commit a murder (the illegal taking of the life of another). In law the person hiring a hit man is just as guilty as the one illegally taking anothers life. In fact, time after time I hear those who are anti-choice argue that abortion is murder. That hasnt been technically correct since the Roe decision but now, in Texas, it is.
In late August, General Motors announced that it was recalling 142,000 Chevy Bolts  every Bolt ever made  because of fire risk. Over the course of about 17 months, the company confirmed 13 fire incidents involving the model  11 in the U.S. and 2 overseas. GM said the recall was due to rare manufacturing defects by South Korea-based supplier LG Corp.

On Monday, the automaker said it has found a fix and will begin replacing defective batteries in October. Even so, GM has advised Bolt owners to park their cars 50 feet away from other vehicles to reduce the risk that a spontaneous fire could spread.

Recent battery fires havent happened just to cars. In early September, Vistra Corp.s massive 300 megawatt Moss Landing battery plant in northern California was knocked offline after overheating triggered the sprinkler system. In late July, a fire broke out at one of the largest utility-scale storage projects using Tesla Inc. batteries in southeastern Australia. And in 2019, a blaze at an energy storage facility in Arizona injured four firefighters.

Leading automakers are investing billions of dollars to transition away from gas-powered cars, while energy storage systems are being added to electricity grids to help integrate more solar and wind and meet ambitious climate goals. Executives from both industries are realizing that batteries  widely seen as a key technology to enable the shift away from fossil fuels  arent entirely free of risks. Even 30 years after the first lithium-ion cells were deployed in camcorders, the sector remains a developing industry that's continually seeking to balance performance, safety and costs. Fires, while rare, hit laptop computers and cell phones in the early days of lithium-ion battery-powered consumer devices. Now they are in much larger products  and any fire becomes a case study in what to do better.

Lithium-ion is a technology that has really been a revolutionary advance for us as a society," said Haresh Kamath, director of energy storage and distributed generation at the Electric Power Research Institute in Palo Alto, California. I think there are some surprises about some of the challenges that we are going through."

Batteries are typically quiet and efficient, Kamath said. Then in rare cases, when you have a problem  its very dramatic."

The 2019 Arizona fire, which caused a major explosion on the fringe of suburban Phoenix, was an extensive cascading thermal runaway event, initiated by an internal cell failure within one battery cell," according to an investigation on behalf of Arizona Public Service, the states largest utility. APS said it has put in place new safety and operational standards designed to prevent a repeat of the incident.

The GM recall and recent storage system incidents will see the industry increase focus on safety, including on the materials and components used in cells, said Max Reid, a London-based analyst at Wood Mackenzie Ltd. and previously a research scientist focused on areas including batteries. Fire incidents remain rare, according to Reid, even as battery production booms. Tesla contends that gas-powered cars remain many times more likely to be involved in blazes than its own electric models.

Batteries are here to stay. Global passenger EV sales may reach almost 5.6 million units in 2021, up about 83% from 2020, thanks to high sales of electric cars in China and Europe, BloombergNEF said in a report published last week. The global energy storage market is also on track to install 11 gigawatts by year end, double the volume installed in 2020. The U.S. will see the biggest growth through 2025, led by installations in California, Texas and the Southwest.

Battery-related fires present unique challenges for first responders, including the potential for electric shock, thermal runaway and battery reignition. Last week, the National Transportation Safety Board announced that it is sending investigators to Coral Gables, Florida, where a Tesla Model 3 crashed into a tree and was engulfed in flames, killing both occupants. The NTSB investigation will focus on the operation of the vehicle and the post-crash fire that consumed the vehicle."

Recent Incidents:

*Sept. 4: Moss Landing Energy Storage Facility experienced an overheating issue with a limited number of battery modules, said Vistra Corp. in a statement. Teams from Vistra, battery manufacturer LG Energy, engineering and construction firm Fluence, and other external experts are conducting the investigation. The 300 MW facility remains out of service. Joel Mendoza of the North County Fire District said that a number of racks overheated to the point of triggering smoke alarms and the fire sprinkler system, but the detection and suppression systems were effective in cooling the batteries and kept batteries from igniting and going into thermal runaway.

*Aug. 20: GM announced an expanded recall of the Chevy Bolt, saying that GM discovered manufacturing defects in certain battery cells produced at LG facilities. On Monday, GM said it has found a fix and will begin replacing defective batteries in October. *Aug. 4: LG Energy issued a recall for about 10,000 home energy storage batteries, intended to be paired with solar panels, after five reports of systems smoking and catching on fire. One incident resulted in an injury, the company said.*July 30: During initial testing, a fire occurred within a Tesla Megapack at the Victorian Big Battery" in Australia. There were no injuries and the site remains disconnected from the grid. An initial assessment by fire crews found the blaze was likely caused by an electrical fault. Further investigations are being undertaken, including by owner Neoen SA and Tesla.With Mark Chediak and David Stringer

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text.
While the majority of countries around the world are aiming to phase out fossil fuel use in transportation and other sectors, Australia is refusing to do so. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has reportedly refused to commit to phasing out fossil fuels.

(Also Read: Diesel becomes costly in the latest price hike, petrol remains static)

Australia is the world's top coal and a major gas exporter. The country is under growing pressure to come up with emissions reduction targets ahead of November 2021's COP26 United Nations climate conference in Scotland, reports Reuters. The International Monetary Fund has asked Australia to set a time-bound target to reach net-zero emissions.

Speaking about the zero-emission strategy, the Australian Prime Minister has said that the country is still working on its emissions plans. He said that the change will take place over time. "We are working on the transition technologies and fuels and the ultimate technologies that will be there over the next 20, 30 years that can get us to net-zero... This doesn't happen overnight," he said.

On the back of rising concerns around global warming and climate change, demands for banning fossil fuels are increasing. Also, the demands for using sustainable energy sources are increasing.

Several countries in Europe have already set deadlines for the auto industry for using petrol and diesel engines in their respective vehicles. The countries such as France, UK, Germany are focusing on introducing an all-electric vehicle fleet in a few decades. The automakers too are focusing more on investing huge sums of money for the development of greener engine technology and fuel solutions.

This is increasing pressure on the fossil fuel sector for quite some. Australia being one of the major fossil fuel exporters in the world is also facing heat from the changing trend.
The US Department of Energy along with its Indian counterparts launched a new public-private Hydrogen Task Force as well as a Biofuels Task Force under the Strategic Clean Energy Partnership (SCEP).

(Also Read: Govt to announce flex fuel engine policy soon, says Nitin Gadkari)

"Under the SCEP, the Department of Energy together with Indian counterparts launched a new public-private Hydrogen Task Force as well as a Biofuels Task Force.

These groups will help expand the use of clean energy technologies to decarbonize the energy sector," an official statement said on Friday (local time).

The United States and India are both committed to promoting a successful outcome at the 26th UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow later this year. Toward that end, the US communicated an enhanced Nationally Determined Contribution to reduce economy-wide greenhouse gas emissions by 50-52 per cent below 2005 levels in 2030.

"The United States is actively working with India to realize its ambitious goal of deploying 450 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030, including through the recently launched Climate Action and Finance Mobilization Dialogue, led by the U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, and the revamped Strategic Clean Energy Partnership (SCEP), led by the U.S. Secretary of Energy, the two tracks of the U.S.-India Climate and Clean Energy Agenda 2030 Partnership. These tracks will help further catalyze India's clean energy transition," the statement said.

Over the last five years, USAID has contributed to the deployment of five gigawatts of renewable energy across India, which reduced 30 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions in 2020, powered 3.3 million households, and helped mobilize 1.1 billion dollar in private-sector clean energy investments.

The statement further said that the US Trade and Development Agency launched the US-India Climate Technologies Action Group (CTAG). The CTAG will integrate private and public-sector inputs on initiatives that can contribute to global action on climate, facilitate US industry input on the latest climate-resilient technologies, share US business models with the Indian market to accelerate the development of the clean energy sector, and mobilize capital for climate-smart infrastructure projects in India.

Apart from it, the US invited India to participate in the Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate (AIM for Climate), which will be launched at COP26 in November. AIM for Climate has the goal of increasing and accelerating global innovation on agriculture and food systems in support of climate action.

The United States looks forward to working with India to support the conclusion of a contract to build six Westinghouse Electric Company AP-1000 nuclear reactors in Kovvada, India, and looks forward to a completed techno-commercial offer soon. Once completed, the Westinghouse project will provide clean, reliable power to millions of Indians.

US firm First Solar has announced it will invest 684 million dollars in a fully integrated solar module manufacturing facility in southern India, directly supporting India's energy security and bilateral climate goals. This investment will involve exports of technology and expertise from the United States to eventually produce modules with 60 per cent local value-added content, generating jobs in both countries.

In September, US firm 24M Technologies, Inc. announced the signing of a license and services agreement with Chennai-based Lucas TVS Ltd. to construct one of the first Giga factories in India using battery storage platform technology. The first plant will be set up near Chennai with additional plants expected to be built throughout India to support the growing market for energy storage solutions, the statement added.

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text.
" " Only three Pagani Huayra Tricolore examples will be built as a tribute to the Italian Air Force Aerobatic Team. Pagani

You might not be a gearhead or any kind of "car person" at all, but it's probably crossed your mind at some point: What's the most expensive car in the world? It's something you may have wondered as you were researching buying a car for yourself. It's easy to bump up against the limit of your budget while car shopping, so what could you get if your budget was basically infinity?

The easy answer, of course, is a lot. But it turns out there are a couple of ways to break down what we mean by "most expensive," so here are the world's most expensive cars  plural.

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The Highest Price Tag: Pagani Huayra Tricolore, $6.67 million

When you get this far into the hypercar stratosphere, it's hard to know what counts as a price tag. These cars aren't divided so much into trim levels as they into extremely limited editions. That's how the Pagani Huayra Tricolore justifies its price. The company is only building three of these roadsters, and they come with every bell and whistle Pagani has in its Italian factory, including an 840 hp V12 engine.

Honorable mention: Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+, which seems like a bargain in comparison at $3.9 million. Especially if you consider price per horsepower, as it makes 1,600 hp from its W12 engine.

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The Highest Price Paid: 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO, $48.4 million

New hypercars and luxury cars are extremely expensive, but if you want to see stratospheric prices, head to vintage car auctions. In 2018, RM Sotheby's sold a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO for nearly $50 million. The car was estimated to bring in $45 million, so this huge price was not actually a shock when the hammer fell.

Why is this old car worth so much? For one thing, it has matching numbers, which means the engine and the chassis originally came together from the Ferrari scuderia. There were only 36 built, and this was the third in that series. Legendary driver Phil Hill tested it in a race before it was sold to its first owner, who won races in it throughout the 1960s  without a single accident.

" " The Ferrari 250 GTO, serial number 3413GT, on display at RM Sotheby's 2018 Monterey auction. Wikimedia Commons (CC By SA 4.0)

Now That's a History The second-most expensive car to sell at auction was  wait for it  a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO Berlinetta that sold for $38 million in 2014. But it's not the same car setting two auction records. This 250 GTO lived a much harder racing life. It did win many races in the 1960s, but it was also in several accidents, including a fatal crash in its second race. But its numbers match, and it is a famous car in collector circles.
Insurance registrations of locally-made passenger vehicles (PVs) in China saw both month-on-month and year-on-year decrease in August while the monthly volume of new energy vehicles (NEVs) increased year on year and month on month, according to an insurance regulator.

Data from the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission (CBIRC) showed that insurance registrations of locally-made PVs fell 2.9% month on month and 8.4% from a year ago to 1,530,514 vehicles last month. The total registrations in the first eight months of this year amounted to 13,069,257 vehicles, jumping 21.4% compared to the same span of last year.

The top 20 brands by August registrations contributed nearly 80% of the total monthly registrations. The top 7 brands on the monthly brand list remained the same as that of July, but five out of the top 7 had registrations decrease last month while monthly registrations of Wuling brand jumped 73.3% year on year. Thanks to a month-on-month increase of 12.7% and a surge of 141.4% from a year ago, BYDs ranking managed to increase one spot to the eighth which was occupied by Haval brand in July.

There was a new member on the monthly list, Cadillac, which was the last one on the list and outnumbered the 21st Ford only by 274 vehicles. Chevrolets ranking fell from the 20th on July list to the 23rd.

Fewer changes were on the top 20 brands of Jan.-Aug. insurance registrations. Hyundai and Trumpchi exchanged their rankings when compared with the list of the first seven months. Tesla failed to enter into either the monthly or the year-to-date registrations list.

By models, the combined registrations of the top 20 models by August registrations accounted for 23.6% of the total monthly registrations. The first 5 models were the same as the July model list and the Wuling Hongguang MINIEV had the largest year-on-year increase, up 270% from a year ago.

Compared with July list, there were eight new comers on August list, namely the BMW 3 Series, the Excelle, the Emgrand, the BMW 5 Series, the Hongqi HS5, the Sagitar, the EADO Plus and the GL8.

In terms of the year-to-date registrations, the Wuling Hongguang MINIEVs ranking jumped 3 spots to the fourth when compared with the July list.

Even though the overall registrations declined last month, those of NEVs had increase from a month ago and from a year ago and accounted for 15% of the total vehicle registrations, 1.4 percentage points more than that of July.

In August, 228,855 NEVs were registered in the worlds biggest auto market, 6.8% more than the previous month and surging 143% from a year ago. By the end of August, the market has registered a total of 1,431,632 NEVs in total, jumping 54% year on year.

Battery electric vehicles represented 66% of monthly NEV registrations, scoring 178,779 units. The other 50,076 were plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, including range-extended electric vehicles.

By August NEV registrations, all of the first 6 brands on the list were Chinese ones. BYD and Wuling remained the top two brands as the list of July. ORA jumped 8 spots to the second runner-up, with 13,014 vehicles registered last month and Li Auto were up two spots to the sixth. NIO, BMW and Geely all fell two spots.

Data from the CBIRC showed that with only 2,802 vehicles registered in August, Tesla ranked the 20th among all brands which sell NEVs. But the American brand was still the third in terms of Jan.-Aug. NEV registrations.

All of the top 20 most registered NEV models were from Chinese brands in August and their combined registrations accounted for 62% of the monthly NEV registrations. The Wuling Hongguang MINIEV had a share of 14.34% in the NEV segment.

Seven models out of the monthly list came from BYD, with the BYD Qin PLUS DM-i ranking the second. The ORA Black Cat from Great Wall Motor leaped 16 spots to the fourth in August from the 20th in July, pushing the brands ranking jump. The Chery eQ1 was the sixth last month, up from the 11th in July.

Tesla still occupied two of the top 3 most registered NEV models by Jan.-Aug. insurance registrations. But the total year-to-date registrations of Tesla vehicles were still far from those of the Wuling Hongguang MINIEV.
Beijing (Gasgoo)- Chinas EIDC (Equipment Industry Development Center) signed a strategic collaboration agreement with telecom giant HUAWEI to develop the intelligent connected vehicle industry during the WICV (World Intelligent Connected Vehicles Conference) on September 25th.

HUAWEI, EIDC signing ceremony; photo credit: MIIT EIDC



Per the agreement, the EIDC and HUAWEI will sincerely cooperate in auto industry regulations, technology criteria, tests evaluation system, and platform establishment to promote further the quality and development of China's ICV industry.

The EIDC is a direct public subordinate of the government institute MIIT (Ministry of Industry and Information Technology), responsible for providing management support and regulation suggestions for the equipment industries. The center is in charge of organizing policy and regulation symposiums regarding the intelligent connected vehicle segment and coordinating the ICV workgroup (ICV-2035)'s working progress, accelerating the innovative ecosystem construction and industrialization process.

In May 2019, HUAWEI established an intelligent vehicle solutions business unit (BU) to provide incremental parts to ICVs. HUAWEI adheres to its "platform + ecosystem" strategy and focuses on building operating systems for autonomous driving, smart cabin, and vehicle control domain platforms, helping automakers produce better cars.

The current COO of the BU, Wang Jun, said earlier, HUAWEI has invested more than $1 billion in auto parts R&D this year, with a team of over 5000 members, and put over 30 intelligent vehicle parts products on the market.
Beijing (Gasgoo)- Insurance registrations of China-made Volkswagen (VW) ID. vehicles saw month-on-month decrease in August as three out of the four ID. models had registrations decline during the month, according to data of the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission (CBIRC).

Data of the CBIRC showed that the biggest auto market registered 4,833 locally-made ID. vehicles last month, down by 4.22% when compared with July. Among the four ID. models VW produced here, only monthly registrations of the ID.6 CROZZ managed to increase. By the end of August, the total insurance registrations of the ID. vehicles amounted to 15,645 vehicles.

Among the ID. vehicles registered in August, 3,074 vehicles were registered by individual consumers while 1,754 were bought by business consumers. 5 were registered for renting.

Only two cities in China registered over 100 ID.4 CROZZs in August. Changchun, where FAW VW is located, had the most ID. 4 CROZZs registered. Chengdu, the city with the highest registrations of the ID.4 CROZZ, registered 40 ID. 4 CROZZs last month.

Monthly registrations of the ID. 4X in Shanghai more than halved from 1,317 vehicles in July to 601 vehicles in August. Lianyungang, a prefecture-level city in northeastern Jiangsu province, ranked second by monthly registrations of the ID.4X, but only one ID.4X was registered by individual consumer there.

TOP 5 cities by August ID.6X registrations remained the same as July list. Shanghai also registered much fewer ID.6Xs in August.

Monthly registrations of the ID.6 CROZZ surged from 407 vehicles in July to 1,047 vehicles in August. Beijing and Changchun registered over 100 ID.6 CROZZs last month.
Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Elon Musk, CEO of the U.S.-based EV manufacturer Tesla, delivered an online speech on Sept. 26 at the opening of the World Internet Conference 2021, saying Tesla will continue to expand investment and R&D efforts in China.



Musk said China spends a lot of resources and efforts applying the latest digital technologies in different industries, including automobile industry, making itself a global leader in digitalization. The company hopes to contribute to building a digitalized future of shared benefits, responsibilities, and governance.

Musk thought data security is the key to the success of intelligent and connected vehicles (ICVs). It not only closely links to individuals interests, but also matters to the whole society. Tesla is pleased to see many relevant laws and regulations that have been issued to strengthen data management.

He added Tesla has set up a data center in China to localize all data generated from businesses such as production, sales, services, and charging. Meanwhile, Musk promised that all personally identifiable information will be securely stored in China, without being transferred overseas. Only in very rare cases, for instance, spare parts ordered overseas, data can be transferred internationally after getting regulatory approvals.

Musk also noted Tesla is working with regulators on finding best solutions for data security as he considered data protection should be a mutual effort from all industry players.

The establishment of data center in China was unveiled by Tesla in late May this year. The company said then the Shanghai-based facility was built to locally store data about Tesla's users and vehicles sold in the country.
Beijing (Gasgoo)- Chinas annual vehicle sales in 2021 are expected to realize growth after falling for three consecutive years even though new vehicle sales have decreased for four months in a row from May this year, an official from the countrys Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) said today.

Wang Bin, deputy director general of the Department of Market Operation and Consumption Promotion, said that the decreasing rate of August vehicle sales volume widened by 5.9 percentage points from the previous month.

The official attributed the decrease to several reasons. During the same time last year, the sales saw a significant rise as the pent-up demand for new vehicles was unleased thanks to the governments effective control over the epidemic and timely policies for promoting automobile consumption.

However, in August this year, the auto market was plagued by the sporadic domestic spread of the virus and global chip shortage, which slowed down production, supply, and demand, the official added.

Besides, after years of rapid growth, Chinas auto market is entering into a steady stage of development under the influences of the environment, traffic, safety, and income.

The ministry will continue to adopt favorable measures to spur the market demand. The Ministry of Commerce will work with other departments to form new development pattern for auto industry which features echelon consumption, high-efficient usage and green circular development.

The ministry is also pushing to eliminate unreasonable restrictions of second-hand vehicle trading, allowing cross-province registration and vehicle relocation. Additionally, the regulators plan on actively promoting new energy vehicles in rural areas, increasing new car consumption.
Beijing (Gasgoo)- Chinas EV automaker startup HOZON Auto introduced its self-developed digitalized new model, the NETA S, during the World Internet Conference.



the NETA S; photo credit: HOZON Auto



The NETA S is the automakers first B-class digital electric sport-sedan powered by its self-developed architecture. The new model, equipped with HUAWEIs high computing power platform, features highway, urban road NOP function, and L4 autonomous driving application under various scenarios like vehicle parking and remote summon.

The car is also equipped with two units of HUAWEIs auto-grade, high wiring harness, hybrid solid LiDAR that is highly vigilant to surrounding environments, allowing all-around real-time monitor of obstacles and passengers.

Both extended range and battery-electric systems are optional with the NETA S, with 1,100 kilometers and 800 kilometers in mileage, respectively. The automakers HOZON EPT4.0 constant temperature battery management system can realize a 95% constant temperature ratio, guaranteeing power output while improving battery life.

Notably, on the 18th China-ASEAN Expo, HOZON Auto unveiled a right rudder version of its NETA V model, announcing its plan to enter into the ASEAN new energy vehicle market.

The NETA S will also be exported to Europe after being launched in 2022, as the automaker aims to be competitive internationally.
Beijing (Gasgoo)- Chinas ride-hailing platform T3 is reportedly finishing up a new round of financing worth over RMB5 billion led by CITIC Group. The company will be granted at least RMB2 billion in line of credit, sources inside the company told local media outlets.

photo credit: T3



This will be the second round of financing since T3s establishment. Investment organizations are so enthusiastic that the total sum offered by term sheets to the company amounted to tens of billions RMB, people close to the matter claimed.

T3 is an intelligent ride-hailing service platform jointly established by three major automakers in China, namely FAW Group, Dongfeng Group, and Changan Auto, and also backed by technology giants Tencent and Alibaba. T3 received RMB5 billion from its angel investors in April 2019, and the platform went online three months later.

Since the crackdown on the countrys ride-hailing giant Didi in early July, rivals to the giant have been trying to eat away at its market share. In August, T3s average daily order number was 1.2 million to 1.5 million, almost doubling from late last years 0.7 to 0.8 million orders. However, Didis business has not seen a significant hit as the companys average daily order number was about 20 million in August, still accounting for the majority of the market.

After the open investigation into Didi, the other investment in the ride-hailing segment was in Geelys subsidiary CaoCao ride-hailing platform. Earlier this month, CaoCao completed a RMB3.8 billion investment round.
Beijing (Gasgoo)- Chairman of BMW Group, Oliver Zipse, announced that the group plans to step up its future investment in Liaoning Province, home-base of its joint venture BMW Brilliance Automotive, according to media outlet Xinhua.

the 4 Serie; photo credit: BMW China



The executive said at a conference that the German automaker will further invest RMB25 billion in Shenyang. Since 2009, the automaker has invested RMB64 billion in Shenyang. During over 18 years in the city, BMW Group had been devoted to implementing its localization strategy and seen great results from the partnership.

The Shenyang-based joint venture between BMW Group and Brilliance Group, BMW Brilliance Automotive has been the largest tax-payer within the city, creating 21,000 technical posts.

The venture's Shenyang production base is currently the largest one among the BMW Group global production network. In 2020, more than 600,000 BMW vehicles were produced across BMW Brilliance's two plants  Plant Dadong and Plant Tiexi. The Tiexi location is also home to a large-scale R&D center and powertrain plant.

In 2018, BMW Group disclosed that it would pay 3.6 billion ($4.275 billion) in 2022 to increase its stake in BMW Brilliance from 25% to 75%. The extended contract is valid from 2018 to 2040 and is expected to further expand its production capacity in the world's largest auto market.
Shanghai (Gasgoo)- SAIC-GM-Wuling (SGMW), General Motors' joint venture with Chinese partners SAIC Motor and Guangxi Automobile Group, will unveil Wuling brand's first two-seater new energy vehicle (NEV) model dubbed NanoEV at the China Motor Show (Tianjin) 2021 on Sept. 29, the automaker said via its WeChat account.

Photo credit: SGMW



The forthcoming model is a new member under SGMW's global small electric vehicle (GSEV) platform, which supports the new Baojun E100, E200, E300, E300 PLUS and Wuling Hongguang MINIEV through significant economies of scale and flexibility. According to SGMWs description, Nano stands for nanometer, the unit used to measure extremely tiny things. Naming the vehicle NanoEV is to demonstrate the position as a two-seat mini-sized car, and cater to the simple and free social practices and lifestyles today's young consumers prefer.



Teaser photo of the Wuling NanoEV; photo credit: SGMW



Baojun E200; photo credit: SGMW



According to the teaser photo SGWM released, the Wuling NanoEV looks very similar to the Baojun E200. It measures 2,500mm long, 1,526mm wide, 1,616mm high, and is mounted on a 1,600-mm wheelbase, which is slightly longer than the Baojun E200.

The leaked data show that the Wuling NanoEV will be equipped with a 230 Ah lithium iron phosphate battery. Its powertrain will consist of a 24kW electric motor, versus the 20kW motor carried by the MINIEV.



Baojun Kiwi EV; photo credit: SGMW

SGMW announced in mid-Sept. the cumulative sales of its GSEV-based vehicles had reached 500,000 units. Moreover, the Baojun KiWi EV, another new vehicle riding on the GSEV platform, hit the market at the end of Aug. and logged an order volume topping 6,000 units only 20 days after the presale started.
Mask mandates may have been a flash point in school districts across the nation as students went back to school late this summer, but studies keep showing the policies are helping prevent students from catching COVID-19.

Two Centers for Disease Control and Prevention studies released Friday found outbreaks and pediatric cases were more common when schools didn't mandate masks.

One study of about 1,000 schools in two Arizona counties says schools without mask mandates were 3.5 times more likely to have outbreaks than schools that started the year with a mask mandate. Another study of hundreds of U.S. counties found an increased rate of pediatric cases in areas where schools didn't have mask mandates.

Authors cautioned that a number of variables could affect the analysis, but the findings fall in line with what experts have long said: Masks provide instantaneous  although imperfect  protection from infection.

"School mask requirements, in combination with other prevention strategies, including COVID-19 vaccination, are critical to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in schools," authors wrote in the second study.

Outbreaks have resulted in nearly 2,000 school closures this year, a third study found.

Also in the news:

 A third federal judge blocked Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee from allowing families to opt out of mandatory mask-wearing in schools late Friday. The judge's order applies to Williamson County. Another judge previously blocked Lee's order in Knox County.

 The United States had its first ferret test positive for COVID-19 in Florida after it showed symptoms including coughing and sneezing, the Department of Agriculture announced Friday. A ferret in Slovenia previously tested positive.

 President Joe Biden urged those eligible for COVID vaccine booster shots to take them, calling them a "key step" in fighting the pandemic. Biden said he also plans to get his booster as soon as he can.

 Retired Connecticut physician Dr. Sue Mcintosh had her license suspended for allegedly issuing false COVID vaccine, mask-wearing and other exemption forms to people she had not treated.

Story continues

 "The View" co-host Sunny Hostin and contributor Ana Navarro tested positive for COVID-19 Friday moments before an in-studio interview with Vice President Kamala Harris.

Today's numbers: The U.S. has recorded more than 42.8 million confirmed COVID-19 cases and more than 686,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data. Global totals: More than 231 million cases and 4.7 million deaths. More than 182.9 million Americans  55.1% of the population  have been fully vaccinated, according to the CDC.

 What we're reading: More than 20 million Americans are eligible for Pfizer-BioNTech booster shots. Should you get one? Read the full story.

Keep refreshing this page for the latest news. Want more? Sign up for USA TODAY's Coronavirus Watch newsletter to receive updates directly to your inbox and join our Facebook group.

A nurse loads a syringe with the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine on Sept. 21 in Jackson, Mississippi.

Federal judge deals blow to vaccine mandate for NYC teachers

New York City schools have been temporarily blocked from enforcing a vaccine mandate for its teachers and other workers by a federal appeals judge just days before it was to take effect.

The worker mandate for the the nations largest school system was set to go into effect Monday. But late Friday, a judge for the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals granted a temporary injunction and referred the case to a three-judge panel an an expedited basis.

Department of Education spokesperson Danielle Filson said officials seeking a speedy resolution by the circuit court next week.

Were confident our vaccine mandate will continue to be upheld once all the facts have been presented, because that is the level of protection our students and staff deserve," Filson said in an email.

The union representing 5,800 workers in the New York court system also won a temporary order Friday blocking the state from moving forward with a vaccine mandate starting Monday.

 The Associated Press & Joseph Spector, New York State Team

Civil rights complaint filed against Idaho as the state rations medical resources

Advocacy group Justice in Aging has filed a complaint against Idaho alleging the state is discriminating against older adults with its guidance for crisis standards of care amid overwhelming COVID cases.

The state said it would allow health care facilities to ration care while they are dealing with surging COVID cases in the state with one of the lowest vaccination rates in the country.

Hospitals are allowed to allot scarce resources, such as intensive care unit rooms, to patients most likely to survive, and make other dramatic changes to the way they treat patients. 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 medical equipment.

The civil rights complaint alleges that the state is discriminating against the elderly by using factors like age to determine how care is allocated. Idaho Department of Health and Welfare spokesman Greg Stahl told The Associated Press the guidelines are rooted in ethical standards for allocating resources.

5 dead, 74 infected after Washington nursing home outbreak

A nursing center is trying to battle a COVID-19 outbreak that started in August, when the first new case was confirmed.

The Pinewood Terrace Nursing Center in Colville, Washington has seen 22 staff and 52 residents test positive for the coronavirus and five deaths. The first case was reported on Aug. 25, according to the Northeast Tri-County Health District.

Out of the 74 total infected, 33 were fully vaccinated and of the five residents who died, one was fully vaccinated.

 Keira Wingate, USA TODAY

Vaccine makers could see big profits from booster shots

Since President Joe Biden laid out his plan to offer booster COVID vaccine shots to most Americans in August, vaccine makers have seen a bump in forecasted revenue.

Moderna's anticipated 2022 revenue jumped 35% since the plan was announced.

Since then, regulatory bodies have rejected Biden's sweeping plan and decided Pfizer's third dose could be given to the most at-risk people only. There is still the possibility that boosters will be more widely approved as the pandemic evolves.

Morningstar analyst Karen Andersen expects boosters to result in $26 billion in global sales next year for Pfizer and BioNTech and around $14 billion for Moderna if the extra shots are eventually endorsed for nearly all Americans.

 The Associated Press

Contributing: The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NYC teacher vaccine mandate setback; masks in school: Live updates
Niki Colemont, a 34 year old nature photographer living in Belgium, spent 5 years capturing action shots of animals. He's been actively engaged in photography since 2016, mainly focused on nature and animals. His pictures show kingfishers, squirrels, dogs, and birds in motion. (From Bored Panda)








On Saturday, Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou, who was detained by the Canadian police, left Canada for home. According to reports, she took a charter flight organized by the Chinese government, and will soon return to her home country and reunite with her family.

For 33 months and 19 days, the US Department of "Justice" had forced an innocent Chinese citizen to be under close monitoring that she never deserved. The tracking bracelet Meng wore on her ankle is not a shame on her, but a shame on dirty US politics that abused the word "justice".

It is also a shame on the Canadian government, which always followed the steps of its southern neighbor. To please the latter, Canada detained an innocent Chinese citizen under a false charge. Now Meng's deferred prosecution agreement with the US Department of Justice without confessing any guilt further proves how false that charge was.

Behind that false charge is the US' intention of "containing" Chinese high-tech enterprises. If Huawei has done anything wrong, it must be that it has been performing so good that the US cannot tolerate any competitor to its industries. Yet Huawei did not fail even under US pressure. In 2019, after Meng's detainment, Huawei's share in the global smartphone market reached 17.6 percent, exceeding that of Apple. Huawei has not buckled under the pressure; It has staunchly defended its position by doing its businesses legally.

Meng's regaining freedom would not be possible without the unremitting efforts of her homeland. For 33 months, the Chinese government has repeatedly asked US and Canada to drop the political case, while Chinese media outlets relentlessly worked to tell the truth to the world; Chinese people also voiced their support to Meng via social networks.

For all those who do business with global partners, the homeland will render firm support to them when necessary should they need to seek justice. Any political persecution to Chinese enterprises overseas will fail.
Earlier this month, the United States House Committee on Armed Services passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2022, boosting defense spending by $777.9 billion for military and national security programs. The bill named China as a threat to the US, and used this as an excuse to increase the US military budget in a bid to expand the military power of the country.

As history has proved, the US is a true threat to world peace.

The US has hyped the so-called China threat theory, holding onto a zero-sum game mentality

In the Interim National Security Strategic Guidance released by the US National Security Council on March 3, 2021, US President Joe Biden said that America is back. Diplomacy is back. Alliances are back. By hyping the China threat cliche, the US administration has again taken the wrong direction in ganging up with its allies to maintain American hegemony.

To maintain the countrys hegemony, the Biden administration shifted US military strategy from the war on terrorism, which the US has waged over the past two decades, to the competition arena of major powers. To complete its global strategic adjustment, the US withdrew its troops from Afghanistan, and continued to view China as a vital challenge.

In an interview with the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) on Feb.7, 2021, Biden said China is in for extreme competition with the US under the course of his administration. In the Interim National Security Strategic Guidance, the US said clearly that China, in particular, has rapidly become more assertive. It is the only competitor potentially capable of combining its economic, diplomatic, military, and technological power to mount a sustained challenge to a stable and open international system. The Guidance also defined the US China policy from three perspectives: cooperation, competition, and confrontation, while regarding addressing challenges from China as a national security priority.

As a guiding document on US national security during the current US administration, the Interim National Security Strategic Guidance is a demonstration of the US zero-sum game mindset, as well as an old trick of the US to trumpet the China threat with an aim to maintaining its hegemony.

The continuously increasing US military budget reflects the countrys ambition to maintain American hegemony

The US has the highest military spending worldwide, maintaining a large defense budget. According to a report on trends in global military expenditure in 2020 released by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) on April 26, US military expenditure last year increased by 4.4 percent over the previous year, representing the third consecutive year of growth. This expenditure accounts for 39 percent of overall global spending, and is equivalent to the sum of all the countries ranked between third to 33rd on the list.

In December 2020, during the Trump administration, in order to promote the countrys Indo-Pacific Strategy, the US Congress passed the national defense budget for fiscal year 2021, establishing the Pacific Deterrence Initiative, a military fund to boost deterrence against China. The Biden administration has also continued its predecessors policy by further enhancing the US presence in the region.

The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 released in May showed that the US defense budget for operations in the Indo-Pacific region reached $66 billion, and $5.09 billion went to the Pacific Deterrence Initiative.

At a summit on global emerging technologies held in July, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin proposed the strategy of Integrated Deterrence, saying that the US needs to create technological advantages for itself in the competition between major powers.

In a word, the US government, in the past or at present, has always had strategic anxiety toward China, as well as ambition to maintain its hegemony.

The US has a notorious record of intervening in the affairs of other countries and waging wars around the world

We add value to the stability to the region, said US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin before his visit to Asia on July 24, 2021. However, this is not the truth at all as US troops brought only chaos to every place they were found to be present and displaced local people.

It is a common practice for the US to maintain hegemony through waging wars. The US has only been at peace for less than 20 years since its independence in 1776. According to incomplete statistics, from the end of World War II in 1945 to 2001, among the 248 armed conflicts that occurred in 153 regions of the world, 201 were initiated by the US, accounting for 81 percent of the total number. The 800-odd US military bases located around the world frequently launched wars in foreign countries.

Since 2001, the US has waged unjustified wars and military operations in foreign countries, causing over 800,000 deaths and displacing tens of millions. On Aug. 29, the US launched a drone strike in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan, under the guise of counter-terrorism operations, having claimed that two terrorists were killed in the action. On Sept. 17, the Commander of US Central Command Kenneth McKenzie admitted that the strike was a mistake because those who died were not in fact associated with terrorist groups, with the strike killing as many as 10 civilians, including 7 children.

The US is a big arms exporter and the black hand destroying world peace and stability

Apart from being directly involved in wars, the US has intervened in other countries affairs by supporting proxy wars, inciting anti-government insurgencies, carrying out assassinations, providing weapons and ammunition, and training anti-government armed forces. According to a research report by Brown University on Sept. 13, the Pentagons spending has totaled over $14 trillion since 2001, with nearly one-half of the total going to military contractors.

Statistics by the SIPRI indicate that the US has remained the worlds largest arms exporter. Between 2010 and 2020, more than a third of all weapons traded worldwide were manufactured in the US. In August, Mexico filed a lawsuit against multiple US gun makers, arguing that the American companies knew that their practices would facilitate gun violence in Mexico and yet still did nothing to stop selling guns to Mexico regardless of the buyers record.

Peace and stability is the shared aspiration of people all over the world. However, with US politicians refusing to take responsibility for creating chaos around the world, while trumpeting the China threat in an attempt to justify the US soaring military spending, the US has proved once again that it is the biggest threat to global peace and security.

The practices of the US will inevitably lead to more humanitarian disasters if the country does not discard its zero-sum game mindset, refrain from intervening in the affairs of other countries and stop waging wars in foreign countries. The right path for the US to take is to view China in an objective manner, and adhere to mutual respect and cooperation, so as to control divergences, safeguard global peace and stability and improve the welfare of all mankind. Source: People's Daily)
Tomorrow is Constitution Day, a holiday celebrated in America every year on September 17, the anniversary of the day the framers signed the document. Here are five facts you should know about the U.S. Constitution:

1. The Constitution contains 4,543 words, including the signatures and has four sheets, 28-3/4 inches by 23-5/8 inches each. It contains 7,591 words including the 27 amendments. It is the oldest and shortest written Constitution of any major government in the world.

2. Thomas Jefferson did not sign the Constitution. He was in France during the Convention, where he served as the U.S. minister. John Adams, who at the time was serving as the U.S. minister to Great Britain during the Constitutional Convention, also did not attend the signing. The only men who both became presidents and signed the Constitution were George Washington and James Madison.

3. There was a proposal at the Constitutional Convention to limit the standing army for the country to 5,000 men. George Washington sarcastically agreed with this proposal as long as a stipulation was added that no invading army could number more than 3,000 troops.



4. The Constitutions iconic opening line was not included in early drafts of the document. The preamble originally started with individual states listed from north to south: We the people of the States of New Hampshire, Massachusetts et al. The five-person Committee of Style is considered to have been responsible for composing much of the final text, including the revised preamble.

5. More than 11,000 amendments have been introduced in Congress. There were no amendments added to the Constitution from 1804 to 1865. This was the longest period in American history in which there were no changes to our Constitution. (The first to come after that period was at the end of the Civil War the Thirteenth amendment, which abolished slavery.) Overall, the Constitution has only been changed by amendment seventeen times since 1791.
Department of Justice

Office of Public Affairs

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Friday, September 24, 2021

Huawei CFO Wanzhou Meng Admits to Misleading Global Financial Institution

Meng Enters into Deferred Prosecution Agreement to Resolve Fraud Charges

The Chief Financial Officer of Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd., Wanzhou Meng, 49, of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC), appeared today in federal district court in Brooklyn, entered into a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) and was arraigned on charges of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud, bank fraud and wire fraud.

In entering into the deferred prosecution agreement, Meng has taken responsibility for her principal role in perpetrating a scheme to defraud a global financial institution, said Acting U.S. Attorney Nicole Boeckmann for the Eastern District of New York. Her admissions in the statement of facts confirm that, while acting as the Chief Financial Officer for Huawei, Meng made multiple material misrepresentations to a senior executive of a financial institution regarding Huaweis business operations in Iran in an effort to preserve Huaweis banking relationship with the financial institution. The truth about Huaweis business in Iran, which Meng concealed, would have been important to the financial institutions decision to continue its banking relationship with Huawei. Mengs admissions confirm the crux of the governments allegations in the prosecution of this financial fraud  that Meng and her fellow Huawei employees engaged in a concerted effort to deceive global financial institutions, the U.S. government and the public about Huaweis activities in Iran.

This Deferred Prosecution Agreement will lead to the end of the ongoing extradition proceedings in Canada, which otherwise could have continued for many months, if not years, said Acting Assistant Attorney General Mark J. Lesko for the Justice Departments National Security Division. We are enormously grateful to Canadas Department of Justice for its dedicated work on this extradition and for its steadfast adherence to the rule of law.

Financial institutions are our first line of defense in maintaining the safety and security of the U.S. financial system, said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Departments Criminal Division. That is why the law requires that companies who avail themselves of the U.S. financial system provide financial institutions with truthful information about their business operations. Meng Wanzhou, CFO of Huawei Technologies, admitted today that she failed to tell the truth about Huaweis operations in Iran, and as a result the financial institution continued to do business with Huawei in violation of U.S. law. Our prosecution team continues to prepare for trial against Huawei, and we look forward to proving our case against the company in court.

Meng's admissions are evidence of a consistent pattern of deception to violate U.S. law, said Assistant Director Alan E. Kohler Jr. of the FBIs Counterintelligence Division. The FBI will continue to aggressively investigate companies doing business in the United States when there are signs they behave with contempt for our laws.

The Scheme to Defraud Financial Institutions

According to court documents, and as agreed to by Meng in the DPAs statement of facts, Skycom Tech. Co. Ltd. (Skycom) was a Hong Kong company that primarily operated in Iran. As of February 2007, Skycom was wholly owned by a subsidiary of Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei), Hua Ying Management (Hua Ying). In November 2007, Hua Ying transferred its shares of Skycom to another entity that Huawei controlled, Canicula Holdings (Canicula). At the time Hua Ying transferred its Skycom shares to Canicula, Meng was the Secretary of Hua Ying.

In February 2008, after Huawei transferred ownership of Skycom from Hua Ying to Canicula, Meng joined Skycoms Board of Directors, which was comprised of Huawei employees. She served on the Board until April 2009. After Meng departed from Skycoms Board, Skycoms Board members continued to be Huawei employees, Canicula continued to own Skycom, and Canicula continued to be controlled by Huawei. As of August 2012, Huawei included Skycom among a list of other Huawei subsidiaries in Huawei corporate documents written in English.

Between 2010 and 2014, Huawei controlled Skycoms business operations in Iran, and Skycom was owned by an entity controlled by Huawei. All significant Skycom business decisions were made by Huawei. Moreover, Skycoms countrymanager  the head of the business  was a Huawei employee. Individuals employed by Skycom believed they worked for Huawei.

During the same time period, Huawei employees engaged with a U.K. staffing company to provide engineers in Iran to support Skycoms work with Iranian telecommunications service providers. Negotiations and contracting on behalf of Skycom were conducted by Huawei employees. To pay for these contractors, Huawei sent at least $7.5 million to the U.K. staffing company in a series of approximately 80 payments from Skycoms bank accounts in Asia, including at a multinational financial institution (Financial Institution 1), to the U.K. staffing companys account in the United Kingdom. The transactions were denominated in U.S. dollars and cleared through the United States.

In December 2012 and January 2013, various news organizations, including Reuters, reported that Skycom offered to sell embargoed equipment from a U.S. computer equipment manufacturer in Iran in potential violation of U.S. export controls law, and that Huawei had close ties with Skycom. In a statement to Reuters published in a December 2012 article, Huawei claimed that Skycom was one of its major local partners in Iran. Reuters reported that Huawei had further stated that Huaweis business in Iran is in full compliance with all applicable laws and regulations including those of the U.N., U.S. and E.U. This commitment has been carried out and followed strictly by our company. Further, we also require our partners to follow the same commitment and strictly abide by the relevant laws and regulations.

In January 2013, a subsequent Reuters article reported that Meng served on the Board of Directors of Skycom between February 2008 and April 2009 and identified other connections between Skycom directors and Huawei. The article also quoted the following statement from Huawei: The relationship between Huawei and Skycom is a normal business partnership. Huawei has established a trade compliance system which is in line with industry best practices and our business in Iran is in full compliance with all applicable laws and regulations including those of the UN. We also require our partners, such as Skycom, to make the same commitments. This statement was incorrect, as Huawei operated and controlled Skycom; Skycom was therefore not Huaweis business partner.

After these articles were published, Financial Institution 1 and other global financial institutions that provided international banking services to Huawei (collectively, the Financial Institutions), including U.S. dollar-clearing, made inquiries to Huawei in response to the above-described press reports. In early 2013, Huawei employees represented to the Financial Institutions that Skycom was just a local business partner of Huawei in Iran and that Skycom had not conducted Iran-related transactions using its accounts at the Financial Institutions.

To address the allegations in the news reports, Huawei requested an in-person meeting with a senior Financial Institution 1 employee. That meeting occurred on Aug. 22, 2013 in Hong Kong, at which time Meng met with an executive of Financial Institution 1 responsible for operations in the Asia Pacific region. During the meeting, Meng delivered a PowerPoint presentation written in Chinese, which was translated by an interpreter into English. Meng stated that she was using an interpreter to be precise in her language.

In her presentation, Meng stated, among other things, that Huaweis relationship with Skycom was normal business cooperation and normal and controllable business cooperation, and she described Skycom as a partner, a business partner of Huawei, and a third party Huawei works with in Iran. Those statements were untrue because, as Meng knew, Skycom was not a business partner of, or a third party working with, Huawei; instead, Huawei controlled Skycom, and Skycom employees were really Huawei employees. It would have been material to Financial Institution 1 to know that Huawei controlled Skycom.

In addition, Meng stated that Huawei was once a shareholder of Skycom but had sold all its shares in Skycom. Those statements were untrue, because, as Meng knew, Huawei had sold its shares to an entity that Huawei controlled. Specifically, Huawei transferred Skycom shares from a Huawei subsidiary (Hua Ying) to another entity that was controlled by Huawei (Canicula). It would have been material to Financial Institution 1 to know that Skycom was transferred from one Huawei-controlled entity to another.

Finally, Meng stated that Huawei operates in Iran in strict compliance with applicable laws, regulations and sanctions and that there has been no violation of export control regulations by Huawei or any third party Huawei works with. These statements were untrue because Huaweis operation of Skycom, which caused the Financial Institutions to provide prohibited services, including banking services, for Huaweis Iran-based business while Huawei concealed Skycoms link to Huawei, was in violation of the U.S. Department of the Treasurys Office of Foreign Assets Controls Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations, 31 C.F.R. Part 560. Moreover, between 2010 and 2014, Huawei caused Skycom to conduct approximately $100 million worth of U.S.-dollar transactions through Financial Institution 1 that cleared through the United States, at least some of which supported its work in Iran in violation of U.S. law, including $7.5 million for Iran-based contractors from the U.K. staffing company to do work in Iran.

At no point during or after the meeting did Meng, who was aware of Huaweis public statements about Skycom in Reuters, retract or amend any of those statements. Moreover, Huaweis Treasurer, who also attended the August meeting, did not correct or amend any of the statements made by Meng.

Shortly after the meeting between Meng and Financial Institution 1, Huawei prepared an English version of the PowerPoint presentation at Financial Institution 1s request. Meng later arranged for a paper copy of that PowerPoint presentation to be delivered to the Financial Institution 1 executive she had met with in September 2013. The representations in the English version of the PowerPoint presentation closely tracked the ones Meng had made during the meeting.

After the meeting and subsequent to receipt of Mengs PowerPoint presentation, Financial Institution 1 decided to continue its relationship with Huawei. The other Financial Institutions similarly continued their respective relationships with Huawei.

The DPA

Under the terms of the DPA, Meng has agreed to the accuracy of a four-page statement of facts that details the knowingly false statements she made to Financial Institution 1. Meng also has agreed not to commit other federal, state or local crimes. If Meng breaches the agreement, she will be subject to prosecution of all the charges against her in the third superseding indictment filed in this case. The government also agreed to withdraw its request to the Ministry of Justice of Canada that Meng be extradited to the United States.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander A. Solomon, Julia Nestor, David K. Kessler, Sarah M. Evans and Meredith A. Arfa for the Eastern District of New York; Trial Attorneys Laura Billings and Christian Nauvel for the Criminal Divisions Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section; and Trial Attorneys Thea D. R. Kendler, David Lim and R. Elizabeth Abraham of the National Security Divisions Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case. Valuable assistance was provided by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian Morris and Brendan King of the Eastern District of New Yorks Civil Division and Associate Director John Riesenberg, Attache Andrew Finkelman of U.S. Embassy Paris and former Trial Attorney Margaret OMalley of the Justice Departments Office of International Affairs.

Attachment(s):

Download Meng DPA and Statement of Facts

Topic(s):

Financial Fraud

Counterintelligence and Export Control

Component(s):

Criminal Division

Criminal - Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section

National Security Division (NSD)

USAO - New York, Eastern

Press Release Number:

21-925

Updated September 24, 2021





2021924





49 BrooklynDPA

Eastern District of New YorkActing U.S. AttorneyNicole Boeckmann

Justice DepartmentNational Security DivisionActing Assistant Attorney GeneralMark J. Lesko

Criminal DivisionAKenneth A. Polite Jr.

FBICounterintelligence DivisionEAlan E. Kohler Jr.



20072200711CaniculaCaniculaCanicula

20082Canicula20094CaniculaCanicula20128

20102014

175080

20121220131Reuters201212

201312008220094

12013

120138221PowerPoint

1

Canicula1

U.S. Department of the Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations31 C.F.R. Part 560201020141750

8

11PowerPoint presentation201391

1



1

Alexander A. SolomonJulia NestorDavid K. KesslerSarah M. EvansMeredith A. ArfaMoney Laundering and Asset Recovery SectionLaura BillingsChristian NauvelCounterintelligence and Export Control SectionThea D. R. KendlerDavid LimR. Elizabeth AbrahamCivil DivisionBrian MorrisBrendan KingOffice of International AffairsAndrew FinkelmanMargaret OMalleyJohn Reisenberg
THE EVIL SYSTEM JAILS MY CHILD IN JEWISH MEDICAL CENTER

September 25, 2021

by Limin Wang

It has been said that my 17-yr-old CHILD Alexandria had been sent by EMS to Long Island Jewish Medical Center Northwell Health (270-05 76th Ave, New Hyde Park, NY 11040) by EMS in very early hours of today. The SYSTEM knows all the miserable situations of this family, but the humanscums by the name of helpers INTENTIONALLY sent my child SO FAR away from home to a JEWISH hospital. I had been murder-attempted at workplace and then further murder-attempted at the medical places mostly by Jews! I do not have a car to go and it's even out of the five boroughs of NYC by MTA!

I called this medical center in total about eight times between 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm. at their number (718) 470-7000, and a MALE claimed he was the treating physician and would hospitalize my daughter for one to two weeks. I said NOBODY LEGALLY COMPETENT from this family has given them the needed consent for these shameless ones to pretend giving such "care". He hung up. My wife Li Li has been turned into a PSYCHOPATH since Li Li ran away twice in 2014 aided and coerced by this EVIL AMERICAN SYSTEM, and the psychiatric Li Li has been the MAIN reason that my 17-yr-old child finally fell into the SYSTEM'S HUMANSCUMS' TRAPS and made things WORSE by wishing for HELP from the SYSTEM and then tragedy came to last night's point!!!!!!! In other words, my wife Li Li should NOT be considered NOW by the EVIL AMERICAN SYSTEM to be COMPETENT to give any consent to anything like long-term or expensive "treatments" as a PARENT/CUSTODIAN!!!!!! I Have said the mental situation of Li Li to the police last night. The police came so late and took my driver license ID for a while. Their delay was probably for designing a scheme upon the situation development.

Readers, please get a sense of what kind of evil hospital it is FROM THEIR HANDLING OF PHONE CALLS. That male presumed to be a physician arrogantly talked as if he HAD the sole power to give the "treatments" to anyone he deems as a patient! So many other calls were either not picked up or simply long wait or long wait after long wait. On one call, some woman tried to PRETEND to be my child by stating my child's first name! Some women over there were claiming either that I screamed so the phone was hung up, or claiming my child went to sleep at such early time and my wife was still talking to the doctor so neither of my family members could talk to me; or claiming the nurse "caring" my child was not available over the whole two hours to pick up my phone; or claiming the male doctor has talked to me MANY TIMES already, or claiming that I have been calling them ALL DAY. WHAT KIND OF HUMANSCUMS ACTING AS MEDICAL PROVIDERS CAN ACTUALLY PROVIDE? THEY COULD NOT EVEN MAKE A PHONE CONTACT WORK OVER TWO HOURS BY MULTIPLE EFFORTS! Also, this jewish hospital prevents patients to use their phones there and doesn't provide any outlet for patients to charge their phones, simply by the "hospital" hostile rule. I truly believe they are so cowardous that people may use their phones to record some UGLY OR EVIL things about them.

I called 911 about this, and the woman said 911 could not ensure the jewish hospital establish the phone connection or bring my child and wife back while NO legally valid consent exists. I truly believe the recent series of things are just part of the evil scheme that the EVIL AMERICAN SYSTEM has been taking on this family, every member of this family, no matter youngster or adult!!!!!!! I would NEVER give any consent of any treatments by such a Jewish Medical Center other than a verbal consultation to my minor child with the presence of Li Li, and I want the child and Li Li to come back NOW.
Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) Admiral Karambir Singh in Oman on Sunday.

New Delhi [India], September 26 (ANI): Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) Admiral Karambir Singh on Sunday arrived in Oman for a three-day official visit from September 27 to 29, informed the Ministry of Defence.

According to the ministry, the visit aims to consolidate bilateral defence relations with Oman and also to explore new avenues for defence cooperation.

The Chief of the Naval Staff is scheduled to hold bilateral discussions with his counterpart Rear Admiral Saif bin Nasser bin Mohsen Al-Rahbi, Commander of Royal Navy of Oman (RNO) in Muscat.

During the visit, the Chief of the Naval Staff would also be interacting with the senior hierarchy of Oman including Vice Admiral Abdullah Khamis Abdullah Al Raisi, Chief of Staff Sultan's Armed Forces; Maj Gen Matar Bin Salim Bin Rashid Al Balushi, Commander of Royal Army of Oman; Air Vice Marshal Khamis Bin Hammad Bin Sultan Al Ghafri, Commander of Royal Air Force of Oman and Dr Mohammad Bin Nasser Bin Ali Al Zaabi, Secretary-General, Ministry of Defence (MoD).

As per the ministry, he would also be visiting key defence installations like Muaskar Al Mustafa (MAM) Camp, Maritime Security Centre (MSC), Said Bin Sultan Naval Base, Al Musanna Air Base and National Defence College, Oman.

The ministry further stated that the Indian Navy cooperates with the Royal Navy of Oman on many fronts, which include operational interactions, training cooperation, and exchange of Subject Matter Experts in various fields.

Both Navies have been participating in the biennial maritime exercise Naseem Al Bahr since 1993. This exercise was last conducted in 2020, off Goa and the next edition is scheduled in 2022, said the ministry.

This official visit of the Chief of the Naval Staff to Oman highlights the growing cooperation between the Indian Navy and the Royal Navy of Oman, it added. (ANI)
Haitian migrants are confronted by Customs and Border Protection agents in Del Rio, Texas (Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has revealed that the Biden administration began the asylum process for thousands of Haitian migrants who last week sat at a growing encampment near the border in Del Rio, Texas.

Between 10,000 to 12,000 people from the camp, which at its peak was around 15,000 people, were admitted to the US on a conditional basis as their asylum claims are processed, the DHS secretary said on Sunday.

Immigrant rights advocates and Democrats, including prominent Black lawmakers from the party like Rep Maxine Waters, had called for the Biden administration to admit all or some of the crowds of thousands gathered in Del Rio due to the ongoing political instability in Haiti caused by the assassination of its president and the dire state of affairs resulting from a tropical storm and earthquake striking the island within a few days of each other.

Asylum claims are meant to allow migrants with credible fears of facing violence or other dangers in their home countries to enter the US; it is a legal process to which all migrants are entitled to apply for, but individuals must be present at the US border or already inside the US to make such a claim. Such immigrants are not considered undocumented, though conservative critics of the administration have largely not bothered to even make that distinction.

Theyre released on conditions..approximately I think 10,000 or so, 12,000, Mr Mayorkas said of the Del Rio migrants on Fox News Sunday.

He went on to confirm that the number could expand as the fates of 5,000 who are currently in processing are determined.

The Del Rio encampment became a political firestorm for the Biden administration over the past week, with the White House fielding criticism from both sides on the issue. Conservatives and supporters of former President Donald Trump have pushed the Biden administration for months to turn away more immigrants at the border and keep in place Trump-era restrictions on asylum and entry; while progressives and Democrats have decried the treatment of the mostly Black migrants as inhumane and called for compassion in response to the thousands of Haitians fleeing violence and devastation at home.

More to follow...
Congresswoman Liz Cheney on Capitol Hill (Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Congresswoman Liz Cheney taunted her top political enemy, former President Donald Trump, in a tweet after Mr Trump and his spokeswoman both attacked Ms Cheney last week.

Sharing a photo of former President George W Bush, who also found himself a target of Mr Trumps criticism last week, Ms Cheney quipped on Sunday: I like Republican presidents who win re-election.

The tweet was the latest in a back-and-forth that erupted last week when Mr Trump rebuked his predecessor, Mr Bush, for endorsing the daughter of his former vice president, Dick Cheney, as she attempts to fend off a Trump-backed primary challenge that Mr Trump is supporting. Mr Trump is using the opportunity to try to exact revenge against Republicans who broke with the party and supported his impeachment after the attack on the US Capitol.

Mr Trump originally fired off a statement on Wednesday accusing Mr Bush of being a RINO, meaning Republican In Name Only, and criticising him for launching the US invasions of both Iraq and Afghanistan.

RINO former President George Dubya Bush and his flunky Karl Rove are endorsing warmongering and very low polling, Liz Cheney. Bush is the one who got us into the quicksand of the Middle East and, after spending trillions of dollars and killing nearly a million people, the Middle East was left in worse shape after 21 years than it was when he started his stupidity, Mr Trump said.

His spokeswoman, Liz Harrington, upped the attacks on Twitter the same day by sharing a bizarre Photoshopped image of Ms Cheney with Mr Bushs face superimposed over her own.

Ms Cheney has been one of Mr Trumps most vocal opponents in the Republican Party since the 6 January attack on the US Capitol. She now faces a primary challenge from trial attorney Harriet Hageman, a former supporter of the congresswoman and failed 2018 gubernatorial candidate who came in third place in the states GOP primary that year.

In addition to voting for impeachment, the Wyoming congresswoman is one of two Republican members remaining on the Houses select committee to investigate the 6 January Capitol riot. Ms Cheney is the vice chair of the committee.

Story continues

In an interview with CNN earlier this month, Ms Hageman echoed the false claims Mr Trump has made about widespread fraud taking place during the 2020 election and declined to say whether she believed that President Joe Biden was the legitimate winner.

Mr Trump has warred with the wing of the GOP represented by Mr Bush and other members of his administration since before taking office in 2017, and famously battled with Mr Bushs brother Jeb Bush, former governor of Florida, onstage during debates in the 2016 Republican primary over the US invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan.

Ms Cheney has suffered politically for opposing the former presidents false claims regarding the 2020 election and was earlier this year ousted from her position as House Republican Conference Chair in a vote that led to Rep Elise Stefanik of New York claiming the role.
Solutions and Performance Veteran to Lead Australian Client Relationships and Delivery

Guy Jarvie, SVP of Performance, NP Digital Australia_Headshot

Guy Jarvie, SVP of Performance, NP Digital Australia_Headshot

SYDNEY, Sept. 26, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NP Digital, a leader in performance marketing, announces Guy Jarvie as the Senior Vice President of Performance of the Australian region. Jarvie will be responsible for leading and delivering to the agencys portfolio of Australian clients.

Jarvie has more than 12 years of client partnership experience with managing and growing accounts. Most recently, Jarvie served as the executive account lead for Salesforce Marketing Cloud. Prior to that, Jarvie spent eight years leading digital performance and client solutions for iProspect Australia.

Guy has the experience, drive and empathy to help our Australian clients navigate a very dynamic industry and chart a promising course of digital transformation, said Dan Kalinski, President of NP Digital Australia. His local knowledge and expertise in client partnerships will prove invaluable as we expand to meet Australian demand.

In his new role, Jarvie will assume responsibility for overall client relationship standards for Australian clients. He will lead agency delivery leveraging Search, Social, CRM E-comm capabilities, and the agencys Ubersuggest technology to grow digital performance for clients.

I couldnt be more excited to join the NP Digital team. Australian businesses are in a pivotal moment of digital transformation, and they need an agency at the forefront of marketing and technology to help them accelerate that online growth, said Jarvie.

About NP Digital:

NP Digital is a global performance marketing agency focused on enterprise and mid-market challenger brands. Underpinned by its proprietary technology division and platform Ubersuggest, NP Digital is regarded as one of the fastest-growing, award-winning performance marketing agencies in the industry. NP Digital views marketing through a consultative lens that takes a holistic view when applying specialist execution to build meaningful partnerships. These partnerships include some of the worlds most prominent Fortune 500 brands in addition to mid-size, DTC challenger-type organizations.

Story continues

NP Digital spans across the globe with 450 employees, seven offices and a headquarters in San Diego. For more information visit npdigital.com or neilpatel.com/ubersuggest.

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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 26)  D&L Industries, a listed food and chemical products manufacturer, is boosting its research and development efforts after securing funds for the expansion of its Batangas production facility.

The company said the fresh funds raised from its recent maiden bond offering worth 5 billion will be used to develop specialized products  not just for Filipino consumers as it also targets new international markets.

READ: D&L's 5-B bond offering riding high after strong traction among investors

When the pandemic hit the Philippines in 2020, D&L said it immediately realigned its resources to produce essential food and chemical products that were in high demand in the market.

"With our new facility coming online, they can expect more innovative business solutions and product offerings from us," D&L president and chief executive officer Alvin Lao was quoted as saying in a statement Saturday.

Earlier, D&L said its 8-billion Batangas facility will be up and running by the second quarter of 2022.

Its subsidiary Natura Aeropack Corp., which will manufacture coconut oleochemicals for various consumer care products, will be the first plant to operate in the said production facility.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 26)  The country received three million more doses of the Chinese-made Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine, part of the 26 million shots ordered by the national government for this year.

Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez, Jr. said another 2.5 million doses of Sinovacs CoronaVac will be delivered to the country by Oct. 1.

The country has so far received over 69 million vaccine doses since the national vaccine program started last March.

Galvez said that 23.6 million Filipinos have received at least their first dose, while 20.2 million are now fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

Data from the National Task Force Against COVID-19 showed that a total of 43.8 million vaccine doses have been administered nationwide, with a daily average of 404,365 shots per day.

As of Sept. 26, around 2.5 million Filipinos have contracted COVID-19, with 161,447 active cases.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 26)  Senator Richard Gordon says a Pharmally official who previously appeared at a Blue Ribbon Committee hearing is now unreachable.

In tweets published Sunday, Gordon said Krizle Mago has become "out of reach" after admitting expiration dates of face shields procured by the government for health workers during the onset of the pandemic were changed.

"Isang araw matapos ang kanyang pag-amin na niloko ng kompanya ang taumbayan sa pagpapalit ng expiration dates ng face masks at face shields, 'out of reach' na si Ms. Mago," Gordon tweeted.

[Translation: A day after admitting that the company made fools of people in changing expirations dates on face masks and face shields, Ms. Mago is "out of reach."]

The senator, who is the head of the Senate committee, added they offered Mago protection on Sept. 24 however, she said she would think about it and get back to the committee after the hearing.

As of this posting, Mago has not publicly commented on Gordon's tweets.

In a statement Sunday, Senator Risa Hontiveros said she was "worried" for Mago.

"I am worried for Ms. Mago. Dalangin ko na siya'y ligtas at maging bukas na makipagtulungan para sa katotohanan at kagalingan ng mga kapwa niyang nasa healthcare work. Mananatiling bukas ang aking opisina na tulungan at bigyan proteksyon siya bilang kapwa babae," she said.

[Translation: I am worried for Ms. Mago. I pray she is safe and remains open to cooperate to work toward the truth and to help her fellow workers in healthcare. As a woman, my office will remains open to help and protect her.]

In a later tweet, Gordon expressed the same concern.

"We are concerned for her safety after what she confirmed to us during last Fridays hearing. We offered her protection. After attempts to get her exact location so we could send our Senate Sergeant-at-Arms, she can no longer be reached," he said.

The Senate is currently probing the handling of COVID-19 response funds, which also covers the purchase of supposedly overpriced face masks and face shields.

The hearing has resulted in friction between Gordon and President Rodrigo Duterte who said he would "extract" government officials who would be detained for the hearing.

The President has also ordered Cabinet members to seek his permission first before attending the Senate inquiry, saying the hearings hamper their implementation of COVID-19 pandemic programs.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 26)  Senator Lito Lapid has filed a bill that seeks to grant 28 days of paid quarantine leaves per year to workers who need to undergo mandatory quarantine.

Under Senate Bill No. 2404, or the Paid Quarantine Leave Benefit Act, the benefit would cover workers both from private and public sectors. The pay would be equivalent to their daily wage rate.

According to the bill, the Social Security System and the Government Service Insurance System shall reimburse employers for their employees paid quarantine leaves.

However, if the exposure of the employee to a contagious virus or dangerous chemical was due to the negligence of the employer, the company must shoulder the payment of the quarantine leaves.

The proposed measure notes that the paid quarantine leaves shall not affect existing sick leave, hazard pay, and other benefits currently granted to the employee.

If passed into law, employers who refuse to grant the paid quarantine leave shall be fined from 30,000 up to  200,000. If the violation was committed by an association or corporation, the companys managing head, directors, or partners shall be held liable.
(CNN)  Prince Andrew's lawyers acknowledge he has been served with legal papers in a civil sexual assault case against him, as do lawyers for the woman accusing him of sexual abuse, according to documents filed Friday in New York federal court.

The proposed stipulation, filed in agreement and electronically signed by attorneys for both parties, has yet to be signed by a judge.

Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, is being sued in New York by Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who says he had sex with her when she was 17. Andrew has denied similar allegations from Giuffre in the past.

The stipulation proposes the service of process on the duke be deemed effective September 21, according to the filing. The duke has until the extended date of October 29 to file and serve a response.

It further stipulates a previously set briefing schedule including an October 13 oral argument date has been vacated. The agreement is subject to approval by the court.

Andrew's team had previously said that he had not been properly served notice of proceedings, despite Giuffre's legal team saying papers were served at the prince's home in Windsor, England.

Giuffre says that the assaults happened in London, New York and the US Virgin Islands, that Andrew was aware that she was a minor (17) when it started, and that she had been trafficked by the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Andrew, 61, has consistently denied the claims, telling the BBC in 2019: "It didn't happen. I can absolutely categorically tell you it never happened. I have no recollection of ever meeting this lady, none whatsoever."

Brettler, his lawyer, has called the case "baseless, non-viable (and) potentially unlawful."

His lawyers also say a 2009 settlement between Giuffre and Epstein released the duke from "any and all liability." That remains sealed.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Prince Andrew's attorneys acknowledge he has been served with US court papers in joint filing."
(CNN)  In the week that world leaders gathered in New York City for the UN General Assembly, one person's absence cast a long shadow over what was already set to be a tense few days.

French President Emmanuel Macron was never going to be at UNGA in person. It was, however, impossible to detach his non-attendance -- even in virtual form -- from the spat that broke out following the submarine deal between Australia, the UK and US (AUKUS), which subsequently saw the Australian government ditch a multi-billion-dollar agreement with France.

French officials have been, justifiably, furious. Three of its supposed allies struck a deal behind its back with one reneging on a contract agreed years ago. For a man who has spent his presidency presenting himself as Europe's most serious leader both internally and on the world stage, it was a major embarrassment.

Conversely, for Boris Johnson, the man who led the Brexit campaign and has been accused of making his country insular and a global insignificance, this was a hat-trick. Standing shoulder-to-shoulder with US President Joe Biden; agreeing a deal with two nations on opposite sides of the world; poking France in the eye in the process.

It's the final point that best explains both the hostile rhetoric that has come out of France and goading language from British over the past week.

When France withdrew its ambassadors from Washington DC and Canberra, it elected not to do the same in Britain, which was seen as a snub, of sorts. France's Europe minister called the UK a "junior partner" that had accepted its vassalization by the US.

Johnson responded to the hostility by saying, tellingly in broken French, that some people need to get a grip and give him a break.

"I just think it's time for some of our dearest friends around the world to 'prenez un grip' about all this, 'donnez-moi un break'," he said to reporters during his US trip.

As childish as all this seems, it could be consequential.

France and the UK have long been neighbors who love to hate one another.

"Politics is often as simple as: People like being on one side of a rivalry and love it when they get one over their rival," says Rob Ford, professor of politics at the University of Manchester.

The past week must have been incredibly difficult for Macron to swallow. Not only did the AUKUS deal undermine France's claim to be Europe's most serious geopolitical player, but Johnson went on to score a series of wins in America -- a meeting in the White House; global leaders supporting his climate goals; an end to the US travel ban. All the while, Macron was absent and scorned.

Ford points out that this plays into a particular strength of Johnson's: using undiplomatic language -- "get a grip" -- that is likely to cause offense while amusing his domestic audience.

But why would he, or any world leader, want to even risk causing such offense? Bluntly, engaging in a bitter spat politically suits Macron and Johnson rather well right now.

First, Macron.

Aurelien Mondon, senior lecturer at the University of Bath, explains that this is a "good opportunity for him to appear statesmanlike" while France is "only a few months away from the presidential election. This sets him apart from many other candidates who have very little experience in such matters."

It also helps Macron underscore one of his key objectives: bringing the European Union together on matters such as defense, something that would have been impossible had the UK not voted to leave.

"It's no secret that Macron wants to build up an EU pillar within NATO and the EU to have greater defense capabilities," says Emmanuelle Schon Quinlivan, lecturer in European politics at the University of Cork. "He's now able to use the AUKUS row to say the EU cannot rely on the US or the UK."

She also points out that during the Brexit negotiation process, it was Macron who consistently took the hardest line with the UK and was at times the biggest risk to a Brexit deal.

Which brings us to Johnson.

"He is a leader who is arguably at his best when he is fighting an enemy," says Ford. "Post-Brexit, the incentive to play up minor conflicts with France is greater because it can no longer punish us inside the structures of the EU."

However, Ford points out that this could go wrong "if Macron looks for revenge and wants to make Johnson look stupid."

The most obvious area where he could seek to punish Johnson is by pushing the EU to take legal action over the UK's failure to implement the Northern Ireland Protocol in full.

"If France presses the EU to take Britain to court and Britain retaliates by triggering Article 16 of the protocol -- allowing the UK to take unilateral action -- it would represent a serious escalation in tension," says Anand Menon, professor of European politics at King's College London.

How likely are things to get out of hand?

There is limited good faith between Paris and London right now.

And a poor relationship affects lots of important issues between neighbors.

The UK government has been working with France to stem the flow of irregular migrants traveling across the English Channel.

Julian King, Britain's former ambassador to France, says that without the French incentivized to "enthusiastically patrol those beaches," crossing the Channel becomes "much easier for those wanting to smuggle people into the UK." This would be a problem for a government that has taken such a hard stance on migration.

He adds that beyond intergovernmental bilateral issues like defense, political rows can spill into a toxic atmosphere in wider society, which in turn could cause spats that are out of either government's hands -- for example fishing boats ramming each other at sea.

"It's not just the UK where some in the media are ready to whip up bad feeling. Politicians, on both sides, should focus on lowering the temperature, not fanning the flames," King says.

One consequence of the tumultuous past five years in world politics is a bizarre dynamic of diplomatic competition in Europe.

The UK, outside the EU, wants desperately to be the best friend of English-speaking democracies like the US, Australia, Canada and others.

Simultaneously, the EU is trying to build its own power base that, while independent of the US, will force Washington and other global players to take it seriously. Despite its best efforts, the 27 member states cannot agree on some of the most basic principles of what this EU Mark Two will be.

In this environment, artificial rows are inevitable and, in some cases, useful. What leaders must be careful of, however, is not letting them boil over from performative fluff into policies that are damaging to themselves and others.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "UK and France reheat one of the world's oldest rivalries at a risky time for both"
(CNN) -- The former chairman of China's most valuable drinks maker, Kweichow Moutai, has been sentenced to life in prison after a court found him guilty of taking bribes.

In the latest example of Beijing's long-running crackdown on corruption, a court in the company's home province of Guizhou on Thursday sentenced Yuan Renguo for accepting bribes, including property, worth nearly 113 million Chinese yuan ($17.5 million).

In a statement, the court said that an investigation found he had used his various positions at Kweichow Moutai between 1994 and 2018 to help distributors secure deals for Moutai baijiu, the company's hugely popular luxury spirit.

Moutai baijiu is a clear, potent spirit that's been dubbed "firewater," thanks to the fact that it's 53% alcohol. The red-and-white bottles of its flagship product, "Feitian," or "Flying Fairy," are a staple at Chinese state banquets and business events. It was also known to be the favorite tipple of Mao Zedong, founder of Communist China.

The court said that Yuan had confessed to most of his crimes and was therefore "punished lightly," adding that all his private property had been confiscated.

Yuan's sentencing serves as a stark reminder of Beijing's long-running clampdown on corruption, which has affected Moutai previously.

In 2013, the company's sales slumped and its share price tumbled when President Xi Jinping embarked on a drive to stamp out extravagant spending among officials, including on expensive liquor.

Still, it remains one of China's most valuable companies with a market capitalization bigger than the combined value of global distillers ABInBev, Diageo and Heineken.

China regularly investigates powerful executives for corruption  while using the findings to send a warning to others. In January, a Chinese court sentenced the former chairman of one of China's biggest asset management companies, Lai Xiaomin, to death after finding him guilty of bribery.

Yuan's sentencing takes place against a wider crackdown on private enterprise by Xi, which has squeezed China's tech giants and heaped pressure on prominent business leaders, such as Jack Ma of Alibaba.

 Shawn Deng, Laura He and Michelle Toh contributed reporting.

This story was first published on CNN.com "China jails former chairman of liquor giant Moutai for life for corruption".
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 25) - A "united" opposition for the 2022 elections is far-fetched, according to a political analyst.

"Obviously, it's in your dreams. No one is going to withdraw, slide down, or whatever. Let's stop using that word because it is already inutile and irrelevant," former University of the Philippines political science professor Clarita Carlos told CNN Philippines' Newsroom Weekend on Saturday.

1Sambayan - a broad coalition of pro-democracy groups - was launched last March by staunch Duterte critics: retired Supreme Court Justice Antonio Carpio, former Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales, and former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert Del Rosario. Their aim is to field a single slate of candidates that would challenge administration bets.

The group is eyeing Vice President Leni Robredo to be its standard bearer, but she has yet to decide on whether she will gun for the presidency next year.

The "united" opposition pitched by 1Sambayan appears to have been derailed after its prospects declined to join the coalition. Some of the names the group considered already announced their presidential bids, including Manila Mayor Isko Moreno.

Meanwhile, Carlos said she is eyeing a "younger" candidate that could make a difference in the current list of presidential and vice presidential aspirants.

"As an elderly, I like to see young people more likely to have open minds and open to constitutional reforms," Carlos said.
(CNN)  Germans are heading to the polls Sunday to vote in a closely fought federal election that will, in the coming days or weeks, result in a new chancellor taking the helm of the world's fourth-largest economy.

Chancellor Angela Merkel, 67, has been a symbol of stability in Europe since she took on the role in 2005. But after almost 16 years in the top job, she will step down once it becomes clear who her successor will be.

Polling predictions on Saturday suggested the race was too close to call, with the center-left Social Democrats (SPD) holding a small but narrowing lead over Merkel's party, the center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU).

The closeness of the race coupled with Germany's complicated voting system means it could take some time before a winning coalition is formed and the ultimate victor is known.

Those lining up as candidates to replace Merkel are Armin Laschet, a long-time ally of Merkel and leader of the CDU since January; Olaf Scholz, leader of the left-leaning SPD; and the Greens' Annalena Baerbock.

Environmental concerns and economic worries have emerged as key issues in campaigning, with the former fueled by the deadly floods that devastated parts of Germany this summer.

At his final campaign rally Saturday in Potsdam, Scholz referenced concerns over climate change and said that, if elected, he wanted to agree an increase in the minimum wage to 12 euro ($14) an hour within the first year of government.

Laschet, meanwhile, held a final campaign rally with Merkel in Aachen during which the outgoing chancellor praised his "passion and heart" and said the election was about the country remaining "stable" and ensuring "that the youth have a future and we can still live in prosperity."

Laschet in turn paid tribute to Merkel's time at the helm, saying she had "successfully governed Germany for 16 years."

Merkel, the second-longest serving Chancellor in German history, has been widely seen as a steady pair of hands in the face of challenges including the financial crisis of 2007-2008, Britain's exit from the European Union, and, most recently, the COVID-19 pandemic.

She has been a driving force for European cohesion and attempted to maintain close ties with the United States and China.

Now, with her departure, a period of unaccustomed uncertainty beckons for Germany, the EU and the wider world, although shifts in Germany's international policy are unlikely to be dramatic.

In an unwelcome twist, the European Commission on Friday accused Russia of trying to interfere in European democratic processes through "malicious cyber activities."

German politicians and officials were among those targeted, an EU official told CNN.

Greens could play kingmaker

German politics has long been dominated by the Christian Democrats and Social Democrats, who have governed together in a coalition for the past eight years. But other parties have grown in popularity over the past decade as the CDU and SPD have lost ground.

This election is particularly close; the CDU and SPD have both held polling advantages, and the Green Party has also emerged as a serious contender. As a result, Baerbock stands to play the role of kingmaker in what are expected to be lengthy coalition negotiations.

The far-right AfD also remains a stubborn presence on the political scene, scrapping with the liberal Free Democratic Party for fourth place.

Both Laschet and Scholz  whose parties remain neck-and-neck in the polls  are familiar figures in German politics.

Scholz, 63, has belonged to the SPD since he was 17 and has been serving as the vice-chancellor and German finance minister since 2018, earning him increased visibility as he navigated Germany's economic response to the pandemic.

His chief opponent, Laschet, 60, is a long-time Merkel ally and the CDU's deputy leader since 2012. He was selected as the party's candidate in January 2021 after a torturous leadership tussle, and has been premier of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany's most populous state, since 2017.

Baerbock caused a brief sensation in German politics when she surged in the polls early in the campaign, prompting voters to wonder whether she could become the country's first Green chancellor.

Some 60.4 million people age 18 and above are eligible to vote in this election, according to figures from Germany's Federal Statistics Office.

Each will have two votes to cast  one for the candidate to represent their constituency, of which there are 299 in the Bundestag, or German parliament, and a second vote for their preferred party. A party's share of "second votes" determines the number of seats that party gains in the Bundestag, according to proportional representation.

For a party to get into the Bundestag, it must win at least 5% of the second vote.

Many Germans have already cast their ballots; the coronavirus pandemic has increased the amount of postal voting that took place before polling day.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Germans vote in tight general election race that will lead to new chancellor."
(CNN) -- A defendant standing trial for murder has been killed by two men, believed to be members of a rival gang, who shot him in a New Delhi courtroom.

Two gunmen dressed as lawyers opened fire on Friday afternoon while a jailed gang member was being presented in court, according to Delhi Police.

"Two gangsters killed in immediate counterfire by police as they opened fire in lawyers' attire at a gangster UTP (Under Trial Prisoner) in Rohini court premises this afternoon. All 3 gangsters dead. No other injury or death occurred," Delhi Police wrote in a tweet.

Police added that an inquiry into the incident will be opened.

According to CNN affiliate News 18, Jitender Gogi, who was jailed last year for involvement in numerous criminal cases, was shot while he appeared in Rohini Court, a large court complex, for a hearing. He was declared dead at the hospital.

Gogi was arrested in April for his alleged involvement in 19 murder and attempted murder cases, News 18 reported.

This story was first published on CNN.com "Murder defendant shot dead in Indian courtroom by gunmen dressed as lawyers".
(CNN) -- Booster shots are here, after much hoopla from the White House and a great deal of discussion and consideration from the teams of doctors and other experts who advise the US Food and Drug Administration and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

More than 2 million people have already received third doses of Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine, but these technically were not booster shots -- they were extra doses given to people whose immune systems are compromised and may not have responded fully to the first two doses of vaccines.

But now the CDC and FDA have agreed many Americans need boosters and should start getting them. Here are some important things to know about them:

Who is eligible?

Many adults will be eligible for boosters if they have already received two doses of Pfizer's vaccine.

"Starting today, if you are six months out from your last dose of the Pfizer vaccine, you are eligible for a booster if you fall into one of three high risk groups," US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy told a White House Covid-19 briefing Friday.

"Number one: You are 65 or older. Number two: You have a medical condition that puts you at high risk of severe illness with Covid and these conditions include obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, chronic kidney disease and others. And Number three: You work or live in a setting where you are at high risk of exposure to Covid. This includes health care workers, teachers, those living in shelters or prisons and grocery store workers."

The federal government website at vaccines.gov has links to pages outlining who is eligible for a booster shot and has lists of locations where shots are available.

The CDC's Dr. Kathleen Dooling told the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices earlier this week there is a wide variety of people who might be included in the high risk groups. "Fully vaccinated persons with underlying medical conditions may be at risk of severe COVID-19 if they become infected with SARS-CoV-2," she said. They include cancer, stroke, chronic kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD, diabetes, heart conditions, obesity, pregnancy and smoking.

White House Covid-19 coordinator Jeff Zients said up to 20 million Americans fall into these categories as of now.

When and where can people get one?

People have already started getting booster shots.

Zients said there is plenty of supply, and people should be able to get boosters at pharmacies, doctors' offices and sometimes at mass vaccination sites.

"Boosters will be free for everyone, regardless of immigration or health insurance status. No ID or insurance required," he said Friday.

"And we've worked closely with partners including governors, pharmacies, doctors, long term care facilities and other providers so that eligible Americans are able to get a booster shot at roughly 80,000 places across the country, including over 40,000 local pharmacies," Zients added.

"CDC contacted tens of thousands of nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and other high-risk settings to ensure that they are ready," he said.

"Colorado has nine mobile vaccination clinics ready to go to get boosters to where people are. And we'll double that number to 18 over the coming weeks."

He said Colorado, New York, Ohio and other states were readying large vaccination centers if there is demand.

What about everyone elseincluding people who got Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccines?

The FDA and CDC will continue to consider widening the recommendations for who should and could get booster shots. Moderna has asked the FDA to consider booster doses for people who got its vaccine. Johnson & Johnson has yet to apply.

CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said her agency acted quickly on FDA recommendations for Pfizer vaccine recipients.

"We will, with similar urgency, evaluate the available data in the coming weeks to swiftly make additional recommendations for other populations at risk, and people who received the Moderna and J&J vaccines," she told Friday's briefing.

Murthy made a similar promise.

"I want to speak directly to those who received Moderna and J&J," Murthy told the briefing.

"Your health matters just as much as other vaccine recipients, and we want to make sure that your protection against Covid is strong and reliable as well. That's why the FDA is working with Moderna and J&J to get and process their data as quickly as possible with the goal of making booster recommendations for Moderna and J&J recipients in the coming weeks. This is a high, high priority."

Why do people need them?

The protection provided by Covid-19 vaccines appears to wane over time, especially for people 65 and older, the CDC's Ruth Link-Gelles, who helps lead the CDC's Vaccine Effectiveness Team, said Friday.

She reviewed a series of studies looking at the overall effectiveness of vaccines in various groups between February and August and found similar patterns for Pfizer's and Moderna's vaccines, both made using mRNA. Effectiveness started to wane a few months after people were fully vaccinated -- defined as two weeks after their second dose of either vaccine.

"For individuals 65 plus, we saw significant declines in VE (vaccine effectiveness) against infection during Delta for the mRNA products," Link-Gelles told CDC vaccine advisers this past week.

"We also saw declines, particularly for Pfizer, for 65 up, that we're not seeing in younger populations. Finally there's evidence of waning VE against hospitalization in the Delta period," she said.

In a study of 4,000 healthcare personnel, first responders, and other frontline workers in eight places who were tested every week regardless of symptoms, vaccine protection against any infection declined from 91% pre-Delta to 66% during Delta.

A study called IVY looked at hospitalized adults in 18 states between March and August. Efficacy of Pfizer's vaccine waned from 91%, 14 to 120 days after full vaccination, to 77% three months or more after full vaccination. Moderna's vaccine effectiveness did not really wane, staying at 92% or 93% in that study.

Pfizer says its studies show booster doses bring people's immunity back up to what it was right after they got their second shots, or to even higher levels.

Do I need a doctor's note?

No. People are being asked to "self-attest" as to their eligibility for a booster vaccine.

But people should not cheat-- especially when it comes to waiting six months or so before getting a booster, said Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

That's because a longer time period between prime -- the first doses of vaccine -- and boost helps the immune system mature. The longer one waits, the better the immune response.

"If you allow the immune response to mature over a period of a few months, you get much more of a bang out of the shot, as it were -- an enhancement of your antibodies," he said.

This story was first published on CNN.com "5 things to know about coronavirus booster shots".
(CNN)  When the women of Kidbrooke in southeast London learned Sabina Nessa, an elementary school teacher living in their community, was found murdered in their local park, many had the same thought: It could have been me.

"Police said that she left her home to meet her friend in a local pub and it was just five minutes' walk for her. We often go to this pub and it is also around five, 10 minutes walk for us. You feel it might have happened to you. It might happen anywhere," Aliya Isaeva, a young mother who has been living in the area for about two years, told CNN.

Isaeva and her husband moved to Kidbrooke because it felt like a good place to raise a family; a quiet London suburb, less than 20 minutes by train from central London. As a prime commuter neighborhood, Kidbrooke has benefited from huge investments in recent years. Newly-built apartment buildings with carefully landscaped lawns surround the train station. Across the tracks, many more are being built.

Isaeva and her friend and fellow mum Sueda Ciftci said they visit the park where the 28-year-old teacher was killed last Friday at least once a week. They've always felt safe around there. "We chose this area because there are lots of parks. It's a good family area," Ciftci said.

The neighborhood is still struggling to come to terms with the murder. Throughout the week, people have been laying flowers in the park, lighting candles and leaving notes for Nessa's family. When a vigil was held at a square just up the road from the park on Friday evening, large crowds of people, mostly women, turned up.

Many struggled to hold back their tears when Nessa's sister Jebina Yasmin Islam told them about the pain she and her family experienced. "This feels like we're stuck in a bad dream and we can't get out of it," she said. "We have lost our sister, my parents lost their daughter and my girls have lost such a brilliant, loving, caring auntie."

Gender violence epidemic

Nessa's killing has sparked a renewed outcry about Britain's epidemic of violence against women and girls. Nessa is thought to have been murdered on her short journey through the park, with her body found on Saturday afternoon, close to a nearby community center.

"It's just an unending cycle of violence against women and it's really depressing," Jamie Klingler, one of the co-founders of the Reclaim These Streets campaign group, told CNN.

The group was formed after the assault and murder of 33-year-old Sarah Everard in March. Everard went missing after leaving a friend's house in Clapham, south London, on May 3, and her disappearance sparked an outpouring across social media from women sharing their own experiences of sexual assault and harassment. A Metropolitan Police officer later pleaded guilty to murdering her.

Klingler said the murder of Nessa showed nothing has changed in the six months since Everard was killed in May. "Violence against women is not [in] the top three priorities of any police department in England or Wales. We don't even rank. Nobody is taking this seriously," she said.

According to the safety app WalkSafe, there were 112 violent and sex crimes reported within a 1.5 kilometer (0.9 miles) radius of the park where Nessa was killed, just in July, the most recent month for which police figures are available.

"Right now the [local] council is giving out panic alarms and they're giving out pieces of paper saying you have to walk with somebody ... how is it all on us to protect ourselves rather than on society and the government and the police to keep us alive?" Klingler said.

At the vigil on Friday, Clive Efford, the local MP, said 78 women have died in violent attacks since Everard was murdered in May.

Efford said a cultural change needed to take place in the UK. "Those sexist jokes that just slip off the tongue around the coffee machine, that's where it starts, that's the small steps that create the environment where people feel that they can become violent and aggressive towards women and girls, so if we want to bring about change, we have to live that change and be that change," he said to applause from the crowd.

The British government in July unveiled a new plan to tackle violence against women and girls. But campaigners have said it doesn't go far enough. Refuge, a charity helping women who are victims of domestic violence, said the plan did not provide adequate funding and missed out on an opportunity to put real changes in place.

Manuela Colombini, who has lived in the area for about 15 years, said she felt it was her duty to attend the vigil to express her solidarity with Nessa's family and make her voice heard. "We want to feel safe. I have two young daughters and I don't want them to grow up and think that they cannot go out in the streets or to a park that is near here where we take our dogs," she said. "It's important to be able to show that we are here and this is not acceptable," she said.

Most of those who gathered in Kidbrooke on Friday didn't know Nessa personally. Like Colombini, they came because they wanted to support the community, take a stand and ensure her story is not forgotten. When one of the speakers encouraged the crowd to say Nessa's name, they did, the sound of hundreds of voices echoing through the square: "Sabina Nessa. Sabina Nessa. Sabina Nessa."

This story has been updated to correct the month when Sarah Everard went missing. It was in March.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Murder of young teacher makes women in London worry it could have been them"
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Denton

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The Watchdog: With its new cryptocurrency mining business on city land, Denton is suddenly a crypto player

Lola Gomez/The Dallas Morning News Denton Municipal Electrics Jim Christal Substation is shown Thursday. Land next to the substation is set to become the first cryptocurrency mining business in Denton. Lola Gomez/The Dallas Morning News Land next to Denton Municipal Electrics Jim Christal Substation is set to become the first cryptocurrency mining business in Denton. Dave Lieber/The Dallas Morning News In the city of Dentons 2021 agreement with crypto mining company Core Scientific, key details are redacted.

Dave Lieber

The city of Denton has leased 31 acres of vacant land next to its gas-fired energy plant to a cryptocurrency mining company. You may not have heard this because most public documents in the deal refer to the venture only as a data center.

The secretive agreement requires that no news releases be sent out describing the deal, unless special permission is given. So far, that hasnt happened. The Watchdog will fill you in.

City officials say that when the operation opens in the coming months, the amount of electricity used by Denton Municipal Electric customers will suddenly double. Thats how much electricity the new facilitys powerful computers and cooling systems will use every day  an amount equal to what the city-owned utility already sells.

Officials say it will stabilize rates for all its customers and not put any further strain on the fragile Texas electric power grid. In the event of a power emergency, crypto mining businesses can power down immediately and send unused power to grid operator ERCOT to help replenish the power supply. In return, crypto companies are paid by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas for this assistance.

The company involved, Core Scientific of Bellevue, Washington, wants to maintain a low profile. After I sent an inquiry to the company, its public relations firm contacted me to ask when this story would run. The company did not take questions about the project.

I cant tell you the financial details of the deal because important numbers are withheld from public view. City officials say information relating to public power utility plants is allowed to remain confidential under the state public information law.

The Denton City Council passed an approval ordinance, and leaders also signed a complex power purchase agreement, but important details were redacted.

Heres what The Watchdog has learned: The citys agreement allows the company to run crypto mining operations on city property for seven years with an option to renew for seven more.

The city could earn up to $4 million a year from sales tax and franchise fees, Mayor Gerard Hudspeth told me.

Denton Municipal Electric, the city-owned electricity utility, will earn up to $8 million a year through additional but unspecified fees built into the contract, DME General Manager Tony Puente told me.

That money will go to pay back loans the city took out after the February freezeout caused exceptionally high energy costs, Puente said. Because of this new deal, customers will not see their rates go up, he said.

The mayor said the deal should allow the city to lower its property tax rate, pay for more police officers and fund environmental projects.

We have a surplus budget because it [the deal] passed, the mayor said proudly.

In public meetings, some City Council members raised valid questions about the environmental impact and the strain it could put on the state electricity grid. The mayor said the city will monitor the impact using funds from the citys sustainability fund.

City staff has tried to reassure elected officials that the steady electrical usage of the plant adds predictability to the grid because the same amount of power would be used each day. They say thats good for the grids stability.

Texas is bitcoin country

Thanks to Chinas decision to expel the cryptocurrency industry, Texas is a hot destination (no pun meant there).

Crypto companies looking for cheap land, low electricity rates and a state willing to cater to confidential agreements hit the trifecta here.

Lee Bratcher, head of the Texas Blockchain Council, a trade association for the burgeoning industry, coined a slogan: Texas is bitcoin country.

He said the Denton deal is the first in the state where a company is leasing city-owned land near a power plant.

The setup is that temporary structures will be placed on concrete slabs. The structures, which look like shipping containers, will house hundreds of high-powered computers costing up to $15,000 each.

The structures will be air-conditioned with additional loud whirling fans to help keep the computers cool.

Core Scientific expects to hire only 16 people to run the facility 24 hours a day.

In crypto mining, computers constantly race other computers to crunch numerical patterns in the hope of latching on to a financial transaction. When it works, the financial reward can be great, and the earnings count toward a valuable bitcoin. Even though the value of bitcoins fluctuates, its often high enough to make these mining operations practical.

On Friday, a bitcoin was valued at $41,000.

Why Texas?

Its hard to imagine that one mining operation can use as much electricity as DMEs 53,000 customers.

Texas seems like a strange place to attract the growing industry, if for no other reason than the hot and humid weather.

New York University professor David Yermack told Wired magazine that Texas is about the weirdest place hes heard of for bitcoin mining.

He said many companies being forced out of China end up in countries with cold, dry weather such as Iceland or Sweden.

Crypto companies, he said, should be treated like any other consumer of electricity, and if they can make money doing that, Im not sure theres any cause for concern.  If somebody wants to buy the energy, there should not be any question about what it is being used for.

However, he criticized the confidentiality of these kinds of deals.

The industry is pretty transparent, he said. Theres very little trade secrets among bitcoin miners. Theyre all just plugging in specially built hardware, and its all doing exactly the same thing. Im not sure there are any proprietary secrets that you want to keep people from finding out.

Yet in the city ordnance approving the deal, the city says it is withholding information because it contains competitive electric commercial and financial information  which could provide an advantage to competitors.

The citys agreement with Core Scientific states, Neither party shall issue any press or publicity release  or disseminate any information with the intent that such information will be published.

Besides, a data center sounds so much less threatening that a bitcoin mine.

And this one project might not be the end of it.

Hudspeth told me, Theres more of these. Theres another one being considered in a different part of town with the potential to double [usage]. Instead of $4 million next year, we could potentially get an increase on that. That fixes a lot of roads and really helps the city get back on solid ground.

When I asked Puente about the mayors comment, he laughed and said, Wow, the mayor didnt hold anything back.

Two mines in Denton would help turn the city into a crypto capital of Texas.
Deliverymen wait for their turn to get the new coronavirus test in HCMC, September 20, 2021. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran

HCMC has administered almost 9.2 vaccine doses for people over 18 and nearly 2.4 million have had two shots.

The ministrys document also regulates that Covid-19 patients will only be allowed to isolate at home for treatment if they live in high risk or very high risk areas. All shopping centers and tourism activities will be suspended whenever a place is tagged very high risk.

"The rule to sending Covid-19 patients to centralized camps should be eliminated to switch to the new normal. The health sector should have specific guidelines to treat Covid-19 patients at home," the associations said.

They said that when switching to living with Covid-19, which means people have been fully vaccinated, it will cause a huge waste of resources and pressure for the healthcare system when Vietnam keeps sending all Covid-19 patients to centralized facilities.

They also said that the restrictions on traveling and engaging in public activities applied on those that have fully vaccinated and those that have already recovered from Covid-19 only because they live in an infected area are "unnecessary."

Everyone who has been fully vaccinated should be allowed to work, and appropriate pandemic control measures should be based on the occupancy rate of hospital beds and intensive care units in each locality, the associations said.

They also pointed to unreasonable rules on easing restrictions. The draft guidance document says that any place with less than 20 new cases among 100,000 people within a week would be classified as low-risk, regardless of the vaccination rate

This rule, businesses said, would pose a large threat in those so called low-risk localities in case a cluster appears, given that not many people living there have been vaccinated.

For now, 38 cities and provinces across the country are deemed to have "put the outbreak under control" and have eased social distancing restrictions after reporting continuous declines in the number of new cases, and not because they have a high vaccination rate.

The associations cited Hanoi as an example: at the threshold of 20 cases for every 100,000 residents, the capital city would report 230 new cases every day for its population of around eight million.

Over the past several months of the ongoing Covid-19 wave, Hanoi was recording 50-70 new cases each day, and it had taken the city nearly two months to impose the strictest social distancing measures.

A task force removes a makeshift barrier to blockade an area with Covid-19 in Thanh Xuan Bac Ward of Thanh Xuan District in Hanoi, September 21, 2021. Photo by VnExpress/Ngoc Thanh

Flexible solutions

To coexist safely with Covid-19, the business associations proposed solutions whereby the strategy for pandemic control and economic recovery can be implemented in a flexible manner.

In the transition phase, which is expected to last from now until early next year, places with a high vaccination coverage rate should be allowed to reopen first.

In such places, there should be two categories separating areas for pandemic control.Category 1 would cover areas that are still dealing with community outbreaks. These will impose Directive 16, which bans all from going out except for "essential purposes."

However, travel restrictions should be removed for the fully-vaccinated and Covid-19 recoveries. Those two groups should also be allowed to go to work.

Also, regulations restricting economic activities should be removed and patients should be allowed to isolate themselves and be treated at home, except for severe cases that need hospitalization.

The healthcare sector must have specific guidance for businesses on what to do when employees get infected. Under no circumstance should the entire production and business establishment be shut down when cases are found.

Category 2 would apply to areas where the pandemic is spreading slowly or there is no outbreak where the transition to the new normal would take three to five months.

In case there are infections in the community, lockdown measures should be imposed at the smallest scale.

If the infection rate rises to more than 0.7 new cases per 100,000 inhabitants a day for one week in a row, the alert level will be raised but still, no large-scale blockade will be imposed. Areas in which people have been fully vaccinated will switch straight to the new normal and lift all lockdown measures.

For the phase of living with the virus, which is expected to start from the middle of the first quarter next year or earlier depending on vaccine coverage, each area will reopen depending on when they reach the national target of more than 70 percent of the population aged 18 and older being fully vaccinated.

While social distancing measures should be imposed in accordance with the pandemic situation, production and business activities, as well as public transportation, should be allowed to operate at full capacity at all pandemic levels.

Travel restrictions among regions, either for transporting passengers or goods, should be removed. The businesses also proposed that all centralized quarantine camps are closed and those who come into contact with a Covid-19 patient be asked to self-isolate at home.
Phan Van Hoa listens as police in Ninh Thuan Province read a warrant to detain him for investigation, August 19, 2021. Photo by the police

A central Vietnam court sentenced a local man to 30 months in jail Saturday for breaching quarantine rules and spreading the novel coronavirus to four other people.

Phan Van Hoa, 39, was found guilty of "spreading dangerous infectious diseases to human" by the court in Ninh Thuan Provinces Phan Rang  Thap Cham Town.

On July 6, Hoa drove a truck from Ho Chi Minh City, which had become the epicenter of Vietnams fourth Covid-19 wave, back to the town, which is also his hometown.

As regulated, all people returning from Covid-19 hit areas had to submit health declarations and isolate themselves for two weeks.

However, Hoa did not comply with the rules. Instead, he visited different places in town and attended a death-anniversary commemoration, where he made direct contact with many people.

Eight days after his return from HCMC, Hoa developed Covid-19 symptoms of fever and sore throat. Tests confirmed that he had been infected with the novel coronavirus.

Authorities tracked and isolated everyone hed come into contact with. Four of them later contracted the virus.

Hoa was charged after he had recovered from the disease.

Vietnam was hit by the fourth Covid-19 wave late April. Since then, more than 742,000 cases have been recorded in 62 of the nations 63 localities.
Delegates attend the IAEA General Assembly session in Vienna, Austria, on September 23, 2021. Photo by IAEA

Vietnam was elected to the 2021-2023 term Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) during its latest session in Vienna.

The vote took place during the September 23 meeting of the 65th IAEA General Assembly. The meeting was held both online and offline under the conditions of the Covid-19 pandemic, and joined by representatives of 172 member states of the IAEA and other international organizations.

Besides Vietnam, 10 other countries were elected to the IAEA Board of Governors at the meeting.

The board consists of 35 members who will consider and recommend the agenda for the IAEA General Conference including the agencys operational programs and financial issues, admission of new member countries, approving inspection agreements between the agency and member states as well as adjustments to IAEA's regulations and standards on nuclear safety and security.

Ambassador Nguyen Trung Kien, permanent representative of Vietnam at the IAEA, thanked the agency for supporting Vietnam's fight against the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

The agency provided Vietnam with a variety of equipment and biological products to help the country accurately test and diagnose Covid-19 cases.

Since last year, Vietnam has implemented six national-level cooperation projects and 10 regional-level projects with the IAEA.

Vietnam will coordinate with Laos and Cambodia to implement the tripartite cooperation agreement on the application of nuclear technology, one of the focuses of the IAEA's technical cooperation program in Southeast Asia.

Established in 1957 and headquartered in Vienna, Austria, the IAEA is an international organization under the United Nations that has the task of promoting peaceful use of atomic energy and preventing its military use.
China's attempt to be part of the CPTPP, which has left a door open for the U.S. to be back, is as intriguing as it is surprising.

Pham Quang Vinh

What will it mean for the great power rivalry that it portends? And why not think the unthinkable?

I was taken aback at the news that China has applied to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

China is coming and the U.S. is somewhere far away.

China's application has come at a time that the U.S. under President Joe Biden's administration had shown no signs of returning to the fold. And we all know that CPTPP is a new form that has 11 members waiting for the U.S. to return.

Initially, the TPP, predecessor to the CPTPP, was framed as the centerpiece of the U.S.s strategic pivot to the Asia-Pacific region and it had become an influential geoeconomic and geostrategic pact led by America.

In this context, how should we understand the new development?

On the surface, it seems that China faces three major difficulties.

First, CPTPP signatories would check it carefully as they would not be sure if China can fully meet the high standards in the deal that are strictly regulated, because it is already engaging in contrary actions like heavily subsidizing state-owned enterprises and deterring e-commerce transparency.

Second, some key members of the pact have tense relationships with China on specific issues, including Australia, Canada, and Japan. If just one of them rejects it, China's request will not be successful.

Third, the U.S. will not just "stand by and watch" and will launch a lobbying campaign to ask allies and partners not to accept Beijing.

For sure, China knows all this. Why is it making this effort then?

The answer could be that it has plans for the short-term while playing the long game.

In the short run, Beijing may aim to take advantage of the great power rivalry to build a "better image" of China as a country in favor of trade, bringing huge economic benefits for partners. In fact, China announced its CPTPP application just one day after the U.S unveiled a new security partnership with Australia and the U.K. (AUKUS).

It is also possible that China wishes to prevent Taiwan from joining the CPTPP and even the U.S.s return to the pact.

In addition, Beijings move could deepen the separation between the deal's members with the U.S. as they would not want to take sides in the strategic competition. Countries in CPTPP may be more divided in the consultation process as they protect their respective interests in their relationships with China. The initial reactions indicate that such division is inevitable. Some welcomed the move, some raised conditions and some have not publicized their opinions yet.

In the long term, China will use the CPTPP to achieve a leading position in the Asia Pacific region, completely sidelining the U.S.

Representatives of members of Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal wave as they pose for an official picture after the signing agreement ceremony in Santiago, Chile, March 8, 2018. Photo by Reuters

Personally, I will not be surprised if China expresses its willingness to wait for approval to join the CPTPP because it waited for 15 years to join the World Trade Organization (WTO).

That duration could be shorter these days given the fact that China has become the world's second largest economy and other economies need it. It has become apparent, especially during Covid-19, that cooperation with China is crucial for many countries to recover and live with the pandemic.

At the same time, China has also shown that it can meet high standards in multilateral agreements given the successful conclusion of the EU  China Comprehensive Agreement on Investment (CAI) in 2020. In fact, it would be possible for Beijing to get a "waiting period" to fully satisfy certain standards.

When China becomes a member of CPTPP, it will lead the whole region with its economic strength, supported by its role in the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). China's GDP is over $14 trillion which is higher than that of the CPTPP (around $13.5 trillion).

This would, in effect, mean a dissolution of all of the initial targets of the signatories.

First, countries in the CPTPP would have to stay with or drop the 20 items which were temporarily "frozen" to wait for the U.S. to come back. Among these are standards for state-owned enterprises, workers' rights, government procurement and e-commerce.

With them (as planned earlier), countries in Asia could increase exports to and access advanced technologies from the U.S.

These two benefits are crucial for sustainable development of the supply chain in the Asia  Pacific region.

Secondly, if China's in without the U.S., the whole CPTPP would be Asia-centric and would not be able to foster the trade flow between the two sides of the Pacific. Unlike the U.S., China is export-oriented too. More advantages would accrue to China, effectively disadvantaging CPTPP members in competition with the export powerhouse.

Furthermore, it is unavoidable that CPTPP members will rely more heavily on China's supply chain. This leads to the question: What are the value additions in this mechanism? Beijing could gain a huge advantage both in economic and geo-strategic spheres in the Asia  Pacific region.

So I'd like to raise another question: could China create another substantive reversal for the TPP as the U.S. has done several times?

In considering this, we should look not only at the options of related countries, but also that the U.S. is likely to seriously put re-joining the TPP back on its agenda because it is a matter of national interest and geo-strategic competition in the long run.

As for CPTPP members, they need to carefully re-examine their goals and interests in the pacts original give-and-take package, in return for having accepted the high standards insisted on by the U.S. They should also consider what their likely benefits will be in terms of competitive advantages, market diversification and reducing dependency on one source.

This is a very critical issue for Vietnam as a member of the CPTPP and RCEP. It requires the nation to be very cautious in reviewing its relationships with all partners to ensure its interest, independence and autonomy.

Remarkably, back in 2015, when countries were going to conclude the TPP, I used to say that it was a historic miracle for members and for Vietnam in particular.

It was huge because it had set unprecedentedly high standards that are crucial for sustainable development in the future.

Vietnam had strongly demonstrated then its determination in the deal for the country's future. By transforming its role from an associate to taking part in negotiation and coming to the final stage, Hanoi went beyond its contemporary legal and policy framework.

Looking ahead, I'd like to imagine this: what if the CPTPP has both China and the U.S. as full members? There is no reason for members to deny listening to China's request, but they would remember, at the same time, to leave the door open for the U.S. to come back, because the U.S., its economy and market are uniquely critical for the pact's members. In fact, both the U.S. and China are crucial partners of the pacts members.

In this case, CPTPP members would need to strictly keep to basic standards of the deal without giving in to short term interests or gains. Only then would the grouping be able to keep its permanent vitality.

*Pham Quang Vinh is former Vietnamese ambassador to the U.S. The opinions expressed are his own.
As the covid-19 vaccine rollout gained speed through the spring new case numbers began to fall. But as the high transmissible Delta variant took hold across the US, areas with low vaccination rates are experiencing rates that mirror or even exceed the worst levels last winter.

The surge in new cases is pushing hospital systems to the limit with medical staff forced to make hard decisions choosing which patients they can treat. The situation has become so bad that crisis standards of care have now been activated. Where are the Delta variant hot spots in the US?

Crisis standards of care implemented

Community transmission is high in over 95 percent of the US but the Delta variant is hitting some areas much harder than others. Hospital systems across the US are warning that they are stretched to the limit with new covid-19 patients, lack of resources and exhausted staff.

Idaho and Alaska activated crisis standards of care whereby hospitals can ration medical care based on who could benefit the most from the limited resources available. This affects both covid-19 and non-covid-19 patients and has resulted in non-covid patient fatalities. St. Peters Health in Helena, Montana announced that it had moved into crisis care standards while other hospitals in the state including the largest hospital system, Billings Clinic, were looking to implement similar standards.

The lack of beds is forcing patients and those overwhelmed hospital systems to search for room in hospitals in neighboring states or even far afield. Earlier this month an unvaccinated Florida covid-19 patient was flown to Connecticut for a life-saving treatment after his family sought a spot for him at 169 hospitals without success.

The rise in hospitalizations driven by the unvaccinated

The Delta variant which is more than twice as contagious as previous variants appears to be causing more severe illness in unvaccinated individuals. It is also putting more children in hospital than prior strains of covid-19. Breakthrough cases in those who are vaccinated have been reported with viral loads high enough to allow them to spread the virus. However, the vaccinated generally do not experience severe symptoms and rarely need hospitalization.

Besides Alaska, Idaho and Montana other areas with low vaccination rates are experiencing surges in new covid-19 cases. Wyoming, West Virginia, Kentucky, North Dakota, Tennessee, South Carolina, and Alabama join the other three states in the top ten. All ten states have a vaccination rate at or below 50 percent, except Kentucky which has 52 percent of its population fully vaccinated according to the New York Times covid-19 tracker.
President Nguyen Xuan Phuc delivers his statement at the general debate of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, the US, on September 22. (Photo: VNA)



The following is the full text of the statement.



Mr. President,



I wish to extend my congratulations to Mr. Abdullah Shahid on the assumption of his duties as the President of the 76th UNGA. I am convinced that under his able leadership and with his vast experience, he will lead our session to success.



I highly appreciate the significant contributions of Mr. Volkan Bozkir in his capacity as the President of the 75th UNGA. I also wish to, once again, congratulate Mr. Antonio Guterres on his re-election as the UN Secretary-General. I believe that, with his perseverance and dedication, he will work to realize the Organizations directions and priorities in the years to come.



Mr. President,



The UNGA this year convenes against a unique backdrop, as the COVID-19 pandemic is jeopardizing the peoples lives worldwide. I believe that all our thoughts these days are with our countries and our people. And my heart yearns for my homeland Vietnam, where the entire nation is vigorously combating this pandemic to protect the health and lives of the people, to sustain economic growth and to ensure social security, leaving no one behind.

No statistical figures can truly measure grief and loss caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This is, above all, the loss of lives, and subsequently severe economic damages and far-reaching impacts on societies and the peoples well-being. The pandemic sounds a warning bell of the shocking destruction that may be caused by non-traditional security challenges such as diseases or climate change, if they are not addressed at timely and decisively.



The pandemic has also exposed the shortcomings of the global governance system and the increasing inequality among nations.



Nonetheless, COVID-19 is not the sole challenge that we are facing today. Increasing tensions among major powers has led to a divisive and unstable international system. Wars are taking the lives of many innocent people. Disputes over territories and resources in many areas are on the verge of erupting. The rise of power politics, the disregard for international law, and the unilateral acts of coercion and hindrance against countries in exercising their legal rights are still taking place in many regions.



In that gloomy picture, what really motivates us are the strong desire for peace, cooperation and development among the people around the globe, and our recognition of the importance of international solidarity and multilateralism.



The United Nations - with its 75-year experience in preserving peace and nurturing friendly, just and equitable international relations - continues to assert its key role in the multilateral system. The Organization continues to effectively coordinate global efforts to respond to global challenges that cannot be resolved by any one country acting alone.



Against such backdrop, I fully support the theme proposed by Mr. President. And let me share some of my thoughts.



First, our most urgent task today is to expeditiously contain COVID-19 worldwide. The world cannot be safe if any single person or country still suffers from this pandemic. Vietnam values the role of UN agencies and other multilateral institutions, particularly the COVAX Facility in promoting fair and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines and medications.



For the pandemic to be repelled, it is essential that we stand in solidarity, uphold a high sense of responsibility, and step up cooperation. Particularly, priority allocation of vaccines should be given to nations with a low vaccination rate. And developing countries should be enabled to engage in vaccine production and supply chains.



Second, the key solution to contain the pandemic and foster economic recovery lies in our ability to strengthen our own resilience, particularly in face of crises. But this does not mean that we have to do it alone. Resilience can only be sustained if it is based upon cooperation and connectivity among nations, particularly at a time when non-traditional security challenges do not know borders and can impact any nation.



We value the role played by the UN system and expect that it will continue to support member states efforts to build resilience, accommodating the interests and concerns of all countries.



Third, the challenges we face can be turned into development opportunities. As our daily lives as well as production and business activities have to undergo changes to adapt to the pandemic, this is an opportunity for digital transformation, utilization of novel technologies, and enhanced productivity, competitiveness and self-reliance of our economies.

It is also a chance for us to pursue green transformation, sustainable development, trade and investment facilitation. We should also work together in promoting the flow of goods and people and maintaining global supply chains.



The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development provides us with an excellent blueprint for seizing such opportunities, and calls for enhanced cooperation. We call upon all countries to fulfill their financing for development commitments, reschedule debt payments by developing countries, and provide these countries with necessary resources to contain COVID-19 and foster recovery, thereby turning opportunities into concrete development outcomes.



Fourth, cooperation in mitigating and preventing the dire impacts of climate change has become more crucial than ever before. Harsh weather conditions, sea level rise, environmental pollution, and biodiversity degradation are the cumulative consequences of decades of mankinds reckless quest for development.



Those challenges are pushing us into acting promptly to safeguard our planet and realize the internationally agreed threshold of 1.5 degrees Celsius.



President Nguyen Xuan Phuc delivers his statement at the general debate of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, the US, on September 22. (Photo: VNA)



As we are heading toward COP-26, we need to make every effort to cut greenhouse gas emissions, in which developed countries should take the lead. Developing countries should receive further assistance in financing, technology transfer and capacity-building so as to reduce emissions, and enhance disaster prevention and mitigation in ways that foster transition towards green and circular economy. This is a shared opportunity for us to ensure the harmony between man and nature.



Fifth, the pre-requisite to fostering recovery and growth in the post-pandemic era is to sustain peace, security, and stability in each country, each region, and the world at large. Vietnam calls for a global ceasefire and an end to all violence to ensure the safety of civilians and facilitate humanitarian assistance in areas of conflicts.



Vietnam has undergone decades of wars to reclaim independence and national reunification, escape isolation and embargoes. We have made every effort to mobilize our internal strengths, uphold self-reliance, and adapt ourselves to the prevailing trends of our time to achieve our potential, international standing and prestige today.



We understand thoroughly the meaning of nothing is more precious than independence and freedom, and of peace and development of each nation. Vietnam condemns all acts of war and power politics, and violations of the fundamental principles of the UN Charter and international law.



More than ever before, all actors in international relations need to act in good faith and uphold responsibility, while avoiding tensions and confrontation. We should together strive to reshape international ties and build trust among countries on the basis of equality and cooperation. We must also respect the independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, non-interference in the internal affairs of States, and resolve disputes by peaceful means.



At this august forum, we once again reaffirm our solidarity with the people of Cuba, and reiterate our strong call for a complete end to the unilateral embargoes against Cuba.



We hope that the situation in Afghanistan will soon stabilize for the Afghan people, particularly women and children, to be able to live in peace. We support the just struggle of the Palestinian people and the two-state solution towards the establishment of an independent Palestinian State living in peace alongside the State of Israel.



Mr. President,



After 35 years of Doi Moi, Vietnam has made historic accomplishments. We are aiming to become a high-income developed country by 2045, on the centenary anniversary of Vietnams independence.



The aspiration for a strong and prosperous Vietnam can only be realized when the country is truly a law-governed state of the people, for the people and by the people, and is able to invoke the patriotism, perseverance, great national solidarity and innovation of the entire nation.



Vietnam is pursuing a people-centered approach, and is striving to achieve social progress and equality, preserve cultural values, and protect the environment, while promoting sustainable and inclusive development. This is closely aligned with the SDGs that we endeavor to fulfill.



Vietnam has been pursuing a foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, friendship, cooperation and development, and diversification and multilateralization of external relations. As a responsible member of the international community, Vietnam is proactively and actively engaged in extensive international integration, making responsible contributions to the concerted efforts of the international community.



Vietnam wholeheartedly support multilateralism, with the UN at the center, and international law as the foundation. We uphold the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and endeavor to make substantial contributions to a more democratic and effective UN.



We will always remember and treasure the UNs invaluable assistance accorded to Vietnam. The fruits of Vietnams reform and integration owe partly to the resources and policy advice the UN development system has been rendering to us over the years.



In the region, Vietnam is working closely with fellow ASEAN members to promote ASEAN centrality in the maintenance of peace, security and prosperity in Southeast Asia and the Asia-Pacific at large.



The ASEAN - UN relations has constantly been consolidated and developed, becoming a role model for cooperation between the UN and other regional organizations. We are making vigorous efforts to implement the Five-point Consensus endorsed by ASEAN Leaders to foster dialogue, reconciliation, and humanitarian assistance to the people of Myanmar.



Vietnam shares ASEANs position and the international communitys common voice on the importance of peace, stability, maritime security and safety, freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea. We believe that all parties should refrain from unilateral actions that may further complicate the situation, resolve disputes and differences through peaceful means in line with the UN Charter and international law, particularly UNCLOS 1982. It is also necessary to fully observe the Declaration of Conduct by parties in the South China Sea, and soon achieve a substantial and effective Code of Conduct in line with international law, including UNCLOS 1982.



President Nguyen Xuan Phuc delivers his statement at the general debate of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, the US, on September 22. (Photo: VNA)



Mr. President,



On this momentous occasion, on behalf of the State and people of Vietnam, I sincerely thank all member countries for the trust placed in Vietnam in its capacity as a non-permanent member of the UNSC for the term 2020-2021. Over the past almost two years, Vietnam has always upheld the principle of Partnership for sustainable peace. We have promoted dialogue and cooperation, and actively joined the concerted efforts to prevent and address conflicts. Vietnam has advocated strengthening the upholding of the UN Charter and international law, bolstering cooperation with regional organizations, conflict prevention, mine action, and the protection of civilians and civilian critical infrastructure in armed conflicts.



The national flag of Vietnam is flying high at the UN Peacekeeping Missions in South Sudan and the Central African Republic, and it will soon be flying in other UN Missions as well. With our desire to make further contributions to the work at the UN, Vietnam is running for a seat at the Human Rights Council for the term 2023-2025, and at other important UN agencies. We look forward to the continued support from all countries in this endeavor.



Mr. President



The path ahead will not be easy. But I am convinced that the world peoples hearts will beat as one. Vietnam will work with countries and people around the world so that together we can prevail over the pandemic, and build a world of peace, prosperity and happiness for all. And this will be a glorious victory for us all.



Thank you./.
Photo for illustration. (Source: VNA)

The event is part of Vietnams leading metal working and precision engineering exhibition  MTA Vietnam 2021.

With the desire of contributing to supporting Vietnamese enterprises in the producing-manufacturing industry to find quality and potential partners, the Online Business Matching 2021 will create opportunities to exchange, connect and establish new partnerships between Vietnamese and Japanese businesses.

This is also an opportunity for Vietnamese businesses to learn about Japanese products and technologies.

This year, the number of Japanese companies participating in the program increased from 17 to 26, offering opportunities for Vietnamese businesses to meet more partners, thereby expanding their business networks and finding the best technology solutions.

In addition, Japanese partners joining this years program are more diverse in fields, richer in products and technologies, and will certainly meet the needs of Vietnamese businesses.

The organizers will arrange flexible online meeting rooms for businesses. In each room, two Japanese and Vietnamese businesses will meet, share information, chat and learn about potential partners to build future cooperative relationships./.
Mr. Le Hoang Tai, Deputy Head of the Trade Promotion Agency, spoke at the event. (Photo: VNA)

The event was attended by more than 50 businesses from Vietnam and Chile.

In his speech at the event, Mr. Le Hoang Tai, Deputy Head of the Trade Promotion Agency, said that in recent years, trade between Vietnam and Chile has been increasingly prosperous thanks to leverage from free trade agreements that both countries have joined, such as the Vietnam-Chile Free Trade Agreement and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

According to statistics from the Ministry of Industry and Trade, despite the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic, by the end of August, two-way trade turnover reached 1.27 billion USD; in which, Vietnams exports to Chile grew by 44% and imports increased by 15% over the same period last year.

Vietnams export commodities to Chile include: phones, components, machinery, equipment, footwear, and garments and textiles, while commodities imported from Chile are aquatic products, fruits and production materials.

Mr. Pham Truong Giang, Vietnamese Ambassador to Chile, said that since the Vietnam-Chile FTA took effect in 2014, trade between the two countries has grown rapidly. Many Vietnamese-made products have established a presence in Chile and most recently, Vietnamese pomelos have been successfully exported to the market.

He affirmed that the Vietnam-Chile FTA is very effective in opening the market between the two countries. Therefore, Vietnamese businesses have the opportunity to access good-quality and affordable raw materials such as pulp, fishmeal and many high-quality Chilean products like salmon and wine.

After the conference, businesses of the two countries entered online trading sessions to exchange and seek investment cooperation opportunities in the fields of healthcare, wood and wood products, and electrical components./.
On September 21, Chinese President Xi Jinping addressed the general debate of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) via video link.

In his speech, Xi proposed a Global Development Initiative and called for bolstering confidence and jointly addressing global threats and challenges to build a better world for all.

Here are some highlights:

In the face of the raging COVID-19 pandemic and profound changes taking place globally, Xi pointed out that people in all countries long for peace and development more than ever before, and that the world has entered a period of new turbulence and transformation.It falls on each and every responsible statesman to answer the questions of our times and make a historical choice with confidence, courage and a sense of mission, he stated.

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Editor: GSY
Chinese President Xi Jinping made a statement at the general debate of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) via video on September 21, 2021.

Xi's proposals for global development have added strong impetus to the global drive to jointly address challenges and promote stronger, greener and healthier global development so as to build a community with a shared future for mankind, experts and officials from across the world have said.

In a statement, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed "the announcement made by President Xi that China will end all financing of coal fired power plants abroad and redirect its support to green and low carbon energy."

"China will step up support for other developing countries in developing green and low-carbon energy, and will not build new coal-fired power projects abroad," Xi said, referring to green development.

Robert Lawrence Kuhn, chairman of the Kuhn Foundation This commitment is the "headline grabber" and "puts climate change theory into real world practice by reducing greenhouse gases, an action step unmatched by the fine rhetoric of others," Kuhn said.

As regards Xi's pledge that "China has never and will never invade or bully others, or seek hegemony," William Jones, Washington bureau chief of the U.S. publication Executive Intelligence Review, said that it is "a stark contrast" to some Western leader's claims that their country's values must lead the world. Commenting on Xi's remarks that "the world is big enough to accommodate common development and progress of all countries," Jones said, "That message will no doubt resound well among the members of the UN and among the peoples of the world."

In the view of Christine Bierre, an expert at the Schiller France Institute, Xi has expounded on strengthening international cooperation against COVID-19, promoting economic recovery and development, improving global governance and practicing multilateralism from the perspective of building a community with a shared future for mankind.

Sommad Pholsena, vice president of the National Assembly of Laos, highly agreed with Xi's remarks. He said countries' development policies should focus on people's livelihood after the pandemic and at the same time, countries should take a long-term view, emphasize harmony between man and nature, and ensure that development benefits both the world and nature without undermining the foundation for future development.

Egypt's Assistant Foreign Minister of Asian Affairs Tarek El-Wassimy noted that Xi has made suggestions on and contributions to multilateral cooperation and exchanges on many occasions. "We look forward to continuing coordination and cooperation with China under multilateral frameworks," said the Egyptian diplomat.

Editor: Liu Jiaming
In an unprecedented move, an ultra-conservative website run by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) has published an interview with former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, marking the first time state media has given the former president a platform since his term ended in 2013 amid soured relations between him and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

In the interview with Fars News Agency earlier this week, Ahmadinejad, known for not mincing his words, said Iranians are less free under the current cleric-dominated ruling system than they were four decades ago during the reign of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.

"Although the ruling establishment reacts less harshly against its dissidents, it has expanded the sphere of its confrontation with the people. I mean, comparing with the past (during the Constitutional Monarchy), the situation with freedom is much worse today, Ahmadinejad said.

Claiming that the Islamic Republic is less brutal in its treatment of prisoners than it used to be, Ahmadinejad nevertheless lamented that the number of people incarcerated for criticizing the regime has increased.

[The Islamic Republic's] prisons are currently crowded with the critics of the heads of the three branches of power, the judiciary, the Majlis (parliament), and the executive administration," Ahmadinejad said.

Though he has rebranded himself as an outspoken critic of Irans ruling establishment in recent months, during his presidency Ahmadinejad bragged about the absolute freedom enjoyed by the people of Iran.

After his second term ended amid clashes with the Supreme Leader, Ahmadinejad began to present himself as less of an establishment insider. When his close confidant and former Deputy for Executive Affairs Hamid Baqaei was sentenced to fifteen years in prison on corruption charges and his former Chief of Staff Esfandyar Rahim Mashshshaei was given five years on similar charges last year, Ahmadinejad became a vociferous critic of the regime, demanding the heads of the judiciary, parliament, and the executive branch step down and hold free elections.

Irans judiciary was repeatedly accused by rights groups of suppressing opposition during Ahmadinejads eight years in power.

We were truly unaware of the unjustifiable actions by the judiciary at the time. We really did not know but later we were informed [of many facts], Ahmadinejad said. As you are not aware of many facts for the moment, we were also unaware of many cases and kept in the dark at the time. Nevertheless, God willing, you will soon be informed of the facts as well.

In the latest of a series of open letters to the Supreme Leader the former president has penned in recent months, Ahmadinejad called the heads of all three branches of government a gang, and accused them of abusing their power to imprison his allies.

In the letter, Ahmadinejad accuses the speaker of parliament and the head of the judiciary, the Larijani brothers Ali and Sadeq, of joining forces with President Rouhani to attack the former presidents supporters. He also said they are responsible for the recent widespread unrest and protests expressing dissatisfaction with the ruling establishment.

In previous letters to the Supreme Leader Ahmadinejad has warned that public dissatisfaction with the regimes performance is serious and extremely high. He also demanded structural reforms in institutions such as the conservative-led Guardians Council and the judiciary, and called for the establishment of a constitutional court and a ban on the armed forces intervening in political and economic activities.

Khamenei has so far not responded directly to any of Ahmadinejads comments or letters, though he has implicitly admonished him in speeches on at least two occasions
Weddings, wakes and conferences will be banned in the Iranian capital until further notice as the Middle Easts hardest-hit nation battles a third wave of COVID-19, police said on Saturday.

President Hassan Rouhani meanwhile announced new restrictions that will take effect on Wednesday in 25 of Irans 31 provinces for 10 days.

The official IRNA news agency said Tehran police had extended by one week the closure of businesses including beauty salons, teahouses, cinemas, libraries and fitness clubs.

Police will make unannounced visits to other high-risk businesses, and those that violate health protocols will be shut down, IRNA quoted police official Nader Moradi as saying.

Deputy Health Minister Alireza Raisi said in a televised press briefing that the new restrictions from next week in the 25 provinces and 89 counties will include include the closure of institutions such as schools, universities, libraries and mosques.

Rouhani said in televised remarks that strict health protocols should be observed when holding weddings and funerals in those provinces and counties.

Iranian authorities have blamed a sharp increase in cases on people failing to follow restrictions, and Rouhani said an operations headquarters will be set up to ensure compliance with the health protocols.

Total COVID-19 deaths rose by 386 over the past 24 hours to reach 34,864, health ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari told state TV on Saturday, adding total cases rose by 7,820 to 612,772.
Egypts President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi has issued a decree to appoint a total of 98 female members of the State Lawsuits Authority and the Administrative Prosecution to positions within the State Council.
Egypt reported 788 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, bringing the total infection tally to 309,135 since the outbreak began in February 2020, said the health ministry in its daily coronavirus update statement.
Egypt's Armed Forces mourned on Sunday the death of an Egyptian peacekeeper who was killed in an explosive blast in Mali recently.
Millions of school and university students will begin the new academic year in Egypt on 9 October. The state has decided the students will physically attend classes despite a surge in coronavirus cases driven by the pandemic's fourth wave.
U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland is working on a memoir in which he will reflect on the Jan. 6 siege of the Capitol and ...
Morocco's King Mohammed VI on Thursday named a new government, led by billionaire tycoon Aziz Akhannouch whose National Rally of Independents (RNI) trounced incumbent Islamists in elections last month.
Algerian Minister of Energy and Mines Mohamed Arkab said that his country looks forward to establishing a real partnership with Egypt in the energy field, noting that several oil and gas exploration tenders would be announced in the coming period.
In its latest publication in the book series titled Memory of The City, the National Organisation of Urban Harmony (NOUH) has released the second book titled Garden City: The City of Gardens... Literal and Figurative.
The feast of the Epiphany, falling on 19 January, is one of the most sacred days in the Coptic Christian calendar
Egypts Ministry of Health and the World Health Organisation reported that the registered numbers of coronavirus cases in Egypt are less than the actual numbers

According to data Ahram Online obtained in late December from the Egyptian Medical Syndicate, 33 percent of the documented cases of coronavirus among doctors in 2020 were in the 25-30 age group, with the majority -- 66 percent -- recorded among males.

The figures could be higher," Nagwa El-Shafei, the undersecretary of the Medical Syndicate, told Ahram Online, adding that according to the estimates of the syndicate, the medical sector, including nurses, pharmacists, and administrators had not less than 10,000 coronavirus cases in 2020.

The syndicate noted that the figures represented only the documented cases reported by its members in Cairo and its branches in the governorates that received financial aid and pensions.

Even Egypts Ministry of Health and the World Health Organisation reported that the registered numbers of coronavirus cases in Egypt are less than the actual numbers. The two bodies cited the reasons for the discrepancy in numbers that included the fact that many people depend on inhouse treatment and do not go to isolation hospitals except in critical cases.

Despite asserting that Egypt has the lowest coronavirus infection and death rates in relation to its population size, Minister of Health Hala Zayed said in a press conference in January that Egypts coronavirus cases are one-tenth of the countrys actual cases. This was the case all over the world, not only in Egypt, she added.

By the end of January, Egypt had documented 165,418 coronavirus cases, including 129,293 recoveries and 547 fatalities.

Documented cases of coronavirus among doctors

According to data released by the Medical Syndicate, the 25-30 age group tops the infection cases because young doctors stand in the front line of dealing with patients in hospitals.

In May 2020, the Egyptian Medical Syndicate got into a direct confrontation with the Ministry of Health over several issues, starting with the coronavirus protection protocols for medical teams.

The syndicate criticised the coronavirus protection protocols for medical teams adopted then by the health ministry that depended only on rapid tests and not the PCR tests. The syndicate considered the rapid tests less accurate despite their speed and depended on more PCR tests to ensure the safety of the medical teams.

The Ministry of Health did not only expand in PCR tests but also in coronavirus isolation hospitals across the country, and the following two months witnessed the peak in coronavirus cases in Egypt.

According to the Ministry of Health in December 2020, 55 percent of the documented cases in Egypt were in the age groups above 50, while 25 percent of the total infected cases were in the 15-35 age group.

The syndicate revealed that 66 percent of the documented infections were among male doctors, numbering 4,021.

Cairo was listed first among other governorates when it comes to the number of coronavirus cases among doctors, according to the figures provided by the syndicate in 2020, with 1,582 cases out of 6,064 recorded cases, or 26 percent of the total cases.

Following Cairo was Giza with 475 cases, Assiut 409, and Gharbiya 360.

Port Said, which recorded 17 infections among doctors, witnessed the first death of a practicing doctor in the country by the coronavirus in March 2020.

Port Said was followed by South Sinai, 12 infections, and North Sinai, five.

It is no surprise that Cairo tops the governorates and North Sinai comes in last. The two governorates, after all, recorded the highest and lowest infections, respectively, among the general public, according to the health ministry data in late December 2020.

According to the data of the Medical Syndicate and its branches nationwide, 93 percent of the infections, or 5,643 cases, was among practicing doctors, the rest, 421 cases, among doctors on pension.

General practice doctors topped the coronavirus infections with 46 percent, or 2,767 cases (1,062 among women and 1,704 among men) out of 6,064 cases.

These were followed by paediatricians with 443 cases, internal medicine doctors 370 cases, obstetrics and gynaecology doctors 350 cases, general surgery 250 cases, cardiology and angiology 154 cases, orthopedics 142 cases, and chest diseases and tuberculosis, 137 cases.

Fatalities among members of the Medical Syndicate

On 30 March 2020, the Egyptian Medical Syndicate announced the death of 57-year-old doctor Ahmed Al-Lawah due to coronavirus complications in Port Said. The pathologist contracted the virus in Port Said from a foreign coronavirus patient who went to his clinic for tests.

Then there was an avalanche of deaths among Egypt's medical teams who sacrificed their lives to treat coronavirus patients. The Medical Syndicate's Facebook page became a collection of obituaries with the names and faces of deceased doctors from all specialisations, ages, and governorates.

In late December, the syndicate reported 125 fatalities, but its most recent data showed deaths among doctors have surpassed 280. Factoring in the doctors on pension, the figure rises to 377 fatalities on 18 February.

The figures do not include the doctors or medical workers who passed away due to coronavirus complications while working abroad.

According to the data sheet received by Ahram Online, the 61-70 age group had the highest rate of fatalities, making up 35 percent of the total fatalities documented among doctors by the Medical Syndicate.

According to the Egyptian health ministrys official figures in December 2020, some 33-35 percent of the fatalities occurred among the age group above 50.

Fatalities among general practitioners were the highest, 26 cases, followed by general surgery 17, internal medicine 17, and paediatrics, 13.

Out of the 125 fatalities initially recorded among doctors, 117 were men.

According to the geographical distribution, Cairo may top the governorates but 52 cases had unspecified locations, meaning their governorates of birth and work are different.

In the past month, the Egyptian Ministry of Health started the first stage of vaccination using Chinas Sinopharm targeting the medical staff. The vaccination is not mandatory.

The total number of medical workers targeted for vaccination in chest and fever hospitals is 207,000, including doctors, nurses, administrators, and workers.

The vaccination aims to provide protection for Egypts first line of defence against the coronavirus pandemic.

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The syndicate said that the doctors with the highest mortality rates are those working in obstetrics and gynaecology.

Sixty-one doctors have died from coronavirus since the start of April, the Egyptian Medical Syndicate has announced.

In a statement released on Monday, the syndicate criticised statements made by the minister of health on Saturday regarding coronavirus deaths among the countrys doctors.

In a press conference on Saturday, Health Minister Hala Zayed said that 115 doctors have died while working at isolation hospitals, and that other doctors who died from COVID-19 had contracted the virus through social interactions.

The number of doctors who died since the start of the coronavirus crisis so far has reached nearly 500, and not 115 doctors as the health ministry announced, the syndicate said, adding that the ministry only counts fatalities among doctors working at coronavirus isolation hospitals.

What about the doctors in the educational, private and emergency hospitals who receive thousands of patients that are potentially carrying the coronavirus? What about the obstetrics and gynaecology doctors who supervise the delivery of women carrying the coronavirus? the syndicates statement said.

The syndicate said that the doctors with the highest mortality rates are those working in obstetrics and gynaecology.

The syndicate also said that between 3 and 18 March, it sent five letters to the ministry asking for vaccinations for all doctors, but received no response.

Minister Zayed said on Saturday that only 60 percent of Egyptian doctors have registered to receive the coronavirus vaccine, but only 50 percent of these registered doctors have shown up for inoculation.

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A shipment of more than one million doses of AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine will arrive at Cairo International Airport on Wednesday evening, the health ministry said

Egypt has received 33,678 million coronavirus vaccine doses since the beginning of the inoculation campaign launched earlier this year.

The doses are an amalgam of the Astrazeneca, Sinovac, Sinopharm, Sputnik, and Johnson & Johnson vaccines, Minister of Health Hala Zayed said on Wednesday.

During a cabinet meeting, Zayed stated that from 18 to 24 September, 1,926 million doses of the locally produced Sinovac-VACSERA vaccine are scheduled to be distributed among the 830 vaccination centres nationwide.

The minister highlighted the ongoing preparations for receiving Pfizer doses in a number of governorates, in which the total storage capacity has reached 4,366 million after purchasing and locally distributing 600 refrigerators.

On 24 September, Egypt will receive its first shipment of the Pfizer vaccine  which needs special refrigerators to store vials at 2C to 8C  containing 612,000 jabs, as part of a total of 1.6 million doses, the health ministry spokesman said earlier in TV statements.

According to the health ministry, a shipment of more than one million doses of AstraZeneca will arrive at Cairo International Airport on Wednesday evening.

This is the third major shipment Egypt receives in less than a week. A shipment arrived in two batches consisting of 546,400 doses of AstraZeneca donated by France via COVAX last weekend, and 850,560 doses donated by Germany via COVAX, were received on Monday, according to the UNICEF.

Together, we are reassured mobile campaign

Zayed tackled the Maan Natmaen (Together, we are reassured) mobile campaigns success in helping 45,460 people register on the ministrys vaccination website since its launch on 16 September.

Covering 18 governorates, the mobile campaign's main objective is to spread awareness and help citizens register for the vaccine and be jabbed on the same day.

People who had previously registered on the ministrys website but did not receive text messages of their vaccination appointments can head to the campaign to receive immediate messages with the date and place of the vaccination, an earlier statement by the ministry read.

Egypt  which currently witnesses a steady rise in daily infections and deaths  has recently intensified its mass vaccination campaign to alleviate the repercussions of the ongoing fourth wave and to achieve its 40 million immunised individuals goal by the end of 2021.

The ministry is also working on vaccinating teachers, teaching staff, workers, employees, and students at universities and institutes against the coronavirus before the beginning of the academic year on 9 October.

So far, Egypt has detected a total of 298,296 cases, including 251,395 recoveries and 17,016 deaths.

According to the World Health Organisation , nearly 13 million vaccine doses have been administered in Egypt till 16 September.

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Only vaccinated employees will be allowed into workplaces, including public and private schools and administrative directorates as per ministerial directives

Unvaccinated employees working in education sector in Egypt will be required to conduct a PCR test twice a week to be allowed into educational premises nationwide, according to a new order.

A directive released by Egyptian Minister of Education Tarek Shawki on Thursday said that only vaccinated employees will be allowed into workplaces after providing a valid certificate showing their vaccination status, with unvaccinated ones to be required to conduct PCR test twice a week.

The new measure applies to all public and private schools and administrative directorates, according to the circular.

The minister said those who have health contradictions that prevent them to receive the vaccines will be exempt from the new rules, local media reports.

The new rules comes as the Egyptian government seeks to guarantee "a safe" academic year for all students and staff, particularly with the return of in-person classes at the Egyptian schools and universities.

Minister Shawki urged for applying attendance rules for all workers, according to the circular.

The Egyptian government has announced that vaccination is mandatory for all teaching staff, employees, and workers, as well as students who are 18 or above at lower and higher education institutions in Egypt.

The country is also planning to vaccinate all the high school and preparatory school students in the upcoming period, particularly after the inauguration of the second production line of VACSERA, currently working with a designated line production to manufacture up to 80 million doses of Sinovac vaccine by December.

The announcement was made by Health Minister Halal Zayed during a press conference on Thursday.

According to the latest figures announced by Egyptian health officials last week, out of the 102-million population more than 13 million people have been vaccinated in Egypt.

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A car bomb exploded at a checkpoint near Somalia's presidential palace Saturday, killing eight people and was claimed by the Al-Shabaab jihadist group, police said

A car bomb exploded at a checkpoint near Somalia's presidential palace Saturday, killing eight people and was claimed by the Al-Shabaab jihadist group, police said.

"We have confirmed that eight people most of them civilians died and seven others wounded in the car bomb blast", district police chief Mucawiye Ahmed Mudey told reporters.

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Shell Egypt NV and Shell Austria GmbH announced that they have completed the sale of their upstream assets in Egypt s Western Desert to a consortium made up of subsidiaries of Cheiron Petroleum Corporation and Cairn Energy.

The sale was concluded for a base consideration of $646 million and additional payments of up to $280 million between 2021 and 2024, hinging on the global oil price and the results of further exploration.

The sale was announced on 9 March 2021 and the transactions effective date is 1 January 2020.

The effective date of 1 January 2020 represents the date economic interest moved to the purchasers, while the consideration will be adjusted for net cash flows after this date, according to Shell.

The company said that the sale completion follows receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals.

This transaction is in line with our plan to reshape our upstream portfolio into one that is more focused, more resilient and more competitive to play a vital role in our Powering Progress strategy. In Egypt, this includes our continued commitment to delivering value and supply across our gas value chain, such as our interests in the West Delta Deep Marine and in Midstream through our Egyptian LNG joint-venture, said Wael Sawan, Shells upstream director.

Khaled Kacem, Shells vice president and country chair for Egypt, said that Shell is proud of its long history in Egypt that has been lasting for 110 years.

With this transaction Shell is refocusing its business in Egypt on its existing infrastructure position, according to Kacem.

In addition to West Delta Deep Marine and Egyptian LNG joint-venture this includes the Harmattan Deep Project and Exploration acreage in the new seven blocks in the Nile Delta, West Mediterranean and the Red Sea, and in Downstream through Shell Lubricants Egypt (SLE).

Both Shell Egypt NV and Shell Austria GmbH are subsidiaries of Royal Dutch Shell.

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Pianist Mohamed Fouad and violinist Ahmed Mounib, a phenomenally successful duo will be inviting their audience to a special concert at El-Sawy Culturewheel on Friday 1 October.

Though the duo performed at the wheel a few years ago, this will be the first time that they revisit the stage accompanied by an orchestra conducted by George Kolta.

The concert will also feature Hany El-Badry on the nay (an oriental flute) in a composition titled Nostalgia in Blue.

The story of Fouad and Mounib goes back to 2015, when the two musicians met on Facebook and began sharing their music. A few months later, the duo performed together in their first concert at Alexandrias Creativity Centre.

The duos popularity then began to grow, taking them to numerous renowned halls, including the Cairo Opera House and Bibliotheca Alexandrinas Arts Centre, as well as tours to Morocco and Austria.



With time, the musicians started thinking about more ambitious creative endeavours, with Mounib creating arrangements of their music for an orchestra.

Upon Mounibs return to Egypt from Germany, the duo performed their first concert with an orchestra in February 2020 at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, where they performed to over 1500 people. This was followed by another grand concert at the Nafoura stage of the Cairo Opera House.

Programme:

Friday 1 October at 7:30pm

El-Sawy Culturewheel, River Hall

26th of July Street, Zamalek, Cairo

For more arts and culture news and updates, follow Ahram Online Arts and Culture on Twitter at @AhramOnlineArts and on Facebook at Ahram Online: Arts & Culture

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The girl was tricked by the dismissed judge and two of his friends to travel to the North Coast, where she was raped by two defendants at the private villa owned by the third

A Cairo court sentenced on Thursday a sacked judge and two others to 15 years in prison each for kidnapping and raping a woman at a private villa on the country's North Coast.

The woman, who was working at a real estate financing office owned by the second defendant, himself a friend of the former judge, was tricked into travelling to the North Coast under the pretext of organising a real estate conference, according to the prosecution.

The real estate office's owner persuaded the woman to stay with him at a villa owned by the Judge's second friend, the third defendant in the case, due to the lack of vacant rooms in the North Coast's hotels.

The judge and the first defendant assaulted and raped the woman inside the room, as per the investigation.

The police intervened the following day after being called by a neighbour who saw the woman trying to flee while two men  the judge and his first friend  chased her.

In order to cover up the incident, the sacked judge tried to offer the victim a large sum of money and marry her using an informal or unregistered marriage certificate  which is locally known as an urfi (customary) marriage  that predated the incident

Egypt has been cracking down on sex crimes, encouraging victims of sexual assaults to come forward.

Last year, a bill proposed by the justice ministry to keep the identity of sex crime victims confidential was approved.

The government has recently passed laws stiffening jail sentences and fines for sexual offenders.

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The ruling upheld a previous decision by the minister of Awqaf to place 42 mosques in Beheira governorate under the ministry s supervision

Egypt's Supreme Administrative Court issued on Saturday a final verdict banning the use of mosques for political purposes and upholding the state's right to supervising them.



The ruling upheld a previous decision by the minister of Awqaf to place 42 mosques in Beheira governorate under the ministry's supervision, stating that the government should control the mosques by all legal means.

This comes as part of the countrys efforts to control the religious discourse and teaching methods within worship houses.

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He also held a meeting on Wednesday with Cypriot FM Nikos Christodoulides and Greek FM Nikos Dendias to follow up on cooperation mechanisms between the three countries

Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry discussed on Thursday Egypt's foreign policy during a roundtable discussion organised by the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) in New York, the foreign ministry said in a tweet.

Shoukry presented to the US-based nonprofit think tank, which specialises in US global affairs and foreign policy, on Egypt's diplomatic efforts on the international and regional fronts.

The roundtable came on the sidelines of Shoukrys participation in the 76th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.

On Wednesday, Shoukry held separate meeting with his counterparts from Niger, Latvia, Somalia, South Korea, Tanzania and Italy to discuss bilateral relations and issues of mutual concern.

He also held a meeting with Cypriot FM Nikos Christodoulides and Greek FM Nikos Dendias to follow up on cooperation mechanisms between the three countries.

He later held another meeting with Jordans FM Ayman Safadi and Iraqi FM Fuad Hussein to follow up also on cooperation mechanisms between the theree countries.

Shoukry also met with Abdulla Shahid, the president of the UNGAs 76th session, to discuss the most prominent topics on the UNGAs agenda and the priorities for work during the coming period.

On Wednesday, Shoukry held a meeting with representatives of various countries to discuss reaching political solutions in the Libya crisis within the framework set during the Berlin conferences.

He also gave a speech during the high-level meeting celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Durban Declaration and Program of Action adopted in 2001 to fight racism.

The top diplomat held separate meetings with each of his counterparts from France, Ireland and Vietnam to discuss ways to enhance bilateral cooperation.

On Tuesday, Shoukry held separate meetings with his counterparts from Estonia, Tunisia, Rwanda, India, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Ukraine, Pakistan, as well as Josep Borrell  the high representative of the European Union for foreign affairs and security policy.

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El-Sisi affirmed keenness to boosting relations to include food industries, wheat silos, ports, energy and tourism

Egypts President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi discussed with Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskyy via phone on Saturday establishing joint investment projects and boosting cooperation in various fields.

El-Sisi affirmed his keenness to boost bilateral relations including various possible forms of cooperation, especially food industries, wheat silos, ports, energy and tourism, Egyptian Presidential Spokesman Bassam Rady said.

The Egyptian president hailed the momentum gained recently for boosting the bilateral relations with Ukraine.

Zelenskyy stressed his keenness on coordination and consultation with El-Sisi in various fields, Rady said.

Zelenskyy voiced aspiration to enhance the cooperative relations between the two friendly countries in light of Egypts pivotal role under El-Sisi to enhance stability and security in the Middle East and Africa.

Zelenskyys aspiration toward boosting cooperation with Egypt also comes in light of Egypts successful and appreciated efforts to halt the danger of illegal emigration across its lands to Europe, Rady added.

El-Sisi and Zelenskyy discussed boosting bilateral relations, especially economic and commercial ties as well as investments, Rady said.

The two leaders addressed boosting security cooperation between Egypt and Ukraine in a way that serves their joint interests.

They also discussed regional and political issues of mutual concern, Rady added.

El-Sisis last official bilateral meeting with Zelenskyy was in September 2019 on the sidelines of the 74th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 74) in New York.

According to Ukraines Embassy in Cairo in February, 31 bilateral treaties, mostly economic, are in force between the two countries. They include conventions, agreements and MoUs.

Trade volume in goods and services between the two countries hit $1.8 billion in 2020.

Almost 730,000 Ukrainian tourists visited Egypt in 2020, during the first year of the pandemic in the African country, down from 1.49 million in 2019, said the embassy in February.

This makes Ukraine the second largest source of tourists visiting Egyptian resorts.

In June last year, Egypt and Ukraine also established an inter-parliamentary friendship group in Ukraines Parliament.

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Guterres underlined the UN support for the mediation efforts made by the African Union regarding the dam dispute

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has affirmed the importance of resuming dialogue on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) in a spirit of reaching a compromise, a UN statement said.

Guterres made the remarks in a meeting on Friday with Ethiopias Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonnen in New York on the sidelines of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA).

Guterres underlined the UN support for the mediation efforts made by the African Union regarding the dam dispute, the statement added.

Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia have recently expressed readiness to engage in the AU-sponsored negotiations aiming to resolve their dispute over the mega dam Addis Ababa is building on the Blue Nile.

The UN Security Council issued a statement earlier in September encouraging the three sides to return to the AU-sponsored talks to reach a binding deal.

Rounds of AU-sponsored talks to resolve the decade-long dispute have collapsed, with Egypt and Sudan expressing grave concerns about the potential impact of the GERD.

Egypt and Sudans call for a legally-binding agreement on the filling and operation of the dam have been resisted by Ethiopia, which implemented the second phase of filling the dams reservoir unilaterally in July without an agreement.

In TV remarks on the fringe of the UNGA meetings, Egypts Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said Egypt welcomes an anticipated decision by DR Congo, the current chair of the AU, to resume the GERD negotiations.

Shoukry affirmed the importance of Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia resuming the GERD negotiations in a framework that is strengthened by the participation of international observers, hailing the international role in this regard as indispensable.

Earlier this month, DR Congos Foreign Minister Christophe Lutundula embarked on an official visit to Ethiopia, Sudan, and Egypt to discuss arrangements regarding the resumption of the GERD talks.

Shoukry, during a press conference with Lutundula in Cairo, said Egypt received a vision and plan from the DR Congo on the resumption of the AU-sponsored talks regarding the GERD during the coming period.

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Shoukry stressed the depth of Egypt s strategic relations with the US and reviewed Egypt s vision toward the most prominent issues in the region

Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry reviewed in a meeting with a delegation from the American Jewish Committee (AJC) in New York Egypts efforts to revive the peace process and achieve comprehensive peace.

Shoukry said these tireless efforts made by Egypt aim to enhance the pillars of security and stability in the region, a statement by the Egyptian foreign ministry read.

The Egyptian FM, during the meeting, stressed the depth of Egypts strategic relations with the US and reviewed Egypts vision toward the most prominent issues in the region, the statement read.

The top Egyptian diplomats meeting with the AJC took place on the sidelines of the 76th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 76).

Established in 1906, the AJC is a New York-based advocacy group with dozens of offices worldwide. It has partnerships with 37 global Jewish community organizations.

The organisation aims to influence public opinion and policy through its relationships and international presence.

In February last year, Shoukry received an AJC delegation in Cairo, during which they discussed the most pressing regional issues as well as the developments in Egypt-US relations.

During the 2020 meeting, the AJC delegation praised the efforts exerted by the Egyptian government in maintaining Jewish heritage in Egypt and preserving Egypts Jewish antiquities.

The Egyptian foreign minister has held over the past week meetings with top diplomats and counterparts from around the globe on the UNGA sidelines.

He also gave a speech during the high-level meeting celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Durban Declaration and Program of Action adopted in 2001 to fight racism.

Egypts President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi also participated in the UNGA, delivering recorded remarks to the session on Tuesday and to the UN Food Systems Summit on Thursday.

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Shoukry mentioned Egypt s recent launch of the National Strategy for Human Rights as the first strategic, comprehensive, long-term, homegrown human rights strategy in the country

Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry reviewed with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Saturday Egypts efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and effectively promote human rights.

Shoukry met with Guterres in New York on the sidelines of the 76th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and congratulated him on holding the UNGA despite the circumstances related to the coronavirus pandemic, a statement by the Egyptian foreign ministry read.

The meeting comes at the end of Shoukrys visit to New York.

Shoukry mentioned Egypts recent launch of the National Strategy for Human Rights earlier this month as the first strategic, comprehensive, long-term, homegrown human rights strategy in the country, the statement read.

Egypts top diplomat also expressed his aspiration that the UN and its secretary-general continue supporting the efforts aimed at reaching a legally-binding agreement on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) file.

Shoukry reiterated the necessity of reaching such a deal in a way that serves the interests of all parties as encouraged by the UN Security Councils presidential statement issued in mid-September.

Guterres affirmed in a meeting with Ethiopias FM Demeke Mekonnen on Friday the importance of resuming AU-backed GERD dialogue in a spirit of reaching a compromise.

Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia have recently expressed readiness to engage in the AU-sponsored negotiations aiming to resolve their decade-long dispute over GERD.

This comes after the UN Security Councils presidential statement encouraging the three sides to return to the AU-sponsored talks to reach a binding deal.

During the Saturday meeting, Shoukry expressed Egypts appreciation and support to the efforts made by Guterres and the specialised UN agencies to avoid conflicts, build peace and achieve development goals.

Shoukry also affirmed that the UNGAs discussions and activities have focused on pushing forward the international, multilateral working mechanisms and strengthening international peace and security.

During the meeting, Shoukry and Guterres discussed regional issues and affirmed the importance efforts aimed at resolving crises and achieving stability.

The Egyptian foreign minister has held over the past week meetings with top diplomats and counterparts from around the globe on the UNGA sidelines.

He also gave a speech during the high-level meeting celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Durban Declaration and Program of Action adopted in 2001 to fight racism.

Egypts President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi also participated in the UNGA, delivering recorded remarks to the session on Tuesday and to the UN Food Systems Summit on Thursday.

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The agreement comes a year after the World Bank s Board of Executives directors approved the 200 million project

Egypts Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly attended on Wednesday the signing of a ministerial agreement to implement a project funded by the World Bank to support Egypts efforts to reduce air pollution in the Greater Cairo area.

Also in attendance at the ceremony were representatives from the ministries of environment, local development, transportation, health; as well as the local governments of Cairo, Giza, and Qalioubiya governorates; and the Cairo Transportation Authority.

The agreement comes a year after the World Banks Board of Executives directors approved the $200 million project.

The WB-funded project mainly seeks to reduce vehicle emissions, improve decision-making regarding air and climate issues, as well as improve the management of solid waste.

The signed agreement aims to achieve coordination among the parties involved and determine the mechanisms and general framework for the implementation of the project.

Environment Minister Yasmine Fouad said the project will be implemented by the environment ministry with the help of other ministries and institutions.

The anticipated project will have four main focuses: strengthening the decision-making support system on local air quality, supporting the implementation of plans to manage solid waste in the area, working on reducing the emissions of the public transportation system, and amending public behaviour and awareness concerning the issue.

The annual economic cost borne by citizens whose health is affected by air pollution in the Greater Cairo area  one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world  is estimated at around 1.4 percent of Egypts gross domestic product, the World Bank said last year, citing recent studies.

Around 22.5 million people live in the Greater Cairo area, according to Egypts statistical agency CAPMAS in 2016. It comprises the governorates of Cairo, Giza, as well as parts of the Qalioubiya governorate.

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Egypt is studying lowering the 18-year age limit for COVID-19 vaccination, a health ministry adviser has said, as the country seeks to reach high inoculation rates in a short period of time to achieve herd immunity.

"No steps have been taken to inoculate children under 18 so far," Noha Assem, the health ministers adviser for research affairs, told the media on Saturday evening, but noted that "lowering the age [of receiving the vaccine] is under study."

Vaccination is mandatory for all teaching staff, employees, and workers, as well as students who are 18 or above at lower and higher education institutions in Egypt, with unvaccinated people to be barred from entering the premises, according to a government decision issued in August.

At the time, the governments decision did not mention school pupils, who are under 18.

However, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi has assured, if possible, the countrys vaccination campaign will target high-school pupils.

We seek to achieve high vaccination rates in a short period of time to achieve herd immunity, the president said during an event in September.

Assem's remarks come days after Ministry of Health Spokesman Khaled Megahed said "the state intends to start vaccinating 12- to 18-year-olds soon, but the vaccine that will be administered has not been determined yet."

The governments decision to vaccinate the education sector staff comes in parallel with the return of in-person classes at Egyptian schools and universities in October.

Higher Education Minister Khaled Abdel-Ghaffar said in TV statements on Saturday that the ministry is scheduled to finish vaccinating its employees, faculty members, and 20% of university students by 9 October.

Students will not be enrolled in any room in the university dormitories before they get the coronavirus vaccines, Abdel-Ghaffar said.

Students who do not wish to obtain the vaccine must perform a PCR swab every week in the laboratories of the higher education ministry to be allowed to attend classes.

Over 13 million people have been vaccinated so far in Egypt since the beginning of the inoculation campaign earlier this year.

The country also seeks to widen its vaccination coverage  by including all public servants  as the country is currently seeing a rise in infections and fatalities due to the pandemic's fourth wave, which has been felt since early August and is expected to hit its peak in the coming days.

The number of positive cases is expected to rise in the coming period, Assem underscored.

Egypt has recorded a total of 300,945, including 17,149 deaths and 254,060 recoveries thus far.

Health Minister Hala Zayed has said the government is considering giving booster shots of coronavirus vaccines to citizens who were inoculated at least 6-8 months ago, but Assem said studies are being carried out currently on whether or not the coronavirus vaccine will be retaken after a long period of time.

"Most probably the vaccine will be administered seasonally," she noted, adding that the country also is studying combining coronavirus and flu vaccines in one shot.

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Egypt s Tourism and Antiquities Minister Khaled El-Anani held a meeting on Saturday evening with newly appointed Egyptian ambassadors and consuls to discuss means of promoting the country s tourism sector abroad

The meeting was held in the National Police Museum at the Citadel of Salah El-Din, with the presence of more than 60 ambassadors and consuls, in addition to a range of tourism ministry leaders, according to a statement by the ministry.

El-Anani highlighted the importance of the ambassadors' role in increasing the number of tourists visiting Egypt and thus promoting the tourism sector in the country, in addition to their political roles.

The minister encouraged cooperation between the foreign ministry  represented by the overseas ambassadors  and the tourism and antiquities ministry, the statement added.

A new mechanism, El-Anani said, will be developed to keep Egyptian ambassadors around the world updated on all information related to tourism and antiquities.

He highlighted the role of cooperation between the foreign and tourism ministries across many important fields, including, for example, the recovery of Egyptian antiquities and work with UNESCO.

Minister Plenipotentiary Dalia Abdel-Fattah, general supervisor of the general department of international relations and agreements at tourism ministry, stressed the importance of conducting such meetings for enhancing effective communication between the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

This communication, said Abdel-Fattah in her speech during the event, comes in implementation of the media strategy for tourism promotion in Egypt that recommends communication with the government and private sectors in the host countries, as well as coordination between the two countries to extend the network of international agreements in the fields of recovering stolen and illegally smuggled Egyptian antiquities.

Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for the Diplomatic, Consular and Inspection Sector Ambassador Omar Amer delivered a speech representing the ambassadors and general consuls, in which he thanked the tourism and antiquities minister for holding such meeting.

Amer also hailed El-Anani for his interest in extending cooperation with the ambassadors and general consuls of Egypt as well as informing them of the most important pillars and basics of the media strategy for tourism promotion in Egypt, and listening to their opinions and suggestions in this regard.

Egypt is currently stepping up effort to restore normalcy in the tourism sector, one of Egypt's main hard currency earners.

A total of 3.4 million tourists visited Egypt in 2020, according to previous remarks by the minister.

Egypt received 13 million tourists in 2019. Before the outbreak, the country was expecting to receive 15 million tourists in 2020.

In May, El-Enany expected the tourism sector in the country to recover by mid-2022, saying current tourist revenues represent 43 percent of revenues gained before the spread of the coronavirus.

































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789 patients have been discharged after recovering from the virus, bringing the total number of recoveries to 254,060.

Egypt reported 667 new coronavirus cases on Saturday, bringing the total infection tally officially to 300,945 since the outbreak began in February 2020, said the Health Ministry in its daily coronavirus update statement.

The ministry also reported 39 new deaths, bringing the total number of deaths from the virus to 17,149.

The statement added that 789 patients have been discharged after recovering from the virus, bringing the total number of recoveries to 254,060.

Egypt has intensified its mass vaccination campaign and ordered more vaccine shipments to cope with the rise of infections and fatalities that has begun since early August by the pandemic's fourth wave.

The country has received 33,678 million coronavirus vaccine doses, Health Minister Hala Zayed said in a Cabinet meeting last week.

More than 13 million people have been vaccinated so far in Egypt since the beginning of the inoculation campaign earlier this year, as per the latest figures announced by Egyptian health officials last week.

Zayed said the peak of the fourth wave of the coronavirus will be felt in three or four weeks.

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In her first novel 'The Bird Tatto,' Iraqi poet, Dunya Mikhail, narrates a fascinating and painful journey of a Yazidi woman who is held captive by IS, in the north of Iraq

In her first novel 'The Bird Tatto,' Iraqi poet, Dunya Mikhail, narrates a fascinating and painful journey of a Yazidi woman who is held captive by IS, in the north of Iraq. She escapes the clutches of the Organization and is reunited with some family members. But her life is forever changed.

the novel was published by Dar AlRafaidin, in 2020. It was shortlisted for the International Prize for Arabic Fiction.

The following text is an excerpt from the novel.

Members of the Organization had taken all the captives possessions, including their gold wedding rings. But Helen's wedding ring was not a ring. It was a tattoo of a bird. She was staring down at her finger when someone started shouting 27! Number 27!

He sounded angry, and as Helen belatedly realized that she was number 27, she wondered if she was in trouble because she had just left the queue and run to Amina. She hadn't believed her eyes when shed spotted her dearest childhood friend on the other side of the hall. Amina, too, had opened her mouth in disbelief.

Their tearful hug didn't last more than few seconds when the irate voice announced, 27 is sold. The speaker was pointing at Helen. In his other hand, he carried a cardboard box filled with all the captives' cell phones.

Leave her alone!" Amina protested, but her voice was barely audible. All the phones in the box were ringing, their loud tones coming from anxious relatives who kept calling and calling the women captives gathered there, but getting no answers.

The man, who wore a long black shirt that reached his knees and trousers to just above his ankle, pushed Amina so hard she fell to the floor.

Helen bent down to help her up, but the man pulled Helen away and led her to another room. He threw her to the floor and left, closing the door behind him.

Other women sat there on the floor with their heads down. They too were labeled with numbers, like those distant planets that have no names.

The one woman who had no number sat at a desk. She handed Helen a paper and said: This is your marriage certificate. Your husband will come soon.

Helen returned the paper without looking at it and replied: Im already married.

Abu Tahseen purchased you online, and he's on his way here.

If she had not seen it with her own eyes, Helen would never have believed a market for selling women existed. What had surprised her even more was that this market was in a school building. Its name, Flowers of Mosul, was displayed on a banner at the front of the building, which looked just like the elementary school she had once attended with her twin brother Azad.

But even their principal, the strict Ms. Ilham, would be unable to comprehend the idea of a market for women. For Ms. Ilham, chewing gum had been immoral, even if it was done during breaks. Azad, who was fond of the Arrow brand of gum, had thought that it was no different from the candies that other students ate without any problem, until the day Ms. Ilham summoned him to her office.

Azad had been frightened that Ms. Ilham would hit him on the hand with the sharp side of her ruler, as he had seen her doing to students who were late to class. They were supposed to be in their seats before the bell rang so that when their teacher entered, they would all stand up in a show of respect. But to his astonishment, when, at the end of her questioning, she found out who had given Azad the gum, Ms. Ilham had smiled and said, Say hello to your uncle Mr. Murad and tell him that gum is prohibited. Now go to your classroom.

This room was similar to the principals office, with its neat table at which now sat the numberless woman busily managing the sale of captives.

"Put on these clothes. The photographer will come soon, she said, handing a plastic bag to another prisoner in the room. Helen had been surprised by the contrast in the style of clothes imposed by the Organization. In the beginning, they had been forced to wear the niqab, through which only the eyes are visible. Later, they were forced to change into promo clothes for pictures and sale exhibitions. The photographer had asked Helen to wipe away her tears in order for him to take the picture.

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Literature essayist Sayyed Mahmoud gave a talk this month on two legendary Egyptian figures who were both born in December novelist Naguib Mahfouz and singer Oum Kalthoum

While the last month of the year is often associated with the birth of Naguib Mahfouz, novelist and Nobel laureate, it is also the month of the birth of Oum Kalthoum, the ultimate diva of Egyptian singing.

Mahfouz was born on 11 December 1911. Oum Kalthoum was born on 31 December 1898, according to most accounts, although there is uncertainty about the exact date.

Earlier this month, literature essayist Sayyed Mahmoud gave a talk on both Mahfouz and Thouma (as Oum Kalthoum was fondly called by many fans in Egypt).

The talk was titled Mahfouz and Oum Kalthoum  two narratives from Egypts years of resurgence, and looked at what the two had in common.

Addressing an audience at the International Art Center, Mahmoud argued that what actually brings these two icons together goes beyond their incredible popularity, which has lasted well beyond their own lives.

It is also more significant than the fact that Mahfouz had a great admiration for music and singing and a greater admiration for Oum Kalthoum, whose voice he thought was unparalleled. And in fact, several of the protagonists of many of Mahfouzs works had an association with Thouma.

According to Mahmoud, the Mahouz-Thouma association is essentially about the quality of their art and the endurance and longevity of the impact of their work. Each, Mahmoud argued, was an art institution in themselves: serious labour combined with amazing talent.

It is also a matter of history, Mahmoud argued. Both Thouma and Mahfouz were born a few years before the 1919 revolution, which is arguably a key moment in the history of modern Egypt.

An almost new Egypt was in the making at the years when both Mahfouz and Thouma began offering their art, and they both subscribed to and benefited from this moment, Mahmoud said.

For example, he said, both Mahfouz and Thouma were greatly encouraged by Moustafa AbdelRazik, a prominent intellectual in the early 20th century who was a professor of Islamic philosophy and later minister of awqaf (religious endowments) and imam of Al-Azhar.

AbdelRazik had great faith in Mahfouz, and he was also one of the intellectuals to praise the talent of Oum Kalthoum early on, Mahmoud reminded the audience.

Moreover, Mahmoud suggested that the growing role of art in Egypt, first in the wake of 1919 and later after the 1952 revolution, was in fact a function of the growing role and influence of the middle class. This, he said, helped providing a wider audience for the novels of Mahfouz and the songs of Thouma.

It was a moment where more people were finding access to education and thus of more people willing to read and consume art, Mahmoud said.

Thouma started establishing her career in the mid to late 1920s and Mahfouz began his literary production in the 1930s.

Oum Kalthoum passed away in 1975, about 30 years before the death of Mahfouz in 2006. They only met once, in 1961, as Mahmoud mentioned, when then-editor of Al-Ahram Mohamed Hassanein Heikal invited Oum Kalthoum to a birthday gathering he had organised for Mahfouz.

However, as Mahmoud said, Thouma and Mahfouz have so often intertwined in the collective cultural memory of the country.

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Since its release at the end of last month, coinciding with the American withdrawal from Afghanistan and the twentieth anniversary of the September 11 attacks, the Afghanistan Papers: A Secret History of War has caused great controversy in political and popular circles in the United States and abroad, a controversy that propelled it to top-seller lists within a few weeks. Its author, Craig Whitlock, a veteran reporter, has made the rounds on talk shows and news channels in American media, sharing his opinion that the US so-called "War on Terror" in Afghanistan was a tragedy and a major crime.

Craig Whitlock is responsible for covering the Pentagon and national security for the Washington Post. He also headed the newspaper's Berlin office and covered terror networks in Europe, South Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa. He has reported in more than 60 countries and has been nominated three times for the Pulitzer Prize for Journalism.

In an interview with Al-Ahram, Whitlock reveals how American leaders and officials lied simply with their refusal to admit failure, how the "War on Terror" turned into a war on the truth and the silencing of the media, and why it will be difficult to ensure accountability for the failures of the US in Afghanistan.

Al-Ahram: How does the book differ from the much-discussed series of articles published in The Post in late 2019?

Craig Whitlock:In addition to the documents that The Post published in 2019, the book is based on thousands of pages of additional documents about the war in Afghanistan, including the transcripts of several hundred oral-history interviews with US troops and senior officials who served under President George W. Bush. Also, the book is a chronological narrative of what went wrong in Afghanistan between 2001 and 2021.

AA: What were the reactions of those interviewed for the book after it was published? You have mentioned they had spoken freely as they did not believe their words would be published.

CW: Since the books release, no one who was interviewed for the Afghanistan Papers has denied what they said in the original, documented interviews. Perhaps they were not eager to see their unvarnished commentary published, but no one has denied making their remarks.

AA: What, in your opinion, was the most shocking information in the Afghanistan papers?

CW: The most shocking information, to me, were the blunt admissions that US policy in Afghanistan was inept and dysfunctional. Douglas Lute, a US army general who oversaw war policy under both Bush and Obama, said: We were devoid of a fundamental understanding of Afghanistan  we didnt know what we were doing We didnt have the foggiest notion of what we were undertaking. Ambassador Richard Boucher, a diplomat in charge of South Asia policy under Bush, said the same thing: We did not know what we were doing. In addition, two commanding generals admitted they had tried to fight the war without a functional strategy. There was no campaign plan. It just wasnt there, said US Army general Dan McNeill, who served under Bush. British general David Richards, who commanded US and NATO troops from 2006 to 2007, added: There was no coherent long-term strategy.

AA: You demonstrate in your book the contradiction between what leaders and decision-makers really believed and what they said in public. In your opinion, why did they continue to lie instead of finding an alternate strategy to withdraw with dignity?

CW: Senior US officials who were responsible for the war over the last 20 years are still very reluctant to admit that they did not tell the truth to the American people about how the conflict was going. No one wants to take responsibility and admit that they personally lied or deceived the public, even though my book contains documented example after example of this. At the same time, while individuals do not want to take responsibility, there is a growing acknowledgment that the US government and military overall were not forthright. Even President Biden has acknowledged that the US government lied to the public about how the war was going before he became president.

AA: Throughout the 20 years of the war, was there any official who told the truth in the media?

CW: The book does highlight the case of one US general who told the truth in public about how the war was going  and he was sacked for it. Army General David McKiernan commanded the war from 2008 to 2009 under President Bush and President Obama. In his public remarks, he was the rare general who admitted things were not going well. In large parts of Afghanistan, we dont see progress, he acknowledged in October 2008. We are in a tough fight. So, the idea that it might get worse before it gets better is certainly a possibility.

AA: Were there any indication of his words being taken seriously?

CW: In May 2009, the Pentagon announced that McKiernan had been fired. No clear reason was given, but whatever the purpose, the message sent to the rest of the generals was this: If you tell the public that the war is heading in the wrong direction, you could lose your job.

AA: You write that the Afghanistan war was grounded in near-unanimous public support when it began in 2003. There was no need, then, for the Pentagon brass to lie about the war. Why did they lie despite that fact that there was no clearly articulated mission?

CW: After the 11 September 2001 attacks, the US Congress authorized the use of military force against Al-Qaeda by a vote of 420-1, and public opinion surveys showed that more than 80 percent of Americans supported military action in Afghanistan. At first, there was no need for the Pentagon brass to deceive the public about the war. Within a few months, the Taliban had been forced from power and Al-Qaedas leaders had been captured, killed or had fled Afghanistan. At that point  by early 2002  Americans assumed they had won the war for good. Gradually, however, the Taliban regrouped and the insurgency intensified. Thats when the lies and deception started to become more pronounced, because no US president or general wanted to admit that they were suffering setbacks in a war that Americans thought they had already won.

AA: One interviewee notes that the war could have ended in weeks if direct negotiations with the Taliban had been undertaken, which the US did do in the end with the peace agreement in Doha. Why did the US fail to take this path from the start? How did the US misread the situation? Who is to blame, the White House, the Pentagon, diplomats?

CW: In the interviews and documents from the Afghanistan Papers, several former diplomats and analysts said the United States and its allies made a mistake in not allowing Taliban representatives to attend the conference in Bonn, Germany in late 2001, when all of Afghanistans other political factions gathered to agree on a new political system and a timetable for writing a new constitution. The Bush administration  especially George W. Bush and Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld  categorized all Taliban leaders and fighters as terrorists and said the United States would not negotiate with them or allow them to join the new Afghan political system. In that regard, US officials put the Taliban in the same category as Al-Qaeda. Yet Al-Qaeda and the Taliban, while supportive of each other, were two very different groups with different agendas. Al-Qaeda was solely responsible for the September 11 terrorist attacks and consisted mostly of foreign fighters with a global agenda. The Taliban, in contrast, was a broad-based Afghan movement that still retained considerable support among the population. It was unrealistic for the Bush administration, or its Afghan allies in the Northern Alliance, to think that they could completely eliminate the Taliban. By refusing to include the Taliban in the new Afghan political system at a point when the Taliban was weak and defeated, this sowed the seeds for the insurgency to take root.

AA: What did the US get out of all that effort in Afghanistan. Was the occupation of Afghanistan worth it?

CW: After 20 years, it is difficult to see any lasting achievements for the United States in Afghanistan. The war was initially successful in reducing the threat from Al-Qaeda and killing or capturing many of its leaders. Eventually, Osama bin Laden was killed in Pakistan, and the core Al-Qaeda network has not been able to conduct another terrorist attack in the United States on the scale of the September 11 hijackings. But now that the Taliban is back in power  and controls more of Afghanistan than ever before  there is a real concern that Al-Qaeda could find refuge again in Afghanistan. Separately, there is no question that all the money and time and sacrifices the United States made to create a democratic system of government in Afghanistan did not succeed.

AA: The US did not have any victories in Afghanistan. It allowed the Taliban to regain power, and rebuilding the country failed as well. The withdrawal and handing over power to the Taliban undermines the morality and feasibility of the "War on Terror"? What do you think?

CW: This is a difficult question and gets at a heart with one of the main failings of the war: The United States failed to articulate exactly what it was hoping to accomplish in Afghanistan. At first, the goal and objective seemed clear and focused: to destroy Al-Qaeda and prevent a repeat of the 9/11 attacks. That part was successful for many years. But then the mission became blurry. The United States soon became embroiled in a civil war in Afghanistan, fighting the Taliban and other insurgents, instead of just Al-Qaeda. And the attempts to build a new Afghan government and to modernize Afghanistan were largely unsuccessful.

AA: Some analysts consider the "War on Terror" a golden goose for the military and defence industry, where military contractors thrived with US forever war in Afghanistan, Iraq and other places. This has also opened the doors for corruption. What do The Afghanistan Papers say about this?

CW: The Afghanistan Papers make clear that the United States helped open the doors for corruption in Afghanistan by flooding the country with more money than it could absorb. This money came in the form of humanitarian aid, reconstruction projects, and especially military spending. One State Department official, Barnett Rubin, said in an interview for the Afghanistan Papers: There is one indispensable ingredient for corruption  money  and we were the ones who had the money.

AA: The degree of misrepresentation about the war by military and civilian leaders should drive the creation of extensive oversight mechanisms. How can this be achieved to prevent the recurrence of such mistakes?

CW: Accountability for the US failures in Afghanistan will be hard to achieve because so many different people and institutions were responsible: Democrats and Republicans, the Congress and the White House, the Pentagon and the State Department. The only independent institution in the American political system that is likely to drive accountability is the news media. The news media, of course, can bring problems to light but has no direct power to pass laws or change official policies to prevent the recurrence of such mistakes.

AA: Secretary of State Antony Blinken blamed the Trump administration for its February 2020 peace deal with the Taliban, which he said tied Bidens hands and caused the quick and unexpected collapse of the Afghan government and security forces that led to the Taliban takeover. What do The Afghanistan Papers say were the indications of what we are witnessing today?

CW: There has been a lot of political finger-pointing in America about who is to blame for the chaotic withdrawal of the United States and for the Talibans return to power. Setting that aside, however, it is clear from The Afghanistan Papers that US officials have known for many years that the Afghan army and security forces were weak, corrupt and no match for the Taliban in the long term. Yet year after year, US officials kept saying in public that the Afghan security forces were getting stronger and would be able to defend their government.

AA: The US bitter experience in Iraq and Afghanistan has undercut faith in American foreign policy for the Middle East and fostered resentment over the US intervention in some countries in the name of American national security. How do your interviewees deal with this issue?

CW: Several current and former US officials interviewed for the Afghanistan Papers acknowledge that the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have undercut public support for American foreign policy in the Middle East. However, they say the war in Iraq was much more damaging in this regard. Although the war in Afghanistan failed in the end, most countries around the world supported the United States in 2001 and understood why it took military action in Afghanistan. That was never the case in Iraq.

AA: It seems that the US did not learn from the lesson of Vietnam. What are the most important lessons for the future?

CW: This is one of the biggest puzzles about the war. In 2001 and 2002, soon after the war in Afghanistan began, President Bush and senior officials in his administration reassured the public that they had learned their lessons from the war in Vietnam and that they would not allow the United States to get bogged down in an endless war in Afghanistan. Yet they still allowed it to happen. This was perhaps the result of overconfidence and hubris.

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We renew our rejection of any unilateral act and affirm the necessity to reach a binding agreement on the dam filling and operation, Hamdok told the UNGA on Saturday

Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok told the 76th UN General Assembly (UNGA) General Debate that Sudan suffered damages during the filling phases of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

In recorded remarks, Hamdok urged that a binding deal should be reached to spare Sudan probable harm to its citizens and on the safety of its dams.

Ethiopia unilaterally implemented the second phase of filling its mega dam last July without reaching a binding deal with both Egypt and Sudan on the filling and operation of the dam.

Egypt and Sudan, who repeatedly affirmed the need to reach a deal that would end their concerns on their water interests and peoples livelihoods, have denounced Ethiopias unilateral filling of the dam.

The two countries have also blamed failure of negotiations under the auspices of the African Union (AU) on Ethiopias intransigence.

We renew our rejection of any unilateral act and affirm the necessity to reach a binding agreement on the [dam] filling and operation, Hamdok told the UNGA on Saturday.

He noted that such agreement will spare our country the probable damages that threaten the means of livelihood of half of Sudans population.

Hamdok warned that such unilateral acts by the Ethiopian side threaten the safety of operation of Sudans dams and negatively affect irrigation of agricultural projects and drinking water plants.

The Sudanese PM also warned of the negative social, economic, environmental effects of these unilateral acts along the Nile River.

We suffered some of these damages during the first unilateral filling [of the dam] last year and the second unilateral filling over the past weeks despite the numerous and costly preventive measures that we have taken to avoid these impacts, Hamdok affirmed.

Sudans report of harms due to the second filling comes although Ethiopia late in July claimed that the second GERD filling was implemented in accordance with the Declaration of Principles (DoP) signed with Egypt and Sudan in 2015.

The DoP obliges the three countries to take all the necessary procedures to avoid causing significant damage among them while using the Blue Nile.

Earlier this month, the UN Security Council issued a presidential statement urging the three countries to resume their AU-sponsored talks on the GERD and reach a binding agreement.

This came two months after the UNSC convened to discuss the issue as per a request by both Egypt and Sudan, a step that Ethiopia has slammed.

The UNSCs session came after the parties failed during the previous rounds of negotiations to reach any agreement due to the intransigence regarding the dam issue, Hamdok said told the General Debate.

He affirmed that this failure came despite the great efforts exerted by the past and current African Unions presidencies.

Hamdok said placing the GERD file before the UNSC aimed at enhancing the current path of negotiations under the umbrella of the African Union in a way that allows the achievement of the desired agreement.

The Sudanese PM stressed his countrys readiness to resume its participation in any peaceful move or initiative that leads the parties to an agreement that meets the interests of them all.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has affirmed the importance of resuming GERD dialogue in a spirit of reaching a compromise, a UN statement said.

Guterres made the remarks in a meeting on Friday with Ethiopias Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonnen in New York on the sidelines of the UNGA.

Guterres underlined the UN's support for the mediation efforts made by the African Union regarding the dam dispute, the statement added.

Following the UNSCs presidential statement in September, Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia have recently expressed readiness to engage in the AU-sponsored negotiations aiming to resolve their dispute over the mega dam.

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Sudan has only received a fraction of the vaccines it needs, according to official figures. Since March, the Sudanese government has vaccinated approximately 830,000 people out of 45 million

The prime minister of Sudan's transitional government urged world leaders on Saturday to work together to get developing countries more COVID-19 vaccines.

In a speech to the United Nation's General Assembly, Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok echoed similar statements from other speakers when he said that making sure countries like Sudan get enough shots is the only way to ensure the safety of the rest of the world.

Sudan has only received a fraction of the vaccines it needs, according to official figures. Since March, the Sudanese government has vaccinated approximately 830,000 people out of 45 million. So far, Sudan has recorded more than 37,500 cases and 2800 deaths from the coronavirus. The true numbers are believed to be far higher given the scarcity of testing.

Hamdok, a respected former official with the U.N. Economic Commission for Africa, also said his country had achieved much in its transition to democratic rule over the past two years. However, he avoided any mention of a reported coup attempt that was stifled by military leaders. Sudanese authorities reported Tuesday that a group of soldiers tried to take power, but said the attempt failed and the country's ruling council and military remain in control.

The development underscored the fragility of Sudan's path to democracy, more than two years after the military's overthrow of longtime autocrat Omar al-Bashir amid a public uprising against his three-decade rule.

Hamdok also spoke out about his concerns over Ethiopia's massive Renaissance Dam, built on one of the Nile River's main tributaries, and urged Ethiopia and other downstream countries to come to a lasting agreement. He said that his country had already experienced adverse effects of the dam's partial filling, completed in phases this and last summer.

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The general who heads Sudan s ruling transitional authority on Sunday pledged to reform the army, days after a failed coup. We are going to reorganise the armed forces , Partisan activities are banned in the army, Sovereign Council chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan said at the opening of a military hospital in Khartoum.

The general who heads Sudan's ruling transitional authority on Sunday pledged to reform the army, days after a failed coup.

"We are going to reorganise the armed forces , Partisan activities are banned in the army," Sovereign Council chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan said at the opening of a military hospital in Khartoum.

"The armed forces are committed to holding elections on the date fixed for ending the transition" in 2023, he said.

"After that, the army will leave the political scene and its role will be limited to protecting the country."

Sudan is led by a civilian-military administration under an August 2019 power-sharing deal signed after president Omar Bashir's ouster by the military in April that year following mass protests against his iron-fisted rule.

Sudan's government said it thwarted a September 21 coup attempt involving military officers and civilians linked to the regime of imprisoned Bashir. At least 11 officers were among those arrested.

Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok has since called for reforms within the army, a highly sensitive issue in Sudan.

A transition to full civilian rule has remained shaky, reeling from deep fragmentation among political factions, economic woes and a receding role for civilian leaders.

Paramilitary leader and Burhan's deputy in the Sovereign Council, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, has pointed a finger of blame at politicians after the failed coup.

"Politicians are the main cause behind coups because they have neglected the average citizen and are more concerned fighting over how they can stay in power," Daglo said.

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Sudan s transitional government on Sunday held talks in the Red Sea trade hub of Port Sudan with leaders of a protest movement that threatened the impoverished country s fuel supplies and revenue.

Information Minister Hamza Baloul confirmed to AFP the arrival of a senior delegation while another senior official, who preferred to remain anonymous, said "the delegation won't come back (to the capital Khartoum) before solving the crisis".

A protest leader announced on September 20 that dozens of demonstrators, objecting to parts of a peace deal with rebel groups, had blocked the main container and oil export terminals in Port Sudan.

By Saturday, Sudan's Oil Minister Gadein Ali Obeid warned of "an extremely grave situation" with two pipelines blocked by the protesters.

One transports oil exports from South Sudan while the other handles Sudanese crude imports.

Sudan had reserves to last only for 10 days, Obeid's ministry said.

Neighbouring South Sudan produces around 162,000 barrels of oil per day, which are transported by pipeline to Port Sudan and then shipped to global markets.

The Khartoum government receives around $25 for every barrel of oil sold from the South, according to official figures.

The delegation to Port Sudan, the country's main seaport, is headed by Sovereign Council member Shams al-Din Kabashi and other ministers. They include Obeid and Foreign Minister Mariam al-Mahdi, the official SUNA news agency reported.

Kabashi met with protest leaders after his arrival.

Sudan formed the joint civilian-military sovereign ruling council months after the ouster of long-time autocrat Omar al-Bashir in April 2019.

It serves alongside a transitional government, headed by civilian Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, which last October signed a peace agreement with several rebel groups.

Speaking in Khartoum on Sunday, sovereign council chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan described the protesters' demands as "a political matter that must be dealt with politically".

While impeding access to Port Sudan, the protesters late last week also blocked the entrance to the city's airport and a bridge linking Kassala with the rest of the country.

*This story was edited by Ahram Online.

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In a statement released Saturday, 113 officials from Ennahdha, including lawmakers and former ministers, said they had resigned

The split within the ranks of Ennahdha comes amid deep political crisis in Tunisia. In July, President Kais Saied's decided to sack the country's prime minister, suspend parliament and assume executive authority, saying it was because of a national emergency. His critics called it a coup.

In a statement released Saturday, 113 officials from Ennahdha, including lawmakers and former ministers, said they had resigned.

``This is a definitive and irrevocable decision,'' Samir Dilou, an Ennahdha lawmaker and former minister from 2011 to 2014, told The Associated Press.

Dilou said the decision to resign was linked to the ``impossibility of reforming the party from the inside'' because of decisions being made by the head of the party, Rachid Ghannouchi, and his entourage. He also noted that Ennahdha, the largest party in parliament, has failed to counter Saied's actions.

Earlier this week, Saied issued presidential decrees bolstering the already near-total power he granted himself two months ago.

Wednesday's decrees include the continuing suspension of the Parliament's powers, the suspension of all lawmakers' immunity from prosecution and a freeze on lawmakers' salaries.

They also stated Saied's intention from now on to rule by presidential decree alone and ignore parts of the constitution. Laws will not go through the parliament, whose powers are frozen, granting him near-unlimited power.

Saied said his July decision was needed to save the country amid unrest over financial troubles and the government's handling of Tunisia's coronavirus crisis.

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The ministry said a Palestinian man from the village of Borqin west of Jenin who had been shot with a live bullet died from his wounds after reaching the hospital

A Palestinian was killed Sunday by Israeli gunfire near Jenin in West Bank, the Palestinian health ministry said, amid reports of heavy clashes in the area.

The ministry said a Palestinian man from the village of Borqin west of Jenin who had been shot with a live bullet died from his wounds after reaching the hospital.

Israeli public radio Kan reported early Sunday that the occupation troops were involved in gun battles with armed Palestinians near Jenin.

The Jenin governorate is a flashpoint area in the long-running Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Four Palestinians were killed in Jenin refugee camp last month by Israeli forces occupation during heavy clashes.



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Hundreds of Israeli settlers stormed Ibrahimi Mosque in the West Bank governorate of Hebron at the early hours of Sunday, local sources said.

They performed Talmudic rituals at the mosque yards.

The Palestinian Awqaf Ministry has earlier condemned the repeated closures of the holy place by Israeli authorities.

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Once among the Roman Empire s most beautiful cities, Leptis Magna lies neglected and shunned by tourists after a decade of war, but some see its potential for rebirth. There is no queue at the gate and only a handful of visitors, almost all Libyans, wander among the imposing ruins at the UNESCO World Heritage site.

Visiting the area, a former Roman outpost on the south coast of the Mediterranean, is "a voyage in time, a dive into history", enthuses Abdessalam Oueba, a Libyan visitor in his 60s.

Founded by the Phoenicians then conquered by Rome, the city was the birthplace of Septimius Severus, who rose to become emperor from 193 until 211.

The ruler waged military campaigns across Europe and into modern-day Iraq before dying in York, England, far from the hometown on which he had lavished resources.

Perched on a hillside with a striking view of the Mediterranean, the well-preserved ruins include a large basilica, a racecourse and a theatre seating up to 15,000 spectators on arched terraces overlooking the sea.

Among the few visiting tourists are Ihab, from Tripoli, who made the 120-kilometre (75-mile) trip to show his children a site he had visited during his own childhood.

"Leptis Magna is beautiful, the most beautiful Roman site outside Italy," the 34-year-old doctor said under a clear blue sky.

"Yet it's barely been discovered."

'Neglect'

The violence that wracked Libya after the 2011 revolt that toppled dictator Moamer Kadhafi stirred fears for the ancient ruins, prompting United Nations cultural agency UNESCO to place them and four other Libyan sites on a list of global heritage in danger.

But so far, the areas have been mostly spared from the fighting, which has largely paused since an October 2020 ceasefire.

"There haven't been any direct attacks or threats against Leptis Magna, despite the conflict," said Azeddine al-Fakih, head of the site's antiquities department.

Yet it faces other threats: a lack of resources and government support.

"In 2020, we were finally able to launch projects that should have been finished 50 years ago," he said, listing toilet facilities, offices and a perimeter fence.

"But archaeological digs have stopped, and maintenance operations are rushed and superficial."

Fakih admitted that after 10 years of conflict and state collapse, Libya's current unity government "has bigger problems to deal with".

There was almost no tourism in Libya under Kadhafi, whose rule from 1969-2011 depended heavily on the country's vast oil wealth.

Tense foreign relations and sanctions also discouraged foreign visitors.

Kadhafi began issuing tourist visas for the first time in 2003 and even created a ministry of tourism as the regime began mending ties with the West.

But all that stopped in 2011, when a NATO-backed revolt overthrew and killed Kadhafi, plunging the country into years of chaos.

More valuable than oil

Now, a year-long lull in violence has sparked hopes the country can move on.

Omar Hdidan, a civil engineer who volunteers to promote and maintain Leptis Magna, believes in its potential for tourism.

"It has always been neglected by the state," the 49-year-old said.

"There are no digs, no new discoveries, no campaign to encourage tourism. But Leptis Magna is more valuable than 10 oil wells."

Fakih agreed.

Leptis Magna "could be a source of income if it was managed properly", he said.

"It could create thousands of jobs, welcome millions of tourists and bring in billions of dollars. There will come a day when the oil runs out, but Leptis Magna will remain."

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'It would not be an exaggeration to say' that at least a third of Afghanistan's population of around 33 million is affected by "imminent hunger," a UN official warned

Natalia Kanem, director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), said via video that the situation in the country was dire.

"It would not be an exaggeration to say" that at least a third of Afghanistan's population of around 33 million is affected by "imminent hunger," Kanem warned.

Harsh winters, disrupting the ability to transport supplies to isolated areas of the mountainous country, plus the coronavirus pandemic will aggravate an already complicated situation, she added.

"There is a lot of anxiety over how we're going to deliver health care, where the next meal is going to come from," Kanem told AFP from the UNFPA headquarters in New York.

The doctor from Panama warned that women and girls would bear the worst of it.

"It is urgent, for women and girls in particular who were already suffering. This is one of the countries with the highest death during childbirth and pregnancy rates.

"We cannot underscore enough that even during a transitional period, women and girls have human rights and these are to be respected," she said.

Kanem repeated calls made by the international community to the Taliban, who swept to power last month as the United States withdrew its last troops, ending Washington's 20-year war there.

"The women of Afghanistan have made clear over years that they want their education, they want their health care, and that they're also ready, willing and able to design programs and to be able to lead in their communities," she said.

Taliban leaders have tried to portray the group as more moderate than when it last ran Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001. Then, women were banned from school or work and only allowed to leave home with a male chaperone.

They have promised to change, saying they will respect women's rights within the framework of Islamic sharia law, but many remain sceptical.

But not a single woman was appointed to the provisional government and the Islamists seem to be incrementally stripping away Afghans' freedoms.

Kanem notes that in a country ravaged by decades of conflict, many women, particularly in areas most affected by violence, are the sole breadwinners.

"We're all anxiously hoping that there will be regularity and ability of delivery of goods" to people in small communities where many of the UNPFA's staff are women, she said.

"We have said that we want to be able to maintain a functioning health system.

"(It's) pretty challenging right now with the airport having been closed, with certain professionals who have left the country," Kanem added.

She warned that if the health system breaks down, that's going to spell "complete disaster," but added that for the most part the agency's family health centers have remained open.

The UN on Wednesday released $45 million in emergency aid to support Afghanistan's health system.

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The talks, brokered by the Europeans, seek the return of the United States to the 2015 agreement trashed by former president Donald Trump, as well as Iran's return to full compliance

"It seems evident they should be more active" in "resolving all issues related" to the accord, Lavrov told reporters at the United Nations in New York.

Lavrov added that he hoped negotiations in Vienna among Iran, Russia, China, France, Britain and Germany would resume "as soon as possible."

The talks, brokered by the Europeans, seek the return of the United States to the 2015 agreement trashed by former president Donald Trump -- as well as Iran's return to full compliance.

Trump pulled America out in 2018, reinstating sanctions on Iran that Washington had lifted as part of the agreement.

Since then, Tehran has also retreated from many of its commitments.

Trump's successor Joe Biden has indicated he wants to return to the deal, but his administration has expressed impatience at the stalled talks.

Discussions between Iran and the remaining five parties aimed at reviving the deal began in Vienna in April but have been suspended since June, when ultraconservative Ebrahim Raisi was elected president.

Hopes of reviving the deal were kept alive earlier this month when Iran agreed to a new compromise with the UN nuclear agency on the monitoring of its nuclear facilities.

Iran's foreign minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, said Friday the talks would resume "very soon," but the United States said Tehran had not been specific about the timeframe.

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Turkey s president has said he would consider buying a second Russian missile system in defiance of strong objections by the United States. In an interview with American broadcaster CBS News, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey would have to decide its defense systems on its own.

Turkey's president has said he would consider buying a second Russian missile system in defiance of strong objections by the United States.

In an interview with American broadcaster CBS News, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey would have to decide its defense systems on its own.

Speaking to correspondent Margaret Brennan in New York this past week, Erdogan explained that Turkey wasn't given the option to buy American-made Patriot missiles and the US hadn't delivered F-35 stealth jets despite a payment of $1.4 billion. Erdogan's comments came in excerpts released in advance of the full interview being broadcast Sunday.

NATO member Turkey was kicked out of the F-35 program and defense officials were sanctioned after it bought the Russian-made S-400 missile defense system. The US strongly objects to the use of Russian systems within NATO and says it poses a threat to the F-35s. Turkey maintains the S-400s could be used independently without being integrated into NATO systems and therefore pose no risk.

The US also sanctioned Turkey in 2020 for its purchase under a 2017 law aimed at pushing back Russian influence. The move was the first time that the law, known as CAATSA, was used to penalize a US ally.

But Erdogan has remained defiant. ``Of course, of course, yes,'' Erdogan said after stating Turkey would make its own defense choices, in response to Brennan's question on whether Turkey would buy more S-400s.

The issue is one of several sticking points in Turkish-American relations that also include US support for Syrian Kurdish fighters who Turkey considers terrorists, and the continued US residency of a Muslim cleric accused of plotting the failed coup attempt against Erdogan's government in 2016.

Erdogan is scheduled to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sept. 29.

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The new e-system will be rolled out at full-scale by March 2022

Egypt announced on Thursday the pilot launch of the new e-receipt system for consumers at points of sale, a step toward rejuvenating and automating the county's tax and customs systems, which is part of a broader scheme of digital transformation.

Under the new system, Egypt Tax Authority (ETA) will be able to follow up on all business to consumer (B2C) dealings via an electronic central programme, a statement by the Egyptian Ministry of Finance said.

The statement did not provide further details on how many sale points have so far registered in the e-receipt system.

However, Finance Minister Mohamed Maait said the new e-system will be ready for full-scale adoption within six-and-a-half months.

The timeline of modernising and automating the tax and customs systems will be condensed in order to be ready by March 2022 to further strengthen the governance of the country's financial system, the minister added.

The step aims to localise modern technologies to help the business community, stimulate investment, reduce the size of the informal economy, ease procedures for taxpayers, curb tax evasion to maximize the public revenues to enhance the country's spending on improving peoples living standards and improve the level of services, Maait added.

The new step, Maait noted, integrates with the recently launched e-invoice system, to which 2,500 companies have registered so far.

Egypt launched the first stage of the e-invoice system on 15 November 2020, while the second was launched on 15 February 2021.

After the implementation of the e-invoice system, more than 2,800 tax evasion cases have been detected, with tax gaps of over EGP 5.3 billion collected, according to Maait.

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The minister s remarks came on Sunday at an event organized by the Information Technology Institute (ITI) at Cairo University

Communications and Information Technology Minister Amr Talaat said the ministry increased its training budget from EGP 50 million three years ago to EGP 1.1 billion in the current fiscal year.

The hike was attributed to the increase of the numbers of trainees, whose numbers jumped from 4,000 in 2018/2019 to 200,000 ones this year.

The minister's remarks came on Sunday at an event organized by the Information Technology Institute (ITI) at Cairo University.

He explained that it is expected that artificial intelligence will contribute by 25 percent to the global production within a few years, so such technologies should be used in successful systems to achieve technological development in different sectors.

Talaat pointed out that the ministry works on carrying out a plan to increase the number of centers for innovative thinking nationwide, urging youths to hone their technological skills and cope with the latest developments in these domains.

The minister also honored top students who finished their scholarships provided by the institute nationwide.

ITI President Heba Saleh highlighted achievements made by the institute on developing and upgrading programs to serve the required specialties in international markets, particularly in the domains of digital capacity building and artificial intelligence

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During the first eight months of 2021, the Egyptian sales and marketing team established a remarkable success in sales of the Swedish brand, surpassing sales achieved for the entire year of 2020

The Volvo Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) team, along with the Volvo Egypt team at Ezz Elarab Automotive Group, celebrated a considerable leap in sales this year.

Ezzz Elarab is the sole importer, and exclusive distributor of the Swedish Volvo cars in Egypt.

During the first eight months of 2021, the Egyptian sales and marketing team established a remarkable success in sales of the Swedish brand, surpassing sales achieved for the entire year of 2020, a press release read.

This was achieved despite the continued challenges imposed by the coronavirus pandemic on most industries around the world.

The celebration was held with the participation of all the entire Volvo sales and marketing teams in Egypt as well as Hesham Ezz Elarab, owner and chairman of Ezz Elarab Automotive Group.

The leap in the Volvo sales record in Egypt comes in conjunction with the appointment of a new management team for Volvo Egypt that took over the leadership responsibility at the end of last year.

We are proud of the big accomplishment that the team here in Egypt has managed to pull off, Ezz Elarab said, affirming that the group still has a lot to offer our customers as we constantly strive to provide an improved service and maintain our leading position in the automotive market in Egypt.

The celebration was held in the new Volvo Gallery  Egypt, Ezz Elarab Groups latest showroom carrying the name of the premium Swedish brand and concept with an implicit coffee shop. This showroom is the very first Volvo Galley in Egypt and North Africa.

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Plug and Play is one of the world s leaders in managing innovation hubs

Egypts Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA) and the company Plug and Play have inked an agreement to establish a strategic partnership boosting Egypts entrepreneurship and startup ecosystem, ITIDA announced on Thursday.

The agreement was signed by ITIDA CEO Amr Mahfouz and Plug and Play CEO and Founder Saeed Amidi, in the presence of Minister of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) Amr Talaa.

The three-year agreement comprises launching an innovation platform for startups in Cairo focusing on digital transformation, and a program for accelerating 60 growth-stage startups and incubating 60 early-stage startups. The agreement eyes to attract $20 million of investments in the beneficiary technology startups while creating 500 job opportunities.

It also aims to create a vibrant startup community at the Creativa Innovation Hub in Sultan Hussein Kamel Palace in Cairo and cement Egypt as the premier centre for innovation-driven entrepreneurship in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

Were keen to promote entrepreneurship and foster tech- and innovation-driven projects. MCIT endeavours to create an enabling environment for the growth of startups as part of the plan of building Digital Egypt and in light of Egypt's successes and progress in this field at the regional and global levels, said Talaat.

Talaat added that the agreement would reinforce his ministrys efforts in advancing entrepreneurship through partnering with one of the major companies specializing in startup incubation and acceleration. In addition, he said that MCIT is establishing Creativa Innovation Hubs nationwide to promote entrepreneurship and empower university students and entrepreneurs through developing their innovation skills and supporting their information and communication technology (ICT) projects.

ITIDAs CEO emphasized that Plug and Play is one of the world's leaders in managing innovation hubs, adding that the company's presence in Egypt will add value to the startup ecosystem, thus positively reflecting on regional and international reports.

Mahfouz clarified that Egypts global position is expected to advance this year thanks to the boom in the entrepreneurship scene and the surge of investments in Egyptian startups, in addition to the huge investment by the government in spreading digital innovation hubs across the country and in building digital and freelancing skills and fostering tech innovation and helping startups to grow.

Plug and Play works as a bridge between Silicon Valley and 35+ locations around the world and is one of the top innovation-enabling platforms worldwide.

On his side, Sobhan Khani, Plug and Plays vice president, said that Egypt's economy is expected be one of the top 10 economies in the world by 2030, adding that the talent and entrepreneur culture in Egypt makes this an incredible opportunity for them to establish this office with help of ITIDA. He added that they are extremely excited about this launch.

Establishing a Creativa Innovation Hub at Sultan Hussein Kamel Palace is part of a national plan Egypt adopted to turn some cultural heritage buildings into youth innovation hubs.

The project is also part of MCIT strategy to establish digital innovation hubs across Egypt to promote technology innovation and entrepreneurship. The palace is being transformed into an innovation hub while preserving its architectural character and cultural value.

The Hub will include laboratories of tech giants, emerging technologies facilities, startup incubators, training halls, meeting rooms, and co-working spaces.

Based in Silicon Valley, Plug and Play is one of the world's most prominent investors in early-stage startups; it has invested in almost 1,000 startups. The company is also one of the top innovation-enabling platforms worldwide, with around 40 offices in 19 countries.

Plug and Play's business model involves fostering and boosting innovation through establishing sustainable partnerships between big businesses and startups.

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Song elaborated that the platforms continue to provide Egyptian customers and partners with innovative ICT solutions that meet local needs.

Huawei Technologies has invested about $10 million over the past five years to set up three innovation centres in Cairo, according to Vice President of Global Communications at Huawei Technologies Karl Song.

Song's comments came in response to a question by Ahram Online on the solutions Huawei Technologies has provided Egypt with to help the country deal with the challenges imposed by the pandemic.

This came during a roundtable Huawei Technologies held on Thursday on the sidelines of Huawei Connect 2021 annual event that kicked off on Thursday.

The three innovation centres include two industry solution innovation centres at Huawei's Smart Village headquarters in Cairo, which is a carrier-oriented technology innovation and experience centre, and a joint technology innovation centre for various industries.

Song elaborated that the platforms continue to provide Egyptian customers and partners with innovative ICT solutions that meet local needs.

Huawei has cooperated extensively with more than 120 local partners in Egypt, indirectly providing more than 20,000 jobs in Egypt society, he added.

He noted that Huawei Technologies has been in Egypt for more than 20 years, thanks to customers' long-term trust.

Over the past 20 years, we have been widely recognized by customers and partners through long-term cooperation and development together with shared happiness and hardship. Egypt is a country with great potential when it comes to a large population, and with great geographic advantage, stable and strong economy in the Middle East and Africa and Huawei is keen to enable Egypt to be an ICT hub in the region, Song pointed out.

He added that Huawei focuses on two main pillars in Egypt: developing Egyptian capabilities and skills to lead Egypt towards achieving digital transformation in accordance with Egypt's Vision 2030, and continuing to provide the latest technologies and solutions to its customers and partners.

"Huawei is not only working to provide our partners and Egyptian governments with the latest solutions and technologies and providing employment opportunities, but it is also working to develop the capabilities of young Egyptian people in the field of information and communication technology through two axes. The first is related to internal employees in Huawei and at the level of success partners through training centres in Egypt, and the second is to develop youth capabilities in universities through our pioneering program ICT Talent Bank, a program launched by Huawei in 2019 in cooperation with three ministries: Ministry of Communications, Information Technology, Ministry of Higher Education and Ministry of Manpower, he explained.

He also added that despite the pandemic, Huawei's training for Egyptian youth has never stopped, pointing out that in 2020 Huawei cooperated with the Egypts government and universities to bring talent training online and trained more than 7,500 young Egyptians through more than 430 online courses.

Answering Ahram Onlines question on how digital transformation is aiding the Middle East's efforts, including Egypts, to recover from the pandemic, Song illustrated that 2020 has emphasized just how important a solid ICT foundation can be on a national level.

Following accelerated digitalization initiatives in 2020, technology has played a significant role in enabling the continuity of business and public services. Our work in the ICT field has also been paramount to combatting the disease itself, especially through innovations in scientific R&D, data analytics, e-healthcare, and more, according to Song.

We continued to pursue open partnerships to jointly create greater value for our customers and society at large. In particular, we have kept innovating to help organizations fight the pandemic, and to support both economic recovery and social progress. A foundation of connectivity enabled many countries to cope with a surge in data traffic as a result of work, education, shopping, and even health services moving online, Song expounded.

He added that emerging digital technologies such as cloud computing and artificial intelligence (AI) have also provided new opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to improve operational efficiency, promote innovation, expand their market and financing channels, and facilitate remote operations during the epidemic.

For example, we provided the Ministry of Health and Prevention in UAE with an autonomous AI-driven vehicle to distribute personal protective equipment to residents and workers in a step that aims at containing the spread of the corona virus. From the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Huawei acted immediately to support Egypt during such critical time. The company provided video conferencing system to facilitate the communication between the Egyptian Ministry of Health and the quarantine hospitals. In addition, Huaweis advanced solutions (data centres, intelligent connectivity solutions) implemented at schools has contributed to the continuity of learning process. We also supported the expansion of connectivity for home broadband to ensure the online learning and the working from home, he said.

Concerning Huawei Technologies future plans in Egypt, Song unveiled that they include opening 100 academies in Egypt within five years, clarifying that that 72 academies have been established, so far, through the cooperation of universities and government, expanding the recruitment platform by cooperating with 100 recruitment companies, and keeping contributing with the Egypts government and providing trainings for different levels; students, graduates and engineers in order to make Egypt a centre of excellence.

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The four-day conference will kick off in the Austrian capital Monday when the minister will deliver Egypt s speech on its efforts in the field of nuclear safety

Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy Mohamed Shaker arrived in Vienna Sunday to participate in the 65th annual General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

The four-day conference will kick off in the Austrian capital Monday when the minister will deliver Egypt's speech on its efforts in the field of nuclear safety.

The meeting is expected to draw high-level representatives from the IAEAs 173 member states.

The General Conference comprising representatives of the IAEA member states meets in a regular annual session, usually in September, to consider and approve the IAEA's budget and to decide on other issues raised by the Board of Governors, the Director-General and Member States.

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Published in 2017, Scenes From Egypt, Photographic Gems from the French Institute of Oriental Archaeology in Cairo (IFAO) is a book that contains photographs of excavations from the desert to the Nile. Translated to Arabic by Emad Adly, it took Delphine Driaux and Marie-Lys Arnette around two years to compile these photos.

It all started during a short-term contract I had signed with the Archives Department of the IFAO. Many archival documents, especially photos, were in my hands. One day I showed some of these photos to my colleague, Dr Marie-Lys Arnette, who thought they were beautiful. I suggested we publish them in a book to reach a wider public," Driaux told Ahram Online.

"Then I proposed the idea to Mathieu Gousse, director of the IFAO editorial department, who thought it was a great project. I asked Marie-Lys Arnette to take part, explained Driaux.

The book reflects upon many themes. We evoke the work of French Egyptologists in Egypt, the archaeology, techniques, and methods of the time. We talk about the scientists, of course, but also about the workers, without whom few things would be possible in this field. Some photographs have an ethnographic dimension. They bear witness to the life of Egyptians who live near archaeological sites or work with the missions, she noted.

The first photo in the book, its cover, reflects such themes vividly. Named Wadi Al-Kanayes, 1910, the glass plate negative reveals the photo of a photographer in action. The anonymous photographer is standing at the edge of a cliff, occupied with his object of photography. They named him the acrobat photographer because of his dangerous physical endeavours to take a good photo.

Other rare photos show the physical capabilities of the workers who are a great part of the excavations that are seldom revealed or celebrated. Between their ability to climb and maintain balance at the most dangerous heights, and in sheer darkness, Saadi Abbas and Omar Hussien were sitting skilfully putting up the electricity connection to be able to light up the Khanoum Temple in Esna sometime between December 1964 and January 1965.

The book also puts in the limelight the archaeologists and Egyptologists behind excavations and gives us some perspective of their thoughts and background. One of them was a woman, which was not a common sighting in excavations back in the day.

Ursula Schweizer was a Swiss Egyptologist born in 1916. In 1935, she began to study Egyptology, Classical Archaeology and Ancient History at the University of Munich. She completed her doctorate in 1942 on the topic of Lion and Sphinx in Ancient Egypt. After she obtained her doctorate in 1942, she became a regular assistant at the Egyptian State Collection in Munich. After World War II, Schweitzer became an assistant at the Institute for Prehistory and Early History at the University of Basel. In 1946, she was the second woman to become a scientific member of the IFAO (after Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt). She travelled the Nile Valley as far as Sudan, the oases in the Western Desert, and the Eastern Desert as far as the Red Sea. She took part in several excavations, including in Deir El-Medina... She lectured from 1950 onwards and subsequently established Egyptology at the University of Basel. In 1954 she became a corresponding member of the German Archaeological Institute. In 1954, 1956, and 1958 she travelled again to Egypt and Sudan. In 1957, she was appointed Extraordinaria by the University of Basel. She died in 1960, she added.

Among other outstanding archaeologists highlighted in the book is Jules Couyat (1881-1965). He was attached with a doctoral scholarship to the Mineralogy Laboratory of the Natural History Museum in Paris and had obtained two degrees in natural sciences. In 1906, he became a member of the IFAO. The director of the institute at the time, Emile Chassinat, wanted him to conduct geological research. From 1906 to 1911, one of his main tasks was to explore the Eastern Desert. On this occasion, he documented many ancient sites. He also worked with Pierre Montet in the Ouadi Hammamat. In 1912, they published together the book Les inscriptions hieroglyphiques et hieratiques du Ouadi Hammamat. In 1913, he changed his name to Jules Barthoux. After his work in Egypt, he continued his career with the French Archaeological Delegation in Afghanistan.
How well do you know the magnificent city that was dubbed 'The Conqueror'?

How many times have you wandered around and marvelled at the alleys and streets of Cairo and found yourself asking for more information while reveling in the magnificence of the city that was dubbed The Conqueror? If the answer is a lot, then Syrat Al-Qahera - Cairo Biography might be for you.

Taking us on one of his Sunday walks, Zizo Abdou, founder of Syrat Al-Qahera - Cairo Biography is beyond passionate about this city. The way he introduced us to every side street and alley reflected a deep respect and awareness of the intangible heritage of this rich capital we call home. His ability to see the grace and beauty of the city even when buried in heaps of dust made the walk a real treat.

A graduate of the Faculty of Arts  majoring in history  of Cairo University, Abdou decided to put his knowledge into practice.

I have studied history academically, and I am very interested in researching the blueprints of the city, the heritage sites, the names of the hamlets and streets, the sites of the ruins or what is left of them, and the concept of the city, Abdou told Ahram Online.

The concept of the Cairo Biography Initiative materialised a year ago when Abdou launched a campaign to clean up the less popular antiquated sites of Old Cairo such as Al-Moez Street.

Wherever we walk, there are countless unknown antiquated buildings found in hamlets and alleys. One year ago, I suggested the idea and people supported it; so, we decided to clean up five heritage sites last September. Afterwards, I created a Facebook page I called Syrat Al Qahera - Cairo Biography, added Abdou.

With a large pool of volunteers and supporters, the initiative was a success, and they managed to clean up Zawyet Hassan Al-Romy and the Dome of Qonsowa Abu Said (Also known as the Dome of Abu Gamous).

Zawyet Hassan Al-Roumy was built by Khayer Beik in 1522 AD during the reign of Sultan Selim Al-Qanouni Ibn Selim Al-Awal. Facing it is the Dome of Qonsowa Abu Said, which is a Mamluk relic that dates back to the end of the 15th century. Both sites are located at the beginning of Seket Al-Hagar, off Al-Remeila Square, and left of Al-Gabal Citadel.

The initiative was very well received by the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities as well as the local authorities, who supervised the process and encouraged the young volunteers to take part in the upkeep of these sites.

The page is now dedicated to publishing about and raising awareness on the heritage sites of the city of Cairo, as well as announcing the volunteering schedules to clean up these locations.

Pathways of Abundance

The idea of raising awareness to these sites rose to a whole new level when Cairo Biography produced a series of short videos titled Men Dorobha Al-Amera (From its Abundant Pathways).

Launched in Ramadan 2021, the videos focused on the intangible heritage of a certain street, hamlet, or a whole historic neighbourhood. The episodes covered various locations, such as Al-Tablawi, Al-Qerabia, Al-Megharbelin, and the tales of many more alleys and locales of historic Cairo.

Packed with interesting documentation on the city, the videos are well made, well researched, and highlight the social history of the sites in an interesting and informative format.

Targeting the people who live in these historic neighbourhoods, the videos were well received and shared by the same people they were made for, he noted.

Inspired by Antiquities

Additionally, Cairo Biography also now has its own podcasts that are more like personal narratives of Abdou and how he perceives the intangible history of the heritage sites he has covered.

Tagaliat Men Wahi Al-Athar (Manifestations Inspired by Antiquities) are short tales of Cairo written in a simple form, focusing on a different heritage site every episode.

It is very different, because in the podcasts, I talk about my personal experience with the heritage site and how it inspired my imagination, he noted.

The Sunday Walks

Given that Sundays are usually a day off for most of the workshops in historic Cairo, Abdou decided that they would be the most suitable for his heritage walks within the city.

Its the best time to watch the details of the city unfold without the daily hustle and bustle, he explained.

On such walks, we pick a street and marvel at its details, for the city is not only about the buildings: its about the intangible heritage of such buildings, the meanings behind the names of the streets, and even the way the street signs were crafted.

Currently, Cairo Biography is preparing for a series of workshops that aim to increase the awareness of the people living in heritage sites towards the historic areas they call home.

We will be starting in the Souk Al-Selah area. Another idea we are working on is trying to revisit forgotten specialised museums like the postal, agriculture, and railway museums, he concluded.

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In an attempt to appreciate how the Mamluk, Ottoman, Sharkasi, and Fatimid eras influenced the architecture of Al-Moezs Cairo, we ventured out on a walk led by Zizo Abdou, the founder of Cairo Biography, on Sunday.

Cairo Biography is a project that collects volunteers to clean up and preserve unpopular heritage sites within historic Cairo. It also creates informative and entertaining content discussing these heritage sites in detail in videos and podcasts that are posted on Cairo Biographys Facebook page.

The reason Abdou usually picks Sundays to go on his walks is the fact that it is the only time one can actually marvel at the ancient district uninterrupted, for it is the official day off for most of the workshops in historic Cairo.

We started off on Al-Moez street, one of the oldest streets in Fatimid Cairo  a seat of power for the Shiaa-led Fatimid Caliphate which lasted from 909 to 1171 AD. Standing in the shade of Al-Goury Dome  which was built during the rule of Mamluk (The Mamluks were a sultanate of multinational former Ottoman warrior slaves that ruled over Egypt and the Levant from 1250 to 1517 AD) king Al-Ashraf Abu Al-Nasr Qonsowa Al-Goury (1501-1516 AD)  we headed off to the Daylam Alleyway.

Al-Daylam were an ethnic group of soldiers originally from Iran, and in those days, each sect would live in an area that was named after them, like Darb Al-Atrak (The Turkish Path/Trail), explained Abdou to Ahram Online.

He then explained that to be able to put into perspective the intangible history of the city, one needs to look into the meanings behind the names of the signs of each district.

The Hara (Quarter) until the 19th century represented a complete neighbourhood with all its alleys and streets. However, as times changed and bigger paved roads and new districts were established, the Hara became more of an alley, added Abdou

When the sign reads Zoqaq, it means a narrow corridor or side path. As for Atfa, it means that it is located in a slight turn or at the end of an off ramp.

We strolled into Al-Sharea Al-Aazam (The Greatest Street), where most of the markets lie. Passing across the Sharabish (Tarabishi) Hara and Al-Tawaqgia, we came to a very narrow path which is called Haloum Al-Gamal (The Camels Throat).

The name is a metaphor that indicates how narrow the path is. This is also where the silk and textile market known as the Sweiaa of Gahrks (A small market with a ceiling) lies.

We then came upon Al-Fahameen (Charcoal sellers) Street, which used to be inhabited mostly by Moroccan merchants.

On the intersection of the street, where the blue sign reads Al-Fahameen Street, we came across the Sabil and Saqifa of Ottoman (The Ottoman Empire was a dynasty that controlled parts of North Africa and Eurasia from 1299 to 1922 AD) Prince Mostapha Gorbagy Mostahfezan Al-Qobrosly that were built in 1682. The term Sabil means a public drinking water dispenser; it was quite popular in Egypt back in the day. Saqifa, on the other hand, means a standalone one-story building that is mainly used as a storage area for the owner.

A few metres away, we stumbled upon Al-Fakahani Mosque, which was built during the Fatimid era by khalifa Al-Zafer. It was referred to as The Opulent Mosque due to its lavish architecture and interior designs.

The mosque was designed to have small shops to cater for it. It was restored twice, once by the Mamluk prince Yashbak Ben Mahdi, then mostly rebuilt by Ahmed Beik Al-Kharboutly, who built a Sabil as well as a wekala (market) for selling fruits, explained Abdou.

There is a folk legend affiliated with this mosque that says that a Sufi traveller came and purchased some fruits from the vendors around the mosque to distribute it to the underprivileged. After distributing for one whole day, the fruits in his possession did not decrease one bit, supposedly. So, the Sufi told the fruit seller to look after the mosque if he seeks prosperity; and from that day onwards, the mosque was called the Fakahani Mosque.

We then marvelled at the beauty of the nearby 18th and 19th century houses that are still inhabited to this day, standing tall in the face of time.

Next up, we went to Haret Kshqdam, where we saw Madraset Al-Zimammeya. This is another architectural beauty built during the Mamluk/Sharkasi era by Kafour Al-Sargatmshi Al-Roumy Al-Tawash between 1416-1426 AD, explained Abdou to Ahram Online.

We then came across the house of Sheikh Al-Mahrouqi, who was the Chief of Merchants during the era of the French expedition in Egypt, and the Arabesque Mashrabia  a wooden Arabesque facade that usually adorns windows. It is also derived from the Arabic verb Yashrab, meaning to drink; for this was the place where people used to put their drinking pottery water urns to cool off.

Taking a short break, we sipped tea while enjoying the view of the mosque and the school of prince Al-Khayat Beibars, which was built in the 921st year of the Hijri calendar.

We resumed our walk at Bab Zewila, one of Cairos oldest gates. The sign on the gateway explains that Bab Zewila  also known as Bawabet Al-Metwaly during the Ottoman Era  was built by the Fatimid commander Badr Al-Gamaly in 1092 AD.

We ended our walk a few metres away from Bab Zewila at Nafisa Al-Baydas wekala, which was built in 1796 AD. Al-Bayda was married to Murad Beih, who co-ruled Egypt at the time with Ibrahim Beih.

After the death of her husband, she inherited the entire marketplace, a Sabil, and a Kuttab (A place where children are taught how to read and memorise the Quran). She is among the very few women in history to own such a complex.

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This year, the festival will take place in New Hermopolis, which is a village of creativity, as the festival's founder describes it

Under the slogan Truth, Harmony and Hope comes the latest edition of the Thoth festival, which will be held at the premises of New-Hermopolis in Malawi, Minya (24-30 October 2021).

Yesterday, at the premises of the House of Egyptian Architecture, the press conference for the seventh Thoth festival was announced.

Thoth, or Tehuti, was the ancient Egyptian god of wisdom, divine words and the inventor of the hieroglyphs, symbolised by baboons and the ibis.

With the aim of reviving such concepts and having Egyptians reconnect with their ancient origins, Mervat Abdel-Nasser, a consultant psychiatrist, researcher in Egyptology and writer, founded the Thoth festival seven years ago.

"The ancient annual festival of Thoth was usually held on the 19th of Tut (the ancient Egyptian/Coptic month), but I pushed it to 28 October because it is the death anniversary of Taha Hussein," Abdel-Nasser explained.

Hussein was a renowned Egyptian thinker and writer, dubbed the dean of Arabic literature. Born in Minya, he always believed that the only way for a new Egypt to manifest is to reconnect with ancient Egypt, she added, explaining that it was Hussein who singlehandedly managed to save the papyrus of Naga Hamadi, Qena.

This year, the festival will take place in New Hermopolis, which is a village of creativity, as Abdel-Nasser describes it. New Hermopolis aims to be the revival of the concept of the ancient City of Hermopolis, known as the city of creativity, philosophy and enlightenment, where the Hermetic philosophical writing Hermetica was created in the first century BC.

"The festival's activities shall include Gathering Hope activities, where the participants will follow in the footsteps of their ancient ancestors and scribble their wishes on pieces of pottery, or Ostraca, as it is known in Egyptology," explained Abdel-Nasser.

The festival will also see a documentation of Bygone architecture of the area, she noted. as well as an interactive theatre activity shall take place.

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Proposals from UN Special Envoy to Syria Geir Pedersen to end the crisis in the country will not have the desired results

In his last briefing to the UN Security Council, UN Special Envoy to Syria Geir Pedersen suggested taking advantage of the relative cessation of hostilities in the country to bring together the main regional and international stakeholders for exploratory talks over confidence-building measures to prepare the ground for a political solution to a crisis that has been continuing since 2011.

This article argues that Pedersens proposal will not produce the desired results and that a more effective alternative would be to encourage those stakeholders to agree on a single issue to begin with and then gradually resolve the others.

Since the outset, the Syrian conflict has in fact consisted of several conflicts across various divides: between the regime and the armed opposition, between US-led coalition forces and the Islamic State (IS) group, between Turkey and the Kurds, and between Israel and Iran.

With the interventions of various regional and international powers, the map of Syria became a weave of numerous conflicting agendas and interests. Today, ten years after the conflict began, the regime has regained control over around 70 per cent of the country. The rest is divided between Turkey, the Kurds, the US, the armed opposition and terrorist organisations.

Despite the recent clashes in southwestern and northwestern Syria, a relative calm does indeed prevail along the various fronts. This has largely been the case since Russia and Turkey signed the Idlib Agreement in March 2020 that brought about a ceasefire.

Some analyses maintain that the current calm is the product of a consensus reached among key stakeholders after they concluded that they had accomplished as many of their objectives as they could. The regime was also satisfied with the amount of territory it controlled after factoring in the economic and military costs of attempts to retake more from the militant opposition, the analyses said.

Moreover, Russia and Iran were pleased with their success in ensuring the survival of the regime led by Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad and securing their influence and interests in the area. Turkey feared that new bouts of warfare in northern Syria would drive new waves of refugees into Anatolia, already the host of more than four million Syrian refugees. It had also found an acceptable formula for dealing with the perceived danger of the Kurdish Peoples Protection Units (YPG) near its southern border.

Israel was content with the occasional strikes it has been launching against Syrian areas it believes are controlled by Iran and could be used as staging points for Iranian offences against it.

But while most strategic research centres predict that this relative calm will continue for the foreseeable future, experts still caution against banking on what they describe as a fragile and provisional consensus. Not only is the Syrian crisis complex, it also interweaves with many other complex issues in the region. There always remains something that could trigger a flare up that could spiral dangerously out of control.

This is a main reason why various parties have seized on the current calm to propose ideas to bridge the gaps between regional and international powers and to encourage them to move towards conciliatory policies in the interest of ending the suffering of the Syrian people.

The UN envoys main mandate is to facilitate a Syrian-led political solution to the crisis in the country in keeping with UN Security Council Resolution 2254 and the Geneva Communique. The Resolution calls for the establishment of a credible, inclusive and non-sectarian system of government in Syria, a schedule and process for drafting a new constitution, and free-and-fair elections, in line with the provisions of the constitution, all administered under the supervision of the United Nations and in which all Syrians in the country or abroad can participate.

However, the UN has been unable to make any progress towards these ends. The 150-member Syrian Constituent Assembly made up of representatives of the regime, the opposition and civil society has made no progress in drafting a new constitution for the country in the five meetings it has held so far.

The UN envoy has been trying to convince the members of the assembly to convene for a sixth round, but most observers do not expect him to succeed because of the mutual recriminations between the Syrian camps and the divergence of views between Russia and the Western nations.

Indeed, the conflicting views and interests of the main regional and international players in Syria have been a main obstacle to UN efforts to fulfil its mandate in Syria. This is precisely what inspired Pedersens recent proposal to invite key states to work with me on exploratory discussions on a package of concrete, mutual and reciprocal steps that are defined with realism and precision, and that are implemented in parallel and are verifiable, as he said in his Security Council briefing on 24 August.

Such steps are needed, above all, to help save Syrian lives, ease suffering, promote regional stability and further the implementation of Resolution 2254, Pedersen said, which seeks a comprehensive and lasting political settlement to the Syrian crisis.

LACK OF REALISM

While the UN envoys proposal is theoretically sound and consistent with the principles and procedures for phased confidence-building measures in conflict-resolution, applying it in the Syrian case will not yield results.

The main reason is that the issues under dispute between the key states are not of a nature that can be resolved through confidence-building measures. For example, they have no shared conception of the future of Idlib or even of whether the Syrian regime has a right to reassert its sovereignty over it and whether to fight the terrorist groups that currently control it.

They cannot agree on the future of the militant factions that have been relocated to Idlib as a safe zone in the framework of the various de-escalation agreements. One of these groups is Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS), a former Al-Qaeda affiliate that the UN Security Council, the US, Russia and Turkey have all designated as a terrorist organisation. Some quarters are now urging the US to reconsider this designation, which would make it possible to assimilate the HTS in the political process under certain conditions, thereby benefiting from its presence on the ground in Idlib.

Advocates of this idea argue that the organisation has undertaken certain ideological revisions to distance itself from jihadist fundamentalism and that lifting the terrorist designation would facilitate the delivery of humanitarian relief to the people of the Idlib province and help pave the way for talks over the future of its capital city.

Needless to say, this suggestion, if implemented, would aggravate the already considerable tension over how to deal with the area. Turkey, even if it agreed with the lifting of the terrorist designation, would adamantly oppose any attempt on the part of the Syrian regime to regain control over Idlib using military means for fear of additional influxes of refugees into Turkey and because of the concern that terrorists would flee to other countries.

Other crucial and interrelated examples of why the UN envoys proposal will not work include the future of the YPG and the status of the Kurds in northern Syria, the future of the Turkish military presence in northern Syria, the US role in Syria, the impact of the Iranian military presence on Israel, the efficacy of the economic sanctions on Syria, the future of the Al-Assad regime and the question of reconstruction deals.

All these issues and more are highly controversial, and the differences over them are not only between pro-regime and anti-regime countries. They also exist within the same camp. Russia and Iran, for example, are reportedly at odds over rights to drill for natural resources and in other economic areas, their respective roles in relation to the Syrian government, and their areas of influence in the country, not least in the vicinity of Syrias southwestern borders where the presence of Iranian forces would stir up trouble with Israel.

In the light of the multiplicity of issues, the complicated patterns of the divides over them and the depth of the divisions, it is highly unlikely that the regional and international powers will be able to reach a consensus over confidence-building measures acceptable to all the parties. It would be a waste of the currently available opportunity of the relative calm in the country to engage in exploratory talks that will lead nowhere.

Some analysts believe that direct talks between Russia and the US resulting in a comprehensive agreement on the various issues is the only way to end the Syrian conflict. This possibility is difficult to conceive, however, especially as there are no precedents to support it.

A more realistic approach would be to invite the key stakeholders and the two superpowers above all to engage in talks over a single issue at first, such as the question of Idlib and the fate of the militant factions there. If they could reach a consensus on this, it would open avenues to a series of further consensuses on other issues.

Certainly, an international consensus on Idlib would avert many complications. It would eliminate the multiple repercussions of any use of military force on the part of the regime to retake Idlib on the pretext of fighting terrorism. It would also encourage the regime to take positive steps towards a political solution and would help to resolve other issues such as the economic sanctions and obstacles to reconstruction.

Until progress is made on Idlib, the most that can be hoped for at present is a prolongation of the relative calm with a view to using it to deliver as much humanitarian aid as possible to the Syrian people.

* The writer is a researcher on security and crisis management.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 23 September, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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It looks like the world has not yet had its fill of surprises from the US, which has recently outdone itself on this score. I am not about to rehash Afghanistan or Iraq, how Americans commemorated 11 September 2001, or how the current administration is trying to reverse what the previous administration did.

My concern is the behaviour of the foremost world power towards the Arab region, today, in the light of Bidens electoral campaign pledge to steer the US back to international leadership and to do so while withdrawing from the Middle East and repositioning itself among its allies in Europe and across the Pacific. Accordingly, while trying to reorder the domestic front, the Biden administration would strengthen trans-Atlantic bonds with the EU and NATO and to the West it would strengthen its alliances with India, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea.

All this is understandable. If the understanding turns out to be wrong or misguided, the US has the institutions to change course  several times if need be, as it has from one electoral round to the next during the past two decades. Indeed, one of the main lessons to draw from contemporary world history is that the US has not acted with the greatest clarity of mind or sagacity since 2001. Its invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan were disastrous blunders. Equally mistaken was its plan to build nation states using American-made tools and ground plans. Democracy, conceptually and institutionally, is not necessarily the best system of government for other countries. In fact, it has its own painful problems even within the American framework.

Just this month Washington provided two major examples of lack of wisdom, both involving this region. The first was its decision to remove its Patriot missile batteries from Saudi Arabia, even though they have been paid for up to the last dime and are used to protect civil targets from Iranian missile strikes. The second was the decision to freeze $130 million in military aid to Egypt in the interest of unidentified human rights purposes. Ironically, this action occurred while Egypt was hosting the Bright Star military exercises which serve joint US and Arab interests.

The US has had a long and deep defence relationship with Saudi Arabia. It dates back to President Franklin Roosevelts meeting with king Abdel-Aziz Al Saud aboard the USS Quincy in the Great Bitter Lake in Egypt. Washingtons relationship with Egypt has grown increasingly close during the past five decades, in light of their common focus on various matters related to peace and stability in this region. Yet Washington went ahead with the aforementioned steps without consulting either Cairo or Riyadh and, moreover, without achieving anything positive for US national interests.

Most likely, the actions were undertaken to appease certain camps within the Democratic Party who, heedless of the lessons learned from the above mentioned US failures abroad, remain determined to impose their ideological hegemony on US foreign policy. In all events, such measures will have no significant impact on Saudis defence or Egypts economic capacities, both of which have evolved greatly thanks to the sweeping reform in both countries.

To me, these measures are indicative of American energy dissipated over domestic divides and the failure to appreciate the abilities of Arab states. On a broader scale, the US appears to be operating under an illusion. It sees the current world order as a popularity contest between Washington and Beijing in which the former is destined to win because of the dazzling allure of the American model. The attrition the US has sustained in the past two decades is in fact of such magnitude it will cast a heavy shadow for many decades to come. In dollars and cents the losses exceed $4 trillion, or $9 trillion if we factor in lost opportunities. Such figures do not take into account the adverse impact on American decision-making power. American software and soft power in general was an important part of Washingtons appeal. Unfortunately, shortcomings in handling system-related issues, from policy implementation to electoral processes and inter-agency cooperation, plus the rise of various forms of fascism and racism, have severely undermined it.

The USs main rival, China, by contrast, approaches relations with others with a considerable degree of reserve and respect for the traditions of different countries. It does not use the Communist Party to disseminate centralised political and economic planning, and it does not presume to give lessons in economic and political management. Yet its development model has much to offer developing economies. China currently has a foreign exchange reserve of $3.2 trillion, of which $1.4 trillion is in hard cash. The US, whose dollar is the global currency, is indebted to the tune of $28 trillion, yet is pumping $3.5 trillion into a national infrastructural development drive and other federal projects.

Seth G Jones, an American defence expert, recently published a book called Three Dangerous Men, referring to three key figures in powers opposed to the US: China, Russia and Iran. He shows how, while the US was focused on building fighter jets, missiles and conventional warfare capabilities, those rivals have increasingly resorted to irregular warfare: cyber attacks, the use of proxy forces, propaganda, espionage and disinformation to undermine American power and to intervene in US elections. Put another way, those countries have been more in tune with the instruments of the 21st century than the US, the bastion of the third and fourth industrial revolutions.

At the same time, Washington has gone to great lengths to alienate its main allies in the West. As though Trump had not stirred sufficient alarm in Europe with his tenuous commitment to Western values and even to NATO, Bidens Afghanistan debacle raised concerns over a senescent US leadership that appears unable to overcome divisions at home and a growing distance from its allies abroad.

To assert the rationale of liberal ideology without taking a clear stance on terrorist Islamist organisations such as the Muslim Brotherhood makes Washington and its pundits here in the Middle East look foolish and inconsistent, to say the least. And what a boost this gives forces antagonistic to Arab relations with Washington, further undermining US influence in the Middle East and elsewhere.

* The writer is chairman of the board, CEO and director of the Regional Centre for Strategic Studies.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 23 September, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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In its Human Development Report (HDR) for Egypt in 2021, issued last week, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) reviews what can objectively be described as a success story of which the Egyptian people can reasonably be proud.

In barely seven years, the state has managed to tackle many extremely difficult challenges simultaneously, both domestic and regional, combined with keeping at bay the threat of extremism and terrorist groups, all the while focusing on improving living conditions for the majority of Egyptians.

While attending the launch of the report, President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi reiterated his deep belief that any successes the government achieved would not have been possible without the understanding and endurance of the Egyptian people, who withstood the harsh effects of an ambitious economic reform plan, knowing that it would bear fruit in the near future, and provide a better life.

The UNDP report is the 12th to be issued on Egypt since 1994 and the first in 10 years. The UNDP introduced the report in 1990 to define and measure development and to rank countries based on their Human Development Index (HDI), which ranks education, health and income.

Issuing the report this year is another indication of the keenness of the Egyptian government to be transparent in listing both successes and challenges. This will certainly help to provide a clear picture for all outside investors whom Egypt is looking forward to attracting.

Egypts 2021 report highlights human development between 2011 and 2020, stressing the key philosophy behind the measures that President Al-Sisi took to achieve development in many sectors: Egyptians must be at the centre of the development process, providing them with a better life that respects their human dignity.

The report renews and confirms Egypts commitment to a development approach that puts people at the centre of the development processes as the principal driver of and the primary stakeholder in its outcomes, said Randa Abul-Hosn, UNDP resident representative in Egypt during the launch last week.

For her part, the Minister of Planning and Economic Development Hala Al-Said, stressed that the national sustainable development strategy, Egypts Vision 2030, aims primarily at improving the quality of life for the Egyptian citizen, out of a steadfast belief that human beings are the main actors in achieving development, and ultimately the desired goal.

Accordingly, Egypt increased investments in its human capital, undertaking serious reforms, and implemented major development projects and initiatives in the sectors of education, health, housing and utilities to provide adequate housing and a decent life for all Egyptians, while paying the utmost attention to politically, economically and socially empowering women and the young, within a more general and comprehensive framework for guaranteeing human rights, foremost among which is the right to development.

Across the world, poverty has spiked, inequalities have widened due to Covid-19, and global human development is going backwards for the first time since 1990. Yet Egypt has managed to maintain positive economic growth, mostly due to the implementation of bold economic reforms, noted the UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner, while congratulating Egypt on its achievements in key development areas.

Even though the government has taken social protection measures to ease the consequences of the economic reform programme, eventually the challenges the Egyptian state has been facing will continue to burden Egyptian society. President Al-Sisis motto for facing those challenges, especially while confronting terrorist groups active in Sinai as well as the Muslim Brotherhood, is to defeat terrorism with construction and development.

The state has worked on developing all key economic sectors in a comprehensive manner. The latest initiative on this front has involved developing the countryside with an estimated budget of LE 250 billion over three years. Through the Decent Life initiative, hayah karima in Arabic, infrastructure projects will be carried out in as many as 4,658 villages over three phases, improving the lives of at least 58 million Egyptians. Sisi launched the first phase of the initiative in mid-2021, and it is due to be completed by the end of the 2021-22 fiscal year.

Moreover, ambitious government projects have managed to raise the availability of sanitation services provided to the countryside from 12 to 38 per cent, affirming that during the next three years the country aims to provide sanitation services to the entire countryside.

In order to improve sanitation, and to save water, the government has also exerted tremendous efforts to line canals so that they can eliminate pollution and establish dual and triple sewage treatment plants. Between 2014 and 2024, the governments spending will exceed LE 600-700 billion to this end.

While praising the successes achieved on several fronts, highlighted by the UNDP report, President Al-Sisi asked those involved to include in their future reports challenges that Egypt and the region continue to face such as terrorism, illegal emigration and refugees in Egypt. Egypt hosts five-six million refugees who live among Egyptians as guests, mingling with the people and enjoying the same services the state provides to its citizens. Al-Sisi rightly noted that this number of refugees can be equal to the [population] of two or three countries, and therefore, the report should take this into consideration.

There are many challenges lying ahead, and the population growth rate at 2.6 per cent increases makes them more difficult. However, with the achievements of the past seven years, Egyptians can certainly be hopeful nonetheless.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 23 September, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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'The other reason for these frictions is the increasing so-called 'revolutionary' trend in Iran, which seeks to quickly find an ideological and partisan base in Yemen that believes in the doctrine of Welayat-el-Faqih'

The Houthi militia in Yemen shows a clear and open allegiance to Iran and is keen on sending strong signals about its relationship to Tehran, starting with the glorification of the Iranian Mullahs position, and ending with the consecration of the Persian language at Sanaa University.

However, although Iran boasts of its control of four Arab capitals  Baghdad, Damascus, Beirut and Sanaa, secretly sending an ambassador to Sanaa in violation of all international norms and standards, this begs the question: to what extent does the Houthi movement serve the future Iranian orientation in Yemen while reinforcing Tehran's long-term control, actually over the whole of Yemen?.

Or, it may actually be the opposite, will Iran find itself out of the equation despite of all this current success? Such a question would then be conducive to another one: will Iran find for itself another way in Yemen, one that would be other than it used to embrace through the Houthis, whom they may be trying to shun, through potential alliances with other entities?

We must realize that there are two levels at stake in the enhancement of the Iranian influence, which is directed by the deep state of Tehran.

The first level is grounded on exporting the idea of the revolution, based on Iran leading a global axis against imperialism; this is a populist discourse that justifies the presence of Iranian cells from Latin America to Africa, relying on non-religious forces, and only united by the need to bring support and maintain a historical position towards a previous ideological conflict.

The second level is based on allegiance to the theory of the doctrine, and the belief in a standing religious referential, which no one discusses: Welayat-el-Faqih - the doctrine which stipulates that the imam leader in Tehran is the infallible guardian, the commander of all times.

It is from the latter that comes all of Irans attempts to spread Shiism, not only by highlighting some religious rituals, but by creating a partisan current capable of using violence and controlling any country it takes up residence in.

When we use this model as a gauge in Yemen, we find out that the Iranian project has started experiencing some turmoil with the Houthi movement and its rogue militias. The Houthis raised their banners in the far northern regions of Yemen for the revival of the theory of the Zaydi sect and as representatives of this sect in the country.

Their movement found fertile soil in which the seed of the Zaydi Imamate could bloom in the northern regions for several reasons, most notably the historical presence of this current there, secondly the strong conviction of a large segment of the population of those regions that the Sunni currents are a threat, and thirdly the previous regimes approach for more than thirty-five years.

The previous Yemeni regime practiced sectarian and regional devotion in its most prominent and most important institutions  the army, the intelligence services, and the judiciary  believing that it was protecting its narrow interests by maintaining power to govern in the hands of a ruling elite. It did not, however, realize that strengthening sectarianism reinforced by the regionalism would produce a fertile soil for the Imamate.

When Hussein Badr Al-Din Al-Houthi announced his call, this discrimination meant he found a ready group of young people, not only in mosques, but within the ranks of the army, within the moral guidance entities, within the intelligence services, among party leaders and state apparatuses as well.

The strategic mistake made by the political parties of not adopting a serious stance against the sectarian and religious ideologies paved the way for the movement to spread in large areas. This was compounded by the direct guidance that was given by the previous state leadership to the governing bodies and the army to join the Houthi march in defiance of the vociferous opposition of the street at the time. That was a failed tactic that plunged the country into a predicament in which there was no way back.

All of this happened while Iran did not have control over the events, nor did it have the ability to fully direct the stage in Sanaa. Iran, rather, was given the opportunity on a silver platter, and it kept waiting and waiting for more opportunities to come, providing support, aid and training to the Houthi group, and working on the institutional construction of its security and media apparatuses.

Concomitantly, Irans presence in Yemen was not hinged on sectarianism, but with recruiting followers within circles interested in the "fight against tyranny," the "struggle against global imperialism," and the constant anger of Yemen towards its neighbors, together with feelings of injustice.

In this way, the Iranians found fertile ground in Saada and Sanaa, as well as within the movements in Hadramawt, Aden, the rest of the south, and Taiz as well.

There came a moment when many of those involved in the Arab Spring, or those who opposed to the former president's regime, were closer to Tehran than they were to Doha. At the same time, Iran was seeking to work with forces from nationalist, leftist, or Muslim Brotherhood movements, with a large focus being put on the youth and women.

This was the manner in which Iran maintained a presence in Yemen, steering away from sectarianism reinforced by regionalism, until the Houthis took control at the end of 2014 and early in 2015, opening the way for the construction of a direct air bridge between Tehran and Sanaa.

At that specific period of time, the indicators of a regional danger appeared, and it became crystal clear that Iran did not merely support a movement, but it, above all, sought to create a new geography of power in the region.

The relationship between the Houthi movement and the Iranian regime was  and obviously still is  characterized by many frictions. These frictions are partly due to internal conflicts in Tehran, but that is another story.

The other reason for these frictions is the increasing so-called "revolutionary" trend in Iran, which seeks to quickly find an ideological and partisan base in Yemen that believes in the doctrine of Welayat-el-Faqih, and in the religious and political referentials, one which is supported by a deep security institution.

The quest of such forces in Tehran is to set the stage for an outspoken leader who would address the people just like Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the Shia Hizbullah, in the Lebanese suburbs, an outspoken leader who would affirm that the affiliation to the theory of the Imam and religious scholar in Iran stems from an unshakable faith.

Such a discourse is overtly maintained by Nasrallah in the Jaafari surrounding  referring to the Shia school of jurisprudence  in which the deeply anchored prevailing ideologies are exclusively in favor of Iran. Because of this, Nasrallah is not afraid to do anything, even if it triggers the anger of the majority of the Lebanese.

However, the situation in Sanaa is different, as that Jaafari incubator has not yet been found there, nor has its popular construction been completed, even if it has been overrun by security forces.

The Houthi leadership, although now inclined to the Twelvers branch of Shiism, still derives strength from the northern governorates who represents the Zaidis, and not the Jafaris who follow the Imams of Tehran.

But it seems that things are moving in another confrontational direction, and the winds of the "revolutionary fervor in Tehran" are reaching Sanaa, with the adamant quest to change both the geography of power and the existing ideological affiliations.

The concern here is not this crude rhetoric of an Iranian faction that says that it will convert Zaydis to Twelvers, but from a broader plan to make this new trend in Tehran emanate from the various parts of Yemen in other governorates, and not only from the northern ones, with a heavy reliance on the tone of "resistance," the countrys "unity," and the announcement of the "end of outside interventions."

This is further made possible by the absence of state institutions, and of a growing sense of disillusionment, together with the absence of a comprehensive national project in Yemen. And that is precisely the issue.

A whole discussion that needs to be reinitiated at this stage..

*The writer is ambassador of the Republic of Yemen in Morocco.

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As the guests began arriving at the 30th anniversary of MBC Group, held in Lisbon last week, the Egyptian Star Yousra had her own special entry onto the red carpet.



Beloved throughout the whole Arab world, Yousra whose real name is Civene Naseem, has engraved for herself a special place in the cinema industry since her first steps in the field in the 1970s. She was discovered by director of photography Abdel Halim Nasr and went on to appear in films directed by renowned filmmakers such as Henry Barakat, Youssef Chahine Mohamed Khan, Khairy Beshara, acting between 1970s and early 1990s alongside renowned names like Adel Emam, Mahmoud Abdel Aziz, Rushdi Abazah, Samir Ghanem, Nour El-Sherif, among many others.



Collaborations with Adel Emam and Ahmed Zaki played an important role in her career, shedding light on the young talent. Fast forward over 50 years of work in the industry, Yousras filmography boasts almost 100 titles of the well-known films and television series. Her rich portfolio also includes a couple of theatre roles.



Considered a fashion icon, Yousras entry on MBCs red carpet emphasized her glamour as she was greeted with great respect from young and older generation of Arab actors, actresses and producers.



Over the past years, the actress appeared in a number of shows produced by the Saudi media conglomerate. In 2017, MBC recruited her as one of the judges in season 2 of Project Runway Middle East where she sat alongside Tunisian fashion icon Afef Jnifen and renowned Lebanese fashion designer Elie Saab. Saheb Al-Maqam (The Enshrined Saint) released on MBCs Shahid platform in 2020 was the first feature film starring the Egyptian actress produced by MBC.



Though MBC is younger than the span of Yousras achievements, the actress wraps up the Groups history saying: I didnt feel the thirty years: they passed like a day. Everything beautiful passes very fast, everything that is booming makes the time go fast, because you live in this continuous success, Yousra commented to Ahram Online, making her best wishes for the MBC Group to continue their growth.



I wish the Group to keep opening new horizons and addressing new audiences, as they have been doing for three decades now while investing into all talents and allowing them develop and mature through their channels and shows.





While talking about the boundless opportunities of development, Yousra also underscores the sheer necessity of the process. We all live in constant development. We are never static. When thinking about something new, I always think about young people. How do they think? How do they perceive the shows and the actors? How would you like us to appear? What can I present to the young generation? It is important to connect with the young people. They are full of fresh ideas. They should not feel that the older generation is detached from their interests, Yousra told Ahram Online adding that one does not live alone and should be linked to the surrounding reality and its people.She goes on to give an example of social media that dominates the lives of todays youth. To be honest, for long I did not like social media. I feel it is not real life. However, in todays reality we are required to accept its presence and to live its new meanders. It is up to us to embrace or reject the change.Yousras official Facebook page has 2.6 million followers and her Instagram account 3.2 million.In a world dominated by social media, the concept of talent and approach to acting as well as receiving the performers has definitely changed. The portrayals of heroes and heroines in films produced 30, 40 and 50 years ago are definitely different to new expectations of young audiences posting their own creations on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram among other platforms.There are a lot of great young talents in the sphere of films and television. They all deserve to get their chances and shine. This can be done through the MBC channels but also through many other platforms available to new generation.Yousra adds that social media can be used to shed light on or create talents. This is actually already happening. I am not for using the social media for needless and often aggressive confrontations between the users.Commenting on content posted on TikTok by young people, Yousra said some content is very entertaining and makes me laugh. But there are also those that I do not appreciate at all. It is normal: in life we always have two sides of the same coin.Yousra goes on to mention Shahid, the first free video-on-demand service in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region launched by MBC in 2008.For very long, Shahid was quite strange to me and to my colleagues from the same generation. To be honest when working on Saheb Al-Maqam (The Enshrined Saint) we were a bit worried that the film would not have many viewers on the platform. In fact, it was an unprecedented success. I was very happy and definitely surprised. Directed by Mohamed Gamal El-Adl, the 2020 film starred Yosra, Asser Yassin, Amina Khalil and Bayoumi Fouad.Saheb Al-Maqam opened many doors allowing more actors from the established generation to have faith in the success of their works premiering on Shahid, she added. In fact, Saheb Al-Maqam was Yousras first film after eight years that she dedicated to television series only.Equally, Yousra is fond of Netflix and the presence of many Arab productions on the platform. This is a great opportunity to show our art to the whole world, she concluded.As the guests began entering the Warner Bros studio to shoot the special episode of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, we were yet to discover Yousras distinctive role in the show hosted by George Kurdahi, renowned Lebanese media figure and the newly appointed information minister.

As she carried herself and spoke with interminable grace, the audience filled with Arab world stars followed attentively Yousras contribution to the anniversary show marking the MBCs thirtieth anniversary. The special episodes will be aired on MBC on 18 September.



For more arts and culture news and updates, follow Ahram Online Arts and Culture on Twitter at @AhramOnlineArts and on Facebook at Ahram Online: Arts & Culture

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The Embassy of Poland in Cairo announced the due date to register for the upcoming edition of the Chopin Piano Competition for Children and Youths in Egypt and the dates of the event itself.

Scheduled to take place between 13 and 16 November, the candidates can submit their applications until 10 October 2021.

The competition is intended for young pianists of all nationalities living or residing in Egypt. The final competition, which will take place in one round, will be open to the public.

Performers will be asked to play from memory, abiding to the repertoire requested by the competitions organisers.

The young pianists are performing in three groups:

Category A: Participants up to 12 years (Elementary school).

Category B: Participants 12-15 years (Preparatory school).

Category C: Participants 16-19 years (High school).

The repertoire for each group and the timeslots for each performer are available on the competition's website.

Interested candidates can register online by filling out the registration form available at this link by 10 October 2021 at the latest.

The jury of the 2021 edition of the competition includes Mariola Cieniawa-Puchala (Poland), Ahmed El-Saedi (Egypt), and Helgeheide Schmidt (Germany).

The Chopin International Piano Competition was launched by Fawzy El-Shamy (through the Egyptian Youth Music Association), the former dean of the Cairo Conservatory, who contributed to numerous musical initiatives in Egypts musical scene. The competition was held in collaboration with the Embassy of Poland in Cairo.

The first edition of the competition took place in 2010, but due to political reasons, its 2011 edition was cancelled. It returned in 2012 and was held annually until 2018. The competition was then suspended for a few years and is now returning with its 2021 edition and some organisational changes.

The 2021 edition is organised by European Foundation for Education and Culture Zielona Gora in cooperation with Rahn Education Schulen Kairo, maestro Ahmed El Saedy and Embassy of Poland in Cairo.

For more arts and culture news and updates, follow Ahram Online Arts and Culture on Twitter at @AhramOnlineArts and on Facebook at Ahram Online: Arts & Culture

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Despite some positive diplomatic moves, there seems little prospect of peace in Yemen as the conflict enters into a new phase of escalation

UN new Envoy to Yemen Hans Grundberg was greeted with a series of escalations in the conflict in the country this week, as the fighting continued both domestically and through attacks on neighbouring Saudi Arabia.

Grundberg, who assumed his new role on Sunday succeeding former UN envoy Martin Griffiths, hopes to bring an end to the Yemen Civil War.

Since Iran-backed Houthi rebels took control of much of Yemen in 2014 and the Arab Coalition intervened militarily to reinstate the internationally recognised government in 2015, the UN has been seeking a political solution to the conflict in Yemen. But peace efforts have been complicated by the intervention of hybrid state and non-state actors.

Since last year, Saudi Arabia, the main force in the Arab Coalition, has been trying to put an end to the war and reach a political settlement. The new administration of US President Joe Biden also joined the peace efforts when it entered office earlier this year, and Oman has been acting as an external mediator to bring the Saudis and the Houthis together for dialogue.

However, many analysts in the region and the West believe that the war in Yemen will not end unless there is a breakthrough in relations between the two main regional antagonists of Saudi Arabia and Iran. Yet, at every point in a possible overture between Riyadh and Tehran, the Houthi militia increases its attacks on Saudi targets, using Iranian-made drones and ballistic missiles to do so.

The most recent escalation a few days ago targeted Saudi Arabias eastern ports from where most of the countrys oil is exported, according to Houthi reports. But the major Saudi oil company Aramco denied that any oil facilities had been affected, whether in the east or south of the country.

The Saudi Defence Ministry said it had intercepted drones and missiles, one of the drones being destroyed in a residential area leading to two children being injured by shrapnel.

The increased attacks on Saudi civilian targets by the Houthi militia coincided with fierce fighting around Marib and other areas in Yemen itself. The Houthis attacked government forces, while the coalition bombarded Houthi positions using aerial strikes.

Dozens were killed in the recent fighting, though it is difficult to verify numbers. The war in Yemen has thus far claimed tens of thousands of lives, many of them civilians, according to UN and US estimates. Millions of Yemenis have become refugees outside Yemen or been displaced inside the impoverished country.

A Saudi commentator told Al-Ahram Weekly that the Houthi rebels were the main obstacle extending the war and hindering political settlement efforts. Encouraged by the Iranian reluctance to stop its destabilising activities in the region, proxy militias like the Houthis in Yemen have increased their sabotaging efforts, he said.

US, UN and Omani diplomatic attempts to achieve a breakthrough in the Yemeni conflict have not achieved much so far. The Saudi-led Coalition blames the Houthis and their Iranian backers for the failure to find a peaceful settlement, though it also admits shortfalls regarding the legitimacy of the parties it supports in Yemen.

Internal disputes, especially between the internationally recognised government and the Southern Transitional Council (STC), have contributed to weakening the position of the Saudi allies in Yemen.

The rebels are emboldened by the differences between the different parties of the legitimate government. Riyadh has left no stone unturned in its efforts to reconcile all the parties, but it is a bumpy road, the Saudi commentator said.

There are also mounting fears that militant groups like Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) might resurge in Yemen. Muslim Brotherhood affiliates in Yemen in the shape of the Al-Islah Party are now part of the internationally recognised government, even though some observers see them as a political umbrella for terrorists.

The recent developments in Afghanistan and the victory of the Taliban over US forces have inspired militant and terrorist groups in the region, including AQAP. Meanwhile, the US military involvement in Yemen, especially via drone attacks, has decreased significantly.

Emirati forces within the coalition have focused on the south of the country, but the UAE withdrew from Yemen in 2019. With part of the internationally recognised government now cosying up to militants and at odds with the southern militias, there are fears that AQAP might regroup and strengthen its presence in Yemen.

Some pundits have repeated the conventional wisdom that escalation leads to negotiation, but such notions may not be applicable to the war in Yemen, as the experience of the last few months has shown.

The Iranian new government in Tehran has been talking positively about opening up to mend its relations with its Gulf neighbours, and even though such words have been spoken before, Saudi and Iranian officials are meeting to discuss security issues.

Iranian and Saudi delegations also took part in a recent regional summit meeting in the Iraqi capital Baghdad.

However, it seems that for the time being these diplomatic moves are not having any major impact on the Yemeni conflict, which has entered into a new phase of escalation.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 9 September, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.

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The conference discussed several topics including the coverage of science in times of crisis, and how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the press and media with regard to fake news and news verification

The second international conference of the Media and Science Project, entitled Science Meets Journalism  Media and Science in Turbulent Times, was held on 18 and 19 September at the premises of the Goethe Institute in Dokki, Giza.

This year's conference discussed a range of important topics, such as the coverage of science in times of crisis, how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the press and media with regard to fake news and news verification, water scarcity in the region, and how TV dramas and films deal with scientific topics.

The regional director of the Goethe Institute in the Middle East and North Africa Susanne Hohn expressed her happiness with the successful organising of the international conference despite the many difficulties related to travel restrictions.

Hohn also stressed that Science Journalism builds bridges of communication between the media and scientific community to discuss important topics from which the public can benefit. Furthermore, she said, there is no doubt that the coronavirus pandemic represented a major shift in the interest in scientific journalism.

"We are pleased to organise this year's conference, with the participation of media experts and academics as well as the pioneers of initiatives. For four years, we have been supporting scientific journalism by offering workshops and training programmes, until we could create a network of more than 100 journalists in the whole region. Now, they are qualified to write about, and research, scientific topics. However, there is no doubt that the coronavirus pandemic has given this topic a new dimension, so that science journalism has finally received the attention it has long deserved," Hohn said.

At the conclusion of the inaugural session, Director of the Cultural Programmes Department at the Cairo Goethe Institute and Regional Officer Anne Eberhard handed out the prizes to the winners of the science journalism competition organised by the Institute. One hundred journalists had applied in the competition from different countries in the region. The winners are Engy El-Toukhi and Samar Ashraf from Egypt, Bassam El-Qadi from Yemen, and Osman Abdel-Halim from Sudan.

The opening speech was given by Hashem El-Ghaili, science communicator and film director. His Facebook page, which aims to simplify and explain the sciences, is followed by more than 33 million people around the world, and has garnered more than 17 billion views. He won many awards in the field of science video production. El-Ghaili, a Yemeni national, obtained a master's degree in molecular biotechnology from Jacobs University in Germany, where he currently resides.

Since 2017, the project Media and Science, previously named Scientific Storytelling, aims at exploring the relationship between scientific research and journalism, in order to help ensure that scientific achievements are understood by broader audiences as well as to encourage civic engagement. Therefore, the Goethe Institute is organising regional trainings and workshops for both print and media journalists and science communicators alike.

Additionally, the institute published on its website an online training manual on science journalism for those who want to write about scientific topics.

The project is implemented in cooperation with the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and is funded by the German Federal Foreign Office.

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Nour Emam, creator of the platform Mother Being, boldly ventures into the controversial realm of sex education

Although engaging in open communication about sexual health is still taboo throughout Middle Eastern societies today, one young woman has been brave enough to try to break that norm. Nour Emam, founder and creator of the platform Mother Being, has had a longtime interest in women's health issues and decided to quit her career in music and pursue her real passion.

During the birth of her daughter, Emam underwent a medically unnecessary C-section and was separated from her daughter for a while. It was a very difficult experience which left her feeling helpless. Following the birth, Emam suffered from postpartum depression and mild PTSD, which went undiagnosed for eight months.

In an attempt to help herself overcome that painful experience, she created Mother Being, an educational platform focused on providing women with information on their bodies, sexual health and the many misconceptions surrounding it.

However, before creating her platform in January 2020, Emam joined a five-month online doula training program from Canada, one of the hardest and longest in the field, followed by another training program in managing postpartum depression from a British university.

"Two years ago, I decided to get pregnant. I thought it would be easy, like we see in the movies, but I quickly realised that planning a pregnancy takes a lot of work," Emam explained on her Facebook page.

"I discovered that my body and my cycle are much more complex than I thought, and that I almost didnt know my body at all. So, I had to get to know my cycle from scratch and I wished that someone had taught me this when I was younger," she said.

Emam decided to make it her personal mission to educate women about their cycles and their reproductive health, so she started to study and learn.

However, the most important part for Emam was to make this knowledge accessible in Arabic to every Arabic-speaking woman in the world. Emam is now a certified maternal support practitioner (doula) and certified relationship and sex educator.

"Our culture obviously will not allow women to speak with their families about sexual and reproductive health, and as a result a lot of women grow up not even knowing about their own reproductive system and how it works," one of Emam's followers wrote in a comment.

"Emam is tearing down taboos to bring women accurate information about sexual and reproductive health," she added.

In addition to easily accessible online content, Mother Being also provides courses created by Emam on topics such as 'Periods, Mastering your cycle', 'The birth crash course' and 'Pleasure principles: sex re-imagined'.

"I highly recommend the Periods class to any woman, married or not. I was shocked at how little we are taught at school or told by our doctors about our bodies and cycles. The class was full of information about periods, PMS, birth control and so much more. Emam creates a fun, light and safe space where she answers questions many of us have and are uncomfortable to ask or can't find the answers to."

The platform also offers the 'Monthly women circle', a female-only open discussions about women's reproductive and sexual health issues. Each month a different topic related to womanhood is chosen, based on requests, and then scientifically discussed.

Sadly, Emam and her page face stigma for even talking about these issues. She was even accused by a few of encouraging promiscuity and ignoring religion.

"As a culture, we have a hard time separating religion from fact. I think it's time for this separation to take place in society. These critics dont understand that I am not encouraging anyone to act against his or her religious belief. I simply provide information and it is up to you whether you explore it and learn more about it for yourself. I dont say virginity doesnt matter, I say hymens dont matter, and yes, there is a big difference," Emam explained in one of her videos.

However, Emam does not seem bothered by her detractors.

"The growing number of people interested in challenging the status quo, who do not accept being in the dark, compel me to persevere. I will keep being loud until it is not loud anymore, but normal," said Emam in an interview published in Enigma magazine.

Meanwhile, whether she realises it or not, Emam is definitely leaving a lasting impression on the minds and souls of hundreds of women.

http://www.thisismotherbeing.com/

@thisismotherbeing

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Sound therapy is sought not just for achieving a state of relaxation, but also in treating stress, anxiety, high blood pressure, sleep disorders, dementia, autism and pain

It might be considered new age wellness, but sound healing is hardly a new form of therapy. The ancient Greeks used music to cure mental illness, and in ancient Egypt music therapy was a staple in temples. Sound therapy has been proven effective not just in achieving a state of relaxation, but also in moving through blockages in the body. It has also been known to help in treating stress, anxiety, high blood pressure, depression, sleep disorders, PTSD, dementia, autism and pain.

"Everything in the universe has its own vibration and all we do is tune our bodies to it, just like you would tune an instrument. Sound healing allows your body to heal itself by slowing down your brain waves, which affects every cell in your body, shifting them from the diseased state to being in ease. It just aligns it with whatever you need," explained Rasha Hussein. In addition to being a sound healer, Hussein is also a Reiki healer and a meditation teacher.

So how exactly does it work? According to Hussein, when it comes to sound healing, the voice is the most powerful tool of all, especially your own voice, because then you are self-generating your own healing vibrations to clear and shift your energetic blocks.

"Sound can shift frequencies from low energy of guilt and fear to higher vibrations of love and joy," she explained.

During her sessions, Hussien uses vocal toning in addition to a variety of instruments including the Tibetan healing bowl, shamanic drums and shakers. She uses different instruments at different times and volumes and every instrument is tuned to a different vibration in order to retune the body. Healing bowls have been used in Tibetan culture since the 12th century. The metal bowls come in many sizes and each one produces a deep sound that relaxes and heals the mind while producing a unique vibration that works on separate parts of the brain.

Meanwhile, toning is the practice of making vowel sounds for an extended period of time for therapeutic or meditative purposes. It was developed in the 1980s by renowned sound healer Johnathan Goldman, who discovered a healing connection between our chakras, vital energy vortexes, and vowel sounds.

"Vocal toning uses seven tones based on vowels. Each one is connected to a particular chakra or area of the body. Using a specific tone allows you to access a particular point of the body and begin to heal it," explained Hussein. For example, the 'ah' tone reaches the heart chakra while an 'ee' sound goes to the crown chakra.

"Vocal toning involves using one steady tone to balance your cells and open your energetic pathways. It's very intuitive, something that we do naturally, like releasing an audible sigh of relief," Hussein noted. That is why many cultures throughout history, from ancient Egyptians and Greeks to indigenous tribes, have a form of vocal toning.

Late archaeologist Abdel-Hakim Awyan was an indigenous wisdom keeper who saw Egypt through the eyes of his ancestors. In the documentary the Pyramid Code, researched by Dr. Carmen Boulter in the Graduate Division of Educational Research at the University of Calgary, Aywan explains that the pyramids structure is a harmonic one that used the sound of running water through an underground tunnel to heal illnesses.

"The chamber within the pyramid has a specific harmonic replicating the harmonics of the cavities of the human body. And sound healing techniques were then used to restore the patient's body to the correct harmonics," Awyan explained in the documentary. Further taking the example of the Bent Pyramid of Sneferu in Dahshur, Hakim noted that the pyramid had two different chambers that produce two distinct sound frequencies. "These frequencies are in turn amplified within the pyramid walls to create huge fields of harmonic resonance that restore balance within a human body.

"The adult body consists of 75 percent water, and water is a great conductor for sound vibrations," explained therapist Sherine Abdel-Khalik.

"When vibrations travel through the body, they promote circulation, energy flow, and rejuvenation. The frequency of the sound synchronizes with the brainwaves and activates distress responses in the body," she added.

"So even deaf people can benefit from sound healing because they can feel the vibrations," she noted.

Sound healing synchronizes brain waves to achieve profound states of relaxation, thus helping to restore the normal vibratory frequencies of the cells in our bodies. Throughout the years, science has proven that sound or vibration has a strong impact upon substance. The study of cymatics has shown how sound creates geometric patterns in matter. Moreover, Japanese researcher Dr. Masaru Emoto has even proven that sound changes the molecular structure of water.

"While I have never tried any kind of drug before, the entire experience felt very trippy," explained Rehab Adel, who took part in a sound healing session.

"As I listened to the sounds, I couldn't help but cry, and while I tried to breathe and remain calm, tears poured out of my eyes. I kept trying to go back to the breath like I do when my mind drifts off during meditation, but it wasn't that easy," she said.

"After the session, I felt both physically and emotionally renewed," she added.

"The physical vibrations of the instruments were intense. I felt a wave of energy above me, which kept me still on the floor as if being pushed towards the earth. I could feel so much energy all around the room," said Adel.

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The vaccine made by Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech already is available for anyone 12 and older

Pfizer saidits COVID-19 vaccine works for children ages 5 to 11 and that it will seek U.S. authorization for this age group soon  a key step toward beginning vaccinations for youngsters.

The vaccine made by Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech already is available for anyone 12 and older. But with kids now back in school and the extra-contagious delta variant causing a huge jump in pediatric infections, many parents are anxiously awaiting vaccinations for their younger children.

For elementary school-aged kids, Pfizer tested a much lower dose  a third of the amount thats in each shot given now. Yet after their second dose, children ages 5 to 11 developed coronavirus-fighting antibody levels just as strong as teenagers and young adults getting the regular-strength shots, Dr. Bill Gruber, a Pfizer senior vice president, told The Associated Press.

The kid dosage also proved safe, with similar or fewer temporary side effects  such as sore arms, fever or achiness  that teens experience, he said.

I think we really hit the sweet spot, said Gruber, whos also a pediatrician.

Gruber said the companies aim to apply to the Food and Drug Administration by the end of the month for emergency use in this age group, followed shortly afterward with applications to European and British regulators.

Earlier this month, FDA chief Dr. Peter Marks told the AP that once Pfizer turns over its study results, his agency would evaluate the data hopefully in a matter of weeks to decide if the shots are safe and effective enough for younger kids.

An outside expert said scientists want to see more details but called the report encouraging.

These topline results are very good news, said Dr. Jesse Goodman of Georgetown University, a former FDA vaccine chief. The level of immune response Pfizer reported appears likely to be protective.

Many Western countries so far have vaccinated no younger than age 12, awaiting evidence of whats the right dose and that it works safely. Cuba last week began immunizing children as young as 2 with its homegrown vaccines and Chinese regulators have cleared two of its brands down to age 3.

While kids are at lower risk of severe illness or death than older people, more than 5 million children in the U.S. have tested positive for COVID-19 since the pandemic began and at least 460 have died, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Cases in children have risen as the delta variant swept through the country.

I feel a great sense of urgency in making the vaccine available to children under 12, Gruber said. Theres pent-up demand for parents to be able to have their children returned to a normal life. In New Jersey, 10-year-old Maya Huber asked why she couldnt get vaccinated like her parents and both teen brothers have. Her mother, Dr. Nisha Gandhi, a critical care physician at Englewood Hospital, enrolled Maya in the Pfizer study at Rutgers University. But the family hasnt eased up on their masking and other virus precautions until they learn if Maya received the real vaccine or a dummy shot. Once she knows shes protected, Mayas first goal: a huge sleepover with all my friends. Maya said it was exciting to be part of the study even though she was super scared about getting jabbed. But after you get it, at least you feel like happy that you did it and relieved that it didnt hurt, she told the AP. Pfizer said it studied the lower dose in 2,268 kindergartners and elementary school-aged kids. The FDA required what is called an immune bridging study: evidence that the younger children developed antibody levels already proven to be protective in teens and adults. Thats what Pfizer reported Monday in a press release, not a scientific publication. The study still is ongoing, and there havent yet been enough COVID-19 cases to compare rates between the vaccinated and those given a placebo  something that might offer additional evidence. The study isnt large enough to detect any extremely rare side effects, such as the heart inflammation that sometimes occurs after the second dose, mostly in young men. The FDAs Marks said the pediatric studies should be large enough to rule out any higher risk to young children. Pfizers Gruber said once the vaccine is authorized for younger children, theyll be carefully monitored for rare risks just like everyone else.

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The study surveyed over 1,200 business executives and managers from various parts of North America, Middle East, Europe, and Asia

Bupa, a world-renowned medical insurance organisation, released an in-depth global survey on 20 September that analyses the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on managers and executives physically and mentally.

The study surveyed over 1,200 business executives and managers from various parts of North America, Middle East, Europe, and Asia.

Despite worries over the recovery of the economy and a decline in mental health prevailing, the survey clearly shows that executives have tried to redefine existing working models and corporate values in order to improve the circumstances of their business modules.

Egypts stance

In the Executive Wellbeing Index issued by Bupa, a substantial section stressed on the situation in Egypt.

Egypt is the only developing country in our study that experienced positive economic growth during the pandemic, which brings so much promise and hope, Mohamad Bazzi, the managing director of Bupa Egypt, said in a press statement.

However, this years data has also unearthed that many of the people in our survey are surrounded by uncertainty, and as Egyptian businesses navigate through the COVID-19 crisis and into the new normal, there has been a renewed focus at an organisational level on employee wellbeing and mental health to help their businesses thrive.

Mental Health: Exceptional challenges call for exceptional solutions

Declining mental health has been one of the challenges that faced many heads of business in Egypt as well as all over the world due to the pandemic.

With global efforts focusing on mass COVID-19 vaccinations and re-openings, the study has shown that the pandemic is still very much at the front and centre of everyones attention.

Although the physical impact of the pandemic is slowing down, evidence of its effect on the mental health of mangers, executives, and high-earning employees and individuals is still alarming, with 82 percent reporting at least one symptom of mental stress.

The most commonly reported challenges are feeling down, sadness, or anxiety at 41 percent, feeling angry or impatient at 31 percent, and experiencing mood swings at 29 percent.

It has been noted that discussing issues of mental health is being normalised in Egypt ever since the pandemic, and thereby high-net-worth individuals have also been recognised for being proactive in dealing with their challenges, with 92 percent of subjects having made life changes to manage or prevent their mental health concerns, which is higher than the global average  84 percent  and second only to the UAEs 96 percent.

Wellbeing foremost: Flexibility is here to stay

The report shows that workplace wellbeing initiatives are a priority in Egypt to boost mental wellbeing, with 54 percent of organisations introducing initiatives and 32 percent planning to do so in the near future.

37 percent of participants believe that an increased focus on wellbeing and mental health is essential if organisations want to recruit the best talent.

Companies in Egypt have shown their ability to adapt with the challenges of the past year by re-evaluating existing working models; for example, by encouraging wellbeing among employees.

Last years research showed that over 70 percent of Egypts managers and executives believed the pandemic accelerated the countrys transition to digitisation.

Changing values: More humility and inclusion

This study also revealed a change in perspective on how high-net-worth individuals value corporate leadership qualities, where understanding (41 percent), humility (39 percent), and cultural intelligence (32 percent) were the main attributes for the ideal CEO.

The pandemic has shifted priorities and pushed decision makers to take into account individual needs in order to thrive as an organisation.

The most striking change when analysing the corporate structure in Egypt is a shift towards inclusion in the workplace, with 98 percent of leaders planning to increase the number of women and people from different socio-economic groups.

Leaders in Egypt are prioritising the individual wellbeing of their employees. With almost all decision-makers making this conscious effort to encourage more inclusive representations in company boards. It is clear that we are at the brink of a shift in the overall wellbeing of all sectors in the working society, Bazzi explained.

As we continue to try and find the right balance to navigate the pandemics effects on the work environment, we are seeing a lot of promising adjustments that will definitely stand the test of time.

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At the small town of Esna in Egypts Luxor governorate is located Wekalet Al-Geddawy waiting for its visitors after two years of being hidden under scaffolding for restoration and development.

Egypts Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Khaled El-Enany, U.S. Ambassador in Cairo Jonathan R. Cohen and Luxor Governor Mostafa Alham inaugurated on Sunday the recently restored and developed Wakalet Al-Geddawy, a caravansary built in 1792 to store trade goods and lodge traveling merchants.

The renovation work has been carried out in collaboration with Takween Integrated Community Development and funded by the USAID.

El-Enany expressed his happiness for inaugurating Wekalet Al-Gedday after the completion of its restoration and development, which took two years of hard work, saying the wekala has regained its original charm.

The opening of the Wekalet embodies the ministrys action to preserve Egypts archaeological heritage, revitalize the citys tourism potential by reviving and opening new tourist attractions, which in turn will be a mean to promote tourism, raise tourism and archaeological awareness and create job opportunities for Esnas inhabitants, the minister said.

El-Enany said the United States is one of the Ministrys main partners as several archaeological missions are working all over the country along with the Chicago house in Luxor and the American Research Center in Cairo.

This is not the first time to collaborate with the USAID as it had financed several similar projects in Luxor, Giza, Karnak and Historic Cairo, he noted.

El-Enany announced that visitors can enter the Wekala for free, as the cost will be included in the ticket of the Edna Temple.

US Ambassador Cohen stated, Over the past 25 years, the United States has contributed more than $102 million to preserving dozens of cultural heritage sites throughout Egypt.

We look forward to seeing the tourism industry rebound in Esna and across the country. The United States stands with the people of Egypt as we help to make this happen, he added

Hisham Samir, assistant tourism and antiquities minister for Projects explains that the development project involved the restoration and consolidation of the Wekalas foundations, columns, walls, roofs and wooden ceilings, the implementation of internal ground and soil replacement, the restoration of wooden elements such as doors and windows, in addition to the restoration and consolidation of the facade, the installation of a modern lighting system and the development of the general site and facilities.

Wekalet Al-Geddawy features a very beautiful archaeological panorama with the Roman Temple of Esna located beside and the minaret of the ancient mosque, making it a unique model for the rest of Esna's monuments.

It is a commercial facility built by Hassan Bey Al-Geddawy in 1792 AD and was called Al-Geddawy because Hassan Bey took over the Emirate of Jeddah during the reign of Ali the Great in 1184 AH.

The Wekala was built in two floors of mud bricks. On the ground floor there is a group of shops for displaying goods, while the upper first floor was used as a rest house of merchants, and it can be reached through two staircases on the northwestern and northeastern sides. The main facade of the Wekala overlooks the famous temple of god Khnum in Esna temple, and in the middle of the entrance block, which is topped by a pointed arch with three pointed arches inside, and decorated with brick.

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The Ethiopian Embassy in Cairo will suspend its work in the country starting in October for three to six months due to economic reasons, the Ethiopian ambassador to Egypt told BBC Arabic on Sunday.

"The embassy is going to close down starting from October for three to six months due to economic and financial reasons to reduce the expenses," Ethiopia's Ambassador to Cairo Markos Tekle Rike told BBC Arabic.

Ambassador Tekle Rike made it clear the decision has nothing to do with the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) issue between Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan.

He also added that the embassy's commissioner will manage its affairs during the suspension.

The statement by the ambassador comes as Ethiopia has decided to temporarily close about 30 embassies in a number of countries including Egypt, Canada and across the Gulf states due to the economic crisis hitting the African country.

In the Gulf, the Ethiopian Embassy in the UAE will remain open to serve as a headquarters for the country's regional diplomatic mission, according to diplomatic sources that spoke with Kuwaiti media.

Ambassador Markos Tekle Rike started his work as Ethiopia's ambassador to Cairo in August 2020.

Meanwhile, Egypt's new ambassador to Addis Ababa, Mohamed Omar Gad, officially presented his credentials to the Ethiopian foreign ministry last Thursday.

The decision to close down the embassy in Cairo comes at a time when the GERD dispute overshadows Ethiopia's relationship with downstream countries Egypt and Sudan.

Cairo and Khartoum have been demanding Addis Ababa sign a legally binding agreement on the filling and operation policies of the GERD to safeguard their water rights whereas Addis Ababa says it will not sign an agreement that comprises its national interest.

After a decade of talks between the three countries, the negotiations reached a deadlock in summer 2021 after Ethiopia decided to go ahead with the second filling of GERD.

Last week, the GERD issue reached the 76th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and was among the main issues discussed by officials from Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia.

On Saturday, Secretary-General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres stressed in his meeting with the Ethiopian foreign minister in New York the importance of the three countries resuming negotiations on the GERD.

On the same day, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry stressed the importance of reaching a legally binding agreement over the dam's filling and operation policies.

Two weeks ago, the Security Council adopted a presidential statement calling the three countries to resume negotiations to reach for a legal binding agreement under the auspices of the African Union in a specific timeframe as soon as possible.

Both Egypt and Sudan welcomed whereas Ethiopia criticised it.

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Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly announced on Sunday that Egypt is ready to host the 14th General Conference of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (ICESCO) in December 2021 for the first time ever.

The announcement came in a meeting with Director-General of ICESCO Salim Al-Malik.

The minister said that Egypt is proud to host the event, adding that it consolidates its African and Islamic role in the fields of education, science, and culture.

He assured that the government will provide all the possible means of support for the success of this important conference.

Madbouly also stressed that Egypts aspires to enhance its scope of cooperation with ICESCO, saying that such a focused partnership would support the fields of scientific research and innovation and aid in the dissemination of knowledge across the world.

In turn, Al-Malik hailed the level of ongoing cooperation with Egypt as one of the most important pivotal countries in the Islamic world and the Middle East, stressing his aspiration for the success of the 14th general conference.

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According to Far-Maroc, Morocco ordered 13 Bayraktar TB2 drones from Turkey in April and a first batch of the unmanned aircraft arrived this month

Morocco took delivery earlier this month of Turkish combat drones, the Far-Maroc unofficial website dedicated to military news reported.

The report, also carried by several local media outlets, comes as tensions have spiked between Morocco and neighbouring Algeria in recent weeks.

The two countries are mainly at odds over the disputed Western Sahara territory, and Algeria severed ties with Morocco in August claiming "provocations and hostile" action by its neighbour.

Relations took another blow this week when Algeria on Wednesday said it has closed off its airspace to all Moroccan civilian and military traffic.

According to Far-Maroc, the North African kingdom ordered 13 Bayraktar TB2 drones from Turkey in April and a first batch of the unmanned aircraft arrived this month.

Rabat, said the report, seeks to "modernise the arsenal of the Moroccan Armed Forces (FAR) in order to prepare for any danger and recent hostilities", but did not elaborate on these topics.

It did however add that Moroccan military personnel have trained in Turkey in recent weeks to work with the drones.

Media reports said Morocco signed a $70 million contract with the private Turkish company Baykar.

The firm is run by one of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's son-in-laws and has been exporting its Bayraktar TB2 model to Ukraine, Qatar and Azerbaijan for some years.

According to the company's website, the Bayraktar TB2 is a "medium altitude long endurance tactical unmanned aerial vehicle capable of conducting intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance and armed attack missions" with a range of up to 27 hours.

Morocco already uses drones for intelligence and surveillance operations along its borders, according to military experts.

The Western Sahara dispute pits Morocco against the Algeria-backed Polisario Front which fought a war of independence with Rabat from 1975 to 1991.

Morocco laid claim to the former Spanish colony with rich phosphate resources and offshore fisheries after Spain withdrew in 1975, and controls around 80 percent of it.

Rabat has offered autonomy there and maintains the territory is a sovereign part of the kingdom but the Polisario is demanding a referendum on self-determination, in line with the terms of a 1991 UN-backed ceasefire deal.

Tensions rose sharply in November when Morocco sent troops into a buffer zone to reopen the only road linking Morocco to Mauritania and the rest of West Africa. The road had been blocked by the separatists.

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Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian said that US action will be the criterion for Iran to decide on the nuclear negotiations, official news agency IRNA reported on Sunday.

"We said this clearly that we will use the Americans' practical behavior as the basis of our judgment," Amir Abdollahian was quoted as saying.

"Contradictory signals" that the Americans send through media or diplomatic channels do not serve as the basis for Iran's final decision-making, he also told Iranian state TV.

The Iranian foreign minister made the remarks before leaving New York where he had attended the UN General Assembly meeting.

For the revival of the 2015 nuclear deal, Iran has urged the United States for the removal of the sanctions imposed by the former US administration and implementation of all its commitments under the accord.

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What started out as a walk in the park is now more like an uphill battle in unchartered territory. Egypt hosts Libya in ...
The Texas border crossing where thousands of Haitian migrants converged in recent weeks will be partially reopened late Saturday afternoon, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said.

This photo combination shows an area where migrants, many from Haiti, were encamped along the Del Rio International Bridge on Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2021, and a photo showing the area after it was cleared off by authorities, Saturday, Sept. 25, 2021, in Del Rio, Texas. [Photo: AP]

Federal and local officials said no migrants remained at the makeshift encampment as of Friday, after some of the nearly 15,000 people were expelled from the country and many others were allowed to remain in the U.S., at least temporarily, as they try to seek asylum.

In a statement, officials said trade and travel operations would resume at the Del Rio Port of Entry for passenger traffic at 4 p.m. Saturday. It will be reopened for cargo traffic on Monday morning. CBP temporarily closed the border crossing between Del Rio and Ciudad Acuna, Mexico, on Sept. 17 after the migrants suddenly crossed into Del Rio and made camp around the U.S. side of the border bridge.

CBP agents on Saturday searched the brush along the Rio Grande to ensure that no one was hiding near the site. Bruno Lozano, the mayor of Del Rio, said officials also wanted to be sure no other large groups of migrants were making their way to the Del Rio area to try to set up a similar camp.

The Department of Homeland Security planned to continue flights to Haiti throughout the weekend, ignoring criticism from Democratic lawmakers and human rights groups who say Haitian migrants are being sent back to a troubled country that some left more than a decade ago.

The number of people at the Del Rio encampment peaked last Saturday as migrants driven by confusion over the Biden administration's policies and misinformation on social media converged at the border crossing.

The U.S. and Mexico worked swiftly, appearing eager to end the humanitarian situation that prompted the resignation of the U.S. special envoy to Haiti and widespread outrage after images emerged of border agents maneuvering their horses to forcibly block and move migrants.

Many migrants face expulsion because they are not covered by protections recently extended by the Biden administration to the more than 100,000 Haitian migrants already in the U.S., citing security concerns and social unrest in the Western Hemispheres poorest country. A devastating 2010 earthquake forced many from their homeland.

The U.S. government expelled 2,324 Haitians on 21 flights to Haiti from Sunday through Friday, according to the Department of Homeland Security. On Friday, the government operated four flights from Del Rio with 375 Haitian migrants; two flights to Port-au-Prince and two to Cap-Haitien. The department said the flights will continue "on a regular basis" as people are expelled under pandemic powers that deny migrants the chance to seek asylum.

The Trump administration enacted the policy, called Title 42, in March 2020 to justify restrictive immigration policies in an effort to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The Biden administration has used it to justify the deportation of Haitian migrants.

A federal judge late last week ruled that the rule was improper and gave the government two weeks to halt it, but the Biden administration appealed.

Officials said the U.S. State Department is in talks with Brazil and Chile to allow some Haitians who previously resided in those countries to return, but it's complicated because some of them no longer have legal status there.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said the U.S. has allowed about 12,400 migrants to enter the country, at least temporarily, while they make claims before an immigration judge to stay in the country under the asylum laws or for some other legal reason. They could ultimately be denied and would be subject to removal.
KYODO NEWS - Sep 26, 2021 - 11:30 | All, World, Japan

Japanese trading house Mitsubishi Corp. has invested in a massive wind power plant project in Laos to deliver electricity to Vietnam, in what would be the biggest onshore wind farm in Southeast Asia.

Mitsubishi said in a recent press release that the 600-megawatt wind power plant in southern Laos, a first for the country, will be developed by Hong Kong-based Impact Energy Asia Development Ltd., or IEAD, from next year, with operations planned to start in 2025.

The onshore wind farm project, also described as the "first cross-border electricity interchange from wind power generation" in the region, is aimed at fighting climate change while supporting economic activity.

Vietnam requires additional power supply to maintain its growing economy, especially during the dry season when the wind power plant is expected to operate at a high rate and the availability of hydropower generation, one of the nation's main power sources, is limited, according to Mitsubishi.

Although it has not disclosed the size of the investment, the Tokyo-based conglomerate said its subsidiary based in Hong Kong holds a stake of about 24 percent in the project, with the remainder held by BCPG Public Company Ltd. and Earth Power Investment Ltd., both of which are subsidiaries of Thai firms.

"We will continue to contribute to the realization of a decarbonized society by both striving to achieve a stable supply of electricity in Vietnam and addressing the environmental challenges for a stable society," Mitsubishi said.

The move was followed by an announcement in July by BCPG that IEAD and Vietnam Electricity, a leading power company in the nation, have officially agreed on electricity purchase for 25 years.

IEAD Chairwoman Paradai Suebma was quoted in the BCPG news release as saying that the signing of the agreement "marks a symbolic collaboration" between Laos, Vietnam, Japan, and Thailand "to work towards the global quest of net zero-emissions."

The project is in line with a memorandum of understanding on power interchange signed between the Vietnamese and Lao governments in October 2016, in which Vietnam will import 5,000 MW of electricity in total from Laos by 2030, according to Mitsubishi.

The Japanese company has set goals of achieving carbon neutrality in its utility business by 2050 and of doubling the amount of power from renewable energy sources by fiscal 2030, which ends in March 2031, compared with levels in fiscal 2019.
KYODO NEWS - Sep 26, 2021 - 21:00 | World, All

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday sent a congratulatory message to Eric Chu, newly elected leader of Taiwan's main opposition Nationalist Party, Chinese state media reported.

As general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party's Central Committee, Xi expressed his expectations for the two parties to work together to maintain peace across the Taiwan Strait, and achieve national reunification and rejuvenation, according to Xinhua News Agency.

Xi did not send a similar congratulatory message when incumbent Johnny Chiang was chosen as party chairman in March 2020. Chiang was defeated in Saturday's election, handing the party reins to Chu, who has called for resuming exchanges and communication channels with China.

The Kuomintang (KMT) has placed at the foundation of Taiwan-China ties the so-called 1992 Consensus, an unwritten agreement purportedly reached in 1992 between the KMT government and Beijing that there is only one China and that each side can interpret that in their own way.

As party leader, Chiang characterized the 1992 Consensus as "dated" and sought to cast Taiwan-China ties in a new light. Chu, on the other hand, has placed importance on the consensus.

In his reply to Xi, Chu called for enhanced exchanges across the strait, noting that the people on both sides are all Chinese, according to Xinhua.

In 2015, Chu, as chairman of the then ruling Nationalist Party, held talks with Xi in Beijing.

Related coverage:

Taiwan opposition Nationalists elect ex-New Taipei mayor as leader

China voices strong opposition to Taiwan's bid to join TPP

FOCUS: Taiwan, China jostle for media space
By Miya Tanaka, KYODO NEWS - Sep 26, 2021 - 10:40 | All, Feature, World

Drawing a close to the 20-year war in Afghanistan, U.S. President Joe Biden is turning his eyes on the intensifying competition with China, bringing into play new mechanisms like the "Quad" group of Australia, India, Japan and the United States as well as a security partnership among Australia, Britain and the United States.

But the Biden administration may need more clarity in its Indo-Pacific strategy, which it says will be released in the fall, with the recent launch of the three-way partnership dubbed "AUKUS" triggering a huge diplomatic rift with the oldest U.S. ally France, and questions raised over how the two coalitions will evolve.

"While there may have been some strategic thinking to link European allies and Asian allies through AUKUS, if you end up angering a very important pillar in the region, France, I must say no holistic strategy existed there," said Michito Tsuruoka, an associate professor at Japan's Keio University with expertise on international security and European politics.

The Sept. 15 announcement of the AUKUS partnership, which included an agreement to help Canberra acquire a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines, was clearly one of the highlights during the Biden administration's months-long efforts to rally allies and like-minded countries to counter China's growing assertiveness.

But the move quickly spiraled into a diplomatic crisis. France, which lost a multibillion-dollar submarine contract with Australia as a result, reacted furiously, calling the announcement "a stab in the back" by Washington and recalling its ambassadors to the United States and Australia.

Tsuruoka said it is important to note that France's outrage was not just stemming from the economic damage incurred from the cancellation of the contract, but also from the sense of having been "excluded" from the new Indo-Pacific alliance, even though Paris has served as a key driver for broader European engagement in the region.

France is the only European Union member with overseas territories in the Indo-Pacific, such as Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean and New Caledonia in the Pacific.

It has a permanent military presence in the region, with more than 7,000 military personnel deployed there, while sending its warships into the South China Sea, where Beijing has been aggressively pushing its territorial claims.

Japan has also been deepening ties with France, which Tokyo views as a fellow country that shares the vision of a "free and open" Indo-Pacific. In May, Japan, the United States and France conducted their first three-way ground-troop exercise on Japanese soil.

While the U.S.-France row is not expected to lead Paris to turn its back from the region, Michael Green, senior vice president for Asia at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, noted that France could be "quite cool to the Quad for a little while," with Australia and the United States among the membership.

Tsuruoka said Japan can play a part to minimize any potential fallout by continuing to approach France to convey that it fully supports the European country's involvement in the Indo-Pacific.

Despite the "unintended consequences" that followed the rollout of AUKUS, Bonnie Glaser, an Asia expert at the German Marshall Fund of the United States, said the emergence of new mechanisms should be seen as "successes" for the Biden administration because it shows that countries are "willing to stand up to China" even though they are not explicitly framed as anti-China measures.

"The reason why countries are willing to stand up more and do things, whether that is India in the Quad or Australia in AUKUS, is because of concern about China's behavior and its challenges to the rules-based order. So I think even before they actually start doing anything, just announcing that they have this new mechanism is very significant," she added.

Green suggested that the AUKUS partnership will have a considerable impact in the regional waters in terms of power balance.

"I think the Quad countries that are not in AUKUS -- Japan and India -- are quite pleased with this because it will really for the next 50 years reset the trajectories in naval power in the Pacific and from the perspective of those countries stabilize things as China massively builds up its naval forces," he said.

But some countries in Southeast Asia such as Indonesia and Malaysia have voiced concerns over AUKUS as they are wary of seeing an arms race.

As the two new regional coalitions come to the fore, with Australia being an overlapping member and both groups seen to deal with challenges posed by China, countries involved have played down the possibility that the newcomer will sideline the other.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison emphasized on Friday in Washington, where the first in-person Quad summit was held, that AUKUS and Quad are "mutually reinforcing" and that "they are not there to replace anything but to add."

Glaser suggested that, while AUKUS is focused on defense technology sharing and strengthening deterrence, the Quad is more likely to pursue non-military initiatives, given that countries such as India, the only member among the four that shares a land border with China, and Japan, which has close economic ties with China, are unlikely to want the group to behave too antagonistically toward Beijing.

Given that the Biden administration is hoping to cooperate with China where possible in areas such as climate change, it is "smart" to frame Quad as a group focused on "positive" agendas such as providing coronavirus vaccines to Southeast Asia, Glaser said.

But the future course of the Quad may also change depending on China's behavior, she said.

"If China is taking more threatening actions against Japan and Australia and India, I think we will actually see more willingness for countries to do things. So it is in part dependent on China," she added.

Related coverage:

Quad expands cooperation to space, regularizes summit amid China rise

Japan, U.S. leaders affirm efforts for free, open Indo-Pacific

Gist of agreements reached during Quad leaders' meeting
KYODO NEWS - Sep 8, 2021 - 20:16 | All, Japan

A South Korean district court on Wednesday dismissed a wartime labor-related damages lawsuit against Japanese steelmaker Nippon Steel Corp., on the grounds that the plaintiffs launched the suit after a statute of limitations on the civil case had expired.

The same Seoul Central District Court judge dismissed a similar suit against another Japanese company, Mitsubishi Materials Corp., last month on the same grounds.

After the South Korean Supreme Court in 2018 ordered Nippon Steel and another Japanese company to compensate plaintiffs over forced labor during World War II, a spate of rulings against Japanese firms followed in lower courts. But this year, plaintiffs in similar cases have lost in district courts, signaling disagreement among judges on this matter.

The two suits were filed in 2019 and 2017, respectively, by relatives of laborers during Japan's colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula from 1910 to 1945. In both cases, Judge Pak Song In determined that plaintiffs had lost their right to seek claims in 2015.

Three years earlier, in 2012, the Supreme Court, in a groundbreaking decision, said the right of individuals such as former wartime laborers to pursue compensation from Japan was not nullified by a 1965 agreement between Japan and South Korea.

The Civil Code in South Korea stipulates that victims lose their right to claim damages if they do not seek claims within three years of discovering harm. In the two district court rulings, Pak saw the statute of limitations begin to run in 2012.

After relevant cases were sent back to appeals courts for retrial following the 2012 landmark decision, the Supreme Court in 2018 ordered Nippon Steel and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. to compensate groups of plaintiffs.

Based on the October 2018 ruling against Nippon Steel -- the first of the two handed down by the top court that year -- an appeals court in Gwangju in the country's southwest has ruled that the statute of limitations on wartime labor compensation claims began to run in 2018.

The Supreme Court is expected to rule in the future on when the clock began ticking on the statute of limitations regarding this issue.

Ties between Japan and South Korea, already strained largely over historical issues, have worsened since the 2018 top court rulings.

Japan maintains that issues relating to property and claims between the two countries and their peoples stemming from the colonial rule have been settled "completely and finally" under the 1965 bilateral accord, under which Japan provided grants and loans to South Korea.

Related coverage:

Court approves seizure of South Korean company payment to Mitsubishi Heavy
KYODO NEWS - Sep 15, 2021 - 19:31 | All, Japan, Coronavirus

The estimated number of foreign visitors to Japan in August was down 99.0 percent from the same month in the pre-pandemic year of 2019 on continued strict travel restrictions amid the coronavirus pandemic, government data showed Wednesday.

But the figure nearly tripled to 25,900 from 8,658 in August 2020 due to the Tokyo Paralympics, which opened on Aug. 24 and ran for about two weeks, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization.

In July, the number of foreign visitors rose to 51,100 from 3,782 a year earlier as the Tokyo Olympics brought tens of thousands of athletes and staff from overseas to the country.

But the figure is expected to fall from September as Japan continues to ban the entry of foreign travelers in principle.

With the medical system still under strain amid the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus, 19 of Japan's 47 prefectures currently remain under a state of emergency over the pandemic.

By country, visitors from the United States accounted for the highest number at 3,000 in August, followed by 2,400 from China and 1,800 from France.

According to the data, a total of 66,100 Japanese nationals left the country last month, down 78.0 percent from a year earlier and down 96.9 percent from August 2019.
New Delhi:

Special Director General (DGP) of Police Mukesh Gupta and Narayanpur Superintendent of Police (SP) Rajnesh Singh have been suspended by the Chhattisgarh police an FIR was registered against them on charges of illegal phone tapping and destroying of evidence during their probe into the alleged public distribution system (PDS) scam. The FIR was registered against the two by Economic Offence Wing (EOW) on Thursday. While Gupta is posted as special director general of police at the police headquarters, Singh is the superintendent of police, Naryanpur. The alleged irregularities in the PDS took place during the previous Bharatiya Janata Party government led by Raman Singh and the investigation of the case was handed over to the anti-corruption branch (ACB) of the Chhattisgarh police headed by Gupta.





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New Delhi:

All seven convicts in the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots case have been awarded life imprisonment by a local court on Friday. Muzammil, Mujassim, Furkan, Nadeem, Jahangir, Afzal and Iqbal - are accused of killing two people - Gaurav and Sachin - and rioting in Kawal village in an attack which is said to have triggered the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots that led to killings of over 60 people. According to the First Information Report, the two youths of Kawal village under Jansath police station area were battered to death by the five of thee men.

The two other accused, Afzal and Iqbal, however, were summoned by the court later under provisions of section 319 of the Criminal Procedure Code when the evidence of their complicity in the killings emerged during the trial.The court convicted the seven after examining 10 prosecution witnesses and six in their defence.

As per official figures, given by prosecution counsel Sharma, over 6,000 cases were lodged following the 2013 riots and 1,480 accused were arrested for their alleged roles in the riots.A special investigation team, which probed the cases, had filed chargesheets in 175 cases.Fifty-six of them involving 430 accused resulted in acquittal. The state government has withdrawn some cases.

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New Delhi:

Siddaramaiah, the former Karnataka Chief Minister, today said that he will petition before the Assembly Speaker to suspend the four dissenting Congress MLAs. This statement shows that the infighting in the Congress has not been resolved. Earlier, on January 18, the Karnataka Congress had issued notice to the dissenting lawmakers. The leaders who didnt attend the Congress meet are - Ramesh Jarkiholi - who was dropped as a minister in the recent Cabinet rejig, B Nagendra, Umesh Jadhav and Mahesh Kumatahalli.

Earlier, Siddaramaiah had alleged that the BJP was offering Rs 50 crore each to Congress MLAs as part of its bid to topple the JDS-Congress government in Karnataka, but asserted none of them would fall for it.

"They (BJP) are under some illusion of power. They are offering Rs 50 crore (to Congress MLAs). They huddled their 104 MLAs in a seven-star hotel in Haryana for a week, Siddaramaiah had said.

At the height of political turmoil early last month after two MLAs withdrew support to the government and some Congress MLAs went incommunicado, Siddaramaiah had made a similar charge alleging that the BJP was trying to buy Congress MLAs by offering Rs 25-30 crore.

The lawmakers who have withdrawn their support are H Nagesh (Independent) and R Shankar (Karnataka Pragnyavanta Janata Paksha). The development comes amid reports of some Congress MLAs go missing.

In the 224-member Karnataka Assembly, the BJP has 104 members, Congress 80 (including Assembly Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar), Kumaraswamys JD (S) has 37, BSP, KPJP and Independent one each. BSP is supporting the coalition government.

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New Delhi:

The Valentines week has started and the lovebirds are not relinquishing a single minute to make this week special for their partners. The Valentines Week, which began with Rose Day on February 7, followed by Propose Day, Chocolate Day, Teddy Day, Promise Day, Hug Day and Kiss Day will finally end on February 14, Valentines Day. The gift shops are all decked up as each shop is flooded with roses, chocolates, teddies etc. While people gift roses on Rose Day and chocolates on Chocolate Day to express their love to their special someone, then gifting Teddy on this day will convey the message on companionship to your partner.

According to Times Now, in 2017, a 68-year-old woman set a Guinness record for collecting the largest number of teddy bears, 8.026. "I never had a teddy bear as a child - did not even know what one was until I was eight years old and saw one at the Minnesota State Fair," she earlier said.

Given the market is full with a variety of teddy bears that come in different colours and shapes, in case you were wondering how to pick the perfect and best teddy for your partner, then this article is a must read for you.

Orange Teddy





Orange indicates happiness, joy, sunshine, fascination as well as passion.

White Teddy





White Teddy generally means its time to move on and the other person is already booked.

Brown Teddy





Brown Teddy mean Khatre ki Ghanti. By any chance, if your lover gifts you a brown colour teddy bear, it means that you have broken his/her heart.

Blue Teddy





The blue teddy symbolises depth. It means you are serious about your special one.

Pink Teddy





Receiving a pink teddy from your crush means that the person also likes and adores you.

Red Teddy





The Red Teddy describes the emotional intensity between two people. So, if you want to express love, this is the colour for you.

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New Delhi:

As the CBSE Class 10 board exam 2019 is approaching, students geared up their preparations by revising the entire syllabus and highlighting the important questions for the crucial board examination. CBSE Class 10 board exam 2019, which will be held from February 21 to March 29, is not less than a battle for the students. So, here we are trying to lessen the exam-pressure by providing the sample paper 2019.Also, there are certain basic information that help students to deal with the exam in more sufficiently and productive way. Students must know the structure of board question paper and format of the questions along with marks allocation. After having understanding of marks associated with objective, short-term and long-term questions, wards can make their strategy as per their grip over the type of questions.

Here, we bring CBSE sample papers that will play a vital role in the exam preparation. By solving the sample papers, student can get an idea about how prepared he/she is; and they can bring in changes in their study for the board exam.Since the design or the format of a board question paper, generally, is not changed, below given sample paper will give the students the preview of the final paper.

FORMAT OF THE SAMPLE PAPER

There are five sections of questions A, B, C, D and E Question numbers 1 and 2 in Section-A are one mark question.They are generally objective questions which should be answered in one word or in one sentence.

Question numbers 3 to 5 in Section- B are two marks questions. These are short term questions which should be answered in about 30 words each.

Question numbers 6 to 15 in Section-C are three marks questions which are to be answered in about 50 words each.

Question numbers 16 to 21 in Section-D are 5 marks questions, which are to be answered in 70 words each.

Question numbers 22 to 27 in Section- E are based on practical skills, each question is a two marks question, should be answered in brief.Internal choice is given in sections B, C, D and E.Total time allowed: 3 Hours

Maximum Marks: 80

CBSE Class 10 Science sample paper 2019:

Q. Name a common nutrient that is absorbed in the small intestine and reabsorbed by the kidney tubules.

Q. The presence of a particular group of bacteria in water bodies indicates contamination. Identify the group.



Q. How is Magnesium Chloride formed by the transfer of electrons? Why does the solution of Magnesium chloride conduct electricity?

Q. For the same angle of incidence in media A,B and C, the angles of refraction are 20o, 30o and 40o respectively. In which medium will the velocity of light be maximum? Give reason in support of your answer.

Q. The electronic configuration of an element X is 2, 8, 6. To which group and period of the modern periodic table does X belong? State it valency and justify your answer in each case.

Q. The figure below shows three cylindrical copper conductors along with their face areas and lengths. Compare the resistance and the resistivity of the three conductors. Justify your answer.



Q. The flow of energy between various components of the environment has been extensively studied. Give an outline of the findings.

Q. (a) How will you show experimentally that metals are good conductors of heat.(b) Describe the extraction of Mercury metal from its ore Cinnabar (HgS).

Q. A compound A (C2H4O2) reacts with Na metal to form a compound B and evolves a gas which burns with a pop sound. Compound A on treatment with an alcohol C in presence of an acid forms a Sweet smelling compound D(C4H8O2). On addition of NaOH to D gives back B and C. Identify A, B, C and D write the reactions involved.



Q. (a)What is meant by the term power of accommodation? Name the component of eye that is responsible for the power of accommodation.(b) A student sitting at the back bench in a class has difficulty in reading. What could be his defect of vision? Draw ray diagrams to illustrate the image formation of the blackboard when he is seated at the (i) back seat (ii) front seat. State two possible causes of this defect. Explain the method of correcting this defect with the help of a ray diagram.
New Delhi:

Christian Michel, arrested in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper case, on Friday moved a Delhi court seeking bail in cases by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED), saying the chargesheet against him was not filed within the stipulated time frame of 60 days.

Special Judge Arvind Kumar has fixed February 12 as the next date of hearing and has asked the agencies to reply by then. The bail application said that the probe is complete.

"Since, the chargesheet was not filed against him within the stipulated 60-day period under section 167(2) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). Probe is complete. I'm in custody since December 22, 2018," Michel said in the petition.

Michel, extradited from Dubai, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on December 22 last year.

On January 5, Michel was sent to judicial custody in the ED case. He is also lodged in judicial custody in the CBI case related to the scam.

Michel is among the three alleged middlemen being probed in the case by the ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The others are Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa.

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New Delhi:

An Indian Army Major, identified as Nisheet Dogra, has lost his life in a snow blizzard in North Sikkim while he was going for deployment in a tank regiment on Saturday. According to sources, Nisheet Dogra, who was commanding an independent tank squadron, was hit by an avalanche on Tibetan plateau, North Sikkim. He has gone missing after a heavy snowfall. His body was found dead under five-six under the snow.A

Army officer Major Nisheet Dogra lost his life in a snow blizzard in North Sikkim while going for deployment in a tank regiment yesterday.

According to the Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority, the state receives heavy snowfall in the higher altitude regions, all throughout the year, especially during the winter months from January to March. The snow line ranges from 20,000 feet in the north to 16,000 feet in the south and the region has reported frequent avalanche incidents. Most of the times the victims have been army personals patrolling the high posts, mountain climbers and tourists. Many of these regions are remote and lack proper communication channels which further aggravate the situation.

The incident came as the Jammu and Kashmir government announced ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh each to the kin of the 13 people, who lost their lives in the recent incidents of avalanche and shooting stones.A Governor Satya Pal Malik expressed his condolences to the family of the deceased. Eight people, including six police and fire, emergency personnel, were killed and three policemen were injured when an avalanche struck the north portal of Jawahar Tunnel in Qazigund area of Kulgam district on Thursday.

In another incident on the same day, a couple died when an avalanche struck their home at Sund Brari in Kokernag area of Anantnag district. In a similar incident, a youth was killed at Chairhaar in Baramulla district on Friday. In an incident of shooting of stones and landslide, two persons died and two others were injured in Ramban district along the Jammu-Srinagar national highway on Friday.A

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Itanagar :

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today inaugurated several projects and laid the foundation of many vital schemes in Arunachal Pradesh his visit to the north-eastern state. PM Modi also laid the foundation stone of a green field Airport at Hollongi near here, they said. The ambitious airport project in the state has been pending for several years due to controversies over site selection. Arunachal Pradesh is the only state in the country without a full-fledged airport. Initially, Karsingsa was selected as the site for the airport but owing to technicalities, the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) had asked the state government to find some other site.

11:23 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In To benefit the farmers of the country, the BJP government proposed 'PM kisan samman nidhi' scheme in this years interim Budget. This scheme will benefit the farmers of the state. We are also working towards boosting organic farming in the state," PM Modi

11:21 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In We are emphasizing on power generation. Today 12 hydro electric projects of 110 MW were inaugurated which will not only help Arunachal Pradesh but also adjoining states : PM Modi

11:21 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In In the last two years, around 1000 villages have been connected through roads. The work of Trans Arunachal highway is also under progress. In an effort to connect all the capitals of North East states, Itanagar has also been connected with the Railways: PM Modi

11:21 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In We have launched Arunachals first dedicated TV channel, DD Arunprabha. It will give employment opportunities for the youth. The channel will give a boost to culture and custom of the state: PM Modi

11:19 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In The 50 health centers that were inaugurated today will provide health facility to residents of faraway places: PM

11:17 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In After connecting Itanagar to rail and road network, we are now connecting it with airways: PM

11:15 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In I would like to congratulate the state and the CM that every household here now has an electricity connection under 'Saubhagya' scheme. What Arunachal Pradesh achieved today will soon be achieved by the entire nation: PM Modi

11:14 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In "We are trying that through UDAAN scheme, the people of the state can avail cheap flight services, PM Modi in Itanagar

11:13 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Working on the lines of Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas, the BJP tried to develop the state: PM Modi

11:12 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Tezu airport was built over 50 years but no govt envisioned to connect people of this state with other parts of the country. We expanded the airport by spending around Rs 125 crore : PM

11:11 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In The country can progress only when Northeast will progress, said PM Modi.

11:09 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In PM also laid foundation stone for greenfield Hollongi Airport and permanent campus of FTII in Jote, Itanagar.

11:09 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In PM Modi today inaugurated DD Arun Prabha Channel, upgraded Tezu airport, 110 MW Pare hydroelectric project, 50 health & wellness centres in Itanagar.

11:08 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Our govt allocated Rs 44,000 crore fund to Arunachal Pradesh which is double the amount provided by the previous govt : PM Modi

11:06 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Previous governments neglected this state for decades but we are here to change this. New India can only be built if North East can be developed well: PM Modi

11:05 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In "These gifts of Arunachal wasnt used by the previous government. They neglected Arunachal, alleged PM Modi.

11:05 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Arunachal has the gift of good water resources. It has the capability to generate electricity," says PM Modi.

11:01 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In "We are working on projects worth over Rs 13 crore for Arunachal. These will improve transportation, health care and benefit the state, said PM Modi.

11:01 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In In the last 55 months, NDA government and Pema Khandu government in Arunachal are taking every necessary step to make this state strong: PM Modi
New Delhi:

Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) president Prem Singh Tamang has asserted that his party will "sweep" the upcoming state assembly elections, as people are fed up of the "corrupt" Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) government in the state. Addressing the seventh foundation day function of the SKM at Rangpo last week, Tamang said, "We will sweep the upcoming assembly polls in Sikkim, as the people have become tired of a corrupt government being led by Chief Minister Chamling for more than two decades".

Tamang, popularly known as PS Golay, also hit out at Chamling, his one-time mentor, for "dividing" the society on caste and communal grounds for "vote bank" politics. The SKM chief had to bear with the ignominy of being disqualified from the membership of the Sikkim legislative assembly in 2016, following his conviction for a year in a corruption case.

"I had to serve a year in imprisonment for a crime which I did not commit," he said, referring to the conviction in a cattle distribution scam during his stint as a minister in the Chamling government.

Earlier in the month, Golay also announced his decision to contest the Sikkim Assembly Polls following clarity on the legal position under the Peoples Representation Act, 1951. He was disqualified as a member of assembly post his conviction to a year's imprisonment in a corruption case. However, the constituency, where Golay is going to contest from, is yet to be decided.

The ruling SDF and Golay have been at loggerheads, ever since he was denied a ministerial berth by Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling following the SDFs victory in 2009 assembly polls. Four years later, the four-term MLA had floated the SKM which went on to win 10 seats in 2014 assembly polls.

However, seven of those 10 SKM MLAs subsequently defected to the SDF after Golay himself was found guilty in a corruption case. He was released from jail after serving out the sentence in August last year.

Assembly elections are due to be held in Sikkim in April - May 2019 to elect the 32 members of Legislative Assembly. The term of Sikkim Legislative Assembly is scheduled to end on May 27, 2019.

(With inputs from agencies)
New Delhi:

The Kolkata police on Friday conducted raids on two properties allegedly belonging toA M Nageswara Rao,A former interim CBI director, in West Bengal. The police carried out searches at a place in Kolkata which reportedly has links with Nageswara Rao. The police officials also searched Rao's wife's company Angelina Mercantile Pvt Ltd at Salt Lake, according to news agency ANI.A A team of around 30 police officers raided the two offices, allegedly linked to Rao's wife Mannem Sandhya, he said.A "There have been a series of transactions between the company and Mannem Sandhya. We are looking into the matter," the police officer said.A

However, Rao, issued a press statement, refuting any link with Angela Mercantile Pvt Ltd which is being raided by the Kolkata Police. In a statement, Rao, who is currently the additional director of CBI, said: "I deny the linkage of this firm with my family members as reported by some media outlets today."A

"In light of certain reporting appearing in some media outlets, including some TV channels today linking my family members with a company on which Kolkata Police has carried out raids, I want to state that I had already clarified regarding this issue through a signed press statement on 30th October, 2018.A "Further, complete details of all property of my family and mine have already been submitted in my annual property return submitted to the government which are available on Ministry of Home Affairs' website," the statement said.A According to a Kolkata Police source, the owner of the company might be called for questioning on Saturday.A

Former interim CBI chief M Nageshwar Rao issues a press statement, refuting any link with M/s Angela Mercantile Pvt Ltd which is being raided by Kolkata Police today. pic.twitter.com/g9RfW3Yl4c a ANI (@ANI) February 8, 2019

The raids were conducted a day before the CBI is scheduled to question Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar in Shillong in connection with Saradha scam, officials said, in the backdrop of Sunday's dramatic raid on Kumar's residence by the agency that triggered a slugfest between the Centre and the state government.

The agency has also called former Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Kunal Ghosh to Shillong on February 10. The CBI wants to question Kumar, a 1989-batch IPS officer, as he was heading the SIT formed by West Bengal government to probe Saradha and other ponzi scheme cases, they said. The CBI is relying on a 91-page letter from Ghosh, who was expelled by TMC, to the Enforcement Directorate, detailing the role of Kumar in handling the ponzi scam probe after the main accused Sudipta Sen and Debjani Mukherjee, both promoters of Saradha group of companies, had fled to Kashmir, officials said in Kolkata.A

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New Delhi:

Congress general secretary KC Venugopal on Saturday accused Bharatiya Janata Partyas BS Yeddyurappa of attempting to destabilise the ruling Congress-JDS coalition by offering 12 MLAs ministerial post and post of chairman in different boards. aIt (audio clips) states that BS Yeddyurappa is offering Rs 10 crore per MLA and in his deliberation, it's clear there are 18 MLAs. Therefore, it comes at the rate of around Rs 200 crore. He's offering 12 MLAs minister post, 6 were offered chairman posts in different boards,a Venugopal said.

aHe is also offering election expenses to MLAs after they resign. They offered Rs 50 crore to the speaker for not disqualifying his MLAs. Clippings are referring to the names of Amit Shah & Narendra Modi ji for managing here & there through Yeddyurappa himself,a he added.

KC Venugopal: It (audio clips) states that BS Yeddyurappa is offering Rs 10 Cr per MLA & in his deliberation, it's clear there are 18 MLAs. Therefore it comes at the rate of around Rs 200 Cr. He's offering 12 MLAs minister post, 6 were offered chairman posts in different boards. pic.twitter.com/k837nsPOy8 a ANI (@ANI) February 9, 2019

Reacting to the development, Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala slammed the BJP saying its matter of national shame that the trio of a Amit Shah, PM Modi, and Yeddyurappa a is trying to destabilise a government.

aIn what capacity is BJP Karnataka President and former CM discussing approaching SC judges to get the case right? Have Narendra Modi & Amit Shah given them such assurances? Has the SC become a 'jebi dukaan' of BJP?a he added.

Randeep Surjewala on audio clips released by Karnataka CM y'day: In what capacity is BJP Karnataka President & former CM discussing approaching SC judges to get the case right? Have Narendra Modi & Amit Shah given them such assurances? Has the SC become a 'jebi dukaan' of BJP? pic.twitter.com/rZRNIFVRVj a ANI (@ANI) February 9, 2019

Earlier on Friday, Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy released audio clips of the alleged conversation of Yeddyurappa luring Janata Dal (Secular) MLAs. "Without the knowledge of the prime minister, is it possible to do all this," Kumaraswamy said, as he lashed out at PM Modi and asked him to come clean on the issue. aModi and Amit Shah are doing all this," he added.

Kumaraswamy said he would send the audio clips to the prime minister who, he said, claims about being "the only saviour of this countrya.

Kumaraswamy alleged there were two audio clips which had recorded the telephonic conversation between Yeddyurappa and Sharan Gouda, son of JDS lawmaker Naganagouda, whom the BJP leader was trying to woo with money and other offers.

10:10 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Karnataka CM released audio clippings of deliberation of Yeddyurappa with one of the brother of JD(S) MLA revealing dirty politics of Modi ji & Amit Shah to destabilise the Karnataka govt, says Venugopal.

10:10 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Entire country is shocked by hearing the news from Karnataka yesterday, says Venugopal.

10:02 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Congress General Secretary K C Venugopal alleges the BJP of trying to destabilise Karnataka government.

09:51 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In According to reports, Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala will address media on Rafale deal.

09:51 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Congress president Rahul Gandhi was scheduled to address the media on Rafale but latest reports suggest that he will not be present at the briefing.

09:48 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In "Was @manoharparrikar s noting a lie? Read Para 4 ing together. If PMO&French Press office were only MONT.NEGS. how come in final deal sovereign bank guarantee became comfort letter&IMP court for ARBT. AWARD did not remain specifically Indian. Exactly what PMO promised French? (sic)," tweets Congress leader Manish Tewari.



Was @manoharparrikar s noting a lie? Read Para 4 ing together.If PMO&French Press office were only MONT.NEGS. how come in final deal sovereign bank guarantee became comfort letter&IMP court for ARBT. AWARD did not remain specifically Indian. Exactly whatPMO promised French? pic.twitter.com/bWw4r5Fe2K

 Manish Tewari (@ManishTewari) February 9, 2019



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New Delhi:

Former defence minister Manohar Parrikar had in a note termed his own ministryas apprehension to the Prime Ministeras Office intervening in the Rafale deal with France as an aover-reaction.a The Modi government was on Friday rocked by a 2015 Defence Ministry note cited in a media report expressing strong objections to the "parallel" negotiations by the PMO in the controversial Rafale jet deal and came under fresh attack from Congress chief Rahul Gandhi.A In the note, tweeted by news agency ANI, Parrikar recorded: aIt appears the PMO and the French Presidentas office are monitoring the progress of the issue which was an outcome of the summit meeting (between Modi and French President Francois Hollande in April 2015). Para 5 appears to be an aover reactiona.a

ANI accesses the then Defence Minister Manohar Parrikaras reply to MoD dissent note on #Rafale negotiations. "Defence Secretary (G Mohan) may resolve the matter in consultation with Principal Secretary to PM" pic.twitter.com/yXGQJNiDvB a ANI (@ANI) February 8, 2019

Stepping up his offensive on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Gandhi demanded answers to questions raised in the media report, saying it is now acrystal cleara that the "watchman" is the "thief", an apparent reference to Modi's alleged cronyism in the Rafale deal.

Gandhi's offensive drew a counter-attack from Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman who dismissed the report in The Hindu newspaper on the internal note in the Ministry of Defence(MoD) dated November 24, 2015 as "flogging a dead horse" and alleged that the opposition was playing into the hands of multinational companies and vested interests.

As the MoD note led to a ruckus in the Lok Sabha and sparked a fresh confrontation between opposition parties led by the Congress and the Centre, Sitharaman also maintained that "periodical enquiries" by the Prime Minister's Office(PMO) cannot be construed as interference."

Sitharaman, who also spoke to reporters, criticised the news report for raising issues "selectively" and ignoring the then defence minister Manohar Parrikar's reply to file notings of officials.

She said Parrikar had made a note asking officials to remain "calm" as everything was "alright".

Gandhi declared at a news conference that the Rafale deal was an "open and shut" case, citing the report claiming the defence ministry raised strong objections to "parallel discussions" conducted by the PMO during the negotiations over the Rs 59,000 crore Rafale fighter jet deal between India and France.

Gandhi also brought in his brother-in-law Robert Vadra and senior Congress leader P Chidambaram to make his point in the escalating Rafale row with the BJP terming his allegations another "lie from his lie manufacturing factory". Former defence minister AK Antony said it was "shocking" that the PMO was conducting parallel negotiations.

"Whatever inquiry you want to do, you do it. You implement the law. Robert Vadra, P Chidambaram - you implement the law on everyone. No problem. But you also give answers on the Rafale matter," he said using the report for a fresh offensive on Modi over the Rafale deal. Both Chidambaram and Vadra are facing probes by the Enforcement Directorate(ED) in separate cases.

"We have been saying for more than a year that the prime minister is directly involved in the Rafale scam. Now, today, in 'The Hindu' newspaper, it is black and white... that the prime minister himself was carrying out a parallel negotiation with the French," Gandhi said.

"It has been proven now that the watchman (chowkidar) is the thief (chor). What can be more clear than this?" he asked, reiterating epithets he has used several times earlier.

Holding up the documents quoted in the newspaper, he said the then Defence Secretary G Mohan Kumar clearly objected to the interference by the PMO as it "undermined out negotiating position seriously" going by the official notation in his own hand.

Gandhi also read out from the defence ministry note, published in the newspaper. "Now, it is crystal clear that the ministry itself has said, and I will read it to you, 'It is therefore clear that the parallel discussions by the PMO has weakened the negotiation of the MOD and the Indian negotiating team. We may advise PMO that any officers who are not part of the negotiation team may refrain from having parallel parleys with the officer of the French government'," Gandhi said.

Gandhi also alleged that the Centre has lied to the Supreme Court.

"If Supreme Court had this paperwork, do you think that the Supreme Court would have given the judgment that they give? This was withheld from the Supreme Court. Of course. So that entire judgement is also in question."

The apex court in December dismissed the pleas challenging the deal between India and France for procurement of 36 Rafale jets, saying there was no occasion to "really doubt the decision-making process" warranting setting aside of the contract.

Addressing a `Kisan Aabhar Sammelan' (thanksgiving rally) in Bhopal Gandhi cited the media report and alleged that the PMO was directly involved in conducting parleys with the French side and this had weakened the MoD negotiations on the same deal.

Air Marshal SBP Sinha (retd), who was leading the Indian negotiating team for the Rafale deal, rejected the charge that the PMO was holding parallel negotiations, a view endorsed by Mohan Kumar during whose tenure the Rafale deal was signed. The comments of Sinha and Kumar were sought by PTI after the controversy over the MoD note broke out.

(With PTI inputs)

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New Delhi:

Basant Panchami or as some say Vasant Panchami is being celebrated on the fifth day (Panchami Tithi) of the bright fortnight (Shukla Paksha) of the Hindu month Maagha. Basant means spring while Panchami means "the fifth day". The auspicious day, which marks the beginning of the spring season (Vasant Ritu), is also celebrated as Saraswati Pujo in North Indian states, especially in Bengal. Devotees worship their beloved deity Saraswati to gain success in the arena of education, music and art. This year Basant Panchami will be celebrated on Sunday, February 10, 2019.

Vasant Panchami is also known as Shri Panchami and Saraswati Panchami. Although there is no particular time to perform the Puja on Vasant Panchami day, one should make sure that Puja is done when Panchami Tithi is prevailing. Experts suggest that the Saraswati Puja should be performed during Purvahna Kala - the time between the sunrise and the midday.

Puja Muhurata:

According to drikpanchang.com, Vasant Panchami Puja Muhurta will last 15 minutes from 12:26 pm to 12:41 pm. The Panchami Tithi Begins at 12:25 on February 9 and will end at 2:08 pm on February 10.

Saraswati Ya Kundendu is the most famous Stuti dedicated to Goddess Saraswati and part of the famous Saraswati Stotram. It is recited during Saraswati Puja on the eve of Vasant Panchami.

Significance:

It is considered auspicious if children worship Maa Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge, music, arts, wisdom and learning. People feed Brahmans on this occasion and also perform Pitra-Tarpan, the traditional ancestral worship. Basant Panchami is the day when children are taught their first words, making it an auspicious occasion which marks the beginning of their learning process.

Different ways to celebrate Basant Panchami or Saraswati Puja all over India:

The festival is mostly celebrated in educational institutes across the country and girls drape themselves in yellow sarees while boys wear ethnic attires in yellow. Schools and colleges also organise various cultural programmes to mark the day.

Moreover, people from different cultures celebrate Saraswati Puja in different ways across the country. While in West Bengal this day is kindred with the emotions of love and emotional anticipation, devotees in Punjab enjoy the day by flying kites on their rooftops. Rajasthanis wear jasmine garlands on the occasion of Saraswati Puja.

In Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh, people seek blessings from Shiva and Parvati. They also offer mango flowers and wheat during the puja. Devotees will also observe the third "shaahi snaan" of the ongoing Kumbh on Basant Panchami during which they are expected to take a holy dip in the River Ganga, Yamuna or Saraswati.

Food:

Like all other Indian festivals, food is an important part of Saraswati Puja. People love to indulge in special food and prepare festive yellow dishes like sweet saffron rice, kesari sheera, boondi ke ladoo, rajbhog, khichdi and many others.

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United Nations (US):

The United States has shared with its UN Security Council allies a draft resolution calling for international aid to be delivered in Venezuela and for a presidential vote to take place. While no date has yet been set for a vote on the American draft, and negotiations are ongoing, Russia is likely to use its veto power to block it as part of its support of Nicolas Maduros regime, diplomats said.

The text, a copy of which was obtained by AFP on Saturday, expresses full support for the National Assembly as the only democratically elected institution in Venezuela. The legislative bodys chairman, Juan Guaido, has declared himself interim president of Venezuela, challenging Maduros rule.

The draft resolution stresses deep concern with the violence and excessive use of force by Venezuelan security forces against unarmed, peaceful protesters.

It also calls for the immediate start of a political process leading to free, fair and credible presidential elections, with international electoral observation, in line with Venezuelas constitution.

The text also requests that UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres utilize his good offices to obtain such elections.

It also stresses the need to prevent further deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Venezuela and to facilitate access and delivery of assistance to all in need in the entirety of the territory of Venezuela.

On Friday, Moscow proposed an alternative text to the American one, diplomats said.

Humanitarian aid sent by the United States recently arrived in the Colombian city of Cucuta at the border with Venezuela, but Maduro has refused to let in the shipments.

Guaido said Friday he was ready to take any necessary measures, including authorizing a US military intervention, to force Maduro from power and alleviate the humanitarian crisis.

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Srinagar:

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday praised Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan for taking steps to name a forest reserve after Guru Nanak Dev but hit out at the Centre saying its "top priority" seems to be renaming ancient cities and building Ram temple in Ayodhya.

Taking to Twitter, Mufti wrote, "How times change. Centre's top priority is seemingly renaming historic cities and building Ram Mandir. On the other hand, heartening to see that Pak PM has initiated steps to name Baloki forest reserve after Guru Nanak Ji and create a university under his name".

How times change. Centreas top priority is seemingly renaming historic cities & building Ram Mandir. On the other hand , heartening to see that Pak PM has initiated steps to name Baloki forest reserve after Guru Nanak ji & create a university under his name. https://t.co/2LWuZ0j1MT a Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) February 10, 2019

Mufti statement came moments after PTI leader Imran Khan announced his decision to name the wildlife reserve after Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of Sikhism.

"The Baloki Forest Reserve and a new University in Nankana Sahib will be established and named after Baba Guru Nanak. Pakistan belongs to all citizens equally and we will ensure that Sikh pilgrims are facilitated for the 550th anniversary of Guru Nanak," Khan said at a function.

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Washington:

US budget talks have hit another impasse over immigration, a key Republican negotiator said Sunday, raising the prospect of a second government shutdown if no agreement is reached by this weeks deadline. I think the talks are stalled right now, Richard Shelby, the chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said on Fox News Sunday. The deadline for an agreement on funding to keep the government open is Friday, raising the specter of a repeat of the 35-day partial shutdown that ended January 25 -- the longest in US history.

Negotiators had been optimistic Friday an agreement would be reached that includes some funds for a border barrier, although less than the $5.6 billion US President Donald Trump has demanded.

Shelby blamed Democrats for the latest snag, saying they wanted to cap the number of beds at immigration detention centers.

Time is ticking away but we got some problems with the Democrats dealing with ICE, he said, referring to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Trump himself, who Monday hosts a rally of supporters on the Texas border at El Paso, said Democratic negotiators were being hamstrung by their party leadership.

They are offering very little money for the desperately needed Border Wall & now, out of the blue, want a cap on convicted violent felons to be held in detention!, he tweeted.

He went on to suggest Democrats were ready to let talks collapse to distract from unfavorable headlines including a racism scandal engulfing the party leadership in Virginia.

I actually believe they want a Shutdown. They want a new subject!, Trump said.

Senator Jon Tester, a Democrat, expressed cautious optimism that a government shutdown would be averted.

We need to keep our eyes on this but Im very hopeful, not positive, but very hopeful we can come to an agreement, he said.

White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, meanwhile, said a government shutdown is still technically on the table.

Theres going to be a lot of different moving pieces so Im not in a position to say the president will absolutely sign or will not sign, he said.

Trump cannot sign everything they put in front of him if there will be some things that simply we couldnt agree to, he said.

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Guwahati:

All Assam Students Union (AASU) members shouted slogans against the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Bill and waved black flags at Prime Minister Narendra Modi who arrived in the state on Friday evening on a two-day visit to the Northeast. The prime minister witnessed the protests when he travelled to the Raj Bhavan here, where he will spend the night, from Lokopriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport.

A large number of AASU members were seen waving black flags to the prime minister and shouting slogans as his convoy crossed the gates of the Gauhati University at around 6.30 pm and a few minutes later as he crossed the premises of the AASU headquarters on M G Road.

Slogans like 'Modi go back', 'Scrap Citizenship Amendment Bill', 'Joi Aai Asom (Glory to Mother Assam)' was heard. A large group of BJP supporters and ministers Sidhartha Bhattacharya (Education) and Pijush Hazarika (Health) were seen standing near the AASU protesters, waving placards and shouting slogans welcoming the prime minister.

The demonstrators were restricted as the gates to the AASU office was locked by the police, the students union's chief advisor Sammujal Bhattacharya claimed. "The government with its machinery can show its power and strength...No matter how much the government tries to quell the protests, the agitation against the Citizenship Amendment Bill will continue. The government has proven that it is a protector of the Bangladeshi infiltrators and is against the indigenous people of Assam," he said.

Modi arrived at the Guwahati airport from Jalpaiguri in West Bengal in a special Indian Air Force plane and was received by Governor Jagdish Mukhi, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and senior government officials. "The pain of the indigenous people will be seen across Assam tomorrow...Effigies of the prime minister will be burnt in every corner of the state," said AASU president Dipanka Nath.

Peasant organisation Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) too showed black flag to the prime minister at Adabari and Fancy Bazar areas of the city which fell on his route. KMSS chief Akhil Gogoi said on Friday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would be shown black flags by 70 organisations protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Bill on Saturday.

"Modi has come here to seek votes from the people of Assam. The bill has been brought in to give citizenship to Hindu Bengalis from Bangladesh and get their votes in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls," he alleged.

"We demand the prime minister announces tomorrow that the money taken by BJP leaders Mukul Roy (West Bengal) and Himanta Boswa Sarma in the Saradha ponzi scam be returned to the people," he added.

This is Modi's third visit to Assam since December 25, 2018 when he inaugurated the Bogibeel bridge. In his second visit on January 4 this year, the prime minister had told a rally in Silchar that the Citizenship Bill would be passed by Parliament soon, triggering widespread protests in the state.

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highlights Mukul Roy was booked in connection with the killing of TMC MLA.

Satyajit Biswas was shot dead in West Bengal's Nadia district.

BJP leader Dilip Ghosh termed allegations against Mukul Roy 'baseless'.

New Delhi:

BJP leader Mukul Roy was among the four people booked on Sunday in connection with the killing of Trinamool Congress MLA Satyajit Biswas in West Bengal's Nadia district, a senior police officer said. Of the four people named in the FIR, two have been arrested, an officer of the West Bengal Police told PTI.

Biswas (41), who represented Krishnaganj constituency in the state assembly, was shot from point-blank range by unidentified gunmen on Saturday evening inside a Saraswati puja marquee at Phoolbari area in the district bordering Bangladesh.

He was immediately taken to a local hospital where doctors announced him "brought dead". "So far, we have arrested two persons in this case and detained another three. A country-made revolver used to shoot the MLA has also been recovered.

"As per our primary findings, it seems that the victim was fired from behind and the act was the result of a well-planned plot," the officer said. Asked about the chances of the assailants fleeing the area, the police officer said the state police have been put on a high alert.

"Nadia shares border with Bangladesh and there could be a possibility of them (assailants) trying to escape to the neighbouring country. Police have been put on high alert to check the movements along the border," he said.

Roy, a former TMC member of Parliament, joined the BJP last year after his relations soured with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Claiming that the attack was a conspiracy by the BJP, TMC secretary-general Partha Chatterjee said Saturday that those involved in the killing will be punished after a full-fledged inquiry.

He also said the saffron party was trying to create disturbances ahead of the Lok Sabha polls and resorted to "politics of murder" by singling out leaders having mass bases. The allegations were termed "baseless" by Roy and BJP state president Dilip Ghosh.

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New Delhi:

Five criminals of Neeraj Bawana gang were taken into custody after a brief shootout in Delhis Rohini area during early morning hours on Monday. According to the news agency ANI, a team of Special Cell of Delhi Police had undertaken the operation after a specific tip-off about the criminals. The shootout happened near Swarn Jayanti Park in Rohini. Three of the five arrested were injured in cross-firing. The police said that five weapons have been seized from their possession. The Neeraj Bawana gang members were wanted in two murder cases.

Last year, the Delhi Police had arrested three suspected members of the same gang in August. The accused were identified as Vaashu Sharma alias Bunti (30), Sarjeev alias Sanju (24) and Yogesh (27), who were arrested from near Sector 14, Dwarka Metro Station, on August 26, the police said. Two automatic pistols along with four live cartridges and a country-made pistol along with two live cartridges were recovered from their possession, they said.

In 2015, Bunti along with his associates had killed rival gangster of Rajesh Bawania gang Anil Gujjar and Ishwar alias CP, police said. On June 7, he came out on parole in the above case for 10 days from the Tihar jail, but he absconded and was planning a "big loot" to arrange money for marriage of his sister, they added.

In the same month, another member of the Neeraj Bawana gang was arrested after an encounter, which took place near the Millennium depot in southeast Delhi's Sarai Kale Khan area at around 5:15 am. The accused, Saddam Hussain, was previously involved in seven crime cases and was wanted in a firing incident that occurred Kotla Mubarakpur, the Delhi Police officer officer said. Police had received information that Hussain would come near the Millennium depot on a motorcycle. Subsequently, a trap was laid to arrest him. He suffered bullet injuries in the exchange of fire and was taken to a hospital, the officer said.

(With agency inputs)
New Delhi:

As many as 16 persons have died after consuming spurious liquor in the Balupur village of Haridwar district. Ten of them died in Haridwar district while six lost their lives in the neighbouring Saharanpur district of Uttar Pradesh. About four persons are said to be in a serious condition and several others are admitted to the hospital. Ashok Kumar, director general (DG) law and order told TOI, People from three to four villages on the border of Haridwar and Saharanpur gathered on Thursday for a terahvi (ceremony conducted to mark the final day of mourning after a death). It seems they had country-made liquor after the ceremony, which led to their death.

The police are yet to ascertain the exact cause of the deaths and awaiting post-mortem examination reports. It is said that the men were returning to their respective villages in Haridwar and Saharanpur after the function.

The administration has announced Rs 2 lakh relief for the kin of the victims. An inquiry has also been ordered. Several cases have been also been reported from Roorkee. The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has also sought a report on the matter from the district administration.

Kushinagar hooch tragedy

On Thursday, the death count in the spurious hooch case in Uttar Pradesh's Kushinagar district rose to 10, prompting authorities to take action against nine officials. The authorities have suspended the excise inspector, two head constables and two constables of the department. Besides, SP Kushinagar has sent four cops including SHO Tarya Sujan police station to the police line.

Ramvriksha, 32, Bedupar village under Tarya Sujan police station died on Wednesday around 12.30 in the night and Ramnath, 45, of the same village died Thursday morning.

On Tuesday night Chanchal Chauhan, 45, died after consuming the intoxicant, while Deba Nishad (55), Heera Lal Nishad (33) and Awadh Kishore Nishad had died immediately after consuming the drink on Monday.

"In the post-mortem report, the cause behind the death of two people was not clear so the viscera sample has been sent to Varanasi for a chemical test to ascertain the cause of death. The post-mortem report of other bodies is awaited. SHO Tarya Sujan, Vinay Pathak along with inspector and two constables of the area have been called at police lines, SP Kushinagar Rajiv Narayan Mishra said.

(With PTI inputs)

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New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today greeted former Prime Minister and senior Congress leader Manmohan Singh on his birthday. At the same time, he has wished him better health and a long life. Today, Manmohan Singh, a Rajya Sabha member and one of the top Congress leaders, has turned 89. In a tweet, the Prime Minister wrote, "Birthday wishes to former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. I wish him better health and a long life. ''

Birthday greetings to our former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh Ji. I pray for his long life and wonderful health.  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 26, 2021

You must be aware that Singh, a well-known economist who was known as the pioneer of radical economic reforms in the 1990s, was the Prime Minister of the country for 10 years. Former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh was the first Sikh to hold the top post in the country. On his birthday today, his party, The Congress, dedicated several posts on Twitter to the Rajya Sabha MP to congratulate the famous economist. You can see, he tweeted, "Dr. Manmohan Singh's words are an example of the vision of a true Indian leader.''

''Today, as we celebrate his birthday, we reiterate our commitment to upholding the idea of India," the party said in a tweet. Let me tell you that on this day, on 26th September 1932, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was born in a village called 'Gah' in Pakistan. His birthplace 'Gah' is now located in the Punjab province of Pakistan. At the same time, he became the 13th Prime Minister of India.

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World Environment Health Day is being observed across the country today. In the present situation, this day is very important as most parts of the world continues to recover from the corona infection epidemic. At such a time, the importance of the environmental health workforce has been highlighted more than ever. The day was started by the International Federation of Environmental Health Council on the same day in 2011 due to a meeting in Indonesia.

Speaking about the same topic, IFEH President Susana Paxo explained, "It is important that the world understands that there is an integral relationship between the environment, health and the economy. Therefore, with the support of the Environmental Health Task Force and the help of the International Environmental Health Association, it is important to invest in the almost healthy and green recovery of all communities. So, we choose this subject.''

The same environmental health comes under public health as it deals with health interrelationships between individuals and the environment. In order to improve environmental health, countries will have to work towards reducing water disease, toxic chemical risks, prevention of the disease and other things. The day is marked to remind people around the world about the importance and benefits of environmental health. In 2020, the theme of the day was environmental health literacy and the primary focus of the day was to work on the health and safety of children.

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Union Home Ministry to hold crucial meeting with Naxal affected states today
RADNOR, Pa., Sept. 25, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The law firm of Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP reminds Annovis Bio, Inc. (NYSE: ANVS) ("Annovis") investors that a securities fraud class action lawsuit has been on behalf of those who purchased or acquired Annovis securities betweeen May 21, 2021 and July 28, 2021, inclusive (the "Class Period").

KTMC (PRNewsFoto/Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check)

Investor Deadline Reminder: Investors who purchased or acquired Annovis securities during the Class Period may, no later than October 18, 2021 , seek to be appointed as a lead plaintiff representative of the class. For additional information or to learn how to participate in this litigation please contact Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP: James Maro, Esq. (484) 270-1453; toll free at (844) 887-9500; via e-mail at info@ktmc.com; or click https://www.ktmc.com/new-cases/annovis-bio-inc-anvs?utm_source=PR&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=annovis

Annovis is a clinical stage pharmaceutical company that is developing therapies addressing neurodegeneration, such as Alzheimer's disease ("AD"), Parkinson's disease ("PD"), and Alzheimer's disease in Down syndrome. Its lead compound is ANVS401 (Posiphen), an orally administrated drug which purportedly inhibited the synthesis of neurotoxic proteins that are the main cause of neurodegeneration. Annovis was conducting two Phase 2a clinical studies. The trial conducted in collaboration with the Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study examines 24 early AD patients, whereas the AD/PD trial examines 14 AD and 54 PD patients. Both are double-blind, placebo-controlled studies and were purportedly designed to measure not only target, but also pathway validation in the spinal fluid of patients.

The Class Period commences on May 21, 2021, when Annovis issued a press release entitled "Annovis Bio Announces Positive Phase 2 Data  ANVS401 Improves Cognition in Alzheimer's Disease  Patients' Cognition Improved 3.3 Points on ADAS-Cog11." Then, on June 1, 2021, Annovis issued a press release entitled "Annovis Bio's ANVS401 Improves Speed and Accuracy in Alzheimer's and in Parkinson's Patients."

Story continues

The truth regarding ANVS401 emerged on July 28, 2021. After the market closed, Annovis reported interim clinical data from its Phase 2a trial. Among other things, Annovis reported that AD patients 25 days after treatment failed to show statistically significant improvement compared to the placebo. Annovis also reported that, although patients showed cognitive improvements in certain areas, the results were not statistically significant.

Following this news, Annovis's share price fell $65.94, or 60%, to close at $43.50 per share on July 29, 2021.

The complaint alleges that throughout the Class Period, the defendants failed to disclose to investors that: (1) Annovis's ANVS401 did not show statistically significant results across two patient populations as to factors such as orientation, judgement, and problem solving; and (2) as a result of the foregoing, the defendants' positive statements about Annovis's business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis.

Annovis investors may, no later than October 18, 2021 , seek to be appointed as a lead plaintiff representative of the class through Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP or other counsel, or may choose to do nothing and remain an absent class member. A lead plaintiff is a representative party who acts on behalf of all class members in directing the litigation. In order to be appointed as a lead plaintiff, the Court must determine that the class member's claim is typical of the claims of other class members, and that the class member will adequately represent the class. Communicating with any counsel is not necessary to participate or share in any recovery achieved in this case. Your ability to share in any recovery is not affected by the decision of whether or not to serve as a lead plaintiff.

Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP prosecutes class actions in state and federal courts throughout the country involving securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duties and other violations of state and federal law. Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP is a driving force behind corporate governance reform, and has recovered billions of dollars on behalf of institutional and individual investors from the United States and around the world. The firm represents investors, consumers and whistleblowers (private citizens who report fraudulent practices against the government and share in the recovery of government dollars). The complaint in this action was not filed by Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP. For more information about Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP please visit www.ktmc.com.

CONTACT:

Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP

James Maro, Jr., Esq.

280 King of Prussia Road

Radnor, PA 19087

(844) 887-9500 (toll free)

info@ktmc.com

Cision

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A mid-construction Evergrande project in Taicang, China

By midnight US eastern time on Sep. 23, Evergrande, the debt-ridden Chinese real estate giant, was scheduled to have paid $83.5 million to investors overseas. By the following morning, at least some of these investors had not been paid, according to Reuters and the Financial Timesa critical milestone that renewed fears of Evergrandes complete collapse.

Evergrande owed the $83.5 million as coupon payments on dollar-denominated bonds it had sold to offshore investors, and the Chinese government had advised the company to avoid defaulting. The previous day, the company did announce that it had negotiated privately with Chinese bondholders over a $36 million coupon payment that was also scheduled to be paid on Sept. 23. But that day passed in total silence, with no statements from Evergrande on how it planned to meet its obligations to its overseas bondholders.

Has Evergrande defaulted?

The terms of the bondswith a face value of nearly $2.03 billionallow Evergrande a grace period of 30 days to make its payment. So in the context of this set of payments, Evergrande will be in default only if it cannot pay out within the grace period.

But Thursdays blown deadline is certainly not a sign of recovering health. Evergrande has also missed payments to a municipal government in the province of Anhui, the Financial Times reported. And it has more deadlines coming up. Evergrande owes another $47.5 million in coupon payments to offshore investors next week; in total, it has to disburse $669 million in coupon payments by the end of the year. And next year, Evergrande has to pay back $7.4 billion when a number of its bonds mature.

Were a long way from resolving Evergrandes payments problem, said Julian Evans-Pritchard, a senior China economist at Capital Economics, on a webinar on Thursday morning. Its essentially facing a liquidity crisis. It may well be that its so over-extended that, without some support, it will eventually default on more of its obligations.

Story continues

What will the Chinese government do about Evergrande?

The lapsed payments prompt the question once again: What will Chinas next move be? Although the government has put together a team of accountants and lawyers to examine Evergrandes books, it hasnt yet announced any impending restructuring of the companys debt. And although China has also periodically injected cash into the banking system, it hasnt said anything about bailing Evergrande out.

The government will feel the keenest urgency to act only if Evergrandes troubles threaten to set off a systemic crisisthe so-called contagion in the financial sector. In his webinar, Evans-Pritchard said that the sector might well be able to absorb even a total Evergrande collapse.

If you look at the offshore bonds, the main holders are all big global banks and asset holders like UBS and HSBC, Evans-Pritchard said. In China, Evergrande has taken loans from around 20 commercial banks, and if you look at the biggest three, their exposure to Evergrande is less than 3% of outstanding loans. There could be smaller regional banks that have made some loans to Evergrande, he added. We may not know about those, and those could run into problems. But the government could act to save those banks, rather than saving Evergrande itself.

Protecting Chinas banks from an Evergrande collapse

One of Chinas main priorities will be to keep the interbank system from bucklingand the governments particular advantage, as compared to the US governments during the 2008 crisis, is its absolute control over banks. All the major actors are state-owned, so the government will likely step in to make sure theres plenty of liquidity going around, Evans-Pritchard said.

As a result, the Chinese government can prevent the kind of abrupt re-pricing of counterparty risks that occurred during in the wake of Lehman Brothers collapse: banks wary of lending to each other, or prepared to do so only at high cost. Even if there are concerns about counterparty risk, the government can step in and say: Well, you just have to keep lending to each other.'

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(Bloomberg) -- Investcorp Holdings BSC, one of the largest foreign buyers of U.S. real estate, remains bullish on the worlds biggest economy and expects the crisis enveloping China Evergrande Group to offer fresh opportunities for the private equity and alternative asset manager as it seeks to expand in Asia.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The top executive at the Bahrain-based firm described the problems at the Chinese developer as temporary and likely to be contained within Asia, and said the situation could even have a calming effect on the prices of real estate that are really ballooning in parts of China.

Investcorp, which already has an office in Beijing and launched a health-care investment platform last year, plans to keep its focus in China on the technology, health-care and food sectors, according to Executive Chairman Mohammed Alardhi.

Were there for the opportunities, were there for the long term, he said in an interview with Bloomberg Television on Sunday.

Global financial markets are bracing for a potential collapse of Evergrande, which is buckling under more than $300 billion in liabilities. The company is Chinas largest issuer of high-yield dollar-denominated bonds, and bills are coming due to an array of banks and suppliers.

Evergrandes stock and bonds have tumbled in recent months on concern that the massive debt pile will lead to one of the largest restructurings ever in China. Investcorp has no direct investment in Chinas real estate, Alardhi said.

Not Lehman

Its not a Lehman moment for sure for China, he said. The Chinese government has a lot of tools to deal with this if they decided to do that.

The money manager is pursuing a plan of expanding in Asia, where its assets under management increased by 17% to $1.1 billion for the financial year ending June 30. It made a total of 11 new private equity investments during the year across India, China and southeast Asia.

Story continues

Investcorp has for more than two decades invested billions of dollars -- mostly from wealthy Gulf families and sovereign funds -- into U.S. property. It has a New York office and currently oversees a real estate portfolio worth $7.4 billion, including leverage, in the U.S. and Europe, according to its website.

Were very bullish on the U.S. economy, we know all thats happening in the world may dampen growth but we see good growth coming, Alardhi said.

Property Focus

Investcorp will continue to target sectors such as multi-family residences and industry-related realty, industries Alardhi described as resilient to crises and that earned its investors an 18% internal rate of return in the last 10 years.

In multi-family and industrial properties, we still see strong fundamentals and lot of capital going into them, Alardhi said. Good growth of rent, good occupancy, resilient during Covid and we continue to do more of that, he said, adding theres need for more warehouses not just in big but also smaller cities.

Investcorp, which has delisted from the Bahrain stock exchange after almost four decades, now has the agility it needs to expand by going back into private ownership, Alardhi said. Abu Dhabi sovereign fund Mubadala Investment Co. in 2017 acquired a 20% stake in Investcorp, which has backed companies including Tiffany & Co. and Gucci Ltd.

The money manager can amass $100 billion in about seven years, Alardhi said. It currently manages nearly $40 billion, he said.

Acquisitions, organic growth, joint ventures are things that we have done and we will continue to do, Alardhi said.

The structure of going private is the right thing for us to do now as we prepare the company for the next stage of its growth, he said. For many years we have served the retail investors in a deal-by-deal model. We would like to change that so we target sustainable capital, institutional capital.

(Updates with Alardhis comment in penultimate paragraph.)

2021 Bloomberg L.P.
Leading labour hire company AIO Contracting sourced nearly 100 suitable workers in just three weeks for a nationally recognised food manufacturing company in Melbourne.

Labour Hire

Labour Hire

Labour Hire

Melbourne, Australia, Sept. 27, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Major companies and supply chains around the country are currently in need of skilled workers as cities begin to emerge from lockdowns and businesses begin to feel the increasing demand for their products and services.

As the leading labour hire company, Melbourne based AIO Contracting recently supplied almost 100 workers for a top national food company in need of competent, hard working factory employees. The workers were sourced in an impressive three weeks. AIO initially impressed the food manufacturing brand with top quality engineering and construction solutions; when the brand came into short supply of staff, they turned to AIO for the same level of professionalism and dedication to perfection.

The brand is a fast growing, nationally recognised food manufacturer with a state of the art warehouse located in western Melbourne. The recent, rapid expansion of the company and of the warehouse prompted the brand to reach out to AIO for assistance finding workers. This company required both daytime workers as well as staff to work night shifts at their Melbourne warehouse. AIO supplied skilled, enthusiastic workers for both shifts to ensure around the clock coverage for the company.

When companies require additional workers, AIO Contracting handles every aspect of the labour hire process, from recruitment to training to HR operations. AIO is the premier labour hire agency Melbourne wide and provides businesses with top notch employees who have the right skill set and work ethic for any job. Each candidate is thoroughly screened and vetted so that businesses know that they are getting the best of the best.

Great employees are the best way to ensure quality production and improved workflow. Of all labour agencies Melbourne wide, AIO Contracting provides the highest standard of employees and the fastest turnaround times. Businesses can relax knowing that AIO takes care of every single stage of recruitment and covers all bases, all while providing 24/7 support for businesses and employees. For top quality labour hire, Melbourne organisations can rely on AIO Contracting.

Story continues

33 Randor Street, Campbellfield, VIC - 3061

T 1300 314 008

E info@aiocontracting.com.au

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Drought has ravaged farms across southern Madagascar, like this cassava plantation

Madagascar is being hit by one of the modern worlds first climate change-induced faminesa disaster that underscores the profound unfairness of a planet heated up by carbon emissions.

The famine, caused by a devastating, four-year drought, is placing at least 30,000 people in the most extreme stage of food insecurity: a level five famine, as defined by the World Food Programme (WFP). At least 1.1 million are in some kind of severe food insecurity, the United Nations has said. People have had to resort to desperate survival measures, such as eating locusts, raw red cactus fruits, or wild leaves, Amer Daoudi, a senior director at WFP, told the UN earlier this year.

How climate change can cause a famine

Madagascar produces a little more than 0.01% of the worlds annual carbon dioxide emissions every year, according to data drawn from the Global Carbon Project. Cumulatively, between 1933 and 2019, the country produced less than 0.01% of all the carbon dioxide generatedthe carbon dioxide that is now triggering severe alterations to global climate. One such effect of these alterations has been Madagascars drought, the worst in 40 years.

NASA Earth Observatory image of southern Madagascar

The browned parts of this map of southern Madagascar show how rainfall between June 2020 and July 2021 was as much as 25% below the 2000-2015 average.

The drought, and therefore the famine, can be directly attributed to the effects of climate change, David Beasley the WFPs executive director, has said. It has also compounded by unexpected sandstorms that have buried fields, undermining any possibility of farming, said Frances Kennedy, a WFP spokesperson, in an email to Quartz. More than 60% of the people in Madagascars south, she said, are subsistence farmers who have lost their livelihoods as well as their only source of food to erratic weather.

Scientists have been analyzing climate patterns for years now to predict these kinds of consequences for southern Africa. But that hasnt necessarily made it easier to forestall such calamities. Going by the statistics, over the past 20 years, theres been a 500% increase in the number of countries exposed to multiple types of climate extremes, Kennedy said. We are seeing the effects of climate all over southern Africa.

Story continues

Angola is another example of a country witnessing food shortages as a result of climate change, Kennedy said. Nearly seven million people have little food and thousands have become migrants fleeing into Namibia in search of food. Frequent cyclones forming in the Indian ocean and hitting the southeastern coast of the continent (Mozambique) are now becoming more frequent and impacting food security. As with Madagascar, Angola and Mozambique have contributed minimally to global emissions.

In being able to trace the famine directly to climate change and not to conflictthe more familiar reasonMadagascars situation is unprecedented, Shelley Thakral, a WFP spokesperson, said to the BBC. These people have done nothing to contribute to climate change, Thakral said. They dont burn fossil fuelsand yet they are bearing the brunt of climate change.

Sign up for the Quartz Daily Brief, our free daily newsletter with the worlds most important and interesting news.

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NIO Inc. (NYSE: NIO) announced its foray into Norway in early May, marking its first-ever overseas expansion.

Since then, the automaker has moved at a fast pace. Here's a timeline.

 Mid-June: Nio disclosed it received the European Whole Vehicle Type Approval for its ES8 SUV, signaling the receipt of the official nod for mass production and license plate registration in all EU countries.

 Early July: The first batch of Nio home charging piles and superchargers were shipped to Norway, with the goal of delivering to users in September.

 Late July: Nio began shipping its ES8 SUV from the Shanghai Waigaoqiao Port to Norway.

 Mid-August: Nio app went live for Norwegian users and was available through local App store and Google Play Store. The First batch of ES8s arrived in Norway.

 Aug. 30: Nio began allowing Norwegian users to test drive the imported ES8 SUV. About 300 spots were filled within three days of application, CnEVPost reported, citing a statement from Nio Norway user head An Ho on the Nio App.

Related Link: This Chinese EV Maker Expects To Sell More Cars Than Nio, XPeng In Q3

Why It's Important: Nio's success in Norway is very important for the EV maker's future overseas expansion. CEO William Li sounded out in the company's second-quarter earnings call that Germany could be the company's next stop, followed by other European countries.

The EV market in Norway has become a crowded field.

Nio's Chinese peer XPeng, Inc. (NYSE: XPEV) began exporting its G3 SUV to Norway late last year. The company began shipping its P7 EV sedan model to Norway last week.

Warren Buffett-owned BYD Company Limited (OTC: BYDDF) began delivering its Tang electric SUVs in Norway earlier this month.

What's Next: Nio plans to begin delivering its ES8 SUV to Norwegian customers in September. The second model to be sold in Norway will be the yet-to-be commercially launched ET7 sedan.

The first Nio House in Oslo City Center, with floor space of 2,150 square meters, is likely to be opened in September.

Story continues

By the end of 2021, the company hopes to have four swap stations in and around the Oslo region. Nio Power Norway will become operational in September. The company also plans to open its first Nio Service and delivery center in Oslo in September.

At last check, Nio shares were up 2.46% at $38.73.

Related Link: Big Canadian Pension Fund Hikes Its Position In Nio By 40%: What You Need to Know

See more from Benzinga

 2021 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / September 26, 2021 / The Schall Law Firm, a national shareholder rights litigation firm, announces the filing of a class action lawsuit against Waterdrop Inc. ("Waterdrop" or "the Company") (NYSE:WDH) for violations of the federal securities laws.

Investors who purchased the Company's shares pursuant and/or traceable to the Company's initial public offering conducted in May 2021 (the "IPO"), are encouraged to contact the firm before November 15, 2021.

If you are a shareholder who suffered a loss, click here to participate.

We also encourage you to contact Brian Schall of the Schall Law Firm, 2049 Century Park East, Suite 2460, Los Angeles, CA 90067, at 310-301-3335, to discuss your rights free of charge. You can also reach us through the firm's website at www.schallfirm.com, or by email at brian@schallfirm.com.

The class, in this case, has not yet been certified, and until certification occurs, you are not represented by an attorney. If you choose to take no action, you can remain an absent class member.

According to the Complaint, the Company made false and misleading statements to the market. Waterdrop achieved its past revenue growth through illicit means likely to draw the attention of Chinese regulators for violating their rules. The Company was ordered by the Chinese government to shut down its mutual aid platform because it did not comply with Chinese law. The Company's operating losses increased significantly in the first quarter of 2021 based on shutting down the mutual aid platform and increased customer acquisition costs. Based on these facts, the Company's public statements were false and materially misleading throughout the IPO period. When the market learned the truth about Waterdrop, investors suffered damages.

Join the case to recover your losses.

The Schall Law Firm represents investors around the world and specializes in securities class action lawsuits and shareholder rights litigation.

Story continues

This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and rules of ethics.

CONTACT:

The Schall Law Firm

Brian Schall, Esq.,

www.schallfirm.com

Office: 310-301-3335

info@schallfirm.com

SOURCE: The Schall Law Firm





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KABUL -- For nearly 20 years, women's shelters were a sanctuary for hundreds of Afghan girls and women trying to escape domestic abuse, sexual violence, and forced marriages.



Now, since the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan last month, dozens of safe houses across Afghanistan have shut down -- cutting off a vital escape route for victims of domestic abuse.



Afghanistan's new Taliban-led government has yet to specify its policy on women's shelters. But because the Taliban had previously branded women's safe houses as "brothels," activists fear the militant Islamist group will ban them.



Since capturing Kabul on August 15, the Taliban has reimposed some of the same repressive policies against women that had defined its brutal rule from 1996 to 2001.



The new Taliban regime has already curtailed girls' education, denied many women the right to work, abolished the Women's Affairs Ministry, and revived its dreaded morality police.



During the Taliban's lightning capture of Afghan cities during the summer, many women's shelters started to close their doors for fear of retribution. In many cases, shelter employees burned sensitive documents and fled along with the women they were sheltering.



'Fear For Their Safety'



The head of one women's shelter in Kabul, who spoke to RFE/RL on condition of anonymity, said she faced an agonizing choice when the Taliban entered Kabul: remain open and expose her employees and clients to possible Taliban reprisals or close and send women back to their abusive families.



"At the request of the women, we handed them over to their families," she said. "We received written assurances from their families that they would not mistreat them again. We had no confidence in the Taliban. So, we were forced to shut down the shelter."



Activists fear the girls and women who return to their families could become victims of so-called "honor killings" -- the murder of women for allegedly dishonoring the family, such as running away from home.



"Women and girls being forced to flee from shelters back to their families will often be walking right back into the violence they needed to escape," said Heather Barr, associate director of women's rights at Human Rights Watch.



"We should fear for their safety and their lives, as they have gone back to their abusers at a time when all restraints on violence against women have disappeared," Barr said.

While many safe houses have ceased operations, a few shelters have opted to remain open. But they do not accept new cases and are keeping a low profile in a bid to ensure the safety of their clients.



One that has remained open is a women's shelter in Kabul that houses five women, some with young children. Many have been there for years and say they are unable to return to their homes and families for fear of becoming victims of honor killings.



"The women who live here have nowhere else to go," said the head of the shelter, who spoke to RFE/RL on condition of anonymity. "That's why we have remained open. I will never allow them to become homeless."



The shelter director said armed Taliban fighters have already searched the offices of the safe house several times. The militants confiscated vehicles and private property. But she said they did not physically harm anyone.



Death Threats



Even before the Taliban stormed their way back into power in Afghanistan, women's shelters faced fierce criticism in the deeply conservative and patriarchal country.



Domestic abuse is routine. Forced marriages are the norm and the female suicide rate in Afghanistan remains among the highest in the world -- despite progress made for women's rights in Afghanistan since the U.S.-led invasion in late 2001.

In the past, religious figures attempted to bring the shelters under government control. Many of them were independently run and funded by a mix of private donors, international organizations, and foreign governments.



The exact number of women's shelters in Afghanistan before the Taliban takeover is unclear. But activists estimate there were at least 30 safe houses in about half of the country's 34 provinces.



Many of the shelters were established after 2001 and worked despite routine death threats and assassination attempts by the Taliban.



Some of the shelters, particularly outside Kabul, operated entirely offline. They did not have digital footprints and used code names.



"Many safe houses have suspended their operations now, but they might continue their operations later," said an employee of one foreign NGO that operates in Afghanistan.



Next time, "they will want less outside involvement, which could attract the attention of authorities," she told RFE/RL on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.



Rolling Back Rights



Since regaining power, the Taliban has tried to project a more moderate image to convince Afghans and the international community that it has changed.



Under the Taliban's repressive regime in the 1990s, women were forced to cover themselves from head to toe, banned from working outside their homes, and required to be accompanied by a male relative if they went outside. Education was limited to pre-adolescent girls.



At its first press conference since seizing control of Kabul, the Taliban vowed they would protect women's rights within their own fundamentalist interpretation of Islamic Shari'a law.



But the militants have not shown any signs that their views have changed since they ruled Afghanistan two decades ago. Their actions thus far have betrayed their initial pledges.

The Taliban has formed a new, all-male government dominated by hard-line veterans. It does not include any women, even in secondary roles.



The Taliban has said that women are not suited to serve in the new Taliban-led government.



The militants also abolished the Women's Affairs Ministry and reestablished the feared Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice.



In the 1990s, that vice ministry was responsible for enforcing the Taliban's laws on morality -- including its strict dress code and gender segregation in society. The ministry's dreaded police were notorious for publicly beating offenders, including women.



The Taliban has advised women to largely remain indoors for their own safety. The militants have also ordered tens of thousands of former female government workers not to return to their jobs -- even as their male colleagues have returned to work.

On September 19, the interim mayor of Kabul told female employees in the city government to stay home, with work only allowed for those who cannot be replaced by men.



Afghan girls have been banned from returning to secondary school. The Taliban-led government has ordered only boys and male teachers to return to the classroom.



The Taliban has imposed a new dress code and gender segregation at universities and colleges. Activists describe that as a "clear sign of repression."



The militants have also violently dispersed female protesters who were demanding their right to work and receive an education.



The Taliban has repeatedly suggested that its decisions on women are temporary, in an apparent attempt to stave off international criticism, even as they issue hard-line decrees.

Written by Frud Bezhan in Prague with contributions by correspondents from RFE/RL's Radio Azadi in Afghanistan whose names are being withheld for their safety.
Pakistani officials say at least four paramilitary soldiers were killed in an explosion in Balochistan, the southwestern province where separatist militants have waged a long-running insurgency.



The Frontier Corps said in a statement on September 26 that two officers were also injured in the blast, which occurred when an improvised explosive device detonated as a vehicle carrying the troops passed by.



The incident occurred September 25, about 170 kilometers northeast of the provincial capital, Quetta.



No group has claimed responsibility, but separatist militant groups often target Pakistani security forces and Chinese workers in the province.



A day earlier, the Pakistani military claimed to have killed six suspected militants in a southern district of the province.



Also on September 25, police said they had arrested three suspected militants from the banned Balochistan Liberation Army for their role in an August suicide bombing that targeted Chinese workers.



Two children were killed and three people, including Chinese nationals, were injured in that attack.

Beijing has heavily invested in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a $65 billion economic development plan under Beijings Belt and Road Initiative.



The infrastructure project includes rebuilding the Gwadar deep-water seaport on Balochistan's southern coast.



Access to Gwadar will give China strategic access to the Arabian Sea.
Taliban officials have called on international airlines to resume flights to Afghanistan, saying that problems at Kabul airport had been resolved.



The statement on September 26 from the Foreign Ministry comes as the new administration continues efforts to open up the country and gain international acceptance.



Last month, Taliban fighters swept into the capital, Kabul, effectively taking control of the country after President Ashraf Ghani and other government officials fled.



The airport, which was damaged during the chaotic U.S.-led evacuation, has since been reopened with the assistance of technical teams from Qatar and Turkey



Some airlines, such as Pakistan International Airlines, have been offering limited services. And a limited number of humanitarian aid and passenger flights have been operating from the airport.



But full, normal, commercial services have not restarted.



"Many Afghan citizens were stuck outside and unable to return to their homeland," Abdul Qahar Balkhi, the newly appointed spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said in a statement.



Since taking power, the Taliban has grappled with a major economic crisis and struggled to gain international recognition.



They've also juggled international pressure on issues including girls' education and allegations of reprisals against former officials.

Based on reporting by AFP and Reuters
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As a former videographer for Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Crystal Egli filmed a series of her learning how to hunt big game. As a young Black woman, she had a feeling this would be perceived a certain way by the sport's predominantly white, male base.

"One thing I did very intentionally was never mention race, never mention diversity, never mention any of that," the Denver woman recently told an audience of about 50 in Colorado Springs.

"And guess what complaints we got."

Comments were along the lines of: Why do you have to make it about race?

"I didn't talk about it, I knew I couldn't talk about it," Egli said, "and I still got crap for it."

Egli is co-founder of Inclusive Journeys, a tech company using data to help businesses and organizations be more inclusive. She was among local and state-wide experts convened to talk about the issue in parks, open spaces and trails, as part of El Pomar Foundation's latest Heritage Series event.

The nonprofit program aims to "celebrate and raise awareness of the natural assets of the Pikes Peak region." But this discussion, organizers noted, was no celebratory affair.

Egli's story was but one shared that underscored wrongs emerging to the forefront of outdoor leaders, advocates and brands.

"When I go outdoors and look around and notice I'm the only one that looks like me, I try to make myself literally and figuratively smaller sometimes," said Patricia Cameron, the Black woman behind Blackpackers, the Colorado Springs-based nonprofit addressing underrepresentation and economic inequity.

It can feel unsafe, being the only one, Cameron explained  a feeling rooted in historic, ongoing racism. "Bring your voice down," she said she tells her son. "We don't wanna draw attention to us."

In its latest annual outdoor participation report, Boulder-based Outdoor Foundation continued to track what it called "troubling trends" amid a record year for fresh-air activities. Nationwide, the organization's study found 72% of people recreating in nature are white. Participation percentages among people of color remain well below their overall population makeup.

Another recent survey by Trust for Public Land determined people of color have quick, easy access to 44% less park space than white counterparts. In Colorado Springs, the study found that divide to be 83%.

"I talk a lot about transportation in Colorado Springs in particular," Cameron said. "It's something I'm intimately familiar with, as somebody who didn't have a car, as somebody who grew up on the southeast side."

She cited research showing the racial wealth gap to be as wide as it was in the 1960s between Black and white Americans.

"Even if I get past the fact that maybe I'll be the only Black person at Eleven Mile State Park, that's fine," Cameron said as an example. "Even if I get past the fact that I have to drive up there, and do I have a car that can make it up Ute Pass? That's fine. But do I have the money to afford a pass? Do I have the money to afford the camping site?"

The Outdoor Equity Grant Program was authorized this year  a program dedicating more money to related initiatives around the state from Great Outdoors Colorado's lottery-funded pot. This comes as GOCO has pledged its attention to neglected neighborhoods, said the agency's interim executive director, Jackie Miller.

At the El Pomar discussion, she encouraged leaders to "work with organizations who have those trusted relationships," she said, "and ask communities what type of outdoor experiences they value, and mobilize around that."

Egli offered another recommendation.

"Just because you don't see folks out doing these activities doesn't mean they're not out there already. It just means they're not doing it where you're doing it," she said. "Re-examine the spaces where you're doing it."
Facebook is putting a hold on the development of a kids' version of Instagram, geared toward children under 13, to address concerns that have 
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Stephanie Earls is a news reporter and columnist at The Gazette. Before moving to Colorado Springs in 2012, she worked for newspapers in upstate NY, WA, OR and at her hometown weekly in Berkeley Springs, WV, where she got her start in journalism.
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Tom Roeder is the Gazette's City Editor. In Colorado Springs since 2003, Tom has covered the military at home and overseas and has covered statehouses in Denver and Olympia, Wash. His main job, though, is being dad to two great kids.
Politicos play the race card with reckless abandon. As such, the words racist and racism are losing punch. These words are the crudest and
Jim Strub recently stopped on a comment on Facebook.

"Someone was commenting on how awe-inspired they were by their trip up to the new (Pikes Peak) Summit House and the views and all that," he recalled. "And what they wrote in the comment section was, 'Why isn't this a national park?'

"I thought, 'Oh yes, why isn't it?' It's because nobody has gone through the trouble to do it."

Strub, 92, is going through the trouble.

The man who has been a staple on the mountain for five decades has taken it upon himself to explore the bold idea.

Strub has prepared a lengthy proposal for a national park encompassing the Pikes Peak massif. Ideas outlined, he said, were born in consultation with a small group of knowledgeable, interested people who have remained quiet about the subject  hesitant to speak for organizations they represent while the controversial subject has hardly lifted off the ground.

"There's a lot of work to do," Strub said. "Most of the past year has been putting together the proposal, and only recently have we gotten into the campaign stage. Which is not something I'm used to. I'm not political."

But Strub is familiar with rigmarole regarding affairs on America's Mountain.

He's well connected, having built relationships with regional decision-makers and movers and shakers since the 1980s. That's when he was appointed to be a citizen voice on matters concerning the Pikes Peak Highway. During that advisory, he also joined talks to open the North Slope Recreation Area. He later advocated for public access to the south slope lakes.

He had a seat at the table for the Pikes Peak Multi-Use Plan, published in 1999. He spent the next decade plotting the Ring the Peak Trail, what amounts now to a 63-mile horseshoe path around the mountain. The final gap is mired in bureaucracy and land disputes.

Strub sees that loop's completion as one possibility of a national park designation. In the hands of the National Park Service instead of the U.S. Forest Service, he foresees "much broader" recreation across a playground that he maps between 195 and 236 square miles.

The National Park Service's legal mandate is different, Strub said: "For the enjoyment, education and inspiration of this and future generations."

The Forest Service "just (doesn't) have the time and money to do anything beyond what they have to do, mainly fire mitigation," Strub said. "This is not intended to be critical of any person in the Forest Service. It's just what the basic mission is."

He envisions the massif's lesser-ventured canyons, drainages, couloirs and mountaintops becoming more accessible  "jewels that practically nobody can get to, except those I call the intrepid," Strub said. The proposal points to park portals at the current highway toll, at the Crags Campground and off Gold Camp Road in the Cripple Creek area.

But the proposal falls short of settling any number of foreseeable conflicts, not the least of which is the city of Colorado Springs' money-making enterprise based on the highway. Aramark and The Broadmoor represent other business interests. Strub's proposal notes Colorado Springs Utilities controls at least 10% of the land within the proposed boundaries.

Any new unit of the National Park Service is intensely studied  a process that in recent years has taken at least a few years, according to Congressional Research Service, the agency providing nonpartisan policy review. Congress must first authorize a study.

"It is generally regarded as difficult to meet the criteria and to secure congressional support and funding for expanding the National Park system," reads an analysis by Congressional Research Service.

Law requires the park service to determine "whether an area is nationally significant" and would be a "suitable and feasible" addition; whether an area represents "themes, sites or resources not already adequately represented in the park service"; and whether an area meets a certain "popular demand" threshold. If boxes are checked, proposals return to Congress for consideration.

Strub looks to 1917 for the last time a national park around Pikes Peak was seriously considered. Then-U.S. Rep. Charles Timberlake asserted that Pikes Peak was "beyond a doubt America's most famous mountain" and "indelibly woven into romance, history, and development of the West."

Strub suspects Timberlake's idea "may have gotten lost in the turmoil of World War I."

Such an effort is "very consuming," Strub said, "and I didn't expect to spend my last years doing something like this."

At 92, he also doesn't expect to see his dream become reality. "But I would at least like to see the study get started," he said.
The Colorado Springs-based 4th Judicial District Attorney's Office is underfunded, overwhelmed with felony cases and in a state of turmoil, according to seven lawyers who previously worked there.

The former employees said they felt overworked in what some called a "toxic" environment that harmed their mental health.

The attorneys spoke out after the apparent August suicide of a prominent deputy district attorney rocked what is one of Colorado's busiest prosecutor's offices. The death underscored conditions in the office that are adding too much pressure to an already arduous job, the former staff members said.

That job put me in a place mentally that I've never been in in my entire life," said one former deputy district attorney whom District Attorney Michael Allen directly supervised before being elected to the top spot.

The former prosecutor was one of two The Gazette spoke with who said the job pushed them to seek therapy. She said the election of Allen "absolutely" caused her to leave. The attorney, now in private practice, asked to speak anonymously because her current job requires her to work with the DA's office on occasion.

She was also one of three female attorneys who resigned within the last year who said the office had a climate of discriminating against women, allegations Allen vigorously disputes.

As of late last month, at least 54 employees, or about 21% of the office's workforce, departed the office since the beginning of the year, according to a list provided by Howard Black, a 4th Judicial District spokesman. Of the employees who left so far this year, at least 25 were attorneys, according to the list, which is more than a quarter of the office's prosecutorial power. Most of the jobs were filled, but five attorney positions remained open, Black said in an email late last month.

Several of the former prosecutors who spoke with the Gazette said they voted for Allen in the 2020 election. One said the office is now "hemorrhaging" deputy district attorneys.

One of the departures: Deputy District Attorney Andrew Lower was found dead Aug. 5 in Chaffee County after friends and coworkers feared he was missing Aug. 1. Based on evidence collected at the scene, law enforcement officials closed their investigation and determined no one else was involved.

Officials have not publicly stated that Lower committed suicide. But El Paso County Coroner Dr. Leon Kelly, whose office performed Lower's autopsy, said, From our perspective based on the autopsy, thats our feeling, that this is self-inflicted."

Before he died, police say Lower sent an email to the entire staff of the District Attorney's Office on Aug. 1. In the email, Lower said he had concerns about conditions in the office and the leadership of District Attorney Allen and former District Attorney Dan May. The email raised questions about the hiring of a controversial deputy DA, the demotion of another longtime prosecutor and the promotion of a prosecutor whose family contributed to Allen's campaign, according to a copy obtained and verified by The Gazette.

Former employees said they were less concerned with some of the specific issues raised by Lower. They acknowledged that the pandemic and typical DA's office career progression have driven some of the staffing issues.

But many of the employees placed some of the blame for conditions in the office at the feet of Allen, elected last year, and also said the problems extend back to the tenure of his predecessor, Dan May. Lower was an office manager under May.

Allen, in an interview with The Gazette, responded to the complaints and the news of Lower's suicide, saying prosecutors have a high stakes, stressful and challenging job that coronavirus has only made more difficult. DAs are asked to vividly recreate grisly scenes in courtrooms and listen repeatedly to traumatic stories from victims of heinous crimes. Lower, a veteran prosecutor, specialized in homicides.

"We get secondary trauma from the stuff that we do," Allen said. "You're dealing with people that have either suffered some really tragic events or have been killed. And we go out to scenes and see these sorts of things. We talk to victims who have lived through some really horrific events. And that can weigh on you."

May did not respond to requests for comment.

'Trusted member of the team'

Two of Lowers friends said they believed workplace concerns contributed to his death. Even though he and his wife, Susan Chadderdon, also a prosecutor, had recently divorced, it was his distress in the office that most significantly drove his apparent depression, said one.

In the conversations I have had with him over the last six months  He has mentioned concerns about the office every single time almost the entire time I was talking with him, said the friend, also a former office employee.

She, like other former employees who spoke with The Gazette, was reluctant to speak out because she works locally as a defense attorney and feared the DA's office would seek retribution.

He really cared about his job more than probably anything in his life, she said.

Another friend of Lower, former Deputy District Attorney Andrew Hug, said work was likely one factor among others that led to Lower's death. Hug said he had lunch with Lower two days before he went missing.

It was a combination of a lot of things. Yes, there was work stuff, he was definitely frustrated with the office," Hug said. "We had that conversation. But I know he had other stuff as well.

In his last email, sent to the entire office, Lower acknowledged issues outside of work.

"As most of my close friends in the office knew, I have not been happy here since the new administration took over, but also for some personal reasons as well," he wrote.

Allen lamented the loss of the longtime prosecutor, and said the days and weeks following Lower's death have been difficult for the office.

"It's just really tough to lose somebody that's a trusted member of the team," Allen said.

Lower's suicide wasn't the only one suffered by the office. Another deputy district attorney committed suicide in 2018. In the autopsy, the coroner determined the man's death was a "deliberate and self-inflicted act" and said he had a history of depression.

A former prosecutor and friend of the man said she believed his mental illness was "absolutely" tied to office-related stress at a "dark and toxic" workplace that featured problematic relationships between co-workers. She requested to speak anonymously to discuss a sensitive issue and said she worried speaking out would harm her reputation.

"Mental health issues are rife there," she said.

Hug, who also knew the man, said his mental illness was caused by personal issues and was not work-related.

Security alert issued

The Monday after Lower sent his email, Allen called 4th Judicial District Chief Judge William Bain.

Just to let them know if they see him that were looking for him and that he is in a potentially distressed situation, that they should be aware of that," Allen said. "There was never any threats to anybody.

That day, Allen sent an email to office staff connecting them with counseling services and informing them "there have been no threats made to any other individuals either in this office or anyone else."

But in an email to court officials, Judge Bain said Allen was concerned Lower could be "a significant danger to himself and possibly others."

Court Executive Scott Sosebee confirmed that officials believed there was a security threat after Lower went missing. Sosebee said it later turned into "concern for the individual.

A Colorado Springs police report said Lower "sent out an email to all employees of the District Attorneys Office. The email did not contain any threats to anyone but was believed to be a suicide note. The email was sent around 2:45 p.m. on Aug. 1, a Sunday. "I wrote this so those people that have expressed the same thought I have had could have a public voice, Lower wrote.

The email was primarily addressed to Allen, offering pointed criticism.

Lower's friend Hug pushed back.

"Most people generally like Mike Allen as a person and want to see him succeed, Hug said, adding that Lower was "on the extreme side of being upset with the office."

Allen said it was difficult to respond to the criticism of former employees, but that the demands of the job sometimes prevented him from checking on staff as often as he would like. With many staff members working from home during the pandemic, he said he would drop in on virtual meetings.

"What I have always made a point to do is to get out into the office and to talk to people," he said.

Gender-based issues

While Lower's letter did not specifically raise sex discrimination in the office as a concern, he did lament the demotion of Senior Deputy DA Donna Billek, whom he called the "trial attorney that we called out on the most tough and complex cases." Billek resigned after a demotion that came before the office hired Dave Young, a former DA for Adams and Broomfield counties, to a senior post.

Three female former deputy district attorneys who spoke to The Gazette said female attorneys in the office feel they are treated differently, but Allen said his record proves he's not sexist.

Raised by a single mother, Allen selected a woman, Martha McKinney, to be assistant district attorney, the second-highest position in the office. "She is as strong of a person as I know, and it has nothing to do with her gender," he said.

Other leadership positions in the office were also filled by women, he said. "Over 50% of the leadership in this office is women, he said.

The DA's website shows three women listed as executive staff alongside five men. Black, the DA spokesman, said the 50% figure Allen cited referred to the broader leadership structure of the office, which includes more supervisors and managers.

"The idea that I would engender an environment that women are not appreciated is complete nonsense, and it's offensive," Allen said.

The former female employee who was friends with the prosecutor who committed suicide in 2018 said she was surprised by the allegations of sexism because she did not experience any gender discrimination while at the office. She left the office before Allen took over as DA, but said, "He's such a good guy, and he's so kind."

"I did work with Mike on occasion, and I admired him," she said. "I think highly of Michael Allen."

Overworked and understaffed

The list of departures provided by spokesman Black indicated about 36 of the 54 employees, including attorneys, who departed this year are women.

The turnover is pushing less qualified deputies to move up to work in district court, and even on homicides, more quickly than normal, critics contend.

As more prosecutors leave the office, the caseload for those who remain on the job increases, creating more stress, the former prosecutors said. Some former employees called on Allen to mitigate the workload, and worried the issue was getting worse.

I think that morale has definitely gone down a little bit recently just because a lot of people have left and they cant really fill those positions," former Deputy DA Hug said. "The DAs office is perpetually understaffed, and with the recent people leaving, its become worse.

Another former prosecutor, Jimmy Litle, said he left the office largely because he was feeling burned out. One of the biggest reasons that I left was that I had a lot of cases on my plate, he said.

Litle, who had worked in the office since 2013 and left this summer, said he didn't have any hard feelings toward the office or Allen, his direct supervisor before becoming elected district attorney.

I think the world of Michael, he said.

The issues of stress and overwork are not unique to the judicial district, and they did not start when Allen took over as DA, sources said. Online job boards are packed with advertisements for open positions in DA's offices across the state, and former employees say the Colorado Springs office has almost never been fully staffed. The public defender's office is experiencing similar staffing issues, sources said.

At the 18th Judicial District, which includes Arapahoe and Douglas counties, 23 attorneys have departed since the start of the year, said DA John Kellner, who assumed the office's top spot in January. He said attorneys have departed his office for other opportunities as prosecutors, to enter private practice and to be closer to their families.

I think it is important to recognize if theres turnover after an election, it's not uncommon, Kellner said.

A natural turnover hits many DAs offices when younger lawyers leave to pursue private practice and bigger paychecks.

"I don't blame them for taking that option," Allen said. "It's part of their career progression and I cheer them on and will support them in that."

Prosecutors aren't leaving for other district attorney's offices, according to Allen, which he said was an issue for the office in the past.

Allen said the fiscally conservative politics of El Paso County makes coming up with more tax money difficult, compound staffing issues. A Republican and self-proclaimed fiscal conservative, Allen has still sought more money for his office. The district can't match the salaries of highly experienced DAs at other offices, he said, which makes retention of attorneys with five to 10 years of experience an issue.

The 4th Judicial District has less money than other large prosecutor's offices in the state, records show. Though the 4th Judicial District in the 2020 fiscal year processed more criminal filings than any judicial district in the state, the DA's office received significantly less funding than the Denver DA's office and the 18th Judicial District.

Im doing everything I can possibly to give people salaries to something that I think they deserve, but thats not just my call, Allen said. I dont get to raise taxes. Everything I get as far as budget comes from the county commissioners.

 Mental health help can be obtained by calling 573-7447, or the Colorado Crisis Service line, 844-493-8255, or text talk to 38255.
IRS plans for cracking cryptocurrency wallets

Over the past decade, the emergence and rapid adoption of cryptocurrencies have led many to hold their assets in cryptowallets, purpose-built software and devices that store the public and private cryptographic keys to track ownership of cryptocurrencies so users can send, receive and store digital currency.

While cryptocurrencies and wallets are legal, they are often used in ransomware attacks, where criminals demand payment in virtually untraceable Bitcoin. Even if a hardware cryptowallet -- one of the most secure wallet types that is often used for storing large amounts of cryptocurrency -- is submitted as evidence in a criminal investigation, law enforcement has no way to access the data if its owner is unwilling or unable to unlock the wallet.

Now, the IRS Criminal Investigation unit will be working to unlock cryptocurrency wallets so investigators can more easily track the movement of cryptocurrencies and potentially recover stolen assets and prevent theft of digital currency.

IRS will be working with VTO Inc., a Colorado-based firm specializing in device forensics, to research and develop techniques for gaining access to cryptowallets by exploiting hardware, software and firmware vulnerabilities that may exist in the secure devices.

The IRSs goal is to develop a body of research on cryptographic wallet exploitation, leveraging digital forensics for firmware analysis, hardware reverse engineering techniques and deconstruction of printed circuit boards and integrated circuit packages among others. It expects to build a consistent and repeatable process for gaining access to existing and future wallets that can be taught and followed in a digital forensics laboratory.

VTO will first be tasked with exploiting a single device type, or specific model, and showing how it can compromise the integrity of the cryptowallet protections and seize its contents. Once this practice can be applied consistently, VTO will work on exploiting a variety of wallets to identify trends in exploitation techniques and any variables that are consistent across different devices.

Through this work with VTO, the IRS will have device-specific acquisition/exploitation processes, guide, and training for each device topic for utilization in a digital forensics laboratory.

Read more about the project here.
Lavrov said that there is only one terrorist spott left in Syria, in Idlib, and there is no problem with fighting terrorism there.

Lavrov added that "our sites and the positions of the Syrian army are being attacked in the de-escalation zone, and we will not allow that."

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Russia supports the Taliban's determination to confront ISIS in Afghanistan.

Lavrov continued: "The hasty withdrawal of US and NATO forces from Afghanistan took place without thinking about its consequences, and there are still a lot of weapons."

(A)

ANHA
" " Protestors took part in a "Rise and Resist" demonstration in Times Square on Oct. 31, 2020, just before the upcoming U.S. presidential election. Erik McGregor/LightRocket via Getty Images

Ever had the feeling that you can't make sense of what's happening? One moment everything seems normal, then suddenly the frame shifts to reveal a world on fire, struggling with pandemic, recession, climate change and political upheaval.

That's "zozobra," the peculiar form of anxiety that comes from being unable to settle into a single point of view, leaving you with questions like: Is it a lovely autumn day, or an alarming moment of converging historical catastrophes?

On the eve of a general election in which the outcome  and aftermath  is unknown, it is a condition that many Americans may be experiencing.

As scholars ofthis phenomenon, we have noted how zozobra has spread in U.S. society in recent years, and we believe the insight of Mexican philosophers can be helpful to Americans during these tumultuous times.

Ever since the conquest and colonization of the valley of Mexico by Hernan Cortes, Mexicans have had to cope with wave after wave of profound social and spiritual disruption  wars, rebellions, revolution, corruption, dictatorship and now the threat of becoming a narco-state. Mexican philosophers have had more than 500 years of uncertainty to reflect on, and they have important lessons to share.

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Zozobra and the Wobbling of the World

The word "zozobra" is an ordinary Spanish term for "anxiety" but with connotations that call to mind the wobbling of a ship about to capsize. The term emerged as a key concept among Mexican intellectuals in the early 20th century to describe the sense of having no stable ground and feeling out of place in the world.

This feeling of zozobra is commonly experienced by people who visit or immigrate to a foreign country: the rhythms of life, the way people interact, everything just seems "off"  unfamiliar, disorienting and vaguely alienating.

According to the philosopher Emilio Uranga (1921-1988), the telltale sign of zozobra is wobbling and toggling between perspectives, being unable to relax into a single framework to make sense of things. As Uranga describes it in his 1952 book "Analysis of Mexican Being":

Zozobra refers to a mode of being that incessantly oscillates between two possibilities, between two affects, without knowing which one of those to depend on ... indiscriminately dismissing one extreme in favor of the other. In this to and fro the soul suffers, it feels torn and wounded.

What makes zozobra so difficult to address is that its source is intangible. It is a soul-sickness not caused by any personal failing, nor by any of the particular events that we can point to.

Instead, it comes from cracks in the frameworks of meaning that we rely on to make sense of our world  the shared understanding of what is real and who is trustworthy, what risks we face and how to meet them, what basic decency requires of us and what ideals our nation aspires to.

In the past, many people in the U.S. took these frameworks for granted  but no longer.

The gnawing sense of distress and disorientation many Americans are feeling is a sign that at some level, they now recognize just how necessary and fragile these structures are.

" " In times of crises, we need to lean on our friends and community for support. Tom Pennington/Getty Images

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The Need for Community

Another Mexican philosopher, Jorge Portilla (1918-1963), reminds us that these frameworks of meaning that hold our world together cannot be maintained by individuals alone. While each of us may find our own meaning in life, we do so against the backdrop of what Portilla described as a "horizon of understanding" that is maintained by our community. In everything we do, from making small talk to making big life choices, we depend on others to share a basic set of assumptions about the world. It's a fact that becomes painfully obvious when we suddenly find ourselves among people with very different assumptions.

In our book on the contemporary relevance of Portilla's philosophy, we point out that in the U.S., people increasingly have the sense that their neighbors and countrymen inhabit a different world. As social circles become smaller and more restricted, zozobra deepens.

In his 1949 essay, "Community, Greatness, and Misery in Mexican Life," Portilla identifies four signs that indicate when the feedback loop between zozobra and social disintegration has reached critical levels.

First, people in a disintegrating society become prone to self-doubt and reluctance to take action, despite how urgently action may be needed. Second, they become prone to cynicism and even corruption  not because they are immoral but because they genuinely do not experience a common good for which to sacrifice their personal interests. Third, they become prone to nostalgia, fantasizing about returning to a time when things made sense. In the case of America, this applies not only to those given to wearing MAGA caps; everyone can fall into this sense of longing for a previous age.

And finally, people become prone to a sense of profound vulnerability that gives rise to apocalyptic thinking. Portilla puts it this way:

We live always simultaneously entrenched in a human world and in a natural world, and if the human world denies us its accommodations to any extent, the natural world emerges with a force equal to the level of insecurity that textures our human connections.

In other words, when a society is disintegrating, fires, floods and tornadoes seem like harbingers of apocalypse.

" " Property owners across major U.S. cities are boarding up stores ahead of Election Day as local and state officials warn of violence across the country, something never seen before in the U.S. David Dee Delgado/Getty Images

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Coping With the Crisis

Naming the present crisis is a first step toward dealing with it. But then what is to be done?

Portilla suggests that national leaders can exacerbate or alleviate zozobra. When there is a coherent horizon of understanding at the national level  that is to say, when there is a shared sense of what is real and what matters  individuals have a stronger feeling of connection to the people around them and a sense that their society is in a better position to deal with the most pressing issues. With this solace, it is easier to return attention to one's own small circle of influence.

Uranga, for his part, suggests that zozobra actually unifies people in a common human condition. Many prefer to hide their suffering behind a happy facade or channel it into anger and blame. But Uranga insists that honest conversation about shared suffering is an opportunity to come together. Talking about zozobra provides something to commune over, something on which to base a love for one another, or at least sympathy.

Francisco Gallegosis an assistant professor of philosophy at Wake Forest University. Carlos Alberto Sanchez is a professor of philosophy at San Jose State University.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. You can find the original article here.
" " A pheromone trap is laid for a fly. Entomologists use pheromones as a lure for trapping insects that they intend to study. Schellhorn/ullstein bild via Getty Images

When they're ready to mate, silkworm moths emit special chemicals in hopes of drawing males to their location. Those chemicals are so powerful  and so magnetic  that male moths will travel up to 30 miles (48 kilometers) for a chance to mate, tracking the female with just a few precious molecules of her scent guiding his way. The intoxicating chemicals are called pheromones.

Pheromones are special chemicals produced and secreted by living creatures, in small amounts, for a variety of purposes. Organisms use them to signal something (danger, territory, readiness to mate and so on) to another member of their social group or species. Scientists have confirmed the importance of pheromones in the lifecycles of many creatures, from elephants to crustaceans, insects to fish.

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In many ways, pheromones are like hormones that act outside of the body. In fact, they bore the name ectohormones before researchers Peter Karlson and Martin Luscher proposed a new word in 1959, deriving the term "pheromone" from the Greek word pherein (to bear or transport) and hormone (to stimulate or excite). More simply put, it's a chemical way for creatures to transfer excitement from one to the other. Given the lengths that tiny moths will travel in response to just a tiny whiff of these chemicals, that excitement must be powerful indeed.

Pheromones produce two general categories of effects: releaser effects, which cause rapid behavioral changes, and primer effects, which prepare the body for a later behavioral change. Pheromones can also affect biological processes such as maturation [sources: Bryner].

What Good Are Pheromones?

Pheromones are found throughout the insect and vertebrate worlds, among crustaceans and even in plants. They play a particularly important role among certain social insects, such as ants and termites, which use a variety of pheromones to organize and direct the goings-on in their respective colonies. Even fungi, slime molds and algae use pheromones to attract one another for reproduction.

A few examples of pheromone uses include:

Ants laying a trail of scent pheromones to lead other colony members to a food source

Wounded minnows exuding a pheromone that causes the rest of the school to scatter

Mother rabbits producing a pheromone that triggers suckling in their pups

Insects releasing a pheromone into the air, signaling their readiness to copulate

Queen bees giving off a pheromone that inhibits ovarian development in other bees, eliminating competition

Organisms may distribute pheromones via a variety of mechanisms, including spraying them into the surrounding air or water or distributing them via urine. The chemicals linger for varying periods of time depending on their use. Danger signals disperse quickly, lest the recipients of the signal become overwhelmed by them or overly accustomed to them. Sexual signals persist longer to allow mates to locate the sender, but this also increases the danger of unwanted attention from parasites and predators. Marking signals, such as those used by animals to stake out territory or by egg-laying insects to warn others to lay their eggs elsewhere, last longer still.

Pheromones can be a powerful means of controlling behavior. Entomologists use them as a lure for trapping insects that they intend to study. Pheromones can also be employed to control undesirable populations by disrupting mating behaviors, preventing egg-laying and in general, introducing confusion.

To study pheromones, scientists must perform what's called a bioassay, using an experiment that tests whether a particular smell molecule induces a specific reaction in another creature. In the past, these experiments were exceedingly difficult in part because many organisms, like insects, release such minute amounts of pheromones during their lifecycles. Thanks to technological improvements, such as gas chromatography linked to mass spectrometry, researchers can more easily identify and confirm certain pheromones and their effects [source: Wyatt].

Pheromones and Sex

Given the importance of pheromones in the animal kingdom, it's easy to wonder how often human beings fall under pheromones' powerful spells. Perhaps, speculate scientists, these invisible chemicals play a major role in the way we choose our sex partners and long-term mates.

In humans, though, even after decades of research, scientists have yet to locate a genuine chemical in men or women that really seems to activate sexual interest. That's perhaps odd, particularly when animals that share a lot of our DNA clearly rely heavily on chemicals for reproduction. In primates, for example, higher levels of fatty acids in vaginal secretions, called copulins, make some females more desirable to males. So far, studies have not shown the same kind convincing effect on human males [source: Burriss].

Other studies have circled around androstenone, a body odor that seems to be strongest in men. Some scientists suspect androstenone boosts mood in women and potentially makes them more receptive to sex. It's certainly true in pigs  females who smell androstenone prepare for mating. So far, though, no one's been able to prove that the same kind of effect occurs in humans. The same goes for two internally generated steroids, androstadienone and estratetraenol, which some people tout as powerful human sex attractants  they've never been proven to have repeatable, demonstrable effects on attractiveness [sources: Mosher, Wyatt].

Much of human pheromone research has  perhaps for obvious reasons  fixated on sex pheromones. But there are plenty of other avenues for science to explore. One study in France, for example, found that women's nipple secretions prompted suckling from any newborn, not just her own [sources: Wyatt, Hadhazy].

Science's inconclusiveness regarding "love" pheromones hasn't stopped endless companies from trying to capitalize on specially formulated perfumes and colognes that are marketed as a way for men and women to attract romantic interest. A quick Internet search reveals a plethora of pheromone-enhanced products, sometimes with price tags double that of well-reviewed scents that aren't impregnated with any extra-special attraction molecules. They don't work. And not to further dash your hopes, but even if researchers do someday find a human pheromone that's specific to sexual attraction, it's very unlikely to have the kind of potent draw that female moths use to entice mates [source: Greenfieldboyce].

It could be that humans simply don't emit (or react to) pheromones quite the same way that other creatures do. Perhaps the level of pheromones is so low that the objects of our desire don't have senses strong enough to detect our chemical interests. Or perhaps thousands of years of civilization and cultural cues  from religious shame to, well, laws  have conditioned us to respond less to our base instincts and more to those of organized societies.

And if you want to kill the buzz of romance instead of kindle it? Take up crying as a hobby. One study demonstrated that the scent of women's tears didn't elicit empathy in men  instead, it turned them off, perhaps because on a primal level they realized that sex was likely not in the cards anytime soon [source: Everts].

The takeaway is that there are clearly some widespread chemical interactions happening within the animal kingdom, inspiring a vast array of interactions between creatures. By studying these more in greater detail, perhaps researchers will eventually begin to piece together a pheromone puzzle that helps us make sense of our own chemically driven behaviors, too.
1. Yes. There should be absolute certainty that the election was free and fair.

2. Yes. The audit could and should lead to stronger laws governing elections in the state.

3. No. Former President Trump wants the audit to further cast doubt on the 2020 vote.

4. No. Its a waste of money, an attempt by Abbott to gain favor among Trump backers.

5. Unsure. It seems unnecessary but it may provide some worthwhile findings.

Vote

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On an afternoon in early September, Carnegie Mellon University was busy with students even though it was raining outside.

The grounds of the school on Forbes Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, were different than they were in September 2020. Last year, the university was empty after COVID-19 restrictions kept most students home.

After a year with many students working from home, places to eat and study were once again filled with people  all wearing face coverings indoors.

Last September, Zac Manchester was in his first year as an assistant professor at the schools Robotics Institute. Carnegie Mellon is known for its science and technology programs.

Manchester came to Pennsylvania from Stanford University in California, where he taught aeronautics or flight science.

Manchester communicated through video links throughout the 2020-2021 school year with one of his former Stanford students. They worked on a project that developed a series of small satellites, known as CubeSats. The satellites each weigh about one kilogram.

Manchester watched as Max Holliday built the CubeSats in his kitchen in California. Manchester said Holliday was doing pretty heroic, insane things with trying to get the satellite stuff to fly.

The three-person team got the satellites ready so they could be included on a SpaceX rocket that launched from Cape Canaveral in Florida on January 24, 2021. Once in orbit, the satellites work together as a group to do things like take photos and communicate using radio signals.

Given the circumstances, we did a pretty good job of getting [the work] done, Manchester said.

Now, Manchester looks back on that time. Could the satellite project have gone better with more in-person testing? Yes. Did it work out well enough? Yes.

We built some satellites and got em into space with like a three-person team with one person doing almost all the hardware work from his kitchen. All things considered; I think we pulled off something that was pretty impressive that we got it to happen.

Now that he and his new students are working together in Pittsburgh, the first goal is to catch up on real world work.

Manchester and his students spent most of 2021 writing computer instructions and making computer-based predictions of how robots and drones move. These are called computer simulations. Now they have to find out if their predictions were correct by testing them with real robots in a laboratory.

Manchester said he is never surprised when robots faceplant or crash the first time out.

And this is known in the field as the sim-to-real gap. The simulators are cool, but they dont really reflect reality, ever. And theres always little extra gotchas when you try to do something in the real world.

Manchester said he and his students were able to get a lot of work done by video, even if some were working outside of the U.S. in their home countries.

By the summer, they completed most of the programming and simulation. By September, even his students who had been outside the U.S., were in Pittsburgh. That permits his lab to make a pretty big push into getting our stuff up and running on real hardware this fall, he said.

In the courtyard outside the Robotics Institute, Bart Duisterhof, a Ph.D. student from the Netherlands, talked with VOA about his goals. He wants to find a way to reduce the cost of robots so the average person can buy one and make life more like a sci-fi movie.

Sci-fi is short for science fiction, meaning imaginative movies or books about the future.

He once worked in aerospace but moved to Carnegie Mellon to learn more about computer science and robotics. Duisterhof also said he wants to test his ideas in the real world.

Because maybe were just designing something that only works in the simulator, and if we discover [that] 20 years from now, then thats a pretty big problem.

Evan Cohen is a masters student from Pittsburgh. He said he is excited about getting back to work in person because scientists often solve problems by accident. While video calls help people stay in touch, he said, they do not let scientists look around a lab and see what other people are working on. It is much better to be on campus, where students and professors can talk about their projects in buildings and at places to eat.

A lot of stuff, I think, is just working side-by-side with someone and something just kind of comes up out of nowhere. For me, thats some of the biggest breakthroughs Ive had. You get an idea you didnt have before.

Whats something like that?

Cohen explained that he and his classmates were trying to help a robot to sense barriers. When meeting by video, they could not fix the problem. However, when they met in person and started tinkering with the robot, it was easier to guess-and-check their ideas.

I had a whole year online, so Im glad to experience a semester in person, he said.

Im Dan Friedell.

Dan Friedell wrote this story for Learning English based on his reporting in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Mario Ritter, Jr. was the editor.

Do you remember a time when you solved a problem by working with a school mate in person? Tell us in the Comments Section and visit our Facebook page. Quiz - Carnegie Mellon Robotics Programs Return to In-person Work Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz __________________________________________________

Words in This Story

stuff  n. (informal) used to talk about things that you do not describe specifically

circumstances  n. (pl.) the way something happens; the specific details of an event

pulled off  v. (informal) to do something successfully

impressive  adj. worth giving attention to; notable

catch up on  n. to do something that you could have done earlier

drone  n. a kind of small aircraft that flies without a pilot

gap  n. a difference between two things or groups

cool  adj. (informal) approved of; appealing in a way that is generally approved of

gotcha  n. (informal) an unexpected problem or an unpleasant surprise

Ph.D. (doctorate degree)  n. the highest degree given by a university or college

masters (degree)  n. a degree that is given to a student by a college or university usually after one or two years of additional study following a bachelor's degree

tinker  v. to try to repair or improve something, such as a machine, by making small changes

semester  n. one of two usually 18-week periods that make up an academic year at a school or college


The United States Environmental Protection Agency has announced a new rule sharply limiting some gasses used in household machines.

The rule aims to reduce the use of hydrofluorocarbons, called HFCs, by 85 percent over the next 15 years. HFCs are industrial chemicals used in appliances like refrigerators and air conditioners. They also have other uses.

The Environmental Protection agency, or EPA, says the chemicals are greenhouse gasses. Such gasses trap heat in the Earths atmosphere. The EPA says HFCs are thousands of times more powerful than carbon dioxide in trapping heat.

The new rule is expected to take effect in late October. The EPA said in a statement that limiting the use of HFCs worldwide is expected to avoid up to .5 degrees Celsius of global warming by 2100.

Gina McCarthy is the National Climate Advisor. She told reporters recently that the rule really sends a signal to the rest of the world that we are all in on climate change.

The rule was announced about six weeks before the United Nations climate meeting in Glasgow, Scotland.

President Joe Biden has already issued an executive action aimed at climate change. Reports say he is expected to announce several climate measures through executive actions. Other climate proposals are in spending legislation being considered by Congress.

The EPA said the new rule is one of the most "consequential" in its effects on the climate. Along with other measures, the Biden administration said the rule can reduce 4.5 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide by 2050. That is equal to almost three years worth of gasses released by the U.S. power industry at 2019 levels. Environmental and business groups supported the new HFC rules.

The Biden administration said it is also creating an interagency group to reduce HFCs, including preventing the illegal trade, production, sale or use of the climate-damaging gases. The group led by the EPA and the Department of Homeland Security will punish violations of the law.

The EPA rule also creates a complex trading system that permits some use and trade of the chemicals.

The rule brings the U.S. in agreement with an amendment to the 1987 Montreal Protocol. That is an international treaty aimed at reducing chemicals that damage the Earths ozone, a layer of oxygen that blocks harmful solar radiation. The United States has not yet approved the amendment.

McCarthy said she does not know when Biden will send the amendment to the treaty to the Senate for approval.

Im Dan Novak

Valerie Volcovici reported this story for Reuters and Matthew Daly for The Associated Press. Dan Novak adapted it for VOA Learning English. Mario Ritter, Jr. was the editor.

_________________________________________________

Words in This Story

appliance  n. a machine, such as a refrigerator, stove or dishwasher, that is powered by electricity and that people use to do a job in their houses

consequential  adj. important; happening as a result of some earlier action
Vietnam is speeding up its COVID-19 vaccination program. The countrys government hopes the effort will permit officials to loosen coronavirus restrictions in major cities by the end of the month.

More than a million vaccine shots were given over the weekend in Hanoi. The capital city has been under a lockdown since July. About 5.5 million injections have been given in the country since vaccinations started in March, the Health Ministry said.

Hanois mayor, Chu Ngoc Anh, said Sunday, We have to speed up the vaccination program so we can make a plan to reopen the city.

More than half of Vietnam's 98 million people are under lockdown.

About 80 percent of the 5.7 million adults in Hanoi have received at least one shot. Officials aim to have 100 percent of the adult population at least partly vaccinated by the end of this week.

However, the countrys overall vaccination rate remains low at about 28 percent. Only 4 percent of the population has been fully vaccinated with both shots.

Vietnam was able to keep its infection rate generally low until April of this year. At that time, it had only 35 reported deaths from the virus. And last year, it was praised for keeping the virus under control.

But the delta variant of the virus has infected over 600,000 people and killed more than 15,000 in just four months. Vaccine shortages forced Vietnam to slow down its vaccination program

Ho Chi Minh City, the nations business center, is the most hard-hit area. Over 95 percent of adults there have received their first COVID-19 vaccine. But many people who need to come in for the second shot are not able to get it because of low supplies.

To help deal with the shortage, the countrys health officials have permitted combinations of different two-dose COVID-19 vaccines. Experts say this method is likely safe and effective, but researchers are still gathering data to be sure.

Vietnam is currently using AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Moderna and Sinopharm, a Chinese-made vaccine.

I'm Ashley Thompson.

The Associated Press reported this story. Ashley Thompson adapted it for VOA Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor.

_________________________________________________

Words in This Story

variant - n. something that is different in some way from others of the same kind
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani warned Saturday of a COVID-19 "fourth wave" as cases rise in certain areas of the Middle Eastern country hardest hit by the pandemic.

"This is a warning for all of us," Rouhani said in televised remarks.

He said some cities in the southwestern province of Khuzestan were now "red"the highest on Iran's colour-coded risk levelafter weeks of low alert levels across the country.

"This means the beginning of moving towards the fourth wave. We all have to be vigilant to prevent this," Rouhani added.

The country of more than 80 million people has lost close to 59,000 lives out of more than 1.5 million cases of COVID infection.

Iran has officially registered less than 7,000 daily infections since late December, but the number has crossed this level since early February.

Daily deaths have been below 100 as of early January, the lowest level since June.

Rouhani's remarks come a day after Iran received 100,000 doses of Russia's Sputnik V jab "ahead of schedule" on Friday, according to health ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour.

Iran started its vaccination campaign on Tuesday, with the first shipment arriving on February 4.

The Islamic republic has purchased a total of two million doses of the Russian vaccine, according to Jahanpour.

Health Minister Saeed Namaki has said Iran would also receive 4.2 million doses of the vaccine developed by Anglo-Swedish firm AstraZeneca and Oxford University, purchased via the international vaccine mechanism Covax.

Iran is also working on its own vaccine.

Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak

 2021 AFP
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Hospitals in the Syrian capital Damascus and the coastal province of Latakia have reached capacity due to rising coronavirus admissions, a health official said Sunday.

"We have started transferring COVID-19 patients from the province of Damascus to the (central) province of Homs, and from Latakia to the province of Tartus," Tawfiq Hasaba, a health ministry official, was quoted as saying by Syrian state TV.

The move came after "hospitals in these areas reached capacity because of a large spike in coronavirus cases," he added.

Syria on Saturday logged 442 new coronavirus infections in government-held areasa new daily record for a conflict-hit country that has documented more than 32,580 cases, including 2,198 deaths in regime controlled territory, since the start of its outbreak last year.

"It is the first time the number of cases reaches 400" in one day, Hasaba said, adding that the number of new infections was highest in Damascus, Aleppo and Latakia.

Coronavirus cases have been on the rise across Syria since mid-August, including in the northwest and northeast, large parts of which fall beyond government control.

According to the World Health Organization, only two percent of Syria's population has been at least partially vaccinated.

Syria's conflict has since 2011 killed nearly half a million people and ravaged a healthcare sector struggling to cope with a mass outflux of professionals.

Around 70 percent of the country's pre-war medical staff have left since the start of the war.

Explore further Syria announces first case of novel coronavirus

 2021 AFP
In this May 1, 2021, file photo, Maoula Jan, 52, receives his second dose of the Pfizer vaccine for coronavirus from volunteer Steve Kriss, at a vaccine center in the Swaminarayan School in Neasden, north London. Britain's Conservative government is hoping a combination of relatively high vaccination rates and common-sense behavior will keep a lid on coronavirus infections this fall and winter and avoid the need for restrictive measures. Credit: AP Photo/Matt Dunham, File

Britons are encouraged these daysthough in most cases not requiredto wear face coverings in crowded indoor spaces. But Prime Minister Boris Johnson regularly appears in the packed, poorly ventilated House of Commons cheek-by-jowl with other maskless Conservative lawmakers.

For critics, that image encapsulates the flaw in the government's strategy, which has abandoned most pandemic restrictions and is banking on voluntary restraint and a high vaccination rate to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

As winter approaches, bringing the threat of a new COVID-19 surge, Britain's light touch is setting it apart from more cautious nations.

"The story of this government in the pandemic is too little, too late," said Layla Moran, an opposition Liberal Democrat lawmaker who heads the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Coronavirus.

She said some U.K. hospitals are already seeing the number of virus patients in intensive care units that they would normally expect in the depths of winter, though overall daily hospital admissions are running at about a fifth of January's peak.

And while cases soared when restrictions were lifted this summer, deaths didn't follow at anywhere near the same pace. But the winter months, when respiratory diseases are usually at their highest, could bring an added challenge.

In this Sept. 7, 2021, file photo, provided by UK Parliament, Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks in the House of Commons, London. Britons are encouraged these daysthough in most cases not requiredto wear face coverings in crowded indoor spaces. But Johnson regularly appears in the packed, poorly ventilated House of Commons cheek-by-jowl with other maskless Conservative lawmakers. Credit: Jessica Taylor/UK Parliament via AP, File

"Unless the government starts to do something differently, I don't think we're going to be able to avert the worst this winter," Moran said.

The government argues that its plan is working so farand it can change course if needed.

Britain has recorded more than 135,000 coronavirus deaths, the highest toll in Europe after Russia and about the same number per capita as the United States. Yet it also has organized a successful inoculation campaign that has seen 65% of the whole population fully vaccinated.

That relatively high rate led Johnson's government to decide in July that it was safe to scrap restrictions on business activity and daily life: no more social distancing, limits on gatherings or masks required anywhere in England. Businesses can impose their own measures, but otherwise Johnson has encouraged people to "be sensible."

In contrast to many other European nationseven some with higher inoculation rates than the U.K.proof of vaccination is not required in England to eat in restaurants, attend mass events or enter crowded venues such as nightclubs. Scotland, which is part of the U.K. but sets its own health rules, is being more cautious, introducing vaccine passports for nightclubs and keeping mandatory masks indoors.

Pupils and teachers in England's schools don't have to wear face coverings, despite the objections of unions and public health officialsa contrast to European countries including France, Italy and Spain that have kept mask requirements for schools.

In this June 21, 2021, file photo, Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson, left watches as a woman receive her COVID-19 vaccine, as he visits a vaccination center at the StoneX Stadium, home of the rugby club Saracens, in North London. Britain's Conservative government is hoping a combination of relatively high vaccination rates and common-sense behavior will keep a lid on coronavirus infections this fall and winter and avoid the need for restrictive measures. Credit: AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali, Pool, File

While the U.S. has made vaccinations compulsory for millions of workers, Johnson's government requires proof of inoculation only for nursing home staff, and is considering it for health care workers.

Once the U.K. had some of Europe's strictest international travel rules, but it's easing quarantine and testing restrictions for many visitors starting next month.

The U.K. has often gone its own way during the pandemic. Health authorities gambled on a gap of two to three months between doses, rather than the three to four weeks recommended by vaccine makers, in order to speed the rollout. That paid off, with studies since suggesting the longer gap is at least as effective, and possibly more so.

Britain diverged from its peers again on the question of vaccinating kids. When the U.S., Canada and much of the European Union extended inoculations to children between 12 and 15, the U.K. held off, saying the health benefit to kids was marginal. Then Britain decided to vaccinate that age group after allbut initially with a single dose, rather than the usual two.

Britain has also gone further than most nations in giving vaccine booster shots, offering a third dose to everyone over 50. That puts it at odds with the World Health Organization, which has strongly objected to rich nations giving a third round of shots when poor countries don't have enough vaccines for their first. In the U.S., authorities endorsed booster shots for millions of older or otherwise vulnerable Americans.

Johnson's government is counting on vaccines to do the heavy lifting against the virus, supplemented by voluntary "common sense" behavior.

In this Sept. 3, 2021, file photo, year 7 students arrive back at Great Academy Ashton in Manchester as schools reopen after the summer holidays, Ashton-Under-Lyne, England. Pupils and teachers in England's schools don't have to wear face coverings, despite the objections of unions and public health officialsa contrast to European countries including France, Italy and Spain that have kept mask requirements for schools. Credit: AP Photo/Jon Super, File

But after an exceptionally long and strict lockdown earlier this year, it's not clear Britons will freely choose any virus-prevention measures they're not forced to take. When restrictions were initially lifted, just under two-thirds of people said they planned to keep wearing masks in shops and on public transport. Now the number of people wearing coverings has declined sharply on the London Underground, which requires but barely enforces mask use.

Critics say the government has failed to learn from experience and seems to be fueled by optimism rather than evidence.

Stephen Reicher, a University of St. Andrews psychology professor who helps advise the government, recalled that a year ago, Johnson's team was slow to act when scientific advisers recommended a short "circuit-breaker" lockdown to curb fast-rising coronavirus cases.

"As always happens if you wait and things get out of control, you have to impose greater restrictions, which is why we had a non-Christmas and such an awful winter and spring" spent in lockdown, he told Sky News.

Moran, the opposition lawmaker, and other critics argue that moderate measures, such as better ventilation in schools and masks indoors, could avert the need for stringent restrictions this winter.

But the government notes that scientists' most pessimistic predictions, which said cases could rise to 100,000 a day by the time schools reopened in September, haven't come true.

In this Aug. 27, 2020, file photo, Layla Moran candidate for the new Liberal Democrat Leadership arrives for the announcement in London. Britain's Conservative government is hoping a combination of relatively high vaccination rates and common-sense behavior will keep a lid on coronavirus infections this fall and winter and avoid the need for restrictive measures."The story of this government in the pandemic is too little, too late," Moran said. Credit: AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File

The U.K. is now averaging about 140 deaths dailyjust over one-tenth of what it saw at the peakand 30,000 new infections a day.

Johnson said restrictions such as mandatory masks and work-from-home orders could be reimposed if hospitalizations surge. But he hoped it wouldn't be needed.

"The result of this vaccination campaign is that we have one of the most free societies and one of the most open economies in Europe," he said. "And that's why we are now sticking with our strategy."

Standing beside him at a news conference, Chief Scientific Adviser Patrick Vallance applied the brakes. He said the lesson of the pandemic was that "when you make a move, you have to go earlier than you think you want to, you need to go harder than you think you want to."

"So if this goes in the wrong direction  it's important that the measures are put in place early enough and they're significant enough," he said.

Explore further UK approves vaccines for 12-15s, aims to avoid lockdowns

 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Huawei Technologies Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou waves upon arriving from Canada at Shenzhen Baoan International Airport, in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, China on Sept. 25, 2021.
D.L. Perez Elementary School second-grade teacher Elizabeth Taijeron sets up an interactive whiteboard on Aug. 12 as she makes final classroom preparations for the first day of school.
Eskom tender documents show that the same businessman owned stakes in two different oil suppliers, reports the Sunday Times.

FFS Refiners and Kepu Trading are part-owned by businessman Mkhuseli Faku, and earned nearly R5 billion from Eskom between October 2018 and March 2021.

An Eskom insider told Sunday Times that this would usually automatically disqualify both companies from bidding, but Faku says that assertions that the companies colluded are slanderous.

There is no law prohibiting the ownership of shares in various companies or serving as a director on the boards of various companies, said Faku.

This is true even for companies that are competitors or potential competitors of one another as long as adequate protection mechanisms are in place to safeguard the exchange of information, including competitively sensitive information.

Faku said he had not declared his interest in FFS to Eskom because it had not been asked of him when Eskom approached Kepu Trading for emergency oil last year.

Eskom spokesperson Sikonathi Mantshantsha said FFS Refiners CEO Andrew Canning reported the matter to Eskom two weeks ago, and told Eskom the company had only become aware of Fakus relationship with Kepu Trading in July.

Proper disclosure is key in Eskoms procurement guidelines, and all the prospective tenderers are aware of this key governance principle, said Mantshantsha.

Given the new developments, Eskom will conduct its own investigations into all the aspects of this matter and take appropriate action against any party that may have contravened any of the governance principles.

Mining companies plan a future without Eskom

Eskoms woes extend far beyond dodgy tenders, which is why mining companies are considering spending up to R40 billion to develop power generation capacity that would reduce their reliance on Eskom.

This follows President Cyril Ramaphosas announcement earlier this year that plants providing up to 100MW of power capacity can be constructed without generation licenses.

Roger Baxter, CEO of Minerals Council South Africa, said the mining industry could construct up to 2,000MW of power generation capacity to keep their systems running.

This would be a game-changer for South Africa going forward, said Baxter in a webinar earlier this month.

Mining companies also need to pay more attention to climate issues, meaning the construction of non-coal power plants is even more important to them.

Unless South Africa changes its energy mix, its not going to sell its products, said Sibanye Stillwater CEO Neal Froneman.

The country has no option. It will be excluded from the rest of the world if we dont transition in the right way.

Coal plants are not just bad for the environment, however. South Africas older coal-powered stations are at risk of crippling issues that could exacerbate load-shedding.

For example, one of Eskoms largest power plants, Kendal, suffered a major fire earlier this month.

Upon initial investigation, it was determined that the generator transformer had caught fire, explained Eskom.

The fire damaged the cables to the main cooling water system on the west side of the power station.

Situations like these place an even greater load on the national grid than is already the case.
In addition to COVID-19 vaccines, the Mobile Health Unit will be providing free flu shots for anyone two or older at all their vaccine clinics. The most up-to-date schedule for vaccine clinics is available on shhfoundation.org or the St. Helena Hospital Foundation Facebook page.

"We are pleased to be restarting our vaccine clinics at the Upper Valley Campus to ensure our community is protected from COVID-19. It is important that everyone who is eligible is fully vaccinated to help stop the spread of the virus in our area. We are grateful to our community for supporting these vaccination efforts," said St. Helena Hospital Foundation President and CEO Glen Newhart.

Napa County is also partnering with the St. Helena Hospital Foundation to provide Flu and COVID-19 vaccines at eight locations throughout the county, including Calistoga, St. Helena, Yountville, Napa and American Canyon. No appointment is necessary and vaccines are provided at no cost.

For a complete schedule visit: countyofnapa.org/518/immunizations or call (707) 253- 4270.
The Bulgheroni family purchased Bounty Hunter, the business. And shortly thereafter they cleared the site at First and Main to build a building, Johnson said. Long story short, they chose not to move the Bounty Hunter restaurant and not leave that building. And then I met the family in the past year and have started working with them.

A non-Bounty Hunter restaurant will still be planned to occupy the ground floor of the building, Johnson said. The social club, Johnson added, will occupy the upper three floors of the building and offer an experience similar to Founders Den.

What were looking for is a place where, during the day, people can take business meetings and they can work and hang out with their laptops, Johnson said.  A place that, in the evening, becomes more of a social environment  with a bar and food and is just a fun place to spend time with friends or business associates.

Johnson added that the idea for the social club was largely driven by him. Carlos Hartmann, Vice President of Tuscany Building LLC, said company leadership had been going back and forth on different solutions for the property, but the process had been delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic and fires in Napa. Then, a few months ago, Jason came along with the idea for the social club.
PG&E CEO Patti Poppe said failing to prevent the fire was not a crime.

This was a tragedy, four people died. And my coworkers are working so hard to prevent fires and the catastrophic losses that come with them. They have dedicated their careers to it, criminalizing their judgment is not right, Poppe said in a statement.

The wind-whipped Zogg Fire began on Sept. 27, 2020, and raged through rugged terrain and small communities west of Redding, killing four people, burning about 200 homes and blackening about 87 square miles (225 square kilometers) of land. Three of the victims died as they tried to outrun the blaze and were found inside or near their vehicles. A fourth victim died at a hospital.

In March, state fire investigators concluded that the blaze was sparked by a gray pine tree that fell onto a PG&E distribution line. Shasta and Tehama counties have sued the utility alleging negligence, saying PG&E had failed to remove the tree even though it had been marked for removal two years earlier. The utility says the tree was subsequently cleared to stay.
The Palo Alto woman also is being investigated to see if she's started other fires in Shasta County and throughout the state, Bridgett said. It wasnt immediately known if she has an attorney who could speak on her behalf.

The Fawn Fire has charred nearly 12 square miles (31 square kilometers) of heavy timber and was 10% contained, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

Nearly 2,000 residents were under mandatory evacuation orders and an additional 7,400 were warned to be ready to leave if necessary, the California Highway Patrol said.

It's the latest destructive blaze to send Californians fleeing this year. Fires have burned more than 3,600 square miles (9,324 square kilometers) so far in 2021, destroying more than 3,200 homes, commercial properties and other structures.

Those fires include a pair of big forest blazes that have been burning for more than two weeks in the heart of giant sequoia country on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada. More than 1,700 firefighters battled the KNP Complex Fires, which covered nearly 66 square miles (171 square kilometers) by Saturday.
What do I really know about American Canyon other than what I read in the papers and the snide comments you sometimes hear from people living further north?

Despite my near half-century living in the city of Napa, my answer is not much. Except for the once or twice Ive dropped into a Starbucks, Ive hardly set foot there.

AmCan is a town I cruise through  or rather, inch my way through if Im traveling on 29 during peak traffic.

It carries the stigma of not being truly wine country, of not being one of the countys historic cities, of being too adjacent to Vallejo, a place with more than its share of urban woes.

I got assigned to spend six days earlier this month as an election worker at the American Canyon Vote Center. I reported for duty as might a foreign correspondent facing the big unknown.

The center was at the Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites. My fellow election workers and I bunched up in the Cabernet conference room, next to the patio, the swimming pool and roar of highway traffic.

To Napa snobs, Ill admit that the Holiday Inn Express was not as fancy as their Archer or Westin. Limos did not come and go all day, picking up guests for winery visits.
Its unclear whether Congress will pass guidelines protecting the presidency from financial predators of any party, but Mnuchins new fund is a reminder that its time to strengthen rules governing the financial activities of former Treasury secretaries, too. The Treasury Department has an in-house unit that monitors compliance with ethics guidelines, and agency officials also have to file disclosure reports with the Office of Government Ethics. But when employees leave the agency they are left to their own devices.

Some of this is common sense: People need to make a living. But when former officials join companies they once regulated, it raises questions about how accommodating they might have been in their old jobs. Such questions arose, for example, when former Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, an Obama administration official, went to work on Wall Street after helping banks he regulated navigate the 2008 financial crisis. Geithner didnt violate any rules, but his move looked bad.
The Armenian authorities have turned detention into a punitive mechanism against the opposition. This is what secretary of the Armenia parliamentary faction of the National Assembly of Armenia Artsvik Minasyan said during todays parliamentary discussion on the report on the activities of the Central Electoral Commission.

According to him, the authorities were detaining village heads and mayors just because they had provided assistance to needy citizens before the elections which was eventually interpreted as an attempt of corruption.

At the same time, the regional governors appointed by the authorities were doing the same thing, but nobody thought about accusing them of anything. Besides this, law-enforcement authorities didnt reprimand the actions of deputies and ministers of the ruling party, the campaign visit of Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan to Syunik Province for which the government used resources, as well as several actions of ministers and parliamentarians. Our two deputies  Mkhitar Zakaryan and Armen Charchyan  are under arrest, and none of the deputies representing the incumbent authorities doesnt even want to submit an inquiry to specify the health condition of Charchyan which has sharply deteriorated, the opposition MP stressed, adding that none of the government officials having potentially committed violations has been punished.

Moreover, in many cases, opposition figures are detained, but its not clear whether the detention is truly proportionate to the alleged violations or whether they are the authorities repressive methods, Minasyan said.
Launch of Armenian Studies Program announced during Armenia President's visit to Sapienza University

Will Turks be able to enter 26 countries of Schengen Area without visas?

Dinner served in honor of Armenia President and his wife in Italy

Armenian parliamentary standing committee chairman meets with Russia Ambassador

Armenia Ombudsman submits to Pope Francis reports on tortures of Armenian POWs in Azerbaijan

Customs Attache: There hasn't been and there is no bias against Armenian drivers at Upper Lars checkpoint

Greece-France defense agreement will allow them to help each other in case of third country's attack

Turkish FM: Turkey's position on supporting Ukraine's "integrity and sovereignty" remains unchanged

Russian peacekeeping forces, charitable organizations provide assistance to boarding school in Karabakh

Zakharova: Moscow proceeds from priority to ensure geopolitical stability in South Caucasus

Armenia President pays tribute at Altar of the Homeland monument at Venice Square in Rome

Turkey, Iran to hold political consultations

Karabakh FM expresses condolences over death of Vigen Chitechyan

Armenia territorial administration and infrastructure minister has new deputy

Armenia Deputy PM Mher Grigoryan receives US Ambassador

Armenia Security Council Secretary, Netherlands Ambassador attach importance to fight against corruption

Digest: Armenian POW returned from Azerbaijan, PACE speaks on mandatory COVID-19 vaccination risks

Armenia and Italy are deepening cooperation in justice sector

Apprehended ARF-D members are released

Armenia high-tech industry minister receives Russia Ambassador

Armenia Embassy in Russia hosts delegation led by Armenian parliamentary speaker

Decisions to arrest Armenia ex-defense minister, arms supplier are appealed

Dollar continues going down in Armenia

Artsakh President to Putin: Your role in process of peaceful, final settlement of Karabakh conflict is invaluable

Amir-Abdollahian: We consider inadmissible Zionist regime provocative movement in our region from Azerbaijan territory

Iran FM announces readiness to visit Armenia, Azerbaijan

US ambassador to Armenia attends unveiling of new x-ray machine donated to Ashtarak city hospital (PHOTOS)

Putin: Russia attaches great importance to close cooperation with strategic ally Armenia

Police disrupt ARF youths protest outside Armenia government building

Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople meets with the Pope, in the Vatican

UK envoy to Armenia does not comment on Armenian-Azerbaijani relations, Karabakh situation

Iran Supreme Leaders representative leaves Azerbaijan

Armenias Pashinyan to Russias Putin: We are grateful for your efforts to establish peace in South Caucasus

Putin, Aliyev confer on situation in South Caucasus

Putin, Erdogan discuss regional issues

4 new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

PACE new resolution urges to ensure that COVID-19 vaccination is not mandatory

Zelensky sacks Ukraine ambassador to Armenia

PM: Armenia, Armenian people are grateful to Japan

Armenia PM: We have made decision regarding local elections

Armenia, Italy presidents farewell ceremony held in Rome (PHOTOS)

Sarkissian to Putin: Armenia highly values your contribution to maintenance of peace, stability in region

Having legal system is important for business development in fair environment, says UK ambassador to Armenia

Armenia President, Italy PM meeting in Rome (PHOTOS)

Baku not ruling out another meeting between Armenia, Azerbaijan FMs

Armenia President meets with Rome mayor

1,309 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Biden approval rating hits new low in latest poll

Armenia ombudsman in Italy parliament, presents evidence of Azerbaijan torture of Armenian captives

World oil prices dropping

Serial killer in US lured by social media is sentenced to 160 years in prison

Newspaper: Armenia authorities face new problems in setting up parliament committee of inquiry into 44-day war

Newspaper: Opposition Armenia bloc plans to hold forums, rally

Armenia PM admits that in 2018 he could have disclosed Karabakh negotiation process content

Armenia health minister: Out of 2,446 hospital beds for coronavirus patients, 2,300 are occupied

China-Taiwan military escalation reaches peak in past four decades

Armenia President: We welcome pro-Artsakh documents adopted by nearly 50 regional and city councils of Italy

Armen Sarkissian meets with President of Italian Senate

Nikol Pashinyan: Armenia to build new nuclear power plant, negotiations have been launched

Italy's Quirinal Palace hosts exhibition featuring works of Aivazovsky, Saryan and other Armenian painters

Armen Sarkissian meets with President of Italy's Chamber of Deputies Roberto Fico

Catholicos of All Armenians meets with Pope Francis at the Vatican

Armenia ex-Ambassador to The Netherlands Vigen Chitechyan dies

Armenia PM again says he is guilty for all the failures of the Armenian side during last year's war

FM: Discussion on occupied territories of former NKAO will create new threats to Armenia

Karabakh emergency situations service: Rescue squad finds remains of another Armenian soldier in Jrakan

Mattarella: Armenia and Italy can boast about their friendly relations

Nikol Pashinyan: Armenia agreed to stop the hostilities on October 7, 2020

Iran, EEU begin talks to reach agreement over permanent treaty on free trade zone

An abundant TechnoFall with Inecobank - NFC payments and more

Armenia FM says his Indian counterpart will visit Yerevan in the next few days

Deputy PM: A comprehensive study of documents agreed by Armenian and Azerbaijani is necessary

Digest: Azerbaijan using Armenia's airspace, Baku says it's ready to mend relations with Yerevan

Health minister: All coronavirus vaccines in Armenia meet quality standards

Armenia health minister: Those who recovered from COVID-19 also need to get vaccinated

Armenia Deputy PM announces name of another POW returned from Azerbaijan

Armenia and Italy Presidents hold personal talks at Quirinal Palace

Armenian FM: MFA welcomes Iran's stance on inviolability of Armenia's borders

EU ready to share experience with Azerbaijan and Armenia in borders demarcation and delimitation

Dollar dropping in Armenia

Lavrov: Russia, Iran discussed 3 + 3 format concept with Turkey, Caucasus countries participation

Hossein Amir-Abdollahian: Iran won't accept geopolitical changes in the Caucasus

Armenia Ambassador meets with Iranian Deputy FM

Armenia Parliament Speaker visits Armenian church of Russia and New Nakhijevan Diocese

Armenia to host event with companies having made investments worth over $2,000,000,000

Aliyev announces start of process of opening communications with Armenia

Civil Aviation Committee confirms Baku-Nakhchivan flight through Armenia airspace Wednesday

Armenia government programs under EU assistance package are discussed

Azerbaijan lodges complaint with ECHR for review of case of assassination attempt against Lapshin

Armenian MP also on list of Erdogan's petition to strip several Turkey lawmakers of parliamentary immunity

Armenia Deputy PM Suren Papikyan has new advisor

Armenia State Revenue Committee chief has new deputy

Italy President to Armen Sarkissian: OSCE Minsk Group is the format for sustainable and peaceful solution

Armenia ombudsman emphasizes to Vatican Secretary of State urgency of returning Armenian captives in Azerbaijan

Aliyev: Azerbaijan is ready to launch negotiations with Armenia for normalization of relations

Armenia Parliament Speaker meets with Russian State Duma chairman

Ruling faction MP: Armenia airspace has never been closed to Azerbaijan civilian air transportation

New France ambassador visits Armenian Genocide Memorial in Yerevan

Opposition MP: Not only is there no security system in Armenia but there is no one who wants to maintain that system

Not first time that reports are made on opening of Armenia airspace to Azerbaijan
Aliyev, guided by the principle the best defense is an attack, accused Armenia of everything that directly relates to the own crimes of the Baku regime, Bright Armenia party leader Edmon Marukyan wrote on his Facebook.

His statement came as follows:

My response to the speech of Ilham Aliyev at the 76th session of the UN General Assembly

In 1939, in his speech at the Canadian Club, Winston Churchill loudly declared: "The whole world is now looking at us because we are upholding universal human values." It was these words that burst into my memory when I heard the speech of another tyrant who came to our world from neighboring Azerbaijan.

Yes, today the whole world is looking at a small island of freedom named Armenia, which fights modern fascism almost alone - the brown plague of the 21st century, expressed in the face of the revived pan-Turkist authoritarian regimes of Baku and Ankara, which, for the sake of their narrow clan-corrupt goals, are eager to break peace and stability not only in the region, but throughout the whole world.

Aliyev, guided by the principle the best defense is an attack, accused Armenia of everything that directly relates to the own crimes of the Baku regime. However, as great Dostoevsky wrote: There is a line in all things that is dangerous to cross; for it is impossible to return once you have crossed it." Aliyev's regime crossed this line by creating a state that sponsors terrorism, a state that is a war criminal, a state that is an aggressor, and a state that is a threat to international peace and stability.

No matter how well in his speech Aliyev Jr. tries to present the country built by his family as part of the progressive world community - Azerbaijan continues to occupy 129th place by the rate of corruption, one of the first places by the rate of shadow economy, continues to remain in the group of authoritarian states, falling every year in the index of democracy and the freedom of the press, as well as constantly getting into reports of international organizations for human rights violations.

No matter how Aliyev tried to divert the attention of the world community from the crimes against humanity, devoting most of his speech to joint international development, the diplomatic activities of the Baku regime are forever tainted by "caviar" corruption, having ISIS-type military machine behind its shoulders.

I will only mention a few facts on the basis of which an international investigation should be carried out and international sanctions imposed on the criminal regime in Baku.

Large-scale aggression against Artsakh and Armenia, which completely destroyed peace negotiations, peace and stability in the region. Multiple violations of the fundamental articles of the UN Charter. War crimes committed both in the April war of 2016 and during the 44-day war in 2020 against the peaceful Armenian population of Artsakh, and Armenian prisoners of war. The use of prohibited weapons during the 44-day war of 2020 (including cluster bombs and elements of chemical weapons), the bombing of peaceful settlements, schools and hospitals. Transfer and use of terrorists from Syria in military offense. Destruction and Azerbajanization of the Armenian cultural heritage. Illegal blockade against Artsakh and Armenia, which is aimed at de-Armenianization of the historical area of residence of Armenians. Incitement of hatred against Armenians both inside Azerbaijan (including among children) and outside, which in fact is a continuation of the genocidal policy of Ottoman Turkey. Constant encroachment on the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Armenia, expressed in aggressive rhetoric, substitution of historical truth, propaganda of hatred, as well as in direct hostilities and violations of the sovereign borders of the Republic of Armenia. Opening of the "Park of Trophies" in Baku, the main symbol of instilling hatred towards Armenians in Azerbaijan. Detention of prisoners of war, including civilians, torture and murder. Desecration of the bodies of killed servicemen and civilians.

And this lengthy list of crimes can be continued for a long time, even without taking into account the constant silence of official Baku regarding the root causes of the Karabagh conflict, namely the genocidal policy of pogroms against the Armenian population of the Azerbaijan SSR at the end of the 20th century. The international community cannot forget the pogroms in Baku and Sumgait, as well as the Operation Koltso.

I would also like to emphasize the passion with which the war criminal Aliyev tries to portray Armenia with a negative image, as if hiding from punishment for crimes. Constant attempts to touch the Armenian national hero Nzhdeh cannot be crowned with success, because the whole world knows history better than Aliyev Jr. I think that the Russian people especially remember the merits of Nzhdeh.

As an officer of the Russian Imperial Army, Garegin Nzhdeh was awarded the Imperial Order of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostolic Prince Vladimir, the Imperial Order of St. Anna, twice the St. George Cross and the Order of St. Stanislav. All these awards were given to the hero for brave battles against fascism of young-turks.

The Baku regime should know that the history has repeatedly shown the fate of tyrants who, inspired by the victories and silence of the international community, lost the perception of permissible boundaries. So, this story, as the great Klyuchevsky said, does not teach anything, but only punishes for ignorance of the lessons.
Kennesaw States country study program to spotlight Greece

KENNESAW, Ga. (Sep 9, 2021)  Kennesaw State Universitys Annual Country Study Program returns in 2021-2022 with a yearlong celebration of Greeces culture and history.

A staple of KSUs Division of Global Affairs, the program spotlights a country or region with a variety of activities and events to enhance awareness, interest and understanding of the world. The Year of Greece schedule includes a grand opening celebration, scholarly presentations, panel discussions and a two-day symposium on Greek history and culture.

Kennesaw States faculty demonstrate tremendous dedication to providing international education inside and outside of the classroom, and the Annual Country Study Program is an important component of that, said Sheb True, interim associate vice provost for the Division of Global Affairs. We want to continue to broaden the experiences and opportunities that prepare students to succeed in todays increasingly global environment.

Coinciding with the bicentennial of Greeces independence, KSUs Year of Greece will have its grand opening on Sept. 15 at The Commons dining hall on the Kennesaw Campus. Free Year of Greece T-shirts will be given out and The Commons will serve Greek dishes along with an accompanying description of the food and its historical connection to Greece.

The many Year of Greece events also will include:

The Paradox of Freedom, Oct. 14  Discussion by noted Harvard anthropologist Michael Herzfeld on the cultural and political tools utilized during the Greek War of Independence

Greek Economy and Sustainability Models, Oct. 21  Panel discussion on Greek and Greek-American contributions to business

Opera Scenes from Greek Mythology, Nov. 11  Pre-recorded recital of students performing opera scenes from Greek mythology, followed by a discussion of Greek mythologys role in opera

First spring semester event, Jan. 10-15  Stingers dining hall on the Marietta Campus will feature Greek food along with Greek-themed art

Greek Businesses in Atlanta, Feb. 17  Discussion of Greeces impact on the restaurant business in Atlanta, with Greek food provided by Atlanta-area restaurants

Greek history and culture symposium, March 23-24  Activities, poster presentations and panels featuring national scholars as well as KSU faculty and students discussing their research

The extensive Year of Greece program draws upon the knowledge and expertise of faculty, staff and students, as well as the large Greek-American community that we have in metro Atlanta, said Todd Harper, the Division of Global Affairs faculty fellow for the Annual Country Study Program. This is a wonderful opportunity to engage all of us.

 Paul Floeckher

Related Stories

A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its nearly 43,000 students. With 11 colleges on two metro Atlanta campuses, Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia. The universitys vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 6 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.
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US space agency NASA is planning to advance its technology by adding Blockchain to secure air traffic services and support, the media reported.

The agency will work with an open source Blockchain platform called "Hyperledger Fabric" that is specifically designed for enterprise transactions that resemble typical air traffic management interactions, Ronald J. Reisman, an aero-computer engineer at the NASA Ames Research Centre, said in a statement.

Blockchain would address the potential issues of privacy, prevent spoofing, denial of service and other attacks, Reisman said.

He asserted that Blockchain presents an engineering prototype that embodies a design and method that may be applied to mitigate security issues.

"The design innovation is the use of an open source permissioned Blockchain framework to enable aircraft privacy and anonymity while providing a secure and efficient method for communication with air traffic services, operations support, or other authorised entities," he noted.

The new framework also features certificate authority, smart contract support, and higher-bandwidth communication channels for private information that may be used for secure communication between any specific aircraft and any particular authorised member.

The prototype demonstrates how this method can be economically and rapidly deployed in a scalable modular environment, Reisman said.

Read More news:

LG joins Microsoft to accelerate autonomous vehicles business

'AI in activity trackers, smartwatches threatening privacy of health data'
Amtrak joined federal safety officials Sunday to investigate a Montana train derailment that left at least three people dead, seven people hospitalized and rural communities scrambling to provide food and shelter to the stunned survivors.

The westbound Empire Builder train with 141 passengers and 17 crew members derailed Saturday afternoon near Joplin, a town of less than 200 people a few miles from the Canadian border in Liberty County. The tragedy occurred as Amtrak was closing out its nationwide, annual Rail Safety Week.

"The NTSB is launching a go-team to investigate Saturdays derailment of Amtraks Empire Builder train," the National Transportation Safety Board said on Twitter, adding that the team would be based in Great Falls, Montana.

The 14-member team includes investigators and specialists in railroad signals, NTSB spokesman Eric Weiss said. He said the derailment involved no other trains or equipment. The train included 10 railroad cars and two locomotives, he said.

Amtrak CEO Bill Flynn expressed condolences to the victims and said the company is working with the NTSB, Federal Railroad Administration and local law enforcement, sharing their sense of urgency to determine what happened.

However, until the investigation is complete, we will not comment further on the accident itself, Flynn said in the statement. The NTSB will identify the cause or causes of this accident, and Amtrak commits to taking appropriate actions to prevent a similar accident in the future.

Aerial views of the Seattle-bound train from Chicago showed at least seven derailed cars, three of them lying on their sides.

People work at the scene of an Amtrak train derailment on Sept. 25 in north-central Montana.

"We are deeply saddened to learn local authorities are now confirming that three people have lost their lives as a result of this accident," Amtrak said in a statement. "We have a team on the ground to fully support the NTSB as they investigate the cause of the derailment."

Megan Vandervest, a passenger on the train, tweeted in the moments after the wreck that she was not injured.

Story continues

"Everyone in our party is okay. Unsure (of) the status of everyone on the train," she said on Twitter. "Were currently waiting to be bussed away from the scene."

She thanked everyone who reached out with kind words, saying, "We feel very lucky to be alive."

Residents of communities near the crash site quickly mobilized to help.

Chester Councilwoman Rachel Ghekiere said she and others helped about 50 to 60 passengers who were brought to a school.

I went to the school and assisted with water, food, wiping dirt off faces, she said. They appeared to be tired, shaken but happy that they were where they were. Some looked more disheveled than others, depending where they were on the train.

Jesse Anderson, who owns the motel and adjoining convenience store, talked to a couple of passengers on the doomed train, passengers who are now leery of ever traveling by rail again.

"One couple said they were experiencing a very rough ride," Anderson said, adding that the Michigan couple travels Amtrak a couple of times a year to see their son in Seattle, the train's final destination.

"They were noticing that it wasn't a very smooth ride."

To mark Rail Safety Week, which ran from Sept. 20 until Sunday, Amtrak had announced that nearly 500 police and sheriffs departments across 43 states and the District of Columbia were joining its own Police Department and an organization called Operation Lifesaver to conduct Operation Clear Track.

The fifth annual event aimed at enforcing state grade crossing and trespassing laws while raising awareness on the importance of making "safe choices near railroad tracks and crossings." Operation Clear Track was created to help reduce the approximately 2,000 serious injuries and deaths that occur each year on the nations railroad tracks, Amtrak said.

Contributing: Lee Vernoy, Great Falls Tribune; The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Amtrak derailment in Montana: Investigators probe fatal accident
A reproductive rights rally on Sept. 1 in Brooklyn, N.Y. (Michael M. Santiago / Getty Images)

In November 2017, a third-year Texas law student named Brittany Fowler, who was in a monogamous relationship and on oral contraceptives, discovered she was pregnant.

She later learned that an antibiotic she had been prescribed for an unrelated infection had caused her oral contraception to fail.

My doctor, she wrote in a friend-of-the-court brief filed with the U.S. Supreme Court this month, didn't warn me that the antibiotic might interfere with my birth control, and it didnt occur to me that it might be a consequence."

Choosing to end the pregnancy was not difficult; her projected due date was the same day she was scheduled to take her bar exam. She had already committed to a clerkship and a cross-country move after graduation.

Her abortion, she wrote, was the right choice for me.

Shelby Vaughn had just turned 18 and was finishing a military training cycle at Ft. Sam Houston in Texas when she discovered she was pregnant.

When I informed my drill sergeant I was pregnant and wanted an abortion, he ignored my request and said things like I needed to take responsibility for my actions and accept Id be a mother soon.

She ended the pregnancy anyway, and when she returned to training, Vaughn said, she was treated poorly by superiors and peers alike. I know what its like to have your choice and constitutional rights violated by the very institution that is sworn to defend and uphold the U.S. Constitution, she wrote.

These stories are two of the 26 contained in the court brief filed by Advocates for Youth and We Testify, two reproductive rights groups who want to make sure that people who have had abortions are heard loudly and clearly by the Supreme Court, whose conservative majority seems wildly out of touch with mainstream American sentiment about the importance of access to legal abortion.

In December, the court will hear a case out of Mississippi that challenges the states ban on almost all abortions after 15 weeks.

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Mississippi, with one remaining abortion clinic, is asking the court not just to uphold its law but also to overturn Roe vs. Wade, the 1973 landmark decision legalizing abortion, and Casey vs. Planned Parenthood, the 1992 Supreme Court decision that upheld Roe but allowed states to impose certain restrictions as long as they do not cause an undue burden on women seeking abortions.

The courts conservative majority recently signaled its hostility to abortion rights when it shamefully refused to block enforcement of a plainly unconstitutional Texas law that prohibits abortions after about the sixth week of pregnancy.

Many abortion rights activists believe that Roe is doomed.

Which is why, said We Testify founder Renee Bracey Sherman, it is so important for the justices to hear from women themselves. She said she hopes the justices will take the time to read through the abortion stories and the names of the 6,641 people  most of whom have had abortions  who have signed on to the brief.

We want those justices to read every single one of our names and to remember that it is we the people who they are supposed to protect," said Bracey Sherman, 35, who first shared her abortion story publicly 10 years ago. "My hope is they read our names and see someone they love, went to school with, care about and remember who they are impacting.

I am not so sure the justices who oppose abortions care much about the women who need and want them.

This lack of concern for women is reflected in a couple of other friend-of-the-court briefs in the Mississippi case.

In one, 240 professional women who describe themselves as pro-life and feminist reject the argument advanced in Casey by then-Justice Sandra Day OConnor that the "ability of women to participate equally in the economic and social life of the Nation has been facilitated by their ability to control their reproductive lives. They argue that there is no good evidence that forcing women to bear children harms them economically.

A second group of 375 women, who say they were injured by late-term abortions, argue that the proliferation of safe haven laws, which allow women to abandon newborns in such places as hospitals and fire stations without fear of prosecution, means there is no excuse to abort an unwanted pregnancy. Such laws, they write, give women total freedom from burdens of unwanted children.

This brief also claims that because embryos can be frozen and later implanted in wombs, the viability standard outlined in Roe and Casey is meaningless. Currently, it is generally accepted that a fetus is viable, or able to survive outside the womb, at about 24 weeks gestation.

In vitro fertilization shows viability can be documented at six days after conception, the brief argues. Inflicting unnecessary pain on an infant life in the womb in an elective abortion is a crime against humanity.

This is such a tortured definition of viability  and such a disturbing dismissal of the role a living, breathing human woman plays in a pregnancy  that I am surprised anyone could write it with a straight face.

Galvanized by the new Texas law, and the Supreme Court's inexcusable inaction on it, the House on Friday passed the Womens Health Protection Act, aimed at preserving access to abortion regardless of what the court and Republican-dominated state legislatures do. The bill is expected to die in the Senate, where it isn't likely to garner the 10 Republican votes needed to break the filibuster.

When it comes to women's rights, sadly, these are dark times in America.

@AbcarianLAT

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
The team behind the 2020 presidential election audit in Maricopa County, Arizona, plans to submit its full draft report to the state Senate next week, according to a spokesperson for the project.

The submission of the final review of the 2020 election, which saw auditing teams recount 2.1 million ballots and analyze voting machines this summer, has been delayed for several weeks. Audit Co-Chairman Randy Pullen told the AZ Mirror the draft report could be handed to the Senate on Wednesday or Thursday.

Plans to submit the audit report were delayed after the audit leader and CEO of Cyber Ninjas, Doug Logan, tested positive for COVID-19 along with two other members of the five-person team.

The audit report was previously intended to be submitted by the end of August. Senate President Karen Fann tweeted on Aug. 16 that the "audit companies are preparing the draft report to present to the senate team."

CYBER NINJAS BOSS 'QUITE SICK' WITH COVID-19, ARIZONA SENATE PRESIDENT SAYS

When work began on the audit on April 23, Logan estimated the recount would be accomplished by mid-May. The recount of 2.1 million ballots got off to a slow start in the first few weeks of the audit, leading to efficiency changes and additional volunteers needed to help with the hand recount alone.

A team with the majority-Republican Senate will review the audit report and recommend changes before a final review is issued for the public. The Senate will meet on Monday to discuss the next steps for issuing a report, Pullen said.

The audit has been subject to intense criticism by county officials and others, including Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, who has cast the audit as a "political stunt" meant to cast doubt on election integrity.

Former President Donald Trump and his allies have championed the audit as a means to prove his allegations of widespread fraud in a state he lost in 2020. Fann has insisted that the audit is meant to "restore trust in the system and influence potential changes to the law."

Story continues

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

The Washington Examiner contacted the Arizona Senate but did not immediately receive a response.

Washington Examiner Videos

Tags: News, Arizona, Republican, Arizona Senate, Doug Ducey

Original Author: Kaelan Deese

Original Location: Arizona election audit team to submit draft report to Senate next week
President Joe Bidens Thursday announcement of broad new COVID-19 vaccination requirements has some Arizona officials cheering and others settling in for a fight.

Biden announced a vaccination requirement for employees of any business with more than 100 people, something thats estimated to be a vaccine requirement for 100 million people. Another estimated 80 million workers who refuse would be subjected to regular testing.

"While America is in much better shape than it was seven months ago when I took office, I need to tell you a second fact, we're in a tough stretch and it could last awhile," Biden said in a speech Thursday afternoon.

Fines for a violation would reportedly be $14,000 per instance.

In addition, Biden announced he would require any federal employee under the executive branchs umbrella to be required to be inoculated. The same goes for employees of any company that accepts federal contracts.

This marks Bidens latest attempt at a governmental response to rising infections nationwide largely due to the delta variant of the COVID-19 virus. Even though more than 200 million Americans have received at least one dose of the vaccine, nearly 80 million of those eligible have abstained.

Gov. Doug Ducey responded to the new rule Thursday, promising to fight Bidens dictatorial approach to governing.

Joe Biden has failed us on COVID. He ran for office on a promise to shut down the virus. He has failed on this, much as he has failed on the border crisis and in Afghanistan. So now, President Bidens plan is to shut down freedom, Ducey said in a statement. These mandates are outrageous. They will never stand up in court. We must and will push back.

Arizonas two U.S. Senators were largely quiet on the announcement. Neither office was immediately available to respond to a request for comment, but Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, a Democrat, tweeted, Arizona  if you havent already, today is a great day to get vaccinated.

Story continues

Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego applauded the move.

"This is the critical action we need to appropriately fight this virus," she said Thursday afternoon. "Its great to see strong leadership at a time when others have prioritized politics over science. Safety for every resident has & remains my top priority  this requirement will allow us to protect & save lives."

Like others, Attorney General Mark Brnovich questioned the legality of the order.

"President Biden is now taking federal overreach to unheard of levels by dictating vaccine mandates for all private companies with over 100 people, federal contractors, and healthcare providers receiving federal dollars," the Republican tweeted. "I am reviewing his outrageous actions and will take all legal recourse to defend our states sovereignty and the rights of Arizonans to make the best healthcare decisions for themselves."

U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs, a conservative Republican from Gilbert, called Bidens requirements an assault on individuals freedoms and livelihoods.

We must fight this, he said Thursday.

Washington Examiner Videos

Tags: States, News, Arizona, Biden, Vaccination, Coronavirus

Original Author: Cole Lauterbach, The Center Square

Original Location: Arizona officials react to Biden vaccination announcement
Gary Rucker gets a shot at a COVID-19 vaccination clinic at San Julian Park in downtown Los Angeles. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)

Black residents have the highest rate of COVID-19 hospitalizations among all racial and ethnic groups in Los Angeles County, new data show, a troubling disparity even as hospitalization rates for all groups have stabilized or started to decline.

The pandemic has amplified longtime inequities in the U.S. healthcare system that indicate who is most likely to die from the virus. Black residents in particular are more likely to have underlying medical conditions  such as diabetes and asthma  that place them at higher risk for COVID-19 complications.

Public health officials nationwide have tried not to blame people of color for underlying conditions by highlighting systemic racism in healthcare, including how a lack of access to insurance, income disparities and historical mistreatment have caused generations to distrust the healthcare system.

"A long history of inadequate access to the essential resources that support optimal health has resulted in Black residents across L.A. County and the country experiencing higher rates of disease that, as we know, put them at elevated risk for severe COVID illness," L.A. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said in a recent news briefing.

"Our trend lines validate this deplorable reality, which continues to contribute to the higher rates of hospitalizations and deaths from COVID experienced by our Black residents."

On a weekly basis, for every 100,000 unvaccinated Black residents, more than 15 are hospitalized with COVID-19, higher than for both Latino and white residents, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health reported.

Hospitalization rate per 100,000 for L.A. County residents by vaccination status and race/ethnicity

Vaccinated people are far less likely to require hospitalizations; among L.A. County's 5.4 million residents who are fully vaccinated, only 1,359 of them  or 0.025%  have been hospitalized with COVID-19.

COVID-19 among fully vaccinated people in L.A. County

But even among vaccinated people, Black residents are more likely to be hospitalized: For every 100,000 vaccinated Black residents, about five were hospitalized on a recent weekly basis, twice as many as other groups.

Story continues

And while coronavirus case rates continue to decline in L.A. County, a gap among racial and ethnic groups remains. For every 100,000 unvaccinated Black and Latino residents, there are about 150 weekly coronavirus cases; by contrast, for every 100,000 unvaccinated white residents, there are about 100 weekly cases.

Coronavirus case rate

The latest data highlight the importance of vaccinating Black residents, especially as the county offers Pfizer booster shots to those who have already been fully inoculated.

This pandemic is the most devastating health crisis that we have faced in our lifetimes. And one of the ways to get over the pandemic is to have more people protected with the vaccines, Ferrer said. Its also the way we save a lot of lives.

In a number of communities with low vaccination rates, public health officials are still struggling to communicate how vaccines can save people. Experts also are fighting waves of misinformation, including that vitamin supplements protect against COVID-19 and that the vaccines harm fertility or distort a persons DNA.

Younger Black and Latino residents are among the groups with the lowest vaccination rates in Los Angeles County, and health advocates have urged that more be done to inoculate those groups.

Among L.A. County residents 12 and older, 53% of Black residents have received at least one shot, as have 62% of Latino residents. But 71% of white residents, 74% of Native American residents and 81% of Asian American residents are at least partially vaccinated.

Percent of L.A. County residents with at least one dose of vaccine by age and race/ethnicity

Other areas have had a better track record of diminishing the disparities in vaccination rates. Among all residents in San Francisco, 69% of Black residents have received at least one dose of vaccine, roughly the same as the rate for white residents; roughly 80% of Asian Americans and Latinos have received at least one dose.

Vaccination rates in Alameda County, where Oakland is located, also are significantly higher among Black and Latino residents than in L.A. County: 69% of Black residents, 75% of Latino residents, 76% of white residents and 90% of Asian American residents have received at least one dose.

Some experts have noted that younger people in general are less likely to be vaccinated, believing they won't face serious consequences from COVID-19. But studies show the potential impact of coronavirus infections, particularly among Black people.

One study of Long Beach residents published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 1 in 3 people who survived COVID-19 suffered from long COVID. There were higher rates of long COVID among Black residents, people 40 or older, women and those with preexisting health conditions, according to the study, conducted by UC Davis epidemiologists and the Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services.

Repairing the damage caused by healthcare inequities will not happen overnight, [but] we must not worsen these inequities by inaction in closing coverage gaps, which will further worsen existing disproportionality we see in cases, hospitalizations and deaths, Ferrer said this month.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
The so-far successful battle this month in California to save the world's biggest trees from ever-worsening forest blazes seems to offer an important lesson: You can fight fire with fire.

Human-caused climate change has made the western United States hotter, drier and more vulnerable to increasingly destructive wildfires, which have this year taken a horrific toll on the region's forests.

That has included threatening huge sequoias like the General Sherman, which looms 275 feet (83 meters) above the forest floor.

Firefighters were able to beat back the flames as they ate into California's Giant Forest, thanks to decades of prescribed burns that starved the blaze of fuel.

"It sounds a little strange to say this, but there actually has not been enough fire in California for about a century," said Rebecca Miller, a researcher at the University of Southern California.

"There were policies in place at the federal and the state level throughout much of the 20th century to prevent fire, because there was an incorrect belief that fire was bad for the environment."

Fires are part of the natural cycle of forest life, clearing away excess vegetation, purging pests, and making space for new growth.

In the wilderness, these fires eventually burn themselves out.

But as human settlement has encroached further into formerly wild spaces, tolerance for these fires has diminished and firefighters are under instructions to put out all blazes as soon as possible.

Now there is a growing realization that this policy is actually contributing to the worsening of forest fires -- giving them so much more fuel and making them hotter, faster and more destructive.

Instead, the thinking goes, we should actually be helping smaller fires to burn.

The practice was key to protecting Giant Forest, home to the General Sherman, says Mark Garrett, a spokesman for the force trying to tame the still-active KNP Complex fire.

- 'Best tool we have' -

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The sequoias of Giant Forest, some of which are up to 3,000 years old, have survived countless previous fires.

Their thick bark protects them from flames, and their cones actually need the heat of smaller fires to open up and spread their seeds.

But even these imposing giants cannot cope with the mega blazes tearing through California's parched landscape.

Around 10,000 of them -- up to 14 percent of the world's total -- perished in a huge fire last year.

So there was considerable nervousness when flames from the KNP Complex started eating into the Sequoia National Forest.

Garrett says it was the first time an uncontrolled fire had come so close to the General Sherman, which was wrapped in a protective foil.

But thanks to years of controlled burns, the fire couldn't get much of a purchase, said Garrett.

"We're seeing things we haven't seen before, like near 300-foot trees being killed because of the smaller trees in between them that are carrying that fire," he told AFP.

Controlled burns are "the best tool we have right now."

- The next General Sherman -

But not everyone agrees.

"It is not an effective strategy and it's been very much overblown," says ecologist George Wuerthner.

Controlled burning has to be so widespread and so regular that it's prohibitive.

"We just can't be doing the whole landscape at that kind of frequency. It's misleading to suggest that that's a panacea for preventing large fires."

Former forest service official Andy Stahl says worthwhile controlled burns would cost billions of dollars.

"You can't just burn it, walk away from it and say, 'Well I don't have to do that again for another 100 years."

"No, you have to go back there in another five or 10 years and do it again," said Stahl, who is executive director of FSEEE, an organization focused on ethical forest management.

Which explains why there are very few areas in the western United States where the practice is common -- apart from around Giant Forest.

"It's a very, very small footprint in a small National Park."

For Garrett, there is simply no choice: "We need more money. We need more people. This needs to be done, all over the mountains and the federal lands.

"We don't have a lot of brand new sequoia trees in the Giant Forest because it hasn't seen fire in so long.

"We need that new generation to replace the General Sherman 2,000 years from now."

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In this June 16, 2020, photo, people gather near the Father Junipero Serra statue on the Capitol Park grounds in Sacramento. (Associated Press)

More than a year after protesters toppled a statue of a Spanish missionary on the grounds of the California Capitol, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law on Friday to replace it with a memorial for the states Native Americans.

A statue of Father Junipero Serra had stood in Capitol Park since 1967. He was a Roman Catholic priest who established a string of missions from San Diego to San Francisco in the late 1700s and used them as centers to convert members of nearby tribes to Christianity.

But many natives were forced to live and work at the missions and subjected to beatings and other abuse. Thousands died.

Serra was given sainthood by Pope Francis in 2015, a controversial decision that brought sharp criticism from those who see Serra as a colonialist who destroyed Native American tribes and their cultures.

In spring 2020, the murder of George Floyd by a Minnesota police officer prompted nationwide protests over racial injustice. On July 4, 2020, protesters tore down the Serra statue on the Capitol grounds. Protesters also tore down Serra statues in San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Assemblyman James Ramos, a Democrat from Highland and a member of the Serrano/Cahuilla tribe, wrote a bill to replace the statue on the Capitol grounds with a memorial for Native Americans in the Sacramento area. Its one of several laws Newsom signed on Friday dealing with Native American issues.

Todays action sends a powerful message from the grounds of Capitol Park across California underscoring the states commitment to reckoning with our past and working to advance a California for All built on our values of inclusion and equity, Newsom said in a news release announcing the signing.

Last year, Bishop Jaime Soto of the Diocese of Sacramento called it the statues removal an act of vandalism that does little to build the future. He wrote there is no question Californias Indigenous people suffered during the colonial period but said Serra denounced the systems evils and worked to protect the dignity of native peoples.

Story continues

His holiness as a missionary should not be measured by his own failures to stop the exploitation or even his own personal faults, Soto wrote.

The law allows tribal nations to plan, construct and maintain the monument. But it could be awhile before the monument is built.

The law says the tribes need permission from the Joint Rules Committee before they can begin construction. The committee has imposed an unofficial moratorium on new memorials until the Department of General Services develops a master plan for the Capitol Park grounds, according to a legislative analysis of the law.

Capitol Park contains at least 12 memorials, including ones honoring veterans and firefighters. Last year, state officials removed a statue from the rotunda of the Capitol depicting Christopher Columbus. The statue had been the centerpiece of the rotunda since 1883, donated by a banker who had advocated for Californias Capitol to be built in Sacramento.

Legislative leaders removed the statue of Columbus because they said it was out of place given the deadly impact his arrival in this hemisphere had on indigenous populations.





This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
TORONTO (Reuters) -Canada's "eyes are wide open" when it comes to normalizing its relationship with China, Foreign Minister Marc Garneau said on Sunday, two days after the release of a Huawei executive following almost three years of house arrest in Vancouver.

Huawei Technologies Co Ltd Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou, the daughter of Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei, flew back to China on Friday after reaching an agreement with U.S. prosecutors to end a bank fraud case against her. That resulted in the scrapping of her extradition battle in a Canadian court.

Soon after Meng flew to China, Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor - two Canadians detained by Chinese authorities just days after Meng's arrest in Vancouver in December 2018 on a U.S. warrant - were released by Beijing.

Garneau told CBC News the government is now following a fourfold approach to China: "coexist," "compete," "cooperate" and "challenge."

He said Canada would compete with China on issues like trade and cooperate on climate change, while challenging it on its treatment of Uighurs, Tibetans and Hong Kong as Ottawa has done in the past.

"Let me say, our eyes are wide open. We have been saying that for some time. There was no path to a relationship with China as long as the two Michaels were being detained," Garneau said.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Garneau received the two Canadians on Saturday when they arrived in Calgary, Alberta, after spending more than 1,000 days in solitary confinement.

Spavor was accused of supplying photographs of military equipment to Kovrig and sentenced in August to 11 years in jail. Kovrig had been awaiting sentencing.

Trudeau, who won a third term last Monday after a tight election race, had vowed to improve ties with China after becoming prime minister in 2015, building on his father's success in establishing diplomatic ties with China in 1970.

But even before Meng's arrest, Canada's repeated questioning of China's human rights positions had irked Beijing, and the two countries have failed to come closer.

Story continues

China has always denied any link between Meng's extradition case and the detention of the two Canadians, but Garneau said that "the immediate return of the two Michaels linked" it to Meng's case in a "very direct manner."

Garneau said he had heard about the deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) several weeks ago, which opened the door to the return of the two men.

Canadian Ambassador to the United States Kirsten Hillman denied Washington had made the release of Kovrig and Spavor a condition for the resolution of the charges against Meng.

"Absolutely not. The DPA and the resolution of the charges against Ms. Meng was a completely independent process, and it was proceeding as it did," Hillman told Canadian broadcaster CTV.

Garneau also said he did not think the timing of the men's return had anything to do with that of the federal election.

"I think it just worked out that way."

(Reporting by Denny Thomas; Editing by Grant McCool and Peter Cooney)
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (AP)  Stephen Carr had 109 yards rushing and two touchdowns, and Michael Penix Jr. passed for 373 yards to help Indiana beat Western Kentucky 33-31 on Saturdya night.

Penix completed a career-high 34 passes on 53 attempts. Ty Fryfogle had 10 receptions for 98 yards, including a 10-yard reception on third-and-8 with 1:55 to play that allowed the Hoosiers to run out the clock and escape with the victory.

Penix said he found a rhythm early and was able to continue it for most of the game, thanks to his trust in his reads of the Western Kentucky defense.

It was just simple rhythm and making my reads, Penix said. It was just trusting my eyes and trusting my reads.

Indiana, which had two touchdowns and four field goals on its first six possessions, never trailed.

Carr scored on a 1-yard touchdown to cap an 11-play, 79-yard opening drive and make it 7-0 with 10:15 left in the first quarter. Penix completed 5 of 6 passes for 51 yards in the drive.

Following a three-and-out by Western Kentucky, the Hoosiers went 81 yards in 11 plays and Penix scored on a quarterback sneak to push the lead to 14-0 about five minutes later.

Western Kentuckys Bailey Zappe was 31-of-44 passing for 365 yards and three touchdowns.

The Hilltoppers (2-2) got on the scoreboard early in the second quarter as running back Adam Cofield scored from a yard out with 14:27 left in the half to cap a 15-play, 77-yard scoring drive that cut the Hoosiers lead to 14-7.

Western Kentucky hung in the game by forcing the Hoosiers to settle for field goals on four consecutive possessions and slowing them down in the second half by forcing two punts. It gave the Hilltoppers a chance, but it wasnt enough.

Thats a real good Indiana team," Western Kentucky coach Tyson Helton said. I thought defensively we needed to get some stops, and we did. Offensively, sometimes we scored really fast and did some good things, but it wasnt good enough.

THE TAKEAWAY

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Indianas first-half dominance on offense gave the Hoosiers just enough of a cushion to ward off a Western Kentucky comeback in the second half. By jumping to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter, the Hoosiers put themselves in position to control of the game. Indiana eventually put the game away on Penixs 10th completion to Fryfogle for a 10-yard gain on third and-8 that allowed them to move the chains and run out the clock.

For Western Kentucky, it was an uphill battle for much of the game. Quarterback Bailey Zappe had an outstanding performance hitting 31 of 44 passes for 365 yards and three scores. However, the Hilltoppers falling into the early 14-0 deficit was one they could not overcome, as they never led in the game.

SECOND CHANCE

Indianas Charles Campbell left a 51-yard field goal attempt in the second quarter well short of the crossbar on a play where Western Kentucky had seemingly turned the hot Hoosiers offense away. But an offside penalty against the Hilltoppers gave Campbell a chance to redeem himself from five yards closer. Campbell drilled the 46-yarder through the uprights to give Indiana a 17-7 lead. Campbell added field goals of 37, 25 and 48 yards.

UP NEXT

Indiana: The Hoosiers return to Big Ten Conference play at No. 6 Penn State on Saturday. Indiana beat the then-No. 8 Nittany Lions 36-35 in overtime in the 2020 season opener.

Western Kentucky: The Hilltoppers play their second straight Power 5 opponent when they take on No. 20 Michigan State on 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
Two men who were imprisoned in China for nearly three years have returned home to Canada.

These two men have gone through an unbelievable difficult ordeal for the past 1,000 days, they have shown strength, perseverance and grace and we are all inspired by that, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said during a late Friday night news conference in Ottawa.

He did not disclose the terms of his release during the announcement.

The two men imprisoned were a former diplomat, Michael Korvig and businessman Michael Spavor. They both were arrested on suspicion of espionage after Canadian authorities arrested Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou on a U.S. warrant for her business that he conducted in Iran.

On Friday afternoon, the Department of Justice said that federal officials and Meng agreed to postpone prosecution of her until late next year. Charges could be dropped shortly after that deadline, CNN reported.

Meng departed Canada on a Chinese-government flight and celebrated her release on the Chinese social media app WeChat.

As we get closer to home, I feel increasingly emotional, with tears welling up in my eyes, Wanzhou said. Under the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party, our motherland is moving toward prosperity. Without this strong motherland, I wouldnt have my freedom today. I thank my beloved motherland, and I thank the Party and the government ... for shining a light during my darkest hours and guiding me in my long journey home.

The U.S. case against Wanzhou, who is the CFO of Huawei, is centered around whether or not she lied to HSBC bank about her dealings with an Iranian company, Skycom. The U.S. has previously accused of Skycom would have violated sanctions against Iran.

Wanzhou previously appeared in Brooklyn federal court and pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud.
Chinese President Xi Jinping warned that relations between Beijing and Taipei were "grim" on Sunday, urging the island's main opposition party to help seek "unification of the country."

China views self-ruled democratic Taiwan as part of its territory and vows to retake it one day, by force if necessary.

Xi has become the most bellicose leader since Mao Zedong, describing the seizure of the island as "inevitable."

In a congratulatory letter to Eric Chu -- the newly elected leader of the Beijing-friendly Kuomintang (KMT) party -- Xi said the Chinese Communist Party and the KMT should collaborate under a "shared political basis."

"In the past our two parties insisted on '1992 consensus' and opposing 'Taiwan independence' ... to promote peaceful developments in cross- strait relations," Xi said in the letter released by the KMT.

"At present the situation in the Taiwan Strait is complex and grim," he said, urging the parties to jointly seek peace and "the unification of the country."

Ties between Taiwan and China improved markedly under former president Ma Ying-jeou of the KMT between 2008 and 2016, culminating with a landmark meeting between Xi and him in Singapore in 2015.

The KMT has side-stepped frictions with China by accepting the so-called 1992 consensus -- a tacit agreement that there is only "one China" without specifying whether Beijing or Taipei is its rightful representative.

In response, Chu said in a letter to Xi that the two sides should "seek common ground and respect their differences" to promote peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.

Beijing has stepped up military, diplomatic and economic pressure on Taiwan since the 2016 election of President Tsai Ing-wen, who views the island as a sovereign nation and not part of "one China."

Last year, Chinese military jets made a record 380 incursions into Taiwan's defence zone, with some analysts warning that tensions between the two sides were at their highest since the mid-1990s.

On Thursday, China flew 24 warplanes including two nuclear-capable bombers into Taiwan's air defence zone, the biggest incursion in weeks, after voicing its opposition to Taipei joining a major trans-Pacific trade deal.

aw/oho
Tiffany Lozano photographs a melted street sign on Main Street in Greenville, Calif., as her sister Kelly Tan looks on. The town was ravaged by the Dixie fire. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

When the Dixie fire sparked in Plumas County on a warm afternoon in July, few could have known that it would morph into the monster it soon became. A downed tree, a blown power line fuse and a small ring of fire were all it took to create the second-largest wildfire in California history.

In the days and weeks after the fire began, it produced one ominous sign after another  generating its own lightning, burning clear across the Sierra and, most horrifically, reducing the town of Greenville to ashes.

Soon it was threatening to surpass the size of the August Complex of 2020, the largest wildfire in California history, which burned more than 1 million acres.

But after nearly two months of nonstop expansion, something shifted. Seemingly overnight, the weather grew more favorable, the fiery terrain leveled out, and crews were able to turn a corner on the massive blaze. The Dixie fire stopped growing, as if frozen in time, at about 963,000 acres. As of Friday, it was 94% contained.

It was a hard-won victory, and experts say there is much to be learned from the Dixie fire  an unprecedented fire even in an era of unprecedented fires.

"We just can't get used to these kinds of numbers," said Scott Stephens, a professor of fire science at UC Berkeley. "That size is just mind-blowing."

Many experts said the speed and scale of the Dixie fire's spread sent a clear message about the toll extreme heat and drought are having on California's overgrown landscape. It also amplified the urgent need for more proactive measures to prevent similarly massive fires.

"The Dixie fire is the final, nail-in-the-coffin piece of evidence that traditional firefighting methods are not up to the challenge of the kind of wildfires we get in the 2020s," said Chris Field, director of Stanford Universitys Woods Institute for the Environment. "Basically, this fire jumped over everything that we would have considered a traditional defensible fire line."

Story continues

Field attributed a few factors to the Dixie fire's growth  most critically, the century of fire suppression that enabled vegetation to pile up in the state's forests. When that drought-dried vegetation met with embers from the Dixie fire, it easily ignited, enabling the blaze to "carve its own path like a glacier."

"Its a really scary confirmation of the extensiveness of the fuel buildup," Field said, "and that basically we're in an era now where any place you drop a match or a burning ember, you get a new fire. And that vulnerability is really hard to deal with."

The Dixie fire also confirmed that the August Complex was not the anomaly many hoped it would be. In fact, six of the 10 largest fires in the state's history have burned in the last two years, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

And in many ways, the Dixie fire was more fearsome than the August Complex. That blaze was composed of more than 30 smaller fires that ignited after an unusually fierce lightning storm in Northern California.

This fire, on the other hand, merged only with one smaller blaze to form a singular inferno.

This Dixie fire is one fire, so its not a complex of multiple fires, said Tim Phelps, an incident spokesman for the Dixie fire. Its uncharted territory.

Phelps said the critical dryness of the landscape helped fan the fire's expansive growth throughout July and August.

What is unique this year, compared to previous years, is just how dry that material is, he said of the trees and grasses the fire seared. Because of this drought, because of the lack of moisture for such an extended period of time, [those fuels] are incredibly receptive to fire. Fire spreads easier, it spreads faster.

For months, fire officials warned residents that conditions were ripe for disaster.

Vegetation was at record dryness heading into fire season, and it grew drier over the rainless summer. Worsening drought conditions shrank the state's reservoirs to historic lows, with officials across the West declaring water emergencies.

"Early on, wind and terrain was a huge factor," said Joe Zwierzchowski, an incident spokesman for the Dixie fire's east zone, noting that rugged, steep landscape made it difficult for crews to get in front of the fire. "Then you tack on high winds and extremely dry conditions, and you have a powder keg of worst-case scenarios all lined up in one."

Those conditions lasted for several weeks, when containment gains were hard to come by and even harder to hold. But when the weather backed off, the wind died down, and the flames moved into more favorable territory. "It got to a place where we could fight the fire," he said.

Officials on the fire's west zone also noted that a spot of rain and slower winds allowed them to get ahead of the flames. When the fire reached Hall's Flat and other less-steep areas in Lassen County, crews were finally able to forge ahead with bulldozers and hoses  playing offense after months of defensive moves.

"Everything basically was the right spot at the right time, for the first time, on the fire," west zone spokesman Chris Ziegler said.

Ziegler also credited a history of prescribed burns  including a project in Warner Valley this spring  for slowing the spread and protecting a community in the fire's path. Prescribed burns help clear dried vegetation, essentially a fire's fuel, before a wildfire arrives.

The burn scars of other nearby fires, including the Walker, Hog, Sheep and Beckwourth Complex fires, also lent a hand, he said, because their lack of fuel gave the flames nowhere to go.

But while smart firefighting made a significant difference, timing and luck were also essential in stopping the Dixie fire. The blaze's behavior was erratic and unpredictable throughout most of its run.

"The essential feature of these mega-fires is that we don't have any way to put them out when they're in their prime habitat," Field said.

Stephens, of UC Berkeley, said the overgrown conditions of the forest were by far the biggest piece of the puzzle. In certain areas, the landscape was so dry that the likelihood of an airborne ember igniting a spot fire was higher than 90%  a near guarantee.

The fires this year were very efficient at basically propagating themselves by spotting, just by embers, he said.

Like others studying the state's fires, Stephens said that decades of inaction  coupled with climate change and the current two-year drought  were a perfect recipe for the Dixie fire because they kept fuel moistures critically low and highly receptive to fire.

"It shows the vulnerability of our forests and landscape," Stephens said of the Dixie fire. "Climate change and the drought adds to the vulnerability, but the biggest piece I'd still say is the condition of our forest. I'd say it's 75% of our problem."

Many ecologists have noted that fire is not only necessary but healthy for California's landscape. Already this year, prescribed burns have been credited with helping save the state's beloved giant sequoias from the KNP Complex burning inside Sequoia National Park.

The Dixie fire, too, may be restorative for the state's landscape, Stephens said. Portions of the fire burned under moderate conditions that will likely lead to a healthier forest in the long run, although there were some patches that may have suffered catastrophic damage.

"But the problem is, the price is too high," he said. "The price is Greenville burning up, maybe 700 houses lost, and whole economies being disrupted for months."

Fewer wildfires and more controlled burns  as well as the reintroduction of Indigenous burning practices that were aggressively stamped out by fire-suppression policies  may be the best path forward for the state, and will help create a mosaic of burned areas that could keep wildfires like the Dixie from spreading out of control, he added.

But transitioning into more of a "stewardship mode," where fuel treatments are performed and maintained at scale, will require renewed effort and resources. Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday signed a $15-billion climate package, the largest such investment in state history, which will include about $1.5 billion toward wildfire response and forest resilience.

And President Biden's expansive infrastructure bill, if passed, would allow for more than $3 billion for wildfire-risk reduction, including mechanical thinning, controlled burns, infrastructure projects and structural defense, all of which will most certainly be needed in the years to come.

The alternative to doing that work, multiple experts said, is a future of far more Dixie fires.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
The EU and US will this week embark on a tricky effort to deepen ties on tech regulation, but with France resisting the project in the wake of a row with Washington over a submarine deal.

High-level talks will begin in the US city of Pittsburgh on Wednesday despite efforts by Paris to delay the meeting in retaliation for a pact between the US, Australia and Britain -- dubbed AUKUS -- that saw Canberra scrap a multi-billion-dollar submarine order from France.

The EU-US Trade and Tech Council was set up after a summit in June to look at issues including trying to attune their strategies on regulating internet giants and defend democratic values.

The council came at the request of the Europeans, who are seeking concrete signs of increased transatlantic cooperation after years of tension under former president Donald Trump, especially over trade.

President Joe Biden's administration will be represented by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, US Trade Representative Katherine Tai and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo.

On the European side, EU executive vice presidents Margrethe Vestager and Valdis Dombrovskis will lead talks.

Vestager, the EU's tech policy supremo, said the talks would attempt to enhance cooperation "in the areas where there is a shared sense of values being two big, old democracies."

Unspoken in her comments was the rise of China, with Washington understood to be pressing its EU partners to join forces in isolating Beijing on the global stage.

This is being resisted in Europe, where powerful member states France and Germany are reluctant to blindly follow Washington's increasing assertiveness.

"European officials want to avoid the TTC simply becoming an unproductive exercise at China-bashing," said former EU trade boss Cecilia Malmstrom and analyst Chad Bown in a paper for the Peterson Institute in Washington.

The talks in Pittsburgh, a rust-belt city that has grown into a tech hub, are only the first instalment of the Trade and Tech Council, with another round expected in the spring, Vestager said.

Story continues

EU diplomats said France sharply criticised the talks at a meeting on Friday, reminding member states that previous attempts to deepen trade ties with Washington led nowhere.

- 'No place in a democracy' -

Dombrovskis, who is also the EU's trade commissioner, cautioned that the new effort was not an attempt to clinch a trade deal, with memories still fresh of the failed attempt to strike an ambitious accord during the Obama administration.

The European Commission, which handles trade policy for the EU's 27 member states, also failed to finalise a smaller scale deal with Donald Trump, beyond a zero-tariff pact on lobsters.

"It's not like a free trade agreement," the former Latvian prime minister told reporters. "It's more about long-term benefits."

Dombrovskis pointed to potential cooperation on banning unwanted foreign investments or tackling supply chain problems, such as with microchips.

The talks will be broken into 10 working groups on a wide range of issues, with Vestager looking to find common ground on how to curb Big Brother -- such as in preventing excesses in artificial intelligence.

"We do not find that these practices should have a home in a democracy," she said. "I have a strong feeling that this is something that is really shared with the Americans."

The talks will take place while both sides remain at loggerheads over the steel and aluminium tariffs that were imposed by Trump, but which Biden has yet to remove.

On the tariffs, Dombrovskis said: "We are engaging very seriously with the US and we are mindful also (of the) timelines, that by December 1, this issue should be solved."

arp/dc/har
By Tilman Blasshofer

BERLIN (Reuters) - Leaders of Alternative for Germany (AfD) put on a brave face after projected election results showed support for the far-right party dropping and said they rejoiced in seeing Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives slump to their worst-ever result.

The mood was subdued at a restaurant in Berlin where party leaders and a few dozen members had gathered after the party failed to improve on the 12.6% it secured four years ago, settling instead on 10-11%.

"Should this result stand this would mean that Merkel has ruined my former party," said AfD honorary leader Alexander Gauland, who was a member of the outgoing chancellor's Christian Democrats (CDU) before joining the far-right party.

"Despite our relatively weaker result we have accomplished our mission: Merkel is out," added Gauland, drawing applause.

The AfD has been weakened by an internal power struggle between co-leader Joerg Meuthen who wants to purge the party of members with suspected links to neo-Nazi groups and a more nationalist camp that sees no need for action.

Its opposition to lockdowns and distancing rules during the pandemic have also put off voters, pollsters said before the election.

Exit polls showed the Social Democrats just edging out or virtually tied with the conservatives.

The AfD stormed into the national parliament for the first time in 2017 buoyed by voters angry with Merkel's 2015 decision to welcome almost one million asylum seekers from the Middle East and Africa.

It is shunned by all mainstream political parties, which accuse it of fostering divisions through verbal attacks on Muslims and migrants. The AfD has denied harbouring racist views.

With the election too close to call, conservative candidate Armin Laschet and his SPD rival Olaf Scholz will have to wait for final results before declaring victory.

Gauland tried to see a silver lining in the result, saying weakened conservatives might be tempted to reverse their decision never to work with the AfD, even in opposition.

"If Scholz becomes chancellor then the CDU has to change course and then there is a chance that we could work with the CDU," he said.

(Writing by Joseph Nasr; Editing by Tomasz Janowski)
US Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos speaks as Vice President Mike Pence listens during a White House Coronavirus Task Force press briefing on July 8, 2020. Alex Wong/Getty Images

Betsy DeVos on Saturday took aim at singular figures wielding vast power in politics.

The former Education secretary spoke at the Mackinac Republican Leadership Conference in Michigan.

DeVos, a Michigan native, did not specifically mention Trump in her comments to the GOP faithful.

See more stories on Insider's business page.

Former US Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos on Saturday gave implicit criticism of former President Donald Trump's hold over the GOP, expressing concern that "principles have been overtaken by personalities" in the party, according to The Detroit Free Press.

During an address at the Mackinac Republican Leadership Conference in Michigan, DeVos said that the Republican movement was not "dependent on any one person," but did not directly mention the former president.

"Politics now are so often about people, not the policies that impact lives directly," she added, according to the newspaper.

The comments seemingly revealed unvarnished criticism from a top member of Trump's former administration about the pitfalls of a political party directing energies into a singular figure.

While many Democrats and even some Republicans have lamented that the former president has become the nerve center of the party, especially as it related to the 2020 presidential election and perpetuating allegations of mass voter fraud that have never materialized, DeVos chose to address the issue in front of the party faithful.

In the past, the conference has served as a platform for future Republican presidential nominees, but Trump has effectively froze the potential field of candidates by not yet revealing his plans for 2024.

DeVos embraced the role of political warrior, however, lacing into Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who is up for reelection in 2022 and has been denounced by conservatives for employing a wave of COVID-19 restrictions during the pandemic.

The former secretary said that her tenure in Washington, DC, which lasted until January, was like a dental appointment - which most people dislike but realize is necessary - adding that she "didn't have to live under the thumb of that woman from Michigan," a nod to the way in which Trump referred to the governor.

Story continues

While speaking at Mackinac, DeVos continued to advocate for school choice and public funding for parochial schools, according to The Free Press - blasting the state's constitutional ban on public dollars going to private schools.

"Education is about students, not systems," she said during her speech, arguing that education funding "should be tied to students, not systems and buildings."

The former secretary, a Wolverine State native and former Michigan Republican Party chairwoman, was a highly controversial nominee to lead the Department of Education when Trump tapped her for the role due to her lack of experience with public education.

In February 2017, after a contentious confirmation process, DeVos was confirmed by the Senate in a 51-50 vote, with then-Vice President Mike Pence breaking a 50-50 tie, as GOP Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska joined every Democrat in opposing the nomination.

It was the first time in US history that a vice president had to break a tie for a Cabinet nominee.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Minutes after Utah police were told about a report of a man striking a woman and taking off in a white Ford Transit van with Florida plates, officers pulled over Brian Laundrie and Gabby Petito and appeared to zero-in on her as the aggressor, dispatch radio recordings show.

"RP (reporting party) states seeing a male hit a female, domestic," the dispatcher states at around 4:38 p.m. MT on the day of the incident. "He got into a white Ford Transit van, has a black ladder on the back, Florida plate."

The dispatch audio, first obtained by the investigative unit at FOX 13 Utah, shows the dispatcher did in fact inform the officers of allegations that Laundrie had been the aggressor  shedding new light on a situation that initially seemed like police didn't know about the witness' claims.

DETAILS OF GABBY PETITO'S UTAH FIGHT WITH FIANCE BRIAN LAUNDRIE REVEALED IN WITNESS STATEMENT TO POLICE

After an officer asks for the witness phone number and victim location, the dispatcher again indicates that Laundrie had struck Petito.

"Phone number is [redacted], names [redacted]," the dispatcher responds at 4:42 p.m. "Im not sure [inaudible], but the female who got hit, they both, the male and the female, both got into the van and headed north."

Audio on the bodycam recording begins at 4:44 p.m.

Under Utah law, officers are required to make an arrest or issue a citation when they have "probable cause to believe that an act of domestic violence has been committed."

GABBY PETITO INVESTIGATION: 911 CALL REVEALS BRIAN LAUNDRIE SEEN HITTING, SLAPPING HER BEFORE DISAPPEARANCE

Moab city officials announced an external investigation into their police departments handling of the call earlier this week.

The officers involved will likely face disciplinary action, said Utah attorney Brett Tolman, a former U.S. Attorney for the District of Utah.

"I think they will find that they sort of manipulated the situation to not take someone into custody," he told Fox News on Sunday. "I think the fact that they had another eyewitness that is not involved in it, and is objective, and said he hit her  you're going to have a majority of officers take him into custody."

Story continues

Fox News Digital was first to report the Aug. 12 domestic incident after Petitos disappearance gripped the country on Sept. 11.

MISSING GABBY PETITO: UTAH POLICE WERE CALLED TO INCIDENT INVOLVING CROSS-COUNTRY VANNING COUPLE

Witnesses reported seeing the couple fighting outside the Moonflower Co-op, an organic grocery store in downtown Moab. One caller told police he saw Laundrie slapping and hitting Petito. Another witness said it appeared that he was trying to take her phone and drive away without her.

But Laundrie, Petito and a witness identified only as "Christopher" told police nothing about him hitting her, according to the Moab Police Departments incident report.

"The witness says, I never saw him hit her. I saw him shove her, but I couldn't tell if it was an aggression against her or her defense against her as far as her being the aggressor," one of the officers says in the bodycam recording. "So at this point, unless the guy's screaming that he's going to jail and did something to this girl, it sounds like she is the primary aggressor."

PARK RANGER URGED GABBY PETITO TO DISTANCE HERSELF FROM TOXIC BRIAN LAUNDRIE

Petito, through tears, did tell officers that Laundrie had tried to keep her out of the van  which was registered in her name. And several experts told Fox News that her repeated apologizing and apparent self-blaming could indicate that she was a victim of domestic abuse.

Officers made no arrests and issued no citations  instead choosing to separate the couple for the night. Police drove Laundrie to the Bowen Motel in downtown Moab and left Petito with the van that the couple had been living out of during a cross-country road trip.

But management at the motel could not confirm whether Laundrie ever checked in  a nonprofit for domestic abuse victims booked the room on his behalf. And the owner told Fox News that he had no surveillance video showing Laundrie on the premises.

Moab police did not immediately respond to Fox News requests for comment.

Two weeks after the Moab incident, eyewitnesses said they saw the couple involved in another incident in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

Laundrie was seen repeatedly entering the Merry Piglets restaurant to argue with the hostess and other female staff, as a distraught Petito apologized. That may have been the last time she was seen in public alive.

"I think the hardest part about the whole thing is, even if they had arrested the wrong one, there's a good chance she might be alive," Tolman said. "And, you know, there's a reason why domestic violence laws have changed and why there's a no tolerance reaction to them."
Brian Laundrie has still not been found. (North Port Police handout)

Gabby Petitos father, Joseph Petito, said during her memorial service that he hoped people would be inspired by his daughters life to pursue their dreams, and also called on those in bad relationships to leave them now. Last night, Ms Petitos mother thanked the public for their support. Ms Petitos family have also established a foundation in her name. The foundation will assist the families of missing people.

Police resumed their search of the Carlton Reserve on Saturday morning, marking the eighth straight day in the hunt Brian Laundrie, a spokesperson said. Although the major part of the search ended on Friday evening, over the weekend investigative crews will focus on areas of more likelihood.

On Thursday night, the FBI announced that a federal arrest warrant had been issued in relation to the death of Ms Petito.

While this warrant allows law enforcement to arrest Mr Laundrie, the FBI and our partners across the country continue to investigate the facts and circumstances of Ms Petitos homicide, said Special Agent in charge Michael Schneider.

We urge individuals with knowledge of Mr Laundries role in this matter or his current whereabouts to contact the FBI.

Authorities have not said why they are convinced Mr Laundrie, who police call a person of interest in the case, may still be somewhere inside the more than 24,000-acre Carlton Reserve near his home in North Port, Florida, more than a week after he told family members he was headed there to hike alone.

Read More

Gabby Petito: Everything we know about YouTubers mysterious disappearance on road trip

Where is Brian Laundrie? Police hunt switches to missing boyfriend after Gabby Petito remains discovered

Gabby Petito: 911 call reveals witness saw Brian Laundrie hitting, slapping girlfriend days before her disappearance

Gabby Petito: A timeline of the social media stars disappearance
LAGOS, Nigeria (AP)  Gunmen in Nigeria on Sunday freed 10 students abducted in the northwest Kaduna state after collecting a ransom, a school official told The Associated Press.

The Rev. John Hayab said the students were released on Sunday afternoon, nearly three months after they were seized by the gunmen in Kaduna. Their release comes about a week after 10 of their other schoolmates were also released.

Eleven of the 121 students of the Bethel Baptist High School in Kaduna are still being held, Hayab said, expressing frustration at the refusal of the gunmen to release all the students at once.

If we have the power, we would have brought them, he told AP when asked why the gunmen held back 11 students. The bandits are the ones in control, we now have to play along softly and get our children back."

He was referring to the gunmen who have abducted at least 1,400 schoolchildren in Nigeria in the last year, according to the U.N. childrens agency.

Our anger is not with the bandits as it is with the government, because we cant have a government that is supposed to protect us and the bandits are having a field day. There is no day they have ever released one child for free, the official added.

In the wake of increasing school attacks in the northwest and central parts of Nigeria, some governors have temporarily shut down schools and imposed phone blackouts in their states as they struggle to contain security challenges in Africas most populous state.

The first mass school abduction in Nigeria was carried out by the Boko Haram extremist group in 2014. But the West African nation has witnessed more than 10 other attacks on schools in the last year, a sudden spike that authorities have blamed on outnumbered security operatives in remote communities where the affected schools are mostly located.

Nigerias President Muhammadu Buhari, who rode to power in 2015 on a wave of goodwill after promising to end the countrys security challenges, has come under growing pressure over the security crisis, especially regarding the gunmen abducting schoolchildren and the Boko Haram extremists.

Security analysts have told the AP the gunmen and the extremists might be working together.
Amtrak train derails in Montana, leaving at least 3 dead and multiple people injured

Amtrak joined federal safety officials Sunday to investigate a Montana train derailment that left at least three people dead and rural communities scrambling to provide food and shelter to the stunned survivors. The westbound Empire Builder train with 141 passengers and 16 crew members derailed Saturday afternoon near Joplin, a town of less than 200 people a few miles from the Canadian border. The tragedy occurred as Amtrak was closing out its nationwide, annual Rail Safety Week. Liberty County sheriffs dispatcher Starr Tyler confirmed the deaths, saying there were multiple injuries. Amtrak spokesman Jason Abrams said eight of the train's 10 cars toppled off the tracks, some of them sitting on their sides off the track when the train came to a halt.

Emergency personnel respond to the scene of an Amtrak train derailment Sept. 25 in north-central Montana. Multiple people were injured when the train that runs between Seattle and Chicago derailed, the train agency said.

Hurricane Sam intensifies to Category 4 with 145 mph winds

Hurricane Sam stormed westward through the Atlantic Basin on Sunday, a powerful Category 4 storm that forecasters hoped would stay far enough from land to avoid major damage from its 145 mph winds and heavy rains. AccuWeather forecasters said a due west path through the northern islands of the Caribbean seemed unlikely. A dip in the jet stream would steer Sam away from the USA, AccuWeather meteorologist Bernie Rayno said. "But if that jet stream dip sets up farther west or meanders westward, then there is room for Sam to get very close to the U.S. next weekend," Rayno said. That scenario, nine years ago, helped steer Superstorm Sandy west into New Jersey. Sandy was blamed for almost 300 deaths across multiple nations and damage of almost $70 billion.

Sam became a major hurricane on Saturday.

Real quick

'Dog the Bounty Hunter' joins search for Gabby Petito's fiance

Story continues

Funeral services were held Sunday in New York for Gabby Petito, 22, a blogger whose death on a cross-country adventure fueled intense interest across the nation and spurred a manhunt for her missing fiance. Brian Laundrie was last seen 12 days ago when he told his parents he was going hiking in the Carlton Reserve, a sprawling wilderness area near his home in North Port, Florida. TV personality Duane Lee Chapman, Dog the Bounty Hunter, joined the search and promised to nab Laundrie before his 24th birthday on Nov. 18. Saturday, Chapman banged on the door to the home Petito and Laundrie shared with Laundrie's parents, but nobody answered.

'Missing White Woman Syndrome': Indigenous people wonder how to 'qualify' for same attention as Gabby Petito

People arrive for a funeral home viewing for Gabby Petito in Holbrook, N.Y., Sunday, Sept. 26, 2021.

Panel approves Dems $3.5 trillion bill, crunch time for Biden agenda

Democrats pushed a $3.5 trillion, 10-year bill strengthening social safety net and climate programs through the House Budget Committee on Saturday, but one Democrat opposed the measure in an illustration of the challenges party leaders face in getting the unanimity theyll need to push the sprawling package through Congress. Passage marked a necessary but minor step for Democrats to get it to the full House. Before the measure approved Saturday reaches the House floor  the exact timing is uncertain  it is likely to be changed to reflect whatever House-Senate accords have been reached. The unusual weekend session occurred as top Democrats amp up efforts to end increasingly bitter disputes between the partys centrist and liberal wings that threaten to undermine Bidens agenda.

House Budget Committee Chair John Yarmuth, D-Ky., talks to reporters at the Capitol in Washington on Sept. 21.

Closely fought German election ushers in post-Angela Merkel era

Exit polls show the center-left Social Democrats in a very close race with outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkels bloc in Germanys parliamentary election, which will determine who succeeds the longtime leader after 16 years in power. An exit poll put voters' support at 25% each for the Social Democrats  for whom outgoing Vice Chancellor Olaf Scholz is running for chancellor  and Merkels center-right bloc under would-be successor Armin Laschet. Exit polls put the environmentalist Greens in third place with about 15% support. The environmentalist Greens, with candidate Annalena Baerbock, are making their first run for the chancellery. Putting together the next coalition government for Europes biggest economy could be a lengthy and complicated process. No party is likely to come anywhere near an outright majority.

German voters are choosing a new parliament in an election that will determine who succeeds Chancellor Angela Merkel after her 16 years at the helm of Europes biggest economy.

P.S. Like this roundup of stories? Sign up for "The Short List" newsletter here.

This is a compilation of stories from across the USA TODAY Network. Contributing: The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Montana train derailment, Hurricane Sam, search for Brian Laundrie, Germany election: Weekend's news
DURHAM, N.C. (AP)  Gunnar Holmberg tied a school record with four rushing touchdowns and threw for a fifth as Duke overcame Kansas for a 52-33 victory Saturday, its third straight win.

The Blue Devils (3-1) struck for 21 points during a six-minute span of the third quarter, taking the lead on the way to eclipsing their 2020 win total.

Holmbergs scoring runs came from 4, 1, 3 and 13 yards. He threw for 328 yards, completing 22 of 29 passes.

Holmberg became the eighth Duke player with four rushing touchdowns in a game and the first since quarterback Brandon Connette ran for four in 2013.

Its part of the game plan, Holmberg said of his 17 carries for 88 yards. The O-line did their part. The receivers (blocked well) on the perimeter.

Holmberg needed brief medical attention following his final TD run. He said he just had the wind knocked out of him.

Dukes Mataeo Durant ran for 124 yards on 21 carries, including a 57-yard touchdown for the games first points. Jake Bobo made seven catches for 105 yards.

Weve got a lot of weapons and weve got to continue to grow and get better, Duke coach David Cutcliffe said. I think our offense is playing at an extremely high level.

Jason Bean went 19-for-32 for 323 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions for Kansas. Trevor Wilson had 122 receiving yards on five catches and Devin Neal ran for 107 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries.

Kansas (1-3) led 24-21 at halftime courtesy of Neals 1-yard run on fourth down with 1:04 left. The Jayhawks boosted the margin on Jacob Borcilas 29-yard field goal on the first possession of the second half.

You go out every drive knowing youve got to respond, Holmberg said.

Duke posted the next 24 points, aided by linebacker Shaka Heywards interception of Bean, setting up Holmbergs 3-yard run two plays later.

They run a lot of explosive plays, Kansas coach Lance Leipold said. We didnt tackle as well as we need. That continues to be a spot we need to work on.

Story continues

Kansas had three possessions inside the Duke 25 in the first quarter. The second time, Borcila booted a 50-yard field goal for the Jayhawks first points. Beans swing pass to Torry Locklin resulted in a 20-yard touchdown.

THE TAKEAWAY

Kansas: The Jayhawks have been outscored 97-26 in the second half of games this season after Duke held a 31-9 edge following the break.

Duke: The Blue Devils have won three in a row for the first time since September 2019. Since then, six of the teams seven victories have come in home games.

JUST HALF THE JOB

Duke has hit first-half snags regularly in three of its first four games. Thats something that needs to be adjusted,

Going into ACC play, theres no room for error, defensive end Ben Frye said. Weve got to bring it right away.  So many things to clean up. So many things to look at.

Cutcliffe said the Blue Devils need to click it into gear quicker.

Certainly love playing better in the second half because we didnt get off to a great start, Cutcliffe said.

THATS OUT OF THE WAY

Duke has completed the non-conference portion of its schedule. The Blue Devils are 20-6 in non-league outings.

I dont think theres any satisfaction, Cutcliffe said. I hope theyre as hungry as I think they are.

Duke plays three of four October games on the road.

NOT CASHING IN

The Jayhawks didnt follow up on momentum plays and that bothered Leipold.

After RaMello Dotsons 65-yard interception return in the first quarter, the possession ended with a missed field goal. Neal ran 62 yards on the first snap of the second half, but Kansas only turned that into three points.

Those are margin of error and execution in some key times are not where they completely need to be, the first-year coach said.

UP NEXT

Kansas: Saturday at Iowa State to begin a steady diet of Big 12 Conference play.

Duke: Atlantic Coast Conference opener Saturday at rival North Carolina.
Im a Latina Shopping Writer  Heres Whats in My Cart This Hispanic Heritage Month

Courtesy/InStyle

As a Latina journalist, using my platform to empower my people is always objective number one. When Hispanic Heritage Month rolls around each September, I'm left wondering what I can add to the conversation, especially as a writer whose 9-to-5 centers around product recommendations. Earlier this week, I had a mini epiphany: Why not show you all what I'm buying from Latinx-owned businesses?

Supporting the Latinx community stays on my to-do list year-round, so I'm already well-acquainted with many of the brands I have my eye on. Others surfaced as I strived to include a diverse selection of products in this article. The final list features makeup, hair care, clothing, and accessories that satisfy my hyper-specific (but likely relatable) needs. I hope you like what you see as much as I do.

Here are the 9 things I plan to buy this Hispanic Heritage Month:

Rizos Curls Pink Detangling Flexi Brush

Beauty Products

Courtesy

I've been using Rizos Curls' line of shampoo, conditioner, and styling products for ages, and this brush is the one thing I haven't already purchased. It has eight rows of flexible bristles that move with your strands to prevent pulling and breakage, both of which are major issues for most people with curly hair. One reviewer said it's so effective, it can detangle a full head of hair in "less than 30 seconds." Another added that it's "very easy to sanitize," and the brand says it can even be used for DIY scalp massages in the shower.

Shop now: $16, ulta.com

Story continues

Marine + Vine Nomad Rose Hand Cream

Nomad Rose | Monoi Rose Hand Cream

Courtesy

Name a better fall purchase than a bougie hand cream  I'll wait. Evelyn Ginossi, the Chilean-American founder of Marine + Vine, developed the body care line with the goal of combining her laid-back Southern California roots with the romance of France, where its ingredients are sourced. The Nomad Rose cream contains sweet-smelling rose de mai oil, plus ultra-hydrating skin saviors hyaluronic acid, squalane, and aloe vera. Its hero ingredient is seaweed extract, which the brand says "prevents cellular damage from sun exposure and chemical stress." I'll leave you to imagine the jealousy on your friends' faces when you whip the pale pink tube out of a tote bag.

Shop now: $38, verishop.com

Ceremonia Aceite de Moska Scalp Oil

Beauty Products

Courtesy

I'd defend Ceremonia's Guava Rescue and Repair Kit with my life. The Aceite de Moska oil is one of the brand's best-selling products, and I have a perpetually dry scalp, so I clearly need to try it. Founder and CEO Babba Rivera used a traditional Chilean hair remedy as inspiration for the formula, which contains skincare favorite meadowfoam seed oil (your scalp is skin, after all), moisturizing chia seed oil, and growth-promoting castor oil. One reviewer said the oil "saved" their scalp, while another praised its "amazing" scent. I might also need to grab the brand's miracle Masajeador scalp brush to help me rub it in.

Shop now: $25, ceremonia.com

Luna Sundara Handmade Palo Santo Bracelet

Beauty Products

Courtesy

According to Amazon, Peruvian entrepreneur Sandra Manay sources Luna Sundara's materials from the forests of Ecuador and northern Peru. She buys palo santo, the wood used for this handmade bracelet, directly from artisans and farmers, so it's a purchase I feel great about ethically. If you're new to palo santo, you should know the sweetly scented wood has played a role in curanderismo, an indigenous spiritual practice in Latin America, for centuries. Healers, or curanderos, use it to dispel negative energy and clear the air of evil spirits.

Shop now: $15, amazon.com

Farm Rio Rainbow Chita Blouse

Beauty Products

Courtesy

Farm Rio's sale section is my happy place, and with this puff-sleeved floral top, I can take it with me anywhere. The Brazilian brand may not be cheap, but as a longtime owner of several pieces, I can comfortably say this will last me for years if I follow its care instructions. Not only is it more than $40 off right now, but shipping and returns are free, too. And since it's made from 100 percent cotton, I know it won't feel stiff or starchy.

Shop now: $102 (Originally $145), farmrio.com

Chillhouse Chill Tips False Nails in Wavy Baby

Beauty Products

Courtesy

Chillhouse is the coolest place in New York that I have yet to visit. Cyndi Ramirez-Fulton founded the cafe-spa destination in 2017, and it's reached global fame in the years since. These false nails are part of the brand's first line of products available at Target. There's no way I could achieve the squiggly style with my limited nail-painting skills, but the included non-toxic glue makes the press-ons a breeze to apply. The set comes with 24 nails in case of catastrophes, and since they're reusable, they're bound to pay for themselves multiple times over.

Shop now: $16, target.com

Parade Silky Mesh Salted Caramel Bundle

Beauty Products

Courtesy

Lately, I've gone to bed dreaming about Parade's new Ice Cream collection. The five-piece caramel brown bundle from the line is subtle but spicy  refer to the mesh briefs that say "lick me" in embroidered cursive on the rear. Colombian-American CEO Cami Tellez puts inclusivity at the forefront of her business model, with each bra and pair of undies available in sizes up to 3X. Plus, Parade's bundle options are less expensive than ordering each piece separately, entonces of course I'm going to buy my favorites this way.

Shop now: $115 (Originally $128), yourparade.com

Hot Chocolate Design I Wove You Mary Janes

Beauty Products

Courtesy

A family-owned business in Venezuela makes these canvas flats, and without even trying, the 'I Wove You' colorway ended my search for the perfect childlike-but-adult-sized footwear. Honestly, $80 isn't half bad for a pair of shoes that's earned more than 7,500 five-star ratings. I mean, a yarn-like pattern, double-strap design, and heart-shaped buckles? I don't think you understand I'm obsessed. Maybe I'll dress as Strawberry Shortcake for Halloween just to have another reason to wear them.

Shop now: $80, amazon.com

Luna Magic Desnuda Eyeshadow Palette

Beauty Products

Courtesy

I've been following Mabel and Shaira Frias of Luna Magic for years, so I was thrilled to learn that the vibrant makeup brand is now shoppable at Target. This palette of earth-toned eyeshadows is the fall makeup purchase of my dreams. A shimmery orange called 'sister' looks like it was extracted straight from a pumpkin spice latte, and the deep purple 'woman' shade has all the makings of a stunning smokey eye base. At $16 for nine colors, it's certainly on the affordable end of the beauty spectrum.

Shop now: $16, target.com
Israeli troops killed at least four Hamas militants in gunfights on Sunday during raids against the terrorist group's cells in the occupied West Bank, according to Israeli military officials.

Israeli army spokesman Lt. Col. Amnon Shefler said the country's forces were involved in a joint operation with the Shin Bet internal security agency and the Israel Border Police when they came under fire while carrying out arrests in the West Bank on Sunday.

Shefler confirmed that at least four Hamas operatives were killed and several others were arrested in the overnight operation, according to Reuters. The spokesman added that the goal of the operation was to "stop a Hamas terrorist organization cell that is operating in Judea and Samaria with an intent to carry out terror attacks," referring to the West Bank by its biblical names.

At least two Israeli soldiers suffered injuries and were airlifted to a hospital for medical treatment, according to a statement from the Israel Defense Forces.

'YES, WE WEPT': AOC EXPLAINS WHY SHE CRIED OVER IRON DOME VOTE

Last night, based on accurate intelligence, IDF, ISA & Yamam forces operated in Judea & Samaria to stop Hamas terrorists from carrying out attacks against Israeli civilians.



During the operation, two IDF soldiers were seriously injured.



We will continue to keep Israel safe.  Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) September 26, 2021

The Palestinian Health Ministry also said five Palestinians were killed but did not specify whether they belonged to Hamas. The Palestine Red Crescent ambulance service said four other Palestinians were wounded.

The Palestinian Authority, which has security forces that often coordinate with Israel to suppress Hamas and other militant groups, condemned the killings and said the Israeli government was "fully and directly responsible for this bloody morning and the crimes committed by the occupation forces."

Story continues

Israeli troops clashed with Palestinian gunmen during a raid in Jenin last month, resulting in four dead Palestinians. Recent violence along the West Bank has persisted as more than two dozen Palestinians have been killed in sporadic clashes with Israeli troops during protests over the past several months.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

The killings on Sunday were one of the deadliest violent conflicts between Israeli troops and Palestinian militants in the occupied West Bank in recent weeks, stemming from heightened tensions following the 11-day violent conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip in May this year.

Washington Examiner Videos

Tags: News, Israel, Hamas, Palestine, West Bank

Original Author: Kaelan Deese

Original Location: Israeli soldiers kill at least four Hamas militants in gun battles during raids
ROME (Reuters) - Italian Foreign Affairs Minister Luigi Di Maio said on Sunday that the Taliban government in Afghanistan could not be recognised, but urged foreign governments to prevent a financial collapse there that would spark massive flows of migrants.

Italy holds the annual, rotating presidency of the G20 and is looking to host a special summit on Afghanistan.

"Recognition of the Taliban government is impossible since there are 17 terrorists among the ministers, and the human rights of women and girls are continuously violated," Di Maio, who chaired a meeting of G20 foreign ministers in New York last week, told state-owned television Rai 3.

However, the Afghan people should start receiving the financial support that was frozen after the Taliban took power last month, he said.

"In a while they will not be able to pay salaries. Clearly, we must prevent Afghanistan from implosion and from an uncontrolled flow of migration that could destabilize neighbouring countries," Di Maio said.

"There are ways to guarantee financial support without giving money to the Taliban. We have also agreed that a part of humanitarian aid must always go to the protection of women and girls."

The G20 countries together with Afghanistan's neighbours are committed to fight against terrorism, and to work for the protection of human rights, Di Maio said.

Asked whether a date has been set for G20 leaders to meet on Afghanistan, Di Maio said that it will be "in the coming weeks".

"The date is not yet public but conditions are in place to convene the summit of the G20 leaders, who will be chaired by Prime Minister Mario Draghi," he said.

(Reporting by Giselda Vagnoni; Editing by Frances Kerry)
Once among the Roman Empire's most beautiful cities, Leptis Magna lies neglected and shunned by tourists after a decade of war, but some see its potential for rebirth.

There is no queue at the gate and only a handful of visitors, almost all Libyans, wander among the imposing ruins at the UNESCO World Heritage site.

Visiting the area, a former Roman outpost on the south coast of the Mediterranean, is "a voyage in time, a dive into history", enthuses Abdessalam Oueba, a Libyan visitor in his 60s.

Founded by the Phoenicians then conquered by Rome, the city was the birthplace of Septimius Severus, who rose to become emperor from 193 until 211.

The ruler waged military campaigns across Europe and into modern-day Iraq before dying in York, England, far from the hometown on which he had lavished resources.

Perched on a hillside with a striking view of the Mediterranean, the well-preserved ruins include a large basilica, a racecourse and a theatre seating up to 15,000 spectators on arched terraces overlooking the sea.

Among the few visiting tourists are Ihab, from Tripoli, who made the 120-kilometre (75-mile) trip to show his children a site he had visited during his own childhood.

"Leptis Magna is beautiful, the most beautiful Roman site outside Italy," the 34-year-old doctor said under a clear blue sky.

"Yet it's barely been discovered."

- 'Neglect' -

The violence that wracked Libya after the 2011 revolt that toppled dictator Moamer Kadhafi stirred fears for the ancient ruins, prompting United Nations cultural agency UNESCO to place them and four other Libyan sites on a list of global heritage in danger.

But so far, the areas have been mostly spared from the fighting, which has largely paused since an October 2020 ceasefire.

"There haven't been any direct attacks or threats against Leptis Magna, despite the conflict," said Azeddine al-Fakih, head of the site's antiquities department.

Story continues

Yet it faces other threats: a lack of resources and government support.

"In 2020, we were finally able to launch projects that should have been finished 50 years ago," he said, listing toilet facilities, offices and a perimeter fence.

"But archaeological digs have stopped, and maintenance operations are rushed and superficial."

Fakih admitted that after 10 years of conflict and state collapse, Libya's current unity government "has bigger problems to deal with".

There was almost no tourism in Libya under Kadhafi, whose rule from 1969-2011 depended heavily on the country's vast oil wealth.

Tense foreign relations and sanctions also discouraged foreign visitors.

Kadhafi began issuing tourist visas for the first time in 2003 and even created a ministry of tourism as the regime began mending ties with the West.

But all that stopped in 2011, when a NATO-backed revolt overthrew and killed Kadhafi, plunging the country into years of chaos.

- More valuable than oil -

Now, a year-long lull in violence has sparked hopes the country can move on.

Omar Hdidan, a civil engineer who volunteers to promote and maintain Leptis Magna, believes in its potential for tourism.

"It has always been neglected by the state," the 49-year-old said.

"There are no digs, no new discoveries, no campaign to encourage tourism. But Leptis Magna is more valuable than 10 oil wells."

Fakih agreed.

Leptis Magna "could be a source of income if it was managed properly", he said.

"It could create thousands of jobs, welcome millions of tourists and bring in billions of dollars. There will come a day when the oil runs out, but Leptis Magna will remain."

hme/rb/fka/ezz/par/it/qan
Kansas City police are asking for the publics help finding a young child and an adult man who have been missing since early Sunday morning.

Saniya Brock, 5, and Robert Montgomery, 30, were last seen at about 12:20 a.m., according to a news release from the department.

The girl is about four feet tall and weighs about 70 pounds, police said. She has black hair and brown eyes and was last seen wearing a black baseball cap and a green jacket with the word love written in purple lettering.

Montgomery is just shy of six feet tall and weighs about 160 pounds; he also has black hair and brown eyes.

Saniya knows Robert as Daddy. The family is concerned for their welfare, according to the release.

Anyone with information on their whereabouts is asked to call the departments Missing Persons Unit at 816-234-5136.
The Daily Beast

Dallas County Sheriff's OfficeA bizarre saga in Missouri involving a missing woman who was seen being held captive in a cage has taken a baffling turn as the house where she was apparently kept burned to the groundimmediately after authorities discovered it had been boobytrapped.The Dallas County Sheriffs Office said the fire at the home in Windyville, an unincorporated Ozarks community about 160 miles from Kansas City, occurred Monday night, according to the Springfield News-Leader. Thats mo
Supporters of a man who has been in prison for more than 30 years for killing his wife are upset that the Jackson County prosecutor hasnt been willing to use a new law to give him another chance to prove his innocence, but her office says there is no new evidence to consider in the case.

Ken Middleton, 77, was sentenced in 1991 to life plus 200 years in the shooting death of his wife, Kathy Middleton, at their Blue Springs home on Feb. 20, 1990. He has always maintained his innocence and turned down a plea deal in 2004 that could have led to his release.

After a hearing in 2005 that included testimony and evidence, then-Jackson County Circuit Court Judge Edith Messina, who presided over the first trial, vacated Middletons 1991 conviction and ordered that he should have a new trial.

But in 2006, a Missouri appeals court denied the new trial, ruling only on jurisdictional grounds, not the question of Middletons guilt. His requests for clemency or a pardon have been unsuccessful.

Middletons legal options seemed to be exhausted until the Missouri Legislature passed a bill this year that allows local prosecutors to seek to have convictions set aside if there is evidence the person was innocent or that a constitutional error occurred in previous legal proceedings.

We can prove both, if given the opportunity, Middletons attorney Kent Gipson said in an interview.

Gipson sent a letter in June to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker asking her to reconsider Middletons case and file a motion for a new hearing that might lead to a judge exonerating him.

His last and probably only hope to be exonerated rests under this law, Gipson said. The ball is in her court.

Peters Baker spokesman Mike Mansur said the office has reviewed the Middleton case several times and would consider it again if new evidence that was not known at trial was presented.

Mansur said Messinas ruling did not say Middleton was innocent and the prosecutors office does not consider evidence presented at the 2005 hearing to be new evidence.

Story continues

Ken Middletons 1991 murder trial

When Middleton was tried, prosecutors argued that he pushed his wife against a wall and shot her as they argued after she discovered he had an affair.

Middleton said his wife grabbed a gun and walked away from him during the argument. He said she was in another room when she apparently dropped the gun and grabbed it as it fell, accidentally pulling the trigger.

Court records raise questions about the police investigation, with the crime scene disturbed and no physical evidence linking Ken Middleton to the shooting. For example, it appeared police altered a report on gunshot residue on Kathy Middleton to show testing was done only on one hand when it actually had been done on both.

Middletons attorneys at his original trial and initial appeal presented little or no evidence or witnesses in his defense.

Gipson said evidence and testimony at the 2005 hearing was not presented in Middletons trial or first appeal and I dont know how something presented more than a decade after a conviction is not new evidence.

Middletons supporters note Peters Baker is using the new law to seek an evidentiary hearing for Kevin Strickland, who she and others say was wrongfully convicted of a triple murder in Kansas City more than 40 years ago. She has cited new evidence that was not heard by a jury before Strickland was convicted.

Its very frustrating that she says its OK to argue that Strickland was wrongfully convicted and kept in prison on procedural grounds but then turn around and step over the fact that my dads been in prison all these years just on jurisdictional grounds, Middletons son Cliff Middleton said.
No official representing Myanmar will address the United Nations General Assembly on Monday, a reversal of what was previously scheduled, Reuters reports.

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Why it matters: The last-minute compromise comes amid competing claims for the country's U.N. seat after a military coup last February ousted Myanmar's democratically elected government from power.

The decision comes after the U.S., China and Russia reached an agreement in which Myanmars U.N. ambassador, Kyaw Moe Tun, could stay in his position for the time being so long as he did not address the gathering, per Reuters.

The big picture: Kyaw Moe Tun, an appointee of the toppled government, was scheduled to speak before the assembly Monday, but no longer appears on the lineup, per the New York Times.

"I withdrew from the speaker list, and will not speak at this general debate," Kyaw Moe Tun told Reuters.

Of note: Afghanistan is also now subject to competing claims to its U.N. seat.

Earlier this week, the Taliban nominated a new envoy, Mohammad Suhail Shaheen, and asked to address the assembly in place of the current accredited ambassador Ghulam Isaczai, an appointee of the previous government.

When a UN seat is disputed, the General Assembly's nine-member Credentials Committee is tasked with making a decision, but the group has not been able to meet and discuss the issue in time, per the Times.

"For now, the Afghanistan representative inscribed on the list for Monday is Mr. Ghulam M. Isaczai," Dujarric told Reuters.

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Nigeria has agreed with Germany for hundreds of artefacts stolen during colonial times to be returned from July next year and is negotiating with other museums to repatriate more, an official said on Tuesday.

Thousands of pieces of Nigeria's so-called Benin Bronzes -- 16th to 18th century metal plaques and sculptures -- were stolen from the palace of the ancient Benin Kingdom only to end up in museums across the US and Europe.

Nigeria plans to build a museum in Benin City in southern Edo State where it hopes to house the bronzes, seen as among the most highly regarded works of African art.

"We have agreed on a timeline that actual return will start next year, 2022, which is going to be around July, August," Abba Tijani, director of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments said of the bronzes in Germany.

"We finalise our agreement by December this year."

Around 1,000 pieces have been identified for return from Germany, though the number will depend on their condition for transport back to Nigeria.

Some could be used in joint exhibitions with German museums, Tijani said, as long as they respect Nigeria's perspective.

"We are not going to do it in one go, it's not going be in two lots, it is a process," he told AFP.

Nigeria's attempt to secure the bronzes comes as part of a broader campaign by other African countries seeking restitution of treasures plundered in the colonial era.

Last year, France's parliament voted to return artefacts to Benin and Senegal more than a century after they were looted.

Tijani said a pavillon to store the artefacts, including an archaeological lab, would be finished for next year, while the new Benin City museum would be completed in five years.

Returned artefacts are meant to be handled by the state according to Nigerian law, but Tijani said there were discussions with the current traditional ruler of Benin over where they will be housed.

"We are not in a conflict with him, it is a matter of trying to clarify some grey areas," he said. "We respect the history behind it and where these things come from."

Story continues

Talks are ongoing with US and European museums, but Tijani said Nigeria planned to receive several pieces next month from New York City, Aberdeen and Cambridge.

"All these countries have collections of Benin bronzes that are part of the loot so in terms of the figure we are talking a big number," he said.

"That is why we are not overly ambitious that we want all these objects, all at the same time, all back to Nigeria."

pma/lhd/
A health worker administers a dose of the Pfizer vaccine at the Clalit Health Services in the Palestinian neighborhood of Beit Hanina, in the Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem, on August 29, 2021. Ahmad Gharabli/AFP/Getty Images

The CEO of Pfizer said Sunday the COVID-19 pandemic would likely subside by next year, allowing for a return to normal life.

He said the COVID-19 virus would likely continue to evolve, requiring annual vaccinations.

His comments are similar to those made last week by Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel.

See more stories on Insider's business page.

Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said Sunday he believed life would return to normal within the next year even though new variants of COVID-19 are likely to continue to emerge around the globe.

"I agree that within a year I think we will be able to come back to normal life," Bourla said during an appearance on ABC News' "This Week." "I don't think this means that variants will not continue coming, and I don't think this means we should be able to live our lives without having vaccinations."

Bourla's comments echo remarks made last week by Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel, who predicted the pandemic would end "in a year."

"If you look at the industry-wide expansion of production capacities over the past six months, enough doses should be available by the middle of next year so that everyone on this Earth can be vaccinated," Bancel told Swiss newspaper Neue Zurcher Zeitung, Reuters reported Thursday.

Bancel said people who do not get vaccinated would "immunize themselves naturally" because the Delta variant is highly transmissible.

"In this way we will end up in a situation similar to that of the flu. You can either get vaccinated and have a good winter. Or you don't do it and risk getting sick and possibly even ending up in hospital," he added.

Bourla on Sunday told ABC News' George Stephanopoulos he believed COVID-19 would likely require annual vaccination to tackle variants that emerge across the world.

Story continues

"The most likely scenario for me - because the virus is spread all over the world - is we will continue seeing new variants that are coming out, and also we will have vaccines that will last at least a year," he said. "I think the most likely scenario is annual vaccinations. But we don't know really. We need to wait and see the data."

The comments come as vaccine booster shots become available to millions of eligible Americans.

The US Food and Drug Administration last week authorized Pfizer boosters for people 65 years and older and others at high risk of severe COVID-19, including people who are more likely to get sick because of their health status, and others at high risk of exposure to the virus due to where they live and work, as Insider's Aria Bendix and Andrea Michelson reported.

The development came the same week that deaths from the coronavirus in the US surpassed that of the 1918-1919 influenza pandemic.

Read the original article on Business Insider
POPSUGAR

When I have sleep problems, it's usually not about struggling to fall asleep; I conk out pretty quickly once I get in bed. For me, the problem comes on the other side, when I'll wake up two hours before my alarm, perfectly alert and awake and ready to start my day despite repeatedly telling my brain that, hello, excuse me, it's really not time yet.
Associated Press

State Superintendent Joy Hofmeister, who has clashed repeatedly with Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt and his appointees over the state's response to COVID-19 in schools, said Thursday she will switch parties and run as a Democrat against him next year. A longtime Republican first elected in 2014, Hofmeister said the decision to switch parties and run for governor was a difficult one, but one she took because Kevin Stitt has hijacked the Republican Party here in Oklahoma." I'm switching parties in hopes of building the Oklahoma I've always known our state can be."
Portsmouth City Council is asking the General Assembly for help to remove or reduce the tolls for the two tunnels that connect the city to Norfolk. Officials are still working on how that might happen.

Im considering any options, Mayor Shannon Glover said.

The City Council passed a resolution in July that urged legislators to remove or reduce the tolls, which were put in place in 2014, and that initiative topped the citys draft of legislative priorities.

When Glover introduced the initiative, he noted the state had a surplus of about $2 billion and was expecting about $4 billion from the American Rescue Plan Act. After initial conversations with lawmakers, he said it wasnt likely the state would buy back the entirety of its contract with Elizabeth River Crossings, the private entity that oversees the tolls. That would be about $2 billion.

Glover thinks it may be possible for the state to buy a portion. He and lawmakers also discussed refinancing the deal or using state-administered gasoline taxes to offset the cost.

Regardless of what the strategy will be, we cannot continue to have these increasing, escalating toll fees and costs put on the backs of our citizens and our businesses. Thats just not going to be a sustainable solution long term, Glover said.

Each day, more than 120,000 drivers use the Midtown and Downtown tunnels. The Midtown Tunnel is the most traveled road east of the Mississippi River, according to Skanska USA, one of the former tunnel operators that sold its stake at the end of 2020.

Crossing either tunnel costs $1.85 or $2.33 per trip for passenger vehicles and motorcycles with an E-ZPass transponder, depending on the time, or $5.54 or $6.02 for those without. Trucks pay $5.54 or $9.29 with an E-Zpass or $9.23 or $12.98 based on off-peak and peak travel times. For passenger vehicles, the cost of using the tunnel has more than doubled since tolls were introduced.

Elizabeth River Crossings contract with the state allows it to operate the Downtown and Midtown tunnels through 2070 and increase tolls annually up to 3.5%. In December of 2020, the operator suspended a planned toll increase, citing effects of the pandemic.

Story continues

The tolls in Portsmouth drew much attention after a 2017 Virginian-Pilot report found some commuters owed thousands in fees because they could not afford the toll. Glover said he believed those cases of extreme toll debt have been resolved, largely due to relief programs and action by state officials. He noted, however, that tolls will continually increase, causing the cost of crossing the tunnel to become a greater burden on commuters.

City leaders are quick to point to the tolls as a burden not just on commuters, but Portsmouths bottom line. They cite the tolls as a reason other Hampton Roads residents dont visit the city and spend money at its businesses. A 2018 study by James Koch, an economist and former president of Old Dominion University, estimated the tolls reduced taxable sales in the city by $8.8 million. Taxes on those sales amount to about $500,000.

The tolls have the greatest effect on Portsmouth, but Glover said the issue is regional. Along with Portsmouths state delegation, he said his city has the support of leaders in other localities and the Hampton Roads Accountability Commission.

Josh Reyes, 757-247-4692, joreyes@dailypress.com
In 2011, a rare October noreaster dumped more than a foot of wet, heavy snow on the state, and thrust a group of homeless men in work therapy onto the front lines.

A crush of people without lights or heat descended on wood yards around the state, including one on Maxim Road in Hartford, where recently incarcerated and unsheltered men worked splitting and stacking firewood to get acclimated to life at the Open Hearth shelter.

As supervisor David Knighton, a former shelter resident who got his first job in the wood yard, helped manage the chaotic scene, he saw just how far hed come since his younger days selling drugs in the same community.

Working at Open Hearth, Ive been in situations now where I feel like Im a help. Im helping in this world, Knighton said last week, as he reflected on the permanent closure of the wood yard after more than 50 years on Maxim Road and a total of 136 years in the city.

An original program of the Open Hearth, which was founded in 1884, the wood yard was shut down last year to prevent the spread of the coronavirus among staff and shelter residents.

The nonprofit decided this year to end the work therapy program for good in order to focus resources on its Working Mans Center, which provides a range of health, education and employment services, including counseling, substance abuse recovery and job search training, to current and former shelter residents.

With the wood yard shuttered, the Working Mans Center didnt skip a beat. It continued helping residents secure identification documents, prepare resumes and pursue certifications in high-demand job skills, like food safety and forklift operation.

And if the there was one bright spot to be found in the pandemic, it was an increased demand for workers. Employers who previously wouldnt consider applicants with criminal records or bad credit were suddenly hiring men through the Open Hearth.

While the health crisis is finally waning, Open Hearth Executive Director Marilyn Rossetti says it didnt make financial sense to reopen such an expensive operation as the wood yard, which required the nonprofit to carry high levels of insurance coverage.

Story continues

Firewood sales barely supported the program, which was essentially a relic from a time when charitable organizations in most major cities, including New Haven, Philadelphia and Boston, offered temporary work to homeless laborers in exchange for lodging and meals.

You could say the wood yard was a vestige of the Victorian era, when the (Open Hearth) started in a church basement and people were growing their own vegetables, said social worker Stephen Haynes, the program director of the Working Mans Center.

It also required Rossetti, a Democrat on Hartfords city council, to maintain a working knowledge of all things timber, from the laws of transporting wood over state lines to the names of tree-destroying pests like the Asian long-horned beetle and Emerald ash borer.

Rossetti thought of the time she could be spending on fundraising and developing programs, and the time the staff could be spending on case management and more modern employment efforts. The wood yard, once a powerful tool for fostering pride and work ethic, had to go, she said.

Times change, and if you dont change with the times, you get left behind, Rossetti said. Employment is such a big part of what we do, so lets do it in a way thats more efficient, more timely. It doesnt mean hard work isnt still important and instilled, but were doing it in a way that works.

Residents still gain on-the-job experience through Open Hearth Works, a social enterprise started in 2016 to provide work crews for maintenance, cleaning, snow removal and other jobs.

On Tuesday, Knighton oversaw an Open Hearth Works team cleaning up the old Fuller Brush Co. factory complex in Hartfords North End.

While its a nonprofit, Open Hearth Works helps raise revenue for the shelter and its programs while meeting the organizations mission: providing transitional jobs to men with felony records, limited experience and bad work history. The first job helps them get a second, ideally somewhere they can build a career.

To give residents the best chance of success, Open Hearth restricts them from job searching for up to a month, during which staff help sort out complex barriers to employment  like acquiring birth certificates from Puerto Rico  and start to address issues of substance abuse and mental illness.

But the philosophy is still the same as in those 19th century wood yards, work rooms and laundries: placing purpose above profit.

An 1893 report on the International Congress of Charities, Correction and Philanthropy, described the belief that working could become the open doors to new lives of self-respect and self-support.

That was true in Hartford for Knighton, who was assigned to the wood yard program upon his release from prison after serving about 18 years.

He appreciated working outside, using tools and learning to operate the wood processor and forklift. The daily routine and responsibilities were stabilizing. He spent a year living at Open Hearth, but even after he completed the wood yard program and got a job at Dunkin Donuts, he kept visiting the place where he got his start.

When there was an opening for a driver, Knighton jumped at the chance to return to the yard as an employee.

It was a place of camaraderie and mentorship from Abdul-Shahid Muhammad Ansari, the former shelter director who spent years overseeing the firewood operation. Ansari, who died in May 2020, held his crew to high moral standards, which Knighton says he still lives by.

I try to do right because he was the one that seen the most in me when I probably wasnt seeing it in myself, he said.

Knighton, a father of four, eventually became the wood yard supervisor. When the program was shut down last year, he began supervising the nonprofits associate counselors. He is also a case manager and the director of operations for Open Hearth Works, and he shows up to the shelter early most days in case a resident needs someone to talk to over breakfast.

In another year, Knightons time in prison will be surpassed by his career with Open Hearth, working with guys like myself, showing them that change is possible.

Hes not sad to see the wood yard go, either. While the program gave him his start, the jobs he oversees through Open Hearth Works do the same for shelter residents. But these jobs can provide something in addition to pride: a paycheck.

While the wood yard was great at the time, were moving forward, he said. We can help the men help themselves.

Rebecca Lurye can be reached at rlurye@courant.com.
SEOUL, South Korea (AP)  South Korea on Sunday urged North Korea to restore dormant communication hotlines, a day after the North repeated an offer to open conditional talks.

The North might be seeking to extract concessions about two weeks after it raised tensions by carrying out its first missile tests in six months. North Korea has twice reached out to South Korea saying its open to talks if conditions are met.

Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, said Saturday the two Koreas can take steps toward reconciliation if South Korea abandons hostile polices and double-dealing standards.

She didnt elaborate on what specific steps she wants South Korea to take. But some experts say North Korea wants South Korea to play a role in winning relief from U.S.-led sanctions, getting aid, or receiving other concessions such as international recognition as a nuclear weapons state.

On Sunday, South Koreas Unification Ministry called Kim Yo Jongs statement meaningful," saying the South has been consistently pushing to achieve denuclearization and peace on the Korean Peninsula through dialogue.

To hold talks on beginning steps toward reconciliation, a ministry statement said that suspended cross-border communication lines must be reactivated quickly to promote stable communications between the divided countries. It said Seoul hopes the two Koreas can resume talks on many pending issues.

The South Korean statement refers to a set of phone- and fax-like communication channels between the rivals, which have been largely dormant for more than a year. The two Koreas briefly resumed communications over the channels for about two weeks this summer, but North Korea later refused to exchange messages again after Seoul staged annual military drills with Washington.

Earlier this month, North Korea carried out tests of ballistic and cruise missiles in its first such launches since March, displaying an ability to attack South Korea and Japan, both key U.S. allies. North Korea still maintains a moratorium on testing longer-range missiles capable of reaching the American homeland, a suggestion that it wants to keep alive the chances for future diplomacy with the U.S.

Story continues

Relations between the Koreas flourished in 2018, when Seoul helped arrange high-profile nuclear diplomacy between Washington and Pyongyang, including a summit between Kim Jong Un and then-U.S. President Donald Trump. But Pyongyang cut off ties with Seoul after the Kim-Trump diplomacy broke down in 2019 due to disputes over the U.S.-led sanctions.

The recent North Korean outreach came as a response to South Korean President Moon Jae-ins renewed calls for a political declaration to officially end the 1950-53 Korean War as a way to promote peace. The Korean War ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty, leaving the Korean Peninsula still technically at war.

As possible reconciliation steps, Kim Yo Jong floated the idea of announcing the wars end as Moon wished, rebuilding a joint liaison office that North Korea destroyed last year and holding an inter-Korean summit.

North Koreas already devastated economy has suffered further recent setbacks from the coronavirus pandemic, which has decimated its external trade, mostly with its last major ally, China. Kim Jong Un has said his country faces the "worst-ever crisis due to a combination of the pandemic, the sanctions and natural disasters last year.

Its unclear if the Norths outreach would provide it with badly needed sanctions relief and other rewards. U.S. officials have repeatedly expressed hopes to sit down for talks with North Korea, but have also made it clear they will continue sanctions until the North takes concrete steps toward denuclearization.
CARBONDALE, Ill. (AP)  Nic Baker threw two touchdown passes and Javon Williams Jr., rushed for two in a Southern Illinois comeback that saw the Salukis score five unanswered touchdowns and defeat Illinois State 35-17 in a Missouri Valley Conference opener on Saturday.

Jackson Waring's 1-yard touchdown run had given Illinois State (2-2, 0-1) a 17-0 lead early in the third quarter, but the game flipped from there as Southern Illinois (3-1, 1-0) forced two punts, a fumble and took over on downs three times on the Redbirds final six possessions.

The Salukis, ranked No. 8 in the FCS coaches poll, compiled 371 yards of offense and converted eight of 15 tries on third down in their rally.

Baker was 21 of 32 passing for 227 yards with a pair of touchdowns. He was also intercepted twice. Landon Lenoir rushed for 86 yards and a TD while Izaiah Hartrup gained 82 for Southern Illinois.

Waring, a freshman, passed for 166 yards for Illinois State with Austin Nagel making four catches for 100 yards.

___

More AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25.

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Sudan's transitional government on Sunday held talks in the Red Sea trade hub of Port Sudan with leaders of a protest movement that threatened the impoverished country's fuel supplies and revenue.

Information Minister Hamza Baloul confirmed to AFP the arrival of a senior delegation while another senior official, who preferred to remain anonymous, said "the delegation won't come back (to the capital Khartoum) before solving the crisis".

A protest leader announced on September 20 that dozens of demonstrators, objecting to parts of a peace deal with rebel groups, had blocked the main container and oil export terminals in Port Sudan.

By Saturday, Sudan's Oil Minister Gadein Ali Obeid warned of "an extremely grave situation" with two pipelines blocked by the protesters.

One transports oil exports from South Sudan while the other handles Sudanese crude imports.

Sudan had reserves to last only for 10 days, Obeid's ministry said.

Neighbouring South Sudan produces around 162,000 barrels of oil per day, which are transported by pipeline to Port Sudan and then shipped to global markets.

The Khartoum government receives around $25 for every barrel of oil sold from the South, according to official figures.

The delegation to Port Sudan, the country's main seaport, is headed by Sovereign Council member Shams al-Din Kabashi and other ministers. They include Obeid and Foreign Minister Mariam al-Mahdi, the official SUNA news agency reported.

Kabashi met with protest leaders after his arrival.

Sudan formed the joint civilian-military sovereign ruling council months after the ouster of long-time autocrat Omar al-Bashir in April 2019.

It serves alongside a transitional government, headed by civilian Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, which last October signed a peace agreement with several rebel groups.

But the eastern protesters, from Sudan's Beja minority, say that the deal with rebels from the Darfur region, Blue Nile and South Kordofan states ignored their interests.

Story continues

Speaking in Khartoum on Sunday, sovereign council chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan described the protesters' demands as "a political matter that must be dealt with politically".

While impeding access to Port Sudan, the protesters late last week also blocked the entrance to the city's airport and a bridge linking Kassala with the rest of the country.

ab-bam/ff/it/hkb
The Taliban are now calling for international flights out of Afghanistan to resume, claiming the issues at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul have been resolved nearly a month after the United States's military withdrawal from the region.

"As the problems at Kabul International Airport have been resolved and the airport is fully operational for domestic and international flights, the [Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan] assures all airlines of its full cooperation," said Abdul Qahar Balkhi, the Taliban's foreign ministry spokesman.

Balkhi said the lack of international flights has resulted in many Afghans being stranded abroad and prevents other residents from traveling for work or study, according to Reuters.

Some airlines, such as Pakistan International, have recently offered international flights to and from Afghanistan in limited runs. Still, the prices for these tickets are marked much higher than the rates prior to the Taliban's takeover of the country last month.

TALIBAN HANG BODY OF SUSPECTED KIDNAPPER IN CITY SQUARE

The Kabul airport was the site of a chaotic evacuation in which thousands of U.S. personnel and Afghan refugees were airlifted from the country. Numerous Special Immigrant Visa-eligible Afghans and around 100 or fewer U.S. passport holders remain in the country after the end of the humanitarian evacuation on Aug. 31.

The Taliban's appeal for more international flights comes as the militant group has sought legitimacy from more developed nations since the fall of the former U.S.-backed Afghan government despite imposing stricter social policies on the population akin to its brutal rule in the 1990s.

Mullah Nooruddin Turabi, a founder of the Taliban, said Thursday that executions and amputations would return as a form of criminal punishment in the country, saying, "Cutting off of hands is very necessary for security."

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

Story continues

The strict messaging from the militant government appears to be an about-face from only about a month ago, when Taliban leaders promised "amnesty" for supporters of the previous government.

Since then, women have been told they can study in gender-segregated institutions. Likewise, countless residents who have sought to flee across borders from the Taliban have been blocked by security checkpoints and been subject to regular home searches by the group's militant fighters.

Washington Examiner Videos

Tags: News, Taliban, Afghanistan, Aviation

Original Author: Kaelan Deese

Original Location: Taliban petition to resume international flights from Kabul
Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan on Wednesday defended the state of democracy under her rule, brushing off persistent opposition complaints that she was leading the country into dictatorship.

Hassan, who was elevated to the presidency in March following the sudden death of her predecessor John Magufuli, also gave veiled hints she would run for the post in polls due in 2025.

Initially, Hassan reached out to the opposition, vowing to defend democracy and basic freedoms, and reopening media outlets that were banned under Magufuli.

But the arrest of opposition leaders and the suspension of newspapers has dimmed hopes she would turn the page on her predecessor's increasingly oppressive rule.

"Tanzania (is) very good in democracy," said Hassan, a stalwart in the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party who served as Magufuli's vice president.

"I know there are challenges in our democracy but this is normal because no country is perfect as far as democracy is concerned," she said at a function to mark the UN's International Day of Democracy.

- Democracy 'under arrest' -

The July arrest of Freeman Mbowe, leader of the main opposition party Chadema, triggered concerns at home and abroad that she was seeking to silence dissent.

Mbowe was detained along with a number of other senior party officials just before they were to hold a public forum to call for a new constitution, in raids Chadema says reflect Tanzania's slide into "dictatorship".

He remains behind bars and is facing trial on charges of terrorism financing and conspiracy which he has rejected as politically motivated.

Another opposition party, the Alliance for Change and Transparency, charged Wednesday that democracy was "under arrest" under Hassan's government.

"We are saying that because the government has deliberately halted some democratic processes in the name of building economy," it said in a statement.

Story continues

"Nobody has the authority to restrict freedom of opinion, press, association or vote but unfortunately, this was done by the previous government and the current government is continuing with the tendency."

Hassan, who is currently the only woman to both head a government and serve as head of state in Africa, also dropped hints she would run for the office in elections in four years' time.

"They are starting to tease us, publishing in the press that Samia will not run. Who told them that?" she said.

"We will put a woman in the presidency in 2025, if we do our job well, if we are united."

Last month, the government suspended a newspaper owned by CCM for 14 days for publishing a "false" story which said Hassan was not considering running for president in the next election.

It was the first time the authorities had slapped such a ban on the paper, Uhuru, and the first such action against any media outlet since Hassan took office.

Earlier this month the government also suspended a private newspaper for 30 days for linking a "terrorist" gunman who killed four people in an August shooting spree in Dar es Salaam to the ruling party.

str-ho/txw/amu/gd
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott speaking at the annual National Rifle Association (NRA) convention in May 2018. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson/File Photo

Governor Abbott says he will hire Border Patrol agents who may face disciplinary action from President Joe Biden.

"I will hire you to help Texas secure our border," the governor said on "Fox News Sunday."

Images of agents on horseback charging Haitian migrants near the border has elicited outrage from Biden, Vice President Harris and others.

See more stories on Insider's business page.

Republican Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas on Sunday expressed support for US Border Patrol agents who are disciplined by the Biden administration, pledging to hire them if they fear that their jobs are in jeopardy.

During an appearance on "Fox News Sunday," host Chris Wallace asked Abbott to respond to the videos and images that showed agents on horseback charging at Haitian migrants near the Texas border, which elicited a torrent of outrage from many across the country, including President Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and many members of Congress.

Abbott immediately laid blame on the president, criticizing his administration for what he said was a lack of enforcement of existing immigration laws.

"They wouldn't have been in that situation had the Biden administration enforced the immigration law and secured the border in the first place," the governor said.

He added: "If he takes any action against them whatsoever - I have worked side by side with those Border Patrol agents - I want them to know something. If they are at risk of losing their job by a president who is abandoning his duty to secure the border, you have a job in the state of Texas. I will hire you to help Texas secure our border."

President Joe Biden last week said that the agents who charged at migrants as they attempted to cross the Rio Grande in Del Rio, Texas, would face repercussions.

"I promise you those people will pay," Biden said of the agents during a White House press conference. "There will be consequences ... It's dangerous. It's wrong. It sends the wrong message around the world; it sends the wrong message at home. It's simply not who we are."

Story continues

The Department of Homeland Security last week said that they take the allegations of mistreatment "very seriously."

"The footage is extremely troubling, and the facts learned from the full investigation, which will be conducted swiftly, will define the appropriate disciplinary actions to be taken," the department said.

Last week, the administration resumed deportations under Title 42, a public health policy that the Trump administration utilized that allows the US to remove migrants from the country without affording them the opportunity to apply for asylum.

Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas on Friday said that the Haitian migrants had been removed from the Del Rio area, NPR reported. Of the 15,000 migrants who were staying at a camp in Del Rio, roughly 2,000 individuals were sent back to Haiti, while 12,400 people are in the US awaiting their hearings in front of immigration judges, Mayorkas confirmed.

During the Fox News interview, Wallace also asked Abbott about the role of Texas state government at the US-Mexico border, noting that Attorney General Merrick Garland has threatened to sue the governor over an executive order that targets migrants.

"Because the Biden administration is refusing to do its duty to enforce the laws of the United States, they have left Texas in no position other than for us to step up and do what we have to do," the governor contended. "I'm going to step up and do whatever I have to do to make sure that I protect the people of Del Rio, as well as all these other communities in the state of Texas that the Biden administration is ignoring."

Read the original article on Business Insider
School districts across Hampton Roads saw a decline last year in the rate of students who received the required sequence of immunizations to be eligible for enrollment in a public school, according to state data.

The states rate of students who were adequately vaccinated  meaning they got all doses of the vaccines required under state law  was just over 88% last year, down from just over 96% in 2019, Virginia Department of Health data shows. Similar trends occurred nationwide.

The states number of under-vaccinated seventh-graders rose 82%, according to The Virginian-Pilots analysis of VDH data. Some Hampton Roads school districts saw an increase of more than 90%, with one as high as 99%.

Schools report vaccination status of students to VDH at kindergarten and seventh-grade milestones through the departments Student Immunization Survey, which is collected at the beginning of each school year.

Vaccines are generally intended to prevent the spread of disease. Thats especially important in a classroom or school setting, where students can often be in close quarters, said Marshall Vogt, an epidemiologist with VDH.

I always tell people that these vaccines are safe and theyre effective, and they protect kids so that they can be in school, and so that they dont need to lose time for illness or because there are outbreaks, Vogt said.

Experts say a variety of factors contributed to the decrease in adequately vaccinated students last year.

Dr. Douglas Mitchell, the medical director of CHKD Medical Group and a pediatrician at Norfolk Pediatrics, said the pandemic and reduced operations at doctors offices had a significant impact. Mitchell said, like many doctors, his office stopped seeing most children for annual check-ups during the early months of the pandemic to prevent the spread of the virus.

We basically didnt see those visits for about three months. There went 25% of the year right there. There went 25% of our opportunity to vaccinate to the year, Mitchell said.

Story continues

Students who do not have the required vaccines and dont qualify for a religious or medical exemption may be conditionally enrolled, but must receive the required vaccines within a certain time period.

Schools are required by law to review the immunization records of conditionally enrolled students periodically until the required immunizations have been received. State law says school districts can exclude under-vaccinated students from school activities until they receive the vaccines.

Statewide and in Hampton Roads, the number of kindergarten students conditionally enrolled was roughly the same in 2019 and 2020. But The Pilots analysis of VDH data shows the number of conditionally enrolled seventh grade students increased drastically in some districts.

In 2019, Portsmouth Public Schools reported nine seventh-grade students as conditionally enrolled. Last year, that number climbed to 192  an increase of 95%.

Michael Cromartie, the Portsmouth divisions chief of schools, said the school district makes it a standard practice to conditionally enroll some students every year, especially because younger students have limited control over whether they receive vaccines.

Its really difficult for me to invoke sanctions against kids for decisions that they didnt make. A lot of these kids are children, some younger elementary children, Cromartie said. They certainly cant make their own appointments and get themselves to pediatricians or clinics for vaccinations, so I dont ever want to penalize kids for bad decisions that adults have made.

According to The Pilots analysis, the Portsmouth division also had the lowest rate of adequately vaccinated seventh-graders in Hampton Roads last year, at about 72%.

Similar increases in the number of conditionally enrolled seventh-graders were present in other Hampton Roads districts.

Virginia Beach City Public Schools conditionally enrolled 323 seventh-graders in 2020, an increase of 95% from 2019. At just over 94%, though, the divisions rate of adequately vaccinated seventh-graders was higher than the state rate of 88%.

At 99%, Hampton City Schools had the largest increase in the number of conditionally enrolled seventh-graders last year. In 2019, the division conditionally enrolled four. Last year, the number was 282. The division reported 80% of seventh grade students as adequately vaccinated.

Vogt said decreased vaccination rates across the state last year were a concern, but advised not to read too much into one year of data.

I think its important to note that this is one data point for one year, Vogt said. We certainly look at that. Any time there is a fluctuation, up or down, our eyes are on that and were looking for what that could potentially mean, but we also kind of look at the trend over time. And that trend over time I think is relatively stable, and were happy with that.

Overall, Virginias adequately vaccinated rate is stable from year to year, hovering around 96%.

Now, though, as students are back in the classroom for the new school year, they will need to catch up on their vaccines to protect themselves and others.

We need to keep our population as vaccinated as possible to protect the individual, as well as protect the population from spread, Mitchell said.

Parents should adhere to the Centers for Disease Controls recommended schedule for vaccinations when possible, but the CDC does provide a catch-up schedule for those who are at least one month behind.

We know the standard immunization schedule is safe, Mitchell said. We know that we want to get kids vaccinated on time because we recommend those vaccines when the kids are most vulnerable.

Glory Gill, the Hampton school divisions health services coordinator, said the division is communicating with families whose children are not adequately vaccinated to ensure that they receive their immunizations. Cromartie said that the Portsmouth school division is making similar efforts.

Because some students will be playing catch-up on their vaccines this semester, families might have a hard time scheduling vaccination appointments due to the increased demand.

Cromartie said Portsmouth schools will provide a 30-day grace period for all immunizations this year.

Kellie Goral, the executive director of public relations and marketing for Hampton schools, said they will provide a 30-day grace period for the meningococcal vaccine, which is a new requirement for seventh graders this year. Some families have reported their doctors are having a hard time finding the vaccine, she said.

Schools are given 30 days from the start of the school year to report their students immunization status to VDH, which will release the results for this school year later in the fall semester.

Cromartie didnt want to comment on exact numbers for this school year without all of the Portsmouth divisions data collected yet, but he said in general, more children are adequately vaccinated compared to last year.

Vogt said VDH will monitor any gaps in immunization and work with school districts, health departments and other stakeholders to address the issue.

I certainly hope every year for the highest coverage rate that we can get, because I think Virginia, by and large, does very, very well, and has really really strong immunization rates, Vogt said. Were proud of that and we want to maintain that.

Mitchell of CHKD encouraged students to also receive this years flu vaccine, and the COVID-19 vaccine, if they are at least 12 years old. You can find information on where to receive a flu vaccine on the VDH website. Information on COVID vaccines is available at vaccinate.virginia.gov.

Korie Dean, 757-446-2962, korie.dean@virginiamedia.com
Beijing [China]: Of late Chinas big tech firms like Alibaba, Tencent and Baidu are facing problems under growing pressure from Beijings campaign to rein in their power and influence.

Owing to the clampdown, Alibaba is dumping its shares in one of Chinas largest TV broadcasters just months after it bought them, reported CNN.

Alibaba (BABA) plans to sell its 5 per cent stake in Mango Excellent Media, according to a statement from the media company on Thursday, reported CNN.

It owns Mango TV, which is massively popular for its variety shows in China. Chinas second largest state-owned television network, Hunan Broadcasting System, controls Mango with a stake of 56 per cent.

The statement also said that Alibaba is seeking a waiver from an agreement not to sell the shares for a year. The e-commerce giant bought them only nine months ago for 6.2 billion yuan (USD 960 million), reported CNN.

Based on Mango Excellents stock price on Friday, Alibaba has already suffered a notional loss of about 2 billion yuan (USD 320 million) from the investment.

The planned sale comes as Alibaba, founded in 1999 by Jack Ma, faces enormous political and regulatory pressure from Beijing, which has intensified a crackdown on the internet industry since late last year.

Beijing has become increasingly concerned about the clout that big, private tech firms have over media, finance, data, and other sensitive sectors, and how entrenched they have become to everyday life in China through news, digital payments apps and other services, reported CNN.

Last November, regulators shelved a highly anticipated IPO by Alibabas financial affiliate, Ant Group.

In December, President Xi Jinping said that stronger anti-monopoly rules against internet firms would be one of his most important goals for 2021.

Days later, regulators announced an antitrust investigation into Alibaba.

In April, Alibaba was fined a record USD 2.8 billion by the anti-trust watchdog. Ant Group was also cut down to size and ordered by the banking regulators to overhaul its operations, reported CNN.

Ma  who retired from the company in 2019  has largely remained out of sight through all of this. He vanished from public view for months before briefly emerging in a video earlier this year to speak to teachers at a philanthropic event.
New Delhi : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday returned to New Delhi after concluding his three-day US visit, where he addressed the United Nations General Assembly and attended the first in-person Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD) Summit.

Bharatiya Janata Party National President Jai Prakash Nadda along with party General Secretaries Arun Singh and Tarun Chugh, Former Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, Delhi BJP President Adesh Gupta and senior party functionaries were present at the airport to receive PM Modi and welcomed him with Dhol and Nagadhas.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives at Delhi airport after concluding his US visit. pic.twitter.com/t7YMUUpX2o  Newsroom Post (@NewsroomPostCom) September 26, 2021

During his US visit, PM Modi was hosted by President Joe Biden at the White House with whom he held a bilateral meeting. This was the first in-person meeting between the two leaders after Biden took over as US President on January 20.

PM Modi also held bilateral meetings with Vice President Kamala Harris and CEOs of several American companies.

He also met and held bilateral meetings with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Japan Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on the sidelines of the first in-person Quad summit after the COVID-19 pandemic. During the summit, PM Modi proposed a common international travelling protocol involving mutual recognition of the COVID-19 vaccination certificate.

PM Modi also addressed the General Debate of the High-Level Segment of 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York during his US visit.

PM Modi arrives at Delhi airport after concluding his US visit pic.twitter.com/OtjrbcSVDN  Neha Singh (@NehaSingh1912) September 26, 2021

The US visit marked the first visit of the Prime Minister beyond the neighbourhood since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla had earlier described that PM Modis visit to the US has been very successful.
Microsoft unveils Surface Laptop Studio, Surface Pro 8, and Surface Go 3

New Delhi, Sun, 26 Sep 2021 Supratik Mitra

On Wednesday, Microsoft hosted its hardware-specific event where it unveiled the new Surface range of devices that include the Surface Laptop Studio, Surface Pro 8, and Surface Go 3.



All these new devices launched by Microsoft will run on Windows 11, out of the box, which is to launch in October. The event also brought out a much-anticipated Surface Duo 2 dual-screen phone that is a successor to the earlier Surface Duo. In addition, Microsoft also launched new accessories, namely the Surface Slim Pen 2, Surface Adaptive Kit, Ocean Plastic Mouse, and Microsoft Modern USB-C Headset. The existing Surface Pro 7+ and Surface Pro X also received updates to reach new customers.



The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio starts at $1,599 (roughly Rs. 1,18,000). It's the same price as Microsoft's 2-in-1 tablet, the Surface Book 3, which launched last year. The Surface Pro 8 starts at $1,099 (roughly Rs. 81,100). It is the successor of the Surface Pro 7, which was released in 2019 at a starting price of $749 (approximately Rs. 55,200). The Surface Go 3 price starts at $399 (roughly Rs. 29,400), which is just the same that we saw with the Surface Go 2 last year. Furthermore, the Surface Duo 2 carries a starting price of $1,499 (roughly Rs. 1,10,600). It is $100 (roughly Rs. 7,400) more than the initial launch pricing of the original Surface Duo that started at $1,399 (roughly Rs. 1,03,200).



Along with the new devices, the Surface Pro 7+ is now available in the consumer channel for $799 (approximately Rs. 59,000), an increase from its previous commercial-only offering. A new Wi-Fi-only version of the Surface Pro X has also been released, starting at $899. (roughly Rs. 66,300).



The Surface Slim Pen 2 costs $129.99 (approximately Rs. 9,600), the Surface Adaptive Kit costs $9.99 (about Rs. 700), the Ocean Plastic Mouse costs $24.99 (roughly Rs. 1,800), and the Microsoft Modern USB-C Headset costs $54.99 (roughly Rs. 1,800). (roughly Rs. 4,100), which are new accessories in the company's lineup.



On the aspect of availability, Microsoft announced during the event that its new devices will be available starting October 5  the same day that Windows 11 will be released. We may expect a delay in the arrival of the new smartphones in India, as the official release date is intended for the United States and other developed countries, where pre-orders have already begun.



Microsoft India's product listings suggested that the Surface Laptop Studio and Surface Pro 8 will be available in early 2022, while the Surface Go 3 was marked as "coming soon." While details of the Surface Duo 2 launch in India is not revealed yet.
TANACROSS, Alaska (AP)  One Alaska Native village knew what to do to keep out COVID-19. They put up a gate on the only road into town and guarded it round the clock. It was the same idea used a century ago in some isolated Indigenous villages to protect people from outsiders during another 
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Photo: Megan Vandervest/Twitter Amtrak Empire Builder 7/27 after it derailed in Montana on September 26.

An Amtrak passenger train derailed in a remote part of northern Montana on Saturday afternoon, killing at least three people and injuring more than 50 others. The cause of the derailment, which happened around 4 p.m. near the town of Joplin, is not yet clear.

Three people were killed in the accident, the Liberty County Sheriffs office confirmed on Saturday. The survivors all either walked away or were rescued from the train. Most of the injured were treated and released at Montana hospitals, but seven people remained hospitalized on Sunday, including two who remained in the ICU, according to the Associated Press.

In a statement on Sunday, Amtrak said that 141 passengers and 16 crew members were aboard the derailed train, Empire Builder 7/27, which consisted of two locomotives and ten cars, and was traveling from Chicago to Seattle. Eight cars derailed, including at least four cars which fell over on their side after leaving the tracks. Amtrak CEO Bill Flynn offered his condolences to the victims and said the company was cooperating with federal investigators to determine the cause of the accident.

Sounds like there is an Amtrak derailment along the Hi-Line. Photo courtesy of Beth V. We will release more information as we get it. pic.twitter.com/Iy6Qy0i660  Ryan Dennis (@RyanDennisWX) September 25, 2021

More photos from Empire Builder derailment. pic.twitter.com/i2QgZkdGWn  Jacob Cordeiro (@jacob_cordeiro) September 26, 2021

The National Transportation Safety Board has sent a team to investigate what happened. An NTSB spokesperson said Sunday that no other trains or equipment were involved in the derailment.

The last Amtrak train derailment was in Washington State in late 2017, when a Cascades train derailed after traveling a hazardous curve at excessive speed, killing three people and injuring 65.

This post has been updated.
General Hospital

Days of Our Lives

The Young and the Restless

The Bold and the Beautiful

This Week in Soaps history...

September 27  October 1, 2004

This week on the US Daytime Soaps...Jamie discovered the church that Babe was helping to renovate. Stuart tried to talk some sense into JR. JR overheard Babe, David, and Krystal talking about Llanview. Adam returned to Pine Valley. Adam accused David of sending him to Mongolia in a packing crate. Derek arrested David, who still had the DNA sample in his possession. David learned thatDerek had no evidence that could link him to Adam's kidnapping.Bianca believed that Babe was having a stained-glass window made for Miranda.Liza planned to disappear with Tad's help. Jamie turned to Tad for advice on making some difficult decisions. Jamie wrestled with the possibility that he didn't know Babe as well as he had previously believed. Krystal covered her tracks.Babe took Bess and Bianca to Llanview, where they saw Ace. Babe convinced Kevin to let her take Ace on an outing.Derek arrested Ethan. Maria asked Bianca for a favor.Maria told Ryan that Zach hadn't shot him. Greenlee accused Kendall of planning Ryan's shooting with Ethan and Zach.Ethan was released from jail. Greenlee worried about Ryan's safety after his release from the hospital. Kendall and Zach lashed out at Paul.Jonathan and Maggie grew closer.At the wedding, Chris told Alison he couldn't marry her. Alison realized Chris was in love with Emily and refused to have anything to do with either one of them. Alison was further humiliated when she found out her mother knew about Emily and Chris before the wedding. Hal forgave Emily after learning of her involvement with Chris.Will returned home to a less than enthusiastic reception. Barbara escaped, went to see Will and was sent back to the institution by Paul. Holden gave Will a job at the farm after Will saved Luke. Barbara almost became Rick Decker's next victim.Amber left town with a little "nudge" from the law. Thomas followed her saying the restraining order is only good in L.A.Thomas let Amber know he wasn't planning to give her up.Unconscious, Massimo was rushed to hospital after suffering a stroke. Ridge went to Massimo's hospital room, telling him he regrets not spending more time with his biological father.In an effort to stop the feuding between himself and his family, Thorne made Forrester Creations an offer to buy the company which he felt should've been his birthright in the first place.Hope confided in Patrick about Bo's relationship with Billie, as Bo and Roman and John set out to find Billie, Hope and Bo.Sami and Lucas decided that perhaps that should elope for Will's sake.Belle was heartbroken when Shawn rejected her thanks to Jan's ruthless manipulation of Shawn's medical condition and her desire to keep him from learning the truth about her sick plan. Shawn accused Belle of indirectly causing his parent's "death." Belle received more bad news when Brady broke the news that John and Bo were presumed dead.Mimi struggled with her decision to have an abortion.Kate was inconsolable at the news of Billie and John's presumed deaths.Skye turns up at Jax's and asks him to help her hide out until she can find Luke. She corresponds with someone via the internet whom she believes is Luke; the true identity of the person she corresponds with is Heather Webber. Edward is released from the hospital and hires Heather as his "nurse."Jason tells Michael that John wants to put Sonny in jail which makes Michael speak rudely with John and insist that he wants to live with his Aunt Courtney. Sage was the closest match to the pills found on Mary's leftover pills, John uses this to get Lorenzo to help him take Sonny down.Georgie feels threatened by Dillon's relationship with his niece, Brook Lynn. Carly asks John about his side of the family after he sent her a photo album. He tells her about his mother, Rachel Heston Durant, who was a judge and was killed after she sentenced members of a large crime family to life in prison; she died in John's arms.Courtney welcomes a foster child into her home but he isn't really a child but a teenager.Emily and Nikolas refuse to believe in Helena's curse even though negative things keep happening.Tammy continued her relationship with JB unaware that they were actually cousins, while JB made certain that his first meeting with Reva (a.k.a mom) would be confrontational.Blake and Holly received news of Roger's death by a man called Sebastian, so-called son of Roger with a very mysterious mission. Sebastian made an offer to buy the lighthouse from Michelle.Sandy's attempt to help Tammy's landed him on death's bed and his secret identity about to be revealed. Dinah offered Edmund an olive branch that was rejected. Phillip's rage went way out of control after he leveled Harley's home to gainthe upper hand and custody of Zach. Beth was outraged at Phillip's behavior while Lizzie's empathy for Phillip worked in her favor when she admitted her evil ways to "daddy" and told him, "I was the driver of the car that hit Sandy, but it wasan accident, I was just trying to scare Tammy."After showing up guns blazing at the Heart Disease gala, Asa went home to find and shoot Todd. No one believed Asa shot Todd so Nora, Kevin, and Bo talked him into entering a hospital for observation for a week.Meanwhile, Todd and his bloody new bullet hole trekked on over to Lion's Heart so that Sonia could sew him up on the sly and also so that he could snoop for dirt on Kevin.After several heated arguments, Antonio and Jessica agreed they had no future together and called it quits. Antonio fell into the arms of Sonia, while Jessica accepted Tico's wedding proposal. At Angelina's funeral, her ghost pleaded with Antonio for justice.John and Natalie spent an intimate evening alone in his room, where Natalie confessed that she never stopped loving John. But before he could spill about his feelings for Evangeline, Evangeline interrupted.Desperate for a sugar momma, Paul wooed Lindsay.Viki offered a newly optimistic Kelly a fundraising job at the University.Dorian made Adriana promise once again to cut ties with Duke.Whitney pushed Chad away and prayed for guidance. Theresa nudged Whitney in Fox's direction, causing Whit to come to a decision about Fox and her baby's future. Fox was thrilled when Whitney appeared to want a future with him. Later, Fox and Chad came to blows when Chad caught the new couple kissing.Julian bonded with Katherine, not realizing she's his mother. Intent on protecting her loved ones, Katherine made a huge personal sacrifice. However, Alistair's demands proved too great and she lashed out at him.Paloma was resentful and suspicious of her family after her encounter with Alistair.Luis and Sheridan's romantic evening at the beach was cut short when wreckage from the Crane jet washed ashore and they were reminded of Antonio's death.Neil decided to hire Paul to find Devon.Damon told Phyllis that the man who had killed his son might be released on parole. Dru and Phyllis got stuck in an elevator.Anita and Frederick learned that Brittany was really engaged to Bobby.Victor saw Nikki in action at Marilyn's.Elliot proposed marriage to Jill, and she responded affirmatively.John and Gloria shared an intimate encounter.Michael knew that Kevin had to receive therapy. Daniel and Kevin remained friends, even though their families told them to stay apart. Kevin tried to woo Lauren with flowers and surprises. Lauren told Kevin in no uncertain terms that theywould never share a romantic relationship. Michael and Lauren decided to tell Kevin about their budding relationship, but Kevin discovered it first-hand.Abby had an accident at the ranch. Source 3 and
With hydrocarbon-rich countries in the Gulf increasingly looking to reduce their carbon emissions, some in the region are turning towards multi-coloured hydrogen as a more environmentally sustainable solution.

Along with renewable sources like solar and wind, hydrogen is seen as a potential low-carbon or zero-carbon fuel that is key to the transition away from fossil fuels.

However, it is important to note that there are different types of hydrogen with different impacts on the environment.

For example, blue hydrogen is created when natural gas undergoes a steam reforming process. Although this process also produces CO2, the vast majority of it is captured and stored, subsequently producing a low-carbon fuel.

The most environmentally friendly form is green hydrogen, which is created by splitting water through a process called electrolysis, producing only hydrogen and oxygen. Powered by renewable sources such as solar and wind, green hydrogen is considered the most effective fuel for the future, although at present it accounts for just 0.1% of hydrogen produced globally.

Grey hydrogen is the most common form of the fuel and has been produced for many years. It is created through a steam reforming process similar to that of blue hydrogen, although the CO2 byproduct is not captured, leading to a more significant environmental impact.

Similar to green hydrogen, pink hydrogen is also produced by electrolysis, although the process is powered by nuclear rather than renewable energy.

Though hydrogen accounted for just 4% of global energy consumption in 2019, according to the International Energy Agency, some estimates suggest that it could reach 18% by 2050.

The Gulf takes charge

While hydrogen has the potential to transform the global energy industry, countries in the Gulf in particular stand to benefit.

For green hydrogen, the two main components to look at are renewable electricity and electrolysers. The region has a competitive advantage when it comes to generating low-cost renewable electricity, Ahmed Ali Attiga, the CEO of Arab Petroleum Investment Corporation, told OBG.

As for blue hydrogen, MENA has a competitive advantage in terms of its abundant resource base, low cost of natural gas resources and access to depleted oil wells for CO2 storage.

In light of this, some countries have taken significant steps to develop their capabilities, with the UAE one of the regional leaders in this regard.

In May Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (KIZAD), a unit of the publicly owned Abu Dhabi Ports, announced plans to develop a green hydrogen and ammonia production facility in the zone.

Special project vehicle company Helios Industry will invest $1bn in the construction of the plant, which will be powered by solar energy. Once fully completed in 2026, the plant will have the capacity to produce 40,000 tonnes of green hydrogen annually, which will be converted into 200,000 tonnes of its carrier fuel, green ammonia, for transport.

This was followed by Abu Dhabi Ports announcement in early July that it had signed a preliminary agreement with the Abu Dhabi National Energy Company to discuss the development of a 2-GW green hydrogen and ammonia facility, also to be located in KIZAD.

In another development, in May Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) announced that it had joined forces with local chemicals company Fertiglobe, in which it owns a 42% stake, to develop a blue ammonia facility in Ruwais. Set to open in 2025, the facility will have a production capacity of 1m tonnes per year.

Saudi Arabia has established itself as another key player in the growing hydrogen market.

In July last year NEOM, the $500bn smart city under construction in the countrys north-west, announced that it had signed an agreement with US gas company Air Products and local company ACWA Power to build a $5bn green hydrogen-based ammonia facility.

Described by the companies as the largest of its kind in the world, the plant will produce 650 tonnes of hydrogen per day and 1.2m tonnes of green ammonia per year once it comes on-line in 2025, saving an estimated 3m tonnes of CO2 annually.

Meanwhile, in Oman, government-owned oil firm OQ is heading up a consortium to develop a solar- and wind-powered project capable of producing millions of tonnes of zero-carbon green hydrogen per year.

Alongside this, in May Greece-headquartered Consolidated Contractors Company announced it had struck a deal with Irelands Fusion Fuel Green to develop green hydrogen plants across the Gulf, namely in Oman, Kuwait and Qatar.

In many instances, governments and companies alike have outlined various uses for hydrogen, from fuelling public transport vehicles in Dubai, to powering industrial production in Abu Dhabi  and, as OBG has detailed previously, powering freight ships in order to curb the shipping industrys carbon footprint.

Developing an export market

In addition to domestic use, governments in the region are looking to capitalise on their expertise in exporting liquid fuels to develop an effective hydrogen export industry.

As such, hydrogen is emerging as a solution to help meet both energy and economic diversification goals.

Complementing Abu Dhabis efforts to expand its hydrogen production capacity, in August Fertiglobe signed three separate deals to ship blue ammonia to Japanese companies INPEX, Idemitsu and Itochu.

Highlighting scope for further export deals in the future, in July ADNOC released a joint study with a number of Japanese companies that explored the possibility of exporting 1m tonnes of blue ammonia to Japan annually, while in March it signed an agreement with South Koreas GS Energy to explore hydrogen export opportunities.

Saudi Aramco delivered the worlds first blue hydrogen shipment to Japan last year, with the company noting that it was actively exploring potential export markets in Asia.

For its part, Helios Industrys green ammonia project will target imports mainly to the US and Europe once production begins in the second quarter of 2024.

Challenges

While hydrogen fuel offers significant benefits in the transition away from fossil fuels, the industry has some hurdles to overcome to fulfil its potential.

Despite its promise, many analysts see hydrogen playing only a minor role in the Middle Easts energy mix over the coming decades.

One of the major barriers to expansion is cost.

Hydrogen has a critical role to play in delivering energy while lowering carbon dioxide emissions. If research and development is to contribute to both corporate success and broader socio-economic development goals, a sizeable investment is required at the early stages of any given technology, well before there is any certainty of a breakthrough, Ali Al Janabi, country chairman for Shell in Iraq and the UAE, told OBG.

Hydrogen-based fuels are no exception to this, with Shell working on the idea as early as the 1990s. Shell is part of several initiatives aimed at encouraging the adoption of hydrogen in transport, and we are exploring solutions to provide hydrogen to homes and businesses, as well as refineries and factories.

Although there is significant appetite for alternative fuels to help cut carbon emissions, hydrogen production and export projects are likely to cost billions of dollars, requiring significant commitment from would-be investors.

Irrespective of the colour, the key obstacle to developing the hydrogen economy is logistics. Hydrogen must be stored and transferred to the consumer in a cost-efficient manner. However, setting up the necessary infrastructure will be relatively expensive, Oussama El Jerbi, area managing director for Qatar at Consolidated Contractors Company, told OBG.

For the investment to be economically viable and generate a timely and adequate return on investment, the hydrogen volumes to be transferred should be large enough. Therefore, in the early days of the hydrogen industry, the challenge is to scale production up and make the process commercially sustainable.

Underlining these concerns, earlier this year international media reported that hydrogen-producing countries in the Gulf were seeking investors to purchase equity stakes in hydrogen export facilities as well as sign long-term supply contracts before moving ahead with the projects.

By Oxford Business Group

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Mr Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, Minister of Information has urged residents of border communities to bear with the government's decision on the continuous closure of the countrys land borders.



Citizens including those in Aflao, home to the busiest border in Ghana had on several instances which included staging a demonstration, called on the government to open and regulate the borders to mitigate the economic and other hardships the closure had brought on them.



Ghanas borders (air, land and sea) were closed to human traffic from midnight of Sunday, March 22, 2020, following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic as part of measures to contain and prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the country with the air borders later opened.



Mr Nkrumah, responding to the concerns about the border closure when he engaged the media on a duty tour in the Volta Region said the over a year and a half closure currently inconveniencing the citizenry, in particular, border residents was meant to safeguard the lives of people.



He noted that the government was uncomfortable taking that inconveniencing decision but had to do so in the interest of all hoping the outcomes of regular consultations with public health experts would recommend the opening of the land borders as was the case leading to the opening of the air borders saying, government is willing to open the borders.



Mr Nkrumah said the concerns of people in Ketu South as being the Municipality hit hardest by the border closure directive considering its attendant economic implications without any interventions programmes tailored for them would be looked into for the needed action.



The Ministers visit to the region as part of his nationwide tour which saw him visiting the regional offices of the Ghana News Agency, Ghana Broadcasting Corporation and Information Services Department was to share key programmes the government was delivering and to gather feedback to shape the governments policies and programmes to benefit the people.



He urged the media to play a crucial role in supporting efforts being made by the government to ensure the countrys quick recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic by educating the public on the reality and existence of the pandemic, encouraging them to take the COVID-19 vaccines and to strictly observe the preventive etiquettes.



Mr Nkrumah said the government was stimulating the injection of GH100 billion raised from government treasury and private investment into the economy under the Ghana Cares Obatanpa project and asked the media to help educate the public to take advantage to create jobs.



If a country is an aggregate of what you feel at home and what youre seeing in your business, how can we say that the country has not been affected by COVID and that the government is just exaggerating, the Minister wondered at those underestimating the impact of the pandemic on the economy and rather blaming the government for the economic slowdown saying, it cannot be the case.



COVID has had a very significant negative impact on the Ghanaian economy and the objective of the government, therefore, is to very quickly recover the Ghanaian economy from the ravages of COVID so that we can bring back growth for lives to get better.



The Minister also disclosed the Ministry was collaborating with other organisations for media support programmes; a coordinated mechanism on the safety of journalists and media capacity enhancement which would ultimately seek to protect journalists and enrich their work.

Source: GNA









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Featured Video
About 6,000 people within the Kpone-Katamanso Municipality are expected to take the AstraZeneca jab at the various health facilities within the Municipality



The vaccination started last Friday, September 24th, and ends on Wednesday, September 29th.



The vaccination exercise formed part of activities to help curb the spread of the deadly coronavirus virus across the country.



In a stakeholders engagement to create awareness, Dr Esther Priscilla Biamah-Danquah, Kpone-Katamanso Municipal Health Director stated that Kpone has been considered as one of the five hot spots in the Greater Accra Region.



Dr Biamah-Danquah added that stakeholders including Assembly members must whip up the public interest in taking the AstraZeneca vaccines.



She noted that many people prefer Johnson and Johnson to the AstraZeneca, but explained that they all serve the same purpose and therefore encouraged residents to participate in the exercise.



She hinted that the population of Kpone-Katamanso has increased and required that more sensitization should be done across the municipality with a call on the stakeholders to ensure that the residents accept the AstraZeneca jabs.



Dr Biamah-Danquah explained that residents should disregard the misconceptions people had on the AstraZeneca vaccine.



Seven teams made up of professional health officials have been deployed to the various health facilities within the Kpone-Katamanso district for the vaccination exercise.



The health facilities include Kpone Polyclinic, Atlantis Hospital, Nandela Hospital, New Crystal Hospital, Bediako CHPs, Katamanso Health Post amongst others dotted across the municipality.

Source: GNA









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NIGERIA: The Kwara State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), has arrested one lsmail Saliu, 25, for allegedly conniving with a herbalist and one other, to slaughter his 14-year-old brother, Azeez Saliu, for money ritual.



Spokesperson of the NSCDC in Kwara, Babawale Afolabi, who disclosed this in a statement on Saturday, September 25, in Ilorin stated that the incident happened in Kosubosu, in Baruten local government area of the state.



"On Friday 13/09/2021, operatives of the NSCDC in Kosubosu divisional office got a distress call from a neighborhood about suspicious movement of certain individuals in their area," Afolabi stated.







Read Full Story .... lindaikejisblog.com >>> :

















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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The Northern Regional Police Command, led by Commissioner of Police (COP) Timothy Yoosa Bonga, the Regional Commander, has visited victims of an assault by some police personnel leading to their interdiction in Tamale and conveyed the apologies of the Police Administration to them.



A statement signed by Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Kwesi Ofori, the Acting Director-General, Public Affairs, and copied to the Ghana News Agency, said the Police Administration had since facilitated the medical treatment of the affected persons and paid for the full cost.



Also, Dr George Akuffo Dampare, the Acting Inspector General of Police, spoke on phone to the affected victims to reassure them that the matter would be dealt with decisively, it said.



It said this was done in addition to the psychological support provided them by a team of clinical psychologists sent from Accra at the behest of the Police Administration.



The statement commended COP Bonga and his team for acting swiftly to deepen the cordial relations between the Police and the community.



It also lauded members of the community for their cooperation even as they awaited the outcome of the disciplinary action.



In a related development, it said a group of irate youth at about 0800 hours on Saturday, September 25, embarked on an unlawful demonstration and vandalised the Police Divisional Headquarters building and VRA Office in protest against the incident.



It said Police would make sure that the culprits were arrested and brought to book.



The statement cautioned the youth to desist from any act that might disturb the peace of the area and commended the chiefs and opinion leaders for their cooperation.



It urged them to continue supporting the efforts by the Administration in ensuring peace and security in Tamale and its environs.

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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Barely 24hours after former Member of Parliament of Katamanso with the New Patriotic Party Hopeson Adorye put out a viral video claiming Twene Jonas' stay in the United States may soon be over following the latters run-in with immigration authorities, the Ghanaian vlogger and social commentator has resurfaced in extraordinary circumstances.



Hopeson, took social media on Wednesday, to share a video of him revealing that he had gone to the workplace of Jonas to meet the internet sensation who usually portrays a rosy lifestyle in the USA and known for his strong criticism of Ghanaian leaders on social media.



Twene Jonas jumped into social media prominence with live video sessions where he tackles issues facing the average Ghanaian and national development.



He is noted for his comical yet aggressive manner of putting leaders on their feet.



But according to Hopeson, his investigations unearthed that Jonas had lost his job after he was found to be yielding fake documents and was currently perching in the house of a Ghanaian preacher at Queens.



Additionally, he disclosed that US law enforcement is frantically searching for Jonas to deport him to Ghana because hes an illegal migrant and doesnt have proper documents to reside in the country.



Hours after Hopeson's video went viral, Twene Jonas popped up and sought to discredit Adorye's claims by flaunting a new iPhone 13 Pro Max to prove that he's still living a good life in Heaven on earth.



As if that was not enough, elder sister of socialite has also unleashed her anger on the Ghanaian politician.



Jumping to the defence of her little brother, she, in a video in an Instagram, charged on the former Member of Parliament daring him to leave her brother alone and face her instead.



Watch Hopeson Adorye's video below which partially explained the reason behind the sudden disappearance and unexplained hiatus of Twene Jonas from social media.







Source: Peacefmonline.com/GHANA









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" " Supporters of Donald Trump gathered at a planned rally in Washington, D.C. to protest President-elect Joe Biden's Electoral College victory. While on stage, Trump said the election was an "egregious assault on our democracy," and told his supporters to "walk down to the Capitol ... because you will never take back our country with weakness." Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images

Some constitutional facts you learned in high school U.S. history probably left a lasting impression. For example, the 13th Amendment abolished slavery, and the 19th Amendment afforded women the right to vote. But even the most dedicated scholars can have trouble keeping track of all 27 amendments to the Constitution. But what about the 25th Amendment?

It's a rarely used  somewhat controversial  process written into the Constitution as a way to remove the U.S. president from office in case of death or resignation. It allows the vice president to become president. But it's not as straightforward as it might sound.

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What Is the 25th Amendment?

Proposed by Congress and ratified by the states following, the 25th Amendment provides the procedures for replacing the president or vice president in case of death, removal, resignation or incapacitation. The 25th Amendment was created during the Cold War following President Dwight D. Eisenhower's three serious illnesses and President John F. Kennedy's 1963 assassination.

Eisenhower originally entered into a letter agreement that stated if his health impeded his ability to run the country, power would be transferred to his vice president, Richard Nixon. This led to the official amendment that clarified the rules around transfer of power in the event of an incapacitated president. After numerous congressional hearings, the final version passed the House and Senate in 1965, and was ratified on Feb. 10, 1967.

There are four sections to the 25th Amendment:

Section 1 stipulates that the vice president will assume the role of president in case of death or resignation.

Section 2 covers the event of a vacancy in the office of the vice president; in such a case, the president is responsible for nominating a candidate who must be confirmed by a majority vote of both Houses of Congress. The history of Section 2 ensures there is both a president and vice president at all times.

Section 3 states that the president has the discretion to declare his own inability to carry out the job, and allows him to temporarily cede power to the vice president. It makes it clear, however, that the vice president does not assume the office or title of president.

Section 4 has, to date, never been implemented, but it's the piece of the amendment currently receiving media attention. The language empowers the vice president and the cabinet to declare a president "incapacitated":

Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President.

Section 4 addresses the problem of a president who is unable or unwilling to acknowledge his or her inability "to discharge the powers and duties" of the presidency. It would be used most likely if a president falls unexpectedly unconscious, though it also clearly applies when a president is "incapacitated" because of some other mental or physical inability.

" " Security forces had to respond with tear gas after Trump supporters breached the U.S. Capitol security and stormed the floor of the House and Senate. Probal Rashid/LightRocket via Getty Images

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How It's Implemented

History buffs may recall the invocation of the 25th Amendment because of the Watergate scandal in the 1970s. President Nixon invoked it to replace resigning vice president Spiro Agnew with Gerald Ford; then when Ford replaced Nixon as president, Ford invoked it to appoint Nelson Rockefeller to succeed him as vice president.

It was also considered several times during the administration of Donald Trump  very early in his administration, and then again in October 2020 after Trump tested positive for coronavirus. At that time, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi said she was concerned about Trump's erratic behavior, suggesting he was in an "altered state" and may have "some impairment of judgment." It was, however, never invoked.

That's likely because, in order for Section 4 to be implemented, the vice president and a majority of "the principal officers of the executive departments" must declare the president incapacitated in a written statement to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the president pro tempore of the Senate. Once that happens, presidential powers are automatically transferred to the vice president.

In order for Congress to successfully declare a president "disabled," two-thirds in each chamber must conclude that he "is unable" to handle the office.

" " Rep. Jason Crow (right), a Democrat from Colorado, and other members of Congress were forced to take cover as protesters attempted to disrupt the joint session of Congress to certify the Electoral College vote on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021. Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Imag

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Could the 25th Amendment Be Applied Today?

The disability clause of the 25th Amendment has been invoked multiple times since ratification. Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Ronald Reagan invoked it during medical procedures, though it was never used when Reagan was shot in 1981.

However, Section 4 has never been invoked to remove a president from office. John Hudak, deputy director for Center for Effective Public Management and senior fellow for governance studies at the Brookings Institute writes that the process "is more difficult than impeachment and is reserved only for truly unique and dire circumstances."

Concerns for implementing the 25th Amendment were raised again after a violent pro-Trump mob stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 to protest a joint session of Congress to certify Joe Biden and Kamala Harris' electoral vote. The violence forced both chambers of Congress to go into recess. Four people died. This was the first time in American history that the U.S. Capitol was overrun by its own citizens. In 1814, the British attacked and burned the Capitol during the War of 1812.

More than 1,100 members of the D.C. National Guard had to be mobilized to support the local D.C. police. However, it was Vice President Pence, not Trump, who fully activated the D.C. National Guard, according to a press statement from acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller.

Trump's lack of response to the violence, and the taunting nature of some of Trump's tweets on Jan. 6  both before and after the rioters stormed the Capitol  set off alarm bells once again about his mental stability. Twitter locked down Trump's account for 12 hours, saying they violated its Civic Integrity or Violent Threats policies.

Several Democratic leaders, including presumptive Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, have said publicly they think Trump should be removed before the Jan. 20, 2021 inauguration.

"The quickest and most effective way  it can be done today  to remove this president from office would be for the vice president to immediately invoke the 25th amendment," Schumer said. "If the vice president and the cabinet refuse to stand up, Congress should reconvene to impeach the president."

Republican leaders have called for it as well, including Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois who said "It's time to invoke the 25th Amendment and end this nightmare," in a video he published online. Kinzinger called on Vice President Pence and the Cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment to ensure "we have a sane captain of the ship" because Trump has become "unmoored not just from his duty or even his oath, but from reality itself."

But because the majority of Trump's Cabinet would need to support the president's removal, many speculate the invocation of the amendment this late in the Trump presidency isn't realistic at all.

Now That's Interesting Four vice presidents have inherited office due to the president dying of natural causes: John Tyler, for William Henry Harrison in 1841; Millard Fillmore, for Zachary Taylor in 1850; Calvin Coolidge, for Warren Harding in 1923; and Harry Truman, for Franklin Roosevelt in 1945. Four vice presidents took office after the president was assassinated: Andrew Johnson, for Abraham Lincoln in 1865; Chester Arthur, for James Garfield in 1881; Theodore Roosevelt, for William McKinley in 1901; and Lyndon Johnson, for John F. Kennedy in 1963.

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Originally Published: Jan 8, 2018
" " Emory historian and professor Joe Crespino lectures to his packed History 385: Right-Wing America class. Kay Hinton/Emory University

It is a chilly mid-January morning and the first day of the semester for History 385: Right-Wing America at Atlanta's Emory University. The class syllabus promises it will examine the history of right-wing ideology in the U.S. by "checking our personal politics at the classroom door in the pursuit of greater knowledge, insight and wisdom about America's political past and present."

There's not an empty seat in the house.

The teacher is Joe Crespino, a historian by profession and a Mississippian by birth. He's tall, thin and with an earnestness that comes with someone who lives his work. This son of the South  "I grew up in Mississippi in the '70s and '80s, where the legacies of racial segregation were still very real ... that's why I do what I do," he says later in his office  is not here to bash Donald Trump lovers or rail against the right. He doesn't teach to rile up his left-leaning students, nor is he out to offer some treacly Kumbaya moment in the search for middle ground.

Crespino freely admits to being "left-center" in his politics, but holding a certain political position doesn't preclude him and, he hopes, his eager class from striving for objectivity  maybe, even, a tad of empathy  when it comes to dissecting the "other" side. In explaining this, Crespino's first assignment is to have his students bone up on historian Thomas Haskell's notion that "Objectivity is Not Neutrality."

It's OK, Crespino is saying  and, in fact, if you're a student of history and politics, this is kind of the point  to look both ways. Don't try to be neutral. Just try to be objective.

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Teaching the History of the Right

Forty students have crammed into Crespino's class, the second time he's taught it at Emory. The course aims to define the right (as difficult as that may be) along a timeline that begins as far back as the nation's rebellious birth. It moves on through more rebellion  secession  the Civil War, segregation, the first "Red Scare," the rise of nationalism, the Ku Klux Klan, the religious right, Dixiecrats, the radical right, Reagan, the South, the rise of technology in right-wing politics, extremism, sexuality, racism, immigration ... and, yes, Trump. Not necessarily in that order.

To teach a class on the American right these days, you have to start with the man now sitting in the Oval Office.

"Donald Trump really defied what we thought we knew about American politics," Crespino tells his class that first day. "Trump's election not only kind of upended what we thought were these iron laws of American politics"  mainly, that candidates have to run toward the center to get elected  "but it also makes the American past look a lot different, you know? Things that we used to take for granted as kind of hiccups along the way all of a sudden look more important. And they look more ominous. And we begin to see that they weren't just hiccups, but they're kind of a recurring pattern."

That pattern is what interests scholars. It's what Crespino hopes his students will grasp, too; that the ideas and beliefs that drive right-wing America today didn't begin with Trump. And they won't disappear when he does, either.

"I'll put my cards on the table. I don't think Donald Trump's election was good for America," Crespino says to nodding heads in his classroom. "But it was great for historians."

" " Part of the goal of the course, Crespino says, is drawing a line from slavery and the Civil War, Jim Crow laws and segregation to border walls and immigration reform to Trump nationalism. Kay Hinton/Emory University

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Free Speech and the Right

In March 2016, chalk-wielding vandals, with either a need to exercise their rights of free speech or a desire to stir things up  maybe both  scribbled pro-Trump messages around the school's normally pristine campus. The chalkings ran along the lines of "Trump 2016" or "Vote Trump," though evidently a few "Build a Wall" scratches were in the mix.

Still, some Emory students were appalled  and frightened. Dozens marched on the administration building to demand (and get) a meeting with school president Jim Wagner. Several student groups, including the Emory chapter of the NAACP, the Young Democrats of Emory and the Emory University Young Democratic Socialists circulated a petition via social media that said, in part:

"Supporting [Trump], repeating his catchphrases, and arguing for his plausibility as the leader of the free world has become a threat to our democracy and an implicit attack on the Muslim, Latinx, Black, and other communities at Emory and across the country. This is not political expression; this is hate speech."

"There is right-wing speech, and then there are provocateurs," Crespino says. "There's a lot of back and forth, a lot of bluster, a lot of accusations.

"I'm interested in people who are serious about it and want to have serious conversations. Universities have to be places where people can come together and have difficult conversations. If not here, where?"

Isaiah Sirois is a 20-year-old history student from Nashua, New Hampshire. He writes opinion pieces for Emory's newspaper The Emory Wheel. He was an intern on Democrat Stacey Abrams' recent failed gubernatorial campaign in Georgia.

He doesn't find Crespino's class particularly politically charged. During a recent session, students were asked to come up with one-word descriptions for right-wing America. "Conservative" and "libertarian" were among the terms that made it to the blackboard.

"We had like 20 to 25 words up there ... but no one had said 'fascist,' which was interesting because that's one of the go-to pejoratives," Sirois says. "The class goes about it in a pretty academic way.

"For me, personally, there's a lot you can say about what's wrong with the right in the United States and there's a lot, especially in Georgia, that's wrong with how the right is operating," Sirois says, referencing allegations of voter suppression during the state's gubernatorial race last fall. "There's a lot of scholarship about how much empathy should be extended in situations like that ... I'm just trying to take an academic approach to this subject matter."

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Understanding Does Not Equal Accepting

Crespino urges his students to try to walk in the American right's shoes, to understand the worries that a large segment of American voters have over changing demographics that they see as a threat to their cultural status. "It used to be a pretty good deal to be a white, Christian male in America," Diana C. Mutz, the director of the University of Pennsylvania's Institute for the Study of Citizens and Politics, told The New York Times in 2018, "but things have changed and I think they do feel threatened."

Still, asking students to feel for a political group that, historically, has embraced policies that many consider as discriminatory is one big ask.

"I think it's a legitimate pushback point that a student could make. 'Why should I be empathetic? These people are repugnant to me. These people don't think I should be here. They respect nothing about who I am as a person. Why should I be empathetic to them?'" Crespino says from his office overlooking the grassy quadrangle at the center of Emory's main campus. "I can see that. I can see that point. I can see that frustration. Or, 'Why should I be empathetic, why shouldn't they be empathetic to me?'"

In his eyes, Crespino's students seem to be, if not outwardly empathetic, at least more curious and scholarly than radical and loud. They show signs of empathy. But there may be a limit.

"I feel like, with empathy, you have to put a lot of thought into it to make sure that the empathy you're extending isn't coming at the expense of other individuals," Sirois says after some thought. "If you're extending too much empathy to a white supremacist, then you're probably not extending enough toward African-Americans."

These are the timeless lessons that Crespino is teaching through history. He is explaining how right-wing America came to be as a way of understanding how the nation is now so divided. He is drawing a line from slavery and the Civil War, racism, Jim Crow laws and segregation to border walls, immigration reform, wage gaps, voter disenfranchisement and Trump nationalism.

And from here? That may be the biggest question facing Crespino's class. Facing America.

"I certainly think that bridge-building is one way to approach things. That might be too, like, modern or milquetoast of an answer for a good chunk of people," Sirois says. "But, I mean, I don't know what else to do."

In his State of the Union address in early February, Trump made what many viewed as a somewhat tepid call for unity. Few think that's possible any time soon. Immediately after the speech, 64 percent of Americans in one poll said that's unlikely. Polls overwhelmingly say the country is heading in the wrong direction.

This is what these college kids are facing. This, more importantly, is why they're learning about the right.

"I really do believe that if we're ever going to get past this moment of polarization," Crespino says, "it has to start somewhere."

NOW THAT'S INTERESTING Emory's Right-Wing America class stands out, too, in that students (mostly political science and history majors) are required, in collaboration with the Emory Center for Digital Scholarship, to produce a short film documentary as part of their final grade. The first Documenting the Right student film festival, held in the Fall 2017 semester, included shorts on racism in the career of former Alabama Gov. George Wallace, white supremacy in Forsyth County (about 30 miles or 48 kilometers north of Atlanta), and Atlanta's reputation as the "City Too Busy to Hate." This year's film festival is scheduled for April 23.
" " Audrey Mbugua speaks about her life as a transgender woman in Kenya at the Oslo Freedom Forum 2019 on May 29, 2019 in Oslo, Norway. Julia Reinhart/Getty Images

The idea that gender is distinct from one's biological sex, and manifests in more ways than just either male or female, has gained greater acceptance over the last 10 years. For example, people in 11 U.S. states and Washington, D.C. can now choose a nonbinary* gender marker on their identification documents (usually indicated by an "X" rather than designating "male" or "female.") And in 2015, the U.S. Transgender Survey conducted the largest ever survey of transgender people  those whose gender identity does not match the sex they were assigned at birth  and found that a third of respondents were nonbinary  not identifying with either sex.

The survey also found that 60 percent of transgender people who were out to their immediate families said family members were supportive, but daily life was still grim. Transgender people continued to face serious barriers to basic health care and education, and regularly experienced physical violence and harassment. Some 40 percent of survey respondents had attempted suicide, nearly nine times the national average.

Addressing those issues will require legal, institutional and cultural changes. That's why Lee Airton, a professor of gender and sexuality studies in education at Queen's University in Ontario, Canada, wrote the book "Gender: Your Guide," to give people a starting place to make those cultural changes in their lives. We spoke with Airton, who is nonbinary and uses the pronoun "they," to help answer some common questions people have about being more gender-friendly in day-to-day interactions. We also spoke with Bethany Howe, a scholar at the University of Oregon who studies transgender issues; Howe is a transgender woman who uses the pronoun "she."

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1. What Are Gender-neutral Pronouns?

Let's start with the basics: Pronouns are a set of words in a language that are used to refer to people without naming them. Traditionally, the English language only has pronouns that refer to either men or women (such as "he" or "her"). Today, people are making an effort to adapt the language to better reflect the reality that many individuals exist outside of this binary. As a result, several gender neutral pronouns have come into circulation including "they," "ne," "ve," "ze" and "xe."

As Airton writes in their book, linguists are still debating which gender-neutral pronouns will stick, and how long it will take for these pronouns to become widely accepted. In the meantime, English language users are exploring new ways of speaking about gender that is inclusive of people who are nonbinary. "This is a cognitive shift, it's an issue of practice," says Airton.

Some people who are nonbinary may use terms to define themselves such as transgender, genderfluid or genderqueer. "There are all sorts of ways that people have come to articulate themselves outside of the male/man or female/woman binary," Airton says. "I generally refer to them all under a 'nonbinary' umbrella as the precise meanings of terms like genderqueer change from person to person." (We have included a glossary of these terms at the end of this article in case you find it helpful).

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2. When You Meet Someone New, How Can You Know Which Pronouns to Use?

The first step you can take is to practice using gender neutral pronouns on your own, Airton recommends. This will help you feel more confident and comfortable using them when the occasion arises. Airton suggests that you find a friend to practice with and do a few fill-in-the-blank exercises. Tell simple stories about someone using gender neutral pronouns. "It's OK to break down into giggles," Airton says. "That's usually how nervousness manifests and people need space to dispel of those nervous feelings in order to learn."

When you're out meeting new people, whether at a party or at work, the next step is to not make assumptions about someone's gender. Here are several strategies to help with that:

If you're at a party, try to listen to the people the individual came with. Their friends will likely say something about them by using a pronoun.

You might also do a quick search on social media, since many transgender people share that information on social media profiles.

Alternatively, you can introduce yourself and name your pronouns first, then ask for their name and pronouns.

While this last strategy might seem awkward, it is in line with Howe's hope for the future: "I'd like to get to a point where this is part of our normal discourse, just like where we ask just where people are from, what they do, or whether they have kids," she says.

The overwhelming majority of transgender people whom Howe has interviewed for her research say that they are not offended when someone asks what their pronouns are. "It lets me know you're trying, and that matters a great deal to me," Howe says.

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3. What Should You Do if You Mistakenly Use the Wrong Pronoun?

Misgendering means you use a pronoun that does not correspond to that person's gender identity. Some people who refuse to accept nonbinary people may do this on purpose, but it also often happens by mistake.

"People go through all these panicked reactions," Airton says about making mistakes. "Just keep it as chill as you can."

If you make a big deal out of it, you may end up shifting the focus to you, rather than attending to the feelings of the person who was just misgendered. Remember this mantra in your head, Airton says: "Sorry, rephrase, move on." The best thing you can do is just apologize and restate your comment.

If you see someone else make a mistake, it's OK to remind them of the right pronouns. "Be gentle, be kind, be firm," Airton says. "Correcting misgendering is most critical when speaking about someone who isn't present to speak up for themselves. Otherwise, they won't learn."

If you are the one being misgendered, the best way to respond always depends on the context, says Howe. Each person has to decide what is best for them. Howe says she has close friends who have known her for more than 40 years who still sometimes slip up, and sometimes she lets it go.

"The only thing I hope is that whatever decision people reach comes from a position of, 'This is how I want to handle it' instead of 'This is how I have to handle it'" for fear of retribution or judgement, Howe says.

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4. Is it Rude to Ask Transgender and Nonbinary People Questions About Their Experience of Gender?

Transgender people are frequently asked to explain themselves to others, says Airton. This can be a huge emotional drain. Refraining from asking questions when you first meet someone can be a huge gesture of respect, Airton notes.

One way to educate yourself is to seek out resources online. For example, many organizations provide resources and information on gender issues such as the National Center on Transgender Equality, Gender Spectrum, Our Trans Loved Ones. In addition to their book on gender, Airton runs a blog about gender neutral pronouns called TheyIsMyPronoun.com.

Howe points out that it's not entirely off limits to ask a transgender or nonbinary person about their experience, says Howe, especially if it's a friend.

"Go talk to that friend and say, 'I'd like to understand you better, so as much as you'd be willing, could you tell me your story?'" It's less about memorizing a set list of do's and don'ts; what's important is that your questions are rooted in a desire to be a better ally and friend," she says.

If you're a bookworm, you might also consider reading memoirs written by transgender and nonbinary people. Howe recommends "She's Not There" by Jennifer Boylan and "Redefining Realness" by Janet Mock. But she cautions you should read these with a grain of salt. These popular narratives do not capture the full diversity of the transgender nonbinary community.

"To borrow a phrase, once you've met one transgender person, you've met one transgender person," Howe says.

The LGBTQ advocacy group GLAAD has a list of tips for allies of transgender people on its website. Among them: Don't ask a transgender person about their surgeries or sex life and avoid backhanded compliments like "You look just like a real woman."

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5. What Are Some Other Ways to Be Gender-friendly?

There are many other ways to be gender-friendly other than using gender-neutral pronouns. For example, Airton recommends simply putting effort into not appearing surprised when someone shares information about themselves that you weren't expecting. "Practicing open-ended ways of talking to people can actually lead you to new conversations and friendships that weren't even on your radar," Airton says.

Howe calls this gesture a microaffirmation, which she describes as "those little things that make you feel better." Howe just completed a Ph.D. in part studying the impact of microaggressions, negative aggressive slights against transgender people. Now she wants to focus her research on the opposite.

"It's those little things that you can do if you have transgender people in your life, little symbolic acts that have a huge payoff," she says. "I know as a woman when somebody tells me 'Oh, I love your dress, it's a big deal."

* See sidebar for definitions of bolded words.

A Glossary of Terms Nonbinary: Someone whose gender identity is not strictly male or female. Not the same as transgender.

Transgender : Someone whose gender identity is different from the sex they were assigned at birth. Transgender people can be binary (male or female) or nonbinary (between male and female). For example, a transgender man is someone who lives as a man today but was assigned female at birth.

Genderqueer : Generally means the same as nonbinary, though some people may identify as one and not the other.

Genderfluid : Someone who identifies as male, female or nonbinary at different times. This person may or may not be transgender.

Misgendering : Referring to a person's gender incorrectly, by using an incorrect pronoun, noun or adjective.

Psychology Today Sources: GLAAD Read More
" " Albert Einstein and his wife, Elsa, in an undated photo. Einstein's 'God letter' fetched a record-breaking $2.9 million a Christie's auction on Dec. 4, 2018. Wikimedia Commons

In January 1954, Albert Einstein wrote a letter to Jewish philosopher Eric Gutkind, in which the physicist responded to Gutkind's book Choose Life: The Biblical Call to Revolt. Gutkind's book, as this Commentary review explains, sought to reconcile religion, science and humanism, by drawing upon scripture to urge people to bring about a better world. Einstein, who had read the book at the urging of a friend, wasn't buying it.

"The word 'God' is for me nothing but the expression and product of human weaknesses; the Bible a collection of honorable but still primitive legends which are nevertheless pretty childish," he wrote, according to a translation published in the Guardian, a British newspaper, in 2008.

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In his letter, Einstein dismissed the concept of God and religion altogether. "The word God is for me nothing but the expression and product of human weaknesses, the Bible a collection of venerable but still rather primitive legends. No interpretation, no matter how subtle, can (for me) change anything about this," he wrote according to the translation from Christie's.

Einstein, a Jew, was harsh in his view of Judaism, which he wrote in the letter was "like all other religions, an incarnation of primitive superstition."

For me the unadulterated Jewish religion is, like all other religions, an incarnation of primitive superstition. And the Jewish people to whom I gladly belong, and in whose mentality I feel profoundly anchored, still for me does not have any different kind of dignity from all other peoples. As far as my experience goes, they are in fact no better than other human groups, even if they are protected from the worst excesses by a lack of power. Otherwise I cannot perceive anything 'chosen' about them.

On Dec. 4, 2018, more than 64 years after Einstein wrote those words, what has become known as the 'God letter' was auctioned off by Christie's New York. The auction house originally estimated its value to be between $1 million and $1.5 million. Instead it fetched a record-breaking price of $2.9 million. When the letter last changed hands eight years ago, it sold for $404,000, according to The New York Times.

Christie's says the letter is "Einstein's single most famous letter on God, his Jewish identity, and man's eternal search for meaning," which could explain the huge sale price.

Now That's Interesting Einstein rejected the western concepts of God and faith, but he wasn't an atheist. Instead, the physicist believed in what he called "cosmic religion," a reverence for the universe's complexity and beauty and an appreciation of the interconnection of everything in it, which could be inspired by art and science.

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Originally Published: Oct 19, 2018
China relies on coal for 60 percent of its energy needs

China has launched the world's biggest carbon trading system to help lower carbon emissions, but critics and analysts have raised doubts about whether it will have a signficant impact.

China is the world's biggest emitter of the greenhouse gases that drive climate change, and the scheme is part of its efforts to decarbonise its economy by 2060.

Here are a series of questions and answers on key parts of the emissions trading scheme (ETS):

How does it work?

The scheme, which launched on February 1, effectively puts a price on emitting carbon.

It allows provincial governments tofor the first timeset pollution caps for big power companies, and lets firms buy the right to pollute from others with a lower carbon footprint.

However, in its first phase the scheme only covers the electricity sector, involving 2,200 power producers, which is responsible for 30 percent of China's total emissions.

Local governments issue a certificate for every metric ton of carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gas equivalent which a company is allowed to emit, and companies pay fines for not complying.

"Companies can either cut emissions or pay to pollute, but the latter will become pricier over time as governments issue fewer pollution permits," said Zhang Jianyu, vice-president of Environmental Defense Fund China.

And, in a rare move to improve transparency, companies involved in the trading system will have to make their pollution data public.

But analysts have expressed concerns about the likely accuracy of the data, in a country with an authoritarian government that lacks transparency, and low fines for non-compliance.

Will it drive down emissions?

Not nearly as much or as quickly as first hoped.

Initial, broader plans would have covered 70 to 80 percent of China's emissions. These covered heavy polluters in seven other sectors including aviation, steel and petrochemical manufacturing.

Pollution permits are also being given out for free instead of auctioning themunlike schemes operating in the European Union or Californiawhich means there is less incentive to slash emissions quickly.

Yan Qin, a carbon analyst at Refinitiv, warned that "in the short term this system is not going to drive emissions reductions".

Carbon is also expected to be priced very low under the Chinese schemeabout $6 a ton when trading startscompared with about $36 in the European Union scheme and $17 in California by last year.

Li Shuo from Greenpeace China said these low carbon prices "aren't enough to push companies to invest in greening their operations".

Whether the ETS will help reduce emissions in the long run will depend on the stringency of the caps, expanding its scope and strict enforcement.

A commission on carbon prices formed in 2017 and helmed by the economists Joseph Stiglitz and Nicholas Stern indicated that carbon needed to be priced at somewhere between $40 and $80 by 2020 and somewhere in the $50-100 range by 2030 if the markets and prices were to have any impact on investment decisions.

How is China setting emissions caps?

New rules issued by China's environment ministry in December are urging businesses to reduce carbon intensityor the amount of pollution produced per unit of GDPinstead of slashing the total amount of greenhouse gas emissions.

Lauri Myllyvirta, a lead analyst at the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, said it was a "subtle but important difference" which could even make new coal power plants more economically attractive.

Pressure from the country's powerful coal lobby is weighing on efforts to curb emissions.

China relies on coal for 60 percent of its energy needs and since 2011 has burned more coal each year than the rest of the world combined, according to the US Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Capacity keeps growing too, with three times more coal-power generation capacity added in China than in the rest of the world combined in 2020, data from the US think tank Global Energy Monitor showed.

What's next?

China is drafting a new climate change law that environmentalists say might address some of the shortcomings in the current carbon trading system.

Campaigners are also hoping that the current scheme gets rolled out across more industries, with stricter penalties.

"China... has set a long-term goal to be carbon neutral (but) the carbon market in its current form just isn't going to play much of a role in realising these ambitions," Myllyvirta said.

"It could become an important tool in the future, and very fast, if the government decides to give it teeth."

Explore further China launches carbon emissions trading scheme

 2021 AFP
Thousands of one-horned rhinos once roamed the southern plains

Nepal's population of endangered one-horned rhinoceros has grown by more than a hundred over the past six years, officials said, with campaigners hailing the increase as a conservation "milestone".

The population rose to 752 across four national parks in the southern plains, up from 645 in 2015, the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation said Saturday.

"The increase of rhinos is exciting news for us," the department's information officer, Haribhadra Acharya, told AFP on Sunday.

"But we have challenges ahead to expand the habitat areas of this animal to maintain the growth."

Thousands of one-horned rhinos once roamed the southern plains, but rampant poaching and human encroachment on their habitat reduced their numbers to around 100 in Nepal in the 1960s.

Since 1994, the Himalayan nation has conducted a rhino census once every five years, as authorities stepped up their efforts to boost population numbers for the species listed as vulnerable by the International Union for the Conservation for Nature.

In the first census in 1994, 466 rhinos were counted.

Some 250 personnelincluding enumerators, soldiers and veterinariansrode on 57 elephants for nearly three weeks from late March to count the rhinos.

The censusdelayed for a year due to the coronavirus pandemicwas carried out using GPS equipment, binoculars and cameras.

"Rhinos were counted through a direct observation method, where the counting team reached as close as 100 metres (330 feet) from the wild animal," Acharya added.

During the census, an elephant mahout was attacked and killed by a tiger, authorities said. Another official was injured when a wild elephant attacked the team.

Global conservation group the World Wildlife Fundwhich provides financial and technical assistance for the censuscalled the population increase a "milestone" for Nepal.

"The overall growth in population size is indicative of ongoing protection and habitat management efforts by protected area authorities despite challenging contexts these past years," the WWF's Nepal representative, Ghana Gurung, said in a statement.

The rhino population has climbed in recent years amid the government's anti-poaching and conservation initiatives.

But the illegal trade of rhino hornsprized in China and Southeast Asia for their supposed medicinal propertiesremains a threat.

Some 26 rhinos died in Nepal last year, including four from poaching, the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation said.

Explore further Rare one-horned rhino shot by poachers dies in Nepal

 2021 AFP
A Roman-era canal was discovered in Oosterhout, in the eastern Netherlands, along with a road, both from around 2,000 years ago.

Dutch archaeologists said on Wednesday they have unearthed a Roman canal and road near ancient military camps that were this week listed on UNESCO's list of World Heritage sites.

The canalmore than 10 metres (33 feet) wideand road were uncovered last week near the eastern city of Nijmegen, a major Roman-era settlement with permanent military bases that were awarded the UNESCO status.

They are believed to have been built and used by the Roman military, according to RAAP, the country's largest consultancy for archeology and cultural history.

Nijmegen is on the Rhine, the border of the Roman Empire at the time, it said in a statement, adding that the discovery was "unique" for that region of the country.

Many Roman soldiers were stationed along the river and the canal probably linked Nijmegen and the Rhine and was used to transport troops, supplies and building materials.

The Roman highway, with its original gravel pavement preserved, provides new insight into the road network of around 2,000 years ago, Eric Noord, who is leading the project, told AFP.

Explore further Roman road discovered in the Venice lagoon

 2021 AFP
Kenya has a total of 36,280 elephants, a 12-percent jump from the figures recorded in 2014.

Kenya has hailed its efforts to crack down on poaching as it released the results of the country's first-ever national wildlife census, calling the survey a vital weapon in its conservation battle.

According to the census released late Monday, the country has a total of 36,280 elephants, a 12-percent jump from the figures recorded in 2014, when poaching activity was at its highest.

"Efforts to increase penalties on crimes related to threatened species appear to be bearing fruits," the report, which counted 30 species of animals and covered nearly 59 percent of Kenya's land mass, said.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) warned in March that poaching and habitat destruction, particularly due to land conversion for agriculture, was devastating elephant numbers across Africa.

The population of African savanna elephants plunged by at least 60 percent in the last half century, prompting their reclassification as "endangered" in the latest update to the IUCN's "Red List" of threatened species.

The census said the numbers of lions, zebras, hirolas (Hunter's antelopes) and the three species of giraffes found in the country had also gone up, but did not provide comparative figures from earlier years.

The state-funded census also counted 1,739 rhinos including two northern white rhinos.

The state-funded survey counted 1,739 rhinos including two northern white rhinos, 897 critically endangered black rhinos and 840 southern white rhinos, and said the tourist magnet Maasai Mara National Reserve was home to nearly 40,000 wildebeest.

"Obtaining this level of information... allows for better policy, planning and assessment of areas that require focus in our interventions to maintain or improve our national conservation efforts," Wildlife Minister Najib Balala said in the report.

President Uhuru Kenyatta applauded conservation agencies for successfully clamping down on poaching and urged them to find newer, inventive approaches to protect wildlife.

"The reduction in losses in terms of elephants, rhinos and other endangered species is because of the great work that KWS (Kenya Wildlife Service), its officers and men are doing", he said late Monday.

Kenya is trying to strike a balance between protecting its wildlife while managing the dangers they pose when they raid human settlements in search of food and water.

The census said the numbers of lions, zebras, hirolas (Hunter's antelopes) and the three species of giraffes found in the country had also gone up.

'Our children's legacy'

Special attention should be given to antelope species such as sable antelopes and mountain bongos which already number less than 100 each, the report said, warning that they could become extinct unless urgent action was taken.

Exponential growth in human population and the accompanying rise in demand for land for settlement as well as activities such as livestock incursions, logging and charcoal burning are threatening to put brakes on the recent gains, it added.

Kenya, like several of its African peers, is trying to strike a balance between protecting its wildlife while managing the dangers they pose when they raid human settlements in search of food and water.

"(Wildlife) is our heritage, this is our children's legacy and it is important for us to be able to know what we have in order to be better informed on policy and also on actions needed as we move forward," Kenyatta said.

"It being a national heritage, it is something we should carry with pride", he added.

Explore further Rhino population in Nepal grows in conservation boost

 2021 AFP
Flames got close to the General Sherman, the world's biggest tree, but were pushed back thanks to years of controlled burns that starved the fire of fuel.

The so-far successful battle this month in California to save the world's biggest trees from ever-worsening forest blazes seems to offer an important lesson: You can fight fire with fire.

Human-caused climate change has made the western United States hotter, drier and more vulnerable to increasingly destructive wildfires, which have this year taken a horrific toll on the region's forests.

That has included threatening huge sequoias like the General Sherman, which looms 275 feet (83 meters) above the forest floor.

Firefighters were able to beat back the flames as they ate into California's Giant Forest, thanks to decades of prescribed burns that starved the blaze of fuel.

"It sounds a little strange to say this, but there actually has not been enough fire in California for about a century," said Rebecca Miller, a researcher at the University of Southern California.

"There were policies in place at the federal and the state level throughout much of the 20th century to prevent fire, because there was an incorrect belief that fire was bad for the environment."

Fires are part of the natural cycle of forest life, clearing away excess vegetation, purging pests, and making space for new growth.

In the wilderness, these fires eventually burn themselves out.

But as human settlement has encroached further into formerly wild spaces, tolerance for these fires has diminished and firefighters are under instructions to put out all blazes as soon as possible.

Parts of the Sequoia National Forest have burned in the most recent blazes.

Now there is a growing realization that this policy is actually contributing to the worsening of forest firesgiving them so much more fuel and making them hotter, faster and more destructive.

Instead, the thinking goes, we should actually be helping smaller fires to burn.

The practice was key to protecting Giant Forest, home to the General Sherman, says Mark Garrett, a spokesman for the force trying to tame the still-active KNP Complex fire.

'Best tool we have'

The sequoias of Giant Forest, some of which are up to 3,000 years old, have survived countless previous fires.

Their thick bark protects them from flames, and their cones actually need the heat of smaller fires to open up and spread their seeds.

But even these imposing giants cannot cope with the mega blazes tearing through California's parched landscape.

Around 10,000 of themup to 14 percent of the world's totalperished in a huge fire last year.

So there was considerable nervousness when flames from the KNP Complex started eating into the Sequoia National Forest.

Sequoias can survive - and even thrive - in low-level fires, using the heat to open their cones and spread their seeds, but can be killed in the hotter, faster fires that are gripping California.

Garrett says it was the first time an uncontrolled fire had come so close to the General Sherman, which was wrapped in a protective foil.

But thanks to years of controlled burns, the fire couldn't get much of a purchase, said Garrett.

"We're seeing things we haven't seen before, like near 300-foot trees being killed because of the smaller trees in between them that are carrying that fire," he told AFP.

Controlled burns are "the best tool we have right now."

The next General Sherman

But not everyone agrees.

"It is not an effective strategy and it's been very much overblown," says ecologist George Wuerthner.

Controlled burning has to be so widespread and so regular that it's prohibitive.

"We just can't be doing the whole landscape at that kind of frequency. It's misleading to suggest that that's a panacea for preventing large fires."

California redwood trees grow taller - over 100 metres - but sequoias are the largest trees by volume in the world.

Former forest service official Andy Stahl says worthwhile controlled burns would cost billions of dollars.

"You can't just burn it, walk away from it and say, 'Well I don't have to do that again for another 100 years."

"No, you have to go back there in another five or 10 years and do it again," said Stahl, who is executive director of FSEEE, an organization focused on ethical forest management.

Which explains why there are very few areas in the western United States where the practice is commonapart from around Giant Forest.

"It's a very, very small footprint in a small National Park."

For Garrett, there is simply no choice: "We need more money. We need more people. This needs to be done, all over the mountains and the federal lands.

"We don't have a lot of brand new sequoia trees in the Giant Forest because it hasn't seen fire in so long.

"We need that new generation to replace the General Sherman 2,000 years from now."

Explore further US firefighters optimistic over world's biggest tree

 2021 AFP
A new poll reveals the disquieting extent of young Americans support for Marxism. However, it also divulges the reasons behind the popularity of collectivism and the seeds of its destruction.

The number of young Americans who have a favorable view of Marxism has increased five-fold in just one year. According to the new survey, nearly one-third of the members of Gen Z  Americans between the ages of 16 and 23  deem Marxism worthy of support. The terms favorability has skyrocketed to 30% among Gen Z respondents, up from 6% in 2019.

Gen Zs approval of socialism also crept up nine points since last year (49% favorable in 2020, compared to 40% in 2019). The results come from the newest edition of the Report on U.S. Attitudes Toward Socialism, Communism, and Collectivism  which is commissioned annually by the Victims of Communism Memorial (VOC) and conducted by YouGov.

But the latest VOC poll, which was released Wednesday, contains an internal contradiction:

Americans increasingly distrust the government to take care of their interests, with 87% saying they trust themselves over the government and their community (a 7% increase from 2019). This is especially the case in younger generations, with only 6% of Gen Z and 5% of Millennials trusting the government to take care of their interests, down 8% and 11% from 2019, respectively.

How can young Americans distrust the government to look after their interests yet endorse socialism, which entrusts the government with the power to redistribute wealth, direct all economic activity, and control their access to such necessities as healthcare?

The polls results highlight two simple answers: ignorance of socialism and a jaundiced view of the United States induced by critical theory.

Americans suffer a two-pronged ignorance of socialism: what it is and what is has done. As Simon van Zuylen-Wood explained in New York magazine last March, the word [socialism] had lost its meaning by the time it got hot again. Thus, 31% of VOC respondents say they believe that socialism [m]eans a free market economy with private property in which the government provides ample social welfare benefits, as in many Scandinavian and Western European countries. In reality, Scandinavian countries have tried for years to inform Americans in general (and Bernie Sanders, in particular) that they are not socialist, and that democratic socialists like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez fundamentally misunderstand the Scandinavian model. The Nordic countries jettisoned policies like the ones AOC proposes after their economies crashed during the 1980s.

Researchers have found that socialisms popularity grew in tandem with public confusion about the economic system. Only 20% of registered voters in the U.S. associated socialism with government ownership of some (13%) or all (7%) of the economy in a Hill-HarrisX survey taken last May. One in three said socialism meant the government would end poverty and provide basic things. The same is true for Americans as a whole. A Gallup poll from October 2018 found that less than one in five U.S. citizens said socialism means abolishing private property, while 23% said socialism stands for equality  equal standing for everybody, all equal in rights, equal in distribution.

Americans also have no grasp of Marxisms bloody past  and present. The VOC finds that 32% of Americans think that Donald Trump is responsible for the deaths of more people than North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un. Twice as many Americans (64%) say they are unaware that the Chinese Communist Party is responsible for more deaths than Nazi Germany.

However, young Americans are aware of one nations failings: their own. Gen Z is almost twice as likely to believe America is a racist nation with a long history of discrimination (51%) as to say that America is a leading defender of freedom around the world (27%). Only 44% of Gen Z thinks that the American flag most accurately represents freedom, the poll finds. Hence, Americans are more likely to advocate toppling statues depicting Robert E. Lee (30%) or Christopher Columbus (26%) than Marxist mass murderer Che Guevara (24%). Gen Z even believes U.S. President Trump did more to spread COVID-19 than Chinas Xi Jinping.

It shocks the conscience that four-in-ten Americans believe that their country is a racist nation, says VOC Executive Director Marion Smith. Smith attributes these views to a total failure of our education system, as well as the basic dishonesty in our media and popular culture.

When one-in-four Americans want to eliminate capitalism and embrace socialism, we know that we have failed to educate about the historical and moral failings of these ideologies, he says.

Or perhaps the educational establishment has indoctrinated American students too well. By the time the Pulitzer-Prize-winning 1619 Project backtracked on its central claim that the introduction of slavery represented Americas true founding, public schools had already taught its curriculum to tens of thousands of students in all 50 states  at your expense. Academia has long inculcated the neo-Marxist view of America as a patchwork of competing victim groups (racial, sexual, and gender minorities) and oppressors (straight, white, cisgender males). Discrediting the U.S. Constitution, with its checks on mob rule and embrace of a free-market economic system, as systemically racist represents the high-water mark of Italian Communist Antonio Gramscis long march through history  an effort to form a Marxist consciousness in society.

Identity politics succeeded where Das Kapital fell flat. Americans who see themselves as members of impermeable and warring tribes require the government to mediate their differences  and to assure that resources are evenly distributed between groups, according to a viral speech from Thomas Klingenstein, who is president of the Claremont Institute. But, he warns, achieving this proportional representation requires a never-ending redistribution of wealth and power by the federal government. Such a massive redistribution can only be achieved by a tyrannical government where dissenters are silenced. Such a government could traditionally be labeled socialist or Marxist.

To succeed, socialists must get us to believe we are bad. In reality, America has brought more freedom and more prosperity to more people than any country in the history of mankind. To further that understanding, he has unveiled a petition to declare every election day  when Americans celebrate their right of self-determination  as America is Good Day. The petition has been signed by such notable figures as former Secretary of Education William J. Bennett, former Sen. Jim DeMint, and Hilldale College President Larry Arnn.

In the Cold War, the struggle against Marxism was geostrategic. Today, it takes place within societies and hearts. Halting socialisms ascendancy in the United States demands that we educate young people about socialisms history of poverty and oppression  and replace the masochism masquerading as history with an appreciation of Western civilization.
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Julie Cart joined CalMatters as a projects and environment reporter in 2016 after a long career at the Los Angeles Times, where she held many positions: sportswriter, national correspondent and environment reporter. In 2009 she and colleague Bettina Boxall won the Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Reporting for their series on wildfires in the West.
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" " The Pantheon is one of today's best-preserved ruins from ancient Rome. It was built sometime between 126 and 128 A.D. during the reign of Emperor Hadrian. John Harper/Getty Images

If a friend who was about to go off on a European adventure told you they were going to visit the Pantheon, would you immediately picture ruins of ancient white marble columns? What if that same friend told you they would also be stopping by the Parthenon. Would you also picture a similar scene in your head?

The point is, the Parthenon and the Pantheon are often confused as being the same thing. And that's no surprise because the names are super similar. But the two are very different; they're not even located in the same country. The Parthenon, for instance, is in Athens, Greece, and the Pantheon is in Rome, Italy. And aside from both being made of marble and sharing a similar etymology  both names are derived from the Greek word parthenos, which is an epithet of the Greek goddess Athena, meaning "virgin"  these two famous buildings of the ancient world actually have very little in common.

We spoke with Christopher Ratte, a classical archaeologist and professor at the University of Michigan and Dr. C. Brian Rose, the curator-in-charge of the Mediterranean Section at the Penn Museum and archaeologist who's been digging in the field for more than 40 years, to find out exactly what makes these two ancient ruins so different.

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1. They Were Built in Different Centuries

The Parthenon and the Pantheon are two of the most famous temples ever built in ancient Athens and ancient Rome. The Pantheon was constructed in the second century A.D., while the Parthenon we know today was built much earlier around 447 B.C.E. However, neither, as they say, was built in a day.

The Pantheon is one of today's best-preserved ruins from ancient Rome. It was built sometime between 126 and 128 A.D. during the reign of Emperor Hadrian, who was emperor from 117 to 138 A.D. "It was a reign largely marked by peace ... there was plenty of money throughout the empire," Rose says. "Economically it was a very prosperous time and you see that reflected in the building program. [The Pantheon] is primarily made of concrete, but the inside is lined with marble imported from Egypt, Greece, Asia Minor and North Africa; these international materials bolster the Pantheon as a symbol of the extent of the Roman Empire."

The Parthenon, on the other hand, took 15 years to build, Rose says. It was built between 447 and 432 B.C.E. during the aftermath of the Persian Wars to highlight the victory of the Greeks over the Persians. At the time, the Greeks were led by (or controlled by, depending on who you talk to) Athens, which was being controlled by a commander named Pericles. Athens had access to a treasury that could pay for additional arms conflict if the Persians came back. This treasury helped to fund the construction of the Parthenon. The goddess Athena was credited with steering the Greeks toward victory, which is why, had you visited the site at the time, you would've found a statue of her in the temple's main room (more on that next).

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2. They Honor Different Gods

While both were built to honor gods, the Parthenon was built to honor Athena and the Pantheon was built to honor all of the Greek gods.

"Both have many other cultural meanings," Ratte says, "the Parthenon as a victory monument and a symbol of Athenian power and the Pantheon as a kind of architectural mirror of Roman imperial dominion." The Parthenon also originally contained a massive statue of Athena inside the temple designed by Greek sculptor and architect Phidias. It was said to be more than 37 feet (11.5 meters) tall and constructed of gold and ivory. The statue was dedicated in 438 B.C.E. and remained for 1,000 years until it disappeared.

" " The Parthenon in Athens, Greece, was built between 447 and 432 B.C.E. during the aftermath of the Persian Wars to highlight the victory of the Greeks over the Persians. joe daniel price/Getty Images

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3. The Designs Are Similar but Not the Same

You could look at both structures and think that the architecture of the Parthenon influenced the building of the Pantheon. But that's far from the case.

First, the Parthenon is built high on a hill in Athens and is based on the architectural column styles of Doric and Ionic order, two of the three canonic orders of classical architecture. The structure is dominated by outer columns in Doric style that lean slightly inward to give the illusion of straight lines.

The Pantheon's dominating design is its massive domed ceiling and rotunda. When it was built in the second century, it was the largest in the world. Today the Pantheon sits in the heart of Rome on the same site of the original Pantheon, which was built around 25 B.C.E. by Marcus Agrippa, son-in-law of the first Roman emperor, Augustus.

Unlike the Parthenon, which is original, the Pantheon, has been rebuilt numerous times, mostly because of frequent fires in Rome.

"The basic form of the Pantheon has changed over the years ... the Pantheon is a much more daring engineering marvel [than the Parthenon] because of the extraordinary span of the dome  the largest domical space that had ever been attempted in antiquity and not superseded until the Renaissance," says Rose.

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4. Today One Is a Church, One Is a Museum

While both the Parthenon and the Pantheon are open to tourism, the structures are used in different ways. "The Pantheon is intact and looks very much as it did when it was built, although some of its interior decoration has been altered," Ratte says. The Pantheon is still used as a Roman Catholic church, and visitors can view much of the original construction while learning more about it on a guided tour.

And although the Parthenon was blown up by the Venetians in 1687, according to Ratte, "it is still one of the best-preserved of all Greek temples and many of its fallen columns have been re-erected." Today the Parthenon serves more as a museum to ancient Greek history.

Despite having many differences, the two structures also have many similarities, as well. Both were originally built as temples, and were later turned into churches in the early Middle Ages. This is notable as Bernini put bell towers on the Pantheon, which have since been removed.

Both use columns extensively in their designs, and both have faced destruction, looting and rebuilding efforts through the centuries.

NOW THAT'S INTERESTING There is a full-scale re-creation of the Parthenon in Centennial Park in Nashville, Tennessee, where you can see the structure as it was in ancient Athens. Inside is a 42-foot (12.8-meter) statue of Athena. The replica is a celebration of classical architecture built for Tennessee's 1897 Centennial Exposition.

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Originally Published: Jun 15, 2020
" " The Plate Boundary Observatory, set up in 2004 by UNAVCO (funded by the National Science Foundation and NASA) as a network of Earth-measuring instruments, has installed more than 1,100 GPS stations in North America, including this one in Denali in Alaska, which monitors the Pacific and North American tectonic plates. National Park Service

Back in 1911, a German meteorologist and geophysicist named Alfred Wegener was doing research at a university library, when he came upon a scientific paper that listed ancient fossils of identical plants and animals that had been found on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. This got Wegener to thinking about how the same organisms could have evolved in two places that were separated by thousands of miles of water. Some scientists believed that land bridges had once existed between these places. But Wegener looked at maps of the coastlines of Africa and South America and came up with a different idea. What if those continents had once been joined together, and then moved apart, as part of a process that was still going on?

From that inspiration, Wegener came up with his theory of continental drift, which at the time was widely derided as ridiculous. By the 1950s and 1960s, however, scientists had come around to thinking that Wegener might have been onto something, and that pieces of the Earth's crust are slowly moving  a process that not only explains many of the planet's features, but also may help make life on Earth possible.

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The Theory of Plate Tectonics

Plate tectonics is the theory that the Earth's crust and upper mantle are composed of numerous major and minor plates that fit together tightly but are in continuous motion, moving sometimes toward one another and other times apart.

That movement is known as plate motion or tectonic shift, and it's been going on for a long, long time. A study by Johns Hopkins University researchers, published in August 2019, in the scientific journal Nature, concludes that plate tectonics began about 2.5 billion years ago, and has developed gradually since then.

"The Earth is a large-scale heat engine," Ray Russo, an associate professor of geology at the University of Florida and an expert in plate tectonics, explains via email. "Heat left over from planetary accretion, from gravitational compression, and from radioactive decay is trapped in the Earth's interior. Because heat flows from warm to cold regions, the Earth's interior heat tends to flow toward its cold surface. The most efficient way for this heat to get from the deep interior to the Earth's surface is by convection. So, on a large scale, hot mantle material rises and replaces cold mantle material that has developed at Earth's surface.

"The cold material is, essentially, the Earth's rigid plates," Russo continues. "These plates become dense as they cool and eventually they become dense enough to sink into the mantle, cooling the planet and stirring the mantle on a global scale. In a nutshell, that's plate tectonics."

" " This map shows the world's named tectonic plates and illustrates their movement patterns. Wikimedia Commons ( CC By-SA 4.0

The plates move really, really slowly  the average speed is 0.6 inches (1.5 centimeters) per year, though scientists have differing opinions on whether the movement is slowing down or increasing.

The plates interact along their boundaries in three different ways:

Where two plates move away from each other, it creates a divergent boundary , a zone where earthquakes are common and hot magma, or molten rock, rises from the mantle to the surface to form new crust.

Conversely, in places where two plates come together, a convergent boundary occurs. The impact of the plates in those places can cause the edges to buckle and push up to form a mountain range, or else bend to create a deep trench in the ocean floor. Chains of volcanoes often form parallel to the boundaries. Convergent boundaries create continental crust but destroy crust that's part of the ocean floor.

In a transform plate boundary, two plates will slide past one another. Crust along a transform plate boundary will be cracked and broken, but unlike the other two types of boundaries, it won't create any new crust. Earthquakes are common along these faults.

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The Formation of Volcanoes

As Russo explains, plate tectonics profoundly affect our entire planet and all of its natural processes. One big reason is that the movement of the plates causes the formation of volcanoes  basically, breaks in the crust that serve as vents for heat and lava  and their eruptions continually resurface the ocean basins that account for 72 percent of the Earth's surface. Just as importantly, volcanic activity associated with tectonic plate movement causes lighter, less dense minerals to separate from the heavier, denser ones in the Earth's mantle. "The accumulation of these light minerals results in the development and growth of continents, on which we live," Russo says.

Tectonic plate movement also has helped to create, in numerous ways, the conditions that make life on Earth possible. It leads, for example, to the interaction of hot volcanic rocks with water in the ocean, and the leaching of ions from those rocks is what controls the oceans' salinity. "Life evolved in the oceans, in the presence of this ion-rich water, and humans, for example, have blood salinity equivalent to the salinity of seawater as a direct consequence," Russo says. Additionally, volcanic activity triggered by plate tectonics also has helped create the fertile soil that allows plants to grow and produce both food and the oxygen that sustains humans and large animal life, he notes.

By rearranging the configuration of the continents and the ocean basins, plate tectonics also influences the planet's climate. "For example, the current shapes of the ocean basins continually supply warm equatorial waters to polar regions, keeping the planet from developing very great extremes of surface temperature between equator and poles," Russo says.

The mountains formed by tectonics also are among the planet's most important carbon dioxide sinks, helping to draw down atmospheric C02 levels by forming new minerals. That process increases and decreases in response to shifts in temperature, enabling the mountains to act as giant thermostats.

The gradual shifting of the continental masses also has played an important role in biological evolution. "Speciation  the development of new species  occurs when a single group of plants or animals is divided into two groups that are no longer in reproductive contact, as, for example, often happens when a supercontinent breaks up and new ocean basins form between its continental fragments," Russo explains.

All this might make Alfred Wegener  who died in 1930, when he became lost in a blizzard while on an expedition in Greenland  feel vindicated at last.

Now That's Interesting While Venus and Mars have hot interiors and their surfaces show signs of recent deformation, Earth is the only planet in the solar system whose surface is divided into plates. Mercury, the other rocky planet, is no longer geologically active.
" " Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) appear in Nunavut, Canada. This used to be the site of the magnetic north pole in the 1930s, but now the pole is in the middle of the Arctic Ocean, moving toward Russia. cfarish/Getty Images

Washington, D.C. may be gridlocked, but Earth's magnetic north pole is on the move. Recently, it's been traveling at an unprecedented rate. That pushed scientists to update a vital navigation tool used by defense departments and smartphones alike.

Up in the Arctic Ocean lies the geographic north pole. It's where all the world's longitudinal lines converge  and the rotational axis of our planet meets its outer surface. But guess what? Your compass won't take you there. Compasses point to the magnetic north pole, a different destination altogether.

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Earth is surrounded by a magnetic field that has poles of its own. One of these is the magnetic north pole. If you own a dip compass  a handy gadget whose needle moves both vertically and horizontally  you'll know when you've reached this spot because the needle will be pointing straight down at a 90-degree angle.

However, the magnetic north pole isn't stationary. In 1831, it was hanging out along the Boothia Peninsula in Canada's Nunavut Territory. It has since drifted northward into the Arctic Ocean, getting closer and closer to Siberia. Last year, the pole finally crossed into the eastern hemisphere.

Prior to the mid-1990s, it was  as the journal Nature reports  traveling at speeds of around 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) per year. Its current clip? About 55 kilometers (34 miles) annually.

"It didn't move much between 1900 and 1980, but it's really accelerated in the past 40 years," geophysicist Ciaran Beggan told Reuters on Friday, Jan. 11. Scientists aren't exactly sure why the magnetic pole has picked up speed although it looks like a jet of liquid iron (one of the materials that influences magnetic fields) is driving it away from Canada.

The World Magnetic Model

Beggan is a member of the British Geological Survey (BGS), which works with the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to produce the World Magnetic Model (WMM). Earth's magnetic field is always changing and the WMM makes predictions about what those changes will look like in the near future.

The WMM is the "standard magnetic model used for navigation" by NATO, the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.K. Ministry of Defense, and "smartphone operating systems such as Android and iOS," according to the BGS's blog. So its accuracy is very important.

Normally, the WMM is updated every five years. But after its last routine upgrade in 2015, Mother Earth went and complicated things. An unforeseen "geomagnetic pulse" beneath South America startled the scientific community in 2016.

Routine accuracy tests found that the 2015 edition of the WMM was no longer up to snuff. In March 2018, NOAA announced that the model "had become inaccurate in the Arctic region."

The next update wasn't supposed to be made until 2020, but NOAA and the BGS went ahead and put a new one together ahead of schedule late last year. This version takes the 2016 geomagnetic incident into account, which might lead to better predictions going forward.

NOW THAT'S INTERESTING. A 2016 study found that Earth's axis  along with the geographic north pole  is moving slightly eastward to the tune of 10 centimeters (4 inches) per year. Dwindling polar ice sheets may be the driving force behind this: As those mighty glaciers melt, their mass gets redistributed into the oceans, which could be destabilizing Earth's rotational axis.
BEIJING (Reuters) - Several local governments in China have set up special custodian accounts for property projects of its most indebted developer, Evergrande, to protect funds earmarked for housing projects from being diverted, media outlet Caixin said.

Reeling under $305 billion of debt, Evergrande missed a payment deadline on a dollar bond last week, and its silence on the matter has set global investors wondering if they will have to swallow large losses when a 30-day grace period ends.

The special accounts have been set up since late August in at least eight provinces where Evergrande has the most unfinished projects, the Chinese outlet said on Sunday, citing a source close to the developer's management team.

These include Anhui, Guizhou, Henan, Jiangsu and cities in the southern Pearl River Delta, it added.

The custodian accounts aim to ensure homebuyers' payments are used to complete Evergrande's housing projects, and not diverted elsewhere, such as to creditors, Caixin said.

In some southern cities, such as Zhuhai and Shenzhen, the offices of the housing regulator, the Ministry of Housing and UrbanRural Development, were also involved in overseeing and reviewing fund use by Evergrande's projects, it said.

Evergrande and the housing ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

In recent months, the cash-strapped developer, which epitomises the borrow-to-build business model, has stopped repaying some investors and suppliers and halted building work at many projects across China.

The housing regulator has also set a Sept. 24 deadline for regional offices to report on the funding gaps facing Evergrande's unfinished projects, Caixin said, but it was not immediately clear if this had been met.

By the end of June, Evergrande still had 1,236 projects for sale, it said in a semi-annual report, including those completed and under construction.

Last week, the Wall Street Journal newspaper said Chinese authorities had asked local governments to prepare for a possible collapse of Evergrande, urging them to prevent unrest and mitigate ripple effects on the rest of the economy.

(Reporting by Cheng Leng, Yilei Sun and Ryan Woo; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met with his new Nepali colleague, Dr Narayan Khadka

New York [US], September 26 (ANI): External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar met with his new Nepalese counterpart Dr Narayan Khadka in New York and agreed to take the special relationship forward.

"Pleased to welcome my new Nepali colleague, Dr Narayan Khadka. Agreed that we should work together closely to take our special relationship forward," EAM Jaishankar tweeted.

This is the first meeting between the two ministers. Last week, Jaishankar had congratulated Khadka on his appointment as Nepal's Foreign Minister.

"Congratulations to Hon'ble Dr Narayan Khadka on his appointment as Nepal's Foreign Minister. Look forward to working with him," the minister had said in an earlier tweet.

On September 22, Nepal Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba had appointed Narayan Khadka as foreign minister. Deuba's secretariat confirmed that Khadka has been appointed a foreign minister to lead the country's delegation to the ongoing United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). (ANI)
Taliban co-founder and acting Deputy Prime Minister Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar.

Kabul [Afghanistan], September 26 (ANI/Sputnik): Tajikistan is interfering in the internal affairs of Afghanistan, Abdul Ghani Baradar, the acting deputy head of the Afghan government formed by the Taliban, said on Sunday.

"Tajikistan interferes in our affairs, for every action there is a reaction," Ghani Baradar said in an interview with al Jazeera TV channel.

A day earlier, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said on Twitter that the movement had sent thousands of fighters to the Afghan province of Takhar, which borders Tajikistan. According to Mujahid, this was needed to counter security threats.

Earlier this month, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon suggested creating "a security belt" around Afghanistan to prevent the potential expansion of terrorist groups. Rahmon was speaking at a joint summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Collective Security Treaty Organization, which was focused on the recent developments in Afghanistan.

The Taliban began ramping up their offensive in the spring when foreign troops started their withdrawal from Afghanistan. On August 15, as foreign forces were still in the process of departing, the Taliban entered Kabul. By August 31, the US troops left the country, ending the nearly 20-year mission. Several days later, the Taliban announced the composition of its interim government. (ANI/Sputnik)
UN Special Representative Deborah Lyons meets former Afghanistan president Hamid Karzai

Kabul [Afghanistan], September 26 (ANI): UN Special Representative Deborah Lyons met former Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai on Sunday and discussed the ongoing situation in the country.

The UN representative stressed the need to get humanitarian aid for the Afghan people.

During the meeting, Lyons highlighted that an inclusive government that can work with regions and the wider world would much improve development prospects.

"@DeborahLyonsUN and former President @KarzaiH today discussed the situation in Afghanistan. The envoy stressed UN work to get humanitarian aid to the Afghan people. She also highlighted that an inclusive government that can work with region and wider world would much improve development prospects," said the official account of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).

Earlier this week, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus had warned that Afghanistan's healthcare system is on the brink of collapse.

He made the remark after completing a high-level mission to Kabul where we met with senior members of the Taliban leadership, UN partners, health care workers and patients, and WHO staff.

This came as the UN's top humanitarian official, Martin Griffiths, announced the release of USD 45 million from an emergency fund to support the healthcare system in the troubled country.

"Allowing Afghanistan's healthcare delivery system to fall apart would be disastrous," said Griffiths. "People across the country would be denied access to primary healthcare such as emergency caesarean sections and trauma care."

After completing his visit, the WHO chief said that international funding cuts had forced health providers to decide "who to save and who to let die". (ANI)
The island nation of Haiti is just beginning to catch its breath after a massive August earthquake, and that catastrophe struck just a few weeks after the assassination of President Jovenel Moise, which left the government in a state of chaos. While Haiti could use international aid in its recovery, the country has suffered from a history of colonial oppression and interference that leaves its citizens wary of efforts to help. On Fridays episode of A Word, I spoke about the Haitian crisis with Marlene Daut, a professor of African American and African studies at the University of Virginia. She specializes in Caribbean studies and is the author of Tropics of Haiti: Race and the Literary History of the Haitian Revolution in the Atlantic World. Our conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.

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Jason Johnson: Were now a couple of weeks after the earthquake. What was the scope of the damage in Haiti? And what do we know about where the recovery stands now? I think a lot of Americansits not just that we have short attention spans. We have enough crises in this country that a lot of people didnt pay a lot of attention to how bad things were in Haiti.

Marlene Daut: Yes. So the earthquake hit the southern peninsula of Haiti. Its epicenter was near the Haitian city of Les Cayes. And if you were to look at a map of Haiti, youd see that the southern peninsula extends out pretty far into the Atlantic. And so it makes getting to the furthest reaches of the peninsula pretty difficult given the status of roads. Unfortunately, also a tropical storm hit the island only a few days afterwards, complicating both the relief and disaster recovery effort and the ability to find people who were still trapped under the rubble. One thing that was a little bit more fortunate than last earthquake in 2010 was that this one hit at about 8:29 a.m. So there werent a lot of people out and about. But at the same time, being inside wasnt necessarily the safest place to be either because of the way that buildings are constructed.

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In our last episode, we heard from an environmental leader about disaster capitalism. Thats how, in the aftermath of natural disasters, millions and sometimes billions of dollars in aid get distributed, but most of it never goes to the people who actually need it. Have we seen disaster capitalism play out in Haiti after this most recent tragedy and earthquake?

Disaster capitalism has been a part of Haitian history for a really long time. I think it most visibly came into the frame in 2010 when Haiti suffered a 7.0 magnitude earthquake in the capital of Port-au-Prince. This is a moment when we saw millions, if not billions, of dollars of aid pour into the country, supposedly through various aid groups. The most famous example of aid money that was donated for the relief and recovery effort in Haiti but never reached Haitians is the Red Cross. The NPR/ProPublica report, which is now infamous, [found] that half a billion dollars that was supposed to go towards building houseswe saw six houses built. The rest of the money was either funneled into their other projects because they werent involved in development, they are disaster relief. So they gave tents and T-shirts, but they werent really able to continue with the effort in the years following, when reconstruction needed to happen. This is the situation and the scenario that we would definitely like to avoid this time around, and so were asking people to donate to individual groups in Haiti that are local and already on the ground and who know what Haitians need and know how to get what they need to them.

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If Im an American, how would I go about finding the local groups? How do Americans know the proper ways to send their money to actually help people on the ground in Haiti, as opposed to having it funneled into some CFOs pocket?

Thats a great question. I would direct people to one website they can use to find information, which is FOKAL. This is an aid organization thats long-standing, its Haitian-based. Theyve been in the country for a very long time. They are Haitian-run and work with Haitians. And on their webpage, they also direct you to places in the southern peninsula particularly that could use help and assistance at this moment.

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But I would say beyond thatand I think this gets at the more difficult problem, a more theoretical problem that underlies the questionis that Haitians, for a lot of people, are abstract people who live over there. And so, because they dont necessarily know a lot of Haitians, they dont have people they can reach out to to say, Who are some people who I can individually help? Because in the moments directly following the earthquake, the best way, it turns out, to help and get money to Haitians was to send it to them individually, to send people that you knew money, who could then distribute things like water and food, could purchase things there. And so this is, I think, what compounds the tragedy, is that we dont want to be giving our money to these huge organizations. But as you mentioned, most people in the United States dont necessarily have a contact in Haiti. They dont know who they should reach out to and who they should find. And so I would say some churches, Haitian churches, in Miami and New York or in your communities, because there are Haitian communities in Chicago and Boston, for example, and to a lesser extent in places like Houston and Los Angeles. And so reaching out to some of those churches that are Haitian congregations and finding out what they suggest as well.

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Haitis president was assassinated a month before the earthquake struck. So whos actually managing this crisis right now? Whos running the country?

Well, in a de facto way, the president of Haiti is the man who Jovenel Moise had designated to become Haitis prime minister a few days before the assassination. His name is Ariel Henry, and he was, I guess, assumed by the international community to be Haitis rightful leader in this moment. In the moments and days and weeks actually following the assassination, that wasnt as clear as it is now. People seem to have accepted that this is the person who is going to, at first, lead the effort also to find out who was behind the assassination. And one of the most unfortunate things about this earthquake, including the loss of lifeover 2,000 Haitians are reported to be dead, have died in the earthquakeis that now the investigation into Jovenel Moises death is really halted at multiple levels because of these intersecting crises.

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And so there is a very real sense of, who is leading the country? Whos going to lead the relief effort? And Ariel Henrys now saying all the aid funds are going to be channeled through his office, that were not going to make the mistakes of the past. But the Haitian people, this isnt necessarily comforting to them because hes not a person they chose. Hes not a man who was elected by them. And they had previous problems with their prior presidents and the aid funds as well. So the idea that hes going to control it all or make sure it gets to the right placesthere isnt a whole lot of confidence in that at the moment.

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So at one point after the assassination, you had some Haitian officials that were asking for America to send military aid. That didnt happen. But then there were Haitians outside the government who wanted the U.S. and some dont want the U.S. Tell us a bit about how the average Haitian person on the street feels about the United States involvement or what the United States might be able to do to help find out who assassinated the previous president.

This is a difficult question because undoubtedly, especially in this moment after the 7.2 magnitude earthquake that Haiti just experienced on Aug. 14, actually Haitians need assistance, aid. They need medical care. They need goods. They need things for everyday subsistence like water. It is also true that the Haitian populaceif you ask ordinary, everyday Haitiansare very wary of what looks like assistance, because a lot of assistance is actually help that harms. And they remember that. The memory of the 2010 earthquake was so strong that friends in Port-au-Prince were saying, Were sleeping outside. Were too scared to go back inside. Because even though the epicenter of the earthquake wasnt in Port-au-Prince, they still felt it. In fact, there are reports that the earthquake was felt all the way in Jamaica. Then you compound this with this intersecting crisis of the assassination of the president, and the low confidence that Haitians have in the ability for the Haitian government to find out who really did this and their will to do so, because weve seen people go missing and go into hiding and also be killed for their role in trying to pursue justice for this.

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So the reason why I say its a hard question is that many Haitians on the ground in Haiti do not want another military occupation. They do not want boots on the ground in Haiti. But at the same time, they also do not want the Haitian government, as it stands, to be the only ones who can pronounce and say what happens next, because theres not a lot of trust. So civil society organizations are calling for various meetings of factions, and they want to be the ones to direct the way forwardnot the U.N., definitely not NGOs. Haiti was dubbed the land of 10,000 NGOs in the 90s and early 2000s and especially after the 2010 earthquake. Haitians are forming different parts of different civil society organizations. Professors and lawyers and doctors want to be the ones to say what happens next.

Listen to the entire episode below, or subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Heres a reminder that as bad as American politics feel these days, it could always be worse. You could be voting in Russia, where veteran opposition politician Boris Vishnevsky recently got a look at his competition for his seat in St. Petersburgs 50-seat Legislative Assembly and noticed something familiarthere were two other Boris Vishnevskys in the race, both of whom looked suspiciously similar to him. The 65-year-old incumbent is a member of the liberal opposition Yabloko party, which makes him an enemy of Russian President Vladimir Putin and his many allied parties, well-orchestrated to give the impression of democracy in Russia.

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The real Boris Vishnevsky says the two challengers not only changed their names, a common enough practice in Russia, to confuse voters, but that the candidates election photos had been fashioned to resemble Vishnevskys appearance.

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 .

 "",     " ",    ,    .    ,  ,   .

,     ,     . pic.twitter.com/16iV3NghoE    (@visboris) September 5, 2021

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Neither of the new Boris Vishnevskys have campaigned or had any public appearances at all, but they are on the ballot. The only difference is their patronymic namesgenerally derived from the name of a father, CNN reports. In addition to the [original]  Vishnevsky Boris Lazarevich, there is Vishnevsky Boris Gennadievich, 43, and Vishnevsky Boris Ivanovich, 59 For the last two, the electoral commission website gives in brackets their former names: Shmelev Alexey Gennadievich and Bykov Victor Ivanovich.

At least one of Vishnevskys opponents, who until recently was named Viktor Bykov, is believed to have changed his appearance considerably for the photographs, the Guardian reports. In an official photograph used on a St Petersburg government website, Bykov had a full head of hair and looked years younger than the photograph submitted to the electoral commission.

Subscribe to the Slatest newsletter A daily email update of the stories you need to read right now. We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again. Please enable javascript to use form. Email address: Send me updates about Slate special offers. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms Sign Up Thanks for signing up! You can manage your newsletter subscriptions at any time.

Vishnevsky filed a complaint with the election commission ahead of the Sept. 17-19 vote in Russia, but Central Election Commission chief Ella Pamfilova, while calling the ruse an embarrassment and an outrage, said there was nothing she could do. According to Reuters, [t]he commission rejected a complaint by Vishnevsky demanding that his rivals give their previous names on the ballot on the basis that the three candidates could be distinguished by their different middle names.
ARCHIVED - Spain prepares to declare second state of alarm unconstitutional



The move comes just weeks after the first lockdown in Spain was pronounced unlawful

Just two months after the first state of alarm, implemented at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic in Spain in March 2020, was decreed unconstitutional by Spains highest court, the Constitutional Court in Madrid is about to make the same ruling on the second lockdown.

Under Article 116 of the Spanish Constitution, there are three categories that can apply to emergency situations in this country: a state of alarm, a state of emergency and a state of siege. There are major differences between the three, and if a state of emergency had been declared at any point it Spain it would have meant that police could detain suspects for ten days rather than three, as well as having the power to shut down media outlets and forcefully enter businesses and homes without permission, all in the name of public safety.

The court ruled that in order to impose restrictions such as confining people to their homes except for essential travel and prohibiting meetings between non-cohabitants, as happened during the first lockdown, the government should have opted for a state of emergency, and thus ruled the first state of alarm unconstitutional.

Now, following the filing of the appeal by far-right political party Vox, it would appear that the second state of alarm is proving even more problematic than the first. Government representatives have argued that since a curfew was imposed and meetings were controlled, the fundamental rights of citizens were limited, but not suspended, and therefore the choice of the state of alarm in this second instance was appropriate.

However, the opposition sees this decision as a blatant attempt by the Spanish government to avoid the hassle of making fortnightly appearances in the Chamber to review the restrictive measures and has deemed the very occasional appearances of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and former Health Minister Salvador Illa during November 2020 and May 2021 as insufficient.

Another aspect with which magistrates have taken serious issue is the fact that the various leaders of the autonomous communities were given the power to increase the restrictions on fundamental rights as the health crisis developed, a move which severely reduced parliamentary control over decisions.

While a ruling on the unconstitutionality of the second state of alarm isnt expected until October, given that five out of six magistrates voted against the first the same outcome is expected this time around.

Image: Archive
https://sputniknews.com/20210926/alternative-for-germany-to-continue-supporting-nord-stream-2-after-election---co-chairman-1089432446.html

Alternative for Germany to Continue Supporting Nord Stream 2 After Election - Co-Chairman

Alternative for Germany to Continue Supporting Nord Stream 2 After Election - Co-Chairman

BERLIN (Sputnik) - The Alternative for Germany ( AfD) party will continue supporting the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project after the federal election, Tino... 26.09.2021, Sputnik International

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"AfD supports Nord Stream 2, this project  is very important for the energy security of Germany, it is an opportunity to receive cheaper energy. And therefore we strongly reject criticism of this project. This peaceful project, as I call it, should be launched," Chrupalla said.He expressed hope that the fate of the Nord Stream 2 project will not change under the new government in Germany, regardless of who replaces German Chancellor Angela Merkel.He added that his party will work on strengthening dialogue with Russia in order to improve relations with Moscow, which, according to Chrupalla, is important in ensuring peace and security in Europe."For us, Russia is Europe, and we want this dialogue and good economic relations," Chrupalla told Sputnik.According to the latest preliminary results from the electoral commission, the Social Democrats (SPD) are in the lead in the German federal election with 25.4 percent and are neck and neck with the conservatives bloc (Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU)/Christian Social Union (CSU)), which has 25. 1 percent. The AfD party is fifth with 10.6 percent.Ahead of the Sunday election, Beatrix von Storch, the leader of AfDs national-conservative wing, told Sputnik that her party makes no secret of its pro-Russian sentiments, including supporting the lifting of Western sanctions against Russia and backing the launch of the Nord Stream 2 project, which she described as "extremely important for Germany."

Ladyshadow Support what is best for the citizens of the EU not for the US terrorist that can't handle compititon. 5

TruePatriot It's not only the right thing for Germany, it's right for the EU. 5

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https://sputniknews.com/20210926/border-patrol-grills-biden-for-failing-to-give-benefit-of-doubt-over-claims-migrants-were-whipped-1089423471.html

Border Patrol Grills Biden for Failing to Give Benefit of Doubt Over Claims Migrants Were Whipped

Border Patrol Grills Biden for Failing to Give Benefit of Doubt Over Claims Migrants Were Whipped

US President Joe Biden was quick to pledge consequences after footage from the southern border emerged, seemingly showing border agents "whipping" some of the... 26.09.2021, Sputnik International

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Agents from the US Border Patrol were hurt by Joe Biden's swift jump to conclusions and failure to grant them the "benefit of the doubt" over claims that some mounted officers were "whipping" illegal migrants, according to what several agents told the Daily Mail.In fact, the agents noted, that Biden should have taken part of the blame.Another agent underlined that the goal of his job is to ensure the "safety and security" of the nation.The agents' bitter response comes after Joe Biden swiftly pledged to investigate the allegations of migrants being whipped after photos supposedly showed this occurring. Biden pledged that "those people will pay", dubbing the allegations an "embarrassment".He was echoed by Vice President Kamala Harris, who has been tasked with handling the situation on the border (and faced criticism for doing little to help). She said that the footage evoked images of "the worst moments of our history", particularly the "times of slavery".However, the claims of border officers "whipping" individuals were vehemently denied - not only by the agents themselves but even by the photographer who actually took the pictures that caused the outcry. In an interview with KTSM, Paul Ratje, the author of the images, said that he "has never seen them whip anyone" and "it can be misconstrued when you're looking at the picture".The same sentiment was voiced by the agents who spoke to the Daily Mail, who argued that many officers are in fact empathetic and helpful to the migrants, with some "spend[ing] their own money to buy French fries for crying kids" and helping women and children - only for the "liberal media" to "spin a narrative of hate and corruption" later.According to the agent, had the man on horseback actually done something wrong, he would own up to it, because officers have a code of conduct that they adhere to.The photos of border agents allegedly "whipping" Haitians emerged earlier in the week, in the middle of yet another migrant surge on the southern US border, when thousands of Haitian nationals hit the city of Del Rio and assembled a makeshift camp under a bridge there. The authorities estimated that at least 15,000 migrants were gathered in the Texas region at some point, with the Biden administration having to ramp up "deportation" flights and fly some groups of people to different migrant-processing locations in order to alleviate crowds.The Del Rio situation is simply one more twist in the border crisis, unleashing even more bipartisan condemnation of the Biden administration. In part, Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) called the Haitian migrant surge "an absolute catastrophe", while former President Donald Trump asserted that the US "has gone to hell" under Biden.Commenting on the situation, Biden said that he "takes responsibility", since he is the president. Both he and Kamala Harris pledged to launch an investigation into the treatment of illegal migrants on the southern border.Per Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, his department, along with US Customs and Border Protection and other federal and local agencies, has responded "with a surge of personnel and resources to address the humanitarian needs of the individuals" on the border. As of the morning of 25 September, Mayorkas noted, there were "no longer any migrants in the camp underneath the Del Rio International Bridge".

https://sputniknews.com/20210925/absolute-catastrophe-senator-cruz-grills-biden-over-haiti-migrant-surge-1089404857.html

AramFingal American people are whipped by Biden Regime with inflation, gas prices, creating an invasion to destroy the USA. It's absolute treason and the regime must pay the penalty. 1

vot tak More neocon noise. Those border patrol yahoos acted like drunken cowboys, not like qualified law enforcement agents. Piss on 'em. 0

5

texas

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us, texas, migrants
https://sputniknews.com/20210926/cia-was-ready-to-start-firefight-in-london-to-prevent-russia-from-busting-out-assange-media-claims-1089430835.html

CIA Was Ready to Start Firefight in London to Prevent Russia From Busting Out Assange, Media Claims

CIA Was Ready to Start Firefight in London to Prevent Russia From Busting Out Assange, Media Claims

CIA Was Ready to Start Firefight in London to Prevent Russia From Busting Out Assange, Media Claims

2021-09-26T19:41+0000

2021-09-26T19:41+0000

2021-09-26T19:40+0000

julian assange

us

russia

assassination

cia

uk

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The US authorities are not really fans of Julian Assange, but the CIA under Directors Mike Pompeo and Gina Haspel took the hate for the WikiLeaks founder to a whole new level  up to planning his assassination, a group of Yahoo News investigators claims, citing accounts of anonymous former officials.Prior to their appointment, the top US spy agency's plans were limited to reclassifying Assange and many other journalists as "information brokers" thus extending the capabilities for surveillance over them, the media claims. Upon his appointment as director of the CIA, Pompeo first suggested calling WikiLeaks a "non-state hostile intelligence service". Yahoo News claims it was not an accidental phrase  should the whistleblowing site be reclassified, it would allow the CIA to treat it as a foreign intelligence agency and act against it without any oversight.Plot Against Assange ThickensEverything changed after WikiLeaks released Vault 7  a special toolkit used by the CIA in its cyber offensive operations. Yahoo's sources claim that afterward Pompeo and then-CIA chief Gina Haspel wanted Assange's blood. In 2017, they reportedly explored various avenues to carry out a "rendition"  to snatch the WikiLeaks' founder from the Ecuadorian Embassy in London he had been hiding in, transport him to a third country, which, in turn, would hand him over to the US.The CIA's reported plans escalated even further, when the American intelligence community was purportedly tipped off about Russia allegedly planning to bust Assange out of the UK. The US spy agency then started planning ways to intercept the whistleblower, the Yahoo investigation claims: crashing a car into a Russian diplomatic vehicle carrying the man, shooting out the tyres of a Russian plane with the journalist on board, or outright starting a gunfight on London's streets with Kremlin operatives.The media outlet's sources insist that there was even a plan to outright assassinate Assange, just to prevent him from falling into Russian hands and escaping US prosecution. There was also reportedly more mild plots  such as dragging Assange out of the Ecuadorian Embassy and handing him over to the British authorities, who wanted him on charges of breaching his bail conditions.Why Was the Plan Scrapped?There were various reasons why the CIA's wild plans were never put into motion, Yahoo claims. Some American officials strongly objected to getting Assange this way, especially in the National Security Council. One intelligence official slammed the plot as "ridiculous", pointing out that "this isn't Pakistan or Egypt  we're talking about London".The Trump administration, for its part, reportedly worried that in the event of a failure, such operations would render Assange's prosecution impossible under US laws thus jeopardising the case against him.In the end, none of these plans reported by Yahoo News came to fruition, including the plot to bust Assange out of the UK that Yahoo's sources claimed Russia was planning. Instead, Assange is still in the UK and is fighting the US extradition attempts  even after a British judge already rejected one endeavour.

https://sputniknews.com/20210811/uk-high-court-rules-us-appeal-can-proceed-after-lawyers-claim-assange-healthy-enough-for-1083583106.html

NthrnNYker59 The fascists would have got their ass kicked from one end of london to the other if they messed with the russians. 11

vot tak The cia needs to be shut down, all those working for it that, past and present, need to be thoroughly investigated and found to have committed crimes need prosecuted and given maximum punishments. 10

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julian assange, us, russia, assassination, cia, uk
https://sputniknews.com/20210926/clinton-and-yeltsin-got-drunk-in-kremlin-restroom-book-claims-1089424356.html

Clinton and Yeltsin Got Drunk in Kremlin Restroom, Book Claims

Clinton and Yeltsin Got Drunk in Kremlin Restroom, Book Claims

According to a new book by Boris Yeltsin's former son-in-law, Hillary Clinton would not allow her husband, former US President Bill Clinton, to drink much... 26.09.2021, Sputnik International

2021-09-26T14:27+0000

2021-09-26T14:27+0000

2021-09-26T14:27+0000

boris yeltsin

bill clinton

us

russia

drinking

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The 42nd US President Bill Clinton once happened to enjoy a couple of drinks with his then-Russian counterpart Boris Yeltsin during one of their official meetings in Moscow... after they had a table rigged up for them in a Kremlin restroom, according to a book by Alexey Dyachenko, Yeltsin's ex-son-in-law.It was Yeltsin himself who revealed the story to Dyachenko, per the book "From Yeltsin to Putin. And backwards", cited by the Russian media. During one meeting in the Kremlin, Bill Clinton apparently craved a drink, but his wife, Hillary, would not indulge him. It did not go unnoticed by the then-Russian president, who swiftly ordered his aides to set up a table in a restroom.When everything was ready, Yeltsin "signalled" to Clinton that he wanted to talk to him in person and the two disappeared. After their return, the 42nd president was "tipsy". Even Hillary noticed that something was wrong with her husband, but could not understand why, according to Dyachenko.During his presidential tenure, Yeltsin suffered from heart problems and alcoholism. He would notoriously steal headlines with his "bizarre" behaviour. Even then-President Clinton claimed that, during his visit to Washington, DC, in 1995, Yeltsin was found drunk on Pennsylvania Avenue in search of a taxi cab that could help him find some pizza.

Dicksonrp I wonder if Bill requested a blow job too from one of the Kremlin many cleaners? 3

vot tak Probably fiction, but the idea that bill clinton has to hide from hillary to share a drink with someone is amusing, and plausible, though, given her dominatrix personality. :-D 2

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boris yeltsin, bill clinton, us, russia, drinking
https://sputniknews.com/20210926/country-has-gone-to-hell-trump-urges-us-voters-to-back-america-first-gop-ahead-of-2024-election-1089411353.html

'Country Has Gone to Hell': Trump Urges US Voters to Back 'America First' GOP Ahead of 2024 Election

'Country Has Gone to Hell': Trump Urges US Voters to Back 'America First' GOP Ahead of 2024 Election

The former US president has recently gotten back in the rally saddle as part of a larger effort to boost the attention of his supporters ahead of the 2024... 26.09.2021, Sputnik International

2021-09-26T03:25+0000

2021-09-26T03:25+0000

2021-09-26T03:24+0000

georgia

donald trump

rally

2024 us presidential elections

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Former US President Donald Trump urged US voters to give their support to the Republican party in upcoming elections, should they want to keep their country, underscoring that a vote for the Democrats would send the nation into what he described as a downward spiral.The American president addressed his supporters during a highly-anticipated Saturday rally in Perry, Georgia. Some commentators had suggested that the event would see Trump declare his intent to run in 2024, however, that was not the case.The weekend rally touched on a variety of topics that ranged from the Biden administration's handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal, surging border crisis in Del Rio and, of course, the Arizona audit results, which recently reconfirmed that US President Joe Biden had bested Trump.Trump took his first shot at the Biden White House by laying straight into the latest developments in Del Rio, telling the crowd that the "country is being turned into a migrant camp" before stating that "American sovereignty is being extinguished" by left-wing policies that have - according to Trump - allowed for the migrant surge."This would never ever be happening if I were president," the former president added, before going on to blast thet criticism dealt to Border Patrol agents who were photographed violently attacking Haitian migrants.Trump continued his remarks by stating that migrants "didn't come" to the US-Mexico border while he was in office because they knew it "was not worth the trip." Data provided by the Pew Research Center has indicated that border crossings at the US' southern border had been high during the Trump years, but those figures eventually underwent a sharp decline in fiscal 2020 as a result of new strategies the administration used to handle asylum cases.The Saturday rally also saw Trump claim that countries were "emptying their prisons" into the US. Driving his message home, Trump said to his supporters that "if you want to have a country left, you must elect no Democrats and vote only for America first Republicans."Trump then blasted Biden over the chaotic pullout from Afghanistan, calling it one of the "most appalling displays of incompetence, " highlighting that his rally had 13 empty seats in recognition of the service members who were killed in Kabul in the days leading up to the August 31 withdrawal deadline.Taking a slight detour to the latest happenings in Arizona, specifically with the audit, Trump later accused the media of having "disgracely [sic] reported" the developments. At one point during the event, Trump suggested that the US was turning into Venezuela, which he described as a place where people are "living in hell."In an odd twist, however, Trump remarked on the outcome of the 2018 Georgia gubernatorial election, saying that the Peach State would have been better off if then-Democratic candidate Stacey Abrams had won that election.Trump's Saturday rally marks the looming 2022 midterm elections, which will determine whether Republicans ultimately regain control of either congressional chamber. Trump has thrown his support behind Republican challengers in Georgia.

Rossco Trump was a disaster and a buffoon. A rich buffoon but still a buffoon. 4

netman The Delusional can only ask his brainwashed delusional supporters to vote for him in 2024...! 4

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georgia, donald trump, rally, 2024 us presidential elections
https://sputniknews.com/20210926/dhs-chief-reveals-up-to-12000-haitians-who-crossed-southern-border-were-released-into-us-1089427597.html

DHS Chief Reveals Up to 12,000 Haitians Who Crossed Southern Border Were Released Into US

DHS Chief Reveals Up to 12,000 Haitians Who Crossed Southern Border Were Released Into US

DHS Chief Reveals Up to 12,000 Haitians Who Crossed Southern Border Were Released Into US

2021-09-26T16:23+0000

2021-09-26T16:23+0000

2021-09-26T16:31+0000

haiti

us

migrants

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https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/09/14/1089231058_0:163:3063:1885_1920x0_80_0_0_83f9746874bc4df2e7346f6617bcf400.jpg

Secretary of Homeland Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has revealed that between 10,000 and 12,000 Haitian migrants have been released into the US since 9 September, when they began to arrive en masse on the southern US border. However, their number might increase, Mayorkas admitted in an interview with Fox News. He referred to 5,000 Haitians who are still being processed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).Mayorkas indicated that American laws regulate the release of migrants in the US, who are yet to be vetted for a permanent stay in the country. He stressed that US authorities will be ensuring that these migrants show up for the hearings in their cases as the Fox host reminded the secretary that around 44% of released migrants miss their appointments at court and go AWOL.The Fox News' anchor also pressed Mayorkas on there being over 11 million people who reside in the US illegally as a result of such practices as the release of those migrants whose stay was not approved. The secretary only responded that such numbers indicated that the system was "broken" and the country needs immigration reform.At the same time, Mayorkas dismissed the notion that completion of the border wall would help to resolve the problems with illegal migrants.Immigration Crisis on America's Southern BorderWhile both major US parties are in agreement that immigration reform is needed, they have so far been unable to agree upon how to go about it. At the same time, the US is facing a 20-year record-high surge in illegal migrants along its southern border, with Republicans blaming Democrats and the Biden administration for failing to deal with the crisis. The latter was exacerbated by a September spike in arrivals and illegal border crossings by Haitian migrants.They have set up a camp under the Rio Grande bridge connecting Mexico and Texas, which surged to 15,000 people this week despite the US closing the border crossing and intensifying "removal flights" sending migrants back to their homes or other countries. A total of 30,000 Haitians have reportedly been caught illegally crossing into the US so far, according to the DHS.

https://sputniknews.com/20210923/us-to-find-ways-to-get-more-help-to-haitian-migrants-after-us-envoy-resigned-state-dept-says-1089340783.html

Bilbo397 Censorship exist on sputnik news. They dont like it when you talk bad about their U.S. MASTERS. 1

TruePatriot They can claim humanitarian relief all they want but that gives them no excuse to jump in line. Put your paperwork in and wait in your own country until it gets processed. Mayorkas is wrong when he said that was a proud tradition. These illegals simply want to be in the US for economic gain and the vast majority came up out of Chile and Brazil. On whose dime and why is what needs to be explored. In the meantime, let the mass deportations be expanded exponentially. 1

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Tim Korso https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/0a/02/1080648312_311:168:1773:1631_100x100_80_0_0_5eb98a42f89fd860368dcd2ae2d9e403.jpg

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haiti, us, migrants
https://sputniknews.com/20210926/dozens-of-new-yorkers-stage-anti-vaccine-protest-at-a-food-court-chanting-fk-joe-biden-1089421298.html

Dozens of New Yorkers Stage Anti-Vaccine Protest at a Food Court Chanting F**k Joe Biden

Dozens of New Yorkers Stage Anti-Vaccine Protest at a Food Court Chanting F**k Joe Biden

It is unclear why the demonstrators directed their anger at the president as it was New York Mayor Bill de Blasio who introduced the policy requiring citizens... 26.09.2021, Sputnik International

2021-09-26T12:51+0000

2021-09-26T12:51+0000

2021-09-26T12:51+0000

us

vaccination

covid-19

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/08/0a/1083569720_0:160:3073:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_7c59aa51f10c5c60d2b817569d45ef64.jpg

Dozens of people have staged an anti-vaccine protest in New York City, according to footage posted on social media. The demonstrators stormed into a food court at a mall on Staten Island, where only inoculated individuals are allowed to enter.Videos show around 50 people flooding the area without meeting resistance from security. Some individuals carried American flags or dressed in clothes featuring stars and stripes. A man and a woman, the purported leaders of the protest, called on demonstrators to grab some food and sit at the court "as long as we like".The video then cuts to the moment where protesters are sitting at the tables and chanting "USA" before yelling "F**k Joe Biden". The demonstrators also chanted "my body, my rules", "freedom", and recited the Pledge of Allegiance.Warning! The following video contains strong language.One protester wore a t-shirt emblazoned with "Trump won", while another donned a QAnon-themed t-shirt. Members of this movement believe there is a group of Democrats and Hollywood celebrities who worship Satan and are engaged in cannibalistic rituals. New York has become the first major city to introduce a policy requiring individuals show proof of vaccination against the novel coronavirus to participate in indoor activities. Mayor Bill de Blasio said the measure will keep New York "safe".The move sparked protests in the city and has already led to controversy. Earlier this week, three women from Texas assaulted a hostess at the popular restaurant Carmine's in New York City. The altercation reportedly started after two male friends of the women didn't provide proof of vaccination, prompting the hostess to escort them out. According to local media, the women were charged with criminal assault and criminal mischief. A lawyer for one of the women, however, insists that the fight started after the hostess used a racial slur (purportedly the N-word).Carmine's released a statement categorically rejecting the accusation of racism.

Kuzu Luku Desperate Texans...I always wonder how Latinos can follow politicians who don't love them! Maybe Inferiority complex strikes this community... I think so. They're  of their destiny or  0

lol lol i get paid more than $90 to $100 per hour for working online. I heard about this job 3 months ago and after joining this I have earned easily $10k from this without having online working skills . Simply give it a shot on the accompanying site..

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us, vaccination, covid-19
https://sputniknews.com/20210926/ex-nazi-oberlanders-case-sets-precedent-for-holding-war-criminals-to-account-in-canada-1089427224.html

Ex-Nazi Oberlander's Case Sets Precedent for Holding War Criminals to Account in Canada

Ex-Nazi Oberlander's Case Sets Precedent for Holding War Criminals to Account in Canada

TORONTO (Sputnik) - Former Nazi death squad member Helmut Oberlander's denaturalisation and attempted deportation sets a Canadian legal precedent for holding... 26.09.2021, Sputnik International

2021-09-26T15:59+0000

2021-09-26T15:59+0000

2021-09-26T16:41+0000

world

canada

nazi

ss

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/104977/96/1049779620_0:254:4928:3026_1920x0_80_0_0_6dab63a7f289301423918ec6f70f4787.jpg

Earlier this week, the former Schutzstaffel (SS) interpreter died in his home, according to his family. That happened before the deportation hearings against him were concluded.Oberlander's passing before any semblance of justice could be served has evoked strong emotions from those still haunted by the legacy of Nazi-era crimes.However, Canadian legal experts say that Oberlander's case has played its role as it sets a precedent for holding any future war criminals to account.Corrigan's assessment is echoed by Gary Botting and Richard Kurland, two of Canada's top experts in the field.Gaps in the SystemOberlander, an ethnic German, was born in 1924 in a small community in what is now the Zaporozhye region of Ukraine. The now-deceased resident of Waterloo, Ontario was conscripted into the SS at the age of 17 and served there as a translator for the Einsatzkommando 10a  a death squad responsible for the killing of tens of thousands of Jewish and Soviet civilians.Oberlander immigrated to Canada in 1954 and was able to obtain permanent residency under false pretences by withholding the details of his wartime activities from Canadian officials. The ex-Nazi became a Canadian citizen in 1960, according to court documents. However, Canadian authorities became aware of his activities as early as 1963, Corrigan says citing documents.Oberlander's legal battle with the Canadian government began in 1995, nine years after the report of the 1986-87 Commission of Inquiry on War Criminals in Canada  better known as the Deschenes Commission  had recommended Oberlander's citizenship be revoked.After a lengthy legal battle, Oberlander was stripped of his citizenship for the fourth and final time in 2017 and Canada's Supreme Court issued a ruling last December that blocked any possibility for Oberlander to appeal this decision.Botting says multiple factors allowed Oberlander to first enter Canada, then fend off its justice system.Once the former death squad member was able to enter Canada, the country's legal system which is "very concerned about procedural fairness and judicious decision making", according to Corrigan, was susceptible to an endless cycle of following "due process".'Safeguards' for FutureWhile the Oberlander case has strengthened Canada's justice system, Kurland admits the country's judicial system is not infallible.Yet, Kurland isn't eager for new measures.Corrigan agrees, saying that "legal safeguards" should remain in place.Meanwhile, the legal process against Oberlander in Canada is over. Government prosecutors acquiesced to the 97-year-old's legal counsel Ronald Poulton, agreeing to end the deportation hearings against Oberlander, pending the receipt of his death certificate.Moscow, however, will not close its case against Oberlander after his passing as crimes against humanity have no statute of limitations, Russian Ambassador to Canada Oleg Stepanov told Sputnik.Oberlander faces legal scrutiny in Russia, where investigators say that he was complicit in the World War II massacre of 27,000 civilians, including orphaned children, in the Rostov Region. The Federal Security Service's files seen by Sputnik shed still more light on the executions carried out by Sonderkommando SS-10A during the war and point to Oberlander's link to that unit.

Ntl Canada is sheltering thousands of Ukrainian war criminals who served in Waffen SS. 2

Preterist-ADSeventy There was no mention of a Holocaust during the Nuremberg trials. Only in the early 1970s was it first mentioned on a late night variety show by a comedian. 1

7

canada

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world, canada, nazi, ss
https://sputniknews.com/20210926/five-palestinians-reported-killed-in-israeli-anti-hamas-operation-1089426935.html

Five Palestinians Reported Killed in Israeli Anti-Hamas Operation

Five Palestinians Reported Killed in Israeli Anti-Hamas Operation

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Two Israeli soldiers were wounded during an anti-Hamas operation in the West Bank, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said on Sunday, with... 26.09.2021, Sputnik International

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The Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that five Palestinians were killed by the Israeli forces early in the morning in Jerusalem and Jenin.Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, meanwhile, lauded the actions of the military."The soldiers and commanders in the field acted as expected; they engaged the enemy and we back them completely", Bennett said.Israel's control over the West Bank of the Jordan River, considered to be an occupied territory by the United Nations, is one of the main issues hindering progress in settling the conflict between the Palestinians and the Israelis. Palestinian authorities have been demanding that the borderline with Israel be reset to the one that existed before the 1967 Six-Day War.

TruePatriot The zios continuing their ethnic cleansing and genocide against Palestinian civilians. The time of reckoning for the occupiers will come soon enough. 4

Kiwi Everything is done under the pretence of "anti-Hamas". Nothing can justify Israeli war crimes. 4

3

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https://sputniknews.com/20210926/german-green-party-might-find-some-rare-lizards-to-stop-nord-stream-2-afd-co-chair-warns-1089416808.html

German Green Party Might Find Some 'Rare Lizards' to Stop Nord Stream 2, AfD Co-Chair Warns

German Green Party Might Find Some 'Rare Lizards' to Stop Nord Stream 2, AfD Co-Chair Warns

German Green Party Might Find Some 'Rare Lizards' to Stop Nord Stream 2

2021-09-26T10:39+0000

2021-09-26T10:39+0000

2021-09-26T10:39+0000

europe

germany

green party of germany

nord stream 2

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The launch of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline might still be thwarted by the Green Party in Germany, co-chairman of the party Alternative for Germany (AfD), Tino Chrupalla, has suggested in an interview with the Russian media outlet "Lenta". He said that the Greens' opposition to the pipeline's construction came as no surprise.Chrupalla suggested that the Greens might "discover a family of rare lizards near the pipeline" and demand to stop Nord Stream 2 from being launched on the grounds of protecting a rare species. The pipeline's construction finished on 10 September, but it still has to pass certification before it can start transporting natural gas.Germany's Political Future Remains UnclearThe AfD co-chair's comments came ahead of the Bundestag elections in Germany on 26 September. Preliminary polls showed no clear frontrunner. Nor did they reveal any two parties that might jointly grab over 50% of the Bundestag thus becoming natural possible allies to form a new government. If the votes are spread out in such a manner after the ballots are counted, then three parties will likely be needed to form a coalition government. The Greens will have significant chances of joining such a government due to relatively high levels of support in the country  around 16% of Germans are ready to cast their ballots for the party, according to an aggregated Politico poll.Chancellor hopeful from the Green Party, Annalena Baerbock, made it clear that she strongly opposes the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which will be capable of delivering up to 55 million cubic metres of natural gas from Russia to Germany per year after its launch. Baerbock said in July 2021 that she opposes the pipeline not so much on the grounds of its alleged environmental impact, but mostly over its "geostrategic" impact on Ukraine. She claimed that Nord Stream 2 endangers "Ukraine's security".The US and several European countries expressed similar concerns, but Moscow has made repeated assurances that the pipeline is an economic endeavour, not a political project. The Kremlin further assured that Russian gas transit through Ukraine, which brings Kiev massive profits, will continue after the launch of Nord Stream 2 if it remains economically viable.

https://sputniknews.com/20210924/final-debates-see-german-chancellor-candidates-clash-on-foreign-policy-nord-stream-2-green-habits-1089375313.html

Observation Post The Green Party candidate isn't concerned about environment but Ukraine's security. Seems these German lizards aren't that rare after all. 2

TruePatriot The Green Party should be shunted off into obscurity. Their initiatives are what is depriving the EU of a lot of their energy security. For example, the wind turbines that aren't turning because there is a dearth of wind these days. Bravo AfD. 1

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europe, germany, green party of germany, nord stream 2
https://sputniknews.com/20210926/german-voters-going-to-polls-in-election-that-marks-end-of-merkels-16-years-as-chancellor-1089410531.html

German Voters Going to Polls in Election That Marks End of Merkel's 16 Years as Chancellor

German Voters Going to Polls in Election That Marks End of Merkel's 16 Years as Chancellor

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Germans are heading to polling stations on Sunday to participate in a first general election without outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel on... 26.09.2021, Sputnik International

2021-09-26T00:00+0000

2021-09-26T00:00+0000

2021-09-26T00:00+0000

bundestag

russia

germany

election

nord stream 2

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ProcedureThe election will decide the composition of the 20th Bundestag, Germany's lower house, which will pick the chancellor, who, upon having been officially approved by the president, will form a new government.While the voters will not be obligated to present a vaccination certificate or a negative COVID-19 test to access polling stations, personal protection and hygiene guidelines will be an important part of this election.The voting will be held in two stages. With the first vote, the elector chooses a candidate from a single-member constituency, and with the second vote, the elector chooses a party.A total of 299 seats will go to the candidates who win in single-member constituencies. The rest are to be distributed among the parties that have overcome a 5% threshold.The Bundestag officially has 598 seats, although that number can fluctuate due to the parliament system. That is why the 19th Bundestag had 709 members.ParticipantsThe main parties that vie for power in the elections are the bloc of Christian Democratic Union and Christian Social Union (CDU/CSU), headed by Merkel's successor and premier of North Rhine-Westphalia, Armin Laschet, the Social Democratic Party (SPD), led by the vice chancellor and finance minister, Olaf Scholz, the Greens, the Free Democratic Party (FDP), the Left Party, the Alternative for Germany (AfD), and the Left party.The main intrigue of the Sunday elections is whether or not the conservative CDU/CSU alliance will be dislodged by the SPD, which has maintained a small lead in the polls ahead of the election.So far, Laschet has failed to replicate the Merkel magic that had served Germany's conservatives so well for 16 years. For example, while German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier was expressing sympathy for flood victims during the July crisis in North Rhine-Westphalia, Laschet was caught on camera joking and laughing with several people in the background.Meanwhile, Scholz has his share of problems, such as the prosecutors' recent raid on the finance ministry after its financial intelligence unit FIU was found to have withheld bank reports on suspicious transactions. This led to Scholz being grilled by lawmakers on Monday. Nevertheless, the timing of the scandal raised eyebrows as it happened on the eve of a momentous election.Russia & Nord Stream 2Whoever becomes the next German chancellor will have to juggle a plethora of responsibilities, not the least of them Berlin's relationship with Moscow, which is heavily tied to the issue of gas, especially now that the Nord Stream 2 pipeline is completed and ready to be launched.The pipeline caused no small amount of grief to the Merkel government, which had to maneuver between its arrangements with Moscow, Washington's desire to stop the project, and domestic politics.Laschet has already voiced his support for starting gas supplies via the pipeline, citing the economic nature of the project. However, he did threaten to put a stop to the project in case it caused financial damages to Ukraine, a traditional middleman between Russian gas and Europe.Laschet's electoral nemesis Scholz is on the record supporting the Nord Stream as well, while also warning of consequences of alleged use of the pipeline to undermine Kiev.Meanwhile, Annalena Baerbock, the leader of the Greens, has taken a different tack, criticizing Laschet for being allegedly too nice to Russia and calling for the construction of Nord Stream 2 to be halted. Recently, Greens leader accused Moscow of not doing enough to help energy-strapped Europe fill its gas storage amid skyrocketing gas prices.In contrast to the Greens, the AfD leadership not only backs the new gas pipeline but also supports the lifting of Western sanctions against Russia, emphasizing the importance of trade and dialogue between the two countries.Uncertain FutureThe one thing that hangs over the election is the conspicuous absence of Merkel who announced her plans to retire from politics in 2018.Whoever ends up replacing her  Laschet and Scholz being the prime candidates  an epoch in German political life is coming to an end, posing inevitable questions of what would come afterward and how well the country's political system is equipped to handle it. Some, like German political scientist Alexander Rahr, predict political disruption and instability of future governments.With such concerns in mind, the whole world is watching Germany march into the post-Merkel future and trying to discern potential repercussions both at home and abroad.

Hess 16 years of Fascist dictatorship and people continue to criticise North Korea, Iran and Venezuela. Gim'me a break. 6

Joseph1986 Elections are manipulated. 3

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bundestag, russia, germany, election, nord stream 2
https://sputniknews.com/20210926/germans-head-to-polls-to-choose-new-bundestag-1089421882.html

Germans Head to Polls to Choose New Bundestag

Germans Head to Polls to Choose New Bundestag

The main intrigue in the German elections on 26 September is whether or not the conservative CDU/CSU alliance will be dislodged by the SPD, which has... 26.09.2021, Sputnik International

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Watch a live broadcast from Germany, as people are heading to polling stations around the nation to vote for the composition of the new parliament, the Bundestag. The winning party or parties will appoint a federal chancellor to head the government. Almost 60,000 polling stations in Germany will work until 16:00 GMT (6 p.m. local time). The main parties vying for power in the elections are the bloc of the Christian Democratic Union and Christian Social Union (CDU/CSU), headed by Merkel's successor and Premier of North Rhine-Westphalia Armin Laschet, the Social Democratic Party (SPD), led by Vice Chancellor and Finance Minister Olaf Scholz, the Greens, the Free Democratic Party (FDP), The Left (Die Linke), and Alternative for Germany (AfD).Incumbent Chancellor Angela Merkel earlier announced her decision to step down. She has served as head of the German government for 16 years. Follow Sputnik's live feed to find out more!

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https://sputniknews.com/20210926/hamas-has-no-place-in-sudan-but-will-it-give-up-on-former-base-1089417468.html

Hamas Has No Place in Sudan But Will It Give Up on Former 'Base'?

Hamas Has No Place in Sudan But Will It Give Up on Former 'Base'?

Under former President Omar al-Bashir, Sudan served as a base for Hamas militants, who supposedly trained and raised funds there. However, a normalisation... 26.09.2021, Sputnik International

2021-09-26T11:12+0000

2021-09-26T11:12+0000

2021-09-26T11:12+0000

hamas

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middle east

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Relations between Hamas and Sudan showed signs of cracking on Friday after the latter announced that it had confiscated at least a dozen companies linked to the Islamic group, deemed a terrorist organisation by several regional and international players.These included a real estate company, a hotel in a prime location, an exchange bureau, a TV station, and more than a million acres of land.No Place in SudanHamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, has denied that it had any assets in the African country. But Adnan Abu Samer, a Gaza-based political expert, says the Islamic group cannot deny that its "relations with Sudan soured following the latter's decision to normalise ties with Israel".Khartoum formally recognised Israel last October after intense talks and mediation by the US. Sudan's decision was motivated by its willingness to be removed from the list of state sponsors of terror. Khartoum was first added to the list in the 1990s for purportedly supporting international terrorist groups and giving safe haven to Osama bin Laden.Sudan sought regional and international support and recognition, and, more importantly, it was hungry for billions of dollars that would bail out its failing economy.For Israel, Khartoum's decision brought relief. Under former President Omar al-Bashir, a staunch Hamas supporter, Sudan was used as a "foreign base", where the group's militants could reside and train.It was also believed that Sudan was where Hamas and other militant groups had been raising funds and accumulating weapons, which they eventually smuggled into the Gaza Strip through a sophisticated network of tunnels.In an attempt to tackle that threat, Israel is said to have carried out a number of strikes on Sudanese soil, targeting military bases and other sites belonging to Palestinian extremists.The ouster of al-Bashir brought an end to these attacks, and now after the normalisation of ties between Israel and Sudan, Abu Samer says Hamas "has no place in Sudan".Hamas Won't Give UpYet, the expert is certain that Hamas is not going to sit idly by, watching how its former "base" is being "ruined".Over the years, Sudan has allegedly allowed the transfer of hundreds of Iranian missiles and other ammunition into the Strip.It has also played a pivotal role in allowing Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, a Gaza-based militant group, to purportedly collect Iranian donations reportedly worth $100 million per annum.Hamas, which is currently dealing with a severe economic crisis triggered by the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, cannot afford more losses, and this is why Abu Samer is convinced that the group is already working on a Plan B.Even though al-Bashir is gone, Sudan still has a number of Islamist parties that support Hamas and that oppose their country's relations with Israel.Hamas is likely to capitalise on the ties it has with these groups and this means that money and weapons smuggling through Sudan is far from being over.

vot tak The israelofication of sudan continues. And another blade hasbara disinfo piece to thumb down.

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https://sputniknews.com/20210926/hillary-clinton-urges-to-call-her-madam-chancellor-but-netizens-come-up-with-other-names-1089416477.html

Hillary Clinton Urges to Call Her 'Madam Chancellor', But Netizens Come Up With Other Names

Hillary Clinton Urges to Call Her 'Madam Chancellor', But Netizens Come Up With Other Names

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton received a cold welcome from the crowd when she accepted her chancellorship at Queen's University in Belfast earlier... 26.09.2021, Sputnik International

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twitter

hillary clinton

chancellor

viral

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Hillary Clinton took to Twitter on Saturday to share some photos of her rocking a new outfit - the large black academic gown of Queen's University chancellor, with the cape being held by a child standing behind her. While some people acquiesced to Madam Chancellor's request, others immediately came up with many other things to call Clinton apart from her newly acquired title. Apparently, among the first things that crossed people's minds were fictional parallels."Hogwarts?" one user asked in the comments, referring to how the campus of Queen's University behind Clinton's back was reminiscent of the famous magical school from "Harry Potter". But is Hillary Clinton the new Minerva McGonagall, or?"Star Wars" fans joined in as well, comparing Clinton to another chancellor - the Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic, Sheev Palpatine. Some regretted that they missed her inauguration as university chancellor, but for a specific reason.There were people, however, who applauded Clinton and shared their dreams of calling her "Madam President" one day. Another user recalled a different former first lady who, in their opinion, might soon become jealous of Clinton's new title.Others did not even see Hillary as the main character of the picture, preferring to pay attention to the child carrying her gown. "This child is a mood", said one user, but what is that mood exactly? One netizen compared the child to a viral meme, and another jokingly hinted to Madam Chancellor that "someone is already eyeing your job".Clinton's inauguration was overshadowed by people booing her outside Queen's University in Belfast on Friday as she received her chancellorship, becoming the first woman in the institution's history to acquire the title. Nevertheless, people called her a "war criminal" and told her to "go f**k herself".

Observation Post Madwoman Arkancide 4

4Justice How about Evil Empress, Damsel Of The Devil, Dame of Darkness, Hildabeast Of The Unholy,...just to name a few. 4

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https://sputniknews.com/20210926/indias-main-opposition-party-takes-a-dig-at-grand-celebration-on-pm-modis-return-from-us-1089414137.html

Indias Main Opposition Party Takes a Dig at Grand Celebration on PM Modis Return From US

Indias Main Opposition Party Takes a Dig at Grand Celebration on PM Modis Return From US

The Indian prime minister left for the US on 22 September for a three-day official visit. Aside from meeting US President Joe Biden, Quad leaders, and Vice... 26.09.2021, Sputnik International

2021-09-26T08:21+0000

2021-09-26T08:21+0000

2021-09-26T08:21+0000

joe biden

narendra modi

bharatiya janata party (bjp)

us

indian national congress

congress

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india

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Indian opposition party Congress has taken a dig at the grand celebration organised by the governing Bharatiya Janata Party on the occasion of Prime Minister Narendra Modis return from the United States. Indian Youth Congress President B.V. Srinivassaid, in a tweet in Hindi, wrote: The gimmick is on. Is he [PM Modi] coming to India for the first time or returning after winning a battle?The BJP organised a grand celebration at Palam Airport in New Delhi to welcome Modi on Sunday. Party President J.P. Nadda, along with hundreds of supporters, was present at the event.The BJP described the prime minister's three-day trip to the US as extremely successful, while supporters were heard shouting pro-Modi slogans.On his first day in the US, Modi met members of the Indian diaspora in Washington, DC. He also held a meeting with US Vice President Kamala Harris to discuss strategic ties, and later with CEOs of leading global corporations like Adobe, General Atomics, Qualcomm, First Solar, and Blackstone.On the second day of his trip, he met US President Joe Biden, whose leadership, he said, would certainly strengthen the ties between the United States and India.The seeds have been sown for an even stronger friendship between India and USA, he added.The prime minister also took part in the first in-person Quad leaders' summit, which was hosted by Biden. On Saturday, Modi addressed the 76th session of the UN General Assembly, where he reaffirmed India's commitment to democracy, highlighted its great strides in developing and manufacturing COVID-19 vaccines, and warned against countries with regressive thinking.

Hess Shameful. Indians are dying hungry while Modi and his Fascist supporters are celebrating his travel with lavish welcome.

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https://sputniknews.com/20210926/iraq-arrests-activists-ministry-employee-for-calls-to-normalise-ties-with-israel-1089422139.html

Iraq Arrests Activists, Ministry Employee for Calls to Normalise Ties With Israel

Iraq Arrests Activists, Ministry Employee for Calls to Normalise Ties With Israel

Iraq Arrests Activists, Ministry Employee for Calls to Normalize Ties With Israel

2021-09-26T13:21+0000

2021-09-26T13:21+0000

2021-09-26T13:21+0000

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iraq

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Iraq's Supreme Judicial Council has issued arrest warrants for three people who attended a conference in the city of Erbil on 24 September that called on Baghdad to normalise relations with Israel. Among the three affected attendees is Sahar Al-Taie  an employee at the Iraqi Ministry of Culture. The latter soon issued a statement saying that her views do not represent that of the ministry.The Supreme Judicial Council decried the conference as "illegal" in a statement and promised that other attendees would also be prosecuted for their participation.The office of Iraqi President Barham Saleh also condemned the conference and its message.Delivering a speech at the conference on 23 September, Ministry of Culture employee Sahar Al-Taie recalled the exodus of Iraqi Jews from the country under pressure in the wake of the creation of Israel in 1948.Sahar Al-Taie also called on Iraq to join the Abraham Accords  a US-brokered agreement between Israel, Bahrain, and the UAE to normalise relations after decades of having no official diplomatic ties.Israel agreed to halt the planned process of taking over new lands in the West Bank as a condition for establishing diplomatic ties and cooperating in a number of other spheres  from tourism to regional security. The two Gulf countries were soon followed by Sudan and Morocco, again with the help of the US as a middleman.

https://sputniknews.com/20201017/how-abraham-accords-may-redraw-mideast-map-deprive-iran-of-its-leverage-in-hormuz-1080794523.html

vot tak Well done, Iraq. Always best to stop these zio-assets as soon as they show their colors 2

vot tak This needs to be done throughout the west. 1

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middle east, iraq, israel, freedom of speech
https://sputniknews.com/20210926/irgc-commander-says-us-hand-made-armies-failed-to-tackle-terrorists-in-afghanistan-iraq-1089415558.html

IRGC Commander Says 'US Hand-Made Armies' Failed to Tackle Terrorists in Afghanistan, Iraq

IRGC Commander Says 'US Hand-Made Armies' Failed to Tackle Terrorists in Afghanistan, Iraq

This summer, the Taliban's* rapid offensive against Afghan government forces, which came amid the US and NATO troop exit from the nation, resulted in the... 26.09.2021, Sputnik International

2021-09-26T09:28+0000

2021-09-26T09:28+0000

2021-09-26T09:34+0000

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General Gholam Ali Rashid, commander of the Khatam ol-Anbia Headquarters with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), has argued that the armies trained by the US military in Iraq and Afghanistan failed to successfully fight terrorists in those countries. The remarks come almost a month after Secretary of State Antony Blinken assured Iraqi President Barham Salih that the US combat mission against Daesh in the country is not over, and that it is "shifting to a new phase based on the enhanced capabilities of the Iraqi Security Forces".There are currently an estimated 2,500 US troops in Iraq assisting local forces to counter Daesh terrorists, with President Joe Biden saying in July that the American mission in Iraq would come to a close by the end of this year. According to him, after 31 December 2021, the US is expected to switch to training and assisting Iraqi forces to tackle the terrorist movement.The US has maintained a troop presence in Iraq since March 2003. At the time, tens of thousands of American forces were deployed as part of a larger effort to oust then-Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and "disarm" Bagdad of weapons of mass destruction, whose existence was never confirmed. Although American forces were momentarily withdrawn under the Obama administration, they were eventually redeployed in 2014 with the emergence of the Daesh militant force, which had seized large swaths of northwestern Iraq and proceeded to expand into eastern Syria.In 2017, Iraq and the US announced that Daesh had been defeated, but American combat forces have stayed in the country ever since, justifying their presence by citing the threat said to be posed by the terrorist group's remnants.After the January 2020 assassination of top Iranian general, Qasem Soleimani, by the US Iraq's parliament adopted a resolution demanding that all American forces be expelled from the country. In the months that followed, the Pentagon began paring down troop numbers from 5,300 to 2,500, and handed over several major bases to Iraqi forces, but refused to agree with parliament's demands to leave the country completely.US Mission in Afghanistan Earlier this year, the Taliban launched an offensive against Afghan government forces amid the hasty US troop withdrawal, seizing the entire country in a matter of months.The Afghan Army often surrendered cities without a fight and many of Kabul's troops switched sides in the conflict. This led to the Taliban seizing Kabul on 15 August as the nation's leader, President Ashraf Ghani, fled on a plane, presumably filled with cash. The Taliban declared the end of hostilities in the country on the same day, saying the war was "over".On 30 August, the Pentagon confirmed that America's nearly 20-year presence in Afghanistan came to a close when the final Boeing C-17 aircraft departed from Kabul's Hamid Karzai International Airport. Former US President Donald Trump slammed the troop exit as the greatest embarrassment in the nation's history.American forces invaded Afghanistan under then-US President George W. Bush in 2001, as part of the infamous "War on Terror", following the 9/11 terrorist attacks masterminded by al-Qaeda*. The invasion resulted in the deaths of at least 2,448 US servicemen and over 47,200 Afghan civilians, and cost taxpayers approximately $2.261 trillion, according to the most recent estimates.*Daesh (ISIL/ISIS/Islamic State), the Taliban, and al-Qaeda are terrorist groups banned in Russia and many other countries.

https://sputniknews.com/20210914/us-spy-chief-admits-greater-terror-threats-emerging-in-yemen-syria--iraq-than-afghanistan-1089047945.html

https://sputniknews.com/20210906/us-troops-will-be-going-back-into-afghanistan-lindsey-graham-1083804512.html

2007harleydavidsonsg The US must lift Iran sanctions. US must except Irans emerging geopolitical and geostrategic roll in combating Islamic radicalism and center for the Muslim world. 4

Dang! The US's handmade armies? They must mean ISIS, ISIL AQAP, evolving to support if Muslim brotherhoods!! Don't forget al quada!! The USA SURE LOVES ITS TERRORISTS!! 4

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https://sputniknews.com/20210926/kates-coolness-and-williams-bullying-led-to-rift-with-harry-and-meghan-book-claims-1089415388.html

Kates 'Coolness' and Williams 'Bullying' Led to Rift With Harry and Meghan, Book Claims

Kates 'Coolness' and Williams 'Bullying' Led to Rift With Harry and Meghan, Book Claims

Since Prince Harry and Meghan Markles wedding, there has been speculation that the Sussexes didnt get along with the Cambridges, with some reports saying... 26.09.2021, Sputnik International

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Kate Middletons "coolness" and Prince Williams "bullying" led to the rift with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, claims journalist and writer Andrew Morton in his book Meghan: A Hollywood Princess. The book itself was released in 2018, but the author added six new chapters, which were serialised by the Daily Mail.Morton disputes Meghan Markles claim that Buckingham Palace has been perpetuating falsehoods about the Sussexes, noting that the Firm (aka senior members of the family and their staff) "bent over backwards to help" her adjust to royal life.At the same time, he notes that Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle failed to develop a cordial relationship. Like the Queen, the Duchess of Cambridge offered Meghan friendliness but not friendship, the journalist writes, stressing that Kates cool and reserved nature had profound consequences on her relationship with Meghan Markle.Prince William, for his part, was described as a "bully" by Morton. This attitude, he writes, made the Sussexes feel driven out and contributed to Harry and Williams "Cain and Abel fallout".More Allegations and Royals Response to the ClaimsOver the past three years, several books detailing relations inside the royal family, including between the Sussexes and the Cambridges, have been released and both couples have come under criticism for their behaviour, depending on which camp the author supported. Mr Morton seems to hold a centre position, not favouring either particular side.Other authors of unauthorised biographies have previously claimed that Prince Williams "snobbish" attitude and Kate Middletons frosty welcome of Meghan led to the rift between the couples. Media speculation about their purported discord began after the Sussexes said they no longer wished to reside at Kensington Palace with the rest of the family, but wanted to have their own space following their wedding.More rumours appeared after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle decided to split from the joint charity organisation they chaired with the Cambridges.Prince Harry did publicly admit that there were disagreements between him and William, but said that he loves his sibling "dearly".Last January, the two brothers released a joint statement after local media wrote about Prince William being a "bully". For her part, Meghan Markle described her sister-in-law as a good person during a bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey. Kate Middleton has never publicly commented on her relationship with Meghan.

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Max Gorbachev

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https://sputniknews.com/20210926/man-arrested-on-suspicion-of-murder-of-london-teacher-sabina-nessa-1089414403.html

Man Arrested on Suspicion of Murder of London Teacher Sabina Nessa

Man Arrested on Suspicion of Murder of London Teacher Sabina Nessa

The 28-year-old teacher was attacked and killed on 17 September when she was on her way to meet a friend at a pub in southeast London. 26.09.2021, Sputnik International

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A 36-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of the murder of teacher Sabina Nessa.According to the Metropoiltan Police, the suspect was arrested at around 03:00 on 26 September in East Sussex. He has been taken into police custody.Primary school teacher Sabina Nessa was found dead in Cator Park in Kidbrooke, southeast London, on 18 September. The 28-year-old was attacked and killed the night before as she was walking through the park to meet a friend at a pub.On Friday, the Met said a 38-year-old man who had been arrested by homicide detectives on Thursday had been released under investigation. On Saturday, detectives arrested a man in his 40s on suspicion of murder before he was released under further investigation, too. By the time the two arrests had been made, the detectives investigating the case were said to believe that the prime suspect was still at large.Police released CCTV footage on Friday showing a man walking through Pegler Square, Kidbrooke, southeast London, where Nessa was walking to a pub on the night she was murdered. The man in the footage was dressed in a black hooded jacket and grey jeans, and was carrying a red object, which detectives believe he may have been attempting to conceal.

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https://sputniknews.com/20210926/mcconnell-refuses-to-rule-out-gop-blockade-of-a-biden-scotus-nominee--1089411635.html

McConnell Refuses to Rule Out GOP Blockade of a Biden SCOTUS Nominee

McConnell Refuses to Rule Out GOP Blockade of a Biden SCOTUS Nominee

After the February 2016 death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) notoriously declared that the chamber... 26.09.2021, Sputnik International

2021-09-26T03:01+0000

2021-09-26T03:01+0000

2021-09-26T03:00+0000

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During a recent interview with Politico, the Senate minority leader was asked whether he would opt to "mount a blockade" against a Supreme Court nominee set forth by US President Joe Biden. The hypothetical situation is framed within the context of the GOP regaining control of the US Senate in 2022. The upper body of the US government is presently divided 50-50 between Democrats and Republicans."I dont rule anything in or out about how to handle nominations if Im in the majority position," the Senate minority leader added. In June, McConnell told conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt that he does not believe members of either political party would move to confirm a Supreme Court nominee in 2024. Talk of a potential vacancy on the high court comes just days after Stephen Breyer, an 83-year-old justice on the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS), expressed that he does not want to die in office like other lifetime appointees, such as the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg. "I don't live on Pluto, which means I do stay, I think, aware of what happens in the country the best I can," Breyer told CNN's Fareed Zakaria during a September 19 interview broadcast. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and other Democrats have been vocal in calling for Breyer's retirement. The US senator from Minnesota took her comments a step further earlier this month, urging the associate justice to make his exit "sooner rather than later," if he is truly concerned about the high court's future. "I believe if he is seriously considering retirement, and he has said he would do it based on not only his own health but also the future of the court, if this decision doesn't cry out for that, I don't know what does," Klobuchar remarked on September 5. Breyer, in addition to being the oldest serving member of the Supreme Court, is also the most senior liberal on the high court, which is at present notably skewed with a 6-3 conservative majority.Democrats are concerned that the unbalanced political leaning of the Supreme Court does not accurately mirror the American public's view on several issues, including abortion, gun rights, affirmative action and election/voting legislation.

monti The supreme court in the US is populated with right wing perverts anyway...they have become irrelevant to ordinary Americans....they only serve the oligarchs and Wallstreet anyways...so much for blocking any nominees...it doesn't matter anymore if they are republicans or Democrats... they all need term limits... 1

vot tak No doubt mcconnell is echoing what his israeli masters instruct him.

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barack obama, joe biden, us supreme court, mitch mcconnell, abortion, merrick garland, stephen breyer
https://sputniknews.com/20210926/piece-of-scum-uk-labour-deputy-leader-lashes-out-at-tories-1089417958.html

'Piece of Scum': UK Labour Deputy Leader Lashes Out at Tories

'Piece of Scum': UK Labour Deputy Leader Lashes Out at Tories

At an event for UK Labour members that was held on Saturday, the party's deputy leader Angela Rayner appeared to get a tad bit emotional, calling the... 26.09.2021, Sputnik International

2021-09-26T11:42+0000

2021-09-26T11:42+0000

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When speaking to Sky News on Sunday about her emotional "street language" tirade against the Conservative Party, Labour's Angela Rayner refused to apologise for her words.According to her, she was trying to passionately convey the "anger and frustration that people feel when you have a prime minister, who has said things and not apologised that are racist, that are misogynistic, that are homophobic, that has given billions of pounds of taxpayers' money to their mates and literally wasted that money".Earlier, The Daily Mirror reported that Rayner, when attending a Saturday Labour meeting, lashed out at the Tories over the party's coronavirus response and many other issues.Elaborating on her comments to Sky News, Rayner outlined that she did not mean to call the voters who supported the Conservatives "scum", only referring to the politicians themselves. She remained adamant in her intention not to apologise as long as the Tories, along with their leader, PM Boris Johnson, do not do the same.The Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said on the BBC that he "would not have used" such language, but said that it was up to Rayner whether or not to apologise for what she said. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, in his turn, insisted that her remarks were "appalling" and that she should apologise.This is not the first time when the Conservatives, and particularly Boris Johnson, are challenged for their language. The prime minister has previously compared burka-wearing Muslim women to "letterboxes" and said that Malaysian women should only go to university in order to find candidates for marriage. When it comes to the LGBTQ community, he called gay men "bum boys". He also received criticism for some of his other comments made in the past that were deemed sexist or homophobic.However, according to Johnson himself, the comments were "wholly satirical", saying that he would refrain from such offensive language "now that [he is] Prime Minister".

vot tak The tories are scum and I mean both the israeli owned politicians and the people who support them. 1

Tyke Labour have starmer as a leader who says it unfair to say only women have cervixes. This woman is his deputy so now you see why they will never get elected. 1

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uk, boris johnson, conservatives, labour, angela rayner
https://sputniknews.com/20210926/polls-taro-kono-seen-as-best-pick-to-lead-japans-governing-party-1089425697.html

Polls: Taro Kono Seen as Best Pick to Lead Japan's Governing Party

Polls: Taro Kono Seen as Best Pick to Lead Japan's Governing Party

TOKYO (Sputnik) - Nearly half of Japanese citizens consider former foreign and defence minister, Taro Kono, the most suitable person to take the helm of the... 26.09.2021, Sputnik International

2021-09-26T14:34+0000

2021-09-26T14:34+0000

2021-09-26T15:21+0000

asia & pacific

japan

elections

taro kono

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The study involved 10,090 people. When asked whom they would prefer if they were to vote, 45% preferred Kono.Former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida, who is believed to be one of the favourites in the race, and former Minister of National Affairs Sanae Takaichi received 18% each. They are followed by LDP Deputy Secretary-General Seiko Noda, who has 7% support.The party leadership election is scheduled for 29 September. It comes after Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga announced his decision to step down amid plummeting popularity over his handling of the coronavirus response, including the slow rollout of vaccines.The four-way contest is set to become the first party leadership race with two female candidates on the ballot in a country where women are vastly underrepresented in politics.

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https://sputniknews.com/20210926/russian-presidential-spokesman-says-gazprom-fulfilling-all-obligations-1089420879.html

Russian Presidential Spokesman Says Gazprom Fulfilling All Obligations

Russian Presidential Spokesman Says Gazprom Fulfilling All Obligations

PETROPAVLOVSK-KAMCHATSKY (Sputnik) - Russian energy giant Gazprom is complying with all its obligations to its European partners and is ready to sell more gas... 26.09.2021, Sputnik International

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Earlier this week, the candidate for Chancellor of Germany from the Green Party, Annalena Baerbock, said the German government should send a message to Moscow that "Russia must stick to its promises and supply enough gas through the existing pipelines, like it used to." Baerbock has repeatedly spoken out against the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, whose completion Gazprom announced recently.The German Energy Ministry said this week that Gazprom was complying with its existing supply agreements.

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https://sputniknews.com/20210926/san-marino-to-decide-whether-to-lift-ban-on-abortions-1089426115.html

San Marino to Decide Whether to Lift Ban on Abortions

San Marino to Decide Whether to Lift Ban on Abortions

Although San Marino is located in Europe the country is widely seen as lagging behind the continent's progressive views. Women were given the right to vote in... 26.09.2021, Sputnik International

2021-09-26T15:10+0000

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San Marino is to vote on whether to lift the nation's ban on abortions. The plebiscite is being held decades after authorities in the deeply conservative country vetoed proposals by supporters of abortion to hold a national referendum.Under current law, a woman faces three years in jail for having an abortion, while the doctor who conducts the procedure will be punished with a six-year prison term. The legislation, which makes no exception even for rape, forced female citizens to terminate their pregnancies in Italy, where the procedure was legalised in 1978.A "yes" vote will allow abortions to be carried out up to 12 weeks of pregnancy. Procedures beyond this term will be conducted only if a mother's life is in danger or if there are foetal abnormalities. The referendum was preceded by heated campaigns by supporters and opponents of the measure. The ruling Christian Democratic Party, which has close ties to the Catholic Church, has called on its supporters to vote against the legalisation of abortion. Opponents of abortions argue that morning-after-pills are available at pharmacies.Supporters of the measure insist that the current law puts a financial burden on women, who are forced to terminate their pregnancies in other countries and penalises those who were raped.Reports say the outcome of the vote is unclear as no polls have been conducted in the small state of about 33,000 people.

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https://sputniknews.com/20210926/suicide-pact-top-labour-remainer-says-party-should-campaign-to-re-join-eu-1089429364.html

Suicide Pact? Top Labour Remainer Says Party Should Campaign to Rejoin EU

Suicide Pact? Top Labour Remainer Says Party Should Campaign to Rejoin EU

Leeds Central MP Hilary Benn, along with Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, was one of his party's most strident opponents of Britain's 2020 exit from the... 26.09.2021, Sputnik International

2021-09-26T19:20+0000

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2021-09-26T19:34+0000

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A prominent europhile Labour MP has called for his party to campaign on a platform of rejoining the European Union  similar to the policy that lost the party the 2019 election.Leeds Central MP Hilary Benn at a party conference in Brighton said that it was time for "a new relationship with the EU".He said Labour should move "step by step towards rejoining" the bloc that 17.4 million Britons voted to leave in 2016. Benn stated that it was the UK's "destiny to be European"."The truth is, bit by bit, the British people can see what is happening in front of their eyes  the queues, the shortages", Benn told delegates. "The threat to peace and security that a Labour government achieved after many years with the Northern Ireland agreement".Earlier, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer told the BBC's Andrew Marr that Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government should grant visas to 100,000 lorry drivers from the EU and elsewhere  when those countries are also experiencing a haulage labour shortage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.Outside his Brighton studio he was greeted by a three-strong demonstration by led by Steve Bray, a Welshman and former Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate who has protested against Brexit outside parliament since 2017.Starmer, then shadow Brexit secretary under leader Jeremy Corbyn, led the adoption of a policy of re-running the referendum at the September 2019 conference  a position which helped Johnson's Conservative Party to a landslide victory, taking dozens of seats from Labour in its Brexit-voting northern heartlands.The shortage of licensed Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV) drivers has seen wages in the low-paid haulage industry rise from 10.50 per hour to a 13.50 basic rate."I agree, lorry drivers deserve a pay rise", Benn conceded, but then complained there were not enough ballet dancers in the UK either.Benn's father was the late former cabinet minister and famous Labour left-winger Tony Benn, who opposed Britain's membership in the EU and its predecessor, the European Economic Community, until his death in 2014. Corbyn was a vocal eurosceptic until his election as leader in 2015.

https://sputniknews.com/20210926/labour-leader-demands-visas-for-100k-foreign-lorry-drivers-amid-global-shortage-1089420324.html

vot tak The zio-tool/war criminal blair. 1

mandrake Why, the brits should be happy they are out of the EU quagmire - there is no future with the Brussel line their pocket bureaucrats. And the weakminded in the psrty suggesting such stupidity should be asked toleave the oarty, politely! 1

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https://sputniknews.com/20210926/three-civilians-killed-in-us-airdrop-operation-in-syrias-deir-ez-zor-1089423237.html

'Three Civilians Killed in US Airdrop Operation' in Syria's Deir ez-Zor

'Three Civilians Killed in US Airdrop Operation' in Syria's Deir ez-Zor

Damascus has repeatedly underscored that the presence of US troops in Syria is illegal because they were never invited for deployment and the US does not have... 26.09.2021, Sputnik International

2021-09-26T13:45+0000

2021-09-26T13:45+0000

2021-09-26T14:32+0000

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syria

operation

civilians

daesh

oil

deir ez-zor

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At least three civilians were killed after US troops conducted an airdrop operation in eastern Syria's Deir ez-Zor Province, the state-run Syrian news agency SANA reported on Sunday. The Pentagon has not commented on the matter.According to the sources, the civilians died as a result of "heavy shooting at houses and agricultural lands" in the area.The alleged operation follows SANA reporting earlier this week that the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) backed by US troops abducted a number of civilians after encircling residential buildings in the villages of Busayteen and al-Jasimi in northern Deir ez-Zor.In a separate development in Deir ez-Zor earlier this year, US forces reportedly moved a large convoy containing weapons, equipment and "logistical materials" to the base at al-Omar oil field in the al-Jazeera region of the province.US Troops in Syria The Pentagon justifies the deployment of the US contingent in Syria by asserting that they are there to ensure the "enduring defeat" of Daesh* terrorists.The former Daesh "caliphate" was formally routed by both Syrian and Iraqi forces by 2017, with Washington continuing to use the purported threat of the group's re-emergence as justification for its continued presence in both countries.Damascus insists that the US presence in Syria is illegal and accuses America of seeking to plunder Syrian oil.The US presence in Syria is not supported by any UN Security Council mandates, and Washington does not have an invitation from the country's government to operate in the Arab Republic.*Daesh (ISIL/ISIS/Islamic State/IS) is a terrorist group banned in Russia and many other countries.

https://sputniknews.com/20200406/american-officer-two-members-of-sdf-killed-in-ambush-in-syrias-deir-ez-zor---syrian-state-media-1078859727.html

vot tak These are acts of terrorism by israeloamerica. 3

mandrake Take out the kurds and aproblem is solved for Assad, the kurds like the jews are a never ending problem and the world will be better off once the two groups are gone! 2

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https://sputniknews.com/20210926/twitter-removes-blue-verified-badge-from-accounts-of-several-afghan-ministries---reports-1089431277.html

Twitter Removes Blue Verified Badge From Accounts of Several Afghan Ministries - Reports

Twitter Removes Blue Verified Badge From Accounts of Several Afghan Ministries - Reports

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Twitter has taken away blue verification checkmarks from the accounts of several Afghan ministries, the Pajhwok news agency reported on... 26.09.2021, Sputnik International

2021-09-26T20:16+0000

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According to the agency, the accounts of the ministries of defense, foreign and interior affairs, as well as the presidential palace and procurement authority  most of which have been inactive since the Ghani government's fall  lost their badges.Former Vice President Amrullah Saleh, who declared himself president of Afghanistan after the Taliban* takeover, is said to have lost his blue checkmark as well.A month ago, the Taliban entered Kabul, prompting then-President Ashraf Ghani to step down and flee the country. The last province to resist the group, Panjshir, surrendered on September 6. As international troops withdrew from the country and foreign evacuations were completed, the radical group unveiled the composition of the all-male interim cabinet, headed by Mohammad Hasan Akhund, a former foreign minister during the previous Taliban rule, who has been under UN sanctions since 2001.*The Taliban is a terrorist organization banned in Russia and many other countries.

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https://sputniknews.com/20210926/un-secretary-general-holds-talks-with-foreign-ministers-of-armenia-azerbaijan-1089412120.html

UN Secretary General Holds Talks With Foreign Ministers of Armenia, Azerbaijan

UN Secretary General Holds Talks With Foreign Ministers of Armenia, Azerbaijan

UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) - UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has held two separate meetings, with Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan, and... 26.09.2021, Sputnik International

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2021-09-26T03:35+0000

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nagorno-karabakh

un

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"The Secretary-General met with H.E. Mr. Ararat Mirzoyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia. The Secretary-General and the Foreign Minister discussed UN-Armenian cooperation. They also discussed the situation along the Azerbaijani-Armenian border and efforts to promote regional cooperation and durable peace," the UN said on Saturday.In a separate meeting with Bayramov, Guterres discussed UN-Azerbaijan cooperation, as well as the regional situation.The Secretary-General also commended Azerbaijan on its diplomatic efforts as chair of the Non-Aligned Movement in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic response.Earlier this week, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian met with his Armenian and Azerbaijani counterparts on the sidelines of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to discuss ways to restore trust and reduce tensions between Yerevan and Baku. The meeting of the Armenian and Azerbaijani ministers in New York was the first direct contact between the two countries at such a level since the end of the conflict in Karabakh, according to the French foreign ministry.A conflict flared up in the Nagorno-Karabakh region in September 2020, marking the most serious escalation of a protracted standoff in years. In November, Moscow mediated an agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Under the deal, Baku and Yerevan agreed to completely cease fire and exchange prisoners and bodies of the dead. In addition, the Kalbajar, Lachin, and part of the Agdam District were handed over to Azerbaijan.The OSCE Minsk Group was set up in 1992 to promote a peaceful resolution of the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh. The group is co-chaired by France, Russia, and the United States.

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https://sputniknews.com/20210926/whipping-story-is-attempt-to-divert-public-opinion-from-bidens-political-failures-observers-say-1089424508.html

'Whipping' Story is Attempt to Divert Public Opinion From Biden's Political Failures, Observers Say

'Whipping' Story is Attempt to Divert Public Opinion From Biden's Political Failures, Observers Say

Photos and video footage of Border Patrol agents allegedly "whipping" illegal migrants have cast a shadow not on law enforcement but on the Biden... 26.09.2021, Sputnik International

2021-09-26T14:52+0000

2021-09-26T14:52+0000

2021-09-26T14:52+0000

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donald trump

news

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department of homeland security (dhs)

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Joe Biden subjected Border Patrol agents to harsh criticism on 23 September for what he called "strapping" and "running over" migrants on the southern border. The president promised that the agents "will pay" for this. The scandal erupted as over 10,000 illegal aliens, mostly Haitians, flooded Del Rio, Texas, this past week prompting a backlash from law enforcement. Videos and photos allegedly depicting Border Patrol personnel on horseback "whipping" migrants made their way to the press last weekend triggering ire from the Democratic Party.Viral 'Whipping' StoryIt turned out later that what appeared to be "whips" were reins used by agents to control their horses. For his part, Paul Ratje, a photographer who snapped the photos of law enforcement officers trying to apprehend Haitians, told the local media that he had not seen anyone from the Border Patrol actually strapping the illegals.What law enforcement agents were really doing was keeping illegal migrants out of the United States, Shannon stressed, adding that it was their job."They are Border Patrol agents and they patrol the border", he remarks. "They are not concierges that escort people across the border and welcome them to the wonders of all the freebees that Uncle Sugar gives people here in the US".Nevertheless, "none of the fact-checkers at The Washington Post, CNN, NBC News, The Associated Press, USA Today and Snopes addressed the 'whipping' claims", according to Fox News. On the contrary, the "whipping" story has been widely circulated in the media, with left-leaning anchors and politicians invoking slavery parallels. Eventually, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki announced on 23 September that the Biden administration was taking horses away from Border Patrol agents in Del Rio.Border Patrol Agents: Overwhelmed & UnsupportedWhile the liberal media is continuing to focus on the "whipping" narrative, the bigger picture of the present border crisis remains beyond their scope, according to Rory McShane, a Texas-based Republican political consultant and strategist.He does not rule out that some Border Patrol agents were overreacting while trying to prevent illegal border crossings. Still, they have some reasons for that, the strategist believes."When you have this massive surge, this massive encampment of illegal immigrants crossing our border, the agents are so overwhelmed, so under-resourced, so unsupported, they're resorting to tactics that would not be resorted to otherwise", McShane notes.Border Patrol agents have found themselves completely abandoned by the US president and the Department of Homeland Security, according to the political consultant. As a result, Texas Governor Greg Abbott had to dispatch the Texas Rangers and the Department of Public Safety to the southern border to give aid, the consultant notes, adding that otherwise "it would be a complete free-throw across our southern border".During his first days in office President Biden reversed most of Donald Trump's migration policies which, according to American conservatives, helped reduce the tide of illegal migration. Biden's border strategy was criticised by both Republicans and Mexican authorities who warned that the president's open-border approach would reinvigorate illegal immigration and lead to a spike in organised crime.Meanwhile, the number of asylum seekers trying to enter the US at the southern border remains high, according to US Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Although the number of unique encounters in August 2021 amounted to 156,641, there were 208,887 encounters in total as migrants are now making multiple border crossing attempts. For comparison's sake, in February 2021 the CBP caught 100,441 people at the southwest border, which represented a 28 percent increase from January 2021.To complicate matters further, many asylum seekers allowed into the US are potential COVID carriers. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas admitted on 24 September that about 15,000 illegal immigrants who camped out under a bridge in Del Rio had not been tested for COVID-19.MSM & Dems Diverting Public Opinion from Biden's FailuresThe whipping narrative serves as a distraction from a whole series of bad political decisions by the Biden administration, the observers presume.At the same time, Biden's White House and the Democratic Party appear to be interested in the soaring numbers of newcomers, according to Shannon. On the one hand they say it helps Dems' allies in Big Business keep wages low; on the other hand, the majority of Latino migrants historically vote for Democrats."It's 'come one, come all' under the Biden administration", he says. "So if you understand, they want all this unskilled labour that will be dependent upon the government and in return will give Democrats their votes when they receive amnesty, which is another goal of the Democrats".For its part, the Democrat-allied mainstream media is distorting the narrative of what's going on at the border to make law enforcement look bad, according to the political commentator.

Sputnik User Hey Ekaterina Blinova: The term "alien" that you use in your article has been replaced in the US federal vocabulary; get a n update! 2

vot tak An article promoting israeli likudite media/psywar quislings (IE: traitors) and their white supremacist views. Thumbs down israeloamerican dittohead. 1

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Making his stakes debut, Monte Miki turned in a mighty stretch rally to pull off a 15-1 upset in the $824,000 Metro Pace, Canada's biggest race for rookie pacers, on Saturday night (Sept. 25) at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

Picking up the catch-drive for Ohio-based trainer Mark Evers, Scott Zeron worked out the winning trip, overcoming a trailing tier start and traffic trouble in an oversized field of a dozen to earn his third Metro Pace trophy.

Battle of Waterloo champion Betterhavemymoney (James MacDonald) left quickly from post five with Wearinmysixshooter (Dexter Dunn) to his outside firing to the front and Fourever Boy (Mike Wilder) hot on his heels to land the lead after a 27-second opening quarter.

Dunn pulled Wearinmysixshooter from the pocket and looped back to the lead down the backside with the favourites on the move  his Pennsylvania Sires Stakes rival True Blue Lindy (Tim Tetrick) advanced first-up and world record holder Caviart Camden (Yannick Gingras) was three-wide.

Wearinmysixshooter reached the half in :55.3 and began to pull away from the field on the way to three-quarters in 1:23.2 with Fourever Boy chasing nearly four lengths behind from the two-hole.

Meanwhile, Bob Loblaw (Sylvain Filion) broke stride in the final turn when racing second-over and that cleared a path for the eventual winner.

Trailing tier starter Monte Miki got away near the back and was inside behind a wall of horses before getting open road and angling out widest of all turning for home. He came charging after Wearinmysixshooter with a mighty stretch rally to win by 2-3/4 lengths in 1:52.2. Wearinmysixshooter settled for second with Fourever Boy following in third. True Blue Lindy and Betterhavemymoney completed the top five finish order.

"It did work out [from the trailing tier]," said Zeron after the victory, "but we should never have 12 horses in a final like that with for two-year-olds because there was a lot of banging and clanging going on and a bad breaker in the last turn. I was very fortunate to avoid all that stuff, but it's very hard to have a tactical edge in those races  you just have to go with the flow."

"I knew heading into it that the two horse [Bob Loblaw] had made a few breaks, mostly in the turns, so I was going to go whichever way he didn't go. You might not have noticed, but I probably moved my horse three times before the half just because there was so much action going on. Yannick wasn't able to get into the second tier path there when he was trying to so there was a lot in the middle portions of that race and then obviously when Sylvain['s horse] made his break, it kind of opened the flood gates for me."

Despite having a lot of ground to make up on the leader turning for home, Zeron was confident in his colt's abilities to finish strong.

"I thought for sure I was going to be second the second I three-deeped him because he really responded well and he's a very big horse and gets over the ground so well," said Zeron. "I knew he'd carry his speed all the way up to to second, but Dexter had a cushion up front and probably just the last eighth of a mile to go I thought I was going to catch him."

A homebred colt by Always B Miki out of Montenegro, the undefeated Monte Miki entered the Metro following three wins at Scioto Downs for Velocity Standardbreds of Lebanon, Ohio.

He returned $33.70 for a $2 win ticket.

The Metro Pace is part of Canada's richest card of harness racing, headlined by the 2021 Mohawk Million. Read about all the stakes from the card in the Mohawk Million News Centre.
Niki Hill ($2.30) rose to the toughest challenge of her short career to win the $500,500 final of the Shes A Great Lady, for rookie pacing fillies, on Saturday's (Sept. 25) blockbuster card at Woodbine Mohawk Park, holding off Prohibition Legal in a stretch-long duel.

The daughter of Always B Miki and Road Bet floated into fourth behind a contested :26.4 first quarter before Dexter Dunn made a measured brush with her up the backstretch to clear Boudoir Hanover (Todd McCarthy) at the end of a :54.4 half mile. There were no breathers for Niki Hill at any point in the mile, though, as James MacDonald activated Prohibition Legal  six-for-six coming into the Shes A Great Lady final  from midfield to advance first-over through the sweeping far turn. After working forward to force a :27.4 third quarter, Prohibition Legal worked to nearly level pegging with Niki Hill in upper stretch  but Niki Hill dug deep to repel her outside rival by 1-3/4 lengths in 1:50.2, equalling the lifetime mark she set in last week's elimination. Joyride Hanover (Tim Tetrick) narrowly finished third, collaring Boudoir Hanover up the pegs.

"James and his filly really threw down coming to three-quarters and into the stretch," Dunn said. "I thought she had more in the tank, and she kicked away at the end of it.... She's got that staying ability and holds her speed a long way into the mile."

Chris Ryder trains Niki Hill, who improved to a perfect five-for-five, for owner Tom Hill.

Dunn was asked to compare this filly to her extremely talented former stablemate Party Girl Hill, who was 15 for 16 in an incredible thee-year-old season last year and was on tap to return this year but had to be retired due to injury.

Shes on her way to that stage. Obviously Party Girl didnt race at two, she started her career at three. She has that staying ability like Party Girl and can hold her speed for a long way in the mile.

As for his success so far this season, the driver commented: Its the horses I get to drive and the people I get to drive for. Ive been lucky, Ive driven some unbelievable horses, they do all the hard work.

The filly owner, Tom Hill Sr., explained the victory was more special given what happened with Party Girl Hill:

After losing the ability to race Party Girl this year God sent me two champions, he sent me this one and he sent me Grace (Hill), who are two super fillies and fill the void for Party Girl.

We always like coming to Mohawk, its a great track, great venue. With whats happened around the world with the pandemic I never thought wed be here again like we are. its unbelievable, added Tom Hill Jr.

The Shes A Great Lady is named in honour of the talented Ontario-sired pacing mare who was an OBrien Award winner and world record setter in 1996 and established more than one world record.

The Shes A Great Lady Stakes is part of Canada's richest card of harness racing, headlined by the 2021 Mohawk Million. Read about all the stakes from the card in the Mohawk Million News Centre.

(with files from WEG)
On Saturday (Sept. 25), the Alberta Standardbred Horse Association (ASHA) held its 2021 Yearling Sale at Century Downs Racetrack and Casino.

The sale kicked off with an address from the Alberta Standardbred Horse Association President, Don McDougall sending out a positive message about the future of the Alberta harness racing industry.

The sale was very successful with 32 yearlings fetching five figures. The majority of the consignors were thrilled.

The sale-topper was Hip #41 Diva Amour, a Custard The Dragon filly out of the Artsplace mare Art Amour. The spectacular filly was purchased by Kelly Hoerdt and Fred Gilbert for $44,000. She was bred and consigned by Surdale Farms Ltd of Kelowna, B.C.

Hip #44, Hunt Them Down, a Huntsville colt out of the Rocknroll Hanover mare Baez went to Veikko Pajunen for $41,000. This stunning colt was bred by Brittany Farms, KY and consigned by Surdale Farms Ltd of Kelowna, B.C.

Cora Cora Cora, Hip #50, rounded out the top three highest priced yearlings of the sale at $33,000 and was purchased by Jamie Gray. The filly is sired by Captive Audience out of the mare Carlota Blue Chip. She was bred by Gigi Van Ostrand and consigned by Jim Rhodes of High River, Alta.

A total of 64 horses went through the sales ring for a sales total of $784,100 and average of $12,251.

ASHA and all of the consignors wish the very best of luck to all purchasers and would like to thank all the breeders and the Alberta horsemen for their continued support.

To view the results of the sale, click the following link: 2021 ASHA Yearling Sale Results.

(ASHA)
It should come as no surprise that the horsemen and women who care for our equine athletes are 100 percent dedicated to their work and the animals in their care.

In honour of National Caretaker Appreciation Day Century Downs would like to give a shout out to all of the caretakers at the track and shared just a few of their thoughts about the animals they care for and the work they love.

Here is a behind-the-scenes look with Shanisty Andres, (from the Dave Kelly barn); Thalia Martin, (from the Nathan Sobey team); Chris Phillips, (from the Joe Ratchford barn) and Logan Archibald (from the Tyler Redwood crew).

How did you get started in the industry?

Andres: I responded to a Kijiji ad, that the Hainings had posted, and I had always wanted to work with horses but had never had the opportunity.

Martin: An ex-boyfriend, he got me started working with thoroughbreds in B.C. and I got laid off. I came to Calgary for a new job and then was laid off. I was driving around trying to find work and I came across a Standardbred barn which was owned by Ken Dorman and Grant Hollingsworth. And that was 23 years ago.

Phillips: My mom was involved in horses. She worked as the Race Secretary at Rideau Carleton Raceway back in the early 60s.

Archibald: I moved out here from Nova Scotia and got a job with a guy I went to college with, Dave Kelly. At the time I knew absolutely nothing about racehorses and that was about five years ago.

What do you love most about what you do?

Andres: I love working with horses; what people say about them being good for the soul  rings true! They are always making me smile.

Martin: Everything! From the looks on their faces first thing in the morning while they all wait to get fed to watching babies grow up and win races, seeing all of their hard work pay off is truly gratifying.

Phillips: The best part about what I do is being able to sit behind them on the track while they jog; thats what I love about it all.

Archibald: All of it! The fact I work with them all week, getting to watch them race and seeing them do good or finding out what you can improve on for next week.

Can you describe what an average day looks like for you?

Andres: An average usually consists of me coming in, feeding them breakfast, getting them harnessed and exercised, bathing them after races and putting on bandages  if they need them.

Martin: An average day is usually busy! We start at 6:30-7:00 a.m. and work until about 3:00-3:30 p.m. I clean feed them, clean the stalls, get them ready for exercise, put bandages on if they need them, put them away and then its time for lunch. The afternoon usually consists of sweeping and anything else that needs to be done. They are super long days, but they have their rewards.

Phillips: An average day, I get up at 5:00 a.m. I feed them, clean stalls, take them jogging, put them away, then it is lunch, we get a small break and then dinner. And then I do it all over again the next day!

Archibald: Do it! If you like horses and like to work, it can be a lot of work but if you want to do it, go for it.

This is the fourth year that Standardbred Canada (SC) has facilitated events across the country. Showing appreciation for the caretakers keeping our horses healthy and safe while training and racing under unusual circumstances and protocols during the pandemic is important, and SC would like to thank the many racetracks, associations, owners, trainers, breeders, drivers, volunteers and stakeholders that are all taking part to make this happen.

(with files from Century Downs)
The 149th Cumberland (ME) Fair kicks off Sunday (Sept. 26) with a full card of harness racing featuring two divisions of the Maine Standardbred Breeders Stakes (MSBS) for three-year-old pacing fillies, as well as a host of late closers for both gaits.

Many of Maines rural fairs are known for their big Pumpkins and delicious Whoopie Pies, however the Cumberland fair was first held in 1868 with harness racing as the Maine attraction. It remains one of the biggest annual agricultural events in the southern part of the Pine Tree state.

First Tracks Cumberland Race secretary Marc Reynolds was pleased with the strong support that the local horsemen and women provided during the busy fair season.

Its been a long Spring/Summer racing season in the state of Maine, beginning in May at First Tracks Cumberland, and now through eight weeks for state-wide fair racing. The local horsepeople were eager to come back home to race for Fair week, Reynolds said.

Due to the robust interest, we are pleased to add two $7,500 Free For All events to the Fair schedule, as well as a number of Maine Amateur Driving Club races for the Sunday (Oct. 3) finale.

Trainers are reminded to continue to check the condition sheets and utilize the USTAs online entry system for racing at the Cumberland Fair.

The opener assembles some of the top three-year-old pacing fillies in the Maine-sired program, pitting Justcallmecasey (Post 3, Aaron Hall) against Tally Two (Post 4, Mark Athearn) in the first $15,710 division of the Maine Standardbred Breeders Stakes.

The former is pegged at 2-1 and is coming off of a two-race win streak for trainer Michael Graffam, with Aaron Hall picking up the catch drive behind the Ben Bill & Will-owned daughter of Deuce Seelster who has earned $34,246 this season. The latter is also by sire Deuce Seelster, and has been installed as the 5-2 second choice for trainer Gretchen Athearn, and has earned $29,045 for owner Bill Phipps with three victories this year.

The second $15,711 MSBS split is headed by point leader Pembroke Ali who has finished a consistent 1-2 in all of her last nine starts with $37,580 in seasonal earnings. Listed at 8-5 from Post 5, the daughter of Western Maverick will be driven by Heath Campbell for trainer Valerie Grondin and owner Bill Varney.

Schoodic Lady will look to play the role of spoiler from Post 4 with regular driver Aaron Hall. As the 3-1 second choice, the daughter of Deuce Seelster has never been worse than third in her last three starts, including a win at Union, with seasonal earnings of $28,012. Trained by Mike Graffam, she is owned by Ben Bill & Will Stable.

Several late closing events hold their first leg during the opener, including the $6,000 Casco Bay Ford Trot (Race 8) with a $12,000 final slated for next Sunday (Oct. 3). In addition, there are two divisions (Races 3 & 5) of the $5,000 Portland Regency pacing series, sporting a $10,000 final, as well as the $4,000 Pine Ridge Acres pacing series (Race 7) that boasts an $8,000 final, again on final day of the fair meet, Sunday (Oct. 3).

With Plainridge also racing on Sunday (Sept. 26), some of the Cumberland regulars are absent, giving the following reinsmen five or more drives on the card: Heath Campbell, Walter Case Jr., Dan Deslandes, Aaron Hall and Andy Harrington.

Local horse women Donna Fenderson and Stephanie Larkin have worked tirelessly to ensure that every race during the entire eight-day fair meet has a sponsor, with the winning connections receiving either a blanket, embroidered jacket, or a halter/lead shank combo during the winners circle presentations. Stephanie Gray continues to provide exciting race photos and fun-filled winners circle images as a service to the horse owners and trainers, and on behalf of First Tracks Cumberland.

Cumberland is the next to last Maine-bred legs before the rich MSBS finals at Bangor on Saturday (Oct. 16), listed as $80,000e for the sophomores and $60,000e for the freshmen. In addition, if entries permit there will be several $25,000e MSBS consolation races on Wednesday (Oct. 20).

First Tracks Cumberland has been tapped to manage and facilitate the Fair meet on behalf of the Cumberland Farmers Club. Drivers and Trainers will automatically be paid their occupational percentages through the First Tracks paymaster system, just as they had been during the Spring/Summer extended pari-mutuel meeting.

Racing resumes at First Tracks Cumberland for our winter meeting, beginning November 3 and racing through December 31, 2021. First post time is 11:00 a.m.

(First Track Cumberland)
Harness racing driver and trainer Winston Lineweaver passed away Friday (Sept. 24). Hew as 79.

He was born in Conicville, Va., and at the time of his death lived in Mauertown, Va. Mr. Lineweaver competed at the nearby Shenandoah County Fair harness meet for decades and at the Shenandoah Downs pari-mutuel meet since it began in 2016.

Mr. Lineweaver, who had 1,628 victories in his driving career and had 18 seasons when his UDR was above .300, was from a family which turned out many participants in the harness sport; his brother Alvin joined him in the 1000 Wins Club with 1,239.

Mr. Lineweaver was a second-generation horseman, and is survived by his wife, Elieen, who trained horses in Woodstock with him; his daughter Joyce, a longtime harness trainer based in Pennsylvania; and another daughter Doris, who is the Director of Racing at Shenandoah Downs and is one of the few female racing secretaries in the industry. Mr. Lineweaver's grandchildren, Weston and Maggie, also are involved and help prepare and service the Shenandoah barn area for horsemen upon arrival.

A member of the United States Trotting Association since 1962, Mr. Lineweaver primarily campaigned at the various Mid-Atlantic pari-mutuel tracks, and drove extensively at the Pennsylvania fairs. When racing revived in his native state in 1998, he participated at Colonial Downs and more recently, at the races in Woodstock.

Mr. Lineweaver bought a farm in Marydel, Del., in 1994 when his wife's parents became ill. A Virginia resident still, he became domiciled in Delaware.

A pair of cardiac incidents, one in June 2012 at the Wattsburg (Pa.) fair and the other in October 2016 at Shenandoah (in the latter of which he drove against his brother Alvin), caused him to drastically reduce his schedule, but he was still around the barn, helping out and enjoying his family.

In 2020, Mr. Lineweaver returned to the sulky for just the second time since 2016 for the career debut of Hillbillys All In, owned by family friend Ellen Warren of Marydel, Del. He guided the son of Rustys All In to a fourth-place finish and just two days later led the gelding to a runner-up finish. He drove Hillbillys All In three more times at the 2020 Shenandoah Downs season, his final career starts in the bike.

As fate would have it, Hillbillys All In competed Saturday (Sept. 25) in Woodstock and prevailed in a $5,250 conditioned pace  the three-year-old's first pari-mutuel win  which occurred just two days after Mr. Lineweaver passed. The winning connections commented that the win was "For Winnie."

Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the friends and family of Winston Lineweaver.

(Virginia Equine Alliance)
Pakistan put into service its new maritime patrol aircraft, based on the Brazilian EMB 145 twin-jet airliner. These will replace their older four-engine P-3C aircraft. Over 1,200 EMB-145s have been built since 1992 and in 1999 Brazil offered a military version, the R-99, for use as an AWACS (Airborne Early Warning Aircraft), maritime patrol or ELINT (electronics intelligence) aircraft. Pakistan is the second customer for the maritime patrol version and plans to buy at least three. These will replace the refurbished American P-3C Pakistan received in 2007. Six are still operational but they are older, four turboprop engine aircraft.

Using twin-jet business or airliner aircraft for military purposes has been increasingly popular. Israel put its first twin-jet AWACS into service in 2006 using a long-range business jet (the 40-ton Gulfstream G550) carrying Israeli-made radar and electronics. The Israeli AWACS came with a Phalcon conformal (built into the lower fuselage) phased array radar, SIGINT equipment (to capture and analyze enemy electronic transmissions) and a communications system that can handle satellite signals as well as a wide array of other transmissions. There are six personnel on board to handle all this gear, plus the flight crew. The Gulfstream G-550 can stay in the air for over twelve hours per sortie, and can fly at up to 51,000 feet. It's a larger version of the Gulfstream G400, which the U.S. Army uses as the C-20H transport. The U.S. Coast Guard, Air Force and Navy also use militarized Gulfstreams.

Australia was the first customer for the Boeing 737 based E-7A Wedgetail AWACS and received its first two in 2009. Wedgetail is a militarized Boeing 737 transport. The cruise speed for the 737 is 910 kilometers an hour and the Wedgetail version has a crew of 8-12 pilots and equipment operators, who use the search radar and various other sensors. The 78-ton Wedgetail can stay in the air for more than ten hours per sortie. Wedgetail can refuel in the air and Australian Wedgetails often flew longer missions (14 hours or so) in the Middle East. The limit here was mainly crew fatigue.

Smaller, more powerful and cheaper electronics made smaller twin-jets practical and the most cost effective aircraft for tasks long requiring four-engine turbo-prop or jet aircraft. Even the new U.S. Navy P-8 maritime patrol aircraft is based on the Boeing 767 twin-jet airliner. India is using six Airbus A320 transports, provided by Air India, for conversion to AWACS aircraft. More specifically this is an A319, which is one of the Airbus 320 series aircraft that are similar to the Boeing 737. These twin jet aircraft often replace earlier versions installed in the 1960s B-707 or DC-8 transports or four-propeller airliners like the Electra civilian airliner that first flew in 1954. Only 170 Electras were built but there were nearly four times as many built as P-3s. A few Electras and over 200 P-3s are still in service but will eventually be replaced by twin-jet aircraft.

.
High-level talks will begin in the US city of Pittsburgh on Wednesday despite efforts by Paris to delay the meeting in retaliation for a pact between the US, Australia and Britain.

The EU and US will this week embark on a tricky effort to deepen ties on tech regulation, but with France resisting the project in the wake of a row with Washington over a submarine deal.

High-level talks will begin in the US city of Pittsburgh on Wednesday despite efforts by Paris to delay the meeting in retaliation for a pact between the US, Australia and Britaindubbed AUKUSthat saw Canberra scrap a multi-billion-dollar submarine order from France.

The EU-US Trade and Tech Council was set up after a summit in June to look at issues including trying to attune their strategies on regulating internet giants and defend democratic values.

The council came at the request of the Europeans, who are seeking concrete signs of increased transatlantic cooperation after years of tension under former president Donald Trump, especially over trade.

President Joe Biden's administration will be represented by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, US Trade Representative Katherine Tai and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo.

On the European side, EU executive vice presidents Margrethe Vestager and Valdis Dombrovskis will lead talks.

Vestager, the EU's tech policy supremo, said the talks would attempt to enhance cooperation "in the areas where there is a shared sense of values being two big, old democracies."

Unspoken in her comments was the rise of China, with Washington understood to be pressing its EU partners to join forces in isolating Beijing on the global stage.

This is being resisted in Europe, where powerful member states France and Germany are reluctant to blindly follow Washington's increasing assertiveness.

"European officials want to avoid the TTC simply becoming an unproductive exercise at China-bashing," said former EU trade boss Cecilia Malmstrom and analyst Chad Bown in a paper for the Peterson Institute in Washington.

The talks in Pittsburgh, a rust-belt city that has grown into a tech hub, are only the first instalment of the Trade and Tech Council, with another round expected in the spring, Vestager said.

EU diplomats said France sharply criticised the talks at a meeting on Friday, reminding member states that previous attempts to deepen trade ties with Washington led nowhere.

'No place in a democracy'

Dombrovskis, who is also the EU's trade commissioner, cautioned that the new effort was not an attempt to clinch a trade deal, with memories still fresh of the failed attempt to strike an ambitious accord during the Obama administration.

The European Commission, which handles trade policy for the EU's 27 member states, also failed to finalise a smaller scale deal with Donald Trump, beyond a zero-tariff pact on lobsters.

"It's not like a free trade agreement," the former Latvian prime minister told reporters. "It's more about long-term benefits."

Dombrovskis pointed to potential cooperation on banning unwanted foreign investments or tackling supply chain problems, such as with microchips.

The talks will be broken into 10 working groups on a wide range of issues, with Vestager looking to find common ground on how to curb Big Brothersuch as in preventing excesses in artificial intelligence.

"We do not find that these practices should have a home in a democracy," she said. "I have a strong feeling that this is something that is really shared with the Americans."

The talks will take place while both sides remain at loggerheads over the steel and aluminium tariffs that were imposed by Trump, but which Biden has yet to remove.

On the tariffs, Dombrovskis said: "We are engaging very seriously with the US and we are mindful also (of the) timelines, that by December 1, this issue should be solved."

Explore further US and EU to seek harmony on big tech regulation

 2021 AFP
Microsoft on Tuesday warned of an actively exploited zero-day flaw impacting Internet Explorer that's being used to hijack vulnerable Windows systems by leveraging weaponized Office documents.

Tracked as CVE-2021-40444 (CVSS score: 8.8), the remote code execution flaw is rooted in MSHTML (aka Trident), a proprietary browser engine for the now-discontinued Internet Explorer and which is used in Office to render web content inside Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents.

"Microsoft is investigating reports of a remote code execution vulnerability in MSHTML that affects Microsoft Windows. Microsoft is aware of targeted attacks that attempt to exploit this vulnerability by using specially-crafted Microsoft Office documents," the company said.

"An attacker could craft a malicious ActiveX control to be used by a Microsoft Office document that hosts the browser rendering engine. The attacker would then have to convince the user to open the malicious document. Users whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than users who operate with administrative user rights," it added.

The Windows maker credited researchers from EXPMON and Mandiant for reporting the flaw, although the company did not disclose additional specifics about the nature of the attacks, the identity of the adversaries exploiting this zero-day, or their targets in light of real-world attacks.

EXPMON, in a tweet, noted it found the vulnerability after detecting a "highly sophisticated zero-day attack" aimed at Microsoft Office users, adding it passed on its findings to Microsoft on Sunday. "The exploit uses logical flaws so the exploitation is perfectly reliable (& dangerous)," EXPMON researchers said.

However, it's worth pointing out that the current attack can be suppressed if Microsoft Office is run with default configurations, wherein documents downloaded from the web are opened in Protected View or Application Guard for Office, which is designed to prevent untrusted files from accessing trusted resources in the compromised system.

Microsoft, upon completion of the investigation, is expected to either release a security update as part of its Patch Tuesday monthly release cycle or issue an out-of-band patch "depending on customer needs." In the interim, the Windows maker is urging users and organizations to disable all ActiveX controls in Internet Explorer to mitigate any potential attack.
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I appreciate the position taken by Mr Kevin Baldeosingh on the reasons why he will not get 
Consumers are gravitating to digital platforms for shopping amid the COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam, and so are retailers, as per a Visa study.

Data shows tremendous acceleration in digital forms of retail and consumption in Vietnam, according to the Visa Consumer Payment Attitudes study released on Friday.

The study was prepared in August-September 2020, with 7,526 consumers surveyed in Singapore, the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Cambodia.

Social distancing and work-from-home arrangements made 2020 a year of upheavals for many Vietnamese consumers, rearranging commerce with immediate effect and far-reaching implications for the future of retail.

With consumers spending more time at home than ever before, Southeast Asia has seen a remarkable shift away from physical stores with years of e-commerce adoption compressed into a span of several months.

The shift has been a boon to home delivery as 87 percent of Vietnamese respondents now use this service  including 82 percent who tried it for the first time amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Almost six in every ten delivery orders now go to a home address, a 20-fold increase from before the pandemic.

Consumers have acquired a taste for the convenience of online shopping  and the more online payments they make, the more they find it is safe and hassle-free, Dang Tuyet Dung, Visa country manager for Vietnam and Laos, was quoted as saying in a press release.

This will most certainly push businesses to develop digital capabilities and wade deeper into e-commerce.

The world is moving away from the clear-cut distinction of physical and digital, and toward a retail experience leveraging the best of both worlds, with social media integration and digitally-enhanced offerings even at physical outlets, according to a report by McKinsey & Company.

The vast majority (77 percent) of Vietnamese consumers are currently aware of shopping through social networks.

Awareness and adoption are by far the strongest among consumers aged 18-23, who have embraced social commerce as a useful feature of platforms they spend a lot of time on anyway.

Retailers are now taking business to consumers homes through social networks.

Forty-one percent of Vietnamese businesses were tapping into social commerce in 2020 to meet consumer expectations, the Vietnam E-commerce Association found.

As the favored channel to consume digital content, social media platforms are ideal for brands and merchants to engage vast audiences on a more personal level.

Not only can retailers generate leads through targeted advertising, they can also provide the essential personal touch along with promotions calibrated to individual needs.

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The Ministry of Health logged 10,011 local coronavirus cases in Vietnam on Sunday, along with 11,477 discharged patients and 184 deaths.

The new cases were reported in 35 provinces and cities, the health ministry said.

The ministry had registered 9,682 locally-infected patients on Saturday.

More than 5,300 of the latest infections were found in the community, with the remaining detected in sectioned-off areas or centralized quarantine facilities.

Ho Chi Minh City documented 5,121 local cases, up by 1,075 patients from yesterday; Binh Duong Province 3,332, down by 297; Dong Nai Province 746; Long An Province 171; Kien Giang Province 99; An Giang Province 81; Can Tho City 52; Da Nang eight; and Hanoi two.

Vietnam has confirmed 752,185 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 tops the list with 371,660 patients, followed by Binh Duong Province with 200,196, Dong Nai Province with 45,667, Long An Province with 31,789, Tien Giang Province with 13,787, Dong Thap Province with 8,211, Khanh Hoa Province with 7,683, Da Nang with 4,910, Hanoi with 4,201, and Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province with 4,121.

By comparison, Vietnam detected a combined 1,570 locally-transmitted infections in the previous three waves.

The health ministry announced 11,477 recoveries on Sunday, taking the total to 527,926.

The toll has ascended to 18,584 deaths after the ministry documented 184 fatalities on the same day, including 131 in Ho Chi Minh City and 26 in Binh Duong Province.

Vietnam has registered 756,689 patients since the COVID-19 pandemic first hit it early last year.

Health workers have administered around 38.3 million vaccine doses, including 787,838 shots on Saturday, since vaccination was rolled out on March 8.

Over 7.9 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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Here are todays leading news stories:

COVID-19 Updates

-- Vietnams Ministry of Health reported 9,706 COVID-19 infections, including 4,046 cases in Ho Chi Minh City, on Saturday, raising the national tally to 746,678, with 516,449 recoveries and 18,400 deaths.

-- State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc arrived in Hanoi along with more than one million Abdala COVID-19 vaccine doses on Saturday night following his working trip to Cuba and the U.S. from September 18 to 24.

-- Authorities in Ho Chi Minh City are expected to remove all COVID-19 checkpoints and barricades along local streets and alleys by September 30 and will only keep the checkpoints at its gateways.

-- Many people who went to several vaccination sites in Ho Chi Minh City on Saturday afternoon were sent home for lacking an invitation paper. Many of them said that their neighborhood leaders had told them to come to these locations for their second doses.

-- The National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control has adjusted the pandemic response strategy in the direction of safe and flexible adaptation to COVID-19 as the country strives to return to 'a new normal' by the end of September, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, who is head of the committee, said at a meeting on Saturday.

Society

-- Authorities in the north-central province of Nghe An on Saturday evacuated many residents in areas that were severely flooded following heavy downpours.

-- An 18-year-old man who was a volunteer in pandemic prevention and control efforts in the north-central province of Ha Tinh was killed in a road crash on his way home on Saturday.

-- Ho Chi Minh City police have arrested two suspects for creating fake email addresses of local businesses and tricking a U.S. company into wiring more than US$94,000.

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Authorities in Ho Chi Minh City are expected to remove all COVID-19 checkpoints and barricades along local streets and alleys by September 30, and will only keep the checkpoints at the citys gateways.

The Ho Chi Minh City Union of Business Associations organized an online seminar on Saturday to discuss economic recovery plans in 'new normal' conditions.

At the event, Tran Hoang Ngan  head of the Ho Chi Minh City Institute for Development Studies  recounted several points of a meeting on Friday, which was attended by secretary of the municipal Party Committee Nguyen Van Nen and chairman of the Peoples Committee Phan Van Mai.

The city is expected to remove all COVID-19 checkpoints and barricades along local streets and alleys by the end of the month, Ngan elaborated.

However, the checkpoints at the citys entrances will remain in operation to ensure safety for the key southern economic region in general, he added.

During the discussion, many businesses urged the removal of fences that were erected between districts, as well as those set in alleys by local residents, which posed a lot of difficulties to the transport of goods and materials.

Nguyen Duc Hung  chairman of NAPOLI Coffees board of directors  proposed that fully vaccinated people be allowed to travel for work when the city reopens.

Authorities should also create favorable conditions for the transport and circulation of goods and materials within the city as well as between the city and other provinces, Hung said.

Dinh Hong Ky, chairman of Secoin Company, believed that lockdowns and concentrated quarantine will no longer be necessary if the city decided to live with COVID-19.

According to Bui Ta Hoang Vu, director of the municipal Department of Industry and Trade, competent authorities will stop pandemic-related inspection along local streets to prevent congestion and lower risk of transmission.

Random inspections will instead be carried out at establishments to make sure they comply with pandemic prevention and control regulations.

The final plan has yet to be concluded, Vu added.

Ho Chi Minh City has recorded more than 366,000 local COVID-19 casesm with over 14,000 deaths, since the fourth wave started in the country on April 27, according to the Ministry of Health's data.

The city has implemented social distancing measures at various levels since May 31.

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Authorities of Quang Ngai City, the capital of the namesake province in central Vietnam, have mobilized manpower to move a 200-year-old banyan tree to a new location after it toppled, killing a woman.

The banyan tree, which spans four meters in diameter, twenty meters in length, and weighs some 120 metric tons, fell on Tuesday morning, crushing a woman passing by to death.

Following the accident, an impromptu survey showed that local residents wished to save the tree, an icon of the locale, and carry out worship rituals for it as prescribed by local traditions.

Both suggestions were accepted by city authorities, who mobilized tow trucks and dozens of workers to convey the tree from Nguyen Van Linh Street in Quang Ngai City to the nearby Thien But Mountain on Saturday.

The forces showed up at the scene one day earlier to trim the tree roots and dress the wounds to increase its chance to recover.

Meanwhile, local residents on Saturday prepared a worship ritual to bid farewell to the sacred tree before it left the place.

The 200-year-old banyan tree in Quang Ngai City under Quang Ngai Province, Vietnam is seen before it toppled on September 21, 2021. Photo: Duong Thanh Danh

The 200-year-old banyan tree in Quang Ngai City is uprooted. Photo: Tran Mai / Tuoi Tre

Workers use glue to dress the wound of the 200-year-old banyan tree in Quang Ngai City. Photo: Tran Mai / Tuoi Tre

Given the size and weight of the trunk, functional forces had to lift electric wires and Internet cables up to make way for the tree to leave the city's downtown.

It took them some three hours to send the tree from its original location to Thien But Mountain, which is five kilometers away.

We had to deploy three heavy-duty tow trucks, with two lifting the root and one on the other end, to put the tree on a container truck, said Le The Tao, director of T-T-T Company, who was responsible for the relocation of the tree.

The limited space in the city, coupled with the trees weight, posed many challenges for us.

Were glad that we could wrap things up in a day.

Tow trucks pull the 200-year-old banyan tree off the ground after it got uprooted in Quang Ngai Province, September 25, 2021. Photo: Tran Mai / Tuoi Tre

Workers lift hanging cables to make way for the 200-year-old banyan tree to leave downtown Quang Ngai City, Quang Ngai Province, Vietnam, September 25, 2021. Photo: Tran Mai / Tuoi Tre

In honor of our predecessors and for the benefit of the upcoming generations, it is our responsibility to save the tree, said Ha Hoang Viet Phuong, chairman of the Quang Ngai City Peoples Committee, of the successful relocation mission.

The tree will be taken care of by the Quang Ngai Province Urban Environment Company and the local Ornamental Creature Association after it gets replanted on Sunday, Phuong added.

Capable of surviving centuries, banyan trees are planted in various areas of Vietnam for shade and are often associated with spiritual values, oftentimes representing the Protective Genie of a village.

However, its root system tends to spread aerially and rather shallow, which makes it susceptible to uprooting accidents during storms and gale winds.

Workers remove a traffic light pole to make way for the 200-year-old banyan tree to leave downtown Quang Ngai City, Quang Ngai Province, Vietnam, September 25, 2021. Photo: Tran Mai / Tuoi Tre

A container truck conveys a 200-year-old banyan tree to a new location in Quang Ngai Province, Vietnam, September 25, 2021. Photo: Tran Mai / Tuoi Tre

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Ho Chi Minh City police officers have arrested two local people who were accused of colluding with their foreign accomplices to create a false email address through which they asked a U.S. company to transfer money to their designated bank account.

The municipal police on Saturday said that they had detained Nguyen Khac Chuong, 43, and Nguyen Thi Lan Anh, 48, for appropriating US$94,000 from an American firm who has business relations with a Vietnamese company.

The two are facing charges of appropriation of property by using a computer network, telecommunications network, or electronic device, as prescribed in Vietnams Penal Code.

Anh had colluded with some foreigners to hack email accounts of Vietnamese enterprises to search for emails relating to payment with their foreign partners to make swindling schemes, police said.

When they illegally accessed the email account of an enterprise based in southern Ba Ria - Vung Tau Province, they discovered this business was going to receive over $94,000 from its U.S. partner.

They went on to create an email address similar to that of the local enterprise and used this fake email to ask the American firm to transfer the amount to a designated bank account.

The account was opened at a bank branch in Phu Nhuan District by Woojin High Tec Co. Ltd., a bogus company set up by Chuong, who was hired by Lan as her aid for VND10 million ($438) per month.

After receiving the payment instructions from the false email, the American firm wired $94,000 to that account, unware of the trick.

On September 20, local police arrested Chuong when he came to the bank to make a withdrawal from the account. Lan was detained shortly after.

Lan told investigators that if the swindle had gone smoothly, she and Chuong would have enjoyed 10 percent and five percent of the proceeds, respectively.

Searching the two suspects' houses, police seized a lot of objects and materials related to their offense.

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A pundit from Vietnam-based cybersecurity firm VinCSS has detected six critical loopholes classified as zero-day in the software of tech giants Microsoft and Adobe.

Tran Van Khang, head of VinCSSs malware analysis under Vietnamese conglomerate Vingroup, was recently acknowledged by Adobe for finding three vulnerabilities in the Windows version of their software Framemaker, a processor for large or complex documents.

They were deemed critical security flaws and were fixed by a security patch released on September 14.

One day later, he found three other loopholes in the business office suite Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise.

Such vulnerabilities could be exploited by hackers to gain access to the network of an organization and commit malicious actions that could result in significant damage.

All six vulnerabilities found by Khang are classified as zero-day, as developers have 'zero days' to fix the flaws before malicious hackers exploit them.

This is not the first time Khang has contributed white-hat efforts to tech giants digital safeguard, as he had detected a total of 27 vulnerabilities for Microsoft, Adobe, as well as anti-virus software by Trend Micro, McAfee, Bitdefender, and ESET, within a three-year span working for VinCSS.

In April 2019, Khang became the first Vietnamese engineer to receive the GIAC Reverse Engineering Malware (GREM) certification from the SANS Institute.

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Nine has confirmed a new premiere date for Love Island Australia following production challenges in Byron: Monday October 11 -a week later than originally planned.

As revealed by TV Tonight the show can proceed within 30 days from the start of filming.

9Networks Program Director, Hamish Turner said: We acknowledge the Mayors comments and although disappointing we are planning to ensure Love Island production, which has not commenced filming, is completed within existing regulations to ensure the show is ready for our audiences. All productions are conducted in accordance with the strictest health and safety regulations, testing, and isolation.

Sophie Monk hosts with narration by comedian Stephen Mullan. Abbie Chatfield hosts a Love Island: Afterparty each Thursday night on 9Now.

Love Island Australia is produced by ITV Studios Australia for Channel 9 with assistance from Screen NSWs Made In NSW Fund.

8:45pm Monday October 11 on Nine.
UjENA FIT Club 2016 Men's Performance

Top Performing Male Runners (View More)  Mens's Ranking

Click here for Women's Performance  Mens's Performance (All Time)  Double Road Race Men 's Member Performance  Men's Ranking  Women's Ranking

The WMA Age-Grading scoring system developed by Howard Grubb is being used to compare runners of different ages and races of different lengths. (Note: course terrian/hills and weather conditions are not factored into the calculated score.) For UjENA FIT Club ranking, 750 points are given to top age-grade performance, and 1 point given to 750th best. In addition to these points, members are given 100 points for each race completed and 20 points per each mile raced. The runner with the most points at the end of the year will be honored as the UjENA FIT Club 2016 Male Runner of the Year.

Click here for 2011 Runner Ranking  2012 Runner Ranking  2013 Ranking  2014 Ranking  2015 Ranking.
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St John's [Antigua], September 26 (ANI): Cricket West Indies (CWI) President, Ricky Skerritt, is calling on West Indies cricket fans everywhere, to throw their full support behind the West Indies team when they defend the ICC T20 World Cup title next month.

With the countdown already begun towards the start of the marquee event in the UAE, Skerritt has asked the fanbase and all stakeholders to help create a winning West Indian spirit of passion and unity, in the face of a global battle. The West Indies team is going in pursuit of an unprecedented third ICC T20 World title.

"The selectors have produced a fit-for-purpose squad which is a rich mixture of experienced leadership, proven match-winners, and youthful talent. For the first time for years the selectors had good options within a growing pool of exciting West Indian talent. But this is a major world tournament, not a development tour. All the best teams in the world will be setting out to dethrone the West Indies as defending champions," said Skerritt in an official release.

"And just coping with the discomfort of an ongoing COVID-19 bubble will be tough enough for the players. So the mental toughness of our team will be stiffly tested both on and off the field. That is at least one good reason why they deserve our support. If you are a West Indian fan, then this is your team no matter which territory the players hail from," he added.

The last time the T20I tournament was staged in 2016, West Indies beat England in spectacular fashion at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, to capture their second title. The first T20 World Cup victory came in 2012 when they beat Sri Lanka at the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. West indies have also reached the semi-finals on two occasions - in 2009 in England and 2014 in Bangladesh.

Head Coach Phil Simmons will be looking to make it back-to-back titles as he was the mastermind behind the title to success in 2016. Captain Kieron Pollard will also be looking for a second world title as he was an influential member of the squad which won in 2012.

Story continues

West Indies have shown encouraging form this year in the build-up to the tournament. They contested four T20I home series against Sri Lanka, South Africa, Australia, and Pakistan. They played 17 matches - won 8, lost 6, with three "no results" due to bad weather.

The squad is due to assemble in the United Arab Emirates in early October, where they will have a training camp before finetuning the final preparations, including warm-up matches.

West Indies have been drawn in Group 1 and will play five group games against England, South Africa and Australia along with the winner of Round 1 Group A (Sri Lanka, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Namibia) and the runner-up from Round 1 Group B (Bangladesh, Scotland, Papua New Guinea, and Oman). West Indies' first group game will be against England in Dubai on October 23. (ANI)
I gave my sermon "live" on Zoom in realtime, and also pre-recorded it to go live with this blog post around the time I was offering it. If you prefer to watch the sermon, it's above (and here on YouTube.) If you prefer to read it, the text appears below.

A few weeks ago, a congregant said to me: you know, it's weird. Sometimes, especially reading Facebook, it feels like life is normal. We're seeing everybody's first day of school pictures, even if school is "from home" this fall. There are pictures of new kids or grandkids. Life seems to be continuing. And then other times I wake up and I'm immediately swamped by fear about the future of democracy, despair about the pandemic, and anxiety about totalitarianism, and nothing feels normal anymore at all.

I was really struck by that description of the disjunction between first-day-of-school pictures and creeping anxiety about what our world might be becoming.

I think we've all been living in that disjunction. It's a normal day -- and here are the latest case numbers in the global pandemic. It's a normal day -- and the news headlines are so outrageous that I feel numb. It's a normal day -- and nothing feels normal at all... As Rafia Zakaria wrote recently, "We live constantly with the weight of these juxtapositions between the banal and the utterly devastating."

In pastoral conversations over the last six months, I've heard a lot of anxiety. About illness and covid-19 and our children and everything that's happening in our world. About the coming election, and fears of authoritarianism, and the future of democracy, and a sense that everything could be about to unravel right before our eyes, and about whether this nation is a safe place to be Jewish, and whether anywhere in the world is safe. Colleagues who are therapists tell me they're hearing all of these anxieties, too.

Several of you have asked me: if things really are that bad, then what can we do?

Here's my answer: if things are really that bad, then we take care of each other. We protect the most vulnerable among us. We stand up for those who are more at-risk than we are. And we cultivate hope for a better world, and do what we can to get closer to that ideal in our lifetime.

And what if things aren't that bad? If our democracy is actually pretty robust, and there isn't going to be a civil war, and we're not staring down the barrel of totalitarianism, and modern medicine finds an excellent vaccine for covid-19 and good government policies make it available to everyone, and together we can pursue the dream of a more perfect union with liberty and justice for all?

My answers don't actually change.

We still need to take care of each other. And protect the most vulnerable among us. And stand up for those who are more at-risk than we are. And cultivate hope, and do what we can to build a better world. That's our responsibility as Jews and as human beings, in the worst of times and in the best of times.

Over the last year, several friends and I have been studying the writings of the rabbi of the Warsaw Ghetto, R' Kalonymus Kalman Shapira, sometimes known as the Piazeczyner.

The Piazeczyner was writing under incredibly difficult circumstances. The community he served was confined to the ghetto and their rights were being continually diminished. (Eventually, of course, they would be rounded up and taken to the camps... though he didn't know that when he was writing these weekly commentaries.) Although he wrote these divrei Torah some eighty years ago, I have found his words to be deeply relevant to the spiritual needs of this moment.

The Piazeczyner writes that when times are tough, we feel "exiled" or distant from God, and those times are precisely when we feel the most powerful longing for God. (Aish Kodesh on Shabbat Ha-Gadol, 1941.) I think we can understand this as: when times are tough we despair, and we feel frightened about the world around us, and we yearn for safety and hope.

And, he says, when we "accept the yoke of the mitzvot" -- when we accept our obligations to each other and to God -- we grow in holiness. And when we do, it's as though God's own self becomes greater and more active in the world, because in our spiritual growth we become greater and more active in the world.

He could have said, these are terrible times. The world is broken, and we are not safe, and God has abandoned us. Instead, he said: the world is broken, that very brokenness arouses our yearning for a better world, and our yearning is the first step toward making it real. He said, remember the Exodus from Egypt. Remember the story of walking into the waters of the sea. Only when the waters reached our nostrils did the seas part.

The story of crossing the sea reminds us that we have to keep going "day and night." We have to keep trying, and doing mitzvot, and building a better world. Even in times of pain and fear. Even -- he wrote this in 1940 -- when we're confined to home and "commerce is brought to a standstill and businesses are closed, God forbid." (Aish Kodesh on Beshalach, 1940.)

Torah tells us that when our spiritual ancestors wandered in the wilderness, a pillar of cloud went before us by day and a pillar of fire by night. The Piazeczyner teaches that this isn't just a literal teaching, but also a spiritual one. The fire that we need to light our way forward is here for us, if only we will open our eyes. We need to hold on to our Source of strength and hope, and that will carry us through. In the words of Psalm 27, which we read each year at this season, "Keep hope in the One. Be strong and open your heart wide, and keep hoping in the One!"

I know that for some of us the word "God" is ... complicated. Maybe we don't believe in a God Who will step in and save us. Early in the pandemic, my son overheard me studying the Piazeczyner late one night with some colleagues. We were reading a commentary on how when the Israelites cried out in the hardships of slavery, God heard our cries and saved us. And my kid came into my study and said, "Mom, if we're still the children of Israel, why isn't God saving us from covid-19? Are we just not crying out enough?"

So we talked about whether God reaches into the world and changes things for us, or whether God acts in the world through our actions, or whether we find God -- as Mister Rogers famously taught -- "in the helpers," in the doctors and nurses and scientists working to help people with covid-19. And I remember thinking: this may be the moment when his childhood theology falls away.

Even so, the psalmist's instruction to be strong, open our hearts, and keep hoping is good spiritual medicine. And so is the Piazeczyner's reminder that we have the inner resources to get through even the most difficult of times -- and that the "yoke of the mitzvot" makes us responsible for and to one another. The mitzvot ask us to "be the helpers."

As my friend and study partner Rabbi David Markus teaches, love is an action, not just a feeling. This is why the mitzvot commit us to taking care of each other: because love reaches its fullest potential when we not only feel, but also act.

Memory too is an action. The traditional silent Yizkor memorial prayer includes an explicit invitation to act. It says that we will give tzedakah in the memory of those who have died: tzedakah, not "charity" but a kind of giving that is rooted in tzedek, justice. (The version of the prayer we will say this morning pledges to "live justly and lovingly" in their memory.) That's the Jewish way to remember: giving, and justice, and action.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg z"l died on the cusp of Rosh Hashanah. During these Ten Days of Teshuvah many of you have shared with me your grief at her passing, and your heightened fear of rights being eroded now that she's gone. I feel those things too.

Justice Ginsburg will be remembered for standing up for the rights of women, from the right to have a credit card in my own name to the right to control my own body. She'll be remembered for dissenting against stripping federal protections from voters of color. She'll be remembered for asserting the full humanity of people with disabilities. What kind of giving, justice, and action might we undertake in her memory?

In the days since her death, I keep returning to these words that she offered to law students:

If you are going to be a lawyer and just practice your profession, you have a skillvery much like a plumber. But if you want to be a true professional, you will do something outside yourself, something to repair tears in your community, something that makes life a little better for people less fortunate than you.

That's our Jewish obligation and our human calling: to do something that makes life better for people less fortunate than we. That obligation feels more important than ever before.

So many of the prayers we recite today are written in the plural: not "I," but "we." Torah also frames our obligations to each other in the plural. No matter what comes, we have responsibilities to each other.

Whether or not the world is spiraling out of control, our work of repairing the world, caring for the vulnerable, and pursuing justice doesn't change. And maybe in fulfilling our obligations to each other, we can become for each other the pillar of fire that the Piaceczyner evoked: a beacon shining in the darkness, lighting each others' path.

This is my Yom Kippur morning sermon (cross-posted to my From the Rabbi blog.)
Banks have put on sale consumer debts with no collateral with very small value. One of the debts has the value of VND483,000, including principal, interest and fine.

VietinBank has announced public sale of 264 consumer debts of individual clients with total debt value, including principal, interest and fine for payment delay, of VND6.58 billion.

The highest debt has the value of VND101 million. Most of the other debts have the value of between VND5 million and VND20 million. There are also very small loans, below VND1 million, including a debt worth VND483,000.

The debts are offered with starting prices equal to the book value (including principal, interest and fines). Buyers will have to make payment once for all the value of the debts.

The starting prices do not include costs related to the transfer of asset ownership and other costs, if any, when buying the debts. The debt purchase and sale are not subject to VAT.

This is not the first time VietinBank has announced the sale of consumer debts of individual clients.

In early August, VietinBank offered to sell consumer debts of 105 individual clients. In the first announcement, the total book value was reported at VND2.847 billion and the debts had value of between VND1.8 million and VND88 million. But two days later, the total value of the debts was reduced to VND2.587 billion.

In July, VietinBank announced the sale of consumer debts of 36 individuals, totaling VND614 million. The biggest loan was valued at VND21.3 million and the smallest VND1.1 million.

In May, VietinBank offered to sell nine consumer debts, valued at VND75.5 million in total. The most valuable debt was VND16 million.

A representative of the bank said these offers aim to activate the consumer debt trading market. Banks have offered to sell big debts with mortgaged assets, but they had not previously made public offerings for consumer debts.

He said offering to sell debts is just a normal operation of commercial banks to settle debt.

Experts confirmed that debts are put on sale by commercial banks regularly, but they only sell debt with collateral.

Banks recently offered to sell secured bad debts at starting prices much lower than the book value, but the liquidity was weak. Experts believe that it would be difficult for VietinBank to sell consumer debts with no collateral and high prices (the starting prices are equal to the value of the debts). In general, unsecured debts are less valuable than secured ones.

Can Van Luc, a member of the National Advisory Council for Finance and Monetary Policy, said commercial banks no longer use debt collection services, so selling unsecured consumer debts is understandable. However, he believes that it would be difficult to sell debts at prices equal to book value.

According to finance experts, when finance companies and banks need to recover capital for their business activities, they sell consumer debt. However, the segment of the debt trading market remains fledgling.

Banks may not only sell bad debts, but good debts as well. In order to reduce outstanding loans in some certain segments, banks may offer to sell debts which have not become bad debts.

Dinh The Hien, a respected economist, noted that the bad debts in consumer loans at commercial banks are on the rise. The risks are even higher for consumer loans with no collateral. Bad debts in consumer lending will increase if banks cannot make risk compensation while they continue expanding lending.

If bad consumer debts increase, no one would buy the debts when banks offer them, except institutions with large long-term capital specializing in debt handling.

Commercial banks and finance companies in recent months expanded consumer lending in a plan to eliminate black credit. However, the expansion has been associated with bad debt risks.

According to State Bank of Vietnam (SBV), as of the end of March, the outstanding loans provided to consumers had reached VND1.867 quadrillion, up by 1.2 percent over late 2020.

The Vietnam Asset Management Company (VAMC) under SBV said in June that it is planning to launch the debt trading platform, the first of its kind in Vietnam, in early Q3. Prior to that, the central bank approved the establishment of VAMCs debt exchange in April.

Tuan Dung

Businesses wait for bank debts rescheduling A week after the State Bank of Vietnam issued Circular 14 on debt rescheduling to alleviate the difficulties faced by businesses due to the COVID-19...
The lack of input materials and workers, the increase in production costs, and failure to fulfill orders of partners all have pushed seafood companies into a deadlock. Seafood exports have plummeted.

According to Vietnam Association of Seafood producers (VASEP), 19 southern and south central privinces are the major production areas of the seafood industry, which make up 90-95 percent of the countrys total seafood export turnover.

However, during the two months of social distancing, only 30 percent of seafood processing factories in the region could maintain production, running production in accordance with the three on-the-site principle. About 70 percent of enterprises could not satisfy the requirement and had to suspend production.

As a result, the average production capacity of the region fell to 30-35 percent only. The figure was less than 20 percent for catfish processing. This was blamed on disrupted supply chains, the lack of workers and insufficient materials for production.

Meanwhile, production costs increased sharply because of high expenses on anti-pandemic measures.

VASEP reported that production cost per product following the three on-site principle has increased by 10-25 percent, depending on product and processing scale.

It is estimated that one enterprise would incur a loss of 30 percent a month if maintaining the three on-the-site production with just one third of designed capacity, and it would incur a loss of 50-55 percent a month if suspending production.

According to the association, as of July 2021, export orders had increased by 10-20 percent compared with 2020 thanks to increased demand from some markets.

However, social distancing which began in late July disrupted supply chains. As processing workshops lack materials, the delivery delay is up to 40-50 percent and 10-15 percent of orders have been canceled.

Seafood export turnover in August, which decreased by 28 percent compared with the same period last year, clearly reflected the impact of the pandemic on the seafood sector.

The exports of shrimp, pangasius, tuna, octopus, crab and fish all decreased by 20-33 percent compared with the same period last year.

Compared with July 2021, when export turnover increased thanks to stored materials, export turnover in August decreased by 31 percent. Of this, the shrimp export turnover dropped by 36 percent, catfish 31 percent, tuna and other fish 25 percent, and octopus 23 percent.

The exports to all markets in August decreased by 16-50 percent compared with August 2020. The exports to China and Japan dropped by 36 percent, to the EU 32 percent, while the figure was 16 percent of the US and Russian markets.

Year-end sale season

Seafood companies all complained that they are exhausted after a long period of social distancing and need to resume production in September. If they do this after September, there will be no more opportunity to get orders for the year-end sales season.

Le Van Quang, CEO of Minh Phu Seafood, said the market is expected to be bustling this year end, when demand increases on holidays. Clients have urged the company to delivery goods, so that they can sell for Christmas holiday. If the company cannot deliver goods, clients will cancel the orders and shift to buy products from India, Thailand and Indonesia.

Quang stressed that if the company loses customers, it will take at least 3-5 years to restore the markets. In order to maintain production and delivery products on schedule, his enterprise has to apply the seven green principle, and pay more for materials to encourage farmers to begin hatching shrimp immediately in early September.

Ho Quoc Luc, president of Sao Ta Food, thinks there is no need to worry about losing potential export markets, because Vietnams rivals are also facing difficulties.

He said enterprises need to be cautious when increasing the workforce. He hopes the Government prioritizes vaccinating workers of seafood companies.

Tam An

The 'test' for the future of seafood exports If Vietnam does not focus on removing the IUU (Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing) yellow card and violations continue, it is very likely that the EC will switch from yellow card to red card.
Vietnams e-commerce has been growing rapidly, and when the pandemic is over, the e-commerce market is expected to be even more robust.

Nguyen Duc Hien, Deputy Head of the Party Central Committee's Economics Commission.

Nguyen Duc Hien, Deputy Head of the Party Central Committee's Economics Commission, said the Politburos Resolution 52 on guidelines and policies in the 4.0 industry revolution says the digital economy is a pillar for national development. Vietnams digital economy is expected to make up 20 percent of GDP (gross domestic product) by 2025.

Hien said at a seminar held recently that the digital economy is growing rapidly, especially in fintech, telecommunication, computer and electronics manufacturing and ICT (information and communication technology) services.

However, there are still many problems, including weak and overlapping legal framework, the use of cash on a large scale, and the rapid development of new business models, which makes it difficult for state management agencies to manage digital economic activities.

Nguyen The Quang, Deputy Director of the Agency for E-commerce and Digital Economy under the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT), said Vietnams e-commerce is in its most prosperous development.

An MOITs report showed that from 2016 to now, e-commerce grew by 25-30 percent per annum. The B2C revenue of Vietnams e-commerce increased from $5 billion in 2016 to $11.8 billion in 2020.

MOIT believes that B2C (business to consumer) revenue will reach $35 billion by 2025, accounting for 10 percent of the countrys total retail turnover.

Vietnamese spending on online shopping in 2020 was $240 per capita per annum, while the figure is predicted to surge to $600 by 2025.

Healthcare, education and other sectors are also taking full advantage of digital technology to grow, especially amid the pandemic.

New picture of digital economy

The participants at the seminar all agreed that there would be a completely new picture of Vietnams e-commerce after the pandemic.

Nguyen Ngoc Dung, Deputy Chair of the Vietnam E-commerce Association (Vecom), said because of Covid-19, all chains in the economy have been disrupted.

In the supply chain, e-commerce has made a great contribution to goods circulation. However, during social distancing, problems have arisen, affecting the operation of e-commerce firms.

However, the pandemic has sped up the application of e-commerce and caused it to grow 1-2 years faster than predicted by the association.

Vecom proposed that shippers be allowed to travel and deliver products among districts.

Some localities have given strong support to shippers and created favorable conditions for them to work. This has helped many firms regain smooth operation.

However, Dung said because of the pandemic, the predictions about e-commerce growth may not occur after the pandemic.

A new chapter will begin. People have been educated about e-commerce during the pandemic, so a new wave of development will come. But it will depend on the policies on supporting digital economy development.

Dung said many firms in the blockchain sector successfully called for large amounts of capital during the pandemic via the Internet. This was something new in Vietnams digital economy.

Private-public partnership

Nguyen Thai Hai Van, CEO Grab Vietnam, made a proposal at the seminar  promoting private-public partnership (PPP) between the Government and businesses, taking full advantage of the technological platform to carry out activities to fight the pandemic and develop digital economy.

HCM City has been facing challenges in maintaining supply chains. Van believes that if the private-public partnership could be exploited well, the business would be able to better help local authorities in the fight against the pandemic and economic recovery. For example, the municipal authorities should allow it to provide shopping services.

Van also suggested that there should be recognition of the role of shippers in the supply chain. In many countries, the contingent of shippers is seen as a frontline force, and Vietnam should learn a lesson from this.

She said that cashless payments will be a big step forward and serve as a leverage in sustaining the economy during the pandemic. The number of people using Grab's cashless payment increased by 30 percent in 2020. This is proof of the potential and growth rate of this economic segment.

Vietnam is making efforts to push up the digital transformation as a key strategy to boost the national economy. The digital sector is expected to contribute 30 percent to Vietnam's economy by 2030.

Trong Dat

Indicators to measure Vietnam's digital economy needed The set of indicators will fully reflect every aspect of the digital economy, including digital infrastructure, the popularity of digital means, online services, and human resources.
we are trying to keep our power pole from falling and tearing a huge hole in our roof of our village home. The power company is not interested, being that it is their power pole on their right of way, kinda does not make sense to me. Yet, it is an issue that will hurt us in the end

So.the home that is rotting with live wires attached and these wires are directly in a line pulling against our system, has half collapsed and is about ready to fall completely. This also does not even stress enough about the fire hazard that will ensue due to live wires and a rotting dry home with twenty years of dried grass and weeds surrounding the home

So for the record:

Dear Power Company: When the home (The home that has been mentioned and the power poles that have been mentioned in several emails sent to you prior. Along with images.) that is near our home falls? The ripped down live power lines will pull our pole down and tear a hole in the roof of our home. This will also start a fire and burn down the village. I would like to get the power wires cut to the falling home to stop what will be a very bad situation for everyone involved. Sincerely Yours Kyle and Sveta Keeton

WtR
Good location, food and shops close by Reviewed 13 January 2016 (Kiwitraveling, Phuket) 2016/01/13 I have stayed here 3 times now while travelling in and out of Wellington, I find it more enjoyable staying in Petone and getting up early to get to the airport for a flight than staying by the airport. On this occasion I had been travelling for 48 hours and arrived early with no booking. They happily gave us a room and let us sleep. The beach and wharf are over the road with views of Wellington and Petone's main street with plenty of cafes, clothes and second hand shops less than 10 minutes walk away. There are other motels in Petone but this would be the closest to the cafe region and supermarket. Rooms are clean, tidy and quiet. Plenty of off street parking.

Very nice Reviewed 3 November 2015 (CountrySherry, Melbourne) 2015/11/03 Very nice accommodation. We stayed in the two bedroom suite, very spacious and clean. The people that run the property are very nice and helpful. The breakfast was really yum too! I found the accommodation to be very quiet as well. It's also a short walk to Jackson street.

A Great Experience From Beginning To End Reviewed 14 June 2015 (Jimmy_Two_Socks, Parksville BC) 2015/06/14 We booked early and were not able to get a 2-bedroom unit for our entire stay, as it was the rugby "Sevens" weekend, so we booked two single bedroom units for part of the stay. Heather promised to keep us in mind if they had cancellations, and on our arrival we were pleasantly surprised to find that there was a cancellation and we had the 2-bedroom unit for our entire stay. Our room was behind the main building, and despite being on a busy road, we found the room quieter than we had anticipated. The motel is very centrally located, within walking distance of grocery stores, cafes, Jackson Street shops and the Petone railway station (for travel into Wellington). The room was very clean, serviced daily and met all our expectations. I would certainly recommend 83 By The Sea for great stay in Petone.

Another great stay!!! Reviewed 24 May 2015 (MBrownie23, Tauranga) 2015/05/24 Many thanks to the team @ 83 by the sea for another great stay! Nice to be recognized as a returning customer.We loved the new decor, best beds we have slept in. Nice to get a fine Welly weekend , walks along the beach and wharf. Tried La Bella Italian restaurant just around the corner- recommended by Garry and Heather .Very nice as was the Butcher and Brewer pub on Jackson Street. Looking forward to our next years trip to Petone. Thanks for the loyalty card for other ASURE Motels.
You got famous playing victims in Taxi Driver and The Accused, then started playing defenders of victims.

I did play quite a few victims. I was attracted to that. I'm psychologically interested in how a character survives intact. And some of it is also ... I'm a woman ... the roles I play are determined by other people  how they look at women, what they're interested in seeing women play. So it was a big leap for me, when I did Silence, to finally play somebody who was not just the victim of the crime, but somebody whose destiny it was to track down the criminal.

Nancy is the first real living person you've ever played. Even though you've got her mannerisms, did you feel free to wear louder red lipstick and drive faster than she does?

No, she's pretty much louder with the lipstick and faster with the cars than my character is. But I did tell her, My Nancy will be a lot meaner than your Nancy. More rude and brusque, formidable. Nancy's lovely. I took some liberties so that I could build a character that changed in time, that grew through her relationship with Mohamedou.

Mohamedou is not what people expect of someone who spent 14 years at Guantanamo and tortured into a false confession of terrorism that he recanted.

He left Mauritania at age 19 on a scholarship to Germany. He was dying to leave Mauritania ... so excited about going to a democratic country where corruption isn't tolerated. He was idealistic.

He joined with al-Qaida  then a U.S. ally  to fight Afghan communists in 1990.

Alongside the CIA. Yes.

He also had the bad luck to get a phone call from Osama bin Laden's phone, because his cousin was a top bin Laden adviser. But Mohamedou didn't know bin Laden and left when al-Qaida switched enemies.

All the circumstantial evidence [against Mohamedou], the charges  within 15 minutes, the ACLU was able to debunk every single one. It's just that the American government wasn't really interested in doing the due diligence to have any benefit of the doubt. It was just plain fear after 9/11. I mean, I think that's understandable. The government was able to discard the laws and seek revenge, and try to protect themselves from it ever happening again. They thought it was more important to imprison lots of innocent men than miss some guilty men.
MT. SHASTA, Calif.  Authorities from the Siskiyou County Sheriffs Office and the California Highway Patrol (CHP) are still searching for a man who they say drove recklessly on Interstate 5 on Friday afternoon, almost causing several wrecks. They said the driver was traveling at speeds of 80-100 mph.

According to CHP Sgt. T. Hinkson several calls concerning the black Cadillac that was seen being driven at high speeds on the freeway were received by dispatch, starting shortly after 2:00 p.m. on Friday.

Law enforcement caught up with the 2007 Cadillac just north of Redding and chased the driver all the way to Mt. Shasta. The man arrived at the Siskiyou County city at 2:50 p.m., just about  hour after the man was first located by authorities.

The driver crashed the Cadillac and ran into some bushes located on the 1300 block of Ream Ave. in the City of Mt. Shasta.

The man was not located by air or ground resources so now authorities are asking citizens for their help in apprehending the driver.

According to the Siskiyou County Sheriffs Office, the man is 24 years old. The black man was sporting an Afro hairstyle, had no shirt, was wearing brown shorts, and only had one show.

The Sheriffs Office said the man should be considered to be armed and dangerous. They said anyone who sees the man should not make contact but should call 9-1-1 immediately.
BUTTE COUNTY, Calif. - A fire was reported at Butte College late Saturday afternoon.

The CAL FIRE Butte Unit responded to the scene of the fire, which was in the Campus Center building.

CAL FIRE said the incident was contained to an HVAC unit and said there was no extension into the actual building structure.

The incident is being referred to as the College Fire.
GRIDLEY, Calif.- The NCIS Fugitive Recovery Unit arrested a Gridley man on a warrant of probable cause on Aug. 20 for allegedly sexually assaulting a child.

Marlin McElroy, 41, was arrested and booked into the Portsmouth Police Department Jail in the State of Virginia after they located him at his adult son's home.

On July 6, Gridley Police Officers answered a call for sexual assault of a minor, according to the Gridley Police Department.

Police got a statement from the reporting party, and a minor said they had been sexually assaulted by a grown man multiple times.

McElroy refused to give a statement at the time.

On July 28, based on the findings a warrant for McElroy's arrest was filed through the Butte County Superior Court on charges of aggravated sexual assault of a child, sodomy of a child, oral copulation of a child, and sexual penetration of a child.

With the help of the Naval Criminal Investigation Service they searched McElroy's home and determined he fled the state.

McElroy was transferred back to Butte County Jail and booked for the above charges after he was arrested in Portsmouth.

McElroy's bail is set at $4,000,000 as the investigation is ongoing and additional arrests are being considered.
While driving to that recent appointment, I reflected on the problems Ronan had that brought us to this exceptional doctor. They existed long before Ronan landed in the ER at the childrens hospital. Ironically, wed had an existing appointment with his office booked for the next month, but we were blessed that we didnt have to wait for it. Dr. M could treat the acute problems, and he wanted to begin treating the chronic issues no one else cared to. We were speechless. Once we found our voices, we said, yes, of course, please. Please help us help our son.

Weve continued to keep in touch with the lead doctor and remain comfortable with the advice Ronans received under his care. Dr. Ms immediate response then, and his active involvement now, have helped keep us on a good path.

the team of compassionate caregivers and medical staff assigned to his care exceeded our expectations. I lost count of how many wed encountered, but over the course of the two days he was admitted, at least 30 people personally evaluated, managed, and executed multiple tests and procedures for my son. That constant, direct care helped ease our minds. They collaborated and kept us informed of everything as things were happening throughout the stay. Best of all, they were able to determine what the major issue was that brought us to them, which meant that they could send us home with a treatment plan!

Readers may also recall that, with the help of some quick thinking medical people, things got a bit better.

Ive never had to follow an ambulance that was transporting one of my children. I hope I never have to again

From The Perfect Patient December 2019 The team of nurses and doctors were quick to help alleviate one of the problems, but we all agreed that with all of Ronans existing medical issues and complications, we were in the wrong place. Ronan would need to be elsewhere with a team of pediatric specialists who could evaluate and treat him. Not wanting to waste any more time, an immediate Emergency Room-to-Emergency Room transfer was ordered.

A few winters ago, Ronan landed in the ER. Long-time readers will remember that story and how a typical day went from bad to worse:

Stopping at the doorway of the exam room and smiling toward Ronan, the GI doctor said, You look great! It looks like you grew since last time we saw you here.

As the world outside my front door becomes more and more unrecognizable, I was able to find something good to dwell on last week. Ronan was given a great compliment. I was, too. We heard these at an appointment from a specialist whos been providing some of Ronans care.

Doctors wed approached years before brushed off all gastro problems, even though GI symptoms and simple-to-treat diagnoses were more than obvious. Ill never forget the time when a much sought after specialists told me he didnt know why Ronan was having trouble pooping. Kids with more severe problems were receiving expert care from this doctor and his team. Wed hoped for the same, but after 2 appointments, we hit a dead end. At the sink while washing his hands after examining Ronan, that doctor literally washed his hands of us when he said, Its part of the autism. Talk to the autism doctor about it.

I hinted, Butits a pooping problemcant you address that?

No, the GI doctor couldnt.

And no, the GI doctor wouldnt.

Then he walked out on us.

After that failed attempt, I tried working with another doctor at a large GI clinic. We didnt get in to see the attending like Id requested but were offered an appointment with a resident. Promised that she would be just as professional as the expert, I agreed to drive the two hours to see her.

After explaining as much medical history as I could and offering that Miralax, the go-to remedy at the time, did not work for my son, that doctor said she could help. Oh, thank the Lord! I thought, because we really do need some help. Thats when the young doctor excitedly went to a cabinet and pulled out a poster. On it was an enlarged illustration of the bowels with the words MEGA COLON across the top. Other words, like impaction and constipation were listed also. Giving me what sounded like memorized textbook definition of these GI problems, I politely said to her, Yes, I know what they are, I began, and theyre exactly what I just described to you.

OH! She said even more excitedly, Then lets get him to try Miralax.

Baffled, I said, But I just told you he didnt respond to that, and that weve tried it several times. It even worsened the problem, I explained.

Oh, the young doctor answered much less enthusiastically. Well, if you dont want to use it again, I dont have anything else I can offer you.

I started, you guys came highly recommended. Ive heard you do testing, like motility testing, and some have said youre beginning to do things with pill cams. Could my son be a candidate for some further testing?

No. I can only offer you Miralax, she said.

Hes not going on that again. I told you, it didnt work, I answered as I began to pack up our things. Can I speak to one of the other doctors if you cant help us? She didnt think so. They wouldnt do anything besides the Miralax either. She told me that wed have to try that first. Again. Even though it didnt work.

I can usually recognize when an appointment heads in the wrong direction. I was stunned that this clinic, also highly recommended, focused on the autism and used it almost like an excuse.

Well, its probably the autism thats causing it the young doctor began.

I cut her off, You cant say that if you dont bother to look deeper, and then we walked out on her.

Its true that some GI issues may accompany an autism diagnosis, but those issues should be, and can be, treated independent of an autism diagnosis. Had that been a priority for doctors who saw Ronan after those initial disappointing encounters, things Ronan has had to deal with might not have gone from bad to worse.

But they did.

And hes still getting through some of it.

Which is why we keep people like Dr. M in our back pocket. Hes quick. Hes helpful. Hes kind. Hes able to see that yes, major disabilities and other serious medical complications exists. But hes also able to see that his expertise can address, treat, and even help improve some of the GI issues that linger.

Ronans definitely made progress since that awful day back in 2019. Dr. M made note of that when we both recalled how scary that ER encounter was. It was awful. I was overjoyed, though, when he then said, Mom, Dad, you guys are doing great! From a nutritional standpoint, keep doing what youre doing. As much as Id like to not have to puree Ronans meals due to the type of GI and swallowing problems he has, well keep doing that. Hes still not able to eat independently nor use the toilet completely on his own right now. But we have a team whos given us access to supplies and useful suggestions for us to try. At each appointment since that really bad day, Dr. M and his team have been willing to go beyond our expectations to help us.

Can I do anything else for you? Do you need refills, for me to order anything, or sign any paperwork? I can do that today, or later if you think of something How refreshing to be welcomed to a medical facility with open arms and to be offered more care than I expected.

Times are tough for so many people right now. Things may be tough for this doctor, but he didnt let the outside world influence or interfere with how he treated me or my child. After we returned home, I thanked God for humans, like Dr. M, who go out of their way to build people up instead of tear them down. We dont have to go back to the clinic for another 6 months, but I will look forward to seeing how much more progress Ronan can make by then. Ill also look forward to being able to share that information with a doctor who truly cares about my son and others like him.

Cathy Jameson is a Contributing Editor for Age of Autism.
President Donald Trump's second impeachment, on his way out from office, comes as Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has continued to speak out about Trumps legacy, particularly the US leader's maximum pressure policy against Iran.

Speaking Jan. 13 on the anniversary of when Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the last shah of Iran, fled the country for good, Rouhani said that the shah's departure marked the end of colonialism in Iran and that Trumps departure marks the end of another dictator in America. Rouhani said Trumps election loss is not just the transfer of one government to another but shows that bullying, racism and trampling laws does not have a good end.

Rouhani added that during the last three years the Trump administration tried to collapse Irans government and that Trumps exit marks the end of a policy Rouhani referred to as economic terrorism. Rouhani said that despite all the pressure on Tehran from US sanctions and having to deal with the coronavirus, Iran has had positive economic growth the last six months.

While some countries in the Middle East will be sad to see Trumps presidency come to an end, Iran is looking forward to a Biden administration that has stated its desire to reenter the nuclear deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. Trump exited the deal and reapplied sanctions, preventing Iran from selling oil and conducting financial transactions with countries in Europe and Asia. The United States also sanctioned numerous entities in Iran. Most recently the United States announced sanctions against Mohammad Mokhber, the head of the Executive Headquarters of Imams Directives and Barkat Ventures, where the Iranian vaccine for COVID-19 is being developed. Iranian media referred to this latest penalty as a sanction on the Iranian coronavirus vaccine.

Trumps maximum pressure also included his orders to assassinate Irans Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani. While the assassination nearly led to a broader war, Iran is trying to pursue a legal angle. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said an arrest warrant for Trump will be pursued by the Foreign Ministry and other institutions. While Iran knows that no such thing will ever happen, the country is under severe pressure to respond. Shortly after the assassination, Iran launched missiles at a US base in Iraq. While the missiles caused severe damage, no US troops were killed in the attack.

While members of the Rouhani administration will be happy to see Trump go, conservative politicians have felt vindicated that their viewpoint on the United States was the more accurate one. Conservative Iranian politicians also took pleasure in covering the chaos in the United States, most recently after the Capitol riots and the calling in of the National Guard to protect the inauguration. Vatan-e Emrooz newspapers top story above the fold showed a picture of the sleeping national guardsmen using a headline with a double meaning, Goodnight America.
A deputy commander of the Quds Force of Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) denied that any deaths had resulted from a string of airstrikes believed to have been carried out by Israel in Syria earlier this week.

The attacks left no human casualties, Ahmad Karimkhani told Irans state Fars News Agency on Thursday. Despite their fake propaganda, the Zionists do not dare to attack the Iranian and resistance groups centers and positions in Syria, he added.

Suspected Israeli airstrikes hit multiple locations in and around the cities of Deir ez-Zor, Mayadeen and Abu Kamal in eastern Syria in territory occupied by IRGC-backed forces supporting Syrias President Bashar al-Assad.

Reports of deaths varied. Omar Abu Layla, who runs an activist network in Deir Ez-Zor, told reporters that no more than 40 had been killed. The United Kingdom-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 57 had been killed, including more than a dozen Syrian army personnel. Most killed were from Iran-backed Shiite militias, the observatory reported.

A commander of the IRGC-backed Afghan Fatemiyoun in Syria denied Thursday that any of his militias members had been affected, but said Syrian army personnel were killed in the strikes.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Thursday that the strikes caused the Fatemiyoun to redeploy personnel in the three Euphrates River valley cities to avoid potential follow-up strikes.

The strikes targeted warehouses used to store Iranian weapons systems in Syria, a US intelligence official told The Associated Press on Wednesday. The official also said the sites stored materials needed for Irans nuclear development, though it was unclear what.

The United States has sought to strangle Irans financial ability to support proxy militias abroad in conflict zones in Syria, Iraq and Yemen, and has clamped down on Irans ability to obtain certain metals that could be used to manufacture ballistic missiles.
Irans Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei claimed that the Islamic Republics presence in countries such as Iraq and Syria is not for military control, but rather for advisory assistance.

We are there to support sovereign governments at their own behest, he said, rejecting the US depiction of Iran as a destabilizing factor. Khamenei also criticized the American military for establishing bases in those two countries without permission from the hosts.

The issue of Irans influence in the region has been at the core of its tensions with the West and Khameneis latest remarks appeared as yet another message of defiance and a clear statement that the issue is not up for negotiations. Instead, he insisted that it is the United States that must leave Iraq and Syria.

They claim they are against Weapons of Mass Destruction, the Iranian leader said, before throwing a sarcastic quip at the US lying because they possess the worst and most dangerous of such weapons and they have used them.

In response to Western worries regarding Iranian plans to develop nuclear bombs, the Islamic Republic has repeatedly referenced a Fatwa, or religious edict, by Khamenei that places a strict ban on the pursuit of such arms as religiously forbidden. Last month, however, a slip of tongue by the countrys Intelligence Minister, Mahmoud Alavi, sparked controversy when he suggested Iran might change course and produce such weapons if it continues to remain targeted by crippling sanctions. The comment cost him a rebuke from President Hassan Rouhani.

Khameneis speech also targeted Washingtons ties with Riyadh, Tehrans top rival in the region. The Americans defended a convict who dismembered his opponent with a saw, Khamenei said of the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and his role in the 2018 murder of prominent dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The Americans have been inverting the truth.

Tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia have been on the rise, especially since 2015, when a Saudi-led coalition invaded Yemen to defend the Yemeni government and curb the influence of Tehran-backed Houthi rebels. Iran is accused of providing arms  including a range of rockets and missiles  which the Shiite group continues to launch against Saudi interests, among them military bases and key oil installations.

In his speech, however, Khamenei appeared to be distancing Tehran from the Yemen conflict. While defending the Yemenis, he denied any Iranian involvement.

Yemenis are gifted people. They have managed to produce or provide means for their defence on their own to respond to the six-year-long bombardments."
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP)  The president of Emporia State University in Kansas was chosen Friday as the next chancellor of the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education.

Allison Garrett, the first woman selected as chancellor, will succeed Glen Johnson, who is retiring Nov. 7 after 14 years as chancellor. Garrett will take office Nov. 8, said regents Chair Jeffrey Hickman.

In September 2020, Johnson announced plans to retire at the end of 2020, more than a year after Gov. Kevin Stitt sought his ouster.

The regents supported Johnson, who remained chancellor beyond his planned retirement as the search for his replacement was delayed by the coronavirus pandemic.

Garrett, president of Emporia State since 2016, previously was an administrator at Abilene Christian University in Texas and at Oklahoma Christian University.

She also worked as an executive at Walmart, which is based in Bentonville, Arkansas.

"One of the things that impressed me was her corporate experience," Stitt said. "She was the general counsel and vice president at Walmart ... that is a big-time job."

Garrett said she is honored and grateful to be chosen.

"Education opens doors for people, it ensures vibrant communities and it helps to ensure a robust economy," Garrett said.

The regents oversee Oklahoma's 25 public universities and colleges.
There has been a great deal of consternation, anger, and vitriol the last two years arguing about two specific dates: 1776 or 1619. Most Americans, regardless of race, know what 1776 is about. Most Americans, regardless of race, do not know what 1619 is about. Most Americans believe that in 1776 America declared independence from the mother country, England, and thus that was the birth date of our country: 1776. However, author Nikole Hannah-Jones, writing in the New York Times Magazine, recently declared 1619 to be the actual beginning of America, our supposed birth date. This is because 1619 is when the first slaves landed in what was later to become America. That author uses 1619 as America's birth date, to not just highlight the date of the first slaves into the colonies. But much more importantly, she vigorously claims that because of this date, America has been evil since its inception. And that everything in America since 1619, is corrupt and damaged goods. She believes the United States is irredeemable because of 1619. To this day, The New York Times Magazine has still refused to correct mistakes and errors in their story on the 1619 Project. Why?

It is very important to really understand what the 1619 Project and 1619 date are all about. The author, Hannah-Jones is arguing that since America actually started in 1619 (not 1776), that date when the first slaves arrived into the yet independent United States, then actually America's birth is evil from the crib. Evil from birth. Evil from inception. And thus is unjustifiable to remain. Some argue the author is using 1619 to support and endorse reparations for the descendants of slaves in America. In other words, Hannah-Jones wants the federal government to "pay up" to the decedents of slavery. Although, others would argue that since the 1960s, America has been doing just that. Some would argue that the United States is paying reparations since the '60s via welfare, food stamps, unemployment checks, public education, public housing, racially-based affirmative action in hiring, Medicaid, and the like. Regardless of that argument, the problem with the 1619 Project goes much further than that; and a great deal deeper and long-lasting.

Most Americans know the evil of slavery. Most Americans also know how awful racism is. Most Americans believe slavery and racism to be a sin that America has committed. And that slavery and racism will always be a stain on America. There is no question with about 99% of the American citizenry, that slavery has always been wrong, no excuses, and will forever be a blot on our soul as a nation. No question, no doubt, and no argument.

Today, slavery is recognized by almost everyone to be a national sin. But today, Joe Biden's America is more deeply divided than at any time since 1860. The Biden administration has created such a fracture in our social fabric of commonality, it does remind historians of the pre-Civil War days. From the five-year deep-state attempted coup of President Trump, China, the 2020 Election, Deep State criminality and hypocrisy, China's COVID Virus, vaccine mandates, unconstitutional open borders, THE Afghanistan pull-out, THE J-6 MAGA Rally, and support of Israel, America is so historically deeply divided. Actually teetering on the edge, and the misinformation in the 1619 Project could push us over the cliff as a nation.

But what the author of the 1619 Project is doing fits right into the BLM/Antifa narrative...that America has been bad since birth and needs to be destroyed.

Again, the real meaning of 1619 is that the United States has been so awful since conception, that we do not have the right to continue as is. this goes with the speaking points from Antifa and BLM. If they and 1619 can convince enough Americans that we don't have the right to continue...then we won't as a country. They want America no longer to exist as constituted. They want Americans to feel so guilty as a people, that we will commit suicide as a nation. That is the point from 1619, and the words of BLM and Antifa echo that very thought. They want to bring down the Republic. Both groups, sometimes using the 1619 Project as cover, have destroyed countless statues and memorials of Americans.

The basic thesis of Hannah-Jones' 1619 Project is wrong from the beginning. It is just not historically factual and cannot be justified by the events of history. The author claims that the colonists sought independence from Great Britain because the colonists "wanted to protect the institution of slavery". Wrong. The author claims that Great Britain was about to outlaw slavery in the colonies, so the colonist got ahead of the curve, and claimed independence so they could keep slavery in the Americas. Just plain wrong. The 1619 Project is much more of a political treatise than a historical factual thesis. It is "blame America first" politics not factual U.S history. Hannah-Jones writes in the 1619 Project that the chief purpose for the colonists to declare independence was so the colonies could keep and expand slavery. And the likes of BLM and Antifa have used the errors of the 1619 Project to argue, even in violent manners, that the United States has no right to continue as constituted. Both groups have stated that the American flag offends them.

They argue that we as a people must start from a new beginning, must write a totally new and different constitution, and we must begin as a blank slate, not just amend the errors of the past. They argue that the likes of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments along with the Civil Rights Acts of 1964 and 1965 are not nearly enough. Nor the Voting Rights Act. They argue amending it is not the answer but a total rewriting from a blank page is the only way to go.

This is wildly dangerous. Just imagine the resulting chaos if Antifa is at the table at the next "Philadelphia" in the writing of our next constitution? This is an extremely dangerous course to take. This socialistic "re-set" course could well lead us to a path of anarchy, rebellion, and secession. Does anyone think that if we begin anew from ground zero, start completely over again, that America will be better off for it? If the 1619 Project, along with BLM and Antifa, can convince enough Americans of a sinful and irreparable birth, then it is a whole lot easier to kill the baby.

Americans realize the United States is not a perfect country. We know we have made grave mistakes in the past. We know we have let God and fellow Americans down. But we also believe we are an "exceptional" country. And we do not apologize for thinking we are exceptional. We believe God has blessed our land in a mighty way. We believe the Good Lord has treasured our land and allowed us to be a beacon of hope to the rest of the world. We believe many people throughout the world live better lives because of America's help and selflessness to them. We believe more people throughout the world are freer, have more rights, and have a high standard of living; because of America's help. Not a perfect nation, no. But the best nation ever, yes. Whether 1619, BLM, or Antifa want to admit it; America is a source for good and light. Perfect, no. Great, yes. But a warning from Benjamin Franklin is especially appropriate at this time, "What we have is a Republic, if you can keep it."

Whether one believes in 1776 or believes in 1619, it is not solely about our past; but it is very much determinant of our future. It really-really-really matters for our future as a nation. If you believe a nation is redeemable you continue on. If you believe a nation is irredeemable, you kill it.

Image: GPA Photo Archive, via Flickr // public domain

To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here.
As recently reported by Project Veritas, if vaccines are dangerous, then HHS will not record it. If vaccines are dangerous, then OSHA will tell employers not to record it. In this way, OSHA, FDA, HHS, and the CDC can claim that vaccines are safe and effective because there is no data to the contrary. But if vaccines are not truly dangerous, then why engage in this deception?

As attributed to Goebbels, truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State. What better way to make certain the truth never emerges than to never record it?

Pfizers Phase II/III vaccine trial and six-month follow-up suggest that their vaccine will kill 3 people through cardiac side effects to save 1 life from COVID (over 6 months). Although their data clearly indicates this, and although 1 of 3 COVID deaths was in the vaccine group, the study authors conclude that their vaccine is safe and prevents death from COVID. Perhaps they hoped that no one would read past the abstract or view the supplemental materials? This vaccine will kill 3 healthy, young people to rescue one geriatric patient from COVID and give them a few more months to live. How could the FDA approve this bad deal?

Doctors are required to report vaccine adverse events from the COVID-19 vaccines or any other, but as highlighted by Dr. Gonzales in the Project Veritas report, the HHS employed ER doctor recorded by the Veritas whistleblower at Phoenix Indian Medical Center, there is a mentality among doctors that if people knew the dangers of vaccines, people would refuse to take them, and if people refuse to take vaccines, then diseases will not be eradicated.

Thats a strange belief because variola is the only virus that I can think of that was eradicated by its vaccine. The argument presented by the government for mandated vaccination goes something like, we must protect the vaccinated from the disease against which they are vaccinated by vaccinating the unvaccinated with that which has failed to protect the vaccinated as the vaccinated spread the disease to the unvaccinated. What a tongue and brain twister!

But as suggested by Dr. Gonzales, there are possibly orders from above to sweep vaccine side effects under the rug. Why?

The Pfizer study as well as the Moderna and J&J studies suffer from low number statistics in a non-representative population. In a study of 44,300 people, there were 3 COVID deaths and 3 suspicious deaths. There were only 48 deaths total. In six months, one would have expected 192 deaths in a representative population. The study did not include residents in long-term care facilities, the 0.6% of our population in which the majority of COVID deaths and deaths in general occur. How can Pfizer make any valid claim of efficacy when it never studied the segment of the population most prone to dying from COVID? But the low numbers are even more troubling. The Pfizer study could just as easily have found 5 adverse deaths and 2 COVID deaths in the vaccine group and 1 COVID death in the placebo group. Five vaccine deaths to kill 1 additional person with COVID.

Monstrous. No wonder the bureaucracies would work to cover this up, but why do it in the first place? Three confirmed COVID deaths in 44,300 people; scaled to the US population, that is only 44,000 confirmed COVID deaths per year, among the aged and moderately unhealthy. Sir William Osler called pneumonia, the friend of the aged, and the rest of the COVID deaths are exactly that. If not COVID, something else would have done the deed. Well over half of COVID deaths were co-infected with bacterial or fungal pneumonia, and upwards of 70% were co-infected with other deadly viruses. The extent of co-infection with deadly pathogens is so significant that one must wonder if SARS-CoV-2 kills anyone at all. What else would you expect in advanced degeneration? Vaccinated or not, those of advanced age and ill-health are a target for everything, and many things find their mark.

There are two possible reasons for pushing the vaccine. Evil or our public health professionals have so deluded themselves on the necessity of vaccines to eliminate the disease that they are no longer able to objectively consider that the vaccine might be a greater threat to public health than the disease. The cognitive dissonance then drives them to hide the ill effects of the vaccine and its inefficacy.

The deception goes beyond vaccines.

Before 2020, OSHA published that respirators were unproven to prevent the transmission of viruses (influenza), and other sources told that masks were ineffective and potentially hazardous and only meant as a temporary intervention when healthcare workers dealt with the acutely ill. During 2020, masks became political.

After 2020, OSHA decided that masks would protect people from respiratory viruses, but it also decided not to regulate masks as personal protective equipment (PPE), potentially eliminating the ability of employees to file complaints about adverse events from mandated mask-wearing. To quote OSHAs COVID FAQ, will OSHA consider them [masks] to be personal protective equipment under 29 CFR 1910.132 or 29 CFR 1926.95 (Construction)? Not at this time. From the same FAQ, note that cloth face coverings are not considered personal protective equipment. Yet OSHA requires employers to provide face coverings to protect their employees. The contradiction is glaring.

OSHA further invested in pseudo-scientific nonsense. To quote their FAQ, an N95 respirator is more effective at filtering particles that are smaller or larger than 0.3 microns in size. Larger, yes. Smaller, laughably, no. And while OSHA may claim that NIOSH-approved respirators are very effective at protecting people from the virus causing COVID-19, no mask manufacturer puts that on their packaging. Instead, they state that their masks are effective at preventing the spread of viruses for only so long as the FDAs emergency use declaration is in effect, after which, NIOSH-approved N95 respirators will once again no longer be effective at preventing or reducing the spread of viruses. This author, an expert in physics and nanomaterials was woefully unaware that a government order could change the laws of Nature.

OSHA is also participating in the adverse vaccine effect coverup. To further quote OSHAs FAQ, OSHA does not wish to have any appearance of discouraging workers from receiving COVID-19 vaccination, and also does not wish to disincentivize employers' vaccination efforts. As a result, OSHA will not enforce 29 CFR 1904's recording requirements to require any employers to record worker side effects from COVID-19 vaccination. Recording these adverse events is still the law, but OSHA just wont prosecute you for failing to abide by it. At least OSHA has provided a clear reason for covering up vaccine side effects: it wants people to be vaccinated despite the risks.

If people knew the dangers and inefficacies of the bureaucracies COVID policies, then people would refuse to follow them, so the bureaucracies have taken it upon themselves to deceive the people for their [the peoples] own good. Yet, these deceptions are deemed necessary by the bureaucracies because their COVID policies run contrary to the public good, and at some level, the bureaucracies seem to know this. What monsters have we birthed, and why are we letting them rule our lives?

To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here.
By now, even progressives are aware that the restrictions imposed by COVID-19 hygiene rituals are onerous. Temperature-taking, hand-sanitizing, mask-wearing, social distancing  all have become ubiquitous social practices since the arrival of the virus eighteen months ago.

Now forced vaccination and possibly vaccine passports have been added to the list of requirements deemed necessary for establishing and maintaining national health.

It strikes one that the ever-changing rituals pronounced by such entities as the CDC and WHO have become not only arbitrary and increasingly revelatory of dubious and ever-changing science, but also evocative more of religious practices than of rational, scientific measures.

Eerily, many of the rituals of COVIDism have assumed the status and significance of the ceremonies practiced by millions of Christians, who cross themselves, genuflect before the altar, and pray the rosary. Christians believe those rituals are an acknowledgment of the higher power who is God. God is represented by the irreducibly Christian symbol of the cross and worshipped by the observance of sacraments, of sacred liturgies, and by bowing the knee in prayer.

Devotees of COVIDism are acknowledging by their repetitious and symbolic rituals a higher power as wellthat of the almighty State.

Fear is often the chief impetus behind the establishment of a political religion of the State, which requires rituals indicating obedience. As Jason Christoff has put it:

To effectively brainwash and mind control a population you first need fear. ... The tyrant is best served by being in control of the fear plus manufacturing the ritual that removes the fear. That pre-manufactured ritual will in turn trick the public into participating in their own enslavement and brings them willingly into the iron grip of the tyrant.

While no one seriously doubts that COVID-19 is an illness requiring medical attention, it is increasingly apparent that the fear of the virus and almost superstitious practices have been factors in the rise of the cult of COVIDism, which in turn has become a useful tool for establishing the State's control over every sector of society and every aspect of life.

It is also perfectly clear the governing priestly elite foisting their quasi-religious rituals on the masses are miraculously immune from a virus that discerns who are the pure sheep of the church of COVIDism and who are the deplorably diseased goats. The high priests partying at the Obama birthday bash on Martha's Vineyard, at the Met Gala, and at the Emmys do not have to wear masks. Nor do they have to observe the rules of social distancing once reserved for lepers and others deemed unclean.

But the unhealthy goats, most of them congregated in churches, the middle class, and the military, do have to follow the regulations and rituals.

Now it appears that even the United States military must submit to the ritual of forced vaccination, which could be seen as COVIDism's imitation of Christian baptism.

No doubt encouraged by the nearly complete capitulation of churches, public schools, the media, and academia, the federal government has continued on its campaign of forced conversion. Joe Biden has declared that all members of the military must submit to vaccination. The White House has declared those who refuse should be dishonorably discharged. Such action smells of a purge of any dissenting troops.

It's salutary to recall that pseudo-religious rites have been characteristic of the religious-political ideologies of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Many historians recognize the semi-religious qualities of Nazism, which had strict dogmas and easily recognizable symbols and rituals. Raising one's arm in a salute, chanting "Heil Hitler, singing the Horst Wessel song, displaying the swastika, and acknowledging the authority of the ruling class were ways to declare oneself a loyal follower of the Third Reich.

It is critical that Americans realize the terrible implications of and strongly resist the forced vaccination of our soldiers. Demanding that soldiers be forcibly vaccinated is a violation of inherent human and religious rights  rights enshrined in the Constitution of the United States and also in international ethical codes such as the Nuremberg Code of 1947, which clearly states that any medical procedure considered experimental requires "the voluntary consent of the human subject" as "absolutely essential."

Ominously, while the military pays lip service to conscientious and religious objections, the process is slow-walked through labyrinthian procedural requirements punctuated by what amount to struggle sessions designed to change the objector's mind. An official chart outlines the procedures:

It is hard to avoid the impression that the current administration is shaking up and re-forming America's armed forces. The forced vaccinations Biden and his show generals Milley and Austin are attached to and fostering look like part and parcel of the globalist vision outlined by Biden at the United Nations. That vision is essentially a religious-political vision that includes the universal sign and seal of vaccination and acceptance of the globalist dogmas of global warming; anti-capitalism; and, increasingly, hostility toward the entirety of Western civilization.

Add to the above the ignominious retreat of the United States from Afghanistan, the arming of a vicious authoritarian regime, and the reshuffling of old alliances that virtually exclude Europe, and one can deduce that this administration is determined to destroy the exceptional nature of America and the unique qualities of Western civilization in order to shift global alliances.

It is hard not to speculate that the United States Army is being shaped according to a globalist vision. It is suspect that America's soldiers are being forced to accept the sign and seal of vaccination and to accept being led by officers whose ultimate loyalties lie not with America, but elsewhere. After all, Americans have seen that General Milley has pledged to inform the Chinese of our battle plans.

Who can help stem the tide of COVIDism, which in turn may be the spear point of globalism?

The churches have already been conquered, with nearly all acceding meekly to the State. Christian churches, Protestant and Catholic alike, folded before state demands. There still is almost universal acceptance of masking and social distancing. On the near horizon is the acceptance of a vaccination passport indicating entrance into the body of the secular blessed. Given the churches' history over the last eighteen or more months, it seems no government edict concerning vaccinations will be in serious danger of being defied by religious institutions that have willingly and even enthusiastically drastically altered or suspended what were once considered vitally essential sacraments.

To be fair, most churches have not recognized COVIDism as being religious in nature. Separated into conclaves largely ignorant of the forces that are determined to alter and even to crush them, most have been blind to those who wish to seize the impetus that was once behind the Great Commission for their own purposes of converting the entire globe to their vision.

Given the failure of most religious institutions in discerning and confronting the tyrannous aspects of COVIDism, it appears the military itself must utilize the tools still available to it. Officers, commissioned and noncommissioned alike, as well as soldiers of every rank must resist the assaults against religion, conscience, and bodily integrity, claiming the universal rights given by the Almighty and established in law by the Constitution the military has sworn to uphold and protect. Physicians who are in the military must rise up for the sake of true medical science. Lawyers should consider lawsuits to fight transgressions against soldiers' human rights.

It is time to resist the totalitarian nature of COVIDism. It is time to reject the authoritarianism COVIDism represents. It is past time to stop COVIDism's devotees from forcing what have become essentially religious beliefs and practices on our military and on the entire nation.

Fay Voshell holds a M.Div from Princeton Theological Seminary, which awarded her the prize for excellence in systematic theology. Her thoughts have appeared in many online magazines. She has been a regular contributor to American Thinker for about a decade. She may be reached at fvoshell@yahoo.com.

Image: torstensimon via Pixabay, Pixabay License.

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So many of our friends and family live harried lives, working, keeping households, caring for family members that they have no time to question the news accounts they hear on their car radios while chauffeuring the kids to school, shopping, for essentials, and commuting. And if they get newspapers delivered or watch the news, they get only enough for a header and a couple of graphs or a quick byte before other more pressing things require their attention. Those of us with more time and interest in the news get an entirely different picture and that makes our discussions with them so fraught. We live in two different realities.

I give you four examples from this weeks news stories. The anti-Semitism of the Squad (and a not insignificant part of the Democratic party), horse patrols in Del Rio, the Arizona election audit, and the Hunter Biden emails. In three of the examples, one can see how if the error was not inadvertent, the effort to correct the record was either feeble or nonexistent, giving rise to a reasonable assumption that the publishers did not mind leaving readers with an utterly false impression for the benefit of Biden and the Left.

The Anti-Semitism of the Squad

To those of us paying attention, the shift to anti-Semitism from a not insignificant part of the Democratic party is unmistakable. But, probably because they share that view, the publishers of the New York Times have gone to some pains to disguise this. This week, the effort by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, her squad, and their hangers-on to strip from the budget funds for Israels Iron Dome, a major defensive weapon against rocket attacks, went down in defeat. The Times carried a quote from her on the loss in their print edition, which they later removed from the online editions: "NYT Removes Line Saying AOC Changed Iron Dome Vote Because of Influential Lobbyists and Rabbis." From the Jewish Journal:

The article stated that Ocasio-Cortez tearfully decided to change her vote after a meeting with her fellow Squad members, which the article initially said underscored how wrenching the vote was for even outspoken progressives, who have been caught between their principles and the still powerful pro-Israel voices in their party, such as influential lobbyists and rabbis. It was subsequently changed to say that the matter underscored how wrenching the vote was for even outspoken progressives, who have been caught between their principles and the still powerful pro-Israel voices in their party. As of this writing, the article does not provide an editors note explaining the change.

Do the Times most loyal readers on Manhattans Upper West Side ever rebel against the Times and AOCs notions about Israel and the need for such an important defensive measure? Who knows? Maybe they were too busy running to Zabars and posting virtue-signaling Black Lives Matter posts on their lintels to notice. Others did, however:

"As a proud Zionist and Rabbi, I was surprised to learn that we Rabbis have powers far beyond those of mortal men that could somehow cajole AOC to change her anti-Israel vote to present, Rabbi Abraham Cooper, Associate Dean and Director of Global Social Action Agenda at the Simon Wiesenthal Center, said in a statement to the Journal. Another explanation is that The Squads anti-Israel tropes had exceeded their weekly quota. Stop Antisemitism Executive Director Liora Rez also said in a statement to the Journal, Were not sure if were reading Richard Spencers the Daily Stormer or a vintage piece from 1939 Die Wehrmacht! Every time we think the [New York Times] cant go any lower with their disdain for the Jewish people, they shock us with more antisemitism. Representative Ritchie Torres (D-NY) tweeted, Embedded in the story is the assumption that support for Iron Dome, which defends civilians from relentless rocket fire, can only be explained by power (influential lobbyists and rabbis) rather than principle. The causal Antisemitism never ceases to shock me.

In any event, to my recollection, this is not the first time major newspapers unethically have stealth-edited reports, and worse yet, not the first time the publishers have printed the stealth-edited material online without alerting the readers of the print edition.

Del Rio

Joe Biden has never before demonstrated the slightest concern about Haitians until thousands crossed the southern border and were camped out under a bridge in Del Rio, Texas. As late as 1994 he said, If Haiti just quietly sinks into the Caribbean or rose up 300 feet, it shouldnt matter a whole lot in terms of our interest. But the picture of the migrant camp certainly riled the open borders fanciers with horrible pictures of destitute illegal migrants camping by the thousands under the bridge. The FAA even momentarily banned Fox News from overhead drone coverage of the scene.

One photographer on the ground, Paul Ratje, captured pictures of horse-riding border patrol members preventing the people from scattering off into the country where they would avoid even minimal processing. City folks who populate newsrooms and left-wing social media may never have seen the split reins the border patrols riders use to control the horses, but seeing them, they rushed to publication Ratjes shots, claiming the riders were whipping the migrants. Not so, said the photographer, but the fake account spread far and was bought hook, line, and sinker by the administration.

Ratje is a photographer based in Las Cruces and has been in Del Rio since Friday. He said took the photographs from the Mexican side. Ive never seen them whip anyone, Ratje said. He was swinging it, but it can be misconstrued when youre looking at the picture. The photos drew immense criticism from many on social media and the White House said it will investigate. White House press secretary Jen Psaki called images horrific. Vice President Kamala Harris was also asked about the photos, and called them deeply troubling. Harris also said there was a thorough investigation into how agents are treating migrants.

Biden threatened the border patrol agents, saying they will pay.

WhippingGate snowballed with the usual race-baiting. California Rep. Maxine Waters and CNN anchor Chris Cuomo invoked slavery. Even the Biden administration has fueled the narrative with the White House condemning the "horrific" images, and the Department of Homeland Security launching an investigation and removing the horses from Border Patrol.

The Border Patrol agents, who are doing an incredible job under the administrations absurd rules of engagement, were slandered by both the administration and most of the media. (Since they were at least temporarily banned from using horses to patrol this rugged landscape, the Babylon Bee satirically suggested they are now to patrol that area of the border on Segways armed with pool noodles.

You could say it was an honest mistake, but none of the media fact checkers have checked the whipping story as fake, and the Washington Post, CNN, NBC, AP, USA Today, and Snopes are silent on the fake tale. From this one can fairly deduce they are happy to peddle lies to advance an open-border agenda.

In the event you hear your friends and neighbors decrying the abusive tactics of the Border Patrol, you know where they get their information from. Be nice, but explain Ratje and split reins to them if you can get a word in edgewise.

Maricopa County

Against enormous pressure, an independent audit was finally concluded on the voting in Maricopa County, Arizona. And the spin has begun. At PJ Media, Matt Margolis details how corrupt the coverage of the audit report has been.

CNN and others concluded the audit proved Biden won Arizona as the hand count matched the official canvass results. Whoa! Theres a lot more to the story. As Margolis observes, the summary of the audit shows a great deal more than that:

He republishes the table showing the vast discrepancies and other troubling issues found by the audit team in a state where Biden barely won. The audits found There are sufficient discrepancies among the different systems that, in conjunction with some of our findings, suggest that the delta between the Presidential candidates is very close to potential margin-of-error for the election. The discrepancies demonstrate there was a substantial potential for fraud and Maricopas refusal to allow the auditors to vet these 57,734 ballots in which discrepancies were found, means well never know if the election results were legitimate.

The Hunter Biden Emails.

In October 2020, shortly before the election, the New York Post published a scoop about Hunter Bidens emails.

Hunter Biden introduced his father, then-Vice President Joe Biden, to a top executive at a Ukrainian energy firm less than a year before the elder Biden pressured government officials in Ukraine into firing a prosecutor who was investigating the company, according to emails obtained by the Post. The never-before-revealed meeting is mentioned in a message of appreciation that Vadym Pozharskyi, an adviser to the board of Burisma, allegedly sent Hunter Biden on April 17, 2015, about a year after Hunter joined the Burisma board at a reported salary of up to $50,000 a month. Dear Hunter, thank you for inviting me to DC and giving an opportunity to meet your father and spent [sic] some time together. Its realty [sic] an honor and pleasure, the email reads. An earlier email from May 2014 also shows Pozharskyi, reportedly Burismas No. 3 exec, asking Hunter for advice on how you could use your influence on the companys behalf. The blockbuster correspondence -- which flies in the face of Joe Bidens claim that hes never spoken to my son about his overseas business dealings -- is contained in a massive trove of data recovered from a laptop computer.

Neither Hunter nor Joe disputed the account. Instead, as the Wall Street Journal reports this week,

Both men counted instead on the rest of the media to serve as a cordon sanitaire, and did they ever. Twitter barred the Posts feed for a time lest Americans be able to read about the emails and their content. A press that was interested in telling the truth about both candidates would have pressed to confirm the Posts story and examined the emails for themselves. Instead they rose nearly as one to denounce the Post and claim without evidence that the emails might have been Russian disinformation. That was a sorry repeat of the Russia collusion narrative from 2016, which the press flogged for more than two years but we now know was concocted by the Hillary Clinton campaign. We also now know that the Russian email disinformation story was false. But that didnt stop 50 former intelligence officials from signing a statement on Oct. 19, 2020, that floated the Russia canard.[snip]The signers included such Russia collusion myth-makers as former Obama officials James Clapper and John Brennan, but former Bush CIA director Mike Hayden and former Obama CIA director Leon Panetta should have known better.

Theres no doubt that the Fourth Estate massively distorts the facts in advancing their agendas. Perhaps the best motto for them would be "News You Shouldnt Use."

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One has to wonder how many times Americans are going to have to wade through the liberal Democrats' unholy swamps. To look at the migrant crisis under the Del Rio bridge is to quote Clarke Griswold from Christmas Vacation. "If you haven't noticed, we're on the threshold of Hell."

There is an old joke about a guy who is taking a tour of Hell and, at the end, he has to choose his eternal accommodations. Lastly, the devil shows the guy a vast reservoir of revolting sewage, where its naked inhabitants stand, shoulder-deep, drinking coffee. It's better than the searing flames and the slithering snakes he saw earlier, the guy thinks, so he chooses the sewage. As he wades in and is handed his cup of joe, the loudspeaker overhead announces, "Coffee break's over. Back on your heads."

Democrats are like the people in Hell, upside-down in the sewage. They still haven't figured out why the devil's tour happens only during coffee breaks or noticed that the sole topic of conversation during the breaks is how great the coffee is.

Fool me once, twice, three, four, five times until our current guy in office gets it right. Even if he gets it absolutely wrong, he just wasn't the right Democrat. What is needed is a better Democrat. After all, it is the cross-my-heart-and-hope-to-die truth that all Democrats have their hearts in the right place. It's just those mean border agents on horseback who are creating all the problems and interrupting an otherwise brilliant southern border "staycation."

Meanwhile, in San Francisco, CBS Global is reporting that Costco is going to run short on toilet paper and the usual stuff. It's the delta variant, you know, that's interrupting the supply chain, not the fact that because of government COVID subsidies, truckers are getting paid to be stay-at-home truckers.

CBS reports , "Many Costco members support limits on high-demand items after seeing what happened last year."

Liberals have the most thoughtful of responses to promote human comity.

"I think it's a great idea that they're putting a limit so everyone gets it. So no one is left behind," said shopper Ricky Mudhar.

"People should just be careful and be mindful of what they do. Let's not be greedy," said Costco member Willetta Strong.

"If everyone gets it, everyone is happy. So no one is arguing or fighting like before," said Mudhar.

It's funny how toilet paper can bring out the worst in people.

Meanwhile down at Del Rio, according to borderreport.com:

Del Rio Mayor Bruno "Ralphy" Lozano made an impassioned plea to the Biden administration to help as fears rose that the growing masses of migrants camped under the bridge were getting increasingly anxious, agitated and could try to storm the bridge.

The Biden administration needs to send Democrat clone Costco shoppers Willetta and Ricky down to Del Rio to make sure the 12,500 migrants under the bridge don't get greedy and start arguing and fighting "like before." You know that the USA is in trouble when the southern border crisis starts to resemble Costco.

The Democrats' 2022 campaign theme should be "Hell: Were All in This Together."

Spruce Fontaine is an artist and retired college art instructor.

Image via Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain.

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A few days back, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Joe Biden held a sit-down meeting before the press in the Oval Office.

Biden conveyed a heartfelt welcome to Johnson by attentively reading from printed notes that rested on his knees.

Johnson then requested permission from Biden to engage with the press and answer just a couple of questions.

Good luck, Biden responded in his now trademark cantankerous tone while refusing to answer any questions himself.

The prime minister began answering questions, and a few minutes later, without any prior warning, the White House staffer ordered the press to leave and proceeded forcibly to escort them out of the room as if they were a herd of unruly buffaloes.

The irked reporters then complained to press secretary Jen Psaki about their mistreatment at the daily briefings. Continuing with the inglorious tradition of the Harris-Biden administration of never accepting any responsibility for their missteps, she then blamed Johnson with a claim that he had not informed them in advance about taking questions.

It has to be remembered that Boris has been lavishing nothing but blandishment at Biden since he occupied the White House.

Back in January, he claimed that dealing with Biden was like is a breath of fresh air.' At the G-7, Boris Johnson said that a post-COVID world should not only be greener, fairer, and more gender-neutral, but also more feminine. This was a blatantly disingenuous remark and was seen by many as an attempt to appease the woke Harris-Biden administration.

Biden was bordering on rude to Johnson, and so were Bidens handlers, when they kicked out the press as Johnson was mid-sentence.

He also wasn't helpful to Britain. Prior to the meeting, Biden downplayed the possibility of a U.S.-U.K. trade deal. Two years ago, President Trump had declared Britain "first in line" among countries for a trade deal, which had been a top priority for Britain in the wake of Brexit. A few days ago, Johnson conceded that a trade deal with Biden would be unlikely.

Whatever happened to the proclamation to allies that America is back?

Whatever happened to the claim that the adults were back in charge and the operations were going to be civil and smooth?

What about the special relation between the U.S. and U.K.?

Most importantly, what about Bidens stern warning to his White House staffers, that if they were disrespectful to anyone they would be 'fired on the spot'?

We now direct our attention towards the treatment of the press.

It is an axiomatic fact that the White House press functions as cheerleaders for the Biden administration. They gladly participate in his charade of a press conference, where Biden takes questions only from a select group of media people.

For this particular meet, the press would have gladly asked soft leading questions that would make Biden look good, irrespective of the myriad crisis that plagues his troubled administration.

So why were the press and Boris Johnson treated in so scurvy a fashion?

Quite often important lessons can be learned from the most mundane of incidents.

Johnson may have thought he could win Biden over with compliments and feigning wokeness. Instead, the Biden people perceived this as pathetic and insincere which probably caused him to be disrespected.

The press may think of themselves as foot soldiers for the Biden administration. They may regard White House staffers as their friends to whom they submit their questions in advance.

But the Biden people see these press reporters as insects who crawl when asked to bend and prostrate when asked to crawl.

Hence the humiliating expulsion came as a rude slap in the face for the press because it came at the hands of those whom they thought of as friends.

The mood at the White House seems to be in a foul these days, perhaps owing to the myriad catastrophes they are facing and Bidens fast-plummeting approval ratings.

They chose to vent their frustration on the press, with whom they have no respect, and Johnson, whom they also hold in little regard, who was caught in the crossfire

The moral of this episode is very simple.

Respect cannot be earned by relentless slobbering and obsequiousness. The result of baseless fawning is that a bully begins to take his lackey for granted. To become a sycophant, the person has to first degrade himself which always results in a total loss of respect for such a flunky.

In the event that the bully is in a foul temper, it is the sycophant who is the recipient of the bullys undeserved wrath.

This is a basic lesson that adults ought to instinctively know but tend to forget owing to their urge to placate their superiors and get ahead in life.

The rule is simple: If you want to be respected, you begin respecting yourself. You define boundaries in the form of your inviolable principles, morals, and ethics. Irrespective of whom you are dealing with, these boundaries will always earn you respect.

Will anything change with the White House press or Boris Johnson?

The press may feign offense for a few moments but will eventually continue with their abject servility and Johnson has claimed the meeting as a diplomatic success.

Image: Screen shot from video posted by The Hill, via YouTube

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UPDATE: The Cyber Ninjas document is not final. I've clarified this post to reflect that fact.

Democrats are strutting because the final Cyber Ninjas audit in Arizona showed that [t]he auditors final hand countwhich quadruple-checked every single one of the 2.1 million ballotsmatches Maricopa Countys official machine count. Big whoop. For those complaining about irregularities in the 2020 election, the question was never about miscounting. Instead, it was about the claim that an inordinate number of the ballots in the Joe Biden pile didnt come from real people. Instead, they were alleged to have been fakedand the audit confirms almost 60,000 wrongfully counted ballots that could easily switch the Arizona Electoral College vote from Biden to Trump. No wonder Cyber Ninjas says the Arizona result should not have been certified.

There are two documents at issue here, one of which is a purported final draft of the executive summary from Cyber Ninjas, which Ill get to in a moment, and the other of which is a cover letter that Karen Fann, the Arizona Senate President, sent to Mark Brnovich, the Arizona Attorney General. I quoted above from Fanns cover letter, which offers the meaningless conclusion that a hand count matched the machine count. Thats what the MSM (including Fox, which you may remember was the first to call Arizona for Biden) is crowing about.

However, the same letter, in a small bow to honesty, also points out systemic problems with election security. The five bullet-points can be summarized this way:

absentee ballots were inadequately verified,

voter rolls do not match the ballots, as well as showing duplicate and dead people,

amateurs oversaw election technology and machinery they didnt understand and misused,

private companies had the passwords to the vote-counting machines, and

election officials deleted material making it impossible to do a truly accurate audit (or, in legal terms, they deliberately spoliated evidence, which Im guessing might be illegal under statutory requirements that all voting data must be preserved for 22 months after an election).

In other words, even though the hand-counted paper ballots matched the machine count, there were some huge and dangerous irregularities going on with the election.

But wait! Theres moreand this is the really important part because it shows the Big Lie. As Gateway Pundit notes, a purported final draft of the actual audit summary said that the 2020 presidential election had 57,734 ballots that should not have been counted and should have been set aside, investigated or removed.

Considering that the margin of Bidens victory was only 10,457 votes, the presence of 57,734 ballots that were improperly counted is highly relevant. And thats where we get to the actual audit info from Cyber Ninjas. Their letter does not say that everything is fine and Biden absolutely won.

Instead, having found invalid ballots in numbers more than five times greater than Bidens victory, the audits conclusion is that the election should not be certified, and the reported results are not reliable.

The election problems that Fanns letter ignored trace back to mail-in voting (again, an invitation to fraud) and improper voter registration management (and do recall that Democrats routinely fight efforts to clean up voter rolls). Because of those problems, wrote Cyber Ninjas:

57,734 ballots with serious issues were identified in the audit. These issues include improper voter registration, improper votes, and discrepancies in the registration. This is a conservative estimate, as there were other identified problems that were not quantified nor included in that total, likely resulting in a much larger number of flawed ballots. Additional issues identified: backdated registrations, multiple voter registrations linked to the same voter affidavit, voters without records in a commercial database, and printing defects rendering thousands of ballots as suspicious.

The executive summary highlights numerous issues with ballot integrity, including

10,000 double votes across county lines,

tens of thousands from voters who had moved and could not legally have received the ballots they purportedly cast,

files missing from the Election Management System (EMS) server,

corrupt or missing ballots on the EMS,

computer logs that were deliberately overwritten,

duplicated ballots without serial numbers, missing chain-of-custody documentation,

statistical anomalies in the way ballots were folded compared to the claimed number of mail-in ballots, and

a statistically significant increase in the number of provisional ballot rejections because mail-in ballots were cast (suggesting that peoples votes were stolen).

I assume that it's possible to argue that Cyber Ninjas' conclusions about invalid votes are wrong but one cannot argue about the fact that Fanns letter misrepresents the key point in the audit; namely, that invalid ballots exceeded Biden's margin of victory by almost six times, making the election certification erroneous. Her chipper assurance that the computer tallied all those paper ballots, regardless of how fraudulent or erroneous those ballots were, is tantamount to a fraud by omission.

And citing again to Gateway Pundit, the really grotesque thing about all of this is that the GOP is just fine with that lie. The uniparty in D.C. is real and youre not part of it.

Image: Cyber Ninjas audit process. YouTube screen grab.

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A funeral home caused quite the stir in North Carolina with a black truck pitching the message Dont Get Vaccinated. It would have been bad enough if there actually were a Wilmore Funeral Home advertising such content. As it happens, there is no such establishment as the Wilmore Funeral Home. The rolling billboard is the brainchild of the BooneOakley ad agency. Apparently, David Oakley, the agency director, was so frustrated at his fellow citizens for making their own health choices that he concocted this method of trying to shame them into participating in the medical experiment known as the Covid vaccine.

David Oakley is not alone in bullying those who do not agree with the hypothetical benefits of mRNA vaccines. The Cleveland Clinic released a study in June that showed no advantage in vaccinating people who had recovered from Covid. This is the last thing true believers in mRNA vaccines want to hear, and it didnt take long before the Cleveland Clinic was forced to issue a retraction that recommended vaccination.

What makes this especially alarming is the science that has emerged since the rollout of the vaccines. The FDA issued an emergency authorization in December. By June, the Delta variant emerged and Israel, the most vaccinated country in the world, became the most infected country in the world.

Just a few months later, the virus mutated again into MU, which appears to be vaccine-resistant. The latest variant, R.1, caused an outbreak in a nursing home where 90% of the residents and over 50% of the staff were vaccinated. Twenty-six residents and twenty staff members were infected. One died. The evidence seems to point to a possibility that rather than stopping Covid, widespread vaccination is driving dangerous mutations of Covid.

Undaunted, vaccination bullies are becoming ever more aggressive in their demands that everyone gets vaccinated. Rather than testing for infection and treating the sick, the call now is to use booster shots against the new strains that have cropped up.

Its true that diseases in the past have been eradicated with mass vaccination. Diseases like measles, smallpox, and polio were eliminated from the United States. However, those were diseases that confer lifelong immunity once a person recovers from them. A disease that constantly mutates and causes reinfection cannot be eradicated, whether through natural immunity or vaccination.

We can no more eliminate Covid than we can eliminate the common cold. Its time to stop thug tactics for vaccination and concentrate on treating the sick while the healthy get on with their lives.

Pandra Selivanov is the author of The Pardon, a story of forgiveness based on the thief on the cross in the Bible.

Image: BooneOakley truck. YouTube screen grab.

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With seven late-night TV hosts abandoning comedy for Climate Night (Sept. 22), the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reporting that the Earth is on a catastrophic pathway, and over 200 medical journals denouncing global warmings catastrophic harm to health, we are being inundated with a tsunami of climate propaganda.

One must ask who still believes these tired old canards? The media have been hysterical about the climate since NASA scientist James Hansen made some outlandish predictions in 1988. Former Vice President Al Gore famously predicted that global warming would cause the world to end by 2016.

According to polling data comedy host Stephen Colbert presented, believers are mainly young people for whom all of this is new. Those old enough to have seen the previous cycle of predictions go bust are more skeptical.

The seven hosts emphasized that climate change is here now. So, we should be seeing a convincing amount of warming in the temperature record. But this is not the case. According to satellite data, global temperatures peaked in 2016. The Earth is refusing to obey the scientists and warm as commanded. I advise everyone to visit Dr. Roy Spencers site, where he compiles the satellite data.

The claim that 97 percent of scientists endorse the alarmist interpretation is a fraud. It is based on an analysis of journal abstracts. Sixty-seven percent of the abstracts in the sample did not express any position and were disregarded. Counts of abstracts show only what type of research the foundations are paying for. A vote by the members of the professional societies would give us a better sense of what scientists think.

The theory of global warming is not a creation of climate scientists, a field that did not exist until quite recently, or even meteorologists. The idea of global warming as a potential catastrophe originated with planetary scientist Carl Sagan. In 1960, Sagan proposed a very efficient greenhouse effect to explain the high surface temperature of Venus. Ever since then, alarmists have suggested that the Earth is just a few SUVs away from a Venus-like catastrophe.

Venuss atmosphere is 92 times thicker than Earths and is predominately carbon dioxide. The planet is actively volcanic and has an internal source of heat. Venuss surface temperature is so easy to explain now that its overexplained without resorting to the greenhouse effect.

On Earth, carbon dioxide is a trace gas. It accounts for 410 parts per million in the atmosphere. As a greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide is vastly overshadowed by water vapor. In fact, water vapor is responsible for 95 percent of the greenhouse. This single fact should have been the nail in the coffin of the global warming theory a long time ago.

Despite the absurdity of Sagans Venus analogy, the environmental community embraced the global warming theory in the late 1970s. The movement was already committed to energy conservation and renewables because of the energy crisis of the 1970s. The new cause allowed these proposals to survive the end of the energy crises.

Some 56 percent of 16- to 25-year-olds around the world say that humanity is doomed, according to Colbert. Being a global warming believer sounds awfully depressing. Although we have only a few years left on this planet, no one cares enough to do anything about it, as Colbert put it.

The only country that is on track to fulfilling its commitments under the Paris treaty is The Gambia. Yet climate change ranks only No. 15 as a policy issue for Americans, according to Pew Research.

Why worry about global warming at all if it is a hopeless cause?

The resolution to this paradox is that liberals see the climate as a way to get more power for themselves and dont concern themselves about whether the end of the world is actually coming or not. In short, global warming is vital for you, but not for them.

Colberts comments on Climate Night support this view. Im a huge hypocrite. Ill never do anything thats inconvenient for me, he told his audience. Government action would have to force people to select the right choices, he explained.

Peter Kauffner lives in Sequim, Washington State.

Image: Stephen Colbert preaching the climate change gospel. YouTube screen grab.

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To spite President Trump, and in an unspoken way, succor China, Democrats are moving in for the kill on the Space Force founded by President Trump in 2019, at long last finding a government program they don't want to make bigger.

According to KPIX5, a CBS affiliate in San Francisco:

WASHINGTON (CBS SF/CNN)  A North Bay congressman has introduced a bill to abolish the U.S. Space Force, a day after the newest branch of the military unveiled new uniform prototypes. Rep. Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) introduced the No Militarization of Space Act as Congress moves to pass the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the annual bill that authorizes funding for the Pentagon.

Huffman, a rich left-wing lawyer who represents a tony area of Marin County just across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco, had this to say about it:

The long-standing neutrality of space has fostered a competitive, non-militarized age of exploration every nation and generation has valued since the first days of space travel. But since its creation under the former Trump administration, the Space Force has threatened longstanding peace and flagrantly wasted billions of taxpayer dollars, said Rep. Huffman in a prepared statement. Its time we turn our attention back to where it belongs: addressing urgent domestic and international priorities like battling COVID-19, climate change, and growing economic inequality. Our mission must be to support the American people, not spend billions on the militarization of space.

Sounds like the nuclear freeze gibberish we used to hear from Democrats during the Reagan era -- if we just unilaterally disarm, well then, how could the Chinese and Russians not take it to heart and disarm themselves in response? It's trash logic, of course. In reality, it will benefit the Chinese and Russians, who are ramping up their space forces capacities with alacrity these days, understanding full well that if a nation doesn't have some kind of capability in space, it's going to be somebody's vassal.

Now, I've never heard of Huffman before, but he does seem to be a problem Democrat.

His main accomplishments in California, to look at his webpage, seems to be to preserve the state as a nature reserve for the rich, while chasing the hoi polloi out. Based on his legislative record, which he brags about, he's all in for shutting out farmers, workers, the underclass, and anyone trying to get a leg up on the economic ladder. He's cut off vast tracts of land in his district from development in the name of making it a nature reserve, err -- save for a few servants' quarters, or what he calls "badly needed low-income housing" to serve the rich of Bolinas, for one. (Susie Tompkins Buell, a top Democrat donor, was last seen living in Bolinas. She's best buds with Hillary Clinton.) He's shut down oil and gas production in the state's energy-rich offshore, too, happy to make America dependent on petrotyrants abroad. He's got an absolutely godawful record of cutting off water to parched San Joaquin Valley farmers, the very farmers who produce vast quantities of America's food from America's breadbasket, the better to turn the area brown -- all as part of his idea of "going green." He's one of those Marin County hot-tub leftists who think food comes from a grocery store.

Does his bill have any chance to pass or is it just a nutbag grandstanding measure? It's hard to say at this point but the Get Trump spitefulness of it seems a little convenient, and it's hard not to wonder if deeper forces are at work. We do know that socialist Bernie Sanders, who's basking in his role as the author of Joe Biden's $3.5 trillion super-porkulus reconciliation bill right now, has weighed in in favor of the abolish-the-space-force idea. And according to the far-left site Truthout, the bill has garnered the support of rabid leftists among the Democrats such as Reps. Rashida Tlaib, Maxine Waters, and Chuy Garcia, who joined Huffman in introducing the bill, Truthout reported, presumably as co-sponsors.

Still, abolishing the space force as China ramps up doesn't make sense.

Cui bono?

Who's this guy backed by?

Well, according to OpenSecrets, most of his donors are "retired," which is certainly convenient for not telling us much about the interests that may be involved in his getting his money.

The top industries that back him are casinos and gambling enterprises, followed by railroads, and then big labor -- unions in the transport, building trades, and industrial sectors. Again, hard to find the special interests here although there could be some. Nothing leaps out hugely.

His personal investment -- and he's richer than most congress members, with a net worth of around a million dollars, (possibly less) mainly from renting space to other congress members in Washington -- could point to a China connection.

His top investment area by far is in a field that Open Secrets calls "Electronics/Communications" -- which includes companies such as Oracle, Google, and Disney as the big players. Those companies are, to say the least, very "China'd up" and donate overwhelmingly to Democrats.

According to The Intercept, the top company by far in this sector, Oracle, isn't that big a donor to Democrats but does have a bad record of aiding and abetting China's surveillance state and human rights violations in Xinjiang. Oracle's weak response is here.

That's not a smoking gun on Huffman -- one should always consider that he's simply stupid about human nature and foreign policy -- and he might not even own that particular stock, maybe he's a Google man or something. However, politicians have been known to act in their personal interests as well as engage in lawmaking to benefit their hidden interests. Could this move to kill the space force be a bid to make China happy based on the input from China-compromised Big Tech California companies plus Disney? I don't see proof at this point, nor can I find any China-slobbering statements from Huffman, but I do think it's worth watching. Peter Schweizer has documented in his books that this kind of corruption has occurred in Congress.

We also know that China is active in the Bay Area. We all know that his congressional colleague, ideological coeval, and probably good buddy Rep. Eric Swalwell across the Bay from him was put in compromising positions from a China agent, as was Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a San Francisco Democrat. Could there be more of that going on in that region?

One can only keep an eye on this lunacy because it simply does not make sense except as a move to ensure China's space dominance over America. Why is this happening? Cui bono?

Image: Official photo

To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here.
Following the Arizona audit and recount in Maricopa County, the public is constantly told the big lie is that there wasn't any fraud, or reason to question anything about the 2020 election. Its as if many state bureaucrats didnt willfully violate state laws when they changed election rules. No one should even question universal mail-in voting or states stopping the counting on election night for no reason, along with the specter of seeing counting resuming and the vote-count leader switching. The media isnt even curious because their chosen one had won and that is all that matters.

Here is a truncated list of big lies that most of the media, along with other Democrats, have continually peddled as they campaign for radical leftists and their agenda to remake or destroy America:

Requiring a photo ID is racist.

Having any limits on mail-in voting is racist.

Not allowing 24-hour voting is racist. (this never happened before 2020 and only in Houston for one day but somehow it is racist to stop it)

That the U.S. has been systemically racist for 400 years. This would be a surprise to all the people from around the world who continually fight to come here.

That the border is closed!

That enforcing immigration laws that Congress passed is racist.

That in Del Rio, Texas, the border guards were whipping illegal aliens which is supposedly worse than slavery.

That sanctuary cities and states care about abiding by laws.

That we will not leave Afghanistan until all Americans and American helpers are out.

That the Taliban is different now and professional and businesslike.

That the Jan. 6 Capitol fracas was worse than 9-11, worse than the Civil War, and a threat to democracy. The Justice Department fought hard to keep the public from seeing footage that was mostly peaceful and weapon-free. The tapes are out, and the media is burying the story. They must keep the lie alive because, otherwise, the Democrats have nothing.

That riots and violence caused by radical leftist groups throughout the country were mostly peaceful. (For some reason, the Justice Department has little to no interest in these criminals).

That Trump supporters are white supremacists and a much greater threat than terrorists.

That Trump said that he supported white supremacists when he spoke in Charlottesville. The media allows Biden and others to continually repeat this lie to gin up racial hate and division.

That there's any truth to the Hands up dont shoot lie. How many cops have been injured or killed because the media and other Democrats regurgitated this lie?

That people who wanted to see if the Wuhan lab was the source of COVID were conspiracy nuts.

That Dr. Anthony Fauci was telling the truth when he said we didn't fund the Wuhan lab and gain of function research

That the virus wouldnt pass human to human.

That New York's pervy Gov. Andrew Cuomo was the gold standard for handling COVID.

That the lockdowns at schools and businesses, the six-foot spread between people, that the virus easily spread off surfaces, and that plastic separators rules were based on science instead of just made up?

How many children were harmed because of the rules that kept them out of schools? Why do the CDC and other Democrats base their rules on what their special interest groups want instead of what is best for the children?

How many children have died from suicide and drug overdoses, compared to few deaths from the virus, because the CDC and politicians catered to unions instead of caring about the children? How many people have started drinking too much, suffered depression, and gotten fat because of the dictatorial rules that were not based on science?

That Trump colluded with Russia. This was a known lie from the start, but it was used for years to destroy Trump and his associates. The media is burying the story that Hillary's attorney lied to the FBI and that the FBI used this known lie to investigate Trump.

That the Hunter laptop story was Russian disinformation. The media has always buried the stories of Clinton and Biden family corruption because they dont care about anything but power for Democrats. They certainly never cared about all the women and girls the Clintons, Weinstein, or Epstein abused as they protected Bill and Hillary.

That the Justice Department is independent and honest, and no one was or is above the law under Obama and Biden. This is one of the biggest lies of all. How many people died from drug overdoses and terrorism because Obama dictatorially ordered the Justice Department to let drug-running terrorists run free because Obama cared more about a deal with Iran than the people of the U.S? Why dont journalists and other Democrats care?

That the Benghazi deaths were caused by a video instead of terrorists.

That with Obamacare you could keep your doctor, keep your pan, premiums would drop substantially, taxes would not go up for people making under $250,000, and not only would Obamacare pay for itself, but it would also lower the deficit. All were known lies when it was passed.

That Biden is a moderate and that when he was elected the adults would be back in the room.

Biden is spreading the lies that his radical leftist slush funds would pay for themselves and no one under $400,000 would see their taxes raised.

That Trumps tax cuts only benefitted the rich, did not pay for themselves, and that the rich dont pay their fair share.

That there was no intent when Obamas IRS violated the constitutional rights of Obama opponents.

That any restriction on abortion is extreme and anti-woman while pretending that late-term abortion and letting fully developed children die after a botched abortion are perfectly acceptable.

That the Earth is warmer than ever, and the icecaps will soon be gone. This lie has been around for 100 years.

The droughts, floods, and storms are worse than ever.

That global warming is caused by humans, fossil fuels, CO2, gas-powered cars, etc. There is zero proof of these lies but they are widely repeated with no evidence.

That China, Russia, Iran, and others care about reducing their carbon footprint.

The lies and policies surrounding climate change and global warming will destroy the U.S economy, especially the poor and middle class, and will make the government more powerful. That is the goal.

I am sure that the public can think of many more lies that have been spread for years to intentionally mislead the public into voting for Democrats who pretend they care about the poor, women, and minorities.

The media acts like they are special, that they want to unite the country, and that they only care about facts. Yet, for decades they have willingly spread lies (Democrat talking points) as they played the race, sex, and class cards to gin up hate and division.

There is even a provision in the $3.5 trillion slush fund, that the media is campaigning for, to give kickbacks to media outlets for journalists.

Wonder why.

Update: TheRightScoop has a jaw-dropping series of tweets by Grabien founder and editor Tom S. Elliott showing even more big lies from the press -- such as these.

They said the surveillance state would never be used against Americans.



Then we learned it happens all the time.



They told us a snooty Catholic student tormented a Native American



Then we learned it was the other way around  Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) September 24, 2021

They told us Michael Avenatti was a warrior for justice



Then we learned he's a serial felon who exploits vulnerable clients



They told us Brett Kavanaugh was a serial rapist



Then we learned they were sitting on proof he wasn't  Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) September 24, 2021

They told us they despise acts of abuse against women



Then they defended Biden's pattern of sexual harassment



They told us Trump's call w/ Ukraine's president was impeachable



Then they made excuses for Biden getting caught doing the same  Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) September 24, 2021

He has tons more. Read the whole thing here.

Image: Pixabay, via Needpix / Pixabay License

To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here.
All my life, I thought I was doing my part. I read the news. I made the effort to understand the issues. I followed the debates. Then, after exercising my best judgment, I voted for the candidates who most closely resembled my positions. Done. Repeat every two years.

I was wrong. I know that now because the results are painfully obvious. The nation fell into decline, and but for two brief reprieves under Presidents Reagan and Trump, the decline became a free fall. The ship of state is more a shipwreck of state, and it's getting worse.

In the midst of all this doom and gloom, there are two glimmers of hope. I hesitate to use that phrase, because too often, "glimmers of hope" have been but flashes in the pan. I tread carefully, but hopefully, recognizing how my error can be corrected.

My error was to think I could do my part simply by being an informed voter and then voting. Others, bolder than I, are instead stepping forward, not figuratively, but literally. They are attending school board meetings, speaking out, castigating their elected officials in person. Some of them are actively campaigning against the re-election of corrupt or negligent officials. A few are even running for office to replace them.

While these bold actions are highly worthy of praise, they do remain, alas, glimmers of hope, reminiscent of the TEA Party movement of 2009. I participated in the massive march on Washington, D.C. in August of that year. At the time, I felt a certain elation, in that I was physically doing something. It was the most direct involvement I had ever had in politics, other than voting. Sadly, it was little more than symbolic, was utterly ignored by most of the press, and was soon submerged by the elections (to Congress) of Republican politicians who only pretended to be conservative.

At least we were not arrested and imprisoned without counsel.

The other glimmer of hope is that a few members of a few state legislatures are aggressively investigating the election fraud that placed Joe Biden in the Oval Office. This, again, is praiseworthy, but by itself, it will go nowhere. We have seen too many "investigations," too few convictions, and only rare imprisonments resulting from legislative actions of this sort.

We need more than marches, more than demonstrations, and much more coordination among conservative activists. We need armies of us to be trained in the mechanics of political activism. We need formal organizations. We must crowd the offices of elected officials.

One of the most important things we can demand is total transparency. Vote-counting was hidden from the public in too many instances in 2020. We must never tolerate that again. We must show up in the counting rooms in the hundreds, with recording devices, and refuse to be partitioned or expelled from meaningful observation. We must be there 24/7. And while we're at it, there is no reason to use computers for voting. Paper ballots are far less subject to fraud.

Likewise, public school classrooms must be under constant video surveillance by the parents of students, and by taxpayers in general. It is ludicrous to claim there is a right to privacy in a taxpayer-funded classroom. It is a public forum, and no one should be excluded from knowing exactly what the teachers are saying to our children.

These are only the beginnings of what must be done. Public contracts must be negotiated in open meetings, with continuous public input. Florida's sunshine laws, which forbid secret meetings among government officials, must be adopted nationwide. Social networking platforms must, by law, be treated as public utilities, without political favoritism.

None of this can be accomplished passively. Without massive citizen participation, direct participation, and aggressive activism, we will continue to lose the fight for freedom.

We were given a republic. Can we keep it?

Image via Pxhere.

To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here.
You've heard of "going postal:? Maybe the next odious term should be "going academic."

We're seeing an awful lot of arson as a cause for California's wildfires and at treasured institutions being perpetrated by academics.

Here's the latest going on near Redding, California from the Washington Post:

Thousands of people have fled their homes to escape a wildfire engulfing a forest in Californias north, which authorities believe was sparked deliberately. Police have arrested a 30-year-old woman on charges of igniting the Fawn fire. Workers at a quarry in Shasta County said they saw the woman trespassing last Wednesday before the fire erupted in a remote canyon, according to Cal Fire, the states forestry and fire protection department. As firefighters battled the flames through the night, she walked out of the shrubs toward them, looking for medical help, the statement issued Thursday said.

She certainly wasn't a standard loser, throwing out cigarette butts, or building an illegal campfire at a time of high fire risk, or an illegal immigrant, setting a wildfire to divert Border Patrol attention from smuggling routes, which have been seen in previous arson fires in the California wilderness. Here's what the San Francisco Chronicle had to say:

[Alleged arsonist Alexandra] Souverneva graduated from Palo Alto High school in 2009, the Campanile, the school's newspaper reported. She later attended the California Institute of Technology and graduated in 2012 with degrees in chemistry and biology, the university in Pasadena confirmed. The Campanile said Souverneva tutored local students in chemistry, and her LinkedIn page indicated she worked for AJ Tutoring in 2020.

That's a pretty impressive academic background to have to be just tutoring children of the rich trying to get into fancy colleges. The Chronicle doesn't note it, but on her LinkedIn page, she describes her actual occupation as "shaman." The tutoring was probably to just get the bills paid. She sounds like a nut, and may well be someone disappointed in terms of academic life given that she went to CalTech and ended up in Palo Alto, home of Stanford University. All of this, except the 'nut' part, is speculation, of course. Academia looms large in her biography.

She wasn't the only nutty academic accused of setting wildfires. In August, there was him:

A man who taught criminal justice at Sonoma State University is accused of setting fires around the massive Dixie Fire and in Shasta County, California. CBS Sacramento reports Gary Maynard, 47, was arrested on Saturday and is charged with setting fire to public land. He is accused of setting the Ranch Fire in Lassen County, as well. The Dixie Fire has grown roughly 5000 acres since Monday night, and has burned more than 490,000 acres. It is 27 percent contained.

He also taught at the more prestigious Santa Clara University, but somehow didn't stay on. He was definitely a leftist nut and might have been a disappointed academic, too. Like Souverneva, he seemed to have mental health issues, and quite possibly, based on his behavior as well as hers, been a consumer of illegal drugs, which don't do much for one's academic prowess.

There's also this charmer over in New Jersey:

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork)  A college professor is facing charges for the scare at St. Patricks Cathedral. Police say 37-year-old Marc Lamparello from New Jersey brought cans of gasoline. lighter fluid and lighters into the house of worship. The alarming incident happened during Holy Week for Catholics around the world and just days after the devastating fire at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. Lamparello wis charged with attempted arson, reckless endangerment, trespassing and some violations of city codes regarding transport of flammable materials in public places, NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Intelligence and Counterterrorism John Miller announced Thursday.

As is suspected of the other two, he was a drug abuser and had mental health issues.

All three of these academia's finest are suspected by investigators of setting multiple fires.

Now, to be fair, there are a hell of a lot of nuts out there setting fires -- Google 'arson' and 'woman' and all you can say is: 'teach women not to burn.' Nearly all of the accused have signs of drug abuse in their pictures as do these three, a lot of them are serial setters, and many have mental health issues.

But it's starting to stand out that some of the worst fire-starters are from the cool ivy halls of academia, as if something in the culture is telling the angry ones among them to go burn something. What is it? How is it that a profession that set such stake on telling America how to live seems to have so little capacity for cleaning house? It merits further study and maybe some mental health training or anti-drug use requirements for all the cossetted academia nuts out there since I'm seeing a pattern. Just as 'going postal' has seen some crazed postal employees and customers go on spray shooting sprees in the past, 'going academic' is starting to sound like druggy academics disappointed at their lots in life going out to burn something. How's that for a reputation, as if the wokester corrruption of education were not enough?

Image: Screen shot from CBS Weekend News video, via YouTube
The Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty recently shared a video about a unique natural phenomenon in a village called Dinosa, located in southeastern Montenegroa small country on the Adriatic coast. There is a mulberry tree standing in the meadow there that turns into a fountain whenever it rains heavy. From a hollow on the tree trunk water can be seen gushing abundantly.

Apparently, the rains had flooded the underground springs and the additional pressure created pushed water up the tree trunk through cracks or hollows on the trunk, until it poured out of a hole a few feet above the ground. As you can see from the video, the ground is quite sloppy indicating the amount of groundwater there is in the soil and below. You can also see water gurgling out of other holes in the meadow. The entire area is flowing like a small stream.

According to a local man interviewed, this has been happening for the last 20-25 years or perhaps even longer. He estimates the tree is over 100 to 150 years old.

While Montenegros tree fountain is indeed unique, it isnt the only example of water gushing out of the ground after rains. In the Estonian village of Tuhala, there is a well that starts spouting water after a heavy downpour. The well happens to be placed just over an underground river. After rain water floods the river, water pressure builds to the point that it shoots up out of the well, sometimes up to half a meter high. This continues for a few days. During this time, more than 100 liters of water can flow out every second.

The local legend is that the witches of Tuhala gather in the sauna underground and beats each other vigorously with birch branches causing water to pour out on the surface. They call it the Witchs Well.

Photo credit: www.visitestonia.com

Photo credit: Greta/Flickr

Photo credit: Tony Bowden/Flickr

The Tuhalas Witch well when its not flowing
In south West Virginia, near the border with Kentucky, the United States, is a small unincorporated community named Vulcan. Vulcan was once a thriving coal mining town, but in the early 1960s, the mines dried up and many residents moved away in search of employment elsewhere. No longer a productive community, Vulcans infrastructure deteriorated and even the state government forgot the town existed.

The town of Vulcan was built on a fork of the Big Sandy River near the main line of the Norfolk & Western Railroad. There was no road connecting Vulcan to Kentucky across the river, only a suspension foot bridge. The swing bridge itself was on the verge of collapse with many footboards missing. Yet, every morning children had to walk across it to catch the school bus on the Kentucky side. Sometimes they had to crawl under parked rail cars to get to the bridge, which was a dangerous practice.

The alternative route was a gravel road maintained by the Railroad company. This road ran parallel to the tracks, passed through Vulcan, and continued north to the community of Delmore, located five miles away. The road, however, was legally not accessible to the public, and the Railroad company hung No Trespassing signs on either ends. The company explained their actions saying that the road was dangerous to use, and in any case, it was not the companys responsibility to provide transportation in and out of the impoverished community.

In 1975, the suspension bridge collapsed, leaving the community of about fifty families with no other option but to trespass on the Railroads gravel road. Vulcans residents appealed to the West Virginia government to build them a new bridge, but officials were reluctant to spend money on a project they thought few people would use.

Feeling forsaken by their own government, John Robinette, a 42-year-old bartender and resident of Vulcan, wrote to the Soviet Embassy in Washington, as well as to communist officials in East Germany, explaining their plight and requesting foreign aid from the nations. Robinette figured the Soviets might like to grab the opportunity to humiliate the Americans. While the Kremlin officials never replied to Robinettes plea, a New York-based Russian journalist, Iona Andronov, got wind of the story and travelled to Vulcan to interview the people and assess the situation.

The news of a small West Virginia community seeking the help of the communists to finance a bridge was already setting newspaper headlines on fire across the nation. Embarrassed by the attention the governments apathy was receiving, the state immediately committed $1.3 million to build a bridge for the community. Coincidentally, the announcement came the same day Iona Andronov decided to pay Vulcan a visit. The states official response was that the bridge had long been planned, and that such things require months to get done. But everybody knew itthe state was embarrassed into it.

Two years later Vulcan got their own one-lane bridge connecting to the outside world.
ROME - Italian Premier Mario Draghi said Friday that the climate pledges the international community made to cut emissions under the Paris agreement were not being respected and called for bold action to avert a catastrophic rise in global temperatures.

"In the Paris agreement, we pledged to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees compared to pre-industrial levels," Draghi said in a video message to a meeting of the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate (MET) convened by US President Joe Biden before the COP26 United Nations Climate Change Conference this autumn.

"Most of our countries renewed this commitment in recent G20 meetings.

"However, we must be honest to ourselves and to our citizens: we are falling short of this promise.

"Under current policies, we'll reach almost 3 degrees of global warming by the end of the century.

"The consequences of such an increase in global temperatures would be catastrophic".

The former president of the European Central Bank went on to give examples of the consequences of the climate criss that the world has already seen.

"Wildfires are ravaging forests, from California to Australia," he said.

"And from Germany to China, we are witnessing ever more destructive floods.

In Italy, we are dealing with rising sea levels in Venice and melting glaciers on the Alps.

"Severe water shortages and droughts have become increasingly common and are hitting disproportionately some of the world's poorest, for example in Africa".

The premier said it was time for action.

"We must honour our climate pledges and, in some cases, be ready to make bolder ones," he said.

"And we must support our own citizens and developing countries as we undergo this costly transition".
A new collaboration between Coldplay and BTS is taking on Ed Sheeran in the race for the top spot in the UK singles chart.

In the Official Charts Company provisional rankings, their new release My Universe currently trails Sheerans track Shivers by just 1,000 chart sales.

Shivers topped the chart last week.

Coldplays Chris Martin (Ben Birchall/PA)

If My Universe holds its current position, it will be Coldplays best performing single in the chart since their 2017 hit Something Just Like This, which was a collaboration with Chainsmokers.

Sir Elton John and Dua Lipa currently sit third in the provisional rankings with Cold Heart.

Bad Habits, another track by Sheeran, is fourth, followed by Out Out by Joel Corry and Jax Jones featuring Charlie XCX and Saweetie.

The final rankings will be revealed on Friday.
Dame Cressida Dick has remembered officers including Sergeant Matt Ratana who have died in the line of duty as leaving a legacy of hope, motivation and inspiration.

Britains most senior police officer addressed bereaved families and colleagues during a National Police Memorial Day (NPMD) service at Lincoln Cathedral, following a short Bible reading by Home Secretary Priti Patel.

The service comes the day after the anniversary of Sergeant Matt Ratanas death.

The 54-year-old Metropolitan Police officer was killed by a handcuffed suspect at a custody suite in Croydon, south London, on September 25 2020.

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick during the National Police Memorial Day Service at Lincoln Cathedral (Danny Lawson/PA)

Remembering Sgt Ratana and others who have died, Dame Cressida said: Our first thought, as mine was on that dreadful morning a year ago yesterday when I woke to be told that one of my officers, Matt, had been shot, is to protect their family and those who love them.

This year, we sadly add six more families to those we want to protect and support.

The families of Paul Keany, Chris Miller, Matt Ratana, Darryl Street, Thomas White and Quamar Zaman.

We will never forget you nor will we ever forget the sacrifice your loved ones made.

Their lives give us hope, motivation and inspiration that through our police work good can prevail, safety and peace can be secured.

Each and every one of our fallen colleagues will have helped and protected so many people, brought comfort, justice, safety, hope, reassurance and courage to others. We are proud of them.

Home Secretary Priti Patel read a passage from the Bible to mark NPMD at Lincoln Cathedral (Danny Lawson/PA)

The officers named by Dame Cressida include Sergeant Paul Keany, 44, of Northamptonshire Police who died while on duty on March 11 last year and whose death was not treated as suspicious according to the force.

Metropolitan Police Constable Christopher Miller died in a crash as he rode a motorbike on his way to work on September 15 last year, the Met Police Federation said.

The Scottish Police Memorial Trust listed Constable Thomas White, who served Police Scotland for 29 years, on their roll of honour, saying he collapsed and died while walking home from duty on February 10.

Constable Darryl Street of the Civil Nuclear Constabulary died in a car crash on January 14 aged 59, according to Cumbria Constabulary where he also previously served as an officer.

Greater Manchester Police Federation said Constable Quamar Zaman died aged 38 on March 25.

Speaking at the service, Priti Patel read Corinthians 13, a passage on the subject of love from the New Testament of the Bible.

Bereaved families and colleagues attended the National Police Memorial Day Service at Lincoln Cathedral (Danny Lawson/PA)

The Prime Minister also paid tribute to police officers who have died in a message on Twitter.

Boris Johnson said: No words can adequately do justice to the debt we as a nation owe fallen police officers.

Without their dedication and willingness to run toward danger we simply would not be able to live our lives in safety and security.

Its something we must never take for granted.

No words can adequately do justice to the debt we as a nation owe fallen police officers. Without their dedication and willingness to run toward danger we simply would not be able to live our lives in safety and security. Its something we must never take for granted. #NPMD21  Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) September 26, 2021

The Lincoln service was led by Reverend Canon David Wilbraham MBE, who said: On this National Police Memorial Day, we give thanks for the bravery, courage and sacrifice of officers who since British policing began, have died on duty.

A National Police Memorial roll of honour in London lists all the officers who have been killed by criminal acts in the line of duty since 1680.

The roll records more than 1,600 officers who have died while performing vital tasks such as foiling terrorists, quelling rioters and marshalling protests.
Ed Sheeran has closed the Paris leg of a star-studded global music event aiming to raise awareness of poverty, climate change and the need for coronavirus vaccines worldwide.

Global Citizen Live events are taking place in Los Angeles, New York, Paris, Sydney, Rio de Janeiro and Lagos.

Sir Elton John, Jennifer Lopez, Billie Eilish, Coldplay, Usher, Lizzo, Elton John, Doja Cat, Metallica, Camila Cabello and Black Eyed Peas are among the other artists taking part in the event.

Ed Sheeran performed in front of thousands (Jonathan Brady/PA)

Sheeran played a number of his hits as he took to the stage in Paris in front of thousands of people at the Champ de Mars.

Rapper Stormzy also performed in the French capital as part of the event.

During the concert, companies have pledged to provide funds to charitable causes around the world.

The event is being streamed online and parts of it have also been broadcast on BBC One.

Michael Sheen called on governments to act (Ian West/PA)

During the BBC One coverage of the event, actor Michael Sheen called for governments and major companies to take further action against poverty.

We have to hold the people with the levers of power to account to make sure they use them, rather than just sending empty promises, nice commitments, but actually not following through with them, he said.

I think thats whats really important.
Racists who joined the Labour Party and tried to break Jewish members have failed, the partys conference has heard.

Former Labour MP Ruth Smeeth, from the Jewish Labour Movement, said she felt sick being in Brighton as she feared receiving more abuse.

But she struck a defiant tone as she insisted the party is turning the page on the blight of anti-Semitism that has infected the party, adding to the abusers: You failed. Were still here.

Reforms supported at the partys conference include a fully independent complaints process to tackle anti-Semitism.

Labour published its plan for a major overhaul in response to the highly-damning report by the equality watchdog into its handling of the issue under former leader Jeremy Corbyn.

Opening the debate, Labours National Executive Committee member Mark Ferguson said: I want to start, from this chair, on behalf of the whole party to say sorry to our Jewish members.

Sorry to our Jewish members, supporters and those in the wider community. Rest assured it will not happen again.

Current leader Sir Keir Starmer was in the room for the debate.

Ms Smeeth told delegates: I stand here with mixed emotions.

Relief that we can finally turn the page on the blight of anti-Semitism that has infected our party. Anger that it has taken five years to get here.

Disbelief that despite the hurt of so many Jewish members, there are people in here today who say it was all a smear.

And sorrow that so many wonderful friends were forced to choose between their faith and their politics.

Ms Smeeth said this was her 22nd year at Labour Party conference, adding: And yet I feel sick at the idea of being in Brighton knowing that I will be a target for more racist abuse for being here.

But Im here to help deliver the promise that Keir made when he became leader.

He promised the country he would root out the anti-Semitism that has infected our party and end the anti-Jewish hate which undermines the values we were founded to protect.

It breaks my heart that racists thought they had a place in the Labour Party, that Jewish members, usually women, were threatened, abused and bullied every day not by the BNP or the EDL but by those who claimed to share our values.

Ms Smeeth added: These racists tried to break Jewish members, to hound us out of our party and to scare us into silence.

Well conference, I have news for them: you failed.

Were still here, JLM is still here, and today we need to send a message to the vile racists and bullies who thought that our party could become a home for Jew hate.

Labour former minister Dame Margaret Hodge said there was enormous relief and immeasurable hope to every Labour Party member who has been a victim of vile anti-Jew hate.

Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer and deputy leader Angela Rayner (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

She added: This has been a horrible and difficult time for Labour Jewish members.

Their bravery should be applauded, the distress they endured recognised.

Dame Margaret went on: My message is simple: never again.

Never again can anti-Jew racism pollute our party.

Never again can we become a hostile environment for Jews.

Never again can the complaints process be manipulated with serious complaints ignored and victims silenced.

After Dame Margaret concluded her speech, a shout of apology for Palestinians could be heard in the hall with Mr Ferguson warning members to be respectful during the debate.
Tracey Ullman has said she wants to be taken seriously as an actress and not just considered as a comedian.

She told BBC Radio 4s Desert Island Discs she did not initially plan to work in comedy and instead wanted to be a character actress.

Ullman, 61, has starred in dramas including Mrs America and Plenty, as well as her US variety show The Tracey Ullman Show.

Tracey Ullman (Ian West/PA)

Theres still an impression of me as a wacky, zany comedienne, and thats not what I do, Ullman said.

I started off as a character actress and going into comedy was just a fluke.

It wasnt what I thought I would do.

However Ullman said she did not originally take acting seriously and instead pursued dance because she thought someone with her accent could not be an actress.

Earlier in her career Ullman, who previously lived and worked in the US, said she saw more opportunities for women in comedy in America.

I started to look at American comedy. I realised that women had been given a shot in America much more so than in English comedy, she said.

Tracey Ullman (Ian West/PA)

I think America got started earlier on that stuff.

Ullman also explained her decision to move back to the UK following the death of her husband Allan McKeown in 2013.

There was more dignity to being a widow in London, she said.

She added: Its very lonely in Los Angeles and of course it was full of memories of Allan and him dying, and I wanted to shake it off a little.

Ullman also discussed the death of her father, which happened when she was six years old.

She said her family initially tried to hide his death from her, saying he was on holiday, and she did not attend his funeral.

Not to blame my family, but grief was dealt with different then, she said.

Ullmans episode of Desert Islands Discs airs on Sunday at 11am on BBC Radio 4.
On Monday, Pfizer announced that its COVID-19 vaccine is both safe and effective in children ages 5 to 11  and no less of an authority than Dr. Anthony Fauci, Americas top infectious disease expert, predicted theres a really good chance younger kids would finally be getting vaccinated before Halloween.

Initial reports greeted the news as a ray of hope for weary parents who have endured months of uncertainty about when their long-ineligible children might finally get inoculated  and who recently had no choice but to send them back to school unvaccinated while the hypercontagious Delta variant was hospitalizing a record 30,000 of their peers each month.

But what if opening up vaccination to younger kids represents something more than just peace of mind for parents? What if its actually the pandemic off-ramp that all vaccinated Americans have been waiting for  the dividing line between 18 endless months in emergency mode and whatever kind of less disruptive coexistence with COVID comes next?

There are huge implications here on how we view COVID and live with COVID, says Dr. Leana Wen, an emergency physician and public health professor who previously served as Baltimores health commissioner. Having the vaccine available for children isnt just critical for parents. Its critical for everybody.

One could argue that many Americans  especially unvaccinated Americans  are already living like the pandemic is over. But we arent back to normal yet. Millions are still working remotely. Masks are still commonplace in public and in school; many areas still require them indoors. And individual Americans are still limiting their own lives because of COVID, nearly a year after vaccines first became available.

A health care worker administers a dose of a Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to a child at a pediatrician's office in Bingham Farms, Mich., on May 19. (Emily Elconin/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The reason? Some of it comes down to the current trajectory of the virus, which continues to fill hospitals and kill about 2,000 Americans each day, nearly all of them unvaccinated. When a deadly pathogen is spreading that voraciously, public health (and basic decency) requires everyone to help protect the unprotected.

Our present situation is also driven by vaccinated Americans, who tend to be a lot more cautious than their unvaccinated counterparts, protecting themselves from the unprotected  the likeliest vector for breakthrough infections, which Delta can trigger.

But a lot of it is kids  even though they remain much less likely than adults to get really sick from the virus.

Consider the numbers. The U.S. is fast approaching the point where pretty much every adult in the country whos willing to be vaccinated has already gotten a shot. Right now, 77 percent of Americans 18 and older have received at least one dose. With about 20 percent of U.S adults consistently telling pollsters theyll never get vaccinated, that number will soon max out. Indeed, the average daily number of first doses administered nationwide  which inched up during the Delta surge  just fell under 200,000 for the first time since the very start of the U.S. vaccination campaign.

That leaves Americans under 18. There are 73 million of them in all, and about 21 million of them (ages 12-17) are already eligible for shots. But kids ages 5 to 11 actually outnumber older minors, making them the single largest bloc of Americans  at 28 million strong  who arent fully approved by the Food and Drug Administration to receive the vaccine.

Likewise, kids ages 5 to 11 are also the most important remaining cohort, because unlike the 24 million toddlers and infants under 5, the vast majority of them are required by law to be inside with dozens of their peers all day long at school. No one in America except school-age children has to do that.

Which means that vaccinating as many kids ages 5 to 11 as possible could have an outsized impact  again, not just for their parents but for everyone.

Teacher Emma Rossi works with her first grade students at the Sokolowski School in Chelsea, Mass., on Sept. 15. (Brian Snyder/Reuters)

Part of the equation is epidemiological. Any time you open vaccine eligibility to a new group of people, you get one step closer to reaching the sort of population-wide immunity threshold that makes it hard for the virus to find new hosts. Right now, 75 percent of all eligible Americans have received at least one vaccine dose, but among all Americans that figure is about 10 points lower. To push it closer to 80 percent, younger kids need to get vaccinated en masse.

We know that children can be vectors for spreading COVID to other individuals, Wen explains. This is something that very much affects people in their families as well as in the surrounding community  being able to contain or to prevent children from further spreading to others. It would be very difficult for us to reach herd immunity without children also getting vaccinated.

The other part of the equation is ethical. At some point  perhaps when the Delta wave has finally burned itself out  the vast, vaccinated majority of U.S. adults will have to accept that their unvaccinated counterparts have decided to acquire immunity the hard way (and risk suffering or even death in the process).

So vaccinated Americans  who enjoy near-perfect protection from severe illness, hospitalization and death, and who rarely spread the virus to others  wont continue to limit their own lives indefinitely in order to protect the willfully unprotected. The U.S. doesnt mandate masks during flu season, and even the most cautious leaders are eager to stop requiring them for people whove chosen, through vaccination, to reduce their personal risk from COVID to something like the flu or a cold.

But thats unlikely to happen before 28 million younger Americans who are required to spend all day indoors with one another have had an opportunity to get vaccinated.

Wen cites office reopenings as an example. Right now, its just not fair to parents who can work from home to require them to engage in in-person work when that could pose a risk to their unvaccinated children, she explains. Vaccination essentially eliminates that last major risk  which makes it equitable for the office to reopen for everyone.

Fourth grader Breaker Inge, is administered a test by a Wild Health nurse during a COVID-19 testing day at Brandeis Elementary School on Aug. 17 in Louisville, Ky. (Jon Cherry/Getty Images)

These wider ripple effects are key, and they apply to everything from masks to travel. Thats why having the vaccine available for children is critical for us to reach any hope of an off-ramp from the pandemic, says Wen.

To be sure, there are challenges ahead. For one thing, its not 100 percent certain that the FDA will immediately green-light the vaccines for all kids ages 5 to 11. Given the relatively low risk of severe disease in younger kids, its possible  though unlikely, according to Wen  that regulators will say that there isnt enough safety data; that the risk-benefit calculation isnt clear enough for otherwise healthy; that they might want a longer period of safety data or more children to be included in the study.

Then once the vaccines are authorized, pediatric rates are likely to trail adult rates by a significant margin, at least initially. So far, just 61 percent of 16-to-17-year-olds and 53 percent of 12-to-15-year-olds have received one or more doses, and the latest Yahoo News/YouGov poll shows that a full 44 percent of parents with kids under 18 either say theyll never get their children vaccinated (23 percent) or theyre not sure (21 percent).

Such hesitation will create awkward situations in the coming months: classrooms where some kids are vaccinated and others are not, so no one is sure if its safe to stop requiring masks; disruptive school quarantines that could have been avoided if everyone were vaccinated; school districts in some places  like Los Angeles and other California cities  that require student vaccinations, side-by-side with districts that dont; birthday parties with vaccine requirements.

Meanwhile, an estimated 7 to 10 million immunocompromised Americans will face an elevated risk of infection no matter how many kids are vaccinated. So the road ahead wont be smooth.

Children arrive with their parents for the first day of school at Brooklyn's PS 245 on Sept. 13. (Mark Lennihan/AP)

Theres going to be an initial group of parents who are really eager for their kids to be vaccinated, Wen predicts. Others will wait and see, or only be motivated once its required for various purposes. And then theres going to be a group of holdouts.

Some degree of initial trepidation is understandable, given how few children have died of COVID so far. But Wen says focusing on the lower risk of COVID in kids relative to adults is backward. Instead, parents should be focusing on the benefits of vaccinating them.

There has not been a case of polio in the U.S. since the 1970s, but we still get our children vaccinated so that we dont have polio here in the U.S., she says. We really need to start looking at the COVID vaccine the way that we look at other immunizations.

Wen says the same logic applies on a personal level. Im the mom of two little kids, a one-year-old and a four-year-old, she continues. So yes, the risk of them getting COVID, getting hospitalized and dying is very low. But if I could change that risk from very low to zero, why wouldnt I do that?

Ultimately, the goal for the U.S. may be to look something like Singapore, where 82 percent of the population is fully vaccinated  and where 98 percent of cases detected in its current Delta surge are either asymptomatic or mild.

The problem is that with so many adults who refuse to get inoculated, the U.S. cant reach that threshold until most nonadults are eligible too  and transitioning out of emergency mode and into endemic mode wont be equitable or practical until then, either.

Hundreds gather at Foley Square in New York City as "Freedom Rally" to protest vaccination mandates on Sept. 13. (Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Earlier this week, Moderna chief executive Stephane Bancel gave three reasons why he thinks the global pandemic will be over in a year. First, enough doses should be available ... so that everyone ... can be vaccinated. Second, boosters should also be possible to the extent required by waning immunity or new variants. And third, we should also be able to vaccinate children aged five to eleven.

As for those who do not get vaccinated, they will immunize themselves naturally, because the Delta variant is so contagious, Bancel explained.

The U.S. already has more than enough doses for its entire population. Boosters are starting to roll out. And now younger kids are likely to be vaccinated here before anywhere else. So while it may take the entire world another year to return to normal, the U.S. could get there a lot faster.

In this way, Bancel concluded, we will end up in a situation similar to that of the flu.

____

Read more from Yahoo News:
Afghanistan is in complete turmoil and is in a state of chaos after the takeover of the Taliban and is in dire need of humanitarian aid

Earlier this month, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that the possibility of a complete economic collapse in Afghanistan was 'serious'. (Representational image: ANI)

Kabul: The Taliban on Sunday welcomed the US recent measure of allowing the flow of humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) welcomes the recent decision by US Treasury Department allowing US government agencies along with international and non-governmental organizations and banks to facilitate the flow of food and medicine to the IEA," said the ministry's spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi in a statement, reported Xinhua.

The war-torn nation is in complete turmoil and is in a state of chaos after the takeover of the Taliban and is in dire need of humanitarian assistance.

On Friday, the United States issued general licenses, allowing the US government, NGOs and certain international organizations to engage in transactions that are necessary to provide humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan.

Earlier this month, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that the possibility of a complete economic collapse in Afghanistan was "serious," highlighting an urgent need for funding support to Afghans.

He also appealed to the countries pledging 1.2 billion US dollars in relief for Afghanistan to take action quickly.

Amir Khan Muttaqi, acting Foreign Minister of Taliban caretaker government, on Thursday said that Afghanistan wants to have friendly relations with the international community, including the neighbouring and regional countries, reported Xinhua.
Taking to her Instagram Story, Bebo took a snap of the mouth-watering food

Along with the photo, Kareena added the text, "When Bahubali sends you Biryani it's gotta be the best. Thank you @actorprabhas for this insane meal. #Adipurush." (Photo: Twitter)

Mumbai: Actor Kareena Kapoor Khan was all praise for superstar Prabhas for sending an "insane meal" for her and his 'Adipurush' co-star Saif Ali Khan.

Taking to her Instagram Story, Bebo took a snap of the mouth-watering food which included a big bowl full of biryani, dry-fruits loaded kheer and a gravy dish among other delicacies.

Along with the photo, Kareena added the text, "When Bahubali sends you Biryani it's gotta be the best. Thank you @actorprabhas for this insane meal. #Adipurush."

For the unversed, 'Adipurush' is an upcoming mythological movie directed by Om Raut. Apart from Saif and Prabhas, the movie also features Kriti Sanon and Sunny Singh.

Prabhas will reportedly play Ram, and Sunny will be reportedly be seen as Lakshman. Kriti is reportedly set to essay the role of Sita and Saif will portray the role of Raavan.

The film which is currently eyeing August 11, 2022, for its release had started production back in February.

'Adipurush' is Om's new directorial venture after last year's blockbuster 'Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior'.

Produced by Bhushan Kumar, Om, Prasad Sutar, and Rajesh Nair, the film will be released in Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, and Kannada.
Earlier on Tuesday, Canada extended the restriction on all direct commercial and private passenger flights from India until September 26

Air Canada is expected to resume its flights from India on September 27, while Air India will be resuming its flights to Canada from September 30. (Photo: AFP/File)

Ottawa: Justin Trudeau-led Canadian government on Sunday lifted a month-long ban on passenger flights from India. The ban was put in place in view of the enhanced COVID-19 protocols.

"As of September 27, 2021, direct flights from India to Canada will resume," said the government on Sunday.

Earlier on Tuesday, Canada extended the restriction on all direct commercial and private passenger flights from India until September 26.

However, with the ban now expiring, passengers from India can now travel to Canada with a few precautionary measures, which include having a negative COVID-19 test report from an approved laboratory.

"Indian passengers must have proof of a negative COVID-19 test from the approved laboratory at the Delhi airport. The report should be taken not more than 18 hours before departure," the statement said.

Air Canada is expected to resume its flights from India on September 27, while Air India will be resuming its flights to Canada from September 30.
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has been a pioneer in India in quantifying climate change benefits from its operations

In 2007, Delhi Metro became the first metro or railway project in the world to be registered by the United Nations under the Clean Development Mechanism. (PTI file photo)

New Delhi: Delhi Metro has earned Rs 19.5 crore from sale of 3.55 million carbon credits which it had collected over a period of six years, in its bid towards gaining greater energy efficiency, DMRC authorities said on Sunday.

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has been a pioneer in India in quantifying climate change benefits from its operations. It has a number of dedicated projects to its credit oriented towards energy efficiency, it said in a statement.

The DMRC has earned a commendable Rs 19.5 crore from the sale of 3.55 million carbon credits which it had collected over a period of six years from 2012 to 2018, it said.

In 2007, Delhi Metro became the first metro or railway project in the world to be registered by the United Nations under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) which enabled Delhi Metro to claim carbon credits for its Regenerative Braking Project, officials said.

The CDM is a project-based green house gas (GHG) offset mechanism under the Kyoto Protocol allowing the public and private sector in high-income nations the opportunity to purchase carbon credits from greenhouse gas emissions-reducing projects in low or middle-income nations as part of their efforts to meet international emissions targets under the Kyoto Protocol, the DMRC said.

CDM projects generate emissions credits called Certified Emission Reductions (CERs), which are then bought and traded. One CER is equal to one ton of CO2(eq) emission reduced. The CDM helps to deliver sustainable development benefits to the host country, the statement said.

The CDM projects are managed by The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), an entity established to combat "dangerous human interference with the climate system", it said.

Since 2015, Delhi Metro has also been providing CDM consultancy services to other metro systems in India, enabling them to earn carbon credits from their project.

Already Gujarat Metro, Mumbai Metro and Chennai Metro etc. have registered their projects under the Delhi Metro's Program of Activities (PoA) project enabling them to earn carbon credits and contribute to India's Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) in compliance with the Paris Agreement, it added.

For the period 2012-18, combined GHG emission reduction achieved from all the CDM and Gold Standard projects was 3.55 million carbon credits.

The sale of carbon credits accrued from CDM and Gold Standard projects in the period 2012-18 has generated a revenue of Rs 19.5 crore to the DMRC. The total revenue generation from CDM and Gold Standard projects since inception has been Rs 29.05 crore, it said.
Why did the United States after investing humungous amounts of blood and treasure in Afghanistan cut and run in this manner?

September 11, 2021, marked the twentieth anniversary of 9/11. This ominous hour struck 26 days after the ignominious exit of the US from Kabul on August 15.

Why did the United States after investing humungous amounts of blood and treasure in Afghanistan cut and run in this manner? Before answering that question it may be worth cataloguing the cost of the alleged war on terror that ultimately ended up in putting back in the saddle the same Taliban that the US and its allies set out to destroy in 2001.

The total cost of war over the span of 20 years has been 2.3 trillion US dollars. A substantive part of the money spent in Afghanistan was on counter-insurgency operations, servicing the requirements of armed forces personnel, be it nutrition, apparel, curative care and other extraordinary perquisites. Over 50 per cent of the monies  $131.3 billion  was expended on raising the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF).

Unfortunately, when the push came to a shove, they melted like butter on sizzling stove. The Afghan President, Ashraf Ghani, was the only one to beat them to the finish line. He fled Kabul before to their final capitulation. He allegedly vamoosed with 167 million USD packed in four cars. A claim that he subsequently strongly repudiated from his residence in exile in the United Arab Emirates (UAE)

Additionally, the United Kingdom and Germany  with the largest force numbers in Afghanistan after the US  spent a staggering $30bn and $19bn individually over the course of their tryst with Afghanistan.

In a report to the US Congress in October 2020, the ombudsman accountable for the oversight of reconstruction activities in Afghanistan stated that close to $19 billion had been both misappropriated and siphoned off in the decade between 2009 and 2019. It lined the pockets of both the US contractors and the Afghan elite.

The human cost of war was also devastating. While coalition forces lost 3,500 men and women in uniform, the US alone accounted 2,300 of these dead. The United Kingdom lost 450 armed forces personnel. A total of 20,660 US soldiers were wounded in action. President Ashraf Ghani claimed in 2019 that over 45,000 members of the Afghan security forces had been killed since 2014.

A US university research paper in 2019 concluded that ANSF casualties were in the range of 64,100 dead since 2001. However, the worst sufferers were the people of Afghanistan. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) estimated that since 2009 over 1,11,000 civilians were killed since it commenced cataloguing casualties.

Coming back to the original question, why did it all end in this manner? The major reason is the United States rather obtuse attempt to reorder the frozen geography of the Middle East and the larger Maghreb region. Hosni Mubarak in Egypt, Saddam Hussein in Iraq, Muammar Al-Qadhdhafi in Libya, Hafez Al Assad and his son Bashar-al-Assad were not paragons of virtue. However, they kept the peace in the realm. Most of these states were committed to Baathism  a Pan-Arab nationalist ideology. In fact, they were far more progressive than the obscurantist Gulf monarchies that are the USs traditional client states in the Gulf and the Middle East.

The Gulf monarchies were always petrified of the seductive appeal of the Baathist credo. The US-protected Israel, of course, had a mutually antagonistic relationship with all the Islamic states  sans the nature of the regime. The Gulf monarchies and other US allies in the region egged the United States to fundamentally reorder the Middle East.

The intellectual construct for that rearrangement was provided by a neo-conservative thinktank called the Project for a New American Century founded in 1997 by a bunch of former Republican officials who were sitting out the Bill Clinton presidency. The leaders of this clique were Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld and Paul Wolfowitz.

In a series of open missives in 1998 to President Clinton and the Republican leadership in both houses of the US Congress, this cabal advocated the removal of Saddam Husseins regime from power. They argued for transiting towards a more muscular US policy qua the Middle East, involving the use of force to topple Saddam Hussein.

Of the 18 people who signed these memos, 10 of them subsequently served in the administration of President Bush. They, inter alia, included the then defence secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, his deputy Paul Wolfowitz, and deputy secretary of state Richard Armitage. Other eminences were John Bolton, undersecretary of state for disarmament who later served as Donald Trumps national security advisor, and Zalmay Khalilzad, then White House liaison to the Iraqi Opposition and later the US pointsperson for negotiations with the Taliban.

In a report published on the cusp of the 2000 US presidential elections that narrowly propelled Mr Bush to power, this influential assemblage prophesied that the shift in US foreign policy would come about slowly, unless there were some catastrophic and catalyzing event, like a new Pearl Harbour.

Then 9/11 happened. The very next morning  before it could even be conclusively established who was responsible for that atrocity  Donald Rumsfeld averred at a Cabinet meeting that Saddam Hussein and Iraq should be a principal target of the first round of terrorism. What commenced as a philosophy in 1997 became authoritative US foreign policy post September 11, 2001.

Afghanistan was always a sideshow. It was always about realignment of the post Ottoman Empire geography in the greater Middle East. However, what the US did not realise was that their foolish quest through overt military action, covert support to insurgent groups and social media warfare unleashed such tectonic and Frankenstein forces beginning with Iraq, Libya, Egypt, Tunisia, Yemen and the rest that its inadvertent beneficiary became its sworn rival, the Islamic Republic of Iran. A nation it has been trying to bring to its knees since 1979. It led to emergence of myriad militias and terrorist outfits in the Middle East. Most portentously it saw the rise of the Shia Crescent encompassing Lebanon, Syria, Bahrain, Iraq, Iran, Azerbaijan, Yemen, and western Afghanistan. An enemy more dangerous than even the Taliban.

A war-weary, bankrupt United States with no stomach for a protracted century long war fell back upon the default option  play the Sunni against the Shia and watch from the sidelines. Hence the Doha Accords and surrender of Afghanistan to the Taliban. However, when you sow the wind you reap the whirlwind.
Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
NVH

Six years after Volkswagen hit the final nail in the coffin of diesel-powered cars in the United States, compression-ignition technology soldiers on in a select few vehicles. Most of them are body-on-frame designs, predominantly trucks and SUVs. The only exceptions come from Land Rover in the guise of the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport, which use the TDV6, also known as Power Stroke in the 2021 model year Ford F-150 half-ton workhorse.After covering the Duramax family of powerplants for the U.S. market, its high time for us to remember what kind of diesel options Fiat Chrysler Automobiles currently offers. The smallest automaker of the Big Three in Detroit boasts just two under the EcoDiesel and Cummins monikers.The L630 for the U.S. market dates back to 2011 when Italian diesel-making company VM Motori debuted the A630 with 3.0 liters of displacement and a 60-degree V angle. Constructed from graphite iron for the block and lightweight aluminum for the heads, the 10-year-old engine design was found to have emissions defeat devices on MY 2014 through 2016 vehicles.Previously offered in the WK2-generation Jeep Grand Cherokee, the L630 is currently found under the hoods of the Ram 1500 light-duty pickup, Jeep Wrangler off-road utility vehicle, and Jeep Gladiator off-road pickup. The 1-2-3-4-5-6 firing order and the 60-degree V angle optimize the firing loads and inertia management, therefore eliminating the need for a balance shaft.Heat-treated individual bearing caps for the aluminum heads reduce friction andlevels. The forged steel used for the connecting rods and crankshaft helps with this engines durability, along with aluminum-alloy pistons that benefit from oil jets. The variable-geometry turbocharger, automatic tensioning single-belt drive, MultiJet common-rail injection, cooled exhaust gas recirculation, selective catalytic reduction, diesel exhaust fluid system, as well as high-temperature glow plugs also need to be mentioned.In the Ram 1500 and Jeep Wrangler/Gladiator twins, the EcoDiesel develops 260 horsepower and 480 pound-feet or 442 pound-feet (650 or 600 Nm) of torque. Available in conjunction with an eight-speed automatic transmission, this fellow tops 26 miles per gallon (9 liters per kilometers) on the combined driving cycle according to the Environmental Protection Agency.The other diesel engine that Fiat Chrysler sells today is the 6.7-liter Cummins in the Ram heavy-duty truck lineup, a torquey behemoth saddled with an extensive range of emissions control systems. A very different animal from the 5.9 from the good ol days, the 6.7 is offered in two flavors.For the standard-output version, customers are treated to 370 horsepower and 850 pound-feet (1,152 Nm) of torque. The high-output version of the straight-six Cummins turbo diesel tops the heavy-duty truck segment with 400 horsepower and a decidedly outrageous 1,075 pound-feet (1,458 Nm).When properly equipped, the 2500 and 3500 with this engine can tow up to 20,000 and 37,100 pounds (9,071 and 16,828 kilograms). If payload is highest on your list of priorities, the Ram 5500 Chassis Cab is your workhorse.Last updated for the 2021 model year Ram heavy-duty lineup, the 6.7-liter Cummins flaunts new calibration, a.k.a. more boost, for the sliding nozzle variable-geometry turbocharger. The fuel delivery system, which is capable of sustaining 2,000 bars (29,008 psi), was treated to an increased flow rate.One advantage of the straight-six layout over the Duramax V8 and Power Stroke V8 is smoothness. Ram also sweetens the deal with more sound-insulating materials than before, an acoustic windshield, as well as active noise cancellation for top-of-the-line trim levels of the Ram 2500 and 3500.The Cummins-Ram partnership dates back to the 1989 model year when the B-series engine in the Dodge Ram was coupled to the heavy-duty version of the TorqueFlite A727 automatic or a five-speed manual transmission. The 2021 Ram HD with the 6.7-liter mill features two automatics: the 68RFE for the standard-output version and the Aisin AS69RC for the H.O. version.
Yet there are things up there that really seem too heavy to fly. Contraptions so massive it makes one wonder if what they see is real, and question everything they learned during physics class.The HC-130J Combat King II is one of those things. In essence the Air Force (USAF) variant of the Lockheed HC-130, the plane came into service in the 1950s, and is presently described by the USAF as the only dedicated fixed-wing Personnel Recovery platform.The main mission of the mammoth machine is to rapidly deploy and perform missions of airdrop, airland, helicopter air-to-air refueling, and forward area ground refueling, even from austere airfields and denied territory.Powered by four Rolls Royce turboprop engines, the plane has enough muscle to lift a total of 164,000 pounds (74,389 kilograms) at takeoff, and fly at speeds that can reach 364 mph (586 kph) for as much as 4,000 miles (6,437 km) and at altitudes of about 33,000 feet (10,000 meters).So yes, despite looking massive, like in the main photo of this piece, the Combat King has no issues taking to the sky.The pic youre looking at now (click main photo to enlarge) shows a Combat King II deployed with the Alaska Air National Guard 211th Rescue Squadron. The image was captured shortly after the plane had taken off from an unpaved landing strip at Malemute Drop Zone at the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska.The squadron was performing a training exercise there meant to get them accustomed to operate in austere locations with unfinished or shorter runways.
Early 90s Chrysler products are never known for their reliability or their longevity. With that in mind, youd probably understand why wed drool over the prospect of a low-mileage Jeep Wrangler YJ that hasnt been lifted four inches or had the absolute snot driven out of it.

A dealer by the name MaxMotive is a classic car lot weve featured a number of times. Their Boca Raton, Florida dealership has stock worth well into the six-figures, but for hardcore off-road fans, it doesnt get much better than this 1992 Wrangler Sahara edition with just under 54,000 miles (86,904 km) on the clock.



Famous for their iconic square-shaped headlights, the YJ Famous for their iconic square-shaped headlights, the YJ Wrangler was one of the last surviving vestiges of the American Motors Corporation , from whom Chrysler purchased the rights to the Jeep moniker in the mid to late 80s. The YJs four-liter inline six-cylinder gasoline engine is also courtesy of Americas long-lost fourth big automaker.



The Sahara package adds a green cloth Interior and tan piping with matching satchel bags. The Sahara emblem on the drivers side A-pillar gives an exclusive feel to this barely broken-in off-roader. Happily, the Jeeps had its air conditioning unit completely replaced, and now blows ice cold.



This Wrangler is notable for being a two-owner vehicle. Even so, its been exquisitely maintained throughout the entirety of its time between the first and second owner. Aluminum bumpers which all too often become piles of rust are shining with an uncanny definition.



As do all four allow-wheel, a welcome sight for the eyes after seeing countless YJs rust back into the earth whence it came. or stricken with mods that make it unrecognizable from what it once was.



It could be all yours for $19,900 before taxes and fees. Compared to the base model economy car that will buy you these days, its safe to say the Jeep is a much more appealing option.
In fact, rumor has it that Ubisoft is already working on another The Crew game, which might be a continuation of the current title, a reboot of the franchise, or a completely new game. Reddit user RacingGameGuru0300 datamined some of The Crew 2s updates and found in-game screenshots of something called Project Orlando.Industry leaker Tom Henderson briefly confirmed that Project Orlando by Ubisoft Ivory Tower is not another free DLC for The Crew 2, but a completely new game with a new driving engine. He went on to say that the studio wasnt too happy with how The Crew 2 performed and decided to overhaul the entire franchise, which doesnt rule out the possibility of this being a reboot of the series.The initial post on Reddit also contained some screenshots taken from the so-called Project Orlando, but they have been removed for obvious reasons. The leaked title seems to be set in Hawaii, so the internal name has nothing to do with the setting. Whats interesting about Project Orlando is that it will feature an All Star game mode, which is likely to be some sort of battle royale mode that would pit 100 players against each other in a breathless crew vs. crew race.Although someone noticed that the word free is stamped on one of the screenshots that are no longer accessible on Reddit, thus suggesting that this might be another The Crew 2 DLC, it may also mean that the project started as a DLC and evolved into a completely new entry.The datamined information didnt include any details about release, but it did say that the project is in pre-alpha stage, so it will be a while until we hear more about this one.
If you had any doubts that being one of the richest men in the world as well as achieving living meme status makes you immune to global resource shortages, maybe this next story will change your mind. Tesla Incs Shanghai mega factory recently announced it was expecting to have manufactured a whopping 300,000 electric vehicles over the course of this year so far.

The factory made this announcement the same week rivals like General Motors and Ford announced theyve had to suspend production of their fleet of vehicles, citing a lack of chips vital for every function of a modern car. As per a report from the China Passenger Car Association, the facility managed to crank out 240,000 examples of the Model 3 economy car and the Model Y crossover SUV during its first three months of operation.



Meanwhile, Teslas frontman Elon Musk attended an Italian technology conference which was broadcasted online on the 25th of September. At the conference, Musk made comments insinuating that the global chip shortage was a strictly short-term issue.



Theres a lot of chip fabrication plants that are being built, and I think we will have good capacity by next year, Musk Theres a lot of chip fabrication plants that are being built, and I think we will have good capacity by next year, Musk said at the Italian tech event, seemingly confident in his factorys ability to meet demand in spite of a crisis that has the industry in a stranglehold.



In spite of Musks claims, technology giants like Intel have noted that most of their new chip foundries and manufacturing facilities will not be completed for at least a few more years, making Musks claims dubious at best.



Sources from within the Shanghai factory estimate the total yearly output for the plant at somewhere in the 450,000 vehicle range, with most of that rolling stock slated for sale within the Chinese market. Only time will tell if Elon Musks grand plan will indeed rise above a predicament that the rest of the industry had largely been powerless to stop.
A short time ago, we showed you how the New York City Police Department busted a high-tech car theft ring that terrorized the Bronx for months. Unfortunately, a rise in car theft is not at all limited to the Big Apple. Its a phenomenon skyrocketing across the country, and some are placing the blame on the current health crisis.





One estimate from the National Insurance Crime Bureau was over 880,000 vehicles were stolen in the United States in the year 2020. That works out to one vehicle stolen every 30 seconds or so. News networks across the nation, from Louisville, Kentucky, to Hartford, Connecticut , to Madison, Wisconsin, have all reported a dramatic uptick in the number of car-related thefts.One estimate from the National Insurance Crime Bureau was over 880,000 vehicles were stolen in the United States in the year 2020. That works out to one vehicle stolen every 30 seconds or so.



Investigators in the recent



The rise in counterfeit vehicle software from black market online dealers has made it easier than ever to enter a stolen vehicle and drive away without alerting the authorities has also contributed to this alarming trend. Investigators in the recent New York City car-theft ring bust placed a portion of the blame on the ongoing public health crisis, which has left many vulnerable Americans stuck indoors, defenseless against would-be criminals.The rise in counterfeit vehicle software from black market online dealers has made it easier than ever to enter a stolen vehicle and drive away without alerting the authorities has also contributed to this alarming trend.



In stark difference to spikes in car theft of the past, this one has not been limited to large urban areas. The Hartford Courant, for instance, noted how recent theft spikes had avoided cities with large populations in Connecticut like Hartford and New Haven.



Instead, smaller towns with populations less than 50 thousand have bared the brunt of this surge. In the era of ever-changing public health codes, smaller communities seem to be the most vulnerable.
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Bakersfield, CA (93308)

Today

Partly cloudy skies this evening. Increasing clouds with periods of showers late. Low 58F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies this evening. Increasing clouds with periods of showers late. Low 58F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%.
Malaysias law minister on Tuesday claimed the king had agreed there was no need for the new prime minister to hold a confidence vote in parliament.

However, the monarchs purported agreement is contrary to his decree last month, which is why, one opposition lawmaker said, he would like to hear it in writing from the palace.

Law Minister Wan Junaidis statement came three days after the governments top legal officer also said there was no need to legitimize the kings appointment of Ismail Sabri Yaakob as prime minister.

[T]he constitution has given supreme power to the king to appoint a prime minister, based on the belief that the person has enough majority.  114 lawmakers pledged their support, Wan Junaidi said.

We have received his majestys consent so that it [the confidence vote] does not have to be held because the appointment is still fresh, he said, adding that the prime minister had informed the cabinet about this during its first meeting on Sept. 1, after his audience with the king.

Wan was referring to the kings appointment last month of Ismail Sabri  after his predecessor Muhyiddin Yassin resigned  following individual meetings with all lawmakers to ascertain whom they supported to be the countrys leader.

The parliament is scheduled to start its session on Sept. 13. A confidence vote is not on the agenda, opposition MPs noted on Twitter.

Opposition lawmaker Hassan Abdul Karim said the law ministers statement about the king was merely hearsay.

If there is a new decree from the king on the confidence vote, it should be made in writing and informed to the public through an official media statement of the National Palace, Hassan Abdul, an MP from the opposition Peoples Justice Party (PKR), said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Singapore-based newspaper The Straits Times cited an unnamed source as saying that the governments unwillingness to hold a confidence vote stemmed from information it got from the main opposition coalition and PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim.

Anwar reportedly told the home minister that the Pakatan Harapan coalition would abstain if a confidence vote were to be held  potentially leading to instability for the new government.

Ismail Sabri doesnt want to run a risk

Like his predecessor Muhyiddin, Ismail Sabri has a slim majority in parliament, which he would lose if just four MPs changed their minds and pulled support from him.

If the Pakatan coalition were to vote in his favor  during a hypothetical confidence vote  Ismail Sabri could shore up his numbers by at least 105, for a grand total of 219 out of 220 parliamentary seats.

Political analyst Oh Ei Sun believes Ismail Sabri may be dodging the confidence vote because he doesnt trust some MPs from his own party, the United Malays National Organization (UMNO), voting for him.

[E]specially the faction aligned to party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and former premier Najib Razak who command 15 votes in the lower house, the senior fellow with the Singapore Institute of International Affairs told BenarNews.

There is a possibility that Ismail Sabri will challenge Zahid in the next party election, therefore the MPs controlled by Zahid may or may not support him, so he doesnt want to run a risk in a formal vote of confidence.

Oh said the constitution does not mandate a confidence vote for a newly appointed PM, but it is convention that a leader with a slim majority should seek one to legitimize his rule.

As long as he doesnt do that, his government would always be considered as less than legitimate, or an illegitimate one, much like the government of Muhyiddin Yassin previously, Oh said.

The former PM dodged a confidence vote for 17 months of his unelected governments tenure, and look at what happened to Muhyiddin finally, he had to step down, right? Oh said.

The former PM resigned Aug, 16, after UMNO pulled support from his government.

Back then, Muhyiddins Bersatu party had relied on UMNOs support. Now UMNO lawmaker and PM Ismail Sabri is relying on support from Bersatu and its 31 lawmakers.

The two parties have already  and again  started bickering, and some analysts had told BenarNews political instability would continue.

Elections next year?

One lawmaker from Muhyiddins Bersatu told local media outlet Free Malaysia Today that he expects a general election will be called next year, so there is no need for a confidence vote.

A full mandate can be obtained next year. For now, let us settle down and deliver our best to the people, Mansor Othman said.

If an election is indeed held next year, it is likely that 7.5 million young voters will be added to the electoral rolls. A high court last week ruled that 18- to 21-year olds should be allowed to vote by Dec. 31.

Until elections are called, and whatever the outcome on the confidence vote issue, Malaysians are stuck with a second government they did not elect, netizen Dan Sebastian said.

We are very confused, he said on Twitter.

Hope his majesty provides further clarification to small citizens like us whose elected government had been hijacked and politics maneuvered by player politicians.
A Philippine official checks one of the dozens of firearms turned over by former Muslim rebels as part of a decommissioning process in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao province, July 9, 2019.

Philippine National Police online detectives have been ordered to crack down on the alleged sale and distribution of unlicensed firearms over the internet ahead of next years general election, the countrys top cop announced Monday.

An initial police investigation revealed that thousands of disassembled firearm parts and ammunition recovered recently from a warehouse in Bulacan, north of Manila, were reportedly being reassembled and sold to private armed groups via online platforms, police chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar told reporters in a virtual news conference.

He said he has asked the police anti-cybercrime group to trace the source of such weapons and find those involved in the sales.

In our aggressive campaign against loose firearms as part of the early security preparations for the 2022 elections, we are not discounting the possibility that some gun-running syndicates are using the online platforms for their illegal activities, Eleazar said.

Because of this, I have asked our intelligence group and the anti-cybercrime group to boost information gathering and monitor this modus, he said.

Some of the disassembled parts were from weapons that were not properly decommissioned and ended up in the black market, Eleazar said, adding part of the investigation will be to determine how the items went missing from the police and military inventory.

Eleazar said military leaders assured police of cooperation in the investigation, noting many of the parts confiscated in the Bulacan warehouse were from .50-caliber and M16 rifles.

2022 election

The Philippines will hold a general election next year to choose a successor for President Rodrigo Duterte, to fill 12 of the 24 seats in the Senate, all 316 House seats and thousands of officials from provincial governors to town mayors and councilors.

Previous elections have been fraught with violence as some politicians hired private armed groups to intimidate rivals.

In 2019, 23 people were killed and 50 injured during mid-term polls and as many as 50 people died in poll-related violence during the 2016 presidential election, according to statistics from the national police.

The interior department previously identified about 150 private armies, many of them operating in remote areas, including in the Muslim autonomous region in the countrys south.

These guns-for-hire exist because of a long-running gun culture in the Philippines, coupled with the presence of feuding clans in tribal areas along with rival political dynasties trying to outdo each other, according to interior department officials.

Criminal Investigation and Detention Group chief Maj. Gen. Albert Ignatius Ferro on Monday announced the arrest of three suspects last week along with the seizure of firearms, ammunition and crystal methamphetamine, the state-run Philippine News Agency reported.

He said the suspects were members of a group involved in gunrunning and guns-for-hire activities while praising officers for the operation, according to PNA.

Rest assured that we will be in the frontline and ever ready to step further in our battle against criminality, he said.

On Sunday, police in the southern Philippines seized more than 650 rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition from a suspected gunrunner in Parang, Maguindanao province. The seized ammunition could have been used in M14 assault rifles and M60 machine guns.
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NORTH ADAMS  Now that he has the green light from the City Council, Mayor Thomas Bernard said the city will move ahead with developing a request for proposals for the Mohawk Theater.But it's 
MARINE CITY, Mich. (AP)  The vehicle belonging to an 84-year-old Michigan woman missing since May has been found in the St. Clair River with a body inside, police said.

Divers found the Ford Edge SUV about 30 feet from the shore in Marine City, according to the St. Clair County sheriffs office. The vehicle was located Saturday afternoon by members of the volunteer diving group Adventures with a Purpose, which had been contacted by relatives of Nadine Moses of Casco Township.
Large corporations and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation took over the United Nations Food Systems Summit, abandoning small farmers on behalf of Big Ag companies, endangering food sovereignty.

Video by La Via Campesina North America, Nils McCune, and Camila Escalante

This September 23, the United Nations holds its Food Systems Summit in New York.

Under the guise of the UN system, and despite sleight-of-hand language about equal opportunities, this summit represents a hostile takeover of world governance by corporate forces and the billionaire elite.

Today, social movements are standing up for democracy and against big capitals devastation of their lands, farms, and communities.

The United Nations is based on the idea of multilateralism, where states seek peaceful solutions on the basis of equality and respect, replacing the colonialist institutions that preceded it.

Thats why for decades, the United States government has instead pushed for things like G-7, NATO, and other forms of control over geopolitics.

As far-right governments have pulled back from multilateral institutions like the UN and the WHO, corporate actors have been moving in.

The World Economic Forum and its president Klaus Schwab have silently pushed forward the Davos Agenda, now re-packaged as the Great Reset, a vast proposal replacing traditional multilateral institutions with secretive, unaccountable bodies run by corporations and the wealthy elite.

Their multi-stakeholder capitalism model is based on the idea that public institutions are, by nature, inefficient.

During the neoliberal shock therapy of the 1990s, the World Economic Forum pushed the idea that corporations are more than just profit-seeking vehicles, that they could be socially responsible.

Now Davos would argue that transnational corporations are social actors, which need to be included to make decision-making truly democratic.

In doing so, Davos hijacked the gains of decades of work by popular movements to open up world governance to the demands of civil society  and did so using corporate doublespeak to further entrench elite power.

Gunboat philanthropy

La Via Campesina is possibly the worlds largest social movement. Made up of 200 million small farmers, peasants, farm workers, and indigenous peoples, it has popularized the idea of food sovereignty as the right of peoples to control and defend their own food systems using healthy, agro-ecological methods.

After years battling against free-trade agreements and the World Bank in the streets of Seattle, Cancun, and Seoul, La Via Campesina made an incursion into institutional politics, helping to draft and carry the UN Declaration on the Rights of Peasants through 18 years of negotiations, until it was passed by the UN General Assembly in December 2018.

This declaration protects the right of rural people to access land, water, seeds, and other resources in order to produce their own food and that of their society.

Worldwide, 70% of food is produced by small farmers, who use only one-quarter of total farmland.

Meanwhile, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation created the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa, or AGRA, in 2006.

AGRA promised to double yields and incomes for 30 million families while cutting food insecurity by half in 13 African countries by 2020.

Over the ensuing decade, AGRA collected nearly $1 billion in donations, and spent $524 million on programs promoting the use of genetically modified and hybrid seeds, commercial fossil fuel-based fertilizers, and chemical pesticides.

As a formidable corporate lobby, AGRA pushed governments in Africa into contributing another billion dollars annually to subsidize agrichemicals and imported seeds sourced from US and European agribusiness corporations, as well as policies to privatize communal lands and reduce taxes on corporations.

After 14 years of mega-philanthropys knee on the neck of Africa, a 2020 Tufts University study showed that, in AGRAs 13 focus countries, hunger had jumped 30%, as farmers were pushed to abandon nutritious, traditional polycultures to focus on monoculture fields of imported corn seed.

Opposition to AGRAs corporate takeover of the African countryside is part of what drove La Via Campesina and farmers across the continent to demand a place at the table in UN debates about food.

After the world food crisis of 2008, the UN Committee on World Food Security was reorganized to allow social actors such as La Via Campesina to participate as non-voting delegates in debates about food policy.

Three consecutive UN Special Rapporteurs on the Right to Food have largely endorsed La Via Campesinas proposals: redistributive land reform and agroecological farming can end hunger while dramatically reducing agricultures contribution to problems like greenhouse gas accumulation in the atmosphere, pollinator population decline, and freshwater scarcity.

The new UN: a public-private partnership

In June 2019, the office of UN General Secretary Antonio Guterres, without previous discussion in the General Assembly or any other intergovernmental process, signed a strategic partnership with the World Economic Forum.

The secretary-general is supposed to be the worlds leading advocate for multilateralism, the idea at the core of the UN. Instead, he has effectively endorsed multi-stakeholderism, the core idea of the Great Reset.

The 2021 UN Food Systems Summit was initiated through a partnership with the World Economic Forum, with limited participation of other UN bodies, such as the Food and Agriculture Organization or the Committee on World Food Security, which traditionally handle food policies.

In contrast to previous food summits, there was no intergovernmental body that convened the summit.

The current president of AGRA, Agnes Kalibata, was named as special envoy to the summit, a clear sign of the hand of the Gates Foundation.

The lack of transparency and corporate agenda of the summit were denounced in an open letter signed by more than 500 civil society organizations in March 2020.

The summit seeks to erase the last 15 years of progress in recognizing human rights in food systems, and instead promotes false solutions like zero-net emissions, soil carbon pricing, and a new deal for nature, that in practice put more control over land, biodiversity, and water in the hands of elite and secretive bodies run by corporations.
In 2017, as Julian Assange began his fifth year holed up in Ecuadors embassy in London, the CIA plotted to kidnap the WikiLeaks founder, spurring heated debate among Trump administration officials over the legality and practicality of such an operation.

Some senior officials inside the CIA and the Trump administration even discussed killing Assange, going so far as to request sketches or options for how to assassinate him. Discussions over kidnapping or killing Assange occurred at the highest levels of the Trump administration, said a former senior counterintelligence official. There seemed to be no boundaries.

The conversations were part of an unprecedented CIA campaign directed against WikiLeaks and its founder. The agencys multipronged plans also included extensive spying on WikiLeaks associates, sowing discord among the groups members, and stealing their electronic devices.

While Assange had been on the radar of U.S. intelligence agencies for years, these plans for an all-out war against him were sparked by WikiLeaks ongoing publication of extraordinarily sensitive CIA hacking tools, known collectively as Vault 7, which the agency ultimately concluded represented the largest data loss in CIA history.

President Trumps newly installed CIA director, Mike Pompeo, was seeking revenge on WikiLeaks and Assange, who had sought refuge in the Ecuadorian Embassy since 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden on rape allegations he denied. Pompeo and other top agency leaders were completely detached from reality because they were so embarrassed about Vault 7, said a former Trump national security official. They were seeing blood.

The CIAs fury at WikiLeaks led Pompeo to publicly describe the group in 2017 as a non-state hostile intelligence service. More than just a provocative talking point, the designation opened the door for agency operatives to take far more aggressive actions, treating the organization as it does adversary spy services, former intelligence officials told Yahoo News. Within months, U.S. spies were monitoring the communications and movements of numerous WikiLeaks personnel, including audio and visual surveillance of Assange himself, according to former officials.
Image by Mark Breck via GettyImages

Having now received a tsunami of messages from people across the US (and a few internationally) about the surveillance regimes being permanently installed at their educational institutions  in contravention of earlier assurances that the current academic year would mark a long-awaited return to normalcy, thanks to the onset of mass vaccination  there are a few conclusions to draw.

First: unless and until COVID cases are abandoned as a metric by which policy action is presumptively dictated, these institutions are destined to continue flailing from irrational measure to irrational measure for the foreseeable future. Just turn your gaze over to one of Americas most hallowed pedagogical grounds: As of September 17, Columbia University has newly forbidden students from hosting guests, visiting residence halls other than their own, and gathering with more than ten people. The stated rationale for these restrictions? Administrators have extrapolated from the contact tracing data theyve compulsorily seized that a recent increase in viral transmission is attributable to students socializing unmasked at gatherings in residence halls and at off-campus apartments, bars, and restaurants. (Socializing at apartments, bars, and restaurants in the middle of Manhattan  gee, I cant imagine anything more heinous.)

Just like Connecticut College and so many other institutions Ive been taking flurries of messages about, Columbia has already mandated vaccination for all students, faculty, and staff, and is approaching 100% compliance. But as has now been made abundantly clear, for many people in positions of bureaucratic authority, universal vaccination was never going to be sufficient for a transition away from the Permanent Emergency mode of COVID exegetical theology. The perverse incentives are easy to grasp. These administrators have so much invested in the infrastructure of case detection theyve constructed over the past year and a half  not to mention the wider ideological project of stopping the spread at all costs  that its impossible to imagine conditions under which theyd voluntarily move to dismantle the surveillance systems over which they preside. And not just because the new powers conferred by this infrastructure  the ability to micromanage the private lives of young adults, track and adjudicate the propriety of their movements, etc.  is probably creepily intoxicating on a level these administrators may not be overtly conscious of, and in any event would almost certainly never publicly admit.

No, the infrastructure wont be dismantled any time soon because doing so would also require accepting a major paradigm shift in how COVID is understood. And for certain segments of society, that whole system of thought is just too all-consuming. Benign instances of transmission  i.e. transmission that results in no severe disease, which is almost invariably the case with vaccinated young adults at astronomically low risk from COVID  would have to stop being portrayed as alarming outbreaks, necessitating a never-ending stream of frenzied Zoom strategy meetings and swift, all-hands-on-decks interventionist tactics. The very word outbreak would also probably have to be ditched, given its alarmist connotations. I would suggest instead that outbreak be applied to these frantic upswells of bureaucratic overreaction. Perhaps the epidemiological origins of this diseased mentality could be contact traced.

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Why should anyone be alarmed by an alleged outbreak of overwhelmingly asymptomatic or mild cases among a population of healthy vaccinated undergrads  cases which would never have been detected at all if not for the superfluous surveillance testing structures that these institutions require students submit to? And before anyone chimes in with the standard because they can transmit to others response: the others theyre surrounded by have had the opportunity to get vaccinated at no cost for the past eight months. Even the US prestige media is beginning to reject the utility of using cases as a benchmark for anything of consequence, so youd think college administrators would eventually follow suit, but a combination of bureaucratic inertia and weirdly flamboyant zeal appears to be preventing that from happening.

Having read way too much administrative jargon recently, there are a number of obnoxious rhetorical strategies they employ to engender acceptance of edicts that more and more people seem to recognize are wildly, overbearingly arbitrary. We all have to hold each other accountable, these administrators will often pronounce, or some variation thereof, which ironically shields them from accountability for their own capricious and intrusive actions. Their orders are often cloyingly filled with artificial appeals to the community, which raises the question of who elected these surveillers and snoops to be spokespersons for the community, and how they even define communities, which seem to contain growing segments of unwilling inhabitants.

One key thing to know is that despite their pretension of acting at the direction of expert epidemiologists and public health officials, the day-to-day decisions about practical implementation at these places often come down to the individual discretion of officials who in no sane world would ever be deferred to on questions of infectious disease protocol, or really anything else of significance. The latest restrictions at Columbia were promulgated by the Dean of Undergraduate Student Life, one of those titles which you know must encompass a whole slew of useless, indecipherable makework  and now tends to include a never-ending cycle of COVID monitoring. In her official bio, Dean Cristen Scully Kromm of Columbia is described as having an esteemed background in something called residence life and leadership oversight. I dont know about you, but I can think of few things more unappealing than to have my personal activity surveilled by official busybodies who have dedicated their careers to learning the majesties of leadership oversight, which sounds like a field invented specifically for people who actually enjoy receiving LinkedIn emails.

Thanks to my trusty network of informants, I was able to listen in on a Zoom meeting held Sunday night by Dean Victor Arcelus, the chief COVID decider at my old stomping grounds of Connecticut College. I apologize again for the unrelenting focus on this obscure liberal arts college in southeastern Connecticut, but its just become irresistible. Dean Arcelus convened a panel of all his subordinate Deans involved in the crafting of COVID rules; studying the credentials of these people sure is fascinating.

One member of the ad hoc infectious disease task force, Ariella Rabin Rotramel, currently serves as the Colleges Interim Dean of Institutional Equity and Inclusion, and is also Associate Professor of Gender, Sexuality and Intersectionality Studies, with a specialty in Queer Theory and Activism. Here is Rotramel answering a Zoom question from an anonymous student:

Im sure they is a lovely person, but its unclear why Rotramel should be endowed with authority to issue virology-related policy pronouncements. Either way, they gave some indication that they is perhaps not up for the task, describing the whole situation as exhausting  that familiar exasperated rallying cry of activists demanding acquiescence.

Demonstrating his unparalleled leadership abilities, however, Dean Arcelus stated that he was quite disappointed at reports that parties had been rudely held this past weekend at an on-campus residential facility. There will be conduct consequences, he warned. Suspension is most definitely on the table. Though the most extreme variation of the Australia-style lockdown had been lifted just hours after my visit last week, students are still being ordered not to partake in normal social gatherings such as parties (gasp) or going to bars (gasp).

If you have parties, if you go to the bars, youre not going to be able to have everything else, the Dean exhorted, threatening that those who misbehave could prompt a return to lockdown for everybody. However, he did leave a glimmer of hope, enticing students that if we were able to see that you all were actually being really good about acceding to his prohibitions, then things could potentially change.

The power in preventing this from happening again is in you and in holding each other accountable, Dean Arcelus continued. Theres that ubiquitous feature of the contemporary college administrator jargon  presumably tailored to the sensibilities of accountability-minded young adults. Again with the added irony that these invocations of accountability serve to deflect scrutiny from those who wield the real decision-making power. In the name of accountability, students become scapegoats for the irrational policy choices of the people actually in charge. Accountability is usually also demanded on behalf of some imagined community, so you are not to comply solely at the behest of Dean Arcelus, but rather at the behest of some diffused assemblage of individuals who are claimed to represent a unified community. Theres always this incredibly annoying pretense that bureaucratic operatives and public health experts are alone the most exalted guardians of community safety, and if you dont agree with them on moral, practical, or epidemiological grounds, you are a menace.

Moving forward, none of you should be OK with people not having a mask on inside, or not having it properly worn, the Dean inveighed, again appealing to the shockingly pervasive snitch culture being fertilized at this and other academic institutions. Deans at Georgetown University and the University of Southern California have also been sending out these imperious injunctions for students to rat out the alleged violators among them, or as USC Law School Andrew T. Guzman put it in that typically manipulative style: non-compliant members of our community. Whats a non-compliant member of the USC community, exactly? Someone who engages in unsanctioned indoor hydration. No, Im not kidding.

Do you find any of this arbitrary or ridiculous? Tough luck. Because nowadays all public and private officials apparently have to do is incant the magic word Delta, and people whose dictates about proper interpersonal behavior would otherwise be ignored are suddenly imbued with this awesome, unchallengeable power. Their decrees must be obeyed, preferably with effusions of gratitude. Forcing masks on crying two-year-olds? Delta. Forbidden to remove your mask for a few seconds in order to take a sip of water at USC, even as a lavish and unmasked Emmys extravaganza just took place right down the road? Delta. Shutting down a special needs school in East Harlem less than a week into the academic year? Delta. Concerned about the privacy implications of being made to walk around with your health information stored on mandatory smartphone apps, as is the current policy at the University of Michigan, and being made to display this information on command? Delta. Also, I just saved a bunch of money on my car insurance by switching to Delta.

For all his foibles, at least Dean Arcelus nicely encapsulates the mindset which is now running rampant at major US educational institutions  the same institutions producing the graduates who will soon be governing the rest of the country. At the disciplinary Zoom meeting, the good Dean admitted: I know all of us thought, going into getting vaccinated in April and May, we thought that we would be able to come back to campus and live campus differently [sic] having been vaccinated But as Ive said multiple times now, the Delta Variant just presents a whole new level of challenge to us. And thats why we cant do what we thought we were going to be able to do back when we got vaccinated in April and May.

Well, there you have it. Vaccination was never the gateway to normalcy it was presented to be, and the only option is apparently to instate Permanent Emergency protocols with no cognizable off-ramp in sight, as a Duke University expert helpfully conceded this week. Reneging on these prior assurances is portrayed as some inherently unavoidable fait accompli, rather than a conscious policy choice undertaken to the exclusion of other vastly more sensible options. Choosing another option would mean re-assessing the underlying logic of constantly surveilling a 99% vaccinated population of healthy young adults with these increasingly dubious tests, and gathering their private data so as to opine about the permissibility of their social activities. College administrators are totally committed  politically, professionally, metaphysically  to that logic. Theres also an entire financial infrastructure thats been erected to sustain the endless provision of nonsensical testing services. Ultimately, these officials cant or wont extricate themselves from the scolding surveillance paradigm  and why would they? That would entail the relinquishment of power.
VANCOUVER - As a teenager, Murray Ned was accustomed to fishing for salmon three days a week all year round on the Fraser River in southwestern British Columbia.

A salmon is reeled in by a fisherman along the shores of the Fraser River near Chilliwack, B.C., Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2010. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

VANCOUVER - As a teenager, Murray Ned was accustomed to fishing for salmon three days a week all year round on the Fraser River in southwestern British Columbia.

Three decades later, the longtime Sumas First Nation councillor and member of the joint U.S.-Canadian Pacific Salmon Commission said he expects salmon fisheries on the river will have opened for a total 25 days or less for the entire year.

Salmon are in crisis, he said, while Indigenous, commercial and recreational fishers await details on the federal government's latest plan to recover plummeting stocks.

"We're literally losing our food security, but also our cultural security and integrity and connection to the Fraser River and the salmon species that go along with it," Ned, who's also the executive director of the Lower Fraser Fisheries Alliance.

"The ability to transfer knowledge to youth from elders ... we're losing that every day that we're not able to be on the river."

Complete data on salmon that returned to their spawning streams this year is not yet available,but Fisheries and Oceans has said many stocks are declining to "historic lows" due to the impacts of climate change, habitat loss and other threats.

In the last budget, Ottawa pledged close to $650 million over five years for the Pacific Salmon Strategy Initiative unveiled in June, but few details have been released about how the money would be spent on salmon recovery plans.

Ned said he sees the salmon strategy initiative as "a black hole right now."

In a video posted online, former Fisheries Minister Bernadette Jordan called the initiative "the largest, most transformative investment in salmon by any government in history," and says it would be "built from the ground up," in partnership with all levels of government, Indigenous peoples, industry and environmental groups.

A new minister has yet to be named after Jordan lost her seat in the Sept. 20 vote that gave Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberals another minority government.

Ottawa's new strategy has four pillars: conservation, with improved habitat monitoring and ecosystem planning, enhancing hatcheries, "transforming" fisheries, and collaborating with different levels of government, including Indigenous nations.

The plan would add $100 million to the $142.85 million B.C. Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund and create a new "restoration centre of expertise."

The new Pacific Salmon Commercial Transition Program is also expected to provide harvesters with the option to retire their licenses at fair market value, helping to create a smaller commercial harvesting sector, Ottawa has said.

In June, the federal government announced the closure of about 60 per cent of commercial salmon fisheries for this season. It said recreational fisheries would also be restricted where commercial closures were in place to conserve stocks.

However, Greg Taylor, an independent consultant who advises the B.C.-based non-profit Watershed Watch Society, said a commercial Fraser River pink salmon fishery that had been among the closures was open for several days earlier this month.

Pinks aren't "super abundant," he said in an interview, but they're not faring as poorly as the coho and steelhead that are running with them, at risk of being caught up.

The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada has assessed two steelhead populations that spawn in tributaries of the Fraser as endangered and in 2018 recommended an emergency listing under the Species at Risk Act, which would trigger habitat protections, but that was declined by the federal cabinet.

A Fisheries and Oceans Canada notice posted online said the pink fishery was "designed to address stocks of concern restraints," other species were to be released unharmed and observers were required, though Taylor said salmon fisheries tend to need better observation to ensure threatened fish aren't disturbed.

Taylor said Fisheries and Oceans indicated there would be meaningful consultation with stakeholders in salmon harvesting ahead of further changes, so the opening of the pink fishery "undermines (his) confidence" in the rest of Ottawa's new strategy.

Fisheries and Oceans did not respond to questions about the opening of the pink fishery and the new strategy that's still being developed in time for publication.

Commercial harvesters should be fairly compensated for retiring their licenses, Taylor added. But he believes the full $647 million allocated to the salmon strategy should go toward conserving and restoring salmon populations, while the money Ottawa would need to buy out licenses should come from somewhere else.

"The last time we did a major buy back, it cost over $250 million in 2021 dollars. I'm not saying it's going to be that much anymore, but you take $50 or $100 million out of the $647 (million) to start compensating commercial fishers, that weakens it."

Ned said his top priority is to see funding allocated through true government-to- government relationships with First Nations, in accordance with B.C.'s 2019 law adopting the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

They need to be part of decision-making over funding requirements and how projects to support salmon recovery are implemented in their territories, he said.

While many Indigenous groups have received money for projects under the B.C. salmon restoration fund, for example, so have many non-profit organizations that Ned said are still learning how to work with First Nations.

In addition to the new Pacific salmon strategy, the federal government has adopted a 2018-22 implementation plan for its Wild Salmon Policy established in 2005.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 26, 2021.
FREDERICTON - New Brunswick is reporting 61 new cases of COVID-19 today and one new death.

New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs speaks with the media after a National Indigenous Peoples Day flag raising event at the legislature in Fredericton, Monday, June 21, 2021. New Brunswick is reporting 61 new cases of COVID-19 today and one new death. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Stephen MacGillivray

FREDERICTON - New Brunswick is reporting 61 new cases of COVID-19 today and one new death.

Health officials say a person in their 70s has died in the Fredericton area, bringing the total number of deaths since the onset of the pandemic to 53.

Officials say 52 of the latest cases, or 85 per cent, involve individuals who are not fully vaccinated.

According to the province, 78.9 per cent of people 12 years of age and older are fully immunized, while 87.7 per cent of those eligible for a vaccine have received their first dose.

There are currently 580 active cases in the province with 32 people in hospital as a result of the disease, including 13 in intensive care.

In a news release Saturday, Premier Blaine Higgs said he was saddened to learn of the latest virus-related death.

Our thoughts are with this persons family and friends and with everyone who has lost a loved one or has gotten sick due to COVID-19," said Higgs. "We all owe it to them to do our part to protect each other by please, if you can, getting vaccinated.

Saturday's new cases included 18 in the Edmundston area, 16 in the Fredericton region, nine in the Cambellton area, six in the Moncton region, four in the Saint John area, two in the Miramichi area and six cases each in the Moncton and Bathurst regions.

Meanwhile, the province reinstated its state of emergency late Friday in order to deal with a sudden surge in COVID-19 cases.

The measures include new rules to limit contacts, ensure physical distancing and require certain businesses and events to have vaccination or masking-and-testing policies.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 25, 2021.
TORONTO - The newly elected member of Parliament for a downtown Toronto riding says he will sit as an independent.

TORONTO - The newly elected member of Parliament for a downtown Toronto riding says he will sit as an independent.

Kevin Vuong says he will not step down as Spadina-Fort York's representative in the House of Commons despite controversy surrounding his election.

He made the announcement in a tweet Saturday night.

The Liberal party dropped Vuong as a candidate just two days before Monday's election.

The federal party made the decision after the Toronto Star reported there had been a sexual assault charge laid against him in 2019, which was later dropped.

Thousands of people had already voted by mail or in advance polls in the riding and it was too late to remove Vuong's name or party affiliation from the ballots that were cast Monday.

He managed to win with about 39 per cent of the vote.

Vuong issued a brief statement via Twitter on Saturday night saying "after taking time to reflect on recent events, I want to apologize for the lack of disclosure."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 25, 2021.
JERUSALEM (AP)  Israeli troops conducted a series of arrest raids against suspected Hamas militants across the occupied West Bank early Sunday, sparking a pair of gun battles in which five Palestinians were killed and two Israeli soldiers were seriously wounded.

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett speaks during a memorial ceremony on the 48th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War between Israel and Arab states in 1973, at Mt. Herzl in Jerusalem, Sunday, Sept. 19 2021. (Ohad Zwigenberg/Pool via AP)

JERUSALEM (AP)  Israeli troops conducted a series of arrest raids against suspected Hamas militants across the occupied West Bank early Sunday, sparking a pair of gun battles in which five Palestinians were killed and two Israeli soldiers were seriously wounded.

It was the deadliest violence between Israeli forces and Palestinian militants in the West Bank in several weeks. The region has seen an increase in fighting in recent months, with tensions fueled by Israeli settlement construction, heightened militant activity in the northern West Bank and the aftermath of a bloody war between Israel and Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip last May.

Israeli officials said they had been tracking the Hamas militants for several weeks and that the raids were launched in response to immediate threats.

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said the militants were about to carry out attacks "in real time." He praised the Israeli forces, saying they acted "as expected. They engaged the enemy and we back them completely."

Palestinians inspect a bloodstained site after an Israeli army operation that left some Palestinian men killed, in the West Bank village of Beit Anan, west of Ramallah, Sunday, Sept. 26, 2021. Multiple Palestinian gunmen were killed in shootouts with Israeli security forces during a sweeping West Bank arrest operation cracking down on the Islamic militant group Hamas on Sunday, the Israeli military said. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)

Lt. Col. Amnon Shefler, an Israeli army spokesperson, said Israeli forces came under fire while carrying out the arrest raids. He said at least four Hamas operatives were killed and several others were arrested in the overnight operation.

The Palestinian Health Ministry said two Palestinians were shot dead near the northern West Bank city of Jenin and three others were killed in Biddu, north of Jerusalem. The Israeli military said an officer and soldier suffered serious injuries during the arrest in Burqin, near Jenin, and were airlifted to a hospital for medical treatment.

Hamas confirmed that four of the dead, including all three killed in Biddu, were members of the Islamic militant group. Palestinian officials said a 16-year-old boy was also among the dead, though it was not immediately known if he was a militant.

The Palestinian Authority, which administers semi-autonomous areas in the West Bank, condemned the killings and said the Israeli government was "fully and directly responsible for this bloody morning and the crimes committed by the occupation forces."

But Hamas also criticized the Palestinian Authority, which maintains security coordination with Israel in a shared struggle against the Islamic group.

Hamas spokesman Abdulatif al-Qanou said that recent meetings between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli officials "encouraged the occupation again to pursue the resistance."

Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip after seizing it from the Palestinian Authority in 2007, praised those killed as "heroic martyrs." It called on its supporters to "devise tactics and means that harm the enemy and drain it with all possible forms of resistance."

Also Sunday, Israel released Khalida Jarrar, a prominent Palestinian lawmaker, after nearly two years in prison. Jarrar, a senior figure in the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, has been in and out of Israeli prisons for years  often without being charged.

The PFLP has an armed wing and is considered a terrorist group by Israel and Western countries, but Jarrar has not been implicated in attacks. She was sentenced to two years in prison in March for membership in a banned group but given credit for time already served. She was freed several weeks before her sentence was to end.

Recent months have seen a rise in violence in the West Bank, with more than two dozen Palestinians killed in sporadic clashes with Israeli troops and during protests.

Many of the clashes have occurred near Beita, a Palestinian village where residents regularly demonstrate against an unauthorized settlement outpost, and near Jenin, which is known as a militant stronghold.

Last month, Israeli troops clashed with Palestinian gunmen during a late night raid in Jenin, killing four Palestinians. Sunday's clashes came a week after Israel recaptured the last of six Palestinian fugitives who tunneled out of a maximum-security Israeli prison earlier this month. The escapees were from Jenin, and two were caught there after an extensive search.

Israel captured the West Bank in the 1967 Mideast war and has established dozens of settlements where nearly 500,000 settlers reside. The Palestinians seek the West Bank as part of their future state and view the settlements as a major obstacle to resolving the conflict.
Intimacies makes elegant architecture of the unmissable spectre of colonialism. Kitamura is a writer who can create large shadows from the smallest of objects and her plotting provides an object lesson in the ambiguity of human relationships.

As in Rembrandts paintings, subtlety is key to Kitamuras achievements. She brings her talent for imagery and close reading of relationships to the story of an unnamed translator in an unnamed court in The Hague.

Katie Kitamuras Intimacies is an existential thriller with a shadow text about the systems, the narratives, and the ambiguities that position the way we relate to each other and the way we see ourselves. The American writer  who has authored three novels, including A Separation  renders the intricacies of human relationships with the lustre and soulfulness of a Dutch painter.

When the colonialism theme arrives it is dramatised in a painting by the 17th-century Dutch artist Judith Leyster, whose The Proposition comes to stand for the ambiguous and sometimes fraught power relations in the book  between genders, races, and classes.

Credit:

The painting represents two irreconcilable subjective positions: the man, who believed the scene to be one of ardour and seduction, and the woman, who had been plunged into a state of fear and humiliation. This schism echoes several of the books themes and contrasts. The power relations can be read as between nations and states, rather than only between men and women.

Intimacies dramatises these power relations in the plot of trial of an unnamed African dictator. Through its protagonists eyes, its possible to see a clear atrocity as something that has shadows and more. Like The Proposition, in which the narrative of seduction or assault is ambiguous, so the story of the courts attempt to enforce universal human rights and restorative justice is portrayed both as a worthy attempt to get to the truth, and a disingenuous attempt at imposing Western values on a charismatic African leader.

As the translator is drawn into the preparation for the accuseds trial and the defence attorney argues for a nuanced strategy, the former dictator treats her like a distraction. She becomes aware of how his charisma and popularity among supporters coexist with an inability to believe in the atrocities hes been convicted of. This becomes a metaphor for the ambiguous power relations captured by the Leyster painting, which transform the translator from a subject into an object. The narrator says: I interpreted for the former president, that I remained there, in that room with those men, until they no longer wanted me.
Like it or not, Catholicism is still enormously influential in Australia. It is Australias largest non-government employer through its schools, hospitals and aged care with around 230,000 people working directly for the church. It also runs many voluntary organisations, like the Saint Vincent de Paul Society with some 20,700 members and 41,150 volunteers with a huge impact on social welfare.

Despite this, Catholicisms reputation has been effectively trashed in the media and wider community by the sexual abuse crisis and church leaders appalling, long-term failure to deal decisively with clerical abusers. The revelations of the royal commission reinforced the churchs toxic reputation.

The number of Catholics in Australia is in decline. Credit:Simon O'Dwyer

The result: people are abandoning Catholicism in droves. The percentage of self-confessed Catholics in the population has dropped from 27 per cent in 2001 to 22.6 per cent in the 2016 census. Of the 5.3 million Catholics in 2106, only 11.8 per cent attended Mass regularly.

In an attempt to respond, Australias 46 bishops are gathering with 99 invited priests, 25 religious sisters and around 110 laypeople from across Australia in a Plenary Council in early October to try to sort out the churchs future.
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Imagine a flying machine-gun that can recognise faces  and pick its own targets. Or a new kind of computer chilled to the temperature of space and able to calculate in seconds what a supercomputer would take millennia to solve. Then suppose you could beam co-ordinates from a satellite to an army base using an unhackable encryption key, or send a swarm of undersea drones to lie in wait for a stealth submarine. These technologies are no longer in the realm of science fiction; some are already cresting the horizon.Talk of artificial intelligence, quantum technology, hypersonic missiles, cyber weapons and other undersea capabilities may have been missed in the fanfare (and shock) of Australias plan to build its first fleet of nuclear submarines, but such things are also listed as part of the new technology-sharing AUKUS pact between Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom. The fields are not new, and not just the domain of the AUKUS trio; many also appear in Chinas latest five-year plan, for example. But experts say some of these technologies could disrupt the traditional battlefield before Australias nuclear submarine fleet is even online. So how developed are they? Who else is working on them? And how might they change the face of war? China is building a hypersonic wind-tunnel in Beijing to help it test faster aircraft at up to 30 times the speed of sound. What does cyber have to do with warfare? War has already changed in one big way. The first act of a major conflict will now play out in cyberspace, says Professor Michael Webb, director of the Defence Institute at the University of Adelaide. If you think back to the Gulf War, we were fighting first for supremacy in the air. Today, because of how connected the world is, well be fighting for supremacy in cyber. If you can jam an enemy nations satellites to mess with their GPS navigation, or blind their air radar systems, or even shut down their electricity grid, you can sow chaos before youve fired a single shot.

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The worlds first digital weapon was unleashed in 2009, a highly advanced computer worm known as Stuxnet, built by the US and Israel to damage an Iranian nuclear enrichment facility. An arms race has been under way ever since among security agencies looking to patch vulnerabilities faster than hackers and rival nation states can exploit them. In many ways, its not a new story, says Webb. Theres always a new edge [in warfare] so instead of using bronze, weve updated to iron. Whats interesting now ... is just how fast its all moving. While the US, China and Russia are thought to have the most advanced cyber capabilities in the world, Israel, Britain, Iran and North Korea also have formidable armies of hackers. In Australia, most attacks considered sophisticated enough to be attributed to another state (from data grabs at our top universities to the infiltration of the Australian Parliament itself) are thought to have come from China. But some of the biggest and most brazen cyber attacks in history have come from Russia, such as the devastating NotPetya hack that unplugged Ukraine and crashed much of the worlds shipping; and the recent SolarWinds breach that made it into the upper echelons of most Western governments, including the US and Australia. Australia is still building its own cyber workforce. Its army didnt have a separate cyber command until 2017; nor does it have the huge arsenal of digital weapons hoarded by Americas spy agencies and Cyber Command. The frontier of the action is where many of these new technologies overlap. Through the intelligence-sharing Five Eyes alliance (which also includes Canada and New Zealand), Australia has collaborated to some extent with America in cyberspace, at times even running joint cyber-offensive operations, such as against Islamic State in Syria. But this [AUKUS] just takes [our access] to another level and a level we havent seen before, Webb says. He hopes the new pact will turbocharge Australias cyber capabilities and defences.

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At the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, defence analyst Andrew Davies agrees the technology-sharing deal has let Australia inside the tent. Up until now, trade restrictions in the US have meant high-tech collaborations could only go so far because every time you talk to an American about something high tech, they talk to a certain point and then they say, Oh but because of [regulations] I cant say anything more about that.  ANU is developing a diamond-based quantum computer, as well as harnessing optics (lasers) to build quantum technologies. It happened quicker than I thought it might, Webb says of the agreement. But the geopolitics is just making everything a whole lot more urgent. Whether we like it or not, an arms race has been provoked. Loading Just as cyber weapons are increasingly having real-world impact, so too is traditional equipment, from tanks to submarines, being brought into the digital fold, talking to one another as well as the soldiers running them. The emerging fields of artificial intelligence and, beyond that, quantum computing now hold the power to dramatically change the battlefield again, experts say. And the frontier of the action, Webb says, is where many of these new technologies overlap. So, using AI to fight back and detect cyber threats faster than a human could, for example. We cant get there fast enough. Many of the cyber attacks that are the hardest to combat use AI already. While the US brings much of the technological heft to this enhanced defence partnership (such as designs for nuclear subs and long-range missiles), Webb says that in AI and quantum technology Australia is already a research leader in its own right. Were not coming with our hands empty; were coming with something to put on the table.

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Does AI mean killer robots? In 2020, an Iranian nuclear scientist was gunned down. In September, The New York Times revealed that what had seemed like wild tales at the time of a killer robot pulling the trigger actually stacked up: an automatic machine-gun, programmed to recognise the scientists face as he drove his car, had been lying in wait for him. His wife, sitting beside him, wasnt hit once. That same year, Turkish drones, packing explosives and facial recognition cameras, were sent out by Libyas army to eliminate rebels via swarm attack in Tripoli. According to a recent UN report, they didnt even require a remote connection between drone and base. The swarm was, effectively, hunting its own targets. Defence analyst Marcus Hellyer at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute says a new generation of smart sea mines might work similarly, in this case reading the acoustic signature of passing ships to tell an enemy submarine from a commercial oil tanker. Unmanned craft are not a like for like replacement for manned vessels such as submarines though, he stresses. And that means not every capability (including whats needed to protect human crews) has to be packed on board. Instead, you can have a fleet of cheaper, smaller units all working together. You might have sea drones designed for reconnaissance working with sea mines designed to take out enemy ships, both speaking to a mother ship, say, a submarine with human crew. The scene where nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was killed in Iran in an operation involving an unmanned machine-gun. Credit:AP These kinds of disaggregated autonomous systems now have huge disruptive potential in warfare, Hellyer says. An enemy wanting a relatively cheap and low-risk way to disable a nuclear-powered submarine, for example, could use robot drones, not unlike the new Boeing-designed US Orcas. I send 10 of them south across the Indian Ocean and lets say each one of them is carrying 10 smart sea mines. Well, I just dumped 100 smart sea mines off the entrance to our submarine base near Perth. And, automatically, [Australias] 100-plus-billion-dollar investment [in submarines] is at risk. There are also little boat drones, about the size of a sailing dinghy in development that are solar-powered and ideal for surveillance, Hellyer says. They can just noodle around at three or four kilometres an hour forever  and tow sonar behind them. Instead of having your $3 billion frigate out there looking for submarines, you can have a very cheap fleet.

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Of course, for all this to work, you need confidence these autonomous systems can think for themselves, to some degree, whether thats basic obstacle avoidance, Hellyer says, or finishing the mission if communication channels go down. Im keen to never see a killer drone or killer robot acting on its own. And, while machines are already recognising faces, performing surgery and winning games of chess, theyre still a long way from rivalling a human brain. Even the most powerful can break when you throw something new at them, bound by the binary rules of their coding (which is why those driverless cars we keep being promised are yet to arrive). Loading The autonomous systems used in warfare almost always still have humans in the kill chain, deciding whether to take out a target, Hellyer says. Next, we will probably move to humans on the loop rather than closing it, meaning someone will monitor a machine (with the power to intervene) but it will be able to carry out an entire attack solo. Or, Hellyer says, it may be that the AI becomes like the angel on your shoulder, helping refine targets or run reconnaissance, say, for special forces teams. That AI may say, We are 80 per cent confident that that is a legitimate target.  It all depends how much youre willing to bet against that remaining 20 per cent of doubt  and how you program it. The inherent limits of AI make many experts, including Webb, wonder if we can ever have real confidence in its use at the sharp end of war. As attacks, from missiles to hacks, are made using AI more and more, they will provoke a focus on the most efficient way to respond, which itself will probably involve AI, Webb says. I think thatll drive us down that path. But Im keen to never see a killer drone or killer robot acting on its own. Just building into those systems the kind of ethics or the morality that you need, Im sure there are people who think that we can do it but, as humans, we dont [even] do a great job.

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The former proprietor of Hambleton House did not meet the standards required of an SRS [supported residential service] operator, he says. The actions taken ... were necessary to protect the health, safety and wellbeing of residents.

An embarrassed state government moved quickly to close the facility, relocate residents a nd revoke the registration of the proprietor, Shani Abeywickrema. This was the strongest sanction possible at the time, according to a department spokesman.

When they investigated the facility after the COVID outbreak, state health department officials found uncapped needles, mattresses stained with bodily fluids, broken windows and spoilt food. One official described the conditions as horrendous.

Denise Morgan was one of the residents evacuated from Hambleton House last year. Credit:Chris Hopkins

He especially doesnt miss the bed bugs in his radiator-heated bedroom. The place was infested with them, he says. Everyone was scratching when they went outside for a cigarette.

Azaldegui misses nothing about Hambleton House. Not the lumps of poo on the bathroom floor, nor the showers that reeked of piss, with hot water that ran cold so quickly, nor the canned baked bean and spaghetti dinners.

COVID-19 was Juan Azaldeguis passport out of squalor. In August last year he was evacuated from Hambleton House, a home in Albert Park for people with disabilities and mental illness. Fifteen of the 28 residents had tested positive and some were found wandering the nearby streets of one of Melbournes wealthiest neighbourhoods.

Watchdog agencies, health professionals and families are concerned that the NDIS has led to the potential for conflicts of interest, rorting and exploitation in supported residential services.

Now there is a new game in town, which makes them more lucrative: the National Disability Insurance Scheme. With annual funding packages that can be worth more than $100,000, the scheme has turned some of our most vulnerable citizens into valuable commodities.

Hambleton House was a supported residential service  state-regulated but privately owned facilities that house about 4000 Victorians with disability and mental illness. Standards vary greatly at the homes, but the government has long been warned of abuse, neglect and even violence in the sector. These facilities traditionally house people, usually on pensions, who no one else will take.

COVID had opened the door on a horror story, raising uncomfortable questions about how we care for some of our most marginalised citizens, and not just at the Albert Park home.

The Age has confirmed that the department inspected Hambleton House seven times in the year to December 2019 and found the proprietor largely compliant except for low-level issues for which guidance on compliance was provided.

But in a confidential report, seen by The Age, disability watchdog the Office of the Public Advocate, slams the department for not taking effective action until the outbreak, saying it had raised serious concerns about Hambleton House for three years.

The bugs were crawling up the walls, says the 77-year-old, who has an intellectual disability. The bathroom down the corridor was freezing and filthy. It was an awful place to live, but Morgan says the proprietor warned her: If you go away from here, you wont get looked after.

Denise Morgan is a chirpy woman with wispy grey hair and a face full of character. She lived in a tiny windowless room at Hambleton House for 10 years.

In the community we probably had trust that a place like Hambleton House would be well regulated, she says. In a country like ours, how could it possibly not be?

Albert Park resident Donnalea Duffy lives two blocks away from the now closed facility. When the COVID outbreak hit and residents emerged disoriented and dishevelled into the street, including an elderly woman locals had never seen before, Duffy was shocked.

Also of concern to them is that the NDIS has spawned pop-up accommodation in outer Melbourne, with residents moved from supported residential services to private properties leased by a disability support provider where the same level of oversight and tenancy safeguards do not apply. Some of these are run by people with strong connections to those who ran Hambleton House.

For years before it closed, Hambleton House was run by Jai and Shani Abeywickrema. The Age has repeatedly tried to contact them, including via their lawyer. Jai Abeywickrema responded, saying his family was not able to comment at the moment.

Then, in January 2020, they warned that residents personal support plans were almost all out of date, incomplete and often did not list medication or dietary needs. One residents plan simply read: [The woman] is a diabetic. Enjoys all her meals. Loves drinking cola.

One elderly resident told the Community Visitors she frequently wore her clothes to bed because she was cold.

A mattress found at Hambleton House in Albert Park when it was closed last year.

They did a spot check at Hambleton House in 2019 and reported to government. Not for the first time, they were deeply disturbed by what they found: squalid rooms, filthy mattresses stained with bodily fluids, overflowing bins, rotting food and infestations of bed bugs and cockroaches.

Unbeknown to Morgan, a group of volunteers had been doggedly raising the alarm with the state government. Community Visitors are authorised by the state to inspect accommodation facilities for people with disability or mental illness.

Little is publicly known about the 117 supported residential services across Victoria. Forty per cent are pension-plus facilities, where residents can pay more than $1000 a week for their room, meals, care and support. These generally offer a higher quality of care.

The report calls for systemic change to protect residents in supported residential services, noting that Hambleton House is not an anomaly.

The regulator found Hambleton House compliant ... time and time again despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, the Victorian Public Advocate, Dr Colleen Pearce, fumed in the confidential report to government last November.

But behind the scenes in government some were, and still are, seething about department inaction given that Community Visitors had raised serious concerns for three years.

A government source speaking to The Age on the condition of anonymity says conditions at Hambleton House deteriorated badly between February and August last year when COVID restrictions prevented physical inspections.

Geoff Govender was a director of the company behind Hambleton House until July 2020, just before the COVID-19 outbreak there, but he was not involved in the day-to-day running of the facility. He says he had no concerns about living conditions at Hambleton House before the pandemic, pointing out that the Health Department and Community Visitors made regular checks.

Of greater concern to advocates are the pension-level facilities  an option of last resort for people with a disability, mental illness or the homeless  where residents are charged up to 95 per cent of their disability or aged pension in fees.

The supported residential sector was established in the 1970s to house and care for frail, elderly people. When Victoria closed large psychiatric hospitals such as Willsmere, Larundel, Mont Park and Beechworth in the 1990s as part of deinstitutionalisation, supported residential services became the default option for people with mental illness and nowhere else to go.

Pension-only supported residential services could be described as a 21st-century poorhouse, says Liz Dearn, a social researcher who is writing a PhD on the sector. They are an example of the incompleteness of deinstitutionalisation.

For years pension-level supported residential services have warned they are struggling to stay afloat, with pensions not keeping pace with escalating rents and other costs including compliance.

The number of facilities has shrunk from 315 in 1992 to 117. Some proprietors say they are losing residents to new NDIS businesses that provide their own housing and are not inspected by Community Visitors.

Joanne Tomada, who is the director of Reservoir Lodge in Melbournes north, has worked in supported residential services for 40 years.

Im really dedicated to this, she says.Im not a cowboy and I am not money hungry. I take lots of people off the street who dont have any money and house them for as long as I can.

Tomada says most of the people who live at Reservoir Lodge have been there more than 10 years. We are their family because most of them dont have families.

Community Visitors often have unrealistic expectations, Tomada says, and dont understand the challenges of housing people who have recently been released from jail, or were sleeping under a bridge or have severe mental illness.

Community Visitors are more about carrying on about a banana skin on the ground or a cigarette butt, but not the real issues about what are going on.

The Royal Commission into Victorias Mental Health System acknowledged reports that proprietors were generally caring, committed and hard-working.

But it noted quality and safety concerns, particularly given the high rates of mental illness among residents, and it called for the Victorian government to reform the sector.

Denise Morgan, now living in a non-profit aged care home in inner Melbourne, is glad to have seen the last of Hambleton House. I was really happy to get away from that bloody place.

Gone but not forgotten

But while the government closed Hambleton House, it was not the last Morgan and other former residents would see of the Abeywickremas.

Morgan says Jai and Shani Abeywickremas daughter approached her where she was living and encouraged her to move back with them.

I dont like her, I wish she never come there at all, Morgan says. The social service people, he was real nice to me, he said, Dont take any notice of her, Denise. 

Juan Azaldegui had escaped the bed bugs of Hambleton House and was happily rehoused at a St Vincents aged care home in Kew. He says he was approached in the street and by telephone by the Abeywickremas.

Former Hambleton House resident Juan Azaldegui. Credit:Darrian Traynor

They wanted me to move to another place they had in the south-east suburbs, he says. That place was Crosbie Lodge, a former residential support service in Bentleigh, which has since been voluntarily closed.

Corporate searches show that, at the time, Crosbie Lodge was owned by former shareholders of the company behind Hambleton House, including Geoff Govender.

He has owned or part-owned eight supported residential services and still has an interest in three  at Aspendale, Mornington and Hastings.

The Abeywickremas were not owners at Crosbie Lodge, but asked if they had a role there after Hambleton House, Govender says: Maybe they assisted to do some work. Maybe there were a few shifts given.

While agencies including St Vincents and other housing organisations intervened to ensure neither Azaldegui nor Morgan relocated, at least two other Hambleton House residents did make the move to Crosbie Lodge.

The Age does not suggest any illegality in any approaches made by the Abeywickremas to former Hambleton House residents.

Neither Azaldegui nor Morgan had NDIS funding packages but other former Hambleton House residents did.

For a long time, Pearce says, people living in supported residential services have been the most invisible citizens in our society.

But with the advent of the NDIS, many of them have packages, which makes them highly sought after by service providers.

The lure of the NDIS

The rollout of the $22 billion NDIS has revolutionised how Australia supports those with disabilities.

A core principle of the NDIS is that people who qualify for funding packages have choice and control over how best to use their money and who provides the services.

However, some people dont have the capacity to exercise choice.

In some cases, businesses that provide support services also own the accommodation in which NDIS participants live.

While this dual role is lawful, as early as 2014 one of the architects of the NDIS, Bruce Bonyhady, said in most cases choice and control was best supported by the separation of the provision of housing from the provision of support services.

The Public Advocate and Mental Health Legal Centre have both raised concerns with federal and state authorities that some supported residential services proprietors may be double dipping  using residents NDIS funding to pay for services already covered by room and board fees.

The Age does not suggest this occurred at Hambleton House or at the facilities in which Govender has an interest.

Since 2015 the Mental Health Legal Centre has partnered with nurses from Bolton Clarke Homeless Persons Program in making visits to people in supported residential services.

It is clear that many of these clients are extremely vulnerable, some are being coerced and threatened and many are living in conditions that are unacceptable to us, Mental Health Legal Centre chief executive Charlotte Jones says in a letter to the state Health Department and seen by The Age. Jones says she has been frustrated by a lack of action by both state and federal agencies.

The state government says it is investigating, noting it will refer specific concerns about NDIS providers to the federal NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission.

But disability advocates say the commission is under-resourced, rarely initiates its own investigations, and prioritises compliance over enforcement.

In the year to June 30, the commission received more than 7200 complaints but issued just 19 fines, revoked three registrations and banned 22 organisations or individuals from providing NDIS services.

Victorian Public Advocate Colleen Pearce. Credit:Jason South

The commission told The Age the management of conflicts of interest is a compliance and enforcement priority this financial year. It says it takes all complaints seriously.

In February, Public Advocate Pearce raised multiple concerns with the commission.

There is a clear conflict of interest with proprietors providing accommodation and support through a residential agreement and the same support services via an NDIS plan, she says in her letter. Can you advise what processes are in place to avoid such conflicts?

She has not received a formal response.

Wheres Steve? Disappearances and the pop-ups

After Steve Burrows* was evacuated from Hambleton House, his family could not locate him.

For some weeks late last year he lived in a non-profit facility in South Melbourne where, his parents and staff say, he seemed happy. But he was soon being approached on the street by people he said he knew from Hambleton House and encouraged to move elsewhere. And he did move.

Burrows has schizophrenia, a low IQ and, his parents say, a tendency to be too trustful. Give Steve his bottle of bourbon and some smokes and he is your man, his father Gary* says. He will do what you want.

Kate Rice is a manager at Wintringham  Australias largest aged care provider for the homeless  which was commissioned by the state government to rehouse Hambleton House residents after the COVID outbreak. We reported him to the police as missing because we didnt know where he was, she says.

Burrows had signed up to a new NDIS support provider called Cosmos Community Services, part of a group of provider companies in Melbournes west linked to disability entrepreneur Kwawaja Moeen Haroon. A joint director and shareholder with Haroon in the company behind Cosmos is Thavisha Abeywickrema, a family member of the former Hambleton House proprietors.

Khawaja Haroon, a disability service provider in Melbournes west. Credit:LinkedIn

Police found Burrows at a private property in outer-western Melbourne, one of multiple properties linked to his new NDIS support providers, and part of a new pop-up sector that emerged as a result of the NDIS rollout.

He was soon moved again to yet another private home connected to the same NDIS support providers.

Burrows mother Stephanie says she is concerned about her sons situation. In their now infrequent telephone catch-ups, she says, he always seems constrained. The conversations are very short.

Justin Smith*, another former Hambleton House resident, was also reported missing after he left his inner-city lodgings. He had moved to Crosbie Lodge in Bentleigh, then to a flat in Dandenong and is now, Rice thinks, in a rented property somewhere in the outer west.

Crosbie Lodge.

As The Age revealed last week, so lucrative these days are the likes of Burrows and Smith that ugly turf wars are being fought over them by rival disability businesses.

In a written statement, Haroon says Cosmos has no dealings with Hambleton House. He says he has been involved in charitable work since 2013 and started his NDIS service companies with the goal of providing assistance to vulnerable persons in the community and those who would otherwise be left on the street or are leaving care where they are abused.

Essential accommodation of last resort?

When Burrows lived at Hambleton House he shared a cramped bedroom with a dirty curtain separating the beds. It looked like a rat wouldnt live there, says his father. But at least he wasnt on the streets.

Its a common refrain from governments, social workers and even families. Some, like Pearce, say supported residential services are an essential accommodation option of last resort for people on the margins of society.

She is calling for new powers to investigate the pop-up sector, stronger regulation of supported residential services, more stringent registration requirements for NDIS service providers, and for better information sharing between federal and state agencies and safeguard bodies.

Inside Hambleton House. Credit:Jason South

Last month the state government announced greater protection for supported residential service residents through a new social services regulator with more muscle.

New, stronger powers will mean the independent regulator has more tools to take action when providers are not doing the right thing by their clients, says a state government spokesman.

But some believe tougher regulation is not enough, and that the whole model is a flawed relic of the past that should be done away with.

Former Melburnian of the year Bryan Lipmann, the chief executive of Wintringham, believes housing and care for societys most vulnerable should not be in private hands.

Operators are finding ways to secure money through the NDIS and we cant demonstrate whether that money is going to the benefit of the clients or not, he says, speaking generally. They have almost no ability to complain.

Social researcher Liz Dearn says continued reliance on supported residential services is evidence of system-wide failure. They provide an alternative to homelessness, she says, but are inconsistent with contemporary human rights.

Dearns preliminary research has found that many people living in the sector would like to move out but are unable to because of a lack of affordable housing.

Signs on the fence of Hambleton House last year. Credit:Penny Stephens

Accommodating people in supported residential services is cheaper than providing more appropriate models of care.

In 2019-20 there were 242 reported cases of abuse, neglect and violence at supported residential services, up from 161 the year before.

These places are extremely unsafe for adults with an intellectual disability, says Sarah Forbes, advocacy manager with the Victorian Advocacy League for Individuals with Disability. She rejects the common claim that any roof is better than no roof.

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The alternative is affordable housing for each person who needs it, with the NDIS providing individualised support to people in their homes. Its not as complex as its made out to be.

Gary Burrows says his son and other vulnerable people like him deserve better. They shut down asylums because the treatment was so harsh. But what theyre getting in these private places is not much better.

* Not their real names

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Farmers must be part of Australias push to reach net zero emissions by 2050, a new report says, warning the nation cannot reach the target without them and import tariffs will be slapped on agriculture unless it has pledged to reduce its greenhouse gases.

Producers can boost their bottom line with carbon farming schemes, according to the report released on Sunday by independent think tank, the Grattan Institute. But the Nationals party has not endorsed an emissions reduction deadline despite international pressure on the Coalition government before the UNs climate change conference in Glasgow.

Australian agriculture is moving ahead of government to tap export opportunities for low-carbon produce. Credit:AP

Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce said his party was not willing to back a net zero policy until the government demonstrates regional economies wont suffer from industry transition costs. Mr Joyce is wedged between the Prime Minister who wants to move, and volatile Nationals like George Christensen and Matt Canavan who are opposed to net zero.

You have to take into account what happens in the towns as well, Mr Joyce told the ABC on Sunday. You have to be mindful of your constituency.
Much of the focus of the past two weeks has, understandably, been on AUKUS. This new partnership is indeed a major step in cooperation that will benefit Australias future security.

However, AUKUS must be seen in the context of the many other ways in which the Australian government is taking a more active role in our region and the world, expanding our presence, strengthening our contribution and amplifying our voice.

Former prime minister Paul Keating launched a broadside at the new AUKUS pact. Credit: Louie Douvis

The claim by some commentators, including former prime minister Paul Keating, that AUKUS orientates us towards an anachronistic Anglosphere, shows a deliberate disregard of the many relationships that through hard work we are deepening and enriching.

We can have friends in more than one linguistic sphere, on more than one continent, of more than one political persuasion. It is not one or the other. We must and will seize every opportunity, whether that is AUKUS, the rapid and positive evolution of the Quad, our strategic partnership with ASEAN, our energetic work as a member of the Pacific Islands Forum and with the European Union on the Indo-Pacific, or the strong bilateral friendships we have forged across the region.
Brighton: Britains Opposition Leader Sir Keir Starmer has rewritten the way Labour leaders are elected in a risky but triumphant bid to reclaim the party from the hard left.

Would-be Labour leaders will now need 20 per cent of sitting MPs to support them to contest. Members will have to have signed up to the party for at least six months to vote for the leadership.

Members who want to oust or de-select sitting MPs will need to gather support from half the local branches and trade unions or affiliates  a far higher bar than the previous rule that required just one-third of either.

Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer made his first headline appearance at a party conference since the 2019 election defeat. Credit:Getty

Speaking ahead of the vote, Starmer told the BBCs Andrew Marr Show that MPs spent the lead-up to the 2019 election fending off challenges from hostile hard-left members instead of campaigning.
The Contrarian: Peter Thiel and Silicon Valleys Pursuit of Power

Author: Max Chafkin

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Price: Rs 699

Pages: 382

After reading The Contrarian, Max Chafkins judicious biography, I was struck by how much Peter Thiel remains a mystery  less of an intriguing enigma than a hollow cipher. This isnt to fault Mr Chafkin, who is unfailingly diligent in his efforts to narrate Mr Thiels life and understand, as far as possible, what he actually believes. But contrarianism tends to be reactive, not constructive; it risks getting lost in the incessant repositioning of oneself against a fickle discourse.

Mr Chafkin recounts a telling scene during the recession that followed the 2008 financial crisis. Mr Thiels hedge fund, Clarium Capital, seemed poised to make a killing from the crash that he  in true contrarian form  had long been predicting. But Mr Thiels employees at Clarium went too far, getting pulled into a hall of mirrors and devising contrarian takes to his original contrarian take.

I found this anecdote very funny and wanted to know who revealed it, but Mr Chafkin promised anonymity to some sources to get any number of unflattering details about Mr Thiel into this book. (Mr Thiel himself would only speak off the record, and refused to respond to a list of fact-checking questions.) After all, Mr Thiel had developed a reputation for being both brilliant and vindictive, Mr Chafkin writes. A co-founder of PayPal and an early investor in Facebook, he had used his enormous fortune to bankroll Hulk Hogans relentless lawsuit against the website Gawker, driving the site and its owner to bankruptcy in 2016. Mr Chafkin recalls a source asking him why he wanted to write a book about Mr Thiel at all: I mean, arent you worried hell, like, come after you?

The Contrarian isnt just about Peter Thiel; its about Silicon Valleys political coming-of-age, too. The tech industry, which is still seen by many as a cultural backwater full of socially clumsy but well-meaning nerds, is now an acquisitive and seemingly amoral force, Mr Chafkin writes. Mr Thiels ruthlessly unsentimental libertarianism went from being an eccentric stance to a dominant brand during the Trump era.

Mr Thiel sat on President Trumps executive transition team; Palantir, Thiels data analytics firm, procured a number of lucrative government contracts. Behind the scenes, Mr Chafkin says, Mr Thiel was pushing for a Republican crackdown on tech companies, and more specifically on Google, his nemesis. (Googles size and reach presented a threat to nearly every company in Thiels portfolio.)

As it happens, Mr Thiel was bullied as a child  a skinny, socially awkward, chess-playing boy, he protected himself by becoming resolutely disdainful. He was born in Germany and moved to the United States as an infant, in 1968. His fathers job at an engineering firm also meant a sojourn in apartheid South Africa, where the younger Thiel attended an elite, all-white prep school. He went to Stanford and started the Stanford Review, a conservative newspaper, staying put to go to law school. An unsatisfying stint as a corporate lawyer ended when he failed to get the Supreme Court clerkship he so desperately wanted. I was devastated, Mr Thiel would later recall, saying it precipitated a quarter-life crisis.

The Contrarian recounts Mr Thiels professional trajectory in full, depicting him stumbling into the tech industry not out of any particular passion but because it presented an opportunity to get rich. Unlike the fantasy of the American entrepreneur who risks it all for his dream, he was always hedging his bets  even, at one point, proposing that PayPal turn over its limited cash reserves to his own hedge fund so that he could speculate with the money.

Mr Chafkin portrays Mr Thiels support for Donald Trump on the 2016 campaign trail in similar terms. Chances are, any establishment Republican would have been fine for Mr Thiels business interests, and he had already scandalised Silicon Valley with his criticisms of womens suffrage and immigration. But if Mr Trump won, Mr Thiel was bound to be rewarded by a president who clearly prized demonstrations of loyalty above all else. Not to mention that Mr Thiel relished the thought of Mr Trump sticking it to that part of the elite club that wouldnt have him as a member. As one of Mr Thiels investors put it, He wanted to watch Rome burn.

But then a principled consistency isnt the contrarians strong suit; if anything, its just another suckers game. Mr Thiels brand of libertarianism somehow includes a politics of closed borders,  even if, as detailed in the book, Mr Thiel lobbied the New Zealand government, which was conservative at the time, to grant him citizenship.

Mr Chafkin recounts how Thiel had spent 12 days in New Zealand, far from the requisite minimum of 1,350, and made an elaborate show of investing in a government-backed venture capital fund  only to extricate himself once he got the passport he wanted. It was the kind of brazenly cynical power move that even Mr Trump, for all his nativist rhetoric, probably appreciated. When youre rich, they let you do it.

2021TheNewYorkTimesNewsService
(Reuters) - UK, the operator of Britain's Stanlow oil refinery, is in talks with UK authorities over extending a January deadline to repay hundreds of millions of pounds in deferred taxes, the company said on Sunday.

said it still needed to pay 223 million pounds ($305 million) to HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) by January, confirming an earlier report in the Sunday Times newspaper https://bit.ly/39AwwmG, which said the company had used the government's pandemic VAT deferral scheme last year.

Essar, in response to a Reuters request for comment, said that it had already repaid HMRC 547 million pounds out of a total 770 million pounds.

The company had agreed an accelerated schedule with HMRC to make the rest of the payment, which it has not been able to meet due to a slower than expected recovery from the pandemic.

In a statement to Reuters, Essar said it is in discussions with HMRC over a "short extension" to make the deferred VAT payments.

"Those discussions are positive and EOUK looks forward to a resolution soon," it added.

It also said that the company had returned to positive EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation) and therefore is in a "much stronger position to weather the continued challenge presented by the pandemic".

Essar in May secured more than $850 million in financing https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/essar-oil-uk-agrees-850-million-financing-2021-05-21 for the Stanlow refinery after hitting short-term financial difficulties.

Stanlow, which employs 900 people directly and a further 800 contractors on site, supplies road fuel to northwest England, and jet fuel to Manchester and Birmingham airports.

Lengthy queues of vehicles https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/behave-normally-uk-transport-minister-tells-britons-queuing-fuel-2021-09-26 have been snaking their way to gas stations in Britain where an acute shortage of truck drivers has led to fuel rationing in a number of garages and some pumps running dry, and prompted the government to consider issuing temporary work visas.

($1 = 0.7311 pounds)

(Reporting by Akriti Sharma and Juby Babu in Bengaluru; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)

(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.)
plans to test its upcoming nitric oxide nasal spray (NONS) that it has licensed from a Canadian Biotech firm as a preventive measure for Covid-19.

The firm, which has tasted success with its oral antiviral drug favipiravir, is now betting on the NONS to drive revenues from its Covid-19 portfolio.

In the first quarter, Covid-19 revenues were a tad less than 10 per cent of Glenmarks turnover. Favipiravir alone sold for around Rs 350 crore, boosting its India business by 57 per cent year-on-year (YoY). Whats more? Fabiflu (Glenmarks brand of favipiravir) enjoys margins of 35 per cent, according to analysts.

Glenmark has tied up with Canadian biotech firm SaNOtize to manufacture, market, and distribute its NONS for Covid-19 treatment in India and other Asian markets. Glenmark aims to launch the NONS under the brand Fabispray in the second half of the 2021-22 financial year.

The regulator has allowed Glenmark to start phase 3 trials of the product with conditions that anyone vaccinated with Covid-19 should be excluded from the disease.

Glenn Saldanha, managing director and chief executive of Glenmark, said a major clinical trial by SaNOtize was being conducted in Canada over 4000 people to see if this drug also works in the prevention of Covid-19. If the trial shows that this works in prevention, then there are several uses of this. As such, nitric oxide, which is also produced by the body, is safe. With offices, schools, colleges, and local trains resuming, there would be wide and frequent use of the nasal spray, Saldanha said.

Saldanha is hopeful that data from the large Canadian trial may also prove helpful to show that this drug has preventive properties. We can leverage the data from the Canadian trial, he said.

NONS is designed to kill in the upper airways, preventing it from incubating and spreading to the lungs. It is based on nitric oxide, a natural nanomolecule with proven anti-microbial properties, and which has a direct effect on SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing Covid-19, a company spokesperson said.

In March, SaNOtizes clinical trials showed NONS was a safe and effective antiviral treatment that significantly reduced viral load in Covid-19 patients and reduced the severity of symptoms.

In the first 24 hours, NONS reduced the average viral load by around 95 per cent and then by more than 99 per cent within 72 hours. It has been tested in healthy volunteers and patients as part of the UK and Canada clinical trials, the spokesperson claimed.

NONS will also be priced lower in India compared to global benchmark pricing, Saldanha said, adding that they were already working on technology transfer from the Canadian firm to make the product here. The initial doses will be imported and, eventually, we will make it here.



Covid-19 sales, however, are seasonal. With the cases on the decline, the demand for such acute therapy drugs, too, is on the wane. Glenmark, thus, has plans to launch new products in its key therapy areas  diabetes, cardio-vascular, respiratory, dermatology, and oncology.

At present, the respiratory segment, where the company has strong brands like Ascoril and Alex, contributes roughly 25-30 per cent to its turnover, while cardiovascular contributes another 25 per cent. The anti-diabetic segment contributes about 10-15 per cent and dermatology is another 30 per cent.

Saldanha says there are plans to launch at least two new products in the anti-diabetic space soon, without breaking out further details.
The government has given an option to telcos to pay back interest on dues through equity and also conveyed that it has no interest in acquiring any telecom company, a top official of debt-ridden has said.

Ltd (VIL) Managing Director and CEO Ravinder Takkar in an interview to PTI said it is clear that the government wants the company to compete in the market and there should be at least three private service providers in the telecom sector.

"I have had many many interactions across various parts of the government leading up to this announcement (telecom reforms). In all my conversations, it is absolutely clear that the government has no interest in owning or acquiring or running any other telecom company," Takkar said.

The government is already managing loss-making telecom firms BSNL and MTNL which are yet to post profit after a relief package of around Rs 69,000 crore granted to them in October 2019.

Some experts contended that the government may end up holding a "sizable" chunk (estimates varied from 26 percent to majority stake) in VIL at the end of moratorium period, if the telco opts to pay cumulative interest or annual instalments by way of equity.

"They (government) have absolutely made it clear that they want three private players to remain. They want us to compete in the market. They want us to operate in a competitive manner," Takkar said.

VIL had total gross debt of Rs 1.91 lakh crore, excluding lease liabilities and including interest accrued but not due, as of June 30, 2021. The debt comprises deferred spectrum payment obligations of Rs 1.06 lakh crore and AGR liability of Rs 62,180 crore that are due to the government and debt from banks and financial institutions of Rs 23,400 crore.

The company had posted consolidated revenue of Rs 9,152.3 crore during the April-June period and the finance cost was Rs 5,228.4 crore.

According to Jefferies, the 4-year moratorium on payments will offer VIL cashflow relief and "could lead to the government taking up sizable stake in VIL". The investment banking group analyst report had projected that the government could own 26 per cent of VIL at the end of four-year period, if the telco chooses to pay the cumulative interest of Rs 9,000 crore through equity.

Takkar said that from the company's perspective exercising equity option for interest payment is the least area that has been its focus and VIL is committed to running the company.

"Our intention is to pay back to the government and our business plan will reflect that part. But certainly having that option where that could be converted into equity is a bold move and in a way ensures that if the industry is not fixed then the government will continue to support the industry for a longer period of time as long as it needs to be," Takkar said.

Credit Suisse has said moratorium would ease immediate cash flow constraints for VIL but it will need to also raise around Rs 7,300 crore over next 6-9 months to repay its non-spectrum debt and ride through these four years with minimal capex.

It said that despite the moratorium and equity conversion of interest during the period, VIL will need an ARPU (Average Revenue Per User) of Rs 240 by financial year 2026 to meet Rs 33,000 crore of annual spectrum payments and AGR dues which will need to be repaid over the remaining tenure.

Takkar said that the company will update business plans after government issues guidelines on various measures announced as part of the telecom reforms and may seek board approval for fund raising to bridge the gap required to meet business goals.

He said that the government reform measures have given industry confidence that tariffs can be increased.

"Pricing in my view is a big reason why the industry has reached this level. With this government package certainly pricing in the industry can improve. We have reached a point where three players are there in the industry," he said.

Bharti Airtel and VIL have been advocating for an increase in mobile services rates to reduce financial burdens.

Takkar said that there are three private players left in the market and everyone wants prices to go up.

"We are not sure what the intention of the other player is going to be. That lack of trust led to a point where nobody wants to take position unilaterally. In that environment, with the government package now, that (trust deficit) goes away which means, without any intervention from the government the industry can manage price increases which I think it will. I certainly see it happening in a short period of time.It will be gradual but it will start to take place," Takkar said.

VIL had reported average revenue per user (ARPU)of Rs 104 in the first quarter ended June 30, 2021 while its competitors Bharti Airtel and Jio had recorded ARPU of Rs 146 and Rs 138.4.

(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.)
State-run aerospace behemoth Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) on Sunday said it has signed a lease agreement with Alliance Air Aviation Limited for the supply of two Civil Do-228 aircraft for regional operations in Arunachal Pradesh, aimed at giving boost to India's Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS).

The Do- 228 is a versatile aircraft well-suited for operations in the North East and has the capabilities of short take-off and landing, ability to land and take-off from semi-prepared runways, the company said in a release.

This development opens a new vista in civil aviation for HAL, it said, adding the company is keen to increase its footprint in the regional civil aviation by engaging more numbers of Do-228 by air operators of the country.

Apurba Roy, General Manager, Transport Aircraft Division, Kanpur, and Arun Kumar Bansal, Head of Engineering, Alliance Air Aviation Limited signed the deal papers in Bengaluru.

Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh, Pema Khandu said it was a big day for the state given the geographical challenges in the vast state, the connectivity will now be easier.

HAL's Transport Aircraft Division, Kanpur has been in the business of transport and trainer aircraft for defence customers. The division has ventured into the manufacturing of Hindustan-228 aircraft.

The Hindustan-228 is a 19-seat multirole utility aircraft built for various applications such as VIP transport, passenger transport, air ambulance, flight inspection roles, cloud seeding, and recreational activities like para jumping, aerial surveillance, photography and cargo applications.

The Deputy Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh, Chowna Mein, the Home Minister of Arunachal Pradesh, Bamang Felix, the Chief Secretary of Arunachal Pradesh, Naresh Kumar, Secretary (Civil Aviation) of Arunachal Pradesh, Swapnil Nayak attended the event virtually through a video conference.

The dignitaries present included Pradeep Singh Kharola, Secretary Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), R Madhavan, CMD (HAL), Usha Padhee, JS (MoCA), and senior officials from HAL, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and Airports Authority of India (AAI).

(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.)
A grouping of staff has urged the labour department to initiate steps to "summon" the management of the erstwhile Jet Airways, including former Chairman Naresh Goyal over the non-payment of and some salary arrears, among others.

In a letter to the Deputy Chief Labour Commissioner, Officers and Staff Association also requested for calling the Monitoring Committee, which is handling the matter for the winning bidder, the Jalan-Kalrock consortium, and pass a suitable order on the issue.

On June 22, the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) approved the consortium's resolution plan for grounded Jet Airways, subject to certain conditions.

A seven-member Monitoring Committee has also been formed to manage the day-to-day affairs of till insolvency resolution process is complete.

The consortium has already announced that Jet Airways 2.0 will restart domestic operations by the first quarter of 2022 and short haul international flights by the last quarter of the next year.

The first flight of Jet Airways would be on Delhi-Mumbai route, it announced earlier this month, adding that the airline would now be headquartered in Delhi instead of Mumbai.

The Association, headed by Kiran Pawaskar, had earlier held a meeting with the Deputy Chief Labour Commissioner as well as Regional Labour Commissioner Mumbai as well as on the matter of the legitimate dues of its members, who have been affected by the grounding of the carrier nearly two and-a-half year ago.

The order, which is public now, provides for a very microscopic settlement for employees, which is pegged at Rs 52 crore. Many of the union of the employer had made applications to the for being made aware of the Resolution Plan through Intervention Application, the Association said in the letter, the copy of which have been market to Goyal, Jet Airways Management Committee's Authorised Representative, Ashish Chhawcharria.

Our Union had also made the same and raised questions on payment of and other benefits to the The NCLT made an order that we were not required to be given the details of the plan as we did not meet certain criteria as creditors. Now that the order of the NCLT is out, we are shocked to see no reference to our legal dues at all.

"There appears to be an effort to revive the Company with its own aeroplanes and Air Operator Permit without any consideration to the legitimate and legal dues of the employees. We affirm that is a statutory due and needs to be settled by the employer without delay/ and make payments with an interest at 12 per cent as awarded by courts, the Association said in the letter.

Stating that the employees have submitted claims to the office of the Company and have not received any response, the association said, It is therefore necessary on your part to initiate steps to summon the erstwhile Jet Airways management (Chairman, Directors and CEO) to make claim on them and pass suitable orders after a hearing.

It also said that, considering the gravity of the matter and large unpaid gratuity, it would be in order to call for expeditious hearing in the matter and take necessary steps.

We request you to kindly call the monitoring Committee, who are handling the matter for the Successful Resolution Applicant (SRA), officials in this matter and pass a suitable order. The Jet Airways 1.0 management has shirked all responsibility of the matter and may not even attend the meeting and hence they need to be summoned to your office by an order of the controlling authority, it stated.

Stating that Naresh Goyal, the former Chairman, can't wash away his responsibility by invoking IBC provisions as there are a large number of employees who left the Company before suspension of operations, it said, he is also liable as the Company had violated the Section 4A of the Act. The said violations make him culpable for criminal action along with others involved.

We look forward to hearing from you in the matter and take note of the applications made to your office for payment of gratuity. We do reserve our rights to fight for justice at every available forum as the previous promoters and Chairman have left our employees high and dry, the letter stated.

(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.)
Popular kitchenware brand has drawn up aggressive expansion plans, including setting up of 1,000 stores across the country over the next five years, besides tapping sales through digital platform.

Recently, the company inaugurated its 100th store in Chennai with the Southern zone contributing 35 per cent of the sales, India Managing Director Deepak Chhabra said.

"We are planning to open about 130 stores this year. We have inaugurated 100 stores and as we speak we should have opened two more, so 102 stores will be there right now. This we intend to take it to 130 stores by this year end", he told PTI.

Elaborating, he said the stores would be 'franchise' model and would the popular products of the brand.

"As an immediate expansion plan, we plan to open another 130 stores taking the overall number of stores in the country to over 250 by December next year (2022)...," he said.

"Over the next five years, our plan is to have 1,000 stores across the country and major expansion would be in the South and West. "



To a query, he said South and West were majority of revenue generators for the company contributing 35 per cent, each, respectively.

The business strategy for the company was 80 per cent through direct selling, 12 per cent contributed through retail stores and eight per cent through online mode.

With the aggressive expansion plan, he said the current share of 80 per cent contributed from the direct selling business would come down to 65 per cent while business generated from retail stores would increase to 35 per cent (from the existing 12 per cent) and remaining from online (10 per cent). "In two-three years, about 65 per cent of the business will be from direct selling, 35 per cent from stores, and 10 per cent through online...", he said.

Regarding the impact caused by Covid-19 outbreak, Chhabra said there was impact of business faced like any other industry but the company witnessed a sharp demand for its products due to 'work from home' culture.

"Pandemic has been a silver-lining for us in terms of business because the consumption of these products was higher largely because everybody was at home and without any help from maids, people started cooking from home and every body was conscious about health and safety", he noted.

As a brand, has a large number of storage solutions and as a matter of fact the growth witnessed by the company in 2020 was 24 per cent as against the seven per cent recorded in the previous year.

"Our growth is about 24 per cent and in 2019 it was 7 per cent. With lockdown and restricted movement, people prefer our products, but getting hold of them was a challenge. So, we did a lot of interventions like multi-channeled brand now and recently opened our 100th store in Chennai besides selling online", he said.

"We started online sales by the fag end of 2019 and from a small base grew by 6 to 7 times in the last year.. Online sale has witnessed a huge surge because Covid-19 still continues and still people are not feeling comfortable moving out," he said.

On the manufacturing facility, he said the company has a world class plant in Dehradun, Uttarakhand and the unit besides serving the domestic market also ships to over 35 countries.

"The plant has an installed capacity, which is much more than what we sell in the country. We do export to many countries across the globe to our own Tupperware there.. we actually export to about 35 countries", the MD said.

Exports have been consistent and it has grown actually in the last two years. The brand 'Tupperware' has done well because of increased demand.

(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.)
Rooting on demand revival next year, top property developers are looking to add millions of square feet of in the next three to five years.

The developers have set the ball rolling on big projects, as the demand for workspace is once again going up after the pandemic-induced disruption.

Property consultant Colliers expects a fresh office property supply of between 33 and 38 million sq ft every year in the next three years, including the current one.

Last year saw absorption of office spaces of 30.1 million sq ft against new supply of 34.8 million sq ft and in 2019, there was absorption of 44. 8 million sqft against new supply of 33.4 sqft. Backed by strong demand from technology companies, Bengaluru-based developers such as RMZ, Prestige Estates, Embassy Office Parks REIT have taken a lead in adding the spaces.

RMZ, promoted by Menda family, has 30 million sqft under various stages of construction across Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Pune and Mumbai markets, and it would be delivering four million sqft by the end of 2022, said Raj Menda, corporate chairman,

Sectors such as IT/ITes, BFSI, health sciences industry have been performing well through 2020 and clients have been adding their head count and acquiring new business verticals, resulting in expanding their real estate footprint, Menda said. Prestige is looking to add 40 million sqft in next five years, of which 28 million sqft will be in Bengaluru, said Juggy Marwah, CEO, Prestige Office Ventures.

Embassy Office Parks REIT is developing 5.7 million sqft of projects that are expected to be delivered in the next three years. About 70 per cent of the development is in Bengaluru, said its deputy chief executive & COO Vikaash Khadloya. 100 per cent of our near-term delivery is already pre-committed to JP Morgan, he said.

DLF, including its JVs, is developing 11.4 million sqft of space in Gurugram, Chennai, and Noida. Hiranandani is planning to develop nearly 4 million sq ft commercial space across Powai, Thane, Panvel. US-based investor-cum-developer Hines is looking to add three million sqft in the next three years.
Union Home Minister will chair a high-level meeting with Chief Ministers of ten Naxal-hit states in Delhi on Sunday to review the current status as well as to discuss future road map for security and development issues.

The meeting will be held in Vigyan Bhawan where Chief Ministers of all the ten Naxal-affected states- Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala and Madhya Pradesh-- or their representatives will apprise about the current situation in their states and the progress of developmental projects.

The centre is planning to intensify operations in Naxal-affected areas in Chhattisgarh where major attacks were witnessed in the last few years hitting security forces.

According to sources, the purpose of the meeting is to discuss the Naxal affected areas, their problems and therefore development on the matter.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has arrived at the capital on Saturday evening to attend the meeting and share his thoughts on the issue about the Naxal affected areas during the meeting.

Home Minister will also review the ongoing operations against the Maoists in 10 Naxal-hit states.

(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 government has declared full support to the on September 27 led by the Samyukt Kisan Morcha, and also to workers of Visakhapatnam steel plant, state Information and Transport Minister Perni Venkataramaiah (Nani) said on Saturday.

He said the government, including the YSR Congress, will support the concerns of farmers and steel plant workers.

Nani told reporters here that the state government has decided to stop APSRTC buses across the state from September 26 midnight to September 27 afternoon.

He also said Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy has made it clear that he is completely opposed to the privatisation of the Visakhapatnam steel plant.

The minister appealed for a peaceful protest in the Bandh.

Left parties, Congress and Telugu Desam Party have already extended their support for the

(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.)
reported 1,184 new COVID-19 cases and eleven fatalities in the last 24 hours, said the health bulletin on Sunday.

As per the health bulletin, the cumulative positive cases in the state stands at 20,46,841 including 13,048 active cases.

With 1,333 new recoveries, the total number of recoveries in the state has gone up to 20,19,657.

The total number of fatalities from the infection rose to 14,136 in

Out of the total eleven deaths reported in the state in the last 24 hours, three were reported from Chittoor district, two from Guntur and Krishna districts each and one death each was reported from Prakasam, Srikakulam, Visakhapatnam, West Godavari districts.

(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.)
will allow direct from India from Monday, lifting the ban on them after a gap of more than five months.

Announcing the decision, Transport on Saturday in a tweet said: "Beginning at 00:01 EDT on September 27, direct from India can land in with additional public health measures in place."



"Travellers must have proof of a negative COVID-19 molecular test from the approved Genestrings Laboratory at the Delhi airport taken within 18 hours of the scheduled departure of their direct flight to Canada," it added.

In April, Canada banned all direct to and from India when the second Covid wave hit India. The date of reopening has been postponed many times.

Welcoming the decision, India's high commissioner to Canada Ajay Bisaria described it as a "decisive step towards normalising air mobility" between the two nations.

"@airindiain and @AirCanada are now set to run daily flights between Delhi and Toronto/Vancouver from 27 September. Working with Canadian partners to further ease travel," he tweeted.

Passengers who travel from India to Canada via an indirect route still need to provide a pre-departure negative COVID-19 molecular test result from a third country before continuing their journey to Canada.

(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.)
An orange alert has been issued in and ahead of 'Gulab', which is approaching the coastal states from the Bay of Bengal and is expected to make landfall on Sunday evening according to the India Meteorological Department.

The orange alert has been issued for moderate or heavy thunderstorms and wind speed with 30-40 km per hour to reach some districts of within the next three hours.

According to IMD Bhubaneswar, some districts of including Puri, Khorda, Nayagarh, Ganjama and Gajapati are likely to be hit by the wind with 30-40 km per hour speed.

"Moderate rainfall or thunderstorms along with one or two heavy spells of rain have also been predicted in these areas," the statement added.

Waterlogging in the low lying areas along with poor visibility and traffic disruption in the urban areas are predicted. The department has advised avoiding movement in the affected areas.

In addition, the Met department has also issued a yellow alert for the Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak, Balasore, Rayagada districts of Odisha.

"Light to moderate rain or thunderstorm with lightning is likely to affect some parts of districts of Odisha including Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak, Balasore, Rayagada within next three hours," IMD said in a statement.

Further, IMD advised people to keep a watch on the weather and accordingly move to safer places to protect from lightning strikes.

A senior scientist of IMD Bhubaneswar Umashankar Das said that the deep depression over the Bay of Bengal that intensified into Gulab is likely to move nearly westwards and cross north - south Odisha coasts between Kalingapatnam and Gopalpur around midnight of September 26.

As of now, it has moved nearly westwards of the Bay of Bengal with a speed of 10 km per hour during the last six hours. "The Cyclonic Storm 'Gulab' over northwest and adjoining west-central Bay of Bengal moved nearly westwards with a speed of 10 km per hour during last six hours and lay centred at 530 am on September 26 , over northwest and adjoining the west-central Bay of Bengal near Lat. 18.3N and Long. 87.3E, about 270 km east-southeast of Gopalpur (Odisha) and 330 km east of Kalingapatnam (Andhra Pradesh)," he added.

Earlier, the Director of IMD Kolkata informed that the cyclonic storm Gulab is likely to reach the West Bengal coast around September 29.

Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Saturday held a review meeting on the preparedness in wake of the weather office report on alert and directed the officials to take all necessary steps for the safety of the people.

Control rooms have been set up in village secretariats and disaster management staff have been put on alert in Srkakulam and Visakhapatnam districts. The district collectors are taking steps to setup relief camps at required locations, the officials said.

Odisha government has also launched an evacuation drive in its seven districts in the south and are focusing on Ganjam and Gajapati.

(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.)
World institutions have "damaged their credibility" and must work to stay relevant, said Prime Minister at the on Saturday, referring to their handling of the pandemic and an international economic report.

"If the wants to remain relevant. It will need to improve its effectiveness and enhance its reliability," he said at the General Assembly in New York.

Modi was referring to the criticism of World Health Organization, a UN agency, and the World Bank, an independent institution. WHO has been criticised for its messaging about the Covid-19 outbreak in China in December 2019. The said on September 18 it was suspending Doing Business ranking over data irregularities.





ALSO READ: Covid-19 live updates: Modi's UN speech pitches India as vaccine-making hub

Modi said the questions about the UNs work risk threatening its credibility. "We have seen such questions being raised, related to the climate crisis and during the Covid-19 pandemic," he said, according to PTI.

"With regard to the origin of Covid-19 and the rankings, institutions of global governance have damaged the credibility they had built after decades of hard work."



ALSO READ: UNGA address: 'When India reforms, world transforms,' says PM Modi

The said on September 16 it would cancel the "Doing Business" series on country business climates, citing internal audits and a separate independent probe by law firm WilmerHale that found senior leaders, including Kristalina Georgieva, who now heads the International Monetary Fund, pressured staff to alter data to favor China during her time as World Bank CEO.

Georgieva has strongly denied the findings.

(With inputs from PTI and Reuters.)
India on Sunday reported a net increase of 2,034 in active cases to take its count to 303,476. Indias share of global active cases now stands at 1.62 per cent (one in 60). The country is eighth among the most affected countries by active cases. On Friday, it added 29,616 cases to take its total caseload to 33,624,419 from 33,594,803  an increase of 0.1%. And, with 290 new fatalities, its Covid-19 reached 446,658, or 1.33 per cent of total confirmed infections.

With 7,104,051 more Covid-19 vaccine doses being administered on Friday, Indias total count of vaccine shots so far reached 848,929,160. The count of recovered cases across India, meanwhile, reached 32,876,319  or 97.78 per cent of total caseload  with 28,046 new cured cases being reported on Saturday.

Now the eighth-most-affected country by active cases, third by deaths, second by total cases, and first by recoveries, India has added 207,029 cases in the past 7 days.

India now accounts for 1.63% of all active cases globally (one in every 60 active cases), and 9.4% of all deaths (one in every 10 deaths).

India has so far administered 856,081,527 vaccine doses. That is 2543.86 per cent of its total caseload, and 61.35 per cent of its population.

Among Indian states, the top 5 in terms of number of vaccine shots administered are Uttar Pradesh (105032393), Maharashtra (82768010), Madhya Pradesh (63424189), Gujarat (62967854), and Rajasthan (59690282).

Among states with more than 10 million population, the top 5 in number of vaccine shots per one million population are Kerala (1054806), Gujarat (985838), Delhi (971785), Uttarakhand (966984), and Karnataka (847309).

Backwards from here, the last 1 million cases for India have come in 29 days.

The count of active cases across India on Sunday saw a net addition of 2,034, compared with 1,280 on Saturday. States and UTs hat have seen the biggest daily net increase in active cases are Kerala (2309), Mizoram (774), Tamil Nadu (67), Manipur (55), and Himachal Pradesh (34).

With 26,032 new daily recoveries, Indias recovery rate stands at 97.77%, while fatality rate remained unchanged at 1.33%.

The Indian states and UTs with the worst case fatality rates at present are Punjab (2.74%), Uttarakhand (2.15%), and Maharashtra (2.13%). The rate in as many as 16 is higher than the national average.

Indias new daily closed cases stand at 26,292  260 deaths and 26,032 recoveries. The share of deaths in total closed cases stands at 0.98%.

Indias 5-day moving average of daily rate of addition to total cases stands at 0.1%.

Indias doubling time for total cases stands at 823.1 days, and for deaths at 1191.1 days.

Overall, five states with the biggest 24-hour jump in total cases are Kerala (16671), Maharashtra (3276), Tamil Nadu (1724), Mizoram (1478), and Andhra Pradesh (1167).

Among states with more than 100,000 cases, the five with worst recovery rates at present are Kerala (95.88%).

India on Saturday conducted 1,488,945 to take the total count of tests conducted so far in the country to 563,243,245. The test positivity rate recorded was 1.9%.

Five states with the highest test positivity rate (TPR)  percentage of tested people turning out to be positive for Covid-19 infection (by cumulative data for tests and cases  are Dadra & Nagar Haveli-Daman & Diu (14.74%), Kerala (13.27%), Goa (13.24%), Sikkim (12.45%), and Maharashtra (11.27%).

Five states with the highest TPR by daily numbers for tests and cases added  are Mizoram (15.03%), Kerala (14.54%), Manipur (7.55%), Meghalaya (5.66%), and Sikkim (4.26%).

Among states and UTs with more than 10 million population, five that have carried out the highest number of tests (per million population) are Delhi (1461189), J&K (1074283), Kerala (974039), Karnataka (696461), and Telangana (664504).

The five most affected states by total cases are Maharashtra (6541119), Kerala (4613937), Karnataka (2972620), Tamil Nadu (2655572), and Andhra Pradesh (2045657).

Maharashtra, the most affected state overall, has reported 3276 new cases to take its tally to 6541119.

Kerala, the second-most-affected state by total tally, has added 16671 cases to take its tally to 4613937.

Karnataka, the third-most-affected state, has reported 787 cases to take its tally to 2972620.

Tamil Nadu has added 1724 cases to take its tally to 2655572.

Andhra Pradesh has seen its tally going up by 1167 to 2045657.

Uttar Pradesh has added 14 cases to take its tally to 1709761.

Delhi has added 27 cases to take its tally to 1438685.
has earned Rs 19.5 crore from sale of 3.55 million carbon credits which it had collected over a period of six years, in its bid towards gaining greater energy efficiency, DMRC authorities said on Sunday.

The Rail Corporation (DMRC) has been a pioneer in India in quantifying climate change benefits from its operations. It has a number of dedicated projects to its credit oriented towards energy efficiency, it said in a statement.

The DMRC has earned a commendable Rs 19.5 crore from the sale of 3.55 million carbon credits which it had collected over a period of six years from 2012 to 2018, it said.

In 2007, became the first metro or railway project in the world to be registered by the United Nations under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) which enabled Delhi Metro to claim carbon credits for its Regenerative Braking Project, officials said.

The CDM is a project-based green house gas (GHG) offset mechanism under the Kyoto Protocol allowing the public and private sector in high-income nations the opportunity to purchase carbon credits from greenhouse gas emissions-reducing projects in low or middle-income nations as part of their efforts to meet international emissions targets under the Kyoto Protocol, the DMRC said.

CDM projects generate emissions credits called Certified Emission Reductions (CERs), which are then bought and traded. One CER is equal to one ton of CO2(eq) emission reduced. The CDM helps to deliver sustainable development benefits to the host country, the statement said.

The CDM projects are managed by The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), an entity established to combat "dangerous human interference with the climate system", it said.

Since 2015, Delhi Metro has also been providing CDM consultancy services to other metro systems in India, enabling them to earn carbon credits from their project.

Already Gujarat Metro, Mumbai Metro and Chennai Metro etc. have registered their projects under the Delhi Metro's Program of Activities (PoA) project enabling them to earn carbon credits and contribute to India's Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) in compliance with the Paris Agreement, it added.

For the period 2012-18, combined GHG emission reduction achieved from all the CDM and Gold Standard projects was 3.55 million carbon credits.

The sale of carbon credits accrued from CDM and Gold Standard projects in the period 2012-18 has generated a revenue of Rs 19.5 crore to the DMRC. The total revenue generation from CDM and Gold Standard projects since inception has been Rs 29.05 crore, it 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 has told China not to shift goalposts and confuse managing the border affairs and restoring peace at the frontiers with the larger issue of the resolution of the boundary question, which is dealt with by different designated mechanisms.

After the standoff erupted in eastern Ladakh in May last year, India has consistently maintained that peace and tranquillity in the border areas are essential for the overall development of relations between the two countries.

Besides being neighbours, India and China are also large and emerging economies and it is not unusual to have differences and problems", Indian envoy to China Vikram Misri said while addressing the 4th High-level Track II Dialogue on China-India Relations held on September 23.

The key question is how to deal with them and ensure that outcomes are informed by reasonableness, maturity and respect for the maintenance of peace and tranquillity along our frontiers," Misri said.

The meeting held virtually was co-hosted by the School of International Studies of Sichuan University (SCU), China Centre for South Asian Studies and Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA) in which several former envoys and scholars took part.

Besides Misri, China's Ambassador to India Sun Weidong also participated in the meeting.

Referring to multi-faceted dialogue held by the two countries since last year including several rounds of talks between the top military officials on both sides and the meetings between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi to resolve the military standoff in Eastern Ladakh, Misri said: These contacts have resulted in significant progress on the ground.

Following disengagement in the Galwan Valley in July last year, the two sides have been able to disengage from the North and South Banks of the Pangong Lake in February 2021, and most recently from Gogra in August 2021," he said.

The conversation between the two sides continues regarding the remaining locations and we hope that disengagement at the remaining friction areas will enable us to reach a point where we can pick up the threads of bilateral cooperation," he said.

The experience of this multi-faceted dialogue over the last year and a half leads me to believe that we are well-equipped when it comes to resolving pressing issues in the bilateral relationship," he said.

Our leaders have in the past concurred that we must work out issues peacefully, prevent differences from turning into disputes and, most importantly, preserve peace and tranquillity in our border areas," he said.

The recent experience also suggests that at the ground level, when managing a difficult bilateral situation, finding a resolution hinges on mature minds, open channels, and consistency between words and actions. But while these are positive elements we can draw on, we must steer clear of certain obstacles which could block progress," he said.

The first is to avoid shifting goalposts. For long, the Indian and Chinese sides have adhered to a well-understood distinction between resolving the boundary question and managing border affairs," he said.

The 1988 understanding between our leaders was precisely for keeping the resolution of the boundary question on a track separate yet parallel to the bilateral relationship, with the maintenance of peace and tranquillity as the prerequisite," he said.

The Special Representatives mechanism, the Agreement on Political Parameters and Guiding Principles of 2005 and the three-phase framework were all designed to work on the boundary question, "which we agreed was a complex and sensitive issue requiring time to work through," Misri said.

This is the root cause of the tense situation along the borders. We advocate that we should address the boundary issue through peaceful negotiations and we don't think that the border issue should be linked up to our bilateral ties," he said.

But at the same for managing border affairs on a daily basis, the two countries had evolved a mechanism, consisting of instruments such as the WMCC (Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs) and a succession of agreements, protocols and CBMs, in order to govern behaviour on the ground and ensure peace and tranquillity.

A serious violation of peace and tranquillity in the border areas naturally requires us to apply our minds on the basis of established agreements, protocols and mechanisms to resolve it. As we do so, any attempt to confuse border affairs with the Boundary Question is a disservice to the work of those involved in finding solutions," he said.

This is why the Indian side has been consistently saying that the current issue is about restoring peace and tranquillity to the border areas and is not about the resolution of the larger Boundary Question, on which India's stance has not changed, despite what happened last year, he said.

The India-China border dispute covers the 3,488-km Line of Actual Control (LAC).

China claims Arunachal Pradesh as part of South Tibet, which is firmly rejected by India.

Misri also said China should not take a one-sided view of mutual concerns and sensitivities.

The second obstacle is to take a one-sided view of concerns and sensitivities, where one's own preoccupations trump any of those flagged by the other side," he said.

As EAM (External Affairs Minister) Dr S Jaishankar has stated, India-China relations must proceed on the basis of the three mutuals  mutual respect, mutual sensitivity and mutual interests, he said.

In an international community where we interact as equals, and as important major neighbours of each other, it cannot be that only one side's concerns are of relevance while the other side's case goes unheard," he said.

Safeguarding territorial integrity and security holds equal value for both sides. Affixing blame exclusively on the other side is not a helpful approach, he said.

"And to press one's own concerns and disregard the other side's concerns and sensitivities without any explanation or recourse goes beyond disrespect. It actually creates even more obstacles to finding solutions," he added.

The third obstacle is viewing bilateral relations through the prism of relations with other countries. We are two ancient civilisations and two modern Asian nations who have evolved their own independent foreign policies and cherish their own strategic autonomy," he said.

For India's part, I would say that a policy approach that came into its own over six decades ago, continues to be relevant today. India formulates its and foreign policies on the basis of interest first and foremost," Misri said.

We believe in multilateralism but we are also convinced that it needs to be reformed in order to better deliver its fruits to all stakeholders, he said.

Both countries engaged in key global dialogues while simultaneously pursuing their objectives in several smaller forums whose members have shared interests, he said.

Many of these forums include China  the SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organisation), BRICS (Brazil Russia, India, China, South Africa) and RIC (Russia, India, China) are some examples of this and these dialogues have continued even during the difficult phase that our bilateral relationship is passing through," Misri said.

India-China relations, therefore, must be judged and managed on their own merits. They are substantial enough and sufficiently complex that they require their own approach and appropriate handling, without imaginary third factors complicating them further and distracting us from working on our priorities," he said.

The two nations must focus on the actual issues that face them, and employ a "sensitive and constructive problem-solving approach" while bearing in mind each other's essential autonomy of decision-making, he said.

Addressing and processing differences properly means confronting them head-on and not sweeping them under the carpet. This approach will enable us to do what is necessary to bring relations to a healthier track," he said.

I remain convinced that we can resolve our current difficulties without the outcome necessarily appearing to be a win or loss for either side. A win-win solution for both India and China is very much possible and we remain committed to pursuing it," 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.)
External Affairs Minister is paying a three-day visit to beginning Sunday with an aim to boost bilateral cooperation in trade and investment as well as other areas.

It is Jaishankar's first visit to as the external affairs minister.

At present, is India's second-largest trade partner in Latin America and a member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) alongside India for the 2021-22 period.

Announcing Jaishankar's visit, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said he is scheduled to participate in the commemorative events of the 200th anniversary of the consolidation of Mexican Independence, along with other world leaders.

"In addition to his meeting with Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard Casaubon, he will also call on the President of Mexico, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. The external affairs minister will also interact with the leading CEOs and the business community in Mexico," it said.

The two-way trade in 2018 was USD 10.155 billion, comprising of exports worth USD 5.231 billion and imports valued at USD 4.923 billion, according to official data.

India's exports comprise mainly of vehicles and auto parts, chemicals, aluminium products, electrical machinery and electronic equipment, steel, gems and ceramic product.

India imports crude oil, electrical goods and machinery from Mexico.

(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 has asked the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) to explain why unauthorised construction and encroachment were allowed to come up in and around a graveyard at Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg here.

The high court said the photographs placed on record showed encroachment upon public paths and Delhi Waqf Board land and it would be imperative to ascertain as to how the unauthorised construction and encroachment were allowed to come up in the first place.

Justice Najmi Waziri issued notices to the Delhi government, SDMC and Delhi Waqf Board on a plea seeking contempt action against the authorities for allegedly not complying with the Delhi High Court's division bench order which had directed the authorities to look into the grievances ventilated by petitioner Yuva Sangharsh Samiti and decide the representation as per law.

The high court had on July 16, said if any encroachment is found at the graveyard by the authorities, the decision shall be taken after giving adequate hearing to owners or occupiers of the premises and it shall be removed as per law.

The petition filed by Yuva Sangharsh Samiti, through advocate Hemant Choudhary, has sought the removal or sealing of encroachment in the form of unauthorised construction over public land at the graveyard here, which is maintained by the Delhi Waqf Board.

The petitioner said its repeated representations to the authorities, in particular to the SDMC, have yielded no results.

Justice Waziri, in the September 20 order, said the photographs show that the constructions are old and noted that the authorities have not complied with the directions of the division bench.

Let the Deputy Commissioner of the SDMC file an affidavit explaining why the unauthorised construction and encroachment were allowed to come up in the first place and fix responsibility upon the officers, who may be found derelict in their duties. The affidavit shall also explain as to why the above-mentioned order (of division bench) has not been complied with, the high court said.

With regard to the street or public access, it said this shall be cleaned up by the land owning agency and asked the municipal corporation to look into the issue of recent construction which has been attempted at the spot.

Let the Deputy Commissioner of the Corporation file a compliance affidavit before the next date, that is, November 30, the court said.

The plea, before the division bench, had claimed that illegal construction has been done in the form of opening of various offices, eating points and shops on the way to the graveyard and outside the premises.

It had alleged that the activities were in the knowledge of the Delhi Waqf board and South Delhi Municipal Corporation and BSES which has installed electricity connections there.

The plea had alleged that graves were being sold at the graveyard at exorbitant amounts to the public and more space given to influential persons.

(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 COVID-19 coverage has crossed the 85 crore mark, the Union Health Ministry informed on Sunday.

"With the administration of 68,42,786 vaccine doses in the last 24 hours, India's COVID-19 coverage crossed the landmark of 85 Cr (85,60,81,527) as per provisional reports till 7 am today. This has been achieved through 83,64,110 sessions," an official release.

The Ministry informed that the recovery of 26,032 patients in the last 24 hours has increased the cumulative tally of recovered patients (since the beginning of the pandemic) to 3,29,02,351.

"Consequently, India's recovery rate stands at 97.77 per cent. The recovery rate is currently at its highest peak since March 2020," the release said.

It further said that the active caseload is presently 3,03,476, which constitute 0.90 per cent of the country's total positive Cases.

The testing capacity has also been enhanced across the country, and the weekly positivity rate at 1.98 per cent remains less than 3 per cent for the last 93 days now, the ministry noted.

The daily positivity rate stands at 1.90 per cent. The daily positivity rate has remained below 3 per cent for the last 27 days and below 5 per cent for 110 consecutive days now.

According to the release, more than 83.54 crore (83,54,12,250) vaccine doses have been provided to states/UTs so far through the government of India (free of cost channel) and through direct state procurement category.

"Further, more than 1.17 crore doses (1,17,12,275) are in the pipeline. More than 4.56 crore (4,56,96,920) balance and unutilised COVID vaccine doses are still available with the states/UTs to be administered," it 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.)
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has called for stricter Covid-19 border controls, noting that another wave of the pandemic may be on the way in the country.

"More attention must be paid to foreign entries, especially from countries infected with new variants of the virus," he said in a meeting of the national anti-Covid-19 headquarters in Tehran on Saturday.

Rouhani stressed the need that all local officials and members of the Basij, a volunteer force of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, engage in the monitoring of individuals coming from abroad, who must stay in quarantine when necessary according to Iran's protocols, reports Xinhua news agency.

The President called on a general effort to prevent a new wave of the outbreak before Nowruz, the Iranian new year, given the social and economic importance of the yearly celebrations.

Also on Saturday, the southwestern province of Khuzestan declared a red alert over the spread of the virus, after several weeks without any province on the highest warning.

Even if vaccination against Covid-19 is successful, Rouhani further said, people should still be careful and maintain the current lifestyle for at least a year.

The spokesman for the headquarters, Alireza Raisi, said that the number of daily deaths is decreasing in Iran, but warned about the increase in cases in Khuzestan and northwestern province of West Azerbaijan, state TV reported.

The spokeswoman for Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Sima Sadat Lari, said that 74 new deaths related to the were registered in the country between Friday and Saturday, pushing the death toll to 58,883.

The total number of Covid-19 infections confirmed so far in is 1,510,873, after 7,120 new cases were detected in the past 24 hours, she added.

The Health Ministry started the Covid-19 vaccination on February 9 using Russian vaccine Sputnik V.

--IANS

ksk/

(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.)
External Affairs Minister met his Syrian counterpart Faisal Mekdad here and exchanged views on developments in the

Focusing on assistance to the Syrian people, Jaishankar stressed that India will continue to provide humanitarian support to Damascus. He also discussed bilateral ties with Faisal Mekdad.

"Discussed bilateral ties with FM Dr Faisal Mekdad of Syria. India will continue to provide humanitarian support and assistance to the Syrian people. Useful exchange of views on developments in the UN Security Council," Jaishankar said in a tweet.

External Affairs Minister is in the US and has held various bilateral meetings with his counterparts and participated in Quad summit and including Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address at the UNGA on Saturday.

Later on Sunday, Jaishankar will embark on a two-day visit to Mexico. It will be his first visit to the country as External Affairs Minister. He will participate in the commemorative events of the 200th anniversary of the consolidation of Mexican Independence along with other world leaders.

(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.)
Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh arrived in on Sunday for a three-day visit aimed at further expansion of bilateral military ties with the influential Gulf nation.

The Navy Chief will hold talks with the top military brass of the Gulf nation, including his Omani counterpart Rear Admiral Saif bin Nasser bin Mohsen Al-Rahbi, during his visit from September 2729, officials said.

"The visit aims to consolidate bilateral defence relations with Oman, as also to explore new avenues for defence cooperation," Indian Navy Spokesperson Commander Vivek Madhwal said.

Apart from talks with Al-Rahbi, Singh is also scheduled to meet Chief of Staff Omani armed forces Vice Admiral Abdullah Khamis Abdullah Al Raisi, Commander of Royal Army of Maj Gen Matar Bin Salim Bin Rashid Al Balushi, Commander of Royal Air Force Air Vice Marshal Khamis Bin Hammad Bin Sultan Al Ghafri.

He would also be visiting key defence installations like Muaskar Al Murtafa (MAM) camp, Maritime Security Centre (MSC), Said Bin Sultan Naval Base, Al Musanna Air Base and Defence College,

The Indian Navy cooperates with the Royal Navy of Oman on many fronts that include operational interactions and training.

Both navies have been participating in the biennial maritime exercise Naseem Al Bahr since 1993. This exercise was last conducted in 2020 off Goa and the next edition is scheduled in 2022.

"This official visit of the Chief of Naval Staff to Oman highlights the growing cooperation between Indian Navy and Royal Navy of Oman," Commander Madhwal said.

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Sri Lanka's Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said the nationwide quarantine curfew came into effect late August, has been extended till October 1 in an effort to curb the furtherspread of Covid-19.

Following a meeting between the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19 with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Friday, Rambukwella said the latter had decided to extend the quarantine curfew till 4 a.m. on October 1, reports Xinhua news agency.

Rambukwella however said government essential services impacting the economy will be allowed to function during the curfew.

"As per President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, I will be consulting with Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa to decide which government institutions will be kept open as essential services that contribute to the economy," the Health Minister said.

"While the lockdown is in progress, I urge all citizens to get the available vaccines as soon as possible," he added.

was to lift the ongoing quarantine curfew on September 21 but extended it following a recommendation from the health experts.

According to health experts, is facing a rapid spread of the Delta variant.

Since March last year, the island nation has reported a total of 498,694 Covid-19 cases and 11,817 deaths.

--IANS

ksk/

(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 country needs four-five banks of State Bank of India's size to cater to the changing and growing requirements in the post-pandemic world, said Union Finance Minister on Sunday.

"Even before the pandemic, one of the driving forces for the amalgamation (in public sector banking space) was the need to scale-up banking. India needs a lot of banks but a lot more big banks," said Sitharaman, while addressing the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of Indian Banks' Association (IBA) here. She, however, did not elaborate if further consolidation of public-sector banks was on the cards.

"The amalgamation is an important exercise because of the way in which economies are shifting to different planes altogether. (And) Also, the way the economy and industry are looking at different ways adapting to growth in the post-pandemic era. Banks need to think about the immediate and long-term future," she said.

The consolidation process in the public sector banking space began with merging its five associate banks and Bharatiya Mahila Bank in April 2017. This was followed by the merger of Dena Bank and Vijaya Bank into Bank of Baroda in April 2019.

Then a large-scale consolidation exercise happened in April 2020: Punjab National Bank (PNB) took into its fold Oriental Bank of Commerce and United Bank of India. Also, Union Bank of India imbibed Corporation Bank and Andhra Bank; Indian Bank absorbed Allahabad Bank, and Canara Bank took Syndicate Bank into its fold.

The latest instance of consolidation in the banking space was in November 202o when Singapore-based DBS Bank's Indian subsidiary acquired the ailing private-sector lender Lakshmi Vilas Bank (LVB).





The finance minister also noted that some of the economically active regions of the country still lacked banking facilities, and that banks should use digital maps to plug gaps and ensure services when the economy is recovering.

She said IBA should take the lead in the exercise of plugging these gaps. Banks have the option to decide which place requires banking presence through a brick-and-mortar model and where a direct presence should help.

"Digitisation has saved a lot of costs for banks even without compromising on the services banks provide. There need not be competition among banks for presence. You could service customers even without physical presence," Sitharaman said.

About efforts towards cleaning up the books of banks, the finance minister said National Asset Reconstruction Company (NARCL) and Debt Resolution Company have been set up. They should be able to cull out non-performing assets, restructure, and sell them. "It is a formulation which has saved us from one imitating something which all are averse to in a sense, at least for its name 'bad bank'."

"This combination is not a bad bank as this process is driven by a banking system with the sense to clear up books quickly. Banks are today less burdened as books are cleaner and as a result, they are able to raise money from the market," she added.
Chinese authorities have seized and sold tens of millions of dollars in assets owned by jailed Uyghur business owners at auction amid a broad government campaign in the country's Xinjiang region, said a report.

According to The Wall Street Journal report, since 2019, Xinjiang courts have put at least 150 assets--ranging from home appliances to real estate and company shares--belonging to at least 21 people and valued at a total of 84.8 million dollars up for auction on e-commerce sites.

"The listings were compiled by the Uyghur Human Rights Project, an advocacy group partially funded by the US government," the media outlet said citing documents and corporate records.

According to The Wall Street Journal report, the Uyghur group said it recorded seizures that were clearly linked to court cases involving charges related to terrorism and extremism. It also included cases of people identified by Chinese state media as extremists, or whose families reported they had been accused of such activities.

Western scholars and rights groups said Chinese authorities level these types of charges as a pretext to implement policies targeting minorities in Xinjiang more broadly.

As per the Chinese government, it is fighting terrorism and separatism. While Uyghur activists say Beijing is intent on destroying Uyghurs' culture and ethnic identity.

In the past years, has been rebuked globally for cracking down on Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang by sending them to mass detention camps, interfering in their religious activities and subjecting them to abuse including forced labour.

Beijing, on the other hand, has vehemently denied that it is engaged in human rights abuses against the Uyghurs in Xinjiang while reports from journalists, NGOs and former detainees have surfaced, highlighting the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) brutal crackdown on the ethnic community.

(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 summit of the Group of Twenty (G20) on is scheduled to be held on September 28, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin said.

"On September 28, as far as I remember, thereabout," TASS news agency said quoting an official.

Vershinin did not respond to the question about the person to represent Russia at the summit.

"This is still in process; they should sent an invitation," he noted.

Mario Draghi, the Prime Minister of Italy currently presiding in G20, said earlier that the summit on was planned to be held after the high-level week of the UN General Assembly.

(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.)
Germans went to the polls on Sunday in a national election too close to call, with the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) mounting a strong challenge to retiring Chancellor Angela Merkels conservatives.

In office so long she was dubbed Germanys eternal chancellor, Merkel has been in power since 2005 but plans to step down after the election, making the vote an era-changing event to set the future course of Europes largest economy.

A fractured electorate means that after the election, leading parties will sound each other out before embarking on more formal coalition negotiations that could take months, leaving Merkel, 67, in a caretaker role.

We all sense that this is a very important federal election, Armin Laschet told journalists after voting in his home constituency of Aachen. It is a federal election that will decide the direction of in coming years and therefore every vote counts.



Running against Laschet is Olaf Scholz, the finance minister in Merkels right-left coalition who won all three televised debates between the leading candidates.

I hope that as many citizens as possible will go and vote and make a very strong result for the SPD possible and give me the mandate to become the next chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, Scholz said after casting a ballot.
There is no existence of the in and other smaller notorious outfits in the country cannot create chaos, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Kamal has said, dismissing concerns that the insurgent group's victory in may encourage militants in the Muslim-majority nation.

The minister's comments came after Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Md Shafiqul Islam said the Taliban's victory in would create a new wave of militancy in the sub-continent, including in Bangladesh, the Dhaka Tribune reported.

Talking to reporters after the inauguration of a supermarket in Savar, Kamal said that there is no existence of and other militants in

is a country of peace. have come to power in and Kabul is located far from Bangladesh. So it has no effect in Bangladesh, the newspaper quoted Kamal as saying.

"There are many small notorious groups in the country. But they have no capacity to create chaos,' the minister said.

Some miscreants are appearing in different names to create anarchy in the country, he added.

The Bangladesh government has repeatedly denied the existence of any foreign terrorist groups in the country.

(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.)
Australian Prime Minister on Sunday told state and territory leaders that they owe it to the citizens to reopen domestic borders by Christmas.

Morrison told local media that there was no reason for state borders to remain closed once 80 per cent of adults are fully vaccinated against Covid-19, a milestone the country is expected to reach in the following months, reports Xinhua news agency.

"It's important that we move forward. We can't stay in second gear. We've got to get to top gear in living with the virus," he said.

"My message is more to Australians that what I'd like them to have for Christmas is their lives back."

However, some state premiers push back against the government's four-phase roadmap out of the pandemic as the country continues to battle the third wave of infections.

Under the plan, domestic borders will open when 80 per cent of over-16s have had two vaccine doses.

On Sunday morning, reported 1,765 new locally acquired Covid-19 infections amid lockdowns in some major cities.

With the new cases, the country's overall caseload has increased to 95,807, while the death toll stood at 1,220.

According to the latest data released by the Department of Health, 75.4 per cent of Australians aged 16 and older have received at least one Covid-19 vaccine dose and 50.9 per cent are fully vaccinated.

--IANS

ksk/

(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 government in appealed on Sunday for flights to be resumed, promising full cooperation with airlines and saying that problems at had been resolved.

The statement from the foreign affairs ministry comes as the new administration has stepped up efforts to open up the country and gain acceptance following the collapse of the Western-backed government last month.

A limited number of aid and passenger flights have been operating from the airport. But normal commercial services are yet to resume since they were closed in the wake of the chaotic evacuation of tens of thousands of foreigners and vulnerable Afghans that followed the Talibans seizure of the capital.

The airport, which was damaged during the evacuation, has since been reopened with the assistance of technical teams from Qatar and Turkey.

While some airlines including Pakistan Airlines have been offering limited services and some people have been able to get places on flights, prices have been reported to be many times higher than normal. Foreign ministry spokesperson Abdul Qahar Balkhi said the suspension of had left many Afghans stranded abroad and also prevented people from travelling for work or study.

Since taking power, the have grappled with a severe economic crisis.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Museums and the Uffizi Galleries joined forces for the first time on Friday to inaugurate a small exhibit of rarely seen works by two Renaissance masters that confirmed a painting long suspected of being by Raphael was indeed his work.

Saints Peter and Paul by Raphael and Fra Bartolomeo. An homage to the Patrons of Rome, marks the first exhibit for the Museums in over a year, thanks to Covid lockdowns that shuttered galleries at the time that Italy was commemorating Raphael's 500th death anniversary.

The nearly life-sized paintings of Saints Peter and Paul are normally kept outside public view. But they have been restored and are on display for the first time alongside their preparatory sketches.

Bartolomeo finished the painting of St Paul, but due to an artistic crisis, never finished St Peter. The restoration and research done in preparation for the exhibit confirmed that Raphael  long believed to have finished his friends commission  indeed completed the work, the Museums director, Barbara Jatta, told a press conference Friday alongside her Uffizi counterpart, Eike Schmidt.
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The on Sunday asked all its workers, state unit chiefs and heads of frontal organizations to take part in the 'Bharat Bandh' called by farmer unions on September 27 to protest the Centre's three agri laws.

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha, the umbrella body of over 40 farm unions spearheading the farmers' agitation, had earlier appealed to the people to join the bandh.

general secretary (organization), K C Venugopal, said the and its workers will extend our full support to the peaceful 'Bharat Bandh' called by farmer unions on Monday.

"We believe in the right of our and we will stand by them in their fight against the black farm laws," he said in a tweet.

"All PCC Presidents, Chiefs of Frontal Organizations are requested to go out in front with our Annadatas in their peaceful Bharat Bandh across the country," Venugopal said.

The government and farmer unions have held 11 rounds of talks so far, the last being on January 22, to break the deadlock and end the farmers' protest.

Talks have not resumed following widespread violence during a tractor rally by protesting on January 26.

The three laws -- The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, The (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act 2020 -- were passed by the Parliament in September last year.

Farmer groups have alleged that these laws will end the 'mandi' and the MSP procurement systems and leave the farmers at the mercy of big corporates, even as the government has rejected these apprehensions as misplaced and asserted that these steps will help increase farmers' income.

(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.)
chief minister on Sunday said that the state government has announced a welfare fund for employees of the (IT) and information technology-enabled services (ITES) that ensures a pension of Rs 3000.

CM Vijayan on Sunday tweeted, "Started welfare fund for IT & ITES workers in that ensures a pension of Rs 3000. Women workers will be given financial aid of Rs 15000 during pregnancy and Rs 10000 for marriages."

"Beneficiaries will get Rs 15000 for medical treatment. Over 1.5 lakh employees will be benefitted," the CM said.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who returned to India from the US on Sunday, attended 20 meetings during his 65-hour visit, government sources said.



He also had four long meetings in flights with officials on the way to and back from the US, they added.



Sharing details, sources said Modi had two meetings in flight on Wednesday on the way to the US and three in the hotel upon his arrival.On September 23, he had five meetings with as many CEOs followed by talks with US Vice President Kamala Harris and bilateral interactions with his Japanese and Australian counterparts Yoshihide Suga and Scott Morrison, respectively. He also chaired three internal meetings.He had a bilateral meeting with US President Joe Biden the next day and then attended the Quad meet. Sources said Modi also held four internal meetings on September 24.As Modi left the US for India on September 25, he held two meetings in the flight back, sources said.Modi, who landed at the Palam airport, was given a warm welcome by BJP leaders, including party chief JP Nadda.Modi, who walked for nearly two kilometres meeting party workers and the people lined up along the road outside the airport, thanked them for welcoming him.Citing Modis meetings with US President Joe Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris, besides his participation in the Quad meet and address at the UNGA, Nadda said the Prime Minister put across strongly and frankly global issues and also Indias views over threats like terrorism and expansionism.

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Amid talks of rotational chief minister in Chhattisgarh, the visit of will decide the future of the in the state as of now there is suspense in both the camps -- one lead by Chief Minister Baghel and the other lead by state Health Minister T.S. Singhdeo.

Mohan Markam, the state President said the party is busy in the preparation of Rahul Gandhi's visit to Sarguja and Bastar, both tribal belts and Sarguja is also the stronghold of T.S. Singhdeo. Markam said that he is head of the organisation in the state and does not belong to any camp.

However, dates of the visit of the former President have not been not finalised yet, but he may go on the onset of second week of October and get a sense of state

While Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel is on overdrive on the issue of development. He has been taking some decisions and highlighting the people-friendly policies of the government.

Sources say Baghel has got some reprieve till the Uttar Pradesh elections on the interference of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as his team is involved in the election management of the party in UP.

The supporters of the Singhdeo camp have alleged harassment. In this week only police registered a case against Pankaj Singh in Bilaspur, who is a former secretary of the party and close to Singh Deo, for allegedly assaulting an employee of a government hospital. Following the FIR Congress MLA Shailesh Pandey, a known Singh Deo supporter went to the police station with his supporters and lodged a protest against the action, while the District Congress has recommended Pankaj Singh's expulsion, which could spark another round of faceoff.

T.S. Singh Deo had said, "All the issues are in the purview of the Congress leadership."

The supporters of Singhdeo have been pushing for a change of guard since incumbent Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel completed 2.5 years in office, suspense still looms on the issue of rotational chief minister as there is no clarity from the top leadership of the party.

Singhdeo, who is pushing on the formula of rotational chief minister, is maintaining a line that everything is in the purview of the party leadership and whatever decision will be taken by them will be accepted.

After the Punjab operation, all eyes are now on Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, which have also been facing similar problems and issues.

In Rajasthan, Congress leader Sachin Pilot wants his position to be restored and given the top post in the state. He has met twice in the week and his supporters say that fingers are crossed in Chhattisgarh. T.S. Singhdeo wants the formula of rotational Chief Minister to be honoured.

The supporters of T.S. Singh Deo are hopeful and assured of change since the meeting of Pilot, who in his meeting has also said that he wants to lead the state as the Chief Minister, sources said.

--IANS

miz/dpb

(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.)
Travelers crowded Chinas transportation hubs as the weeklong National Day holiday came to an end Thursday. Railway stations and highways were packed with passengers and vehicles as people headed home. This year, rains and snow in some parts of the country have also caused train delays and road traffic

Oct 07, 2021 05:35 PM
Modified On Sep 27, 2021 02:08 PM By Tarun for Volkswagen Taigun

This week, we saw the launch of Volkswagen Taigun and Audi E-Tron, along with some important unveils

In the past seven days, we saw the launch of the Taigun and e-Tron electric sedan along with the reveal of the MG Astor, the new-gen Honda BR-V and the Tata Punchs interior. Read ahead to know the important headlines of the past week:

Volkswagen Taigun Launched

Volkswagen has launched the Taigun compact SUV which will rival the Skoda Kushaq, Hyundai Creta, and Kia Seltos. Moreover, its priced very similarly to the Kushaq. Read here to know more about the prices and other details.

Skoda Kushaq Top-End Automatic Variants Get Safer

Skoda has equipped the top-end Style AT and DSG variants of the Kushaq with a tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS) and six airbags. Here are all the details.

MG Astor First Impressions Review

Here are our first impressions of the MG Astor compact SUV thats set to launch in the first week of October.

Tata Punch Interior Revealed

Tata has officially revealed the cabin of the Punch micro SUV ahead of its expected launch next month. Meanwhile, all the details including the engine specs and features of the Punch will be detailed on October 4.

New-gen Honda BR-V Unveiled In Indonesia

Honda has unveiled the new-generation BR-V in Indonesia but is unlikely to head over to India. Here are all the details.

MG Hector Super Variant Discontinued

MG Motor India has discontinued the second-to-base Super trim of the Hector. Check out all the details here.

Audi e-Tron GT Launched

Audi has launched the e-Tron GT and RS e-Tron GT electric luxury sedans with a range of up to 500 kilometres. Here are all the details.

Read More on : Volkswagen Taigun on road price
Photo: Contributed

Id like to start by asking you to look at the photo that accompanies this weeks column.

Would it surprise you to know that the ages of these women span more than two decades?

I could have given birth to two of them, without even being a teenage mom, and Im not the oldest one in the photo. There are two women in their early 40s, one in her 50s and two in their 60s.

The thing that struck me as I looked at this picture from a recent girls trip to Alberta, is how irrelevant age is.

When youre young, a few years makes a huge difference. By the time you reach adulthood, you may not know how old your friends are. You may even struggle to remember how old you are.

Sometimes, the age difference that mattered when you were a teenager, continues to live in your head when it no longer makes any difference.

This was the case with my in-laws. They always talked about how much older Bill was than Beryl. When I did a calculation, I realized the age difference they talked about was less than three years.

That was similar to the age difference between their son and me. Id tease him about being my toy boy, but I considered the 26-month difference to be insignificant.

Why the difference in perspective?

Bill and Beryl were 18 and 15 when they met. Three years is quite a difference at that age.

Id had a five-year relationship was with someone 18 years my senior. By comparison, 26 months was nothing. That doesnt mean I wasnt aware of the age difference or that it didnt matter.

Almost all my former husbands friends were younger than me. I was keenly aware that I always hit the milestone birthdays first. I was also the old one amongst the parents of my kids friends. They assumed I was their age and I did nothing to dissuade them.

I think I carried this age awareness because I was also carrying an ancient idea of what it means to get old.

My parents and grandparents were like many people who settled into retirement as a precursor to death. They accepted aches, pains, slower brain function and less energy as a natural part of getting older. If thats what it meant to age, I didnt want anything to do with it. As a result, I was reminded of my age everywhere I looked.

Its only relatively recently that Ive stopped focusing on birth years. Perhaps thats because many of my friends are in their 40s, but I live in a community of seniors. The juxtaposition has allowed me to look at aging differently.

I have the opportunity to spend time immersed in younger energy and also observe the process of moving into more senior years. Being younger doesnt mean you arent as wise. Being older doesnt mean you have to decline physically or mentally. The latter thought isnt just wishful thinking. Have you encountered the term super-ager?

The Memory and Aging Center at the University of California San Francisco is conducting a longitudinal study of the elderly. Theres one man in his late 80s whos caught their attention. His brain scans arent pretty. They suggest age-related deterioration as well as a series of mini strokes. If you only examined the images, youd probably think his memory and thinking skills were weakening. Thats far from the truth. His brain function and cognitive abilities are high and havent changed in years.

Joel Kramer, the director of the neuropsychology program couldnt understand why the aging of this mans brain wasnt reflected in his abilities to function. Other members of the study whose scans were similar to his, were showing a definite decline.

When Kramer met the man in question, he was struck by how dynamic he was. His outlook on life was incredibly sunny and optimistic. He kept himself busy with numerous projects, was closely connected to his family and volunteered in the community. He was quick to share how grateful he was for everything he had. He chose to embrace life and not sweat the small stuff. He seemed to be living his golden years to their fullest.

This isnt an isolated case. I recently watched an interview with an English octogenarian who took three buses to get to the charity shop where he volunteered.

Ive also met seniors who help in assisted living and nursing homes where theyre older than the people theyre helping.

These super-agers are inspiring researchers like Kramer. They want to determine what sets these people apart from typical agers.

In todays society, when octogenarians, nonagenarians and centenarians are more and more common, I think its important to recognize that aging doesnt have to mean getting old in the traditional sense. You can live your whole life being vibrant and active if you want to.

Its true that some people are more blessed genetically, but you can make the most of any hand youve been dealt. You simply have to choose to do that. It isnt always easy, but I believe it is worth the effort and energy.

The remarkable man in the SCSF study is a prime example of someone who practices happiness. That lifestyle is available to anybody, regardless of their financial means, or genetic circumstances.

I hope when my friends and I are in our 60s, 70s, and 80s our pictures still reflect the agelessness that exists between us.

Welcome to the world of the super-agers.
Photo: The Canadian Press

B.C.s Health Ministry is being criticized for how it publicly reports the number of COVID patients in intensive-care beds. Ministry numbers only include people who are infectious and not those who are still recovering in intensive care.

B.C. Green Party Leader Sonia Furstenau, who has often asked the NDP government for more transparency in the reporting of health data related to COVID, said its important to know why the ministry reports COVID ICU numbers the way it does, noting Manitoba reports all hospitalizations whether infectious or not.

Damien Contandriopoulos, a public health researcher at the University of Victoria, said the B.C. Centre for Disease Control online numbers showing COVID ICU patients do not align with the number of people actually in ICUs and that reporting is hard to justify on any basis.

Infectious disease specialist and critical care physician Dr. David Forrest said there were a dozen COVID-19 patients in intensive-care unit beds at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital on Thursday.

The public reports, however, would show eleven because the twelfth patient is recovering  even though that patient might occupy an ICU bed for several more weeks, he said.

Many of us have complained that there is a disconnect, said Forrest. I dont think that theres intent to deceive  I think its just simply this misunderstanding of whats important to know about.

The Health Ministry attempted to explain that accounting and reporting in a news release on Friday.

Once a patient in critical care is no longer infectious with COVID-19, the patient is removed from daily critical-care totals, said the Health Ministry. Some patients who entered hospital or critical care as a COVID-19 patient may no longer be counted as COVID-19 patients once they are no longer infectious, even though they remain in hospital.

The Health Ministry said it looks at hospitalizations and critical-care beds to ensure the system is running efficiently at or near capacity but not over capacity. On the other hand, the B.C. Centre for Disease Controls surveillance reports and the numbers in the daily report have a different function, said the ministry.

They report the number of people with COVID-19 who require hospital or critical care, said the ministry. This gives an understanding of the severity of illness and only counts the individual once even if they are hospitalized more than once or have several stays in critical care.

A COVID patient in a hospital bed is a COVID patient in a hospital bed, Contandriopoulos said.

The public health researcher said the ministrys explanation is that BCCDC is only interested in infectious COVID cases and the hospital system is only really interested in the number of patients overall in beds whether its COVID or not and that no one is interested in total beds occupied by COVID patients but I do not buy that explanation.

Infectious, not infectious, its not what I think the public is interested in, were interested to know if our hospital system is going to crumble because of the COVID numbers so thats what we would like numbers about, he said.

People are worried and want to know exactly whats going on in our hospitals, he said. These days its more important than ever that we can be confident that the hospitalization numbers really are what they should be and theyre not.

The tradition in Manitoba, said Contandriopoulos, has been to have completely transparent public health data even prior to the pandemic. Other provinces have not been totally forthcoming with reliable data but B.C. has been fudging the data, he said. At the technical level, its super easy to provide the total COVID ICU and hospital numbers, said Contandriopoulos, so the challenge is not technical.

COVID is a big political issue and governments are being judged on whether or not theyre doing a good job of COVID and it seems that sometimes its easier to play with the data than to play with a disease, he said.

Furstenau said shes pleased the ministry provided an explanation, albeit complicated, and wont judge why its reporting the way it does, only that the public still doesnt know why.

I think itd be really good for the public to understand what was the decision process as to why cases are counted this way, said Furstenau. And what is the outcome the government is trying to achieve from that.

Transparency of not just numbers but transparency of the decision making and the mission is critical, said Furstenau.
In June 2021, CDC was notified about a dog in Pennsylvania that tested positive for rabies. The dog was among a group of 33 dogs and one cat imported into the U.S. from Azerbaijan by an animal rescue group. CDC coordinated a response to this case with multiple state health departments, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Public Health officials identified at least 19 people and 36 animals who were exposed to the rabid dog. Everyone in contact with the dog started postexposure prophylaxis to protect them from developing rabies. CDC testing indicated that the rabid dog was infected with rabies in Azerbaijan before it arrived in the U.S. Due to quick action by state and federal partners, no additional rabies cases in people or animals occurred and the U.S. is still considered free of dog-mediated human rabies.

In the United States, dogs make up only about 1% of rabid animals reported each year because dogs are required to receive rabies vaccines. In fact, the United States is considered free of canine rabies, because this variant of rabies virus no longer circulates here. However, rabid dogs remain common in many countries. Exposure to rabid dogs is still the cause of nearly all rabies deaths in people worldwide, which are estimated at 59,000 deaths each year. And when dogs carrying canine rabies strains are imported to the United States, they risk sharing this dangerous virus with other animals and people, and jeopardize the canine rabies-free status of the U.S.

The imported rabid dog arrived in the U.S. days before CDC issued a temporary suspension of dog importation due to an alarming rise in dogs imported with falsified rabies vaccination records. The suspension went into effect on July 14 and adds additional requirements for dogs coming into the U.S. from countries with a high risk of dog rabies. Cases like the one described here help to inform best practices for rabies prevention, including future changes to a permanent importation policy that allows for the safe movement of dogs into the U.S.
A woman on Chestnut Street said a man opened her car door while she was standing near her car. She confronted him and he immediately stepped away. She continued, while her friend was calling the police. The man who opened the door began rubbing her friend's stomach and patted him on the head. The woman said she just wanted him to leave the area. Police called a taxi for the man.

* * *

An anonymous caller said he was a Lyft driver and had been called to an address on Wayne Avenue by a woman. He said when he arrived he saw the female being pulled inside by a male and was worried for her safety. Upon arrival on scene officers made contact with a woman who said she had called for a Lyft but decided not to use it. Her husband had told the Lyft driver that the ride was no longer needed. She denied being in any danger and there was no sign of injury or disturbance.

* * *

A woman on Winter Lane told police she was down under the bridge at the docks under Cummings Highway and saw a man who had stolen her kayak. She said she had made a report and the county arrested the man for stealing her kayak but they never recovered the kayak. When she saw the man at the dock she tried to confront him to see where her kayak was and he took off in his green truck towards Tennessee Avenue. She has seen him at the residence across from hers, and he is trespassed from the property. She would like a report just in case he shows up and tries to harass her or confront her.

* * *

A man on Shallowford Road told police he was briefly employed at this location and he hasn't received all of his pay. When police arrived, the man and the office manager at Express Employment had come to an agreement and police involvement was no longer required.

* * *

Police spoke with a woman on East 19th Street who said she saw her license plate on her vehicle a few months ago. She's not sure when or where the license plate was lost. She said she needed a police report for the DMV.

* * *

Police responded to a vehicle recovered stolen at 2546 6th Ave. Police found the silver Subaru. The tag that was on the car belonged to a previously recovered stolen vehicle. The owner of the tag could not be contacted at the time of the recovery. The license plate was taken to Chattanooga Property Division and the tag was removed from NCIC.

* * *

A man on Beulah Avenue contacted police to add more items that were taken from his Hamilton County enforced property eviction. He wanted to add an American Flag and a 46 inch Vizio flat screen TV. The police officer handling the report said the man "felt he needed to continue his racist rant by referring to his ex-landlord as an 'ignorant'." He contacted police again and spoke with another officer and added more items to the report, including a king mattress, king sized bed, deep freezer, gun cleaning mat, and two folding chairs.

* * *

A man said that while he was at the light at Hickory Valley Road, a white Nissan Murano cut him off, forcing him to slam on the brakes. The man got out and told the female that he would need a police report and she said no report was needed and drove off. The officer looked at the vehicle with the man and was unable to find any damage. The officer spoke with a traffic investigator over the phone who confirmed that this does not qualify as a crash.

* * *

A woman called police to say that while she was stopped on McCutcheon Road a large blue truck almost struck her vehicle. She said she did not show any signs of aggression toward the occupants inside the vehicle. She was informed by staff at Publix that a man was taking a photo of her license plate. She does not know who the man is or why he took a photo of her license plate. Police placed the woman's address on the watch list.

* * *

A woman called police to say her vehicle had been repossessed on an unknown date at an unknown location by an unknown company due to lack of payment. She said the repossession company sold the vehicle to an unknown person who said his name was the same as her former husband. She said her former husband was in jail at the time the incident occurred and is still in jail. She was contacted by the lien holder, BBB Auto Sales of Smyrna, that said the vehicle was involved in a crash. Police were able to locate a crash report that occurred in February with someone the woman said she does not know as the driver of the vehicle. She believed the vehicle is currently at her former husband's brother's address. Police confirmed the woman is the owner per the vehicle registration, but due to there being a repossession company and lien holder involved, police were unable to determine if the woman was the owner of the vehicle or not. She said she wanted to report the vehicle as stolen. Police did not enter the vehicle as stolen due to being unable to determine if the woman was the victim or not. Police will follow up on a later date.

* * *

Police made a traffic stop on West 37th Street and Pirola Street on a dark bluish/gray Chrysler with a dirty/tinted license plate cover (TN - expired February, 2021). The driver was identified and he had a valid handgun permit (concealed only) and had a S&W SD9 in his right waistband. The driver did not have proof of insurance and was issued a citation accordingly and given a warning on the registration.

* * *

A man on North Hickory Street called police saying that at approximately 6:30 p.m., an unknown black male could be seen walking up his driveway from his security camera. This black male had the key fob to the man's 2011 white Toyota Prius. The suspect unlocked the car, entered the driver's seat and drove out from the car port. The man said that only he and his ex-boyfriend have the key fobs to the vehicle. While on scene talking with the man, the ex-boyfriend called and told the man that he will bring the car back that night. The man said he does not wish to report his vehicle as stolen at this time, because he does not want to have to go back to court. The car will not be entered into NCIC due to the man not wishing to prosecute.

* * *

An officer conducted a traffic stop at 1400 Riverside Dr. when he saw a red Nissan SUV stop in the middle of the roadway in front of him. The officer activated his emergency lights and the vehicle moved safely out of the roadway. The officer spoke with the driver who said her car had stalled out. She was unable to turn it back on. The officer transported her to her residence on East 10th Street per her request.

* * *

A man on Broad Street said his firearm was stolen from his vehicle. He works at Sticky Fingers downtown, went to Suntrust Bank and when he returned to his car, the door was ajar. He said his SCCY pistol was stolen. He doesn't have a serial number for the firearm. Police will enter the firearm into NCIC when the man recovers the serial number. No suspect information is known at this time.

* * *

Police were dispatched to the Mr. Zip at 1905 Gunbarrel Road for a suspicious person. An employee at the business told the officer there had been a man in green scrubs standing outside Mr. Zip just talking to himself. The employee said he had been told to leave before and wanted him banned. The officer spoke with the man who was across the street and asked what he was doing. He said he was just walking around and waiting to get a place to stay. The officer told the man he would not be able to go back onto the Mr. Zip property since he was banned and, if he was caught again, he would be taken to jail for trespassing. The officer ran the man for warrants and none were found.

* * *

A caller reported a suspicious van on May Street. Upon arrival the van was unoccupied and the tag was confirmed as stolen. While on scene a woman walked up saying that the van was hers. She said she bought the van and provided the title and bill of sale. The woman said the TVA tag was already on the van when she bought it from two Hispanic males. The tag was removed from NCIC as stolen and taken to CPD property division under the original complaint number.

* * *

A man on East 3rd Street found a bag and turned it over to police. The bag contained a pill bottle that had a man's name on it from the homeless shelter. Police took the property to the owner's counselor at the homeless shelter on E. 11th Street. She said she saw him this morning and he was upset to have lost his bag. She said she will return it to him at their next appointment.

* * *

A man at TT Wilson at 1255 Central Ave. said he is the owner and he cancelled his account with Cintas several weeks ago for uniform delivery service. He said that about 8 p.m. last night, someone left a message on his business phone saying someone had illegally dumped uniforms with his company name on them in the dumpster at Charlies BBQ on Main Street. He said he believes the delivery driver for Cintas must have possibly got rid of them by dumping them there. He said he then went and got them from the dumpster. He said he would like a miscellaneous report for documentation.

* * *

At the Citico gas station at 3410 Campbell St. an officer saw a black male pumping gas into an ATV with no lights or registration on it. After coming back around the block, the ATV had left the area. The officer turned down New York Avenue and found the ATV and a black Volkswagen sedan traveling together. Before the officer was able to get close enough to activate emergency equipment to initiate a traffic stop, the male on the ATV saw the officer trying to catch up to them and both the ATV and the black sedan began to drive at a high rate of speed on New Jersey Avenue. Both vehicles were last seen in the area of Towerway Drive and Lightfoot Mill Road.

* * *

Officers were dispatched to East 11th Street where a man was carrying an ax. Upon arrival, officers located and identified the man and he was actively swinging the ax at a tree. Officers ordered the man to put down the ax to which he complied. When questioned, he said the ax was made by an Indian and he was trying to cut down a tree with it. On further inspection, the ax appeared to be a broom handle with a dull blade attached to it. Officers confiscated the blade and will be taking it to CPD's Property Division.
A Chattanooga man, Thomas Henshall, Jr., 37, was arrested in Nashville after driving with a corpse, believed to be his mother, Danielle Bowen, 60.

Metropolitan Nashville Police Department authorities said Henshall arrived at Nashvilles VA Medical Center at 5:15 p.m. on Saturday with the body wrapped and/or rolled up in a tarp in the back of his truck. Henshall claimed that his mother had committed suicide and that he found her in a wooded area of Chattanooga. According to Henshall and his girlfriend, whom he picked up at 8:30 a.m. Saturday with the body already in the truck, they stopped for food, gas and coffee before driving to a VA medical facility in Chattanooga and saw that it was closed. They wound up driving to Nashvilles VA Medical Center, passing multiple hospitals and law enforcement facilities along the way.

The evidence tampering charge stems from Henshall touching and concealing the victims body. During an interview with MNPD Homicide Detective Madison Meiss, Henshall said that he was right next to his mother when she shot herself; however, he told his girlfriend that he had discovered the victim in the woods. When Henshall was asked how his mother obtained a gun, he invoked his Miranda rights and ended the interview.



Positive identification of the body in the tarp will be made during an autopsy.



The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department homicide unit has provided information on this case to Chattanooga authorities and the TBI for investigative follow up in East Tennessee.

Henshall is jailed in Nashville in lieu of $80,000 bond.
An investigation by special agents with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has resulted in the arrest of a Clifton man in connection to the shooting death of a Hardin County Deputy.

At the request of 24th District Attorney General Matt Stowe, TBI special agents began investigating the on-duty homicide of a Hardin County deputy that occurred Saturday evening.

Initial information indicates that just after 8:30 p.m., deputies with the Hardin County Sheriffs Office and an officer with the Clifton Police Department were dispatched to a residence in the 3000 block of Nance Bend Road in Clifton in reference to a domestic disturbance.

Upon arrival, officers made contact with Todd Alan Stricklin, 48, who was armed with a handgun. Officers ordered Stricklin to drop the weapon, but he refused. As another Hardin County deputy approached the home to assist, Stricklin shot him. The deputy was transported to a local hospital, where he later died.

Stricklin ran from the scene into a wooded area. Numerous law enforcement agencies responded to assist in the search. A few hours later, Stricklin was located and taken into custody by troopers with the Tennessee Highway Patrol.

On Sunday morning, TBI agents obtained an arrest warrant for Stricklin, charging him one count of first-degree murder. He was booked into the Hardin County Jail before being transferred to the Chester County Jail.
Bravos Real Housewives franchise may be known for table-flipping and weave ripping but it is also known for some of the most intense and explosive legal dramas in pop culture history. Showbiz Cheat Sheet reached out to three Bravo Housewives experts to find out what they think are the biggest legal dramas ever. While a few of the latest dramas are currently playing out, one of our experts recalled a throwback scandal that rocked the nations capital.

Is Erika Jayne from RHOBH embroiled in the most scandalous legal drama?

David Yontef, host of Behind the Velvet Rope with David Yontef podcast not only has deep Housewives knowledge, he also has a law degree. He believes that Erika Jayne from The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills is in the middle of the most scandalous legal drama in Housewives history.

Erika Jayne and Lisa Rinna from The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills talk at a party | Kathy Boos/Bravo

To me, the biggest Housewives legal drama and scandal of all time is the current Erika Jayne / Tom Girardi divorce, Yontef said. The stories get more insane and twisted and complicated and contrived and bizarre by the week. Girardi is accused of embezzling money from plane crash victims to fund his and Jaynes lavish lifestyle.

The fact that there are also actual living victims of a plane crash waiting for money, who we not only know to exist. But some of who have been given a face via the ABC Documentary The Housewife and The Hustler make the situation even more scandalous, he added. The final nail in the proverbial coffin for me though is that all of this played out in real-time while Bravo cameras were rolling.

Did Erika Jaynes recent appearance add insult to injury?

Adding to the drama is the fact that Jayne continues to make public appearances. Amir Yass from The Take On with Amir Yassi podcast pointed out that Jaynes recent appearance at SushiSamba Tree Bar & Lounge seemed strange.

I think the biggest Housewives scandal or drama is happening before our eyes with Erika Jayne going to the Sushi Samba opening in Vegas the day Tom says she knew about what he was doing, Yass said. That man is the crypt keeper. And its scary to see all of this unfold while she continued to boldly live her best life on Instagram.

RELATED: RHOBH: Erika Jaynes Dubai Spending Spree Red Flag  This Girl Spends Money Like Its Coming out of the Tap, Kathryn Edwards Recalled

It must be so disheartening and infuriating to see all of this play out as youre waiting for your heart, he added. I refuse to feel bad for Erika or Tom. Theyll be fine. I worry for the helpless victims. And I know its entertaining to see it play out now and later on a four-part reunion just remember these are real peoples lives that have been affected by these two people whether or not Erika knew about it doesnt matter. Yass famously dished about working an event with Jayne where he referred to her as a nightmare.

But is Jen Shah from RHOSLC in more trouble?

While Yontef believes Jayne is the most scandalous, he thinks Jen Shah could be in more trouble. The Jen Shah legal drama is playing out in real-time too, he remarked. In a way, on paper, her facts are more scandalous because they are alleged against her. Whereas with Erika it is something Tom supposedly did which she may or may not have known about.

Shah was arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with telemarketing and conspiracy to commit money laundering, according to the Justice Department.

Housewives throwback scandal that rocked Washington D.C.

But what could be one of the wilder legal scandals were the White House party crashers, Tareq and Michaele Salahi from The Real Housewives of D.C. Crashing the White House put Real Housewives on the map, Jordan Ross Meyers from the Pretty Corrupt Podcast recalled. What was a niche guilty pleasure became a national security issue- they even held Congressional hearings about Michaele! I cant deny it- I loved her as a Real Housewife. Her lying, scamming, and delusions were everything I crave in reality TV.

RELATED: Donn Gunvalson Parody Unmasked: How Fake Donn Sent Shockwaves Through Bravo and Sparked Housewives Smackdowns (Exclusive)

Meyers also pointed to the tragic death of Russell Armstrong, Taylor Armstrongs husband from RHOBH. Russell Armstrongs death was shocking, he said. The early seasons of RHOBH brought unprecedented glamour to Real Housewives. To see that facade crumble into bankruptcy, abuse, and suicide was tragic and lurid. In addition to his podcast, Meyers also hosts two viral Bravo parody accounts, Donn Gulvanslon and Lee Radziwill.

Dont forget about these wild Housewives legal dramas 

Yontef also recalled the Teresa and Joe Giudice scandal. The Giudices both served prison time for mail, wire, and bankruptcy fraud. Joe Giudice was then deported back to Italy. What makes Teresas case seem mild in comparison is that almost everyone believes Teresa truly did not know what she was signing when then husband asked her to sign papers, Yontef said. This eventually led to serving 11 months in prison after pleading guilty in 2014 to 41 counts of fraud, including mail, wire and bankruptcy fraud.

Yontef also flicked at other dramas that involved people like Lisa Vanderpump, Dorit Kemsley, and Phaedra Parks ex-husband Apollo Nida. But Yontef wondered if these explosive dramas are what people want to watch.

With ratings way down for some franchises and down for others, it makes me wonder, has the world changed enough that the audience is tiring of watching alleged bad people be celebrated for a lifestyle of riches and wealth week after week? I dont know the answer but the thought has crossed my mind, he said.
Darcey & Stacey Season 2 has seen Darcey Silvas relationship with Georgi Rusev take some major blows. The couple has butted heads over Darceys decision to meet with Georgis ex, Octavia. Georgi then decided to meet with the infamous Jesse Meester and realized pretty quickly it was a big mistake. Now, Darcey and Georgis situation is coming to a head, with Darcey telling her beau to pack his bags and figure out whats next for him as shes through with their relationship.

Darcey Silva met up with his ex on Darcey & Stacey

During Darcey & Stacey Season 2, Darcey Silva felt it was worth meeting up with Georgi Rusevs ex-wife, Octavia. She had reservations about Georgi, who she felt was too closed-off in his emotions with her. This had Darcey thinking he was perhaps hiding something.

Darcey learned from Octavia that she once found Georgi on a sugar mama website and that hes always gone for women of high social standing. Darcey continued her occasional contact with Octavia, something that clearly bothered Georgi.

Georgi later had a chat with Florian Sukaj about how he felt hurt by Darcey reaching out to Octavia. He said hed like to do the same, so he prepared a call with Jesse Meester. However, Georgi was not impressed by what Jesse had to say and quickly realized hed made a mistake.

Jesse telling me that Darcey cheated on him with Tom  Im far away from believing that its true. Darcey can be very difficult at moments, but definitely, shes not a cheater.  Hes confuse [sic], or he try to confuse me. Hes really full of bulls***, Georgi said of Jesse.

Calling Jesse didnt accomplish anything. Look like he just want to hurt more Darcey than to help me, he added. But I dont feel good because this stupid phone call can mess up my relationship with Darcey even more. I f***ed up.

She questions Georgi Rusevs feelings for her

Darcey Silva and Georgi Rusev argue on Darcey & Stacey | TLC via YouTube

During her trip to Turkey, Darcey & Stacey star Darcey Silva focused on her departure from Georgi Rusev  neither seemed to be in a good place, and Georgi was particularly surly. She decided it was time to give him a call and assess where they stood.

I wasnt quite sure what kind of mood or demeanor you were gonna be in because the goodbye that you gave me when you left Connecticut wasnt very nice. It was very hurtful. Do you even love me, Georgi? Darcey asked.

It feels like the love has gone, and it never really feels like you talk to me like Im your fiance. It feels like you talk to me like someone you hate, actually, she said after Georgi replied that he does love her.

And Im not quite sure why you do that, but it definitely doesnt feel like you love me. Im not quite sure why you felt like you needed to reach out to Jesse. I can only assume its because of the fact that I reached out to Octavia. For you to reach out to Jesse was very painful, but you know, the Jesse thing is a totally different situation, so thats on you to live with. she added.

Georgi said he did not intend to be close with Jesse and that he wanted to do the same thing Darcey did to try and understand where she was coming from. He then added that he feels Darcey doesnt actually consider his feelings when she takes action.

Thats not right. Youre never trying to understand the things you do, how its affecting me, its always about you.  So do you understand the things you say here thats how it affects me, how it hurt me, do you understand that? he asked

Darcey Silva calls it off

Despite what Georgi Rusev had to say, Darcey Silva decided shed had enough. The Darcey & Stacey star told Georgi to pack his bags and called off their engagement.

OK, you know what, Im gonna say my piece right now because I think I deserve much better than what Im getting, said Darcey Silva.

I dont want a relationship like this, I deserve more. I dont think you treat me like how a fiance should. And you have plenty of time in the apartment before I get back to figure things out, but I cant do this anymore.

But you dont need to be weak and walk away when you have problems, Georgi shot back.

Im not weak. Im not a weak woman, Im a very strong woman, and Im standing in my power now, and you cant take that away., said Darcey before hanging up. She then turned to Stacey Silva for solace.

Im done. Im OK with it. Im happy, and I have peace about it. I dont wanna be treated like that, demeaned, talked to that way, she said while crying into Staceys shoulder.

RELATED: Darcey & Stacey: Georgi Rusev Calls Out Debbie Over Rumor Mongering
When Candyman 2021 reached theaters, horror fans couldnt look in a mirror for a while. But the true enthusiasts already watched the original Candyman 1992 movie. Tony Todd and Virginia Madsen introduced us to a cringe-worthy sight: each bee-infested Candyman scene.

Modern CGI technology is a lifesaver. But did fans know that those bees were real in 1992? Luckily, the production crew found a safe way to work with them.

Tony Todd and Virginia Madsen in Candyman | TriStar/Getty Images

Candyman 2021 isnt a remake of the 1992 movie

Promoted as a spiritual sequel, Candyman 2021 slapped theatre screens with true terrorsystemic racism. Nia DaCosta, Jordan Peele, and Win Rosenfeld wrote a horror movie script but ended it with genuine fear. Twenty-seven years after the 1992 flick, Chicagos Cabrini-Green neighborhood is different. Yet, a few old-timers remember how Candyman tore through the town.

Visual artist Anthony McCoy is seeking inspiration for a new project. When he discovers the Candyman legend, he delves too deep. Anthony awakens the spirit but uncovers the truth behind the story. Unfortunately, the truth doesnt set him free of anything. But it unveils how society must change.

Candyman 1992 follows Helen, who becomes consumed with the legend. She discovers that a Black man in the late 1800s fell in love with a white woman. As a result, a lynch mob pursues him, cuts off his hand, and covers it with honey. The honey attracts bees, which explains the buzzworthy appearance.

Helen becomes a part of the folklore once the Candyman brings her in. At the end of Candyman 1992, viewers should recognize the infant son Candyman almost burns: Anthony McCoy.

Helen saves him, but she perishes.

How did the cast of Candyman work with bees?

Since those bees werent special effects in 1992, each Candyman scene involved extensive preparation. The crew used honey bees, which typically dont sting, and relied on pheromones to keep the actors safe. Todd had to use a dental dam to protect his throat when the bees swarmed out of his mouth.

Nevertheless, Tony Todd was stung 23 times on set. But the actor made a bonus. He reportedly asked for $1,000 per sting, resulting in a decent profit. However, his co-star wasnt initially enthusiastic.

According to Horror News Network, Virginia Madsen revealed she was allergic to bees. But director and writer Bernard Rose doubted that.

When Bernie [Rose] was first asking me to do the role I said, Well, I cant Im allergic to bees. He said, No youre not allergic to bees youre just afraid. So I had to go to UCLA and get tested because he didnt believe [me]. I was tested of every kind of venom. I was far more allergic to wasps. So he said, Well just [have] paramedics there, it will be fine!

Rose instructed the cast not to swat at the honey bees. Madsen also recalled one surprising aspect: the honey bees felt furry to her.

They felt like little Q-tips roaming around on me. Then you have [pheromones] on you, so theyre all in love with you and think youre a giant queen. I really just had to go into this zen sort of place and the takes were very short. What took the longest was getting the bees off of us. They had this tiny bee vacuum which wouldnt harm the bees. After the scene where the bees were all over my face and my head, it took both Tony and I 45 minutes just to get the bees off. Thats when it became difficult to sit still.

How to watch both Candyman movies

Universal Pictures didnt give Candyman a day-and-date streaming release. But it switched Halloween Kills to a hybrid Peacock release. So fans presumed they would soon watch Candyman 2021 on Peacock as well.

No more running. No more hiding. Its time to face the essence of evil. Watch the final trailer for #HalloweenKills  In Theaters & Streaming only on @peacockTV October 15. pic.twitter.com/q4loBbJy2Z  #HalloweenKills (@halloweenmovie) September 20, 2021

However, the new Candyman is not streaming on Peacock. There hasnt been any confirmation if it will. But the horror movie is available on-demand. Fans can rent it on Amazon Prime, YoutTube, AppleTV, Vudu, and other services.

As for the 1992 flick, brave fans can rewatch each buzzing Candyman scene for free. The original film is streaming on Tubi for free in 2021.

RELATED: Candyman Movie Review: Say It, See It
Johnny Depp cant seem to get away from Amber Heard. That proved true at a press conference at the 2021 San Sebastian Film Festival. The controversial Pirates of the Caribbean star was there to receive a prestigious Donostia career award. A recording of Heards voice interrupted the event.

Amber Heard and Johnny Depp have a rocky history

Amber Heard and Johnny Depp | Jason Merritt/Getty Images for Art of Elysium

Depp and Aquaman co-star Heard met on the set of Hunter S. Thompson adaptation The Rum Diary in 2009. By 2015 Amber Heard and Johnny Depp were married, and by 2016 the relationship devolved to domestic violence allegations by Heard.

The marriage ended in 2017 with a $7 million settlement, which People reported that Heard donated to a childrens hospital. But it didnt end there. In 2018, Heard published an essay in the Washington Post titled I spoke up against sexual violence  and faced our cultures wrath. That has to change.

Without naming her ex-husband, she claimed a history of abuse. As a result, the war of words between Amber Heard and Johnny Depp resumed. UK publication The Sun subsequently referred to Depp as a wife-beater.

Depp sued the publication, lost, and was consequently asked to resign from Fantastic Beasts 3. In retaliation, zealous Depp fans demanded that Aquaman 2: Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom fire Heard. She remains on the cast.

Depp also sued Heard directly, and the case is ongoing.

Controversy erupted over Johnny Depps Donostia Award at San Sebastian 2021

Not everyone reacted well to the news that the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory star would receive San Sebastians highest honor. Per Variety, female filmmakers from Spain spoke out with an official statement. Theyre unhappy because, despite the Amber Heard and Johnny Depp domestic violence issues, the festival is honoring Depp.

This speaks very badly of the festival and its leadership, and transmits a terrible message to the public: it doesnt matter if you are an abuser as long as you are a good actor, Cristina Andreu told The Associated Press. Andreus is president of Spains Association of Female Filmmakers and Audiovisual Media.

Unconcerned by the Amber Heard and Johnny Depp controversy, the festival pushed back vigorously, and obviously, proceeded with plans to present the award.

At the press conference preceding the presentation of the award, Heards voice spoke out among the crowd. Only she wasnt actually there.

An undisclosed source played the recording

 and yet, no one sees the trend here? Everyone wants to tag a Bathroom wall, no one wants to understand the writing. Evan & I arent the 1st to raise our hands. Are you done ignoring it? The Marilyn Manson Reckoning | The New Yorker https://t.co/NboMFBHV0t  Amber Heard (@realamberheard) February 4, 2021

The recording interrupted the Depp press conference on September 22, 2021. She made a statement outside the High Court in London in July 2020, pursuant to Depps libel case against The Sun.

It has been incredibly painful to relive the break-up of my relationship, to have my motives, my truth questioned and the most traumatic and intimate details of my life with Johnny shared in court and broadcast to the entire world, the recording said.

According to ScreenDaily, the conference continued. But a representative of The Association of Female Filmmakers tried to ask how Depp felt about their objection to the honor. The events moderator blocked the question.

Likewise, Marion Cotillard also received a Donostia Award. However, she spoke about meaningful changes in the industry as a result of the #MeToo movement and said there are more roles for women.

Depp, on the other hand, said that no one is safe from cancel culture and criticized Hollywood in general. He previously accused the industry of boycotting him over the Amber Heard allegations.

To sum up, the issue of Amber Heard wont be silenced.

RELATED: Johnny Depp Says Hollywood is Boycotting Him

How to get help: In the U.S., call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or text START to 88788.
On April 9, 2021, Queen Elizabeth II lost her husband of 73 years. Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, died peacefully at Windsor Castle. He was 99. His Royal Highness is survived by his four children, Princess Anne, Prince Charles, Prince Edward, and Prince Andrew, eight grandchildren, and 12 great-grandchildren.

At the time of his death, Philip had an estimated net worth of $30 million. While he did have a will, the contents shall remain secret by order of the High Court.

The death of the longest-serving consort of a monarch

It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen has announced the death of her beloved husband, His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.



His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle. pic.twitter.com/XOIDQqlFPn  The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) April 9, 2021

Philip died just weeks before turning 100 years of age. Forbes claims, The death of the Duke of Edinburgh is the latest hurdles in what has been a trying few years for the British royal family.

Andrews relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, Prince Harrys decision to step down as a senior member of the royal family, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussexs accusations of poor treatment during the Oprah Winfrey interview has left the royals trying to regain a sense of normalcy in Buckingham Palace.

As consort to the monarch, Philip took part in more than 22,000 public engagements since Queen Elizabeth II ascended to the throne in 1952. In 2017, the duke retired from official royal duties. AP News reported the last time Philip was seen in public was in July 2020. He made a rare appearance to transfer a ceremonial military role to his daughter-in-law, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall.

The Duke of Edinburgh spent several weeks before his death in a London hospital as a precautionary measure to monitor a preexisting heart condition.

The mystery of Prince Philips will

Prince Philip | Yui Mok  WPA Pool/Getty Images

The BBC recently reported that the Duke of Edinburghs will is to remain secret for at least 90 years to protect the dignity and standing of the Queen.

Sir Andrew McFarlane is the most senior judge and president of the Family Division of the High Court. Before making a ruling, he heard testimony from the attorney general, who represented the publics interest. The monarchs chief legal adviser and lawyers for Philips estate were present for the private meeting.

The judge was not privy to the contents of the Dukes will and was only aware of the identity of the executor and the date the will was executed. According to People, Sir Andrew said, I accepted the submission that, whilst there may be public curiosity as to the private arrangements that a member of the royal family may choose to make in their will, there is no true public interest in the public knowing this wholly private information.

There has been recent speculation that the estate will be transferred to the Queen of England. Vanity Fair reported the Dukes private secretary, page, and valet stood to receive a considerable amount of money for their role in taking care of Philip in his final years.

There are 30 wills kept in sealed envelopes that have never been opened

For more than a century, when a senior member of the royal family dies, their wills are sealed and not opened for public inspection. The BBC acknowledged that Sir Andrew is the custodian of a safe containing more than 30 envelopes, each containing the sealed will of a dead member of the Royal Family.

The practice began in 1910 when Queen Marys youngest brother, Prince Francis of Teck, died and left valuable emeralds to his mistress. The will was sealed and is among those held in safe-keeping.

Other known wills in Sir Andrews possession include the late Queen Mother and the queens sister, Princess Margaret, who died in 2002. The High Court intends to publish a listing of the names on the 30 envelopes contained in the safe.

According to The BBC, after 90 years each royal will would be opened and examined by the monarchs private solicitor. Although some of the wills may be made public at that time, Sir Andrew claims some royal wills may never be published, even in part.

RELATED: What Royal Family Members Will Inherit From Prince Philip Following His Death
Duggar family fans and critics have been keeping up with information on Josh Duggars trial since his arrest. Josh was arrested in April 2021 on suspicion of obtaining child sexual abuse material. Since then, fans and critics have wondered who takes care of Josh Duggars kids  and if Josh Duggars wife, Anna Duggar, gave birth to their seventh child yet. While the Duggar family posted photos with the couples six children before, it seems Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar took a recent trip without them.

Josh Duggars wife, Anna Duggar, is reportedly spending a lot of time with Josh after his arrest

Anna Duggar and Josh Duggar pose during the 42nd annual Conservative Political Action Conference | Kris Connor/Getty Images

Josh Duggars arrest shocked Duggar family fans and critics. And Josh Duggars wife, Anna Duggar, hasnt posted anything to social media since the arrest. While Anna frequently posted content to Instagram and commented on Duggar family posts, shes completely gone dark. Now, many fans wonder: Does Anna Duggar think Josh is innocent?

While we dont know exactly whats going on with Anna now, reports suggest she still sees her husband. And Josh Duggars children can see him as long as Anna is present. According to a source from The Sun, Anna frequently visits Josh  and her side of the family takes care of their kids while she goes.

Anna is spending most of her time with Josh at the Rebers, and her family has stepped in to help raise all their kids, the source stated. She takes them to visit him or they are looked after while shes there alone. Despite what hes been charged with, she refuses to believe hes guilty.

The Duggar family took a road trip  and they didnt bring Josh Duggars children

One of the things I love most is making memories with our kids! We are on a family trip with our 6 youngest, visiting Posted by Duggar Family Official on Tuesday, September 21, 2021

On Sept. 6, 2021, the Duggar Family Instagram posted photos showing their visit to Farmland Adventures. And a number of Anna Duggar and Josh Duggars children attended. More recently, the Duggar family took another trip. On Sept. 20, 2021, the family Instagram posted photos of Jim Bob, Michelle, and a few of the younger family members in South Dakota. But none of Josh Duggars children were on the trip.

One of the things I love most is making memories with our kids! the Instagram post reads. We are on a family trip with our six youngest visiting some historic locations across the U.S., and learning a lot on the way!  This week, we stopped in the Black Hills of South Dakota to see the 60-foot-tall faces of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln at Mount Rushmore.

So, where are Josh Duggars children? They could certainly be with Anna Duggar, of course. Or, perhaps Jana Duggar is caring for them while the rest of her family road trips to South Dakota.

Is Anna Duggar pregnant? She hasnt posted about her 7th baby just yet

Josh Duggar's recent arrest is already making a big impact on his life with pregnant wife Anna Duggar and their kids. https://t.co/hmvO80LaO7  Us Weekly (@usweekly) May 1, 2021

Duggar family fans and critics want to know if Anna Duggar is still pregnant. She announced her seventh pregnancy on Instagram on April 23, 2021. Within the post, she noted shes due in fall 2021.

Some critics on Reddit suspect she may have already had her seventh, and thats why all six of Anna and Josh Duggars children didnt go on the trip with the Duggar family. [Michelle and Jim Bob] are traveling without Annas kids where they had previously been taking care of the kids, a Reddit user noted. Maybe because the kids are spending time with the new baby?

Hopefully, Jim Bob and Michelle post about the new baby when she arrives, but theres certainly no guarantee.

How to get help: If you or someone you know has been sexually abused, text HOME to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 for free and confidential support.

Check out Showbiz Cheat Sheet on Facebook!

RELATED: Josh Duggar News: Document Reveals How FBI Agents Found Alleged Abuse Material
The Great British Baking Show is back with Season 9 on Netflix, and the world breathes a collective sigh of relief. During these troubled times, everyone needs a little bit of twee bakery to sink their teeth into, and the antics going down under the shows big tent offer that up in spades. So who are Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith welcoming to the gingham altar this time around? Meet the new bakers on this season of The Great British Baking Show.

Meet the new bakers

Paul Hollywood of The Great British Baking Show | Mark Bourdillion via Getty Images

The Great British Baking Show always manages to find a whole slew of delightful individuals to fill the tent, typically hailing from a variety of professions, demographics, and locales. Season 9 of the show will be no different. Heres what we know about the new bakers so far.

Amanda : Amanda is 56, and hails from London, where she works as a detective with the Metropolitan Police. Her Greek-Cypriot roots inform her baking interests.



: Amanda is 56, and hails from London, where she works as a detective with the Metropolitan Police. Her Greek-Cypriot roots inform her baking interests. Chigs : This 40-year-old sales manager from Leicestershire is an active fellow  he enjoys skydiving, mountain climbing, and hiking. He started baking during the COVID-19 lockdown and is ready to bring his bakes to The Great British Baking Show.



: This 40-year-old sales manager from Leicestershire is an active fellow  he enjoys skydiving, mountain climbing, and hiking. He started baking during the COVID-19 lockdown and is ready to bring his bakes to The Great British Baking Show. Crystelle : Crystelle is a 26-year-old from London who calls herself a bit of a stresser. She enjoys experimenting with ideas stemming from her Portuguese-Goan-Kenyan heritage.



: Crystelle is a 26-year-old from London who calls herself a bit of a stresser. She enjoys experimenting with ideas stemming from her Portuguese-Goan-Kenyan heritage. Freya : Freya is the youngest baker this season at 19  shes also a vegan and a psychology student hailing from North Yorkshire. Freya calls herself a massive perfectionist.



: Freya is the youngest baker this season at 19  shes also a vegan and a psychology student hailing from North Yorkshire. Freya calls herself a massive perfectionist. George : George is a shared-living coordinator from London. This 34-year-old says he has a keen eye for detail and creativity. Like Amanda, George celebrates his Greek-Cypriot roots.



: George is a shared-living coordinator from London. This 34-year-old says he has a keen eye for detail and creativity. Like Amanda, George celebrates his Greek-Cypriot roots. Giuseppe : Born in Italy, Giuseppe now lives in Bristol. This 45-year-old learned how to bake from his father, who worked as a professional chef. Giuseppe, of course, enjoys Italian flavors in his creations, and calls himself a food snob.



: Born in Italy, Giuseppe now lives in Bristol. This 45-year-old learned how to bake from his father, who worked as a professional chef. Giuseppe, of course, enjoys Italian flavors in his creations, and calls himself a food snob. Jairzeno : This 51-year-old head of finance and Great British Baking Show hopeful moved from Trinidad to London 15 years ago. He loves using Caribbean spices, and says that for him, baking is like breathing.



: This 51-year-old head of finance and Great British Baking Show hopeful moved from Trinidad to London 15 years ago. He loves using Caribbean spices, and says that for him, baking is like breathing. Jurgen : Jurgen originally hails from Germany, but moved to the UK 18 years ago. He now lives in Sussex, where he works as an IT professional. Jurgens interest in baking started when he couldnt find his preferred German loaves.



: Jurgen originally hails from Germany, but moved to the UK 18 years ago. He now lives in Sussex, where he works as an IT professional. Jurgens interest in baking started when he couldnt find his preferred German loaves. Lizzie : Lizzie, 28, lives in Liverpool with her partner and their pet dog, Prudence. Lizzie is the type of baker who focuses on flavors over presentation. She enjoys dancing and studies criminology.



: Lizzie, 28, lives in Liverpool with her partner and their pet dog, Prudence. Lizzie is the type of baker who focuses on flavors over presentation. She enjoys dancing and studies criminology. Maggie : Maggie is a 70-year-old retired nurse and midwife hailing from Dorset. Maggie is also this years oldest baker, and she enjoys the outdoors  especially canoeing, kayaking, and sailing.



: Maggie is a 70-year-old retired nurse and midwife hailing from Dorset. Maggie is also this years oldest baker, and she enjoys the outdoors  especially canoeing, kayaking, and sailing. Rochica : An injury left this 27-year-old HR business partner unable to dance, and so she turned to baking. She claims that her biggest weakness is getting flustered when things go awry.



: An injury left this 27-year-old HR business partner unable to dance, and so she turned to baking. She claims that her biggest weakness is getting flustered when things go awry. Tom: Tom is a 28-year-old web developer based in Kent, who calls baking a welcome escape during his time in lockdown. Tom enjoys singing and dramatic arts.

When will new episodes of The Great British Baking Show air?

Prue Leith of The Great British Baking Show | Simone Padovani/Awakening/Getty Images

The Great British Baking Show Season 12 will be airing on Netflix. The show will premiere new episodes every Friday.

Paul Hollywood has claimed that this years bakers are a strong bunch, which has fans looking forward to some exciting bakes.

I feel [in] this series the standard of bakers is so strong, they really brought a lot of expertise to the tent this year, I was really shocked and excited to see how quick they were out of the box, Paul Hollywood said, as reported by Marie Claire.

RELATED: Why Did Sandi Toksvig Leave The Great British Bake Off?
This photo made available by the Library of Congress shows a demonstration at the Red Cross Emergency Ambulance Station in Washington during the influenza pandemic of 1918. Historians think the pandemic started in Kansas in early 1918, and by winter 1919 the virus had infected a third of the global population and killed at least 50 million people, including 675,000 Americans. Some estimates put the toll as high as 100 million.
Jordan Valley Authority reveals cause of water near Dead Sea turning red

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After a body of water near the Dead Sea in Jordan recently turned red, the Jordan Valley Authority tested the water and offered a reason behind the change of its color.

The cause of the appearance of the red color is the manganese found in the water, said Manar Mahasneh, the secretary-general of the Jordan Valley Authority, according to Roya News.

The Jordan Valley Authority carried out the test after many Jordanians posted pictures on social media showing red water in a pond that is isolated from the Dead Sea.

It was initially believed that the red color was likely caused by algae, iron oxide or the addition of substances to change the waters color, The Jerusalem Post recently quoted Sakhr Al-Nusour, who heads the Jordanian Geologists Syndicate, as saying.

Some Jordanians have accused their government of dumping waste chemicals into the pool.

According to the Old Testament in the Bible, God turned the waters of the River Nile into blood as one of the 10 plagues to punish the Pharaoh for his unwillingness to release Jewish slaves.

The eastern shores of the Dead Sea, where the pool of red water is located, is also where the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah stood before God destroyed them and all of the people who lived there.

Roya News quoted Yassin al-Kasasbeh, the Director of Agriculture in the Southern Jordan Valley, as saying that the color of the water in ponds situated near seas might change because of bacteria and red algae, which look red in sunlight.

But this does not explain why the water suddenly turned red while other pools have not displayed the same phenomenon, particularly given that the region experiences near year-round sunny skies, the Daily Mail commented.

In July 2011, blood-like color of water emerged inside a man-made lake in the OC Fisher Reservoir in San Angelo State Park in Texas after it nearly dried up. Texas Parks and Wildlife Inland Fisheries officials said at the time that the waters color was the result of Chromatiaceae bacteria, according to Live Science.
March for the Martyrs: Christians gather to 'rise up as one voice for the persecuted Church'

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WASHINGTON  Hundreds of religious freedom advocates marched in solidarity with persecuted Christians worldwide Saturday as part of a movement to rise up as one voice for the persecuted Church.

The second annual March for the Martyrs event, spearheaded by Gia Chacon, the founder of the nonprofit organization For the Martyrs, was attended by 500 to 1,000 Christians from across the United States who gathered at the kick-off rally on the National Mall where they listened to speeches, worshiped together and marched to the White House where they collectively prayed before attending the Night for the Martyrs evening event held at the JW Marriott hotel.

I think now more than ever, its important that Christians across all denominations gather together as one unified voice, said Chacon in an interview with The Christian Post. Its so important that were standing up now, as brothers and sisters in Christ in the United States, being a voice for our persecuted brothers and sisters.

While she praised President Joe Biden for becoming the first United States president to recognize the Armenian genocide, Chacon expressed a desire to see more action taken for Christian minorities in other countries to protect them from religious persecution that's happening now.

This is the first time March for the Martyrs will be in the nations capital and we think  especially with whats going on in Afghanistan and as we continue to see Christian persecution increase, its so important to send a strong message not just to the Body of Christ, but also to this administration that we would like to see Christians protected, and Im excited to see everyone rise up as one voice for the persecuted church.

Chacon said it was Open Doors USAs findings of a 30% increase in religious persecution last year that motivated her to bring the March for the Martyrs to Washington. Her desire, she said, is to make the March for the Martyrs an annual event in the nation's capital. The first March for the Martyrs took place in Long Beach, California, in September 2020.

The religious freedom advocate explained that she held the first March for the Martyrs last year in response to the worship restrictions imposed on churches during the coronavirus pandemic.

Recalling that Christianity and religious freedom here in the United States during that time was being threatened, Chacon noted that her group wanted to make the connection for Christians here in the United States.

For the first time in the United States in 2020, Christians were feeling what it would be like if we had worship restricted  if we were to face persecution for our faith and experience the inability to worship freely. And so it helped them empathize with their brothers and sisters around the world who face serious persecution and encouraged them to be bold in their faith here in the United States.

When Chacon took to the stage after the band Radiant Worship greeted attendees with praise worship music, she highlighted the purpose of the event, saying: Were marching for the over 340 million Christians around the world who suffer for the name of Jesus. Were marching for the people who lay down their lives every single day to go to church, to own a Bible. To even say that they believe in Jesus, in some countries, is illegal.

Chacon shared with the crowd another statistic from Open Doors USA's findings, noting that last year, there was a 60% increase in the number of Christians killed for their faith.

If Christians continue to be persecuted for their faith, why does this issue have so much silence around it? she asked. Why does the world remain silent as Christians are targeted and executed for their faith in Christ?

Chacon vowed that were going to remember every single Christian who laid down their life for the sake of the Gospel and were going to bring attention to every Christian who is suffering under radical governments, under extremist groups.

She further expressed gratitude for the brave pastors in these countries that are holding underground church services where they dont know if theyre going to be arrested after and for the Christians that continue to gather and speak the name of Jesus regardless of the consequences."

If Christians in other countries can lay down their life for the Gospel, we should be encouraged to stand strong in our faith here in the United States, she added.

Social media personality Jacob Coyne, who was among the event's speakers, has a passion for bringing attention to the plight of Christians worldwide. He's the founder of Stay Here, an organization that Chacon described as a Christ-centered suicide prevention ministry with a vision that Gen Z will be suicide-free. In his remarks, Coyne shared a real-world example of the impact martyrdom has had on converting people to Christianity.

I heard a story of a teenager who was at a youth camp in Indonesia and this teenager was on fire for Jesus Christ, he recalled. There were about 80 youth that were worshiping the Lord and then suddenly, a radical Islamist group of extremists came and terrorized this youth group. One of the men grabbed this boy by the hand, they put him in front of the crowd and they said: Deny Christ and accept Allah or die.

The boy repeatedly refused to deny Christ, calling himself a soldier in the army of our Lord. He died after the radicals cut off his arms. Following mass hysteria, the remaining Christians in the youth group escaped unharmed, which Coyne attributed to a miracle.

Coyne detailed how after hearing about what the radicals did to the Christian boy, the Indonesian government decided to shut down all water supply, food supply and trade from the Muslim village where the Christian boy was killed. The young Christians, however, maintained that they were not going to let them (the Muslim villagers) die, and went door-to-door in the village to express their forgiveness.

What God did in that moment was so powerful. The majority of those radicals ended up converting to Christianity, he added. Why? Because those people chose forgiveness, as Jesus did.

Coyne concluded his speech with a plea to align our hearts with the martyrs by practicing forgiveness."

Allie Beth Stuckey, host of the Relatable podcast, also spoke at the event where she urged those gathered to be thankful for this privilege, for this right that we have. That not only the majority of the world does not have, but for most of the history of the Church, this idea of free speech, of the freedom of expression, of religious liberty, it just didnt exist."

While we still have them, even if we do feel like theyre under attack, we have to take advantage of them," she added. "We have to use them to the glory of God, we have to use them boldly and courageously to speak up for people who dont even know what the concept of a right is.

Stuckey told the crowd to think of our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world whenever we are tempted to hold our tongue or to hold back in sharing the Gospel or speaking what is now considered political, what is considered supposedly controversial here in the United States. She then shared a Bible passage from 2 Timothy 3:12, reminding attendees that All who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

The political activist clarified that Christians will face varying degrees of persecution during their time on Earth, from censorship and bullying in the U.S. and other Western countries to imprisonment and death in other countries. She implored the crowd to pray for those who are persecuted and pray for those who are imprisoned. She stressed that thats not a cop-out, thats not an easy way out, the Bible tells us that our prayers have great power.

The crowd at the March for the Martyrs consisted of individuals from an array of denominations, ages and regions of the country.

Several attendees at the event spoke with CP about their reasons for attending the event and shared their thoughts about the dire state of religious freedom worldwide.

Mario from Chicago, Illinois, told CP that he attended the March for the Martyrs to walk with the persecuted Church, adding that Its something that I believe in.

While most of the people who attended the March for Martyrs had planned on participating in the event ahead of time, Rachel Hartley and Meg Jones, both residents of the District of Columbia, stumbled upon the rally by accident.

We actually were just out for a walk, didnt know about this, Hartley told CP. Were Christians, we go to church on Capitol Hill and were excited to see what was going on. Our church every week has been praying for the persecuted Church across the world. So we just jumped at this opportunity to stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Christ and join in the march, she added.

Hartley said the uncertainty facing her brothers and sisters in Christ in Afghanistan following the withdrawal of U.S. troops there has really given me a certain gratitude and humility just to be living in a country where we have the freedom to proclaim the name of Jesus and to worship him freely.

Ellie McFarland who hails from Maryland said she had martyrs in my family and I really care about this cause. She lamented that nobody sees it as relevant; nobody thinks that Christians are persecuted because they think America is the only country that exists.

As she marched, McFarland carried a flag of Mount Athos, the international symbol of Orthodox Christianity.

Samantha from California attended the first March for the Martyrs in Long Beach last year. She returned for the second march this year in support of all Christians everywhere who are persecuted, who risk their lives every day to practice their faith.

A practicing Catholic, Samantha held up a sign with a direct message to Pope Francis, proclaiming: Our Church is in peril not because of vax passports but because Christians are bombed, beheaded, stoned, kidnapped, raped, dehumanized!"

She elaborated on her concerns in an interview with CP: "I dont agree with his green passport to go to the Vatican City when Christians all over the world are being beheaded, bombed, killed, exterminated. As a Christian, our priorities need to be  in order.

If we all just turn to the source of truth and light, which is Jesus Christ, then our world would be much better, and a lot of our problems would be solved just simply by becoming stronger in our faith, she added.

Michael Bellacicco, a Connecticut native who's attending the Catholic University of America, saw attending the march as a way to be there in solidarity with the Christians being persecuted all around the world.

He emphasized the need to pray for our political leaders that they see Christ because its always a process with our government regarding religious freedom advocacy. Bellacicco concluded his interview with CP by rejoicing that were in the United States and were able to do this.

Brian Klotz of Virginia attended the rally with his children. Im here to march for the persecuted Church and those that have died and especially those that are facing persecution in  Nigeria specifically, he said.

Klotz added that he believes religious persecution is going to get worse following the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan. But he also praised the Biden administration for nominating an international religious freedom ambassador and expressed hope that the U.S. Senate would take up his nomination in the near future.
Moses stripped from film title to avoid offending Chinas communist regime

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A Chinese filmmaker has announced that his soon-to-be-released film, Moses on the Plain, has been renamed Fire on the Plain, which was done to avoid offending Chinas communist government because of its biblical name.

The films director, Zhang Ji, who is also a cinematographer, made the announcement at the Beijing International Film Festival last week, Radio Free Asia reported.

When reporters asked why the name of his film, which is scheduled to be in theaters in December, was changed, Zhang said, In this movie, we use a lot of fire as an element. I hope that we can use fire to connect different time and space, emotions, and that it can shine into our lives. I hope it can bring everyone brightness and strength.

When reporters asked whether the name Moses was a problem, the filmmaker refused to answer.

Zhangs film is based on a novel of the same name, Moses on the Plain, by Shuang Xuetao.

Fr. Francis Liu, who is from the Chinese Christian Fellowship of Righteousness, told Radio Free Asia that the name change reflects Beijings efforts to remove all Christianity-related words from the public sphere.

Moses is not just a name in the Bible, he is also a national hero of the Israelites, Liu explained. Do the Chinese authorities fear the positive meaning behind this name? For instance, he once led the Israelites against the tyranny of Egyptians and fought for freedom and liberation of his race.

Variety magazine reported in June that the film, starring Zhou Dongyu and Liu Haoran, was among the first notable Chinese titles to have completed shooting since the countrys COVID-19 outbreak.

Its executive producer, Diao Yinan, won the Golden Bear for best film for his crime thriller Black Coal, Thin Ice at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2014.

Set in Chinas industrial northeast, the film is about an investigation into the murder of a taxi driver.

Under the direction of President Xi Jinping, officials from the Chinese Communist Party have been enforcing strict controls on religion, according to a report released in March by China Aid.

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.

The U.S.-based persecution watchdog International Christian Concern documented more than 100 incidents of Christian persecution in China between July 2020 and June 2021  out of which 14 cases were labeled as Sinicization, which is a state campaign to forcefully assimilate religious groups into the Chinese culture as defined by the CCP.

Chinese authorities are also removing Bible apps and Christian WeChat public accounts as new highly restrictive administrative measures on religious staff went into effect earlier this year.
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News this week of Democrats withdrawing the funding of the Iron Dome from the US budget in order to accommodate left-wing extremists within the party is nothing other than a capitulation to terror in the halls of Congress. It represents another case of people claiming to support Palestinian Arabs doing something anti-Israeli (and in this case also antisemitic), but in fact, harming the wellbeing of the Palestinian Arabs on whose behalf they dishonestly claim to advocate.

Israels Iron Dome defends Israelis of all backgrounds, including Israeli Arabs, from the deliberate targeting of Israels citizens from the thousands of rockets fired into Israel. Millions of Israelis are protected by this defensive technology that tracks rockets from the moment they are launched, calculates the trajectory and where the rockets will land and fires a countermeasure in seconds to destroy the rockets in mid-air. Its reported that each countermeasure costs at least $50,000. (Heres a video of the Iron Dome at work, filmed from my bedroom window this past May.)

However, the Iron Dome protects millions of Palestinian Arabs as well. The Palestinian Arab terrorist leaders store and fire their weapons in civilian areas knowing that Israel resists attacking these targets and risks collateral damage. Yet if one terrorist rocket were to get through the Iron Dome, and were to hit a kindergarten, a school, a mall, an apartment building, a synagogue, or a mosque  and there were to be lots of casualties  Israel would be left with little choice but to strike back at the very terrorists that use civilians as human shields.



The truth of the matter is, the Iron Dome protects Palestinians more than their own leaders do.

Israel has a steadfast rule to strike back at terrorists each time they launch their rockets. Typically, this involves hitting soft targets which dont involve taking out major physical infrastructure nor the terrorist leaders but to make sure that the terrorists know that Israel means business.



With the radical left-wing of the Democratic Party trying to punish and discriminate against Israel by defunding the Iron Dome, they calculatedly put the lives of millions of Israelis of all backgrounds  including millions of Palestinian Arabs  at risk. Their hatred for Israel has no limits.

It seems that the inclusion of the Iron Dome in the budget was a way to get bipartisan support from Republicans, and perhaps prevent a budget vote on straight party lines. The Democratic leadership caving in and withdrawing the Iron Dome funding to appease its radical left constituents makes the budget vote all the more political, and shameful.

The removal of the Iron Dome funding from the US budget is nothing but capitulation by the Democratic Party to the extortion and antisemitism of a hateful, radical, extremist (and hopefully small) wing of its party. Abundant credit is due to some Democratic leaders who have now introduced a bill to fund the Iron Dome as a separate vote. This might become an accidental bipartisan vote thats so badly needed.

However, it remains to be seen how many of the mainstream Democratic Party in Congress will join the radical left and reflexively vote against funding because of perceived wrongs that Israel commits while weeping crocodile tears for Palestinian Arabs. How they vote will be significant on a variety of levels.

Make no mistake about it, such a vote is a referendum within the Democratic party on its own standing with Israel as a democratic ally of the U.S. The outcome will have an effect on next years mid-term election, and beyond.

All members of Congress must consider the gross human rights violations committed by the Palestinian government. For those who want to see Palestinian Arabs have their own state, but like to blame Israel exclusively for the current conflict, I have a newsflash: Weakening Israels ability to defend its civilians and harm the safety of Palestinian Arabs at the same time, wont bring about a Palestinian state, nor long-standing peace.
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Few of us will ever have the privilege of arguing a case before the United States Supreme Court. Fewer still will be directly involved in a case as potentially historic as Dobbs vs. Jackson Womens Health Clinic, this falls case regarding Mississippis 15-week limit on late abortion.

So, we were more than a little surprised recently to read the abortion industrys response brief in the Dobbs case, which features outdated science, flawed analysis, and a disregard for peer-reviewed, evidence-based research. Is the abortion industry really that desperate?

Mississippis 15-week limit reflects the fact that unborn babies are human beings who experience pain, and by logical extension, the state has a legitimate interest in protecting these children. The abortion industry attempts to dismiss this reasoning on pages 31-34 of their response brief, asserting that the argument that conscious awareness, including the experience of pain, is possible before viability is even less supportable today than it was at the time of Casey.

As proof, the abortion industry cites a well-worn 2010 study from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, Fetal Awareness: Review of Research and Recommendations for Practice, co-authored by Dr. Stuart Derbyshire, an internationally known, pro-choice neuroscientist who has argued against the existence of fetal pain since 1994.

Except that in 2020, Dr. Derbyshire changed his professional opinion about fetal pain. In response to a growing body of evidence, Dr. Derbyshire published an article in the prestigious BMJ Journal of Medical Ethicspostulating fetal pain experience from as early as 12 weeks.

How did the abortion industry miss that?

On page 27, they confidently assert that the claim that abortion harms womens mental health has been roundly rejected by medical consensus. The medical consensus of whom? Their only citation for this consensus is a report by the National Academy of Sciences that was exclusively staffed by abortion advocates that failed to include a systematic review of the scientific literature on abortion and mental health. There is a significant difference between following the science and disregarding inconvenient science.

By contrast, a review of the literature by the pro-abortion American Psychological Associations Task Force on Mental Health and Abortion concluded that it is clear that some women do experience sadness, grief, and feelings of loss following termination of a pregnancy, and some experience clinically significant disorders, including depression and anxiety. Similarly, a subsequent comprehensive review of abortion and mental health published in Sage Open Medicineconcludes it is settled science that abortion contributes to mental illness; the only debate is when, if ever, it is the sole cause of mental illnesses.

You might say, Well, these are lawyers, not scientists, so its understandable they made a few mistakes. In that case, shouldnt high-priced Washington lawyers at least be proficient in their analysis of international law?

Think again. On page 22, the abortion industry characterizes international abortion laws as more liberal than Mississippi and references an unspecified overwhelming trend. On the contrary, a recent Charlotte Lozier Institute analysis finds that 47 out of 50 European nations limit elective abortion prior to 15 weeks  which makes Mississippis 15-week limit mainstream by comparison.

Broadening our scope, additional CLI research shows that the United States is one of only a small handful of nations, including China and North Korea, to allow elective abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy.

Note to the abortion industry: the overwhelming global trend is not in favor of abortion on demand, with no regard for the age of the unborn baby.

Why is the abortion industry so desperate to ignore the science, denying that unborn babies feel pain and that abortion can harm a womans mental health? Presumably to salve their conscience about dismembering fellow human beings.

This week the abortion industry asked the Supreme Court of the United States to join them in ignoring the science, reinforcing the fact that Roe and Casey are half a century out of date. Its time to modernize our laws.
LDS Church leaders urge mask wearing at all times while inside sacred temples

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In a bid to keep their sacred temples open amid the COVID-19 pandemic, leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have asked all visitors and workers to wear masks "at all times" while inside as a temporary safety measure.

"We are grateful that in recent months, some level of ordinance work has resumed in every temple. Our desire is to keep temples open. As cases of COVID-19 increase in many areas, we want to do everything possible to allow temples to remain open," the denomination's president, Russell M. Nelson, and his two top counselors, Dallin H. Oaks and Henry B. Eyring, wrote in a letter to the church Wednesday.

"Therefore, effective immediately, all temple patrons and workers are asked to wear face masks at all times while in the temple. These safety protocols are temporary, based on COVID-19 conditions, and will be rescinded as soon as circumstances permit."

This summer, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released updated guidance on the need for urgently increasing COVID-19 vaccinations. The CDC recommended that everyone wear a mask in public indoor places, even if they are fully vaccinated, in areas of substantial or high transmission.

The CDC said this guidance was due to a "rapid and alarming rise in the COVID-19 case and hospitalization rates around the country." New data also showed that the delta variant was more infectious and led to increased transmissibility compared with other variants, even in some vaccinated individuals.

In addition to regular Sunday worship in some 18,000 chapels, members of the denomination worship in temples they consider to be "the world's most sacred spaces, places where heaven and earth meet." The church lists 252 temples worldwide, but only 161 of them were reportedly operating last month.

Carole M. Stephens of the church's general Relief Society Presidency said the spiritual strength members receive from worshipping in a temple increases their "faith and determination to face the trials" of life.

The LDS Church also performs temple ceremonies on behalf of those who have died, a practice they argue comes from 1 Corinthians 15:29.

"This practice enables Latter-day Saints to form eternal connections between family members in heaven and on earth," the church says.

While anyone can visit a temple during an open house, access is generally restricted to members who have a current "temple recommend" card. The card verifies members believe in the Latter-day Saints doctrines and obey certain rules like tithing and abstaining from alcohol, The New York Times reports.

In urging visitors to their sacred temples to mask up during visits, Latter-day Saint leaders explained that they have previously taken similar protective steps to prevent the spread of disease.

"Our urging Church members to be vaccinated and to protect themselves and others from the spread of disease has precedent," they noted. "Prior First Presidencies shared similar messages in 1900 about smallpox and in 1957 regarding polio. Please do all you can to protect yourself and others so the work of the Lord on both sides of the veil can move forward."
Feed my sheep: Denzel Washington reveals what God's been telling him to do

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Academy Award-winning actor Denzel Washington recently revealed what the Lord has been telling him to do when he prays in this season.

Washington was among the featured speakers at "The Better Man Event" hosted by First Baptist Orlando in Florida on Saturday, where he revealed to his spiritual mentor, Pastor A.R. Bernard, the senior pastor of the Christian Cultural Center in Brooklyn, New York, the message he's consistently been hearing from God.

At 66, getting ready to be 67, having just buried my mother, I made a promise to her and to God, not just to do good the right way, but to honor my mother and my father by the way I live my life, the rest of my days on this Earth. I'm here to serve, to help, to provide, Washington shared at the Christian mens conference.

During the nearly 30-minute sit-down discussion, Washington told Bernard what God has been telling him every time he prays.

"In every prayer, all I hear is: 'Feed my sheep.' That's what God wants me to do, the Fences actor shared.

Washington admitted that often his response is, What's that mean? But, he added, "What I found out in the last couple of years is there are all kinds of sheep. So that's why I talk to experienced shepherds to help guide me.

The world has changed. What is our role as a man? The John Wayne formula is not quite a fit right now. But strength, leadership, power, authority, guidance, patience are God's gift to us as men. We have to cherish that, not abuse it, the actor advised.

During the discussion, Washington wanted the audience to know that despite his redemptive characters on screen, hes endured his own battles in choosing to live for God.

"What I played in the movies is not who I am, it's what I played," he stressed. "I'm not going to sit or stand on any pedestal and tell you about what I had in mind for you or your soul. Because the fact of the matter is, in the whole 40-year process, I was struggling for my own soul.

"It [the Bible] says in the last days we'll become lovers of ourselves. The number one photograph now is a selfie. So we all want to lead. We're willing to do anything  ladies and young men  to be influential. ... Fame is a monster and we all have these ladders and battles, roads we have to walk in our given lives. Be you famous or whoever's out there listening, we all have our individual challenges. It's cliche [but] money, don't make it better. It doesn't. Fame just magnifies the problems and the opportunities, Washington continued.

The New York native went on to share guidance for men who are looking for success.

"Stay on your knees. Watch me, but listen to God, he added. I hope that the words in my mouth and the meditation of my heart are pleasing in God's sight, but I'm human. I'm just like you. What I have will not keep me on this Earth for one more day. Share what you know, inspire who you can, seek advice. If you want to talk to one someone, talk to the one that can do something about it. Constantly develop those habits.

Throughout his discussion, Washington frequently quoted things he learned about God from Bernard.

"Fear is nothing but contaminated faith, Washington said, echoing an earlier comment by Bernard. He then added: My chest is sagging right now because I haven't been lifting weights. I'm losing weight first. So you got to lift them faith weights. You got to do your curls and your squats daily. You may get injured; you may want to throw them down, you may want to give up, you may never be big ... you have to refill your bucket every night. You have to refill your bucket every morning.

Washington concluded his faith-filled talk by noting that although he has money and stardom, what hes discovered is that one always needs to leave room to learn.

In an interview with The Christian Post back in 2017, Washington shared part of his Christian testimony, saying that when he was 20 years old, "it was prophesied that I would travel the world and preach to millions of people. I thought it was through my work and it has been."

"My mother said to me, when I was 59, she said, 'Denzel, you do a lot of good. You have to do good the right way and you know what I'm talking about,'" Washington continued. "I don't drink anymore; I don't do any of those things. I'm all about the message, to the degree that I know it, and I'm unashamed and unafraid to share it!

"So you have to be unafraid and unashamed to share it in the way your millennial generation knows how," he told this CP reporter at the time.

The Oscar winner now regularly uses his platform to inspire others.
An overlooked controversy in California

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There has recently been a largely-overlooked religious controversy in California that is no laughing matter.

We have seen in recent decades the massive attempt to rewrite American history and to erase God from it. Whole books have been written on this subject, like Dr. James S. Robbins Erasing America or Jarrett Stepmans War on History.

We have seen how heroes in Americas past, like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and even Abraham Lincoln, have been turned into virtual villains by the forces of political correctness.

And now the anti-Christian elites in California are engaging in a quiet war to dishonor the memory of a humble, Catholic priest who, for all practical purposes, founded California.

Much of early California was carved out in the second half of the 1700s by Father Junipero Serra (died 1784). He has been dubbed the Apostle of California. Father Junipero Serra created a series of 21 Catholic missions, each of which would be accessible to the next by a one-day horseback ride.

Beginning with San Diego, these missions stretch northward to Sonoma, the final mission in the series. Sonoma was the mission just north of San Francisco, named after St. Francis of Assisi.

The best known of these missions is Los Angeles, i.e., the angels  technically its full name is The Town of Our Lady the Queen of the Angels of the River Porciuncula. Its worth noting that Americas second largest city is named after the mother (Our Lady) of Jesus.

These missions include San Juan Capistrano, San Jose (named after Marys husband, Joseph, the step-father of Jesus), San Gabriel, San Carlos, San Luis Obispo, Santa Clara, and Santa Barbara. To this day, Father Serras missions are, in effect, the backbone of the state of California.

They also include the Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo  best-known as Carmel-by-the-Sea. Its in that particular missions church where Father Serra is buried. I have visited his grave.

It was in one of these missions that, for the first time ever, California wine was produced. The purpose of that was to celebrate Holy Communion. Even Californias state capital harkens back to the influence of Father Serra and company, Sacramento; as in the sacrament of Holy Communion.

But today, the politically correct folks who are bent on stripping America of any of its godly heritage have aimed their sites against Father Junipero Serra, whose statue graces Statuary Hall in the U.S Capitol. As I recall, his is the only image of someone holding up a cross.

Now Junipero Serra High School in San Diego seems poised to disown its namesake, but critics charge that the decision to change the name was made surreptitiously. In fact, the Thomas More Society is suing over this name change because they maintain it was done illegally.

The Society, a legal group which fights for religious liberty, writes: The principal of Junipero Serra High School and the San Diego Unified School District Board of Trustees violated citizens rights when they voted to rename the school without giving the public sufficient notice of their intent to do so.

Why the potential change? In effect, Father Serra is being blamed for abuses against the indigenous people that followed in the wake of his missionary work. This reminds me of people blaming the Pilgrims who were peace-loving people who had a great relationship with the Indians, for abuses committed later by other European settlers.

Paul Jonna is a special counsel for the Thomas More Society in this case. He told me: Its not up to debate what kind of man this was. This man would wash the natives feet, yet hes now been likened to conquistadors, who did bad things to the native population.

Jonna says of the principal and her minions that they have pandered to a false and historically inaccurate narrative and have demonstrated an unconstitutional animus towards this Catholic saint.

Dr. William Donohue of the Catholic League, who calls Serra the greatest missionary in U.S. history, wants Gov. Newsom to veto a bill that would tear down a statue of Serra in Sacramento. Donohue writes: The bill is not only based on bad history, it is a slanderous attack on the one man who actually did stand up for the rights of Indians at the time.

It seems like the ongoing effort of historical revisionism  to tarnish American history and its heroes in service of political correctness  continues unabated.
Biden's UN speech falls flat

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In the wake of multiple international crises of his own making, President Biden arrived on the scenes at the United Nations General Assembly this week to deliver his first address as president.

Senator Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) on "Washington Watch" described Biden's speech as "walking into the United Nations and slapping a giant kick me sign on Uncle Sam's back." That's not exactly the image that the leader of the free world wants to convey.

Perhaps most glaringly, Biden neglected to robustly address the recent disaster he unleashed in Afghanistan  a debacle that affects many of our allies, including NATO members. He did, however, talk about a U.N. Security Council resolution "laying out the expectations to which we will hold the Taliban when it comes to respecting universal human rights." Unfortunately, U.N. statements don't mean much to the Afghan girls now prevented from going to school or the Christians in hiding for their lives.

Instead of Afghanistan  a global crisis for which he bears responsibility  Biden opted instead to focus on global climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Meanwhile, he failed to even say the word "China" while promising that America is "not seeking a new Cold War." America might not be seeking a cold war, but Cotton points out that we may not have a choice.

"Xi Jinping and communist leaders in Beijing are laughing at Joe Biden and America now because they have in fact been waging a Cold War on America and America's interest and principles for years," Cotton said.

Neglecting to mention China is no small omission. China is not just an economic competitor; its leaders are also hostile to democracy and many of the values that Americans hold dear. The Chinese Communist Party's successful squelching of democracy in Hong Kong and growing threats against Taiwan prove this.

Though Biden says he cares about democratic values, these threats to democracy were ignored throughout his speech. Cotton said Biden is returning America to the "days when America's leaders stuck their heads in the sands. They didn't confront China and didn't stand up for America's interest." This is not only unfortunate for America, but for the entire free world.

Though Biden made several mentions of human rights, he made no mention of religious freedom, even as this basic right is under increasing attack all around the world. One need look no further than Biden's State Department's annual report to see that. Furthermore, no concrete policies or initiatives to advance human rights were laid out.

Biden's focus on climate change is especially interesting given that the world's top polluter is not the United States, but China. Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo noted that President Biden wants to "subordinate many of America's most pressing challenges to climate change, putting American security at risk and threatening to devastate our economy while imposing no costs on our adversaries, in particular China, whose leaders care little about the climate pandering of internationalist elites."

During his presidential campaign, Biden positioned himself as having extensive foreign policy experience, as someone our European allies would prefer to work with. But the French certainly don't seem to be enjoying Biden's handling of international relations.

In an unprecedented move last week, France recalled its ambassador to the United States. French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said the United States' deal to build submarines for Australia undermined an already existing deal that Australia had with the French government and was "unacceptable behavior between allies and partners."

It's a shocking step for America's oldest ally. One that occurred because "the Biden administration didn't undertake the most basic aspect of diplomatic outreach when we struck a new deal with the Australians to provide them nuclear powered submarines," according to Cotton. Less than one year into Biden's presidency, his list of foreign policy failures is growing quickly.

What American leaders say on the world stage matters. What American leaders fail to say matters too. Biden's speech before the United Nations this week projected a lack of seriousness given the significance of our international challenges. This will have consequences.

Originally published at the Family Research Council.
Persecution watchdog documents over 100 incidents of Chinas crackdown on Christians in 1 year

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A U.S.-based persecution watchdog says it has documented more than 100 incidents of Christian persecution in China between July 2020 and June 2021 as the country's communist regime seeks to forcefully convert independent religious groups into mechanisms of the Chinese Communist Party.

A significant trend throughout the past year was an increase in church raids, says a report published by International Christian Concern. It notes that "not only were churches shut down or demolished, but pastors and church attendees were often arrested.

One example of this crackdown happened earlier this month when more than 30 officials from the CCP, including SWAT officers, police officers, religious affairs bureau officials and local school district administrators raided Maizi Christian Music High School in Harbin city in Chinas Heilongjiang province, the U.S.-based rights group China Aid reported at the time.

In August, officers from Chenghua District Mengzhuiwang office in Sichuan province forcibly entered the home of a church member, He Shan, where the small group of Early Rain Covenant Church members were meeting for worship, CBN News said at the time.

ICC has also tracked 23 incidents of authorities demolishing religious structures and symbols during its reporting period. The CCP has torn down, destroyed, and removed numerous churches in China, especially those that refused to submit to its control, the report says.

The persecution watchdog adds in the report that it recorded 14 cases of Sinicization, which is a state campaign to forcefully assimilate religious groups into CCP-defined Chinese culture.

As an example, ICC highlights the plight of a church bookstore that was forced to display Mao Zedongs Little Red Book instead of the Bible. The Administration for Religious Affairs also ordered Christians to study President Xis book and memorize his speeches.

Chinese authorities are also removing Bible apps and Christian WeChat public accounts as new highly restrictive administrative measures on religious staff went into effect earlier this year.

The ICC report says that almost every province in China has seen an increase in Christian persecution, and this rise has been especially apparent in Sichuan, Hebei and Fujian provinces.

China tightening down on people of faith comes as no surprise to observers, says Gina Goh, ICCs Regional Manager for Southeast Asia, in a statement about the report.

What is concerning is the depth and width of persecution and that it continues to expand. From Xinjiang to Sichuan, from state-sanctioned groups to underground churches, from verbal threats to imprisonment, believers in China are constantly watched and persecuted, Goh adds.

Under the direction of President Xi Jinping, officials from the CCP have been enforcing strict controls on religion, according to another report released in March by China Aid.

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.

Christians are not the only religious minority to face persecution at the hands of the CCP.

Estimates suggest that as many as 1 million to 3 million Uyghur and other ethnic Muslims have been subject to internment camps in the western Xinjiang province, where they are taught to be secular citizens who fall in line with the CCP. In January, the U.S. State Department recognized China's treatment of Uyghurs as a genocide.

China has also reportedly violated the rights of Falun Gong practitioners and Tibetan Buddhists.
COVID-19 death statistics may be inflated by states adding murders, auto accident fatalities to list: report

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A new report is raising questions about the accuracy of coronavirus death statistics, suggesting that the number of deaths from COVID-19 reported in the United States might be inflated.

Investigative journalist Sharyl Attkisson spoke with Brenda Bock, the coroner of Grand County, Colorado, in the most recent episode of her syndicated newsmagazine program Full Measure, which aired Sunday. In the program, coroners explained that the state was listing fatalities caused by gunshot wounds and vehicle crashes as deaths from the coronavirus.

Attkisson opened the segment by noting that on Thanksgiving Day last year, a man named Lucias Reilly shot and his wife, Kristin, in the head before turning his gun on himself. Both of their deaths were listed as being caused by the coronavirus, not a fatal shooting.

While Bock had ruled the Reillys causes of death as a homicide and suicide, she told Attkisson that the very next day it showed up on the state website as COVID deaths.

I questioned that immediately because I had not even signed off the death certificates yet and the state was already reporting them as COVID deaths, she said.

Bock alleged that someone ran the Reillys names through a database, which showed that they had tested positive for coronavirus within 28 days of their death. Coronavirus was recorded as their cause of death even though Bock had concluded otherwise.

Attkisson asked Bock, If we look at the death certificates for the murder-suicide case, what will it say about COVID? Bock responded by saying, Nothing, absolutely nothing. I paid a forensic pathologist to do the autopsies on those two cases. And nowhere is COVID mentioned on those death certificates.

Within a week of the murder-suicide, Bock discovered that according to the states coronavirus database, Grand County had recorded two additional coronavirus deaths. Upon further investigation, she realized that two of them were actually still alive, and yet they were counting them.

Bock recalled that when she called them on it, state officials described the error as a typo and stressed that they just got put in there by accident. Attkisson also talked to Dr. James Caruso, the chief medical examiner and coroner for Colorados capital and largest city, Denver.

Caruso suggested that while people signing the death certificates probably were doing it accurately, at some level  maybe the state level, maybe the federal level  theres a possibility that they were cross-referencing COVID tests. And that people who tested positive for COVID were listed as a COVID-related death, regardless of their true cause of death.

The coroner also shared his concerns with the Colorado Department of Public Health early in the pandemic. In responses to the allegations raised by Caruso that the state was counting those who died with COVID as having died of COVID, the state began classifying deaths caused by COVID and deaths of people with COVID into separate subcategories.

In a statement, the office of Colorado Gov. Jared Polis explained that the state website highlights that some  numbers combine deaths that were a direct result of COVID and deaths that occurred when the individual had COVID-19. The governors office added that Polis was outraged that the murder-suicide was classified as a COVID-related death.

According to Attkisson, separating deaths of COVID and with COVID has a significant impact on the coronavirus death tally: During our visit to Colorado, the states total COVID-related death tally was 13,845. Separating out the deaths not directly caused by COVID cuts that number by about half, with the rest dying among or with COVID  not because of it.

The obvious implications are huge, she noted. If such a significant number of Colorados COVID deaths werent directly caused by COVID or even related at all in some cases, and if that bears out in other states, it means the national totals weve heard since the start of the pandemic could be largely misleading.

The coronavirus death statistics have been used by government officials at the local, state and national levels to implement public policy measures, including mask mandates, lockdowns, worship restrictions and most recently, vaccine mandates. As of Saturday afternoon, the latest coronavirus death tally from the Centers for Disease Control stands at 684,884.

A report released by the CDC last year revealed that 94% of those who died from coronavirus had underlying health conditions and contributing causes while the remaining 6% consisted of otherwise healthy people who died from the coronavirus. Examples of underlying health conditions and contributing causes, include influenza, pneumonia, cardiac arrest, heart failure, diabetes, obesity and renal failure.

Attkisson listed some other examples of deaths attributed to coronavirus that have nothing to do with coronavirus, including fatalities after traffic accidents and three Colorado nursing home deaths.

Similarly, a Tennessee woman whose husband died of cancer saw coronavirus listed as the cause of death on his death certificate. After she complained about the mistake, the Tennessee Department of Health removed coronavirus as the cause of death, thereby fixing what they labeled a clerical error.
Israeli archaeologists discover biblical scroll fragments for the first time in 60 years

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Dozens of 2,000-year-old fragments from scrolls containing portions of the books of Nahum and Zechariah have been unearthed in Israel, an extremely rare discovery in the Judean Desert.

The Israel Antiquities Authority announced the discovery of the uncovered fragments on Tuesday. They are the first of such discoveries in approximately 60 years. The Dead Sea Scrolls are fragments of religious manuscripts that were originally found in the Judaean Desert decades ago.

The newly discovered fragments are Greek translations of the two minor prophets. Despite most of the fragments being in Greek, the name of God is written in Hebrew.

The fragments come from a larger scroll found in the same place in the 1950s in Nahal Hever in the Cave of Horror that is approximately 80 meters below a cliff top and can only be reached by rappelling down the cliff.

In addition to the biblical fragments, a 10,500-year-old woven basket from the Pre-Pottery Neolithic period was excavated, and a 6,000-year-old mummified skeleton of a child was also found.

Also known as Cave 8 in the Judean Desert, Israeli archaeologist Yohanan Aharonin gave it the nickname "Cave of Horror" because the skeletons of 40 men, women and children were discovered there during the Judean Desert Expeditions in the 1960s, according to the Encyclopedia of the Dead Sea Scrolls.

The Israel Antiquities Authority has been more active in rescuing ancient artifacts in the region since 2017.

Significant looting has plagued the area ever since Bedouin shepherds first discovered the Dead Sea Scrolls, also known as the Qumran Caves Scrolls, in 1946.

The desert team showed exceptional courage, dedication and devotion to purpose, rappelling down to caves located between heaven and earth, digging and sifting through them, enduring thick and suffocating dust, and returning with gifts of immeasurable worth for mankind, IAA Director Israel Hasson, who led the rescue operation, said in a statement.

The newly discovered scroll fragments are a wake-up call to the state. Resources must be allocated for the completion of this historically important operation. We must ensure that we recover all the data that has not yet been discovered in the caves before the robbers do. Some things are beyond value.

The IAA team has thus far reconstructed 11 lines of Greek text from Zechariah 8:16-17 and Nahum 1:5-6.

The entire passage from Zechariah reads: These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth to one another, render true and perfect justice in your gates. And do not contrive evil against one another, and do not love perjury, because all those are things that I hatedeclares the Lord.

The Nahum passage reads: The mountains quake because of Him, And the hills melt. The earth heaves before Him, The world and all that dwell therein. Who can stand before His wrath? Who can resist His fury? His anger pours out like fire, and rocks are shattered because of Him.

The fragments were written in a new Greek translation that differs from the traditional Masoretic texts.

According to the IAA, the translation's differences reveal quite a bit regarding the transmission of the biblical text until the time of the Bar Kochba Revolt.

The Bar Kochba revolt was a rebellion of the Jews led by Simon bar Kochba against the Romans around 132-136 A.D., the last of the three major Jewish-Roman wars. The revolt is also called the Third Jewish-Roman War or Third Jewish Revolt.

These finds are not just important to our own cultural heritage but to that of the entire world, Avi Cohen, CEO of the Ministry of Jerusalem and Heritage, said in a statement. Without the consistent and coordinated action of the various government offices, the Israel Antiquities Authority and the Civil Administration, these special assets would not be made accessible to the public, rather would remain in the possession of antiquities looters.

Amir Ganor, who heads the IAAs Theft Prevention Unit, said the agency finally decided to pre-empt the thieves before the treasures were looted. The scraps containing lines from Nahum and Zechariah were discovered in clumps and rolled up in the Cave of Horror.

He estimates that approximately 25% of the Judean Desert has not been surveyed, according to The Times of Israel. By using drone technology and rappelling gear, those rescuing the ancient artifacts can explore caves that have been considered unreachable, some of which human beings have not entered for nearly 2,000 years.
Scientists: 'superheated blast from the sky' destroyed Dead Sea cities, pointing to Sodom in Bible

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Scientists have found that a "superheated blast from the skies" destroyed cities near the Dead Sea 3,700 years ago, which biblical analysts are saying echoes the destruction of Sodom.

Science News reported that the new findings were revealed at the annual meeting of the American Schools of Oriental Research last week by archaeologist Phillip Silvia of Trinity Southwest University in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

The scientists discovered radiocarbon dating and unearthed minerals that instantly crystallized at high temperatures at what used to be cities and farming settlements north of the Dead Sea, suggesting that a massive air-burst, possibly by a meteor, destroyed communities in a 15-mile-wide circular plain.

Silva said that following the cataclysmic event, people did not return to the region for 600 to 700 years.

Researchers have been studying five large sites in Middle Ghor in present day Jordan, which are believed to have been continuously occupied for at least 2,500 years, until they suddenly collapsed at the end of the Bronze Age.

Some of the strongest evidence for a low-altitude meteor explosion was found at the remains of the city of Tall el-Hammam, where radiocarbon dating shows that the mud-brick walls of nearly all structures were suddenly wiped out 3,700 years ago.

Other remarkable finds show that the outer layers of pieces of pottery seemed to have melted into glass, as a result of extremely high temperatures.

The Times of Israel pointed to other archaeological research, such as a 2013 Biblical Archaeology Review article by TeHEP co-director Dr. Steven Collins, revealing that the Tall el-Hammam site offers evidence it could have been the Biblical city of Sodom.

The fiery destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah is famously depicted in Genesis 19 of the Bible, which says that "God destroyed the cities of the plain," with "dense smoke rising from the land, like smoke from a furnace."

The Biblical account also mentioned that God overthrew "all those living in the cities" along with "the vegetation in the land.

Collins said in his article back then that he witnessed similar destruction first-hand.

The violent conflagration that ended occupation at Tall el-Hammam produced melted pottery, scorched foundation stones and several feet of ash and destruction debris churned into a dark gray matrix as if in a Cuisinart," he stated at the time.

He suggested that the event was preserved in the Book of Genesis and ultimately incorporated into a traditional tale that, drawing on the layer of ash that covered the destruction of one of its major cities, remembered a place consumed by a fiery catastrophe.

What is more, Silvia and Collins authored the paper The Civilization-Ending 3.7KYrBP Event: Archaeological Data, Sample Analyses, and Biblical Implications" back in 2015, which argues that "the physical evidence from Tall el-Hammam and neighboring sites exhibit signs of a highly destructive concussive and thermal event that one might expect from what is described in Genesis 19."

The destruction not only of Tall el-Hammam (Sodom), but also its neighbors (Gomorrah and the other cities of the plain) was most likely caused by a meteoritic airburst event, the authors added.
Charter, private schools see growth during pandemic as 1.4 million kids taken out of public schools: study

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Approximately 1.4 million students were taken out of public schools during the COVID-19 pandemic and transferred to alternative educational systems such as charter and private schools, according to a recent report.

The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools released a report Wednesday analyzing student enrollment trends in 41 states and the District of Columbia during the 2020-2021 school year.

The report noted that approximately 240,000 students were newly enrolled in public charter schools, representing a 7% increase, while 1.4 million students were taken out of traditional public schools.

Regarding charter schools, the report found that 39 of the 41 states plus Washington, D.C., saw increases in charter school enrollment. Only Illinois, Iowa and Wyoming saw declines in charter enrollment.

For their data, the National Alliance report used state educational agency websites to accrue enrollment statistics for the states analyzed, as well as interviews with parents, students and school staff.

It is premature to draw any conclusions about why charter school enrollment grew while enrollment in district public schools declined. And yet the pattern among states in this report is undeniable, stated the report, noting that the trend of decline in public school enrollment began before the pandemic.

There is much to learn from families who made the switch, and perhaps the biggest lesson for everyone is how critically important charter schools are to public education.

In response to the coronavirus pandemic last year, public schools across the country halted in-person classes, switching to virtual learning at all levels to curb the spread of COVID-19.

Based in Washington, D.C., The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools is a nonprofit that advocates on behalf of public charter schools, especially at the federal level.

The lockdowns on public education prompted many parents to consider alternatives, as many states exempted private schools and other venues from government lockdown mandates.

In March, the U.S. Census Bureau reported that the percentage of households that were homeschooling had increased from 5.4% in the 2019-2020 school year to 11.1% for the 2020-2021 school year.

A clarification was added to the school enrollment question to make sure households were reporting true homeschooling rather than virtual learning through a public or private school, explained the Census Bureau.

Its clear that in an unprecedented environment, families are seeking solutions that will reliably meet their health and safety needs, their childcare needs and the learning and socio-emotional needs of their children.
Oxford college apologizes for hosting Christian conference after students complain

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An Oxford college in England has apologized after the school hosted a conference sponsored by an evangelical conservative advocacy organization, which students claimed was "hateful and invalidating."

Worcester College in Oxford, England, has issued a public apology after the school hosted a Christian Concern training camp on its campus from Sep. 6 to Sept. 10.

The Christian Concern conference featured many guest speakers, including Mike Davidson, the CEO of Core Issues Trust and X-Out Loud. Core Issues Trust seeks to support individuals experiencing unwanted same-sex attractions "voluntarily seeking to leave homosexual behaviours and feelings."

Davidson was one of many guest speakers with Wilberforce Academy, an initiative of Christian Concern. The Academy is a weeklong "intensive residential programme aimed at students and young professionals with a passion to serve Jesus Christ in a variety of vocations."

Davidson has called for "professional assistance" to "leave behind unwanted homosexual practices," according to the college's student news publication, The Oxford Tab.

Davidson is recognized for being outspoken about his stance against bans on conversion therapy. His organization has also been vocal about its "dissatisfaction with the encroaching politico-religious identity of Islam."

One session at the conference was titled "The nature of Islam."

Multiple students who found out about the conference reportedly said the event used language that was "inflammatory," and others claimed the event was "hateful and invalidating."

An email written by a group of students was sent to Worcester's JCR President, LGBT representative and ethnic and religious minorities representative.

"Many of us come to uni hoping to be allowed to be ourselves and know we can trust our new community and home," the email stated, according to The Tab. "But how are we expected to place our trust in somewhere that, if it weren't for a leaflet being left behind at breakfast, would have left us unaware that they had hosted a group that has consistently aimed to persecute and strip us of our rights for our sexuality, gender and or religion?"

A co-chair of the SU LGBTQ+ Campaign reportedly responded to the email: "We stand in full solidarity with you and will do our best to take the necessary action to prevent this from being an issue again in the future."

A school spokesperson issued an apology on behalf of the school.

"We deeply regret the distress caused to students, staff and other members of the college community by the presence of the Wilberforce Academy conference," the spokesperson saidin the public apology published by The Tab.

The chief executive of the Christian Concern, Andrea Minichiello Williams, called the school's apology an example of "cancel culture."

Despite reaching out to Worcester College on multiple occasions to discuss what has been "alleged," Williams said the school has not responded to the organization for comment.

"But if the college has turned its back on us, it seems that cancel culture has once again demonstrated the power of its grip in one of our top universities, fuelled by a small group of activists who won't tolerate any view that departs from their own narrow ideology and who will resort to tactics of misrepresentation and sweeping allegations to get their way, seemingly frightening nearly everyone into submission," Williams said in a statement.

Provost David Isaac, who has been the head of Worcester College since July 2021, was previously the head of the Equality and Human Rights Commission in England and Wales. Under his leadership, the commission posted guidance in 2019 calling for free speech to be protected on college campuses, stating that "The free expression and exchange of different views without persecution or interference."

"That a college now led by someone who has so often claimed to be a defender of freedom of expression in higher education is rumoured to have capitulated to this aggressive movement is even more concerning," Williams added.

"We very much enjoyed our week at the college, were very warmly welcomed, including by the Provost, received many compliments from the staff and were not aware of any complaints or concerns being raised with us at the time. Yet now we hear it alleged that the college has 'apologised' for hosting us."

The Christian Concern website states that the organization's mission is to accomplish the goals of preparing others for "servant-hearted, Christ-centred leadership in public life, by equipping people with a robust biblical framework that guides thinking, prayers and activity in addressing the issues facing society."

"We will be seeking urgent clarification," Williams concluded in her statement. "Whatever happens, we will continue to speak of Jesus Christ who was himself an 'outsider' and by his words and actions demonstrated his commitment to reaching the marginalised, excluded and vulnerable so that they could discover true hope and everlasting love through him, even sacrificing his own life to do so."

Williams calls on Oxford to "stand for free speech and free expression and allow its students to have the intellectual ability to decide whether they wish to attend external events, and to make up their own minds on what they hear."
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Theologian and philosopher Augustine of Hippo said it well: The Holy Scriptures are our letters from home.

In John 14:2, Jesus told his disciples, My Fathers house has many rooms  I am going there to prepare a place for you. What a comfort it is to know, even amidst todays uncertainty and chaos, that this world is not our eternal home! By Gods grace many of us have the Bible, his love letter from home, to guide and comfort us while we are here on earth.

But about 167 million people still need Gods Word translated into a language and form they can best understand. Praise God that he continues to move Bible translation forward  so that all can reconcile with him and share his eternal home.

As part of the Bible translation movement, we at Wycliffe Bible Translators have the privilege to love and partner well with our neighbors across the globe so that all people receive Gods letters from home, especially now. Thats why were adapting and using innovative means to spread the Gospel to communities in some of the most difficult areas of the world.

Spreading the Word (without spreading the virus)

Toward the beginning of the pandemic, Wycliffe USA personnel Nate and Ivy Cheeseman started passing out audio Bibles  Scriptures translated and recorded in a local language on MP3 players  in the community where they serve in Southeast Asia. As word spread, requests for these audio Bibles started pouring in.

God just kept networking us with local Christians in our city who wanted to give these [audio Bibles] to their friends or neighbors, Ivy said. It seemed like everywhere we went  whether it was our homeschool co-op, a coffee shop, or even while on vacation  we kept meeting people who wanted to get the Bible out.

The Cheesemans helped distribute hundreds of audio Bibles before lockdown measures started in their local area in response to the pandemic. As the people in their community retreated into self-isolation to keep themselves and others safe, Nate and Ivy realized how God had worked to get His love letters from home into the hands of people before they were separated from their churches and Christian communities.

In the months since the audio Bibles were distributed, many have come to faith and are being discipled through Gods Word because they have access to the Scriptures in a language and form that meets their needs during this global pandemic.

Reaching the final frontier of Bible translation

Translators across the world are using mobile apps and streaming technology to bring the Gospel to the final frontier of Bible translation  the deaf. As one of the most unreached and unengaged people groups, the deaf desperately need Gods letters from home.

Its better in sign language, one deaf man told a group of translators in Mexico. Its clear. Ive tried again and again to read the Spanish [Bible] but I dont know what it [means]. Now finally you have shown me, and I am overjoyed!

Last year the American Sign Language community celebrated the very first full sign language Bible! In Africa, Deaf adults who attended Scripture engagement training went back to their villages and shared Bible stories at 11 different schools for the deaf, transforming many students lives. Translators in Tanzania realized their deaf community had no access to COVID-19 safety information and procedures, so they paused Bible translation to make practical videos, tangibly demonstrating Gods love and care for their deaf neighbors.

Across the globe, God is putting together all the pieces: technology that makes sign language translation possible, people with a passion to reach the deaf, and the resources to do the work.

Jumping hurdles and crossing borders

Not only have innovations like audio Bibles and streaming services helped distribute Gods letters from home, but theyve also allowed translators to continue their important work during a pandemic thats required self-isolation. Local translation teams who cant meet together still have an abundance of exegetical and translation materials at their fingertips through a database called the Digital Bible Library and other online resources. And collaborative software allows translators and Bible scholars to work together across the globe to continue translation efforts.

New Starlink satellites by SpaceX are helping us overcome one of the greatest hurdles to Bible translation in recent times: a lack of internet connectivity. Without the internet, a key provision of both people and academic resources, the translation process is long and laborious. With the addition of Starlink satellites, though, even those in the most remote locations will be connected to high-speed internet. Not only will people have access to education, healthcare, and other resources for the first time, but theyll also have access to Gods Holy Word  his letter to us from our home in Heaven.

While technology provides a way into many unreached communities, translation work with those who live out of their homelands, the diaspora, is opening other doors. Of the roughly 1,900 language groups that still need Bible translation to begin, at least half are in areas where foreigners arent able to work easily. But translation projects with the diaspora can span borders and continents!



Connected by their shared language, the groups take ownership of their projects despite the distance, benefitting both the diaspora community and those remaining in their homeland. For those working on these projects, their letters home are literally Gods letters translated into a language their friends and families can clearly understand.

Isaiah 55:11 promises, It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to and it will prosper everywhere I send it. We can be certain that whether Gods Word reaches people through audio, video, the internet, or in the writing of a childhood friend in another country, He will use it to transform lives. The Bible, Gods letter to us, has been bringing people into a relationship with Him since long before the chaos and uncertainty of this time, and His Word will continue to transform hearts and minds long after this pandemic is over.
LA PALMA, Canary Islands (AP)  A massive cloud of ash prevented flights in and out of the Spanish island of La Palma on Sunday as molten rock continued to be flung high into the air from an erupting volcano.

No flights arrived or departed, despite emergency workers clearing the ash from the airport runway.

Islanders faced a mixed picture of good and bad news with some evacuees allowed to return to their homes amid low seismic activity while authorities took stock of the damage caused. Around 430 buildings have so far been destroyed in the countryside.

The volcano on La Palma, which is part of the volcanic Canary Islands off northwest Africa and is home to about 85,000 people, erupted on Sept. 19. The prompt evacuations of more than 6,000 people helped avoid casualties.

Life on the rest of La Palma, which is roughly 35 kilometers (22 miles) long and 20 kilometers (12 miles) wide at its broadest point, has been largely unaffected.

Were not in a state of total alarm, the technical director of the volcano emergency response unit, Miguel Angel Morcuende, told a news conference. Life on the island is continuing, though those close to the eruption are facing difficulties.

The volcano mouth was still ejecting fiery molten rock and belching black smoke. Its roar could be heard kilometers away. Scientists say the eruption could last for up to three months.

The sound of the volcanic explosions can break glass in the surrounding area, Morcuende said, urging people living within 5 kilometers (3 miles) to stay away from their windows.

Officials said the falling volcanic ash isnt a threat to public health, but cleaning it up can be hazardous for people's lungs and eyes. They urged people to wear a face mask, gloves and eye protection, as well as trousers and long-sleeve shirts, when removing ash.

Some 25,000 metric tons of sulfur dioxide are being emitted from the crater every day but don't pose a health threat, officials said.

Despite Spanish airport authority Aena tweeting that La Palma airport was operational again on Sunday, no aircraft were expected to land or take off. Five airlines had already canceled their days flights to La Palma because of the ash cloud. Volcanic ash is hazardous for aircraft engines.

Long lines formed at the islands port to catch ferries off the island.

Authorities allowed 160 evacuees to go back home, and permitted some other evacuated residents to collect belongings from their houses, as lava flows remained slow.

The lava is 2 kilometers from the coast, Morcuende said. Two rivers of lava are slithering down hillsides: one is further north, where molten rock from a new fissure is spreading over an area where lava spread and hardened last week, and another one south of it which is advancing at 30 meters (about 100 feet) per hour. The temperature of the lava is around 1,250 degrees Celsius (2,282 degrees Fahrenheit).

Pope Francis said on Sunday that he was praying for all those affected by the volcano, dedicating a prayer to them at the end of his weekly noon blessing in St. Peters Square.

I think especially of those who have been forced to leave their homes, the pontiff said.

This months eruption is the first on La Palma since 1971.
NEW ORLEANS (AP)  It was four days after Hurricane Ida, and Grace Hollins worried her son couldnt take one more day in the heat.

Carl, 28, has severe intellectual and developmental disabilities. His seizures are aggravated by the heat, and Hollins had just one syringe of diazepam left to treat them. Adult diapers, usually delivered at the first of the month, were running low. Ida had broken a window and torn a hole through her roof in New Orleans St. Roch neighborhood, and mosquitoes were coming in. She didnt know where to turn.

It was scary. It was horrible. My son was not understanding, said Hollins, 55, who is also disabled due to a back injury. He just couldnt grasp it. I couldnt grasp it, either.

In the aftermath of a hurricane, going without power is difficult. But for people with disabilities and their families, the temporary discomfort can threaten their health and life. At the same time, evacuation can be almost impossible for some, whether its due to a lack of money, transportation or few shelter options for people who need a lot of equipment or special conditions to survive.

Ida exposed cracks in Louisianas special needs response and how the state addresses situations where extended loss of power or other slow-burning consequences can have devastating consequences. Despite a regular stream of natural disasters in Louisiana, each hurricane uncovers flaws in the system. Systems that are in place, such as special needs registries, do little to address deteriorating situations once power is out and the conditions are unlivable.

They have to have some type of plan, service for them  period, said Deatra Hollins, Carl Hollins cousin and a licensed practical nurse who was trying to help from afar after evacuating her own family. They were forgotten.

New Orleans and other parishes have lists of residents with special needs. Deatra Hollins added her cousin to the registry right after Ida and tried to get him and his mother to a shelter, but she didnt get a call back until five days later. The call operator apologized and said the special needs shelters were full of nursing home patients who had been rescued from an evacuation warehouse in Independence.

According to the state, the medical needs shelter in Alexandria was never full and no one was turned away. But Deatra Hollins heard otherwise, and she didnt want her cousin and aunt to risk a long trip if there was not room.

Entergy Corp. also has a registry that residents can join through a doctors note. But its unclear whether its used to prioritize power restoration. Entergy did not answer questions about how many people are on the registry and how the company uses it.

Heres the bottom line, Entergy representative David Freese wrote in an email. While our crews are dedicated to restoring power, customers should have a backup system and plan in place for power outages or other emergencies.

The state checks in on families through a waiver service program that provides in-home and community care based on need. Each family that receives a waiver also has a support coordinator, who ensures the family has an evacuation plan. There are about 630 coordinators for about 20,000 people with disabilities severe enough to require assistance with daily living, said Julie Foster Hagan, assistant Health secretary for the Office for Citizens with Developmental Disabilities.

With a storm of the magnitude of Ida, cell phone service and contact was made difficult, Hagan said. In those cases, the state relies on volunteers from the Louisiana Emergency Management Disability and Aging Coalition to help those in need. Help for people with disabilities in emergencies often comes through a patchwork of neighbors, relatives with sufficient resources and other families with disabled relatives.

But even the best-laid plans by those most familiar with the medical system and hurricanes can go awry, officials acknowledged. Coordinators are supposed to reach out before and after the storm, but theyre often hampered by storm damage themselves. Officials said the coordinators reached out before Ida, but many families said communication was spotty after the storm.

In far east Livingston Parish, 67-year-old Ruth Kennedy thought she had a good plan for her 53-year-old foster sister, Regina, who needs help dressing, bathing and walking. Reginas support coordinator checked in before the storm and confirmed they had a generator and 100 gallons of fuel to share with a nearby relative.

But as the days without power stretched on, the fuel ran low. Reginas in-home caregivers were trapped in their own homes or had left town. Kennedy decided to evacuate with her sister. But she worries for people who dont have the money or ability to leave.

I have the resources to get up and drive to Birmingham, said Kennedy, former Medicaid director for the Louisiana Department of Health. But look at people who may not have those kinds of resources. What did they go through?

Sue Roeskey, 61, who lives in Metairie, has been through her share of hurricanes. Her 31-year-old daughter, Lauren, who is nonverbal with cerebral palsy, was airlifted out of Tulane Medical Centers New Orleans campus after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. A few years later, she tried evacuating to Houston to get out of a storms path. But the drive was 17 hours, an excruciating amount of time for Lauren to be strapped into the van.

Now its even harder, as Lauren is bigger and uses a bed lift, shower chair and various devices such as a feeding tube and suction machine that require electricity and cabinets full of medication and supplies. If she goes more than six weeks without refilling a special implant in her abdomen with medication  which not every hospital can fulfill  she has 24 hours before she could die.

All those things people take for granted  Oh I can just sweat it out for a few days  thats not an option for Lauren, Roesky said. When Lauren starts to sweat and gets dehydrated, she can deteriorate quickly.

During Ida, Lauren and her mother stayed in their home. But two days later, still without power, Lauren wasnt doing well in the heat. The caregivers provided through the states waiver program had also evacuated, and the around-the-clock job fell to Roesky.

Eventually, another relative brought a generator, window air conditioning unit and gasoline from Lafayette. Her brother in Texas traveled to the halfway point to hand off more fuel.

We got lucky this time, Roesky said. Weve talked about getting a whole house generator, but thats a lot of money.

Roesky has asked if the state would allow money typically available for home modifications like wheelchair ramps to be put toward a more permanent power solution, but she was told no.

The state has gotten a lot of inquiries for money for more stable power sources for people like Lauren, said Hagan, the assistant Health secretary. It has been something that weve escalated and tried to look at, but its not something we can use Medicaid dollars for, she said.

Every family with a disability is different, says Karen Scallan, a Medicaid adviser who helps families navigate the mountains of paperwork and hoops to jump through when they are seeking services. One-size-fits-all evacuation plans dont work for people with such differing situations.

Scallan and her 20-year-old son, who has Down syndrome and autism, initially evacuated to Shreveport. They stayed in a hotel with her elderly mother and sister, four of them in one room. It was tight, but a shelter doesnt work for a lot of autistic people, Scallan said. They are overwhelmed by other people, the noises and smells. Scallan also cant stay in her home in St. Charles Parish, where there is no running water, sewerage or internet.

When all those things are disrupted, it creates tremendous anxiety in them, which makes it hard to deal with the day-to-day things coming up: trying to find gas for the generator, or food or water, Scallan said.

Until they get services back in St. Charles, theyre splitting a condominium in Gulf Shores, Alabama, with a friend. They can stay until October, but it will be a big expense. Scallan estimated shes spent up to $4,000 so far.

People who live paycheck to paycheck have it worse, she said. Disabled people who arent in the waiver system dont get checked on; for them, it takes an emergency before someone might notice.

From a relatives home in Alabama, Kathy Dwyer was scouring social media posts across Louisiana after Ida, looking for people like Grace Hollins. The volunteer chair of Louisianas State Advisory Committee for Developmental Disabilities, Dwyer had evacuated from Metairie with her 44-year-old daughter, Jen, who is also disabled. And she knew there would be people who needed help.

Dwyer came across a Facebook post from Deatra Hollins, who said she and Grace Hollins were at the end of their rope after making about 100 telephone calls for help for her disabled cousin. They called 911, their church, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the New Orleans Special Needs Registry and the Cajun Navy, but no one could find somewhere for them to go.

Finally, on Sept. 6, eight days after the storm, they got out of New Orleans. Dwyer called the Office of Developmental Disabilities, where an employee knew of a nonprofit that could donate two bus tickets to Atlanta.

Im just trying to keep my head above water and not think too much about too much, Grace Hollins said. She hasnt been reimbursed for the money she spent on their hotel room. Her FEMA application, which Deatra Hollins is helping her complete, hasnt been approved. She said she gets by on about $300 per month after her rent and electricity is paid. Last week, she spent $60 on adult diapers. Shes replacing all the food that went bad in the house during the storms power outage, and buying Pedialyte and special nutrition drinks for her son Carl.

Im doing everything, said Hollins, as she walked back from the corner store in the rain on Friday. And you think Im not broken?
BERLIN (AP)  Two climate activists ended their hunger strike outside parliament after a leading candidate for chancellor of Germany agreed to a public meeting with them following Sunday's general election.

The decision came just hours after the hunger strikers had escalated their protest Saturday, refusing liquids in addition to food. They had demanded that Olaf Scholz, the candidate for the center-left Social Democrats, declare publicly that Germany faces a climate emergency.

The hunger strikers said Scholz called them on Saturday afternoon, seven hours after they stopped taking liquids, and agreed to a public meeting within a month after the vote.

Scholz confirmed the agreement in a statement on Twitter, saying saving lives takes precedent. The candidate and his two rivals from the environmentalist Greens and the center-right Union bloc had turned down the hunger strikers' initial demand for a meeting before the election.

The issue of climate change has been central to the election campaign, but climate activists say the plans of the political parties aren't far-reaching enough to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit)  the more ambitious limit in the 2015 Paris climate accord.

On Friday, tens of thousands of protesters, led by Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, had delivered that message in a rally outside the German parliament, across the street from a tent camp the hunger strikers had pitched in a park in late August.

Hunger striker Henning Jeschke, who went without food for 27 days, said politicians had failed and called for continued peaceful resistance.

Jeschke was initially one of seven hunger strikers, but the others dropped out this week. He was joined on Monday by another protester, Lena Bonasera, who also ended her fast on Saturday.

Germany's election is too close to call. Polls suggest the Social Democrats have a slight lead over the center-right Union bloc led by Armin Laschet.
JERUSALEM (AP)  Israeli troops conducted a series of arrest raids against suspected Hamas militants across the occupied West Bank early Sunday, sparking a pair of gun battles in which five Palestinians were killed and two Israeli soldiers were seriously wounded.

It was the deadliest violence between Israeli forces and Palestinian militants in the West Bank in several weeks. The region has seen an increase in fighting in recent months, with tensions fueled by Israeli settlement construction, heightened militant activity in the northern West Bank and the aftermath of a bloody war between Israel and Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip last May.

The Israeli military said it had been tracking the Hamas militants for several weeks and that the raids were launched in response to immediate threats.

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said the militants were about to carry out attacks in real time. He praised the Israeli forces, saying they acted as expected. They engaged the enemy and we back them completely.

In a statement, the military said it launched five simultaneous raids and soldiers opened fire after being shot at in two locations. It said five militants were killed and several others were arrested.

It also said an officer and a soldier were seriously injured, possibly inadvertently by Israeli fire.

The Palestinian Health Ministry said two Palestinians were shot dead near the northern West Bank city of Jenin and three others were killed in Biddu, north of Jerusalem.

Hamas confirmed that four of the dead, including all three killed in Biddu, were members of the Islamic militant group. Palestinian officials said a 16-year-old boy was also among the dead, though it was not immediately known if he was a militant.

The Palestinian Authority, which administers semi-autonomous areas in the West Bank, condemned the killings and said the Israeli government was fully and directly responsible for this bloody morning and the crimes committed by the occupation forces.

But Hamas also criticized the Palestinian Authority, which maintains security coordination with Israel in a shared struggle against the Islamic group.

Hamas spokesman Abdulatif al-Qanou said that recent meetings between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli officials encouraged the occupation again to pursue the resistance.

Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip after seizing it from the Palestinian Authority in 2007, praised those killed as heroic martyrs. It called on its supporters to devise tactics and means that harm the enemy and drain it with all possible forms of resistance.

Also Sunday, Israel released Khalida Jarrar, a prominent Palestinian lawmaker, after nearly two years in prison. Jarrar, a senior figure in the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, has been in and out of Israeli prisons for years  often without being charged.

The PFLP has an armed wing and is considered a terrorist group by Israel and Western countries, but Jarrar has not been implicated in attacks. She was sentenced to two years in prison in March for membership in a banned group but given credit for time already served. She was freed several weeks before her sentence was to end.

Recent months have seen a rise in violence in the West Bank, with more than two dozen Palestinians killed in sporadic clashes with Israeli troops and during protests.

Many of the clashes have occurred near Beita, a Palestinian village where residents regularly demonstrate against an unauthorized settlement outpost, and near Jenin, which is known as a militant stronghold.

Last month, Israeli troops clashed with Palestinian gunmen during a late night raid in Jenin, killing four Palestinians. Sunday's clashes came a week after Israel recaptured the last of six Palestinian fugitives who tunneled out of a maximum-security Israeli prison earlier this month. The escapees were from Jenin, and two were caught there after an extensive search.

Israel captured the West Bank in the 1967 Mideast war and has established dozens of settlements where nearly 500,000 settlers reside. The Palestinians seek the West Bank as part of their future state and view the settlements as a major obstacle to resolving the conflict.

Meanwhile in New York, Israels Prime Minister Naftali Bennett met Sunday evening with officials from the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain to mark this months first anniversary of Israel's relations with the two Arab countries. The so-called Abraham Accords  signed under the Trump administration  have led to the opening of embassies, the launch of direct flights and a raft of agreements to boost economic ties.

Speaking to Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani and UAE Minister of State in the Foreign Ministry Khalifa Shaheen Almarar, Bennett said he wanted to assure them of continuity of the agreements since he replaced Benjamin Netanyahu.

We believe in this relationship and we want to expand it as much as possible," Bennett said.

The Israeli prime minister is to address the U.N. General Assemblys annual meeting of world leaders on Monday morning.

___

Associated Press writer Edith M. Lederer in New York contributed to this report.
PHILADELPHIA (AP)  A Pennsylvania state representative was arrested Friday and has been charged with harassment and violation of a protection from abuse order filed by his wife in what his attorney says was a domestic issue," a newspaper reported.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that the charges against Democratic state Rep. Kevin Boyle came after he was removed from his position as chairman of the state House Finance Committee and had his access to the Capitol limited earlier this month.

Boyles lawyer, R. Emmett Madden, told the newspaper that his arrest Friday was a domestic issue."

He acknowledged that any violation of a protection from abuse order is concerning, but added, it is important to note the fact Kevin Boyle is not accused of any act of violence."

Boyle is scheduled for a mental health evaluation as part of an agreement with the Philadelphia district attorneys office and intends to follow through with all court, mental health and medical recommendations, including treatment, Madden said.

We are optimistic that with treatment, Kevin can return to full health, resolve these charges, and continue serving his constituents, he said.

In a state Saturday, House Republican leaders called the arrest more than troubling and urged him to resign to focus on his personal health and the future well-being of those around him.

House Democratic leaders said they were thankful that Boyle had agreed to undergo evaluation and treatment for ongoing mental health challenges.

Our thoughts and prayers are first and foremost with Rep. Boyles wife and two young children, the statement said.

Boyle said only that Democratic House leaders were given incorrect information" about him over the summer. It is not clear why he was removed from his position on the House Finance Committee or why his access to the Capitol was limited.

Boyle, 41, was released Saturday morning without bail with a court hearing slated Tuesday. He was elected in 2010 to represent parts of northeast Philadelphia and Montgomery County. His brother, U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle, is in his fourth term representing Philadelphia in Congress.
PHILADELPHIA (AP)  The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has joined a federal probe of Pennsylvanias largest pension fund and is seeking among other things records to determine whether improper compensation and gifts may have been offered staff, a newspaper reported.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that the commission is also seeking records earlier sought by the U.S. attorney's office about what officials of the $64 billion Public School Employees Retirement System have called a mistake in calculating the funds long-term investment performance.

The newspaper reported that the subpoena given to the school pension plan Friday was the first indication that investigators are looking into possible presents or money from investment advisers and consultants. State employees are forbidden from accepting such gifts under a ban imposed by Gov. Tom Wolf.

The Securities and Exchange Commission pursues civil rather than criminal complaints and has broad power to impose fines, discipline financial players and order changes. Pension fund system spokesperson Steve Esack said Saturday that the fund had no comment on the SEC action, the newspaper said.

The pension fund board voted nearly unanimously in April to increase contribution rates after revealing in March what it called a consultants erroneous calculation about the funds long-term investment performance that helps determine the balance of payments into the system by taxpayers and school employees.

System officials in April confirmed that the agency had been served with a grand jury subpoena for documents on the the risk-sharing calculations. Federal investigators also sought information on the funds purchases of parcels of land in downtown Harrisburg.

The original calculation  6.38% growth over the nine years ending last June 30  was slightly above a 6.36% growth threshold, thus protecting school employees hired after 2011 from seeing a higher risk-sharing contribution rate kick in.

Following a review, the board said the consultant and a separate firm told the board that the actual nine-year performance figure was 6.34%, thus triggering a risk-sharing provision in law that requires employee contribution rates to rise.

The Pennsylvania chapter of the American Federation of Teachers, representing 36,000-plus school workers in 64 local unions, called for the firing of executives and the resignation of board members who joined the board before this year. The union president said many members will see a pay reduction of as much as $30 to $50 a month.
WELLINGTON, New Zealand  New Zealand's prime minister says the government will start a pilot program of home-isolation for overseas travelers, ahead of what she expects to be increasing vaccination levels.

Currently New Zealanders have to quarantine in hotels for two weeks when they return home from abroad.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Monday a pilot program that will allow New Zealanders to quarantine at home will include 150 business travelers who arrive between Oct. 30 and Dec. 8. The program will involve monitoring and testing.

The only reason that we are running this self-isolation pilot now is in preparation for a highly vaccinated population, Ardern said.

The intention is that in the first quarter of 2022 when more New Zealanders are vaccinated, it will be safer to run self-isolation at home, she added.

Of the eligible population in New Zealand aged 12 and older, 43% had been fully vaccinated, Ardern said.

In Auckland, the nations most populous city which has been locked down since Aug. 17 after the highly-contagious delta variant leaked from hotel quarantine, 82% of the eligible population had at least a single dose of the double-shot Pfizer vaccine, she said.

New Zealand has taken an unusual zero-tolerance approach to the coronavirus and has been trying to completely eliminate the delta variant.

___

MORE ON THE PANDEMIC:

 U.S. has enough COVID-19 vaccines for boosters, kids' shots

 Rowdy celebrations erupt in Norway as COVID restrictions end

 EXPLAINER: Whos eligible for Pfizer booster shots in US?

___

See all of AP's pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic

___

HERES WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING:

SYDNEY  Australias prime minister says he expects his country to open its international border well before the end of the year.

Australian governments have agreed to ease tight restrictions on overseas travel when 80% of the population aged 16 and older was fully vaccinated.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the first steps would allow Australians to leave and

fully vaccinated citizens and permanent residents to return home.

That will occur before the end of the year. It could happen well before that, Morrison told American broadcaster CBS News.

More than 90% of the target age group in Australias most populous state and the worst impacted by the nations COVID-19 outbreak, New South Wales, will be vaccinated by the end of November, New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian said.

New South Wales reported 787 new locally acquired infections on Monday and 12 deaths in the latest 24-hour period.

Sydneys lockdown would ease on Oct. 11 after 70% of the states population had received second doses of vaccine, Berejiklian said. With 85% of the target population already injected with at least a single vaccine dose, the 80% target is expected to be reached two weeks after the 70% benchmark.

On Dec. 1, unvaccinated people are expected to have their pandemic restrictions lifted.

State Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant said she expected 92% of the target population would eventually be vaccinated.

New South Wales has the fastest vaccination rollout in Australia after the Australian Capital Territory.

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SEATTLE  A Washington state trooper who helped develop the agencys use of drones has died after a battle with COVID-19 contracted on duty.

The Washington State Patrol said Detective Eric Gunderson died Sunday surrounded by his family and friends. He was 38. Gunderson frequently traveled around the country to speak about the state patrols use of drones.

The patrol said he contracted COVID-19 on one of those trips. Gunderson helped investigate the 2017 Amtrak derailment in DuPont and his work is credited with reopening roads more quickly after crashes.

He is survived by a wife and two sons. Gundersons death is the first line of duty death for the agency since it marked its 100th anniversary a few weeks ago, Chief John Batiste said. How I had hoped our second century of service would be more forgiving. But serving the public, as we do, has inherent dangers and this pandemic has been a foe to our agency and indeed our state and nation, he said.

Gov. Jay Inslee tweeted his condolences to Gundersons family, friends and colleagues.

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LOS ANGELES  Public health officials have identified more than 200 coronavirus outbreaks at police or fire agencies throughout Los Angeles County since the start of the pandemic, according to data obtained by the Los Angeles Times.

The 211 outbreaks, accounting for more than 2,500 cases between March 2020 and last month, represent 9% of total workplace outbreaks across the county, the newspaper reported Sunday. However, they have continued to occur regularly even as vaccination rates increased among police and fire personnel and the number of individual coronavirus cases per outbreak has fallen since last winter.

The data showed 38 outbreaks at public safety agencies were identified in April of this year  the most in any month since the start of the pandemic. A month later, 35 outbreaks  the second most  were recorded by the county Department of Public Health.

Overall, more than half of the outbreaks occurred at the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles Fire Department, where some employees have filed lawsuits challenging a new rule requiring them to be vaccinated by next month. Thousands have filed notice that they intend to claim a medical or religious exemption from the mandate.

Vaccination rates for LAPD an LAFD employees generally lag behind the 68% of eligible county residents who have gotten their shots.

Critics have accused the police officers and city firefighters of ignoring public safety  and their sworn duties to uphold it  by refusing to get vaccinated.
It's been little more than a month since Kalashnikov-toting Taliban fighters in their signature heavy beards, hightop sneakers and shalwar kameezes descended on the Afghan capital and cemented their takeover. Now theyre vying for a seat in the club of nations and seeking what no country has given them as they attempt to govern for a second time: international recognition of their rule.

The Taliban wrote to the United Nations requesting to address the U.N. General Assembly meeting of leaders that is underway in New York. They argue they have all the requirements needed for recognition of a government. The U.N. has effectively responded to the Taliban's request by signaling: Not so fast.

Afghanistan, which joined the U.N. in 1946 as an early member state, is scheduled to speak last at the General Assembly leaders' session on Monday. With no meeting yet held by the U.N. committee that decides challenges to credentials, it appears almost certain that Afghanistan's current ambassador will give the address this year  or that no one will at all.

The U.N. can withhold or bestow formal acknowledgement on the Taliban, and use this as crucial leverage to exact assurances on human rights, girls' access to education and political concessions. This is where the power  and relevance, even  of the 76-year-old world body still holds.

Afghanistan is a good, and perhaps extreme, representative case study of precisely why the United Nations was founded in the aftermath of World War II, said Rohinton Medhora, president of the Center for International Governance Innovation in Canada.

If youre the U.N. and you want to represent the family of nations, then you want absolutely everyone of the family there  even you know, the distant cousin that not everyones proud of, he said. So the U.N. needs Afghanistan and countries to demonstrate the value of many of its operations."

In Afghanistan, the United Nations can deploy the weight of its vast aid and development programs to show just how crucial its often underfunded agencies are in providing stability and security. The country is facing multiple humanitarian crises and near-total poverty due to fallout from the political situation.

There are already growing calls for aid to be contingent on ensuring girls' access to education. Despite promises to be inclusive and open, the Taliban have yet to allow older girls back to school, have curtailed local media freedoms and returned to brutal practices like publicly hanging dead bodies in city squares.

Taliban does not represent the will of the Afghan people, Afghanistans currently accredited ambassador to the U.N. in Geneva, Nasir Andisha, told The Associated Press.

If the United Nations recognizes the Talibans claim to power, Andisha said, then it sends a corrosive message to others  be it in Yemen or in Myanmar  that they can take up guns, create violence, join with U.S.-designated terrorist groups.

I think for the world, for the United Nations, its time to use this as a leverage, Andisha said.

The Talibans appointed U.N. representative, Suhail Shaheen, a former negotiator and political spokesman, told The Associated Press that his government should be admitted into the club of nations and that all borders, territory and major cities of Afghanistan are in our control.

We have support of our people and because of their support, we were able to continue a successful struggle for independence of our country which culminated in our independence, he said. "We have all the requirements needed for recognition of a government. So we hope the UN as an neutral World Body recognize the current government of Afghanistan.

More than a dozen ministers in the all-Taliban Cabinet are on a U.N. blacklist, including the groups foreign minister, whom Andisha and other Afghan diplomats abroad are refusing to speak to.

Andisha was serving in Geneva under the U.S.-backed government of Ashraf Ghani when the president fled Afghanistan Aug. 15 to seek refuge in the United Arab Emirates as the Taliban encircled the capital. Ghanis government swiftly fell thereafter.

Andisha is still holding meetings with representatives from countries around the world, imploring them to push for the resuscitation of intra-Afghan peace talks. He wants the United Nations to make clear that joining its ranks is not only about holding a country under the barrels of your guns and having enough population taken hostage.

Meanwhile, Qatar has urged countries not to boycott the Taliban, and Pakistan called on nations to avoid isolating the Taliban, and to incentivize them to hold to their promises of renouncing terrorism and being inclusive.

During the Talibans repressive time in power in the late 1990s, only Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates recognized their legitimacy. During that era, the U.N. refused to recognize their government and gave Afghanistans seat to the previous, warlord-dominated government.

The group was then ousted from power in 2001 by a U.S.-led coalition after the 9/11 attacks for harboring al-Qaida.

The United States, which withdrew all its forces from the country last month in a chaotic airlift that ended Americas forever war," says it is critical that the international community remains united in ensuring the Taliban meets a range of commitments before granting legitimacy or support beyond humanitarian aid.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said this is the message he delivered to the U.N. Security Council and others on the sidelines of the General Assembly this week.

The U.S. has significant leverage when it comes to the Taliban," State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters Friday. But we have all the more leverage when we work in coordination and in harmony with our allies and partners around the globe, he added.

Medhora, of the Center for International Governance Innovation, said the U.N. has levers it can use through its various agencies, such as UNICEF, which focuses on children, UNHCR, which assists refugees, and the World Food Program, all where the actual work of the U.N. gets done." This is another area where the United States has major sway as the the largest donor to the United Nations, contributing nearly one-fifth of funding for the bodys collective budget in 2019, according to the Council on Foreign Relations.

In multiple U.N. speeches this past week, a number of world leaders mentioned Afghanistan, including U.S. President Joe Biden and Afghanistans neighbors, such as Pakistan, Iran and Uzbekistan.

Enayat Najafizada, who runs an independent think tank in Kabul that monitors security issues in Afghanistan's provinces, said the U.N. should also facilitate negotiations between Afghan groups and bring the various countries with a history of meddling in the nation on board for the sake of regional security.

Without forming an inclusive government, the country will move to a civil war, said Najafizada, founder of The Institute of War and Peace Studies.

Although what comes next for Afghanistan is far from certain, it is clear the Taliban do not want to be seen as global pariahs, said Kamal Alam, nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council.

"They want a seat at the U.N. They want to go to Davos. They like the private jet lifestyle, he said, referring to the group's political elite who reside in exile in Qatar.

But thats only the political leaders. The foot soldiers on the ground, theres no such thing as the new Taliban, he said. There is no new Taliban. Everything theyre doing is a tactic to get recognition as well as not be isolated.

___

AP journalists Matthew Lee and Kathy Gannon contributed to this report. Dubai-based AP correspondent Aya Batrawy has covered the U.N. General Assembly since 2019. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ayaelb
A purchase offer is in place for a fascinating fortress close to the Most Magical Place on Earth.

Back in the mid-1980s, an intrepid owner began to build a castle on about 2.5 acres in Kissimmee, FL.

As the gentleman aged, he sold the property to somebody who was moving down from the Northeast, says the listing agent Tim Weisheyer, who adds that the buyer had a vision for the property. They expanded the existing home into what it is today and tried to stay true to the architectural theme the original builder set out.

Now listed for $1.05 million, the nearly 8,000-square-foot structure is all castleeverywhere you look.

There are mock drawbridges, a game room leading out to a turret, and stone interior walls with the different suits of armor inside, Weisheyer explains.

Seeing it for the first time surprised him.

When I first went in, I was intrigued to see just how true to the theme the house really was, he says. I always knew what the exterior looked like. But was it really just the shell of the castle on the outside and then a traditional home inside? I'd say probably 80% of it is fully themed out as a castle.

Exterior of castle in Kissimmee, FL Heather Kahoun

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Inside the replica fortress, there are five bedrooms and six bathrooms. All lean into the castle themedoorways, windows, and decor.

The main bathroom has a huge stone tub flanked by a stone wall. Behind that wall lurks an enormous shower.

A welcoming kitchen offers plenty of seating, stone accents, and updated appliances.

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Watch: $3.8 Million Castle in Maine Lords Over the Landscape

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Beyond the structure itself, the homes setting is also fit for a fairy-tale.

It also has this gorgeous kind of winding driveway with a gated entrance," the agent says. "It's kind of secluded and set-back. Even when you come into the property, it really has this unique feel to it that's just super attractive to people.

The zoning is residential, but Weisheyer says several people have expressed an interest in using the property as an event venue.

In the renovation and the expansion of the property, he says, an additional room was added in the back that looks almost like a medieval great hall.

"Its huge, and it's set up for a lot of family events and gatherings, he says.

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The owners are ready to move on to another home in the area and want to pass their castle on to a buyer in search of something different.

It's one of those properties where you're not just buying a home, you really are buying an overall setting. When you pull in, you're literally transported into a different place, Weisheyer says.

Another factor in the extreme interest in the castle? Its proximity to Disneys Magic Kingdom.

We've had a tremendous amount of calls and interest in it, of people saying that theyve always wanted to live in a castle," he says. "Who doesn't want a Walt Disney World fairy-tale castle for themselves?

Outdoor space Heather Kahoun

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The post Dream Come True? $1.1M Fairy-Tale Castle Near Disney World appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com.
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TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras  The rain-heavy remains of Hurricane Eta flooded homes in Honduras on Thursday as the death toll across Central America rose to at least 13. Forecasters said the once-mighty storm was expected to regather form and head toward Cuba and possibly the Gulf of Mexico by early next week.

The storm that hit Nicaragua as a Category 4 hurricane on Tuesday had become more of a vast tropical rainstorm, but it was advancing so slowly and dumping so much rain that much of Central America remained on high alert.

Eta had sustained winds of 30 mph (45 kph) and was moving northwest at 9 mph (15 kph) Thursday. It was centered 80 miles (130 kilometers) south of La Ceiba, Honduras.

Guatemala authorities reported four dead Thursday, adding to seven victims in Honduras and two in Nicaragua. Panamanian authorities reported eight missing.

Two children died when their home collapsed under heavy rains in the central Guatemala department of Quiche, according to a statement by local firefighters. A third person also died in Quiche, but details were not immediately available. President Alejandro Giammattei confirmed a fourth death in a landslide in Chinautla north of the capital Wednesday night.

Authorities reported nearly 100 homes damaged by flooding and landslides in Guatemala.

Heavy rain was forecast to continue across Honduras through at least Thursday as Eta moves toward the northern city of San Pedro Sula.

Honduras Fire Department spokesman Oscar Triminio said the countrys death toll from Eta had risen to seven Thursday. In mountains outside the north coast city of Tela, the body of a girl buried in a landslide Wednesday was recovered by residents. In the same area, a large landslide buried a home with a mother and two children inside it. The community was still inaccessible by road and the bodies had not been recovered, he said.

Triminio said there was also a 2-year-old girl killed in Santa Barbara department when she and her mother were swept away by floodwaters. The mother survived.

Much of the town of Villanueva, just south of San Pedro Sula, was under floodwaters as Thursday dawned. The Ulua river overwhelmed its banks, but there were no immediate reports of deaths.

Dozens of residents of the San Pedro Sula neighborhood of Satelite had to abandon their homes at 4 a.m. Thursday when water from the Chamelecon River arrived at their doorsteps.

Honduran officials earlier reported that a 12-year-old girl died in a mudslide and a 15-year-old boy drowned trying to cross a rain-swollen river. Two other deaths were reported in Nicaragua.

Marvin Aparicio of Honduras emergency management agency said Wednesday that some 457 homes had been damaged, mostly by floodwaters. There were 41 communities cut off by washed out roads and nine bridges in the country were wiped out by swollen rivers.

Among those rescued were Karen Patricia Serrano, her husband and five children. Their home was flooded with waters from the Lancetilla river and they had been in a shelter in the northern city of Tela since Monday.

We lost everything, the 32-year-old woman said. I dont know what were going to do. My husband is 74 years old and because of his age he cant work. I even lost my little animals, she said, referring to chickens, cats and dogs.

Oscar Armando Martinez Flores, his wife and seven children were in the same shelter. Their home near the Lancetilla river also flooded, and they made it out only with the clothes they were wearing.

The rains began Monday and the river overflowed, Martinez said Wednesday. The firefighters and police arrived to take us out because the houses were flooded.

Martinez was already in dire straits before the storm. A construction worker, he hadnt been able to find work in eight months since the coronavirus pandemic began there. He has been selling tortillas to keep his family afloat.

At least eight people were reported missing after flooding and landslides in the Panama province of Chiriqui, which borders Costa Rica.

The situation is worrisome, a lot of help is needed, said Javier Pitti, mayor of Tierras Altas in Chiriqui. Landslides had closed many roads, including the main highway connecting the province to the rest of Panama.

The homes of more than 200 residents of the Ngabe Bugle autonomous Indigenous area were flooded out of their homes.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center forecast that parts of Nicaragua and Honduras could receive 15 to 25 inches (380 to 635 millimeters) of rain, with 40 inches (1,000 millimeters) possible in some isolated parts.

Associated Press writers Sonia Perez D. in Guatemala City, Juan Zamorano in Panama City and Christopher Sherman in Mexico City contributed to this report.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
HELSINKI (AP)  A privately-funded expedition, commissioned by relatives of the victims of the M/S Estonia ferry that sank into the Baltic Sea nearly 27 years ago, will dive into the vessels wreckage this month.

Its the latest attempt to gain more insight into one of Europes worst peacetime maritime disasters.

The goal of the dive, organized by a Estonia-based fund, is to find answers to questions that official joint and separate investigations by Estonia, Finland and Sweden have failed to provide on the vessels fate, the organization said Wednesday.

Although during these decades numerous different investigations have been carried out, they have not been able to give the survivors and close relatives of the deceased exhaustive answers regarding the reason why Estonia perished, the Mare Liberum fund, created in July, said in a statement.

The M/S Estonia ferry, which was traveling from the Estonian capital Tallinn to Stockholm in Sweden, sank in heavy seas on Sept. 28, 1994, killing 852 people, most of them Swedes and Estonians. Only 138 passengers survived.

The Mare Liberum fund, which has backing from victims relatives groups in Estonia and Sweden, said it would organize the two-week dive expedition for late September. The project is headed by Margus Kurm, a former Estonian state investigator into the ferrys sinking, and it is estimated to cost 800,000 euros ($946,000).

Some victims relatives say all previous research into the accident, which has triggered numerous conspiracy theories over the years, had been conducted to hide the real cause of the accident.

This inquiry is very important for us to find the real reason why the M/S Estonia sank, Lennart Berglund, the head of a Swedish victims group SEA, told the Estonian newspaper Postimees.

The wreck of the M/S Estonia lies on the seabed 80 meters (264 feet) below the surface in international waters near the Finnish island of Uto. The wreck is considered a graveyard, which gives the area protection under the law.

It wasnt immediately clear what kind of stance the governments of Estonia, Finland and Sweden would take about the private expedition, which rivals an official dive by Estonian and Swedish authorities that is expected in 2022.

The 1997 official joint investigation by Estonia, Finland and Sweden concluded that the ferry sank as its bow door locks failed in a storm. That separated the bow door from the vessel, causing extensive flooding of the decks that eventually sank the vessel in just 20 minutes.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
These are turbulent times. In the last year, cities have experienced many episodes of civil unrest with significant property damage and loss, physical harm to people.

For our purposes, civil unrest encompasses three types of conduct. First, spontaneous or planned protests can morph into riots or civil commotion with vandalism, looting and wanton destruction. Next, terroristic groups or individuals can cause similar mayhem. Third, individuals, groups or movements motivated by a range of purposes can become violent, at times elevating the level of violence of other protestors by supplying weapons such as Molotov cocktails.

On March 17, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence released an unclassified assessment of domestic violent extremism. The first paragraph states that domestic violent extremists who are motivated by a range of ideologies and galvanized by recent political and societal events in the United States post an elevated threat to the Homeland in 2021.

The lines of this trichotomy can be blurred, with motives and causation difficult or impossible to ascertain or prove. But the distinctions have important consequences for insurance coverage purposes.

The starting point is the policy language, which sets the fundamental structure for coverage. Where questions of interpretation arise, they are resolved by judicial interpretations of state law, which varies across jurisdictions. Coverage determinations can require detailed, deeply drilled-down analysis.

Coverage for protest-based civil unrest

The most likely coverage for civil unrest is commercial property and casualty insurance. Coverage can arise from perils such as riots or civil commotion being identified as a Covered Cause of Loss, or from failure to exclude them. Conversely, some policies expressly exclude these perils. Where policies define these terms, the definitions are of course key. Often, though, policies do not to define these terms. But various statutes and courts have. Common definitions of riot require a public disturbance involving (1) an act of violence by one or more persons in a group of three or more persons, which act constitutes a clear and present danger of, or results in, damage or injury to the property of any other person or to the person of another individual or (2) a threat or threats of the commission of an act of violence by one or more in a group of three or more persons.

Civil commotion definitions are similar to riots, but the term is generally construed as requiring a more serious disturbance or a series of disturbances.

Other related coverages that may apply include vandalism (intentional damage or destruction of property) and malicious mischief (acts motivated by spite or hatred that result in damage or destruction that might not have been intended).

The scope of coverage typically extends to property damage, including destroyed, damaged, burned, or looted property, graffiti damage, and debris removal. There can also be coverage for lost income, subject to waiting periods (typically three days). The insurance may also cover costs incurred to protect against future, imminent harm or continued damage under Protection of Property, Sue and Labor, or similar clauses.

One of the key issues is the number of occurrences, which affects applicable deductibles, limits and sublimits. A policyholder could experience several losses at a single location, or losses at multiple locations, in the same city or in different cities. How many occurrences are there? Policies can sometimes limit the period of time to aggregate losses, or a specific geographic scope, or both. One common limitation is that different losses can be combined into a single occurrence if they took place within a 72-hour period.

One factor that may be important is whether and how Verisks Property Claims Services characterizes the circumstances. For example, PCS has assigned a catastrophe serial number CAT 2033 to losses from the disturbances following the death of George Floyd, running from May 26 to June 8, 2020. The losses took place in many states, and for the first time in its history, PCS expanded its designation to include losses in multiple specified cities and specified states. Note, however, that insurers are not required to follow the ISO CAT designation in making occurrence determinations.

Other complicating factors include the intersection of COVID-19 lockdowns with civil unrest losses. This will likely affect the calculation of many business income losses. There may also be coverage for lost income under a Civil Authority provision if access is prevented by an actual governmental order, although this is complicated because policies most often require actual physical damage to the property or adjoining property, so a purely prophylactic order, deigned to quell a disturbance and prevent further rioting, might not lead to coverage.

Coverage for terrorism

What if the Nashville Christmas Day bomber had been a terrorist?

The essential feature of terrorism is that it uses violence or destruction in an attempt to further political, religious, or ideological aims. The extent of coverage for terrorism varies depending on whether the insured has opted for coverage within the construct of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act and its successors (collectively, TRIA), or under standalone terrorism insurance forms.

Where the source of insurance is TRIA, there is coverage under commercial property and casualty insurance for an act of terrorism. Using the Patriot Act definition, such an act would need to be performed with the intent to intimidate or coerce the civilian population or to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion. TRIA requires the act of terrorism be certified as such by the secretary of the treasury in consultation with the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security and the attorney general. Aggregate losses must be at least $5 million, but many state regulations do not allow this requirement to be used as a basis for denying coverage for an individual loss. The attack must be in the US or against certain US property or interests abroad. In an important recent change, the terrorists can be either foreign or domestic. (There are other limitations and requirements applicable to whether the US government backstop reimbursing insurers for a portion of the losses applies, but they are not relevant to the present discussion.)

The most salient point is that the US Government has never certified anything as a terrorist event. And certainly the present polarized environment would make it extremely difficult to make a designation in the context of domestic terrorism, because whether the terrorists were thought to be from the right or left could warp priorities and trump rational analysis.

For these reasons and others, many insureds opt out of TRIA and obtain coverage through standalone terrorism Insurance. These specialty policies are not subject to the certification requirement of TRIA, and they can be individually-crafted to address an insureds crucial exposures within a broader range of risks. Terms, conditions, limits and deductibles are individually negotiated. Terrorism can be defined broadly as any act or acts committed for political, religious or ideological purposes. Other perils can be included, such as vandalism, malicious damage, riots, strikes, civil commotion, insurrection, rebellion, revolution, and sabotage (subversive acts committed for political, religious or ideological purposes). Among other bespoke features, business interruption extensions can be broad and interruption periods can be long, e.g.,18 months. Coverage for threats leading to revenue loss also can be added, such as loss of revenue from a sporting event cancellation.

Note also that personal lines policies do not exclude terrorism at all.

The grey area of extremist actors

There is a grey area, inhabited by individuals and groups having both political beliefs or aspirations, on either side of the political spectrum, and a predisposition for violence. They may or may not have specific intent to coerce, influence, or overthrow a government. They may simply want to break things. How are they treated?

Most war exclusions include concepts such as insurrection, rebellion, and revolution. Arguably, some of the attacks by militant individuals or groups might fall into these. However, some legal interpretations have held that an insurrection or rebellion must be part of a movement specifically intended to overthrow the constituted government. This leaves open questions, such as whether their intent has to be realistic. What if there is no chance they will overthrow the government, yet that is the intent of their group or movement? What if their motivating ideology is too fanciful to be credible, such as QAnon? Do the insurrection and rebellion exclusions apply?

America is a deeply divided nation, with many people driven to expression in the streets, and regrettably, too many inclined toward violence. Ultimately, every serious problem becomes an insurance problem. The trauma of civil unrest is no different.

About the photo: In this July 26, 2020, file photo, federal officers launch tear gas at demonstrators during a Black Lives Matter protest at the Mark O. Hatfield U.S. Courthouse in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 26)  Reacting to President Rodrigo Duterte's new threat to use military force supposedly to keep the peace in next year's national elections, Vice President Leni Robredo said on Sunday that the chief executive should stop using the military for his scare tactics.

During her weekly radio show, Robredo said Filipino armed soldiers have been helping to maintain peace and order, not just during elections.

"Ang hindi ko lang alam ay kung bakit ganun ang tone, parang ginagamit ang militar para takutin ang mamamayan. Kahit sa pandemic, ganun din," she said.

"Ang mga militar, professionals ito. Sana 'wag silang gamitin para takutin ang mga mamamayan," she added.

[Translation: What I just don't understand is the tone, as if the military is being used to intimidate the people. Even in a pandemic, that's the case. The military, they are professionals. I hope they are not used to intimidate the people.]

Last week, Duterte said the presence of the military will ensure the peaceful conduct of the 2022 general elections.

READ: Duterte threatens to use military to ensure 'peaceful' 2022 polls

"I'm pleading, almost praying, that people will really stick to the rule of law and avoid violence. Kasi 'pag hindi unahan ko na kayo (Because if not, I'll make the first move)... I will be forced to use the might of the military," Duterte said during a speech at the inauguration of the Sultan Kudarat Provincial Hospital.

"Either we have an election that is free or I will use the military to see that the election is free," he warned. "I could call them anytime to see to it that people are protected and elections freely, orderly exercised," Duterte added.

The Commission on Elections has the power to place an area under its control if the political situation there gets to affect the conduct of elections, according to the poll body's Resolution No. 10481.

This means Comelec will take immediate and direct supervision overall national and local officials in the area, and can exercise control over all law enforcement agencies as well as the military.

In a separate statement Sunday, the chief of the Philippine National Police said it continues to take necessary measures to ensure "peaceful and honest" elections.

Sunod-sunod na ang aming matagumpay na operasyon sa ibat-ibang panig ng bansa na nagresulta sa pagkakahuli ng mga gun-runners, mga miyembro ng private armed groups at pagkakakumpiska ng maraming baril na maaring gamitin upang mandaya at isabotahe ang Halalan 2022, said PNP Chief Police General Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar in the message to the public.

Patuloy ang aming mga intelligence build-up at monitoring sa ibat-ibang panig ng bansa lalo na sa mga lugar na may kasaysayan ng election violence. Target natin dito ang mga private armed groups at mga baril na maari nilang gamitin sa paghasik ng karahasan, he added.

[Translation: Our successful operations in various parts of the country have resulted in the arrest of gun-runners, members of private armed groups and the confiscation of many firearms that could be used to manipulate and sabotage Election 2022. Our intelligence build-up and monitoring continue in various parts of the country, especially in areas with a history of election violence. We are targeting private armed groups and guns that they can use to sow violence.]
Victoria reveals cybersecurity strategy

The Victoria government will invest more than $50 million in a five-year strategy to protect businesses from cybercrime, to promote growth of the local cybersecurity industry, and to create jobs.

The Victoria Cyber Strategy 2021 has three core delivery missions: the safe and reliable delivery of government services; a cybersafe place to work, live, and learn; and a vibrant cyber economy. The states chief information security officer (CISO) will release annual mission-delivery plans that outline specific activities, which will be followed by annual statement on the progress of activities.

The first years focus will be on strengthening security for government online services and communications. During the next four years, the strategy will focus on growing opportunities for innovation and jobs growth, which has started to happen with IPSec implementing the state governments security operations centre that has created 14 jobs.

Porter is out; Australia has its eighth tech minister in less than a decade

Six months after his appointment as minister for industry, science, and technology, Christian Porter resigned after he failed to provide information about the secret donor who paid for part of his defamation case against the ABC.

In a statement, Porter said: Some people wanted to help in that course [action against the ABC] by supporting my defamation case. They contributed to a trust on the basis of confidentiality and a belief that their contribution would remain confidential within the rules of disclosure.

He said he understand the questions raised in the media about the financial arrangements to help fund the now-settled litigation, and he believed he provided the information required under the Members Register of Interests. Ultimately, after a conversation with the Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Porter decided to resign from his ministerial role.

Porter was the seventh tech minister appointed in eight years. Two months after his appointment, the Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA) released a paper saying that the Australian federal government should appoint a chief technologist to increase trust in emerging technologies and provide a link between the government and the public. One of the reasons for CEDAs suggestion was a ministerial musical chair.

Angus Taylor, minister for energy and emissions reduction, has been appointed acting minister for industry, science, and technology. Taylor had been minister for cybersecurity right up to the day before Scott Morrison was named prime minister.

CompTIA updates Network+ certification

CompTIA has updated its Network+ certification to include IP addressing, connecting networks, wireless standards and technologies, network availability, and securing and hardening networks. The certification focuses on validating skills needed to stablish, maintain, and troubleshoot networks.

According to the organisation, its Network+ certification can benefit junior network administrators, data centre support technicians, network engineers, system administrators, network operations centre technicians, telecommunications technicians, and cable technicians.

Telco complaints from small businesses reach three-year high

The Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) annual report for the year ending 30 June 2021 registered the highest number of complaints from small businesses in the last three years. Complaints from small businesses increased 6.6%, reaching 19,689 in total.

The TIO report registers complaints about phone and internet services. Complaints about financial loss related to phone or internet issues were up by 13.3%, and complaints about not having a working phone or internet service increased by 6.5%. Complaints about internet services made up 20% of all small businesses complaints, with almost 4,000 in total.
Cn.savillswebmail.com scored 51 Social Media Impact. Social Media Impact score is a measure of how much a site is popular on social networks. 2.5/5.0 Stars by Social Team

This CoolSocial report was updated on 10 Sep 2019, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want.

The total number of people who shared the cn.savillswebmail homepage on Google Plus by a google +1 button. The total number of people who shared the cn.savillswebmail homepage on Delicious. This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared the cn.savillswebmail homepage on Twitter + the total number of cn.savillswebmail followers (if cn.savillswebmail has a Twitter account). This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared, liked or recommended the cn.savillswebmail homepage on Facebook + the total number of page likes (if cn.savillswebmail has a Facebook fan page). The total number of people who shared the cn.savillswebmail homepage on StumbleUpon.

Basic Information

PAGE TITLE Sign in to Outlook DESCRIPTION KEYWORDS OTHER KEYWORDS



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. The keywords meta-tag found in the head section of the homepage. The URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is the address of the site. The title found in the head section of the homepage.

Domain and Server

DOCTYPE HTML 5.0 CHARSET AND LANGUAGE English UTF-8English DETECTED LANGUAGE English English SERVER OPERATIVE SYSTEM

The language of cn.savillswebmail.com as detected by CoolSocial algorithms. Type of server and offered services. Operative System running on the server. Represents HTML declared type (e.g.: XHTML 1.1, HTML 4.0, the new HTML 5.0) 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 cn.savillswebmail.com 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 total number of people who like website Facebook page. Facebook Timeline is the new layout of Facebook pages. A Facebook page link can be found in the homepage or in the robots.txt file. The description of the Facebook page describes website and its services to the social media users. The URL of the found 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
Electroscopes.com scored 43 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 25 Feb 2013, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want.

The total number of people who shared the electroscopes homepage on Delicious. The total number of people who shared the electroscopes homepage on Google Plus by a google +1 button. This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared the electroscopes homepage on Twitter + the total number of electroscopes followers (if electroscopes has a Twitter account). The total number of people who shared the electroscopes homepage on StumbleUpon. This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared, liked or recommended the electroscopes homepage on Facebook + the total number of page likes (if electroscopes has a Facebook fan page).

Basic Information

PAGE TITLE Electroscopes - Long Range Metal Detectors, Treasure Finder DESCRIPTION KEYWORDS OTHER KEYWORDS treasure, treasure hunting, hunting, electroscopes, we have, the treasure, an electroscope



The description 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 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.

Domain and Server

DOCTYPE HTML 4.01 Transitional CHARSET AND LANGUAGE ISO-8859-1 DETECTED LANGUAGE English English SERVER Microsoft-IIS/6.0 (ASP.NET and ChiliTech (www.chilitech.com),ASP.NET) OPERATIVE SYSTEM Windows Server 2003 Windows Server 2003

Type of server and offered services. The language of electroscopes.com as detected by CoolSocial algorithms. 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)

Site Traffic trend during the last year. Only available for sites ranked <= 100000 in the world.

Referring domains for electroscopes.com 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 total number of people who tagged or talked about website Facebook page in the last 7-10 days. Facebook Timeline is the new layout of Facebook pages. 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. The URL of the found Facebook page. The total number of people who like website Facebook page.

Twitter account link

TWITTER PAGE LINK NOT FOUND
Congratulations, hairhospital.co.uk got a very good Social Media Impact Score! Show it by adding this HTML code on your site:

Hairhospital.co.uk scored 84 Social Media Impact. Social Media Impact score is a measure of how much a site is popular on social networks. 4/5.0 Stars by Social Team

This CoolSocial report was updated on 15 Aug 2014, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want.

hairhospital.co.uk is very popular in Twitter. It has 81 twitter followers.

Add a widget like this on your site: click here

This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared the hairhospital homepage on Twitter + the total number of hairhospital followers (if hairhospital has a Twitter account). The total number of people who shared the hairhospital homepage on Delicious. The total number of people who shared the hairhospital homepage on StumbleUpon. This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared, liked or recommended the hairhospital homepage on Facebook + the total number of page likes (if hairhospital has a Facebook fan page). The total number of people who shared the hairhospital homepage on Google Plus by a google +1 button.

Basic Information

PAGE TITLE Hair Hospital - Hair & Scalp Care Expert Andrea Close DESCRIPTION Hair Hospital offers you expert advice, care & treatment following hair transplant / restoration surgery, Alopecia, baldness, stress related hair loss, etc. KEYWORDS OTHER KEYWORDS hair loss, scalp, revolution, fibres, hair hospital, hair fibres, revolution hair



The keywords meta-tag found in the head section of the homepage. The description 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.

Domain and Server

DOCTYPE XHTML 1.0 Strict CHARSET AND LANGUAGE English (United States) UTF-8English (United States) DETECTED LANGUAGE English English SERVER Apache/2.4.10 (Unix) OpenSSL/1.0.1e-fips mod_bwlimited/1.4 (PHP/5.3.28) OPERATIVE SYSTEM Linux Linux

Operative System running on the server. Type of server and offered services. 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 hairhospital.co.uk as detected by CoolSocial algorithms.

Site Traffic trend during the last year. Only available for sites ranked <= 100000 in the world.

Referring domains for hairhospital.co.uk by MajesticSeo. High values are a sign of site importance over the web and on web engines.

Facebook link

FACEBOOK PAGE LINK FOUND FACEBOOK PAGE www.facebook.com/HairHospitalLTD DESCRIPTION LIKES PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT PAGE TYPE TIMELINE PAGE NO TIMELINE

The total number of people who tagged or talked about website Facebook page in the last 7-10 days. The type of Facebook page. The URL of the found 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. The total number of people who like website Facebook page. Facebook Timeline is the new layout of Facebook pages.

Twitter account link

TWITTER PAGE LINK FOUND TWITTER PAGE twitter.com/#!/hair_hospital DESCRIPTION Hair Hospital can detox any Hair & Scalp problem. I believe every one needs to know what their hair loss scalp condition is and how to best deal with it! ACCOUNT CREATED ON 09 Aug 2011 LOCATION Northern Ireland TWEETS 67 FOLLOWERS 81 LISTED 1
Capitalism demands profit. An infinitely increasing, all-devouring profit that will one day eat the stars themselves, and maybe also make a few bucks for the shareholders. Companies now desperately work their employees to the bone, constantly instituting productivity schemes that slowly turn our reality into an episode of Black Mirror . And not even a good episode, but one of those middle ones you skip after reading the synopsis. We're talking about how ...

6 Amazon Is Turning Warehouse Jobs Into Competitive Video Games

For big businesses, increasing productivity is a tightrope act. The trick is to keep productivity as high as possible while keeping your suicide net budget as low as possible. Which is why places like Amazon love the idea of gamification, whereby they turn menial jobs into games. Unfortunately, they mean The Hunger Games.

Gamification is used in everything from education to marketing to trick people into doing what they hate with the promise of a gold star, a victorious "ding," and a position on the leaderboard. Inside businesses, gamification has only one purpose: maximizing productivity. And Amazon, not content with forcing their shelf-stackers to merely pretend they're playing the suckiest game of Tetris, has now started making actual video games to help their warehouse workers stomp on the shells of tedium.

Scott Lewis/Flickr "Only 500 more boxes until I get to power up -- that is, go home and drink myself to sleep."

In five of the company's experimental warehouses (think Fallout Vaults, but with more dystopian gloom), the work panels now show colorful games complementing various tasks, each with names pulled straight out of the hokiest freemium apps. So in "MissionRacer," every box an employee grabs with the robo-arm speeds along a race car, while "CastleCrafter" lets the ones putting away said boxes build a digital fortress for their glorious god-king Jeff Bezos. They're like medieval serfs, except serfs were allowed pee breaks.
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However, they don't always win their legal battles. In 2009, the League lost its protracted battle against the bar smoking ban, another measure aimed at helping public health. Whether or not you agree with the ban is not the issue because the Tavern League's power, even in failure, was on full display in this fight. Not only was Wisconsin one of the very last states to make the ban law, but the League successfully negotiated a one-year grace period before smoking was gone altogether.

And finally, two little things showcase their ability to get what they want in the Badger-filled state (Wisconsin is just covered in Badgers, right? Like some states have lots of birds, but they just have Badgers everywhere?). First, they consistently lobby against the school year starting before Labor Day,t as it does in most other places. Why would they do this? Well, they need labor for the busy holiday week and weekend! Through as much of the summer as possible. And who are the servers in all these bars and restaurants? Kids, high school and college kids, who aren't gonna have free hours for work once school starts.

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The other little thing, which is much more inconvenient than needing underage labor, is trying to buy alcohol, not from a bar, after 9 pm. Because it's not possible unless you are fortunate enough to live in a municipality where the ordinances allow for it. Otherwise, no buying a six-pack on your way home from work. Can't have competition for the bars in the evenings, right? You wanna drink, go spend extra for the experience at the local watering hole (or holes, because seeing as there are 2.7 bars per grocery store, it is more than likely you've got options even in your town of 500 people).

Andrew Coop/Unsplash There are many reasons for this ban, all of which are lies.

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The point of all of this isn't to shame drinking or people who like to drink, because guess what: I like to drink too! I even like the drinking culture of Wisconsin; I grew up in it! It's fun when it's fun! The problem is, sometimes that fun gets out of hand, and the responsible thing to do is to set boundaries. In the United States, that job is up to the government. But when setting those boundaries get repeatedly thrown off course by the very people those boundaries are trying to rein in, well, that seems like a problem.

If Reddit is any indication (let's be honest, it's not totally), local opinions seem to match this article. And as additional evidence, here's a couple of editorials and articles arguing the same things. The Tavern League has an inordinate amount of influence on local, state-level politics. You can't fault them for looking out for their members, but you can fault them for doing that at the expense of both public safety and for stifling competition in a separate industry (legal weed for those not following through the haze of their legal hotboxes).

Top Image: Gonzalo Remy/Unsplash
Eighteen months ago, software company Criterion, mental health care provider Autism Behavioral Health and wholesale distributor The Star Supply Co., were grappling with the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Today, the pandemic is far from over, but the three firms have demonstrated their ability to navigate the global health crisis by focusing on their employees well-being and communicating effectively with their staffs.

Executives at the three companies all said they have navigated the pandemic without any workplace outbreaks of COVID-19 cases. Each of these firms is recommending, but not requiring, vaccinations for their employees.

The trio make up the top three finishers in the small employers category of Hearst Connecticut Medias 2021 Top Workplaces awards.

Criterion, in Norwalk, with 52 employees, has participated in the contest for two years and finished No. 1 among small employers both years.

We think having lots of collaboration and dialogue, as opposed to telling people what to do, is working very well. Criterion CEO Sunil Reddy said in an interview.

Criterion reopened its offices at the Merritt 7 complex in Norwalk this summer. The company welcomed employees back but didnt require that they return to the office.

As long as it works for all parties  the employees, the company and the clients  then it doesnt matter where our employees work, Reddy said.

Danbury-based Autism Behavioral Health, founded in 2016, has also participated in the contest for two years and finished in the No. 2 position both years. The business created a six-phase reopening plan in May 2020. The roadmap included COVID-19 safety protocols for its employees and the individuals and family members affected by Autism Spectrum Disorder who receive services.

We believe strongly that our strength as a company is our ability to be thoughtfully engaged with every single employee. This means being receptive to all feedback and providing opportunities for our team to grow their careers with us, said Jessie Wong, ABHs founder and executive director. At the end of the day, we are serving the common goal of providing evidence-based applied behavior analysis therapy with clinical excellence.

Star Supply, which describes itself as New

Englands largest single-location HVAC and refrigeration distributor, ranked No. 3 in the category. As a source of pride, the family-owned company cited its ability to avoid any layoffs in the past 18 months.

Founded in 1959, the company employs about 50 people, who are based at its headquarters at 118 Gando Drive in New Haven. Because the company was government-designated as an essential business, it has kept the facility open throughout the pandemic. Covering more than 100,000 square feet, the site includes a warehouse and offices.

Employees are always our biggest strength, said Star Supply President Greg Cohen. We want to make sure we treat them well and with respect and understand the challenges they face personally and in the workplace. We see how we can support them so they can perform to their best.

More Information Hearst Connecticut Media Top Workplaces 2021 small employers No. 1: Criterion Headquarters: Norwalk Number of employees: 52 Number of years ranked in Top Workplaces: 2 No. 2: Autism Behavioral Health Headquarters location: Danbury Number of employees: 50 Number of years ranked in Top Workplaces: 2 No. 3: The Star Supply Co. Headquarters location: New Haven Number of employees: 48 Number of years ranked in Top Workplaces: 4 See More Collapse

Criterion, ABH and Star Supply will not be affected by a new federal mandate that all employers with more than 100 workers require their staffs to be vaccinated or test for the virus weekly.

Theres only a handful of people who havent gotten it, Cohen said, at Star Supply.

While they have not mandated vaccines, ABH officials said that the organization will be in compliance with all requirements listed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services in regards to vaccination mandates. Based on a recent anonymous survey, 82 percent of ABH employees have been vaccinated  slightly higher than the percentage for all eligible Connecticut residents but well below the national average.

Most Criterion employees are vaccinated, based on internal conversations, Reddy said.

At the same time, the three firms are making many hires. Criterion  whose software focuses on HR services such as recruiting, talent development and payroll for mid-level companies  is planning to expand its workforce by 10 percent to 20 percent during the next year, with openings in areas such as sales and project management.

Were excited to keep growing, Reddy said. I think were going in the right direction.

The company was founded in 1984 as Perfect Software. It rebranded to its current name in 2014, revamping its entire culture and relocating from another Norwalk office complex.

Autism Behavioral Health has expanded its applicant pool. It has realized that there are many qualified professionals in applicable and related fields such as special education and health care, according to Wong.

The pandemic has also encouraged us to implement a more comprehensive benefits package, which includes special recognition for merit on top of our medical benefits, vacation, holiday, sick policy, 401k retirement saving plan etc., said Wong, who is also clinical dirctor. This has the dual effect of both attracting more potential employees and demonstrating to our current staff that their effort and dedication is recognized.

Indicative of a labor market with many openings, the three companies are not immediately filling all of their positions. But they said they need rigorous criteria for new recruits to maintain the work environment that their employees praised in the Top Workplaces surveys.

Finding the right people for our team has definitely been a challenge, Cohen said. We take employment very seriously, and we want to make sure that they match that culture. Keeping the culture is very important to us.

pschott@stamfordadvocate.com
Cathy Zuraw / Cathy Zuraw

Reuben Bradford, the first Black commissioner for the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, died Wednesday morning at the age of 75, according to officials.

Bradford also served 22 years with the Connecticut State Police, entering the academy in 1974 and retiring as a major in 1996, the Connecticut State Police said Thursday.
A viral social media trend is encouraging young users to vandalize school bathrooms across the state and experts say dealing with the problem shouldnt end with the immediate consequences for the property destruction.

TikToks devious licks challenge has users share videos of damaged school property like broken mirrors and sinks, soap and towel dispensers, and toilets and urinals. The national trend has popped up in Weston, Fairfield, Darien and Westport, as well as Norwalk, Middletown and New Britain.

In school districts, consequences have ranged in severity, from bathroom closures and teachers moonlighting as facility monitors to threats of suspensions, expulsions and police involvement.

So what would prompt a young person to partake in these risky trends?

While online platforms can give teenagers the opportunity to feel connected, they can also elevate social status and shape reputations. With the devious licks challenge, youth copy the general concept, but add their unique spin by creating their own short videos.

Yes, people want to be recognized for doing something slightly differently, said Dr. Amber Childs, a clinical psychologist and assistant professor of psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine. But at the same time, theyre all trying to fit in.

Dr. Margaret McClure, a professor of psychology at Fairfield University and a clinical psychologist who specializes in adolescence, said that during adolescence, peer influence becomes stronger while that of family weakens.

That effect is multiplied by social media, which has increased young peoples social circles and strengthened those ties. The pandemic, which has forced people into their homes, likely escalated the influence of finding social support from peers online, McClure said.

Experts said although adults should take steps to discourage risky and, in this case, illegal behavior, the response cannot stop there.

While its important to think through monitoring, its also really important to have conversations about that teenagers values: who they want to be in the world, what they want to represent, Childs said.

Spreading quickly

In response to the media reports, representatives for the platform posted on Twitter: We expect our community to create responsibly  online and IRL (in real life). Were removing content and redirecting hashtags & search results to our Community Guidelines to discourage such behavior. Please be kind to your schools & teachers.

One of the earliest publicized incidents in Connecticut was in Weston, where a local high school reported several cases of vandalism in the bathrooms last week.

We are asking that you also speak with your children about the dangers and consequences of engaging in illicit acts and posting them on social media, wrote Juliane Givoniy, the interim principal, and Joe Mogollon, a school resource officer, in a letter to families.

Later that week in Fairfield, middle and high schools were enveloped by the trend. District officials said those involved had been disciplined, including detentions, restorative practices, and held responsible for repairs.

Please talk to your kids and let them know that this is not a harmless prank, but destruction of school property that has very serious consequences, Superintendent Mike Cummings notified families.

Westport, too, saw soap and towel dispensers torn off walls, soap spread over the bathroom floors, and a urinal screen shoved into a sink drain that caused a flood.

The incidents spurred new rules at Bedford Middle School: unsupervised boys bathrooms were locked, and teachers are requiring students sign in and out of classrooms to use the facilities. Families were alerted that students will be disciplined and, in some cases, referred to the Westport Police Department.

Most concerning to me is the negative impact on our school culture and sense of trust, Adam Rosen, the middle school principal, told parents.

The challenge made its way to Norwalk, Darien and Stamford, too, and outside Fairfield County, incidents popped up in Middletown, New Britain and Glastonbury.

The trend has spread so quickly and so widely that on Monday Fran Rabinowitz, who heads the Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents, joined a news conference with U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., calling on TikTok to take action.

We need to sit down with these students, Rabinowitz told Hearst Connecticut Media. We need to talk about why they felt the need to do this.

I know developmentally, there is a great deal to be said about peer influence, and thats why I have so much anger at TikTok  that I feel theyre exploiting our kids, she added.

Teaching moment

McClure and Childs said that childrens brains at that age are still growing, which could make them feel invincible in a way that is typical of adolescence.

The prefrontal cortex is developing in such a way that the foresight to appreciate the full weight of the consequences  legal and physical  is still really maturing, Childs said.

That could also lead them to see a greater chance for fame and success on these platforms.

Some young individuals are seeing that if you get a certain amount of likes, hits and shares, you get advertisers reaching out to you, and compensated for what you put out there, said Marcus Stallworth, a licensed social worker who helped pass legislation in Connecticut on using social media safely in public schools. Theres only a handful, but theres enough to think, Maybe I can circumvent this whole system?

Stallworth said educators and school staff have to think about how they respond to this behavior, and suggested clinicians on the ground could be part of that conversation.

Find ways to make it teachable moments, learning opportunities, he said, and guide their critical thinking around what the impacts can be.
BANGKOK (AP)  In his speech last week to open the U.N. General Assembly, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres bracketed Myanmar with Afghanistan and Ethiopia as nations where "peace and stability remain a distant dream.

He declared unwavering support for the people of the turbulent, military-ruled Southeast Asia state in their pursuit of democracy, peace, human rights and the rule of law.

But the situation in Myanmar after the armys seizure of power eight months ago has become an extended bloody conflict with ever-escalating violence. Yet the U.N. is unlikely to take any meaningful action against Myanmar's new rulers because they have the support of China and Russia.

China and Russia are among the top arms suppliers to Myanmar, as well as ideologically sympathetic to its ruling military. Both are members of the Security Council, and would almost certainly veto any effort by the U.N. to impose a coordinated arms embargo, or anything beyond an anodyne call for peace.

When Myanmars army ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, it claimed with scant evidence that the general election her party won last November in a landslide was marred by massive voting fraud. The takeover almost immediately sparked widespread street protests that security forces tried to crush. The pushback has left more than 1,100 people dead, according to U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet and right groups.

The militarys iron grip on power faces resistance from large segments of the society. Weapons of war continue to be deployed in towns and cities to suppress opposition, Bachelet said in a statement. These disturbing trends suggest the alarming possibility of an escalating civil war.

Human rights groups have cataloged many abuses by government forces, including the use of deadly force against peaceful civilian protesters and forced disappearances. But the armys foes have also turned to terror, as even its sympathizers admit. Local administrators who refuse to abandon their posts are targeted for assassination, as are civilians tagged as informers.

Sabotage and assassinations, these are not the norms in civilized society, Mon Yee Kyaw, executive director of the Myanmar-based Nyan Lynn Thit Analytica think tank, said in an email interview. But due to the violence perpetrated by the military, tactics of bombings and assassination were adopted as defensive measures, she said from Thailand, where she is currently located.

People believe unquestionably that they need to take actions to vanquish the military before the monster kills the people, she said.

The stakes are big, Bachelet warned. The national consequences are terrible and tragic. The regional consequences could also be profound, she said. The international community must redouble its efforts to restore democracy and prevent wider conflict before it is too late.

Myanmar opposition forces have one small consolation. It has been reported that the General Assemblys Credentials Committee, which each session goes through the formality of approving each countrys permanent representative, will temporarily put off its decision on Myanmars permanent representative.

The current envoy, Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun, switched his allegiance soon after Februarys takeover to the oppositions underground National Unity Government, which styles itself as the legitimate alternative to the ruling generals. For at least a couple of months, he appears likely to keep his seat  or at least deny it to an appointee of the military government.

It is a rare feather in the diplomatic cap of the shadow government, which has not been recognized by any nation, but it reportedly comes at the cost of the envoy remaining silent during discussions in the world body, including Monday's scheduled opportunity to speak for his nation.

Countries sympathetic to the opposition, such as the United States and Britain, have enacted diplomatic and economic sanctions that pose a major inconvenience to the ruling generals. But pleas for more decisive intervention, such as under the humanitarian doctrine of right to protect, long ago fell on deaf ears.

The National Unity Government aspires to forge anti-military forces into an army, and on Sept. 7 called for a nationwide uprising, declaring a peoples defensive war. It has reached out to ethnic minority militias in the border regions where they are dominant, and have been fighting the central government for greater autonomy for decades.

With up to 70 years of combat experience, groups such as the Kachin in the north and the Karen in the east have the potential to put extra pressure on the government. Some also provide military training for militants and safe havens for opposition leaders.

Its hard to say if it will be productive and what the long-term consequences might be, Christina Fink, a professor of International Affairs at George Washington University in Washington, D.C, said by email.

The regime certainly has the advantage in terms of military expertise, weapons, equipment, and manpower," Fink said. "The military is suffering from the resistance, but whether these tactics will result in the military conceding is not clear.
COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP)  After a half-century, the flower-power aura of Copenhagens semi-autonomous Christiania neighborhood hasn't yet wilted. Love-ins with the authorities have hardly been a trademark of the neighborhood.

But Christiania's residents are determined to preserve its reputation as a free-wheeling society with hash dealers, political idealists and aging hippies.

It has become more and more an established part of Copenhagen, said Ole Lykke, a resident of 42 years at the enclave near downtown Copenhagen. The philosophy of community and common property still exists. Out here we do things in common."

After more than four decades of locking horns with authorities, Christiania's future was secured in 2012 when the state sold the 84-acre (24-hectare) enclave for 85.4 million kroner ($13.5 million) to a foundation owned by its inhabitants.

The residents  nearly 700 adults and about 150 children  now rent their homes from the foundation and are financially responsible for all repair and maintenance work to the roughly 240 buildings. The new arrangement scrapped a more complex system for use of the land and to pay for rent and utilities.

It all started as a stunt 50 years ago, when a small counterculture newspaper that needed an outrageous story for its front page staged an invasion" of an abandoned 18-century naval base. Six friends with air rifles and a picnic basket entered the former military facility base, proclaimed it a free state on Sept. 26, 1971, took some photos and went home. The paper ran the story, urging young people to take the city bus and squat the barracks.

Hippies flocked to what they dubbed Christiania  no one remembers why they picked that name  that evolved into a counterculture, freewheeling oasis with psychedelic-colored buildings, free marijuana, limited government influence, no cars and no police. In 1973, it was recognized as a social experiment. Later, residents were given the right to use the land, but not to own it.

The enclaves inhabitants banned hard drugs in 1980. Hashish sales  part of the enclave's philosophy and a very lucrative trade worth millions  was tolerated there by authorities until 2004. That's when police started to crack down on the hashish trade  bought and sold openly from colorful booths that stand on the aptly named Pusher Street. The booths were taken down several times to preempt police action, fearing they could lead to evictions.

The hashish trade in Christiania is still thriving despite the crackdown, even though Denmark has banned the drug. Drug-related tensions in the enclave escalated in 2016 when a drug deader shot two police officers and a bystander. The 25-year-old dealer was arrested, but died of wounds he suffered in the shootout.

The violence hasn't detracted Christiania from staking its claim as "a Copenhagen neighborhood like any other but with its own administration, a building that acts like a town hall, a post office and its own flag  three yellow dots on a red background.

The 50th anniversary celebrations are being held over four days and include parades, speeches  the Copenhagen mayor has been invited to address the crowds  exhibitions, workshops, shows and concerts.

Over the years, Christiania has become one of Copenhagens biggest tourist attractions with residents offering guided tours in several languages. Several travel books and even official tourism material highlight the enclave.

Christiania's cafes, eateries, shops and concert halls and even its Christmas market have been a magnet over the years for many including celebrities like Bob Dylan, Metallica, Red Hot Chili Peppers and The Smashing Pumpkins. Needless to say, the hashish there is pretty popular too.
LIBERTY, Mo. (AP)  Supporters of a man who has been in prison for more than 30 years for killing his wife are upset that the Jackson County prosecutor hasn't been willing to use a new law to give him another chance to prove his innocence, but her office says there is no new evidence to consider in the case.

Ken Middleton, 77, was sentenced in 1991 to life plus 200 years in the shooting death of his wife, Kathy Middleton, at their Blue Springs home on Feb. 20, 1990. He has always maintained his innocence and turned down a plea deal in 2004 that could have led to his release.

After a hearing in 2005 that included testimony and evidence, then-Jackson County Circuit Court Judge Edith Messina, who presided over the first trial, vacated Middletons 1991 conviction and ordered that he should have a new trial.

But in 2006, a Missouri appeals court denied the new trial, ruling only on jurisdictional grounds, not the question of Middleton's guilt. His requests for clemency or a pardon have been unsuccessful.

Middleton's legal options seemed to be exhausted until the Missouri Legislature passed a bill this year that allows local prosecutors to seek to have convictions set aside if there is evidence the person was innocent or that a constitutional error occurred in previous legal proceedings.

We can prove both, if given the opportunity, Middletons attorney Kent Gipson said in an interview.

Gipson sent a letter in June to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker asking her to reconsider Middleton's case and file a motion for a new hearing that might lead to a judge exonerating him.

His last and probably only hope to be exonerated rests under this law, Gipson said. The ball is in her court.

Peters Baker spokesman Mike Mansur said the office has reviewed the Middleton case several times and would consider it again if new evidence that was not known at trial was presented.

Mansur said Messinas ruling did not say Middleton was innocent and the prosecutors office does not consider evidence presented at the 2005 hearing to be new evidence.

When Middleton was tried, prosecutors argued that he pushed his wife against a wall and shot her as they argued after she discovered he had an affair.

Middleton said his wife grabbed a gun and walked away from him during the argument. He said she was in another room when she apparently dropped the gun and grabbed it as it fell, accidentally pulling the trigger.

Court records raise questions about the police investigation, with the crime scene disturbed and no physical evidence linking Ken Middleton to the shooting. For example, it appeared police altered a report on gunshot residue on Kathy Middleton to show testing was done only on one hand when it actually had been done on both.

Middleton's attorneys at his original trial and initial appeal presented little or no evidence or witnesses in his defense.

Gipson said evidence and testimony at the 2005 hearing was not presented in Middletons trial or first appeal and I dont know how something presented more than a decade after a conviction is not new evidence.

Middletons supporters note Peters Baker is using the new law to seek an evidentiary hearing for Kevin Strickland, who she and others say was wrongfully convicted of a triple murder in Kansas City more than 40 years ago. She has cited new evidence that was not heard by a jury before Strickland was convicted.

Its very frustrating that she says its OK to argue that Strickland was wrongfully convicted and kept in prison on procedural grounds but then turn around and step over the fact that my dads been in prison all these years just on jurisdictional grounds, Middleton's son Cliff Middleton said.
ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. (AP)  Leaders on one of Georgia's most popular coastal islands are considering letting developers build closer to sand dunes.

The Brunswick News reports that a planning commission that governs construction on St. Simons Island is discussing reducing the required setback for new construction in areas with active dunes from 40 feet (12.2 meters) to 25 feet (7.6 meters). The new rule would increase the required setback from 20 feet to 25 feet for an area without dunes.

Commissioners agreed Tuesday to postpone action until November to allow time for a public workshop. The idea originated from a planning commission meeting with Glynn County commissioners to discuss growth on the island.

Glynn County Commissioner Cap Fendig said the proposed changes would match Georgia Department of Natural Resources rules. Current Glynn County rules are more restrictive.

Dunes can protect beaches and inland areas and also provide habitat for plants and wildlife. Alice Keyes of the environmental group One Hundred Miles said rising sea levels make setbacks even more important.

From a practical standpoint, from a public safety standpoint and from a scientific standpoint I cannot recommend it as being a wise vision, Keyes said. We should be increasing, not decreasing setbacks so they can continue to serve their function.

Commissioners also considered a proposal to limit new buildings on St. Simons Island to a height of 35 feet (10.7 meters)

Fendig said many people oppose dense development on the island.

Are we going to take this opportunity to consider how to restrain density? he asked.

Fendig said more than 500 home sites await construction on St. Simons, which would worsen traffic congestion if developed.

This is our opportunity to say good is good, but we dont want more, he said.

That decision was also deferred to November after public input.

This is the beginning of a conversation we need to have, Fendig said. The future of our island is in your hands to work this ordinance through to the right balance.
BOZEMAN, Mont. (AP)  Its a sunny, cool Tuesday evening in September. A breeze gently ripples Bozeman Pond as three ducks splash in and out of the water. Sunlight dapples about a dozen tents nestled on the northeast side of the pond, where about a dozen people who are unable to find housing elsewhere in Bozeman have been living.

A woman living at the pond recently missed an opportunity for a shower, the first in several days, because she was caring for a sick neighbor. Another man was collecting oranges and clementines, both bought and donated, with the plan to share when more people returned to their tents after work, appointments or being out for the day. A few nights prior, the community got together for a barbecue, where they shared food so everyone had something to eat.

Clifton Hegstad has been living near the pond for a few months. Its a better place than hes been in in a long time, he said, though winter is now looming.

Like most everyone there, Hegstad has a story about why hes living in a tent near the pond. He suffered a serious spine injury while working in North Dakota installing floor covers years ago. He received a grant for a treatment to help his recovery in Billings, which brought him to Montana, where he fell on hard times.

At that time, I couldnt get any help, he told the Bozeman Daily Chronicle.

Hegstad lived unhoused in Missoula for a time. But there, he wasnt able to leave his tent set up, so he took it down every morning and carried it with him or stashed it and risked having it stolen, which did happen.

Like most of the people living in the area, he takes care of his trash daily, even though the roughly half-mile walk to and from the nearest unlocked dumpster can be taxing.

We could keep this place a lot cleaner if there was somewhere closer to throw garbage, he said. But I cant complain. Ive got a place to stay.

Even with the long walk to the garbage, the area around Hegstads tent is clean  nothing other than grass, getting dry and crunchy after a dry summer, surrounded the tent.

If you walk past Hegstad while hes sitting in his camping chair, enjoying the mild-for-now weather and the serene view of the pond, the 62-year-old will likely give you a wide smile. If youre walking a dog, though, hell almost definitely give you a smile. Someday, when hes in a position to take care of a pet, hed like to adopt a dog.

Having a place where his tent can remain means he can have a cooler to store food and collect a few belongings  not many, but more than nothing.

At least you can leave your tent set up here, and you have a place to come home to, Hegstad said.

Perception and reality

In talking to people in Bozeman, its as if there are two different Bozeman Pond camps.

Theres the perceived idea of the camp at the pond  that people without homes are more dangerous, dirtier or less deserving of community than those who are able to afford apartments and homes in Bozeman, where the median price for a single-family home was $769,000 in August 2021.

And then theres the one that exists in reality  its not without problems, but it has community gatherings, groups going together to worship services and people helping each other when sick or in need.

Josh, just a short walk down the gravel-and-dirt trail from Hegstad, found Bozeman Pond after being told by police that he couldnt camp at three different places in less than 48 hours during the spring.

April was rough, said Josh, who declined to provide his last name for publication.

A friend helped him get a tent and Josh, originally from Long Island, pitched it at the pond. Recently, he helped introduce another person looking for shelter to the community.

Its one day at a time, one moment at a time, Josh said.

With employment as a painter and a landscaper, he said he generally feels safe at the camp. Police stop by regularly, but the cops dont really bother us, he said. Theyre mostly there to check in and make sure people have what they need, and to remind folks to keep a clean camp and follow the law.

While people dont hassle him often, and he feels safe for the most part at the pond, Josh said its clear some people dont think they should be there.

They dont even have to say a word, they just give you a look, he said. Theres a stigma about homeless people  that theyre dangerous, all in active addiction or living off the government  but not the people I know.

Misconceptions

Marek Ziegler, a community resource officer with Bozeman Police Department, has been doing active, consistent outreach to unhoused people for about two years. He visits camps around Bozeman, including the one at Bozeman Pond. He talks with the residents, sees if they need anything, reminds them to follow the law.

He said the number of people who are unable to afford a home in Bozeman has grown and put people  mainly locals, though recently more folks from other areas  on the street.

I think a lot of the misconception around here is that this is a choice. And, really, its not, Ziegler said. A lot of people are struggling here and its a multitude of factors, including the housing costs.

As BPDs community resource officer, Ziegler often finds himself talking to people who dont know about an important 2019 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling. That ruling found that laws barring camping and sleeping in public areas when they have nowhere else to go violated the Eight Amendment ban on cruel and unusual punishment. If people had nowhere to go  and Bozeman has no public year-round shelter  cities cannot ticket them for sleeping on sidewalks and in parks.

Another common misconception, Ziegler said, is that unhoused people dont have jobs or arent working. But in reality, many are working two or more jobs, and those who arent are often working to overcome barriers to employment.

Theyre struggling, not just with housing, but theres a lot of mental health issues and addiction issues that go along with this, and that all plays a part in the actual problem, he said.

The police department teams up with the Human Resources Development Council and the Western Montana Mental Health Center to do regular check-ups on camps in town and make sure people know the resources that are available, like showers and laundry at the Human Resource Development Councils day center on Wheat Drive and mental health care through Western Montana Mental Health Center.

Crystal Baker, HRDCs homeless services outreach specialist, echoed what Ziegler said: one of the biggest misconceptions about people living homeless is that they are choosing to be homeless.

This isnt an ideal situation for anybody, said Baker while dropping off care packages and checking in on a camp. This is a very vulnerable place for them to be.

HRDC does literally anything that we can do to get people into homes, Baker said. But one thing HRDC cant do is magically make new homes  they, too, must work inside the confines of Bozemans housing market. Recently, the organization has moved some people into tiny homes, but those homes still take time and money to build.

The nonprofit has a day center at 2015 Wheat Drive, open Sunday through Thursday, where people can shower, do laundry, use a computer and pick up necessities like sack lunches, socks and toothbrushes. During the winter, from the beginning of November through the end of March, HRDC operates the Warming Center at the same location for people who wouldnt otherwise have a place to sleep out of the cold.

HRDC also offers services to help connect people to housing, housing waitlists and other resources.

All of the people (unhoused in Bozeman) are actively working, working on seeking housing, or trying to work through the barriers theyre facing, Baker said.

The Western Montana Mental Health Center also visits camps around Bozeman to check on clients and see if anybody needs the help its able to provide.

Kaylee Ackerman, a care coordinator with Western Montana Mental Health Center, has clients who work full-time jobs but are living outside or in their vehicles because they cant find anywhere they can afford.

Nobody wants to sleep outside and feel unsafe, Ackerman said.

A safer Bozeman Pond

Sarah Guza has owned her home just a few blocks from Bozeman Pond for about 12 years, and has lived in Bozeman for more than 30. She moved here from Great Falls at 10 years old.

The number of tents at Bozeman pond has grown throughout the summer and there were some bad seeds who were living at there at one point, Guza said. But in recent months, those people seem to have left and there have been positive changes in the area. For Guza, there were two different camps  the before and the after.

There were some residents at the pond that were violent, and definitely showing to have mental health issues and possible drug use, she said. The pond became safer after those people left, she said.

I havent sensed any violence from the current residents, so thats good, Guza said. I feel safe walking past them . I think theyre not necessarily bad people, some have just had bad luck and have been through enough.

A few weeks ago, Guza connected with an HRDC staff member to talk through some of her concerns about the campsite at the pond. Her main concern about the camp, aside from the fact that Bozeman residents are having to sleep outside, is about trash and waste. Shes also worried that unhoused people might not be getting the mental health care they need without any form of long-term inpatient mental health care in Bozeman.

I was kind of worried about vandalism, but Im not worried about it anymore, she said. The bad seeds have moved on.

The best we can be

There are a variety of reasons people dont want to have their name in a published, especially if it reveals theyre living unhoused or going through a hard time.

The Chronicle spoke to about a half-dozen people living at Bozeman Pond for this story, but some  mainly those who are from Bozeman and had concerns about being recognized by people they know  asked to stay anonymous, or not be included at all.

One of those who asked to stay anonymous, a woman with red hair and a smile she gives freely, said she couldnt be more thankful that she and others were able to camp there this summer. HRDC does a great job, though they could use more community support, she said.

The woman has lived at the pond for about four months, and is happy its a beautiful spot where shes able to feel safe. The police are doing a good job keeping them out of harms way, she said, and shes on HRDCs housing waiting list and hopeful shell be able to be housed through one of its programs. Winter is coming soon.

Were just trying to become better people, the best we can be, she said. Even good people fall and make mistakes  were just trying to get up on our feet and not bother anyone.
Kurt Erickson & The Columbia Missourian



KBIA

September 23, 2021





Beginning Oct. 1, unlicensed religious boarding schools in Missouri must notify the state they are operating as part of an attempt to address abuse and neglect at the often shadowy facilities.





Under a series of emergency rules filed this week by the Missouri Department of Social Services, the schools also will have to begin fingerprinting employees in order for the state to determine if workers are sex offenders or have other criminal records.





The background checks are being conducted to help ensure that certain individuals who are associated with these facilities do not have a record of criminal conduct or substantiated incidents of child abuse or neglect which may pose a risk to the children served at these facilities, the new rule says.





The filing of the rules is the latest step in a series of actions by state lawmakers and local law enforcement agencies to shed light on more than a dozen reform schools that operate in the state. The schools have not had state oversight for four decades under a law that exempts faith-based facilities from regulation.





The 1982 law also said DSS is prohibited from requiring the schools to prove they should be exempt.





Rep. Keri Ingle, D-Lees Summit, who co-sponsored the new law, said in an interview Wednesday she was encouraged by the speed with which the state is implementing the legislation.





She said the state hasnt had a clear picture on how many unlicensed facilities are operating in Missouri.





Which is terrifying, Ingle said. This just brings everything out into the light.





Ingle, who worked with Rep. Rudy Veit, R-Wardsville, on the legislation, said the most important part of this is making sure that people who have access to kids have background checks, and that theyre doing those as quickly as possible.





We want to make sure that people who are caring for the most vulnerable kids in the state of Missouri  dont have a history of perpetrating crimes against those very children or other vulnerable populations, she said.





The crackdown on the homes came after months of legislative hearings this spring, including emotional testimony from former students at the schools.





James Griffey, who was a student at Agape in the late 1990s, testified to a Senate committee that he was physically assaulted on his first night at the school when he couldnt perform all the exercises he was ordered to do.





What emerged from the House and Senate was a law requiring the schools to notify the state they exist. It also sets some minimum health and safety requirements, including mandating background checks for employees.





The law requires adequate food, clothing and medical care for children and says parents must be allowed access to their children at any time without prior notice. It clarifies the process for investigating reported abuse and potentially shutting down bad actors.





The new rules order the schools to provide detailed information about their operations, including floor plans, budgets, staffing plans and written identification of specific program models or designs which shall include the methods of care and treatment to be provided.





The schools could be shut down or their students removed if they fail to comply with notification and health and safety inspections, or if a facility is suspected of abuse or neglect.





The new law bars government agencies from regulating the content of a schools curriculum.





In publishing the new rules, regulators said immediate action is necessary to protect children, and it was necessary for the immediate preservation of the public health, welfare, peace and safety.
Lord of the Dance, James Palumbo, is taking a break from political activities as a life peer to concentrate on his leisure business interests, I can reveal.

The founder of the Ministry of Sound nightclub entered the Lords in 2013 after making substantial contributions to another type of party  the Lib Dems, especially in Southwark, the clubs base for 30 years.

Palumbos papa was also made a peer  but after donating to the Tories. Alas, father and son are estranged following a lengthy legal battle that Eton and Oxford-educated Palumbo junior brought against his property developer dad over his trust fund.

The 58-year-olds leave of absence from the Lords is temporary, he tells me via overly aggressive legal letters.

Lord of the Dance, James Palumbo, is taking a break from political activities as a life peer to concentrate on his leisure business interests, I can reveal

But judging by his record in the Upper Chamber, most people are unlikely to notice hes gone.

Palumbo last spoke in a debate in December 2017, last voted 41 months ago and has never asked a written question or served on a committee, though he insists hes been an active member. What, I wonder, are the overly time-consuming Covid-affected business interests that stop Lord Palumbo of Southwark carrying out his far-from-onerous work as a peer?

Well, they seem to be complex, offshore and opaque, but he declines to give any clue about what hell be focusing on. We know, from when he sued his live-in DJ manager in 1998, that Palumbo owned the Ministry of Sound through a trust called Nimbus.

In the four years to 2020 he declared no registrable interests, before citing a controlling stake in two dormant and now dissolved companies. Palumbo, however, did not declare his brief directorship of Submin Holdings Limited, which owns the Ministry and Nimbus, and, is in turn controlled by another Jersey trust. He says he had no knowledge of the directorship.

Palumbo joins 34 other peers voluntarily on a leave of absence. Among them is banker Baroness Shriti Vadera, who was ennobled by Labour in 2007 and hasnt been seen in the Lords since 2011

With calls to reduce the number of lords  there are more than 800  constantly being rejected, it is no surprise that peers are allowed an open-ended leave of absence while retaining their titles, use of Lords stationery and dining facilities for up to five guests. So its anyones guess how long the Lord of the Dance will be spending with his bank balance, and he is no longer bound by transparency rules for declaring which businessmen hes in bed with.

Palumbo joins 34 other peers voluntarily on a leave of absence. Among them is banker Baroness Shriti Vadera, who was ennobled by Labour in 2007 and hasnt been seen in the Lords since 2011. Baroness Scotland, another Labour appointee, has been absent for five years.

Tory Lords Hague and Sainsbury have taken leave during the pandemic. Then theres Greg Barker, the Tory who absented himself to trouser 6 million a year from a Russian energy giant linked to Putins friend Oleg Deripaska.

Isnt it time to end this farce that allows peers to cling to their privileges while too busy for parliamentary work?

Lord Sugar has been too busy to vote even once in the House of Lords since 2017, but found time, at 3.40am, to berate me for reporting his paltry parliamentary record in this column. Saying that being ennobled by Gordon Brown was one of the biggest achievements in my lifetime, he emailed to threaten to reveal to his 5m followers on Twitter that I was a vindictive trouble-making non-achieving loser, adding: My friends call me Alan, you can call me Lord Sugar. Bring it on Al.

A Labour source says Sir Keir Starmers conference speech will be very Phil Collins. No, not the Eighties chart-topper but Tony Blairs former speechwriter. I still hope Sir Keir struts on stage to I can feel it coming in the air tonight. Oh Lord.
Angela Rayner has form for using appalling vituperative language to delight the most rabid far-Left activists.

Her bizarre rant in which she informed Labour party delegates that the Conservatives were a bunch of scum, homophobic, racist, misogynistic, absolute pile of banana republic Etonian piece of scum that I have ever seen in my life was entirely of a piece with a woman who has made hatred of the other side her stock-in-trade.

A slip of the mask it may have been  but it was no slip of the tongue. It was exactly what Labours deputy leader thinks: indeed only last October, she called a Tory backbencher scum during a debate in the Commons  prompting a furious rebuke from the Deputy Speaker. Mrs Rayner apologised but refused to retract her statement.

Angela Rayner (pictured smoking at the Labour Party conference in Brighton yesterday) has form for using appalling vituperative language to delight the most rabid far-Left activists

Mrs Rayner smokes a cigarette during the Labour Party annual conference in Brighton yesterday

Mrs Rayner smokes outside yesterday during the Labour Party annual conference in Brighton

Such angry, bile-flecked outbursts may thrill a portion of Labour activists. But they repel most voters.

And they vividly show how far Sir Keir Starmer has to go to persuade the electorate that Labour really has escaped its Corbynite past. To deal briefly with Mrs Rayners claims about the Tories: the Chancellor, Home Secretary, Business Secretary, Education Secretary and Attorney General, to name just a few, are all from BAME backgrounds. And almost a quarter of the Cabinet are women.

Meanwhile, some 24 Tory MPs are openly gay (compared with just 17 Labour MPs): odd when the Conservatives are apparently so institutionally homophobic.

But dispensing with her argument is easy. Far more revealing is what her words say about her and the hard-Left fringe she represents. In truth, Labours extremist wing is infinitely more hateful than anything that would be permitted within the Tories.

John McDonnell, Jeremy Corbyns shadow chancellor, once airily opined: I would like to go back to the 1980s and assassinate Margaret Thatcher.

Such angry, bile-flecked outbursts may thrill a portion of Labour activists. But they repel most voters. And they vividly show how far Sir Keir Starmer has to go to persuade the electorate that Labour really has escaped its Corbynite past

Former shadow international development secretary Kate Osamor, on being approached by a journalist who had asked her about employing her own son in her parliamentary office, threw a cup of water over the reporter, told him to f*** off and declared: I should have come down here with a bat and smashed your face in.

And when a row kicked up last year over whether or not Land of Hope and Glory and Rule Britannia would be played at the Proms, Labour MP Neil Coyle weighed in against the absolute sh***** racist w****** who hoped to see tradition maintained. Corbyn used to boast about a kinder, gentler politics.

But as the appalling revelations about anti-Semitism in his own party showed, the true party of hate has long been Labour. After all, if youre good and your enemies are bad, then anything goes.

Corbyn used to boast about a kinder, gentler politics. But as the appalling revelations about anti-Semitism in his own party showed, the true party of hate has long been Labour

But while the most crass insults may thrill her hard-Left backers, heres a tip for Rayner & Co. You dont win elections by being as vicious as you can about the Tories. A glance at history would have taught you this.

In 1948, Labours health minister Nye Bevan notoriously said that the Tories were lower than vermin, adding for good measure that Toryism and intelligence were a contradiction in terms. In other words, Conservative voters who had switched to Labour at the 1945 election and made Clement Attlee prime minister were all idiots.

Labours majority was slashed at the next election, and the party lost the following three contests. All too often the party behaves as if it hates the very people whose votes it needs to win.

In 2019, seat after seat that had been solidly Labour for generations  the so-called red wall  fell to the Tories.

By clear implication, then, Mrs Rayner believes that former Labour voters in those seats are scum, or at the very least people who vote for scum.

Yesterday, Mrs Rayner insisted: Im not saying anybody who voted Conservative are those things. Im saying the Prime Minister has said those things and acted in that way.

We shall see if voters accept this.

This sorry spat, which has cast an ugly shadow over conference, crystallises the problem at the heart of a once- great movement.

Labour has been poisoned for decades by the likes of Mrs Rayner, for whom the point of politics is to generate a pulpit for their outrage and hate, rather than winning elections and governing.

She and her ilk do their party  and indeed the country, which like all democracies benefits from a strong opposition  a great disservice.

Sir Keir had one last chance to show voters this week that Labour represented a government-in-waiting. Mrs Rayners outburst may have killed it.
Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and her family have enjoyed a weekend trip to the Swedish island of Gotland alongside Norway's Prince Haakon, Princess Mette-Marit and Princess Ingrid Alexandra.

The heir to the Swedish throne, 44, holidayed with her husband Prince Daniel, 48, and their two children, Princess Estelle, nine, and Prince Oscar, five, last weekend.

They were joined on the vacation by Norway's future monarch Prince Haakon, 48, and his wife Mette-Marit, 48, and their daughter Ingrid, 17, who is second in line to the throne.

The families, who are known to be very close, shared a group photograph from their time together and posted it to their social media accounts today.

Sweden's Princess Victoria (pictured left), Prince Daniel (pictured centre) and their children Princess Estelle and Prince Oscar (pictured standing together in front of the adults) have enjoyed a weekend trip to the Swedish island of Gotland alongside Norway's Prince Haakon (pictured centre right), Princess Mette-Marit (pictured centre left) and Princess Ingrid Alexandra (pictured right)

Opting for a causal look, Victoria donned a striped pink shirt with a pair of grey wash jeans and white trainers.

She completed her look by slicking her hair back, and sporting a sophisticated silver watch.

Standing next to Victoria, Mette-Marit appeared equally low key in a black puffer jacket, white shorts and matching trainers.

Prince Daniel, pictured centre, also donned a pair of shorts with a black jacket, while Haakon wore a black coat and light blue shirt.

Estelle and Oscar were standing front and centre, with the former sporting blue jeans and a brown jacket, while her brother donned a white shirt and grey shorts.

In April 2021, the future monarchs of Sweden, Denmark and Norway and their respective spouses had a catch-up over a video call (pictured), and posted a snap of it online

With her arms wrapped around Estelle, Ingrid, dressed in a black shirt and matching trousers, couldn't help but smile at the camera.

Taking to Instagram, the Norwegian royal family said: 'The Crown Prince Couple and Princess Ingrid Alexandra spent some beautiful late summer days on Gotland in the Baltic Sea last weekend, together with the Swedish Crown Princess family.

'The Crown Prince and Crown Princess have close and intimate contact with the Scandinavian Royal Houses, and greatly appreciated the visit to Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel.'

Meanwhile, the Swedish royal family wrote: 'Last weekend, the Crown Princess family spent some beautiful late summer days on Gotland together with the Crown Prince, Crown Princess and Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway.

'The Scandinavian heirs to the throne keep in close contact with each other. The Crown Princess family appreciated being able to spend time with their Norwegian friends and relatives, as well as having the opportunity to show them this unique part of Sweden.'
Dior suit jackets, household linen and more than 200 pairs of his fingerless leather gloves

Among the lots will be the dishes of Choupette'  cat who shared the last eight years of the designers life

Contents of Karl Lagerfelds lavishly furnished eight houses in Monaco and France are set to go up for auction

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Karl Lagerfeld was best known for his eccentric style and for leaving money in his will for his beloved cat, Choupette.

Now the contents of the German fashion designer's lavishly furnished eight houses in Monaco and France are set to go up for auction - from the art he lived with to the items in his wardrobe.

Among the lots will also be the dishes of Choupette'  the beloved red point Birman cat who shared the last eight years of the designers life, and whom he said he would have married if it were legally possible.

The pampered puss, who he once admitted he doted on so much she was like a 'kept woman,' is believed to have had a bodyguard, personal chef, two maids who provided 24-hour care for her at his mansion in Paris, and caviar and smoked salmon dinners.

The contents of Karl Lagerfeld's lavishly furnished eight houses in Monaco and France are set to go up for auction - from the art he lived with to the items in his wardrobe. Pictured, during the 64th Cannes international film festival, southern France

Choupette signed, titled and dated 2013 earthenware by Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro, polychrome enamel, handmade cotton hook. Estimated 5,000 - 7,000

The porcelain with embossed caning patterns, with floral and insect polychrome decoration. Estimate : 6,000 - 10,000

Two woman holding an athenienne in white painted plaster, on a circular terrace. Estimate : 40,000 - 60,000 (left). Dom Perignon balloon venus - lacquered polyurethane resin (right), champagne bottle and original box executed in 2013 in an edition of 650 plus 40 artist's proofs. Estimate: 20,000 - 30,000 (right)

This jewelry trunk in coated canvas 'goyardine' is expected to fetch an impressive 2,000 - 3,000 at auction

Louis Due and Andre Mare desk lacquered wood, nickel-plated metal and brass. Estimate : 10,000 - 15,000

Dior suit jackets, household linen and more than 200 pairs of his emblematic fingerless leather gloves, which he consistently wore for 20 years will also be brought to auction.

Following his death in February 2019, Karl Lagerfeld  the titan of Chanel and Fendi  loved nothing more than to create a sensation in life.

As surprising and multifaceted as the designer himself, the auctions will offer an anthology of his personal taste, with the more than one thousand lots encompassing fine art, design, fashion and personal ephemera, illuminating the fashion titans life as a designer, decorator, photographer and collector.

The sale will also include a selection of other designer suit jackets by YSL, KL, Comme des garcons and Martin Margiela, as well as an astonishing number of Goyard suitcases.

Two punch bowls glazed stoneware one stamped Reinhold Merkelbach, Grenzhausen and numbered 2282B on the reverse. Estimate: 4,000 - 6,000

Tokidoki x Karl Lagerfeld Mr Black and White PVC, metal and rhinestones. Estimate : 200 - 300 (left). Right: In composite material, group made for the capsule collection Tiffany Cooper and Karl Lagerfeld, mounted on white base

Chanel black leather bag, hand and shoulder carry. It's estimated to fetch between 2,000 - 4,000 at auction

Two pairs of silver cups and a small silver torch by Jensen. Copenhagen. Estimate 1,800 EUR - 2,400 EUR (left). Right: Pair of chrome plated metal dumbbells marked 5lbs. Estimate: 200 EUR - 300 EUR

Lagerfeld became his own brand, and his immediately recognisable look is represented in figurines by Tokidoki and Tiffany Cooper, as well as on Fendi keychains and iPhone cases.

Capturing the imagination of the fashion world with his distinctive look and inimitable presence, he continually rewrote the rulebook, allowing him to remain ever relevant and always at the forefront of his game.

Artistic Director of Fendi from 1965, Chanel from 1983 and Chloe from 1991, before launching his own ready-towear house in the same year, the designer became the guiding figure of the luxury industry that he helped to build.

Lagerfeld was also an insatiable collector with an eclectic eye. In the 1980s, he opted for the fun, colourful design of the Memphis Group, tickled by its humour. He then turned to the French decorative arts of the 18th century, which he considered as an ideal of elegance and refinement.

Head of a woman marble and pink marble base on a waxed concrete pedestal height. Estimate: 5,000 - 8,000

Glass set 'Langeais' model signed R.Lalique France including 14 wine glasses, 4 water glasses, 2 champagne flutes, 5 champagne glasses, 4 pourers, 2 decanters. Estimate : 2,000 - 3,000

Seizo Sougawara - reindeer lacquered and gilded wood and eggshells. Estimate: 10,000 - 15,000 (left). Right: Set of four silver five-light candlesticks by Georg Jensen Copenhagen. The round base, chased with facets, the arms of lights with decoration of leaves and fruits of acanthus, the shaft surmounted by a catch in ring. Estimate: 8,000 - 12,000

Louis Sue and Andre Mare pair of armchairs - black lacquered wood and leather upholstery. Estimate: 8,000 - 12,000

Louis Sue and Andre mare side table. Estimate : 1,000 - 1,500 (pictured)

Throughout his life, he also had a passion for the Art Deco period that adorned his residences in Biarritz and Monaco, which he described as 'the roots of modernity, the modernity that I am always looking for.

During the last twenty years of his life, it was contemporary design by the likes of Mark Newson, Martin Szekely and Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec that Lagerfeld acquired to create a new futuristic aesthetic in his homes.

It was however, the works of his favourite designers, Louis Sue and Andre Mare, to whom he remained faithful throughout his long collecting career, and to whose ethos Evolution in Tradition he stayed true.

Further artists represented in this extraordinary collection are Marc Newson, Martin Szekely, Konstantin Grcic, Maarten Van Severen for contemporary design ; Louis Sue and Andre Mare for Art Deco ; Georges Lepape - a French fashion designer, poster artist, engraver and illustrator particularly representative of the 1930s, and Ludwig Hohlwein, one of the most prolific and inventive poster and graphic designers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Sothebys said the auctions would be as surprising and multifaceted as the designer himself, and offer an anthology of his personal taste.

Pierre Mothes, vice-president of Sothebys France, commented: The auction will pay tribute to this unique and exceptionally creative designer, a major figure in the worlds of fashion and art.
A woman who bought a jumpsuit with a 'faulty' zip from Zara was filmed returning to the store to ask an assistant for help to take it off in a viral TikTok video.

Posting on TikTok, Isabel Robins, who is believed live in London, explained that her mother had struggled to take off a new jumpsuit because of its 'faulty' zip.

She said her mother was forced to drive back to the store in Bromley to get help removing the outfit from a sales assistant.

Despite having just 100 followers on the platform, the short clip has gone viral with many dubbing Isabel's mother 'iconic' for driving back to Zara in the jumpsuit.

Isabel Robins, who is believed live in London, has gone viral on TikTok after sharing a video of her mother (pictured) struggling to take off a jumpsuit

Isabel explained that her mother (pictured) suffered a wardrobe malfunction because the zip on the jumpsuit from Zara was 'faulty'

In the video Isabel's mother can be seen making funny faces as she drives to Zara wearing the 'faulty' jumpsuit.

She then appears in good spirits as she eagerly walks into the store and searches for an employee to free her from the item.

As an employee releases the zip, Isabel's mother takes a sigh of relief for the camera.

The clip ends with her walking around the store wearing jeans and a jacket, behind the employee who has the jumpsuit in their hand.

Isabel filmed her mother (pictured) eagerly driving to Zara in Bromley wearing the floral jumpsuit which has a zip on the back

Isabel showed her mother (pictured right) wearing jeans and a jacket after the Zara employee managed to release her from the jumpsuit

It is unclear if Isabel's mother went ahead with exchanging the jumpsuit or was put off the purchase after her experience.

Over 5,000 TikTok users have liked the video with many others leaving laughing emojis in response.

One person wrote: 'What an absolutely iconic lady'. Another said: 'Good old Bromley'.

A third added: 'Shame coz it looked awesome on her'.
An Australian businesswoman known for her radiant complexion has shared the secret behind her natural-looking sun-kissed skin.

Keira Rumble, 30, maintains her year-round glow with a $32.95 face tanning mist from Tasmanian beauty brand, Three Warriors.

The wellness influencer, who runs health food company Krumbled Foods from her home on the NSW Central Coast, revealed the chemical-free spray has been her 'saving grace' since welcoming her first child, a son named Hunter, in July.

Ms Rumble said the affordable product 'lifts her spirits' and makes her look 'fresh', even when she is exhausted after sleepless nights caring for her baby boy.

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Australian businesswoman Keira Rumble (pictured) has shared the secret behind her natural-looking sun-kissed skin

The 30-year-old mum-of-one maintains her year-round glow with a $32.95 face tanning mist from Tasmanian beauty brand, Three Warriors (pictured)

'During my pregnancy I had morning sickness and fatigue, but I found spritzing the mist before bed gave me the boost I needed to lift my spirits and wake feeling fresh, even on days when I felt less than average,' she told Daily Mail Australia.

Made from natural ingredients including rose oil, aloe vera and Tasmanian olive oil, the water-based face mist has won rave reviews for its ability to bronze skin without exposing it to nasty chemicals or the sun's harmful UV rays.

One customer said she feels like shes been on holidays every time she wears it, while a second called it a 'must have staple beauty product' which leaves you looking tanned in a matter of hours.

Another added: 'This is the first time I've put fake tan on my face, and even after feeling like I over-sprayed, the result was flawless.'

Keira Rumble (pictured) revealed the chemical-free spray has been her 'saving grace' since welcoming her first child, son Hunter, in July

The wellness influencer (pictured with her newborn son) is known for her flawless complexion

The mist boasts a legion of celebrity fans, including Australian TV host Sonja Kruger and PR guru, Roxy Jacenko.

Founded by Hobart hairstylist Corbin Halliday in 2017, Three Warriors has made waves in the 'clean beauty' industry thanks to its chemical-free formulas.

Its range of liquid, mousse and mist products fade evenly and are scented with fresh lime, which means they don't produce the stale biscuit-like smell typically associated with fake tan.

Mr Halliday previously told Daily Mail Australia that his organic, vegan-friendly and cruelty-free brand is different to others on the market because it uses a violet base that looks natural on all skin tones.

Made from natural ingredients including rose oil and Tasmanian olive oil, the face mist has won rave reviews for its ability to bronze skin without exposing it to chemicals or the sun's UV rays

Three Warriors tan leaves skin looking naturally sun-kissed, as seen on a customer before (left) and after (right) application

Mr Halliday created the products with his best friend, a biochemist, after he was diagnosed with chronic inflammatory response syndrome - a debilitating condition also known as biotoxin illness which is caused by long-term exposure to damp and mould.

Symptoms include migraines, anxiety, brain fog, memory loss, intense fatigue and full-body nerve pain, which Mr Halliday still experiences today.

This frightening experience prompted him to overhaul his lifestyle and create a range of chemical-free products that are safe for everyone to use.

Three Warriors is currently sold online in Australia and across five European countries - Ireland, Germany, Iceland, Luxembourg and the Netherlands - with an expansion into the US slated for late 2021.
A decadent new doughnut range is causing a stir on social media, days after hitting shelves at Coles stores across Australia.

The supermarket's 'Donut Mind If I Do' collection has already gone viral on TikTok after Adelaide food blogger, Sammy Dyer, lavished praise on it in a recent video.

'Guess what, Coles has a new doughnut range - I grabbed two boxes because I just couldn't help myself,' the 25-year-old wrote in the caption.

The doughnuts, which are sold in packs of two for $6, come in a variety of indulgent flavours - and Mr Dyer claims they're the best store-bought ones he's ever eaten.

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A decadent new doughnut range (pictured) is causing a stir on social media, days after hitting shelves at Coles stores across Australia

'Compared to other supermarkets, they're the best I've had,' he told Daily Mail Australia.

The Instagram food critic said he picked up two boxes, one with a cookies and cream and raspberry cheesecake doughnut, and the second with a caramel crunch and choc caramel doughnut.

Other flavours include chocolate iced jam, rocky road and the old Aussie classic, fairy bread.

Mr Dyer said the doughnuts were 'pretty damn filled' and made from a 'heavy' dough which he liked, dubbing them 'delicious' and 'unreal'.

But his review, which has racked up more than 372,000 views since it was shared online on September 16, divided opinion.

While dozens said they were excited to try the new range, others said they were disappointed by how dry the doughnuts were aside from the filling.

'Such a let down, they had potential but no,' one man wrote.

Since launching earlier this month, the Donut Mind If I Do range has proved particularly popular in one Australian state.

The supermarket's 'Donut Mind If I Do' collection went viral on TikTok after Adelaide food blogger, Sammy Dyer, lavished praise on it in a recent video

Coles category manager for bakery cakes, Katie Storey, told news.com.au that Victorian shoppers are eating more doughnuts compared to anywhere else in the country.

'Doughnuts have grown in popularity particularly with millennials and Gen Z shoppers,' Ms Storey said.

'We wanted to develop a range of great quality, flavoursome doughnuts to inspire and emulate what customers are currently purchasing at independent doughnut retailers.'
A shopper has been left stunned after discovering a disturbing 'warning label' on a packet of Woolworths meat.

The woman was browsing at a Queensland store when she picked up a butterflied lamb shoulder, marked with a sticker that read: 'Warning, this package contains the decomposing corpse of a murdered animal.'

She shared photos of the product on Woolworths' official Facebook page with the caption: 'Needless to say I was shocked to see this sticker on the back of this roast... pretty sure it's not part of your Q&A processes.'

The woman was browsing at a Queensland store when she picked up a butterflied lamb shoulder marked with this sticker

The 'warning' label, which can be purchased on the 'Activist Stickers' website for $11 (AUD), is described as being 'perfect for stickervism (sticker activism)'.

Woolworths staff confirmed it was an unauthorised, isolated incident and assured customers they had found no similar labels in-store, news.com.au reported.

The stunt sparked outrage online, with many blaming vegan activists and calling for the culprit to be identified and barred from the store.

'People who do this should be banned,' one person wrote.

Another added: 'If I ever saw one of these stickers, I would want to buy the meat product even more.'

Staff confirmed it was an unauthorised, isolated incident and assured customers they had found no similar labels in-store (Pictured: the lamb shoulder labelled with the sticker)

The 'warning label' (pictured), which can be purchased on the 'Activist Stickers' website for $11 (AUD), is described as being 'perfect for stickervism (sticker activism)'

It's not the first time Australian vegan activists have made headlines this month.

Last week, one of the country's most infamous campaigners revealed how she prepared for a stunt that saw her paint herself in her own menstrual blood before she harassed shoppers for buying leather at a Louis Vuitton store.

Tash Peterson, 27, stormed the high-end outlet at Raine Square in Perth's CBD on August 21 yelling: 'If you're not vegan, you're an animal abuser'.

The plant-based public figure posted a video to Facebook on Monday night to show her fans exactly how she covered herself in menstrual blood ahead of the stunt.

Tash Peterson, 27, revealed exactly how she prepared for a stunt that saw her storm a Louis Vuitton store in Perth, in a video uploaded to Facebook on September 20

'Many people were wondering if I really did use my period blood when against the leather, wool, fur, down and silk industries in Louis Vuitton,' she wrote.

'One month later, I thought I would show you how I did it.'

The militant vegan explained she captures the blood with a 'period cup' before transferring the liquid to a large glass jar to store.

The footage cuts to the scantily-clad 27-year-old standing in a busy carpark holding the jar of blood and a large paintbrush.

Ms Peterson - also known online as @vganbootyy - said she needed about two days worth of menstrual blood to cover her entire chest.

The militant vegan explained she captures the blood with a 'period cup' (pictured) before transferring the liquid to a large glass jar for storage

She said she used an initial layer of fake blood for the protest but finished the bizarre artistry with a layer of her menstrual blood.

'If you're disgusted by looking at this but are okay with consuming the bloodied flesh of animals and cows breastmilk which is contaminated with blood, faeces and pus - you need a reality check,' she captioned the confronting footage.

'The bloodied floor of a murder factory (slaughterhouse) is disgusting and abhorrent, not a woman's period.'

The serial protestor said she used her body, her blood, her voice and her human privilege to stand up for the rights of defenceless animals.

Ms Peterson was charged with disorderly conduct after she stormed the luxury store wearing only a g-string, holding a sign that read: 'If you're not vegan, you're an animal abuser'.
Travellers have fallen in love with a little-known part of Fraser Island which has been dubbed an 'untouched' alternative to some of Australia's most iconic holiday spots.

Tucked away on the western side of the world's largest sand island, Wathumba Creek is a 'bucket list' destination that captures the hearts of almost everyone who sees it.

The beach, which boasts pristine white sand and sparkling turquoise waves, is known for spectacular sunsets and world-class water activities including diving, snorkelling and fishing.

The jaw-dropping landscape, 304km north of Queensland's Sunshine Coast, is home to pure bred dingoes and pods of humpback whales, which can often be seen breaching the ocean's surface.

Travellers have fallen in love with this little-known part of Fraser Island which has been dubbed an 'untouched' alternative to some of Australia's most iconic holiday spots

Tucked away on the western side of the world's largest sand island, Wathumba Creek is a 'bucket list' destination that captures the hearts of everyone who sees it

Wathumba Creek is located on the western part of Fraser Island, 304km north of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland

Travel guides have described the creek as Fraser Coast's 'very own' Hill Inlet, a breathtaking section of the Whitsunday Islands which has become one of the country's most photographed locations.

Australian blogger Ashleigh Bridget shared her experience of the 'untouched' paradise in an Instagram post, captioned: 'I didn't know Fraser Island looked like this!'

She added: 'Wathumba Creek could easily be mistaken for Whitehaven's Hill Inlet with the swirling turquoise blues and fine white sand.

'This trip was so easy. One really long stretch of sand with beautiful spots to stop on the way. Humpback whales breaching, stunning sunsets and smooth water sailing.'

The beach, which boasts pristine white sand and sparkling turquoise waves, is known for spectacular sunsets and world-class water activities including diving, snorkelling and fishing

The jaw-dropping landscape is home to pure bred dingoes and pods of humpback whales, which can often be seen breaching the ocean's surface

Instagram is filled with mesmerising descriptions of the beach, with many saying they were 'overwhelmed' by its beauty.

'Wathumba Creek you are something else,' one woman wrote.

'What a spectacular place, we were so overwhelmed,' said a second, while a third added: 'Completely blown away by this area.'

Travel-starved Queenslanders can reach Wathumba in a 4WD, by plane, or on a guided tour, but those outside the Sunshine State will need to be patient until state borders reopen.

Last week, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk ruined holiday plans for millions by announcing the state would remain shut off from the rest of Australia - and the world - for even longer than expected.

Travel guides have described the creek as Fraser Coast's 'very own' Hill Inlet, a section of the Whitsunday Islands which has become one of the country's most photographed locations

Instagram is filled with mesmerising descriptions of the beach, with many saying they were 'overwhelmed' by its beauty

Travel-starved Queenslanders can reach Wathumba in a 4WD, by plane, or on a guided tour, but those outside the Sunshine State will need to be patient until state borders reopen

Ms Palaszczuk all but scuppered Christmas plans for families hoping to reunite, saying she will ignore the national cabinet's plan to open borders at 80 per cent vaccination rates because it will send Queensland 'backwards'.

On Thursday, she said the national plan had 'not been finalised' and that she would keep borders shut to New South Wales despite soaring vaccinations.

Ms Palaszczuk claimed Queenslanders didn't want to travel overseas, despite her flying to Tokyo for the Olympic Games, and that they would prefer to stay in their own state during the upcoming holiday season.

'Where are you going to go? Are you going to go to India? In Tokyo, you have to sit in Perspex screens with masks on and if you remove your mask you can't talk while you're chewing,' she said.
Australia's finest restaurants have been named in the highly anticipated Gourmet Traveller Awards - including three new Sydney eateries serving very different cuisines.

A'Mare, Ho Jiak Town Hall, and Porcine are among the 10 finalists in with a chance of being crowned the country's best restaurant on October 24, when culinary stars will gather to celebrate the resilience of the embattled hospitality industry.

Run by top chef Alessandro Pavoni inside the Harbour City's Crown Casino, A'Mare is a fine dining restaurant inspired by the flavours of Puglia, one of Italy's most famous southern regions.

The lavish venue is up against Ho Jiak Town Hall, a CBD restaurant serving up a 'taste of Malaysia', and Porcine, a French neighbourhood bistro tucked above an old-fashioned bottle shop in Paddington.

Australia's finest restaurants have been named in the highly anticipated Gourmet Traveller Awards - including three Sydney eateries serving very different cuisines

A'Mare and Porcine are up against Ho Jiak Town Hall, a CBD restaurant serving up a 'taste of Malaysia' (pictured)

The late Sydney chef Amy Chanta was also recognised for her role in shaping the Harbour City's Thai food scene with the 'Outstanding Contribution to Hospitality' award.

Ms Chanta, who passed away after a long and gruelling battle with cancer in March 2021, was instrumental in bringing Thai cuisine to the mainstream after opening the first Chat Thai restaurant on Liverpool Street in Darlinghurst in 1989.

The coveted Restaurant of the Year award will be announced on October 24, along with the peer-voted Chef of the Year which recognises a single chef for their contribution to Australian dining.

Gourmet Traveller editor Joanna Hunkin said it is inspiring to see restaurants doing maintaining impeccable standards at a time of unprecedented hardship for the Australian hospitality industry.

The 10 finalists for best new Australian restaurant  AMare, NSW  Aru, VIC  Aurora, SA  Bianca, QLD  Corella Bar & Restaurant, ACT  Elska, QLD  Gimlet, VIC  Ho Jiak Town Hall, NSW  Porcine, NSW  Van Bone, TAS Source: Gourmet Traveller Advertisement

'These awards have always been about celebrating the best in Australian dining and uncovering exciting new experiences for our readers to explore in the year ahead,' she said.

'It is testament to both the creativity and resilience of the industry that new venues have continued to open since March last year, offering new and exceptional experiences.'

Despite the difficulties of lockdown, Ms Hunkin said restaurants have continued to spark 'even brighter, bolder plans'.

The winners of the Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Awards will be profiled in a special Celebration Issue of Gourmet Traveller, on sale Monday 25 October.
A trendy pair of pants from an Australian clothing store have been dubbed this season's 'must have' staple - and they're currently reduced to just $31.

Women have been racing to buy the 'Roy Split Hem' trousers from Cotton On ever since they were featured on the Instagram account of affordable fashion blogger, What Maria Wears.

The pants, which come in three colours, black, grey and beige, usually cost $44.99 but have been discounted to $31.49 online as part of a 30 per cent off site-wide sale.

The Melbourne stylist described them as one of her 'favourite' pieces for spring, which can be dressed up or down depending on the occasion.

A trendy pair of pants (pictured) from Cotton On have been dubbed this season's 'must have' staple - and they're currently reduced to just $31

The pants are equally suitable for the office or a night on the town, making them the perfect investment for millions across NSW and Victoria who will soon be freed after months of lockdown.

'Affordable trousers under $35? Umm yes please!' Maria captioned a recent outfit post about the budget-friendly buy.

Her photo swiftly sparked rave reviews, with followers describing the look as 'stunning' and 'beautifully chic'.

'I need these pants,' one woman wrote.

'I am actually in love with these trousers!' said a second, while a third added: 'Okay these are gorgeous.'

The pants (pictured) are equally suitable for the office or a night on the town, making them the perfect investment for millions across NSW and Victoria who will soon be freed after months of lockdown

The trousers, which come in three colours, black, grey and beige, usually cost $44.99 but have been discounted to $31.49 online as part of a 30 per cent off site-wide sale

Others said you 'can't go wrong' pairing the pants with a basic tank top or a dressy shirt.

Similar designs are available from brands such as Glassons and Princess Polly with prices starting from $59.99.

But with current reductions, it's hard to look past Cotton On's bargain version.
The Duchess of Cambridge's stylist and close friend has announced she is expecting her second child.

Natasha Archer, 34, who is married to royal photographer Chris Jackson, is already the mother of two-year-old Theo, and will soon be welcoming his sibling.

This announcement means that three of Prince William and Kate Middleton's staff are set to go on maternity leave at the same time, the Express has reported.

The Palace is actively hiring new recruits for two jobs, including a PA maternity cover and a deputy personal secretary.

The Duchess of Cambridge's stylist Natasha Archer, 34, is expecting her second child with her husband Chris Jackson, pictured in 2018

Natasha has been credited for taking Kate's style from girl-next-door to elegant Duchess, and has accompanied the Cambridges on several of their work tours, including their tour of India in 2016, pictured

Natasha has been working for the Duchess since 2007, and was initially hired as a PA, before adding styling responsibilities to her job description, according to Grazia magazine.

Her and Chris' son Theo was born in December 2018, only a few months after Kate and William's third child Prince Louis, who is now three.

Natasha has been widely credited with helping the royal transform her style from girl-next-door to elegant princess.

The stylist has accompanied Kate on several royal tours, and was among the first seen arriving at the Lindo Wing after the royal gave birth to Prince Louis in April 2018.

It has been reported that Natasha, who had worked for Kate since 2007, has become one of the Duchess of Cambridge's close confidantes. Pictured together with Prince William in Syndey in 2014

As part of his role as a royal photographer for Getty, Chris regularly accompanies the Queen, the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, the Cambridge family and Meghan and Harry on official engagements.

He has previously shared adorable pictures of his pregnant wife with their son Theo on his Instagram account.

The stylist is reportedly the third member of staff planning to go on maternity leave, and the Cambridges are working at finding maternity covers for several roles.

According to the job descriptions, which are available on the royal household website, the personal assistant 'facilitates the smooth coordination of TRHs official and private arrangement.'

'The happy applicant will look after the Kensington household's budget, invoices, their work schedule and contracts.'

They'll also need 'wardrobe management experience' and 'project management experience.'

The Palace added they were looking for a 'proactive planner with a clear communication style, with the ability to network and form strong professional relationships.'

The job description mentioned that the applicant should be aware and interested in the work the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge do, and some knowledge of the Commonwealth and worldwide.

Natasha was initially hired as a PA, but ended up adding 'styling' to her job description after she helped update Kate's wardrobe

The 34-year-old mother is often spotted carrying bags and more on royal tours (pictured in India in 2016)

Kensington Palace is also looking to hire a Deputy Personal secretary to look after the royal couple's 'diary management, arranging meetings and preparing for engagements.'

The ideal candidate should have secretarial and administrative experience and show 'excellent organisational skills' and the utmost discretion.

It is also required the applicants shows 'proven experience of dealing with a broad spectrum of people.'

There are only a few more days to apply for both positions, with applications closing on 29 September.

The news comes just days after Princess Beatrice, 33, welcomed her first child in London on Saturday 18 September.

Beatrice, 33, the oldest daughter of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, gave birth to a baby girl weighing 6lbs 2oz at 11.42pm on Saturday at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, in London, Buckingham Palace announced on Monday.

Princess Beatrice and her husband Edo Mapelli Mozzi, pictured in July at Wimbledon, welcomed their first child, a baby girl whose name is yet to be revealed, on Saturday 18 September

Chelsea and Westminster is an NHS hospital but houses the private Kensington maternity wing, which charges a starting price of 7,450 for a 'platinum vaginal delivery package' and 9,050 for a 'platinum elective or emergency section package'. The price includes meals and accommodation for the partner and a private room for the first night post delivery.

Buckingham Palace refused to comment on whether Beatrice was admitted to the Kensington Wing. It is understood she has since been discharged and returned to the St James's Palace apartment she shares with Edo, 38.

The baby, whose name has not yet been revealed, is the Queens 12th great-grandchild and 11th in line to the throne. Her Majesty is 'delighted with the news', the palace announced in a statement.

Although her mother is a princess, she will not have a royal title. Only grandchildren of the monarch through the male line are automatically entitled to the styling of HRH. This means she will be plain Miss Mapelli Mozzi. The Queen could bestow a title on her great-grandchild if desired, but it is unlikely to be asked for.
Prince Harry's narrowed gaze showed pride as he watched Meghan Markle become the 'lead star' during the Global Citizen Live on Saturday, a body language expert claimed.

The Duke, 37, and Duchess of Sussex, 40, appeared on stage at 'Wokestock' in Central Park, New York, to a loud cheers and called on everyone to work together to end the COVID-19 pandemic.

And according to Judi James, the royal couple's body language 'reverted back to their more familiar-looking PDAS' rather than their corporate-looking appearances which we have seen in New York over the last few days.

Speaking of the Duke of Sussex's appearance at the event, Judi exclusively told FEMAIL: 'In performance terms it was Harry who seemed to recognise his wife as lead star, gazing at her with eyes slightly narrowed to show pride but also performing some anxiety rituals like clothing and finger-fiddling as he watched her more powerful speech.'

Prince Harry's narrowed gaze showed pride as he watched Meghan Markle become the 'lead star' during the Global Citizen Live on Saturday, body language expert Judi James claimed

According to Judi, Prince Harry digging his fingers into Meghan Markle's shoulder suggests a 'squeeze of affection'

Meghan Markle - who donned a white dress - finally shed her coat as she and Prince Harry appeared on stage in Central Park.

The crowd quieted when Prince Harry took the mic first and asked, 'Are you ready to do what's necessary to end this pandemic?'

The cheers started backup again and grew louder when Meghan - who Judi says sounded and looked more 'eloquent and passionate' about her message - took the mic.

And according to the body language expert, Prince Harry acted like 'a bit of a rock star' during his appearance.

Harry and Meghan gave a joint and coordinated speech where they alternated every couple sentences

Prince Harry and Meghan on stage during Global Citizen Live in New York City's Central Park on Saturday

'Meghan finally emerged from under those heavy coats and the couple began their speeches in rather individual styles,' she explained. 'Prince Harry was trying to rev the crowd with some warm-up man-style gestures, like cupping his ear to pretend he couldnt hear their agreements and yelling out "New York Citaaaaay" like a bit of a rock star.'

Judi went on to say that the duo's more romantic body language seemed to be encouraged by the audience's approval.

'After their more corporate-looking appearances so far in New York, this on-stage body language saw Meghan and Harry revert to their more familiar-looking PDAs and signals of affection,' she explained. 'Although these romantic rituals were driven more by the demanding crowd than instigated by the couple themselves.'

She continued: 'But once Harry had used the "My wife and I" line and thrown the first loving gaze in Meghans direction, it was clear from the cheers and screams of approval from the crowd that they wanted more of the couples romantic back-story.'

According to Judi, Prince Harry acted like 'a bit of a rock star' during his appearance. Pictured, talking on the stage of Global Citizen Live in New York City

Judi went on to note how Prince Harry placed an arm around Meghan at this point and she 'responded by tilting her head onto his shoulder.'

'Harrys smile here with his lips closed is an acknowledgment to the crowd of that romantic story and we can see his fingers digging into her shoulder in a squeeze of affection,' she explained.

'Having been in more corporate mode for this visit, Meghans raised hands and rather rigid fingers suggest the crowds approval for this side of their image might have caught her unaware.'

'Meghan stood confidently as the crowd cheered, and their hands formed the signature hand clasp with entwined fingers to show a tie-sign of closeness.'

Jennifer Lopez, Billie Eilish, and Coldplay put on show-stopping performance as part of the Global Citizen Live festival.

Across the ocean, Doja Cat delivered a flashy performance near Paris' Eiffel Tower, while pop star Kylie Minogue belted out her biggest hits for a crowd of adoring fans in London, England.

They joined a jaw-dropping list of performers from six continents across the globe, with major performances also happening in Los Angeles, Paris, Rio de Janeiro, Seoul, Sydney and Lagos.
Of all the body parts that go to hell in middle age, Id say the neck is the worst. Actually, make that the sagging neck and jaw.

Fortunately, its only in certain mirrors that you see whats going on below the chin. Unfortunately, that makes multiple mirrors in shop changing rooms a horrible revelation. Not long ago I looked, appalled, at my profile. Where once my neck went up in a nice straight-ish line to meet my jaw, it seemed now to have taken a short cut midway up, and set out at a 45-degree angle to meet my chin. The chiselled neck was gone. As for the jaw itself, I can only say it was undefined.

I cant say Im particularly bothered about the state of my face  the compensation for a plumper face is that you have less obvious wrinkles  but from the chin down . . . dear God. And that is sadly the case with lots of women in their 50s  even, it seems, if you are a supermodel.

Its all too rarely that I have anything in common with Linda Evangelista, 56, the woman who famously said that supermodels dont wake up for less than $10,000 a day. But five years ago she resorted to a treatment, CoolSculpting, to reduce fat around the jaw area. Alas, the treatment, which works by freezing fat cells, backfired, and she feels that she is now permanently deformed.

Melanie said she had big black bruises on her neck where the needle had gone after the third session. Pictured left: Melanie before

Melanie, pictured showing off the subtle results after receiving the injections

Linda Evangelista, 56, claims she was left 'permanently deformed' after having CoolSculpting treatment to reduce fat around her jaw area. Pictured: Linda after CoolSculpting treatment, in 2017

At the famous Prager Clinic in Londons Knightsbridge, they admit they had doubts about CoolSculpting and decided to cease using it.

I stopped offering the procedure because I believe I can get similar and even better results with injectables, with far less risk and at much better value for money, says Dr Michael Prager.

Instead, his is one of the first clinics in the country to offer a potentially game-changing fat-dissolving injectable, Belkyra.

Dr Prager is synonymous with cutting-edge aesthetic treatments that actually work  but come at a price. In this case, Belkyra is a new formulation where the practitioner injects a substance that dissolves fat cells in the neck and chin.

Does that sound too good to be true? The substance, I am told, makes the fat cells swell and eventually burst. The contents of the cells are then dispersed through the bodys own internal cleaning mechanism, the lymphatic system.

Over the course of two to four weeks, it is claimed, the fat deposits reduce and you should see a difference in the fatty areas of the neck and chin. Results vary among patients depending, usually, on whether you are overweight or not, but a fat reduction of between 10 per cent and 20 per cent is normal.

No, its not an entirely new concept  the Prager Clinic has been injecting lipo (fat)-dissolving substances for a while now. But what is different is the injectable fat solution used and how it is administered  on a grid to identify injection points.

Melanie McDonagh had four Belkyra treatments over five months, with six or more weeks between them. Pictured: Dr Lizzie injects writer Melanie with Belkyra

The grid makes the application of the product more precise. And Belkyra is an improved version of a previous injectable, which is more effective. It has been available in the U.S. for a few years but has only just arrived here.

This new injectable is sought- after because, unlike invasive treatments such as liposuction and CoolSculpting, which work by freezing fat cells, it is extremely safe (although the clinic did warn me about potential side-effects, including tenderness and swelling).

Some patients see results after a single session; others need up to four treatments. And because you need up to four, or even six, weeks recovery time between sessions, you are looking at quite a long time for the whole course  perhaps as much as four to six months. I had four treatments over five months, with six or more weeks between them.

The practitioner for the first three sessions was Dr Lizzie Tuckey, who is a qualified medical practitioner and an NHS doctor who works on reconstructive treatments for cancer patients, including women who have undergone mastectomy. In other words, she is a very good and competent doctor, not just an aesthetician, which is a fancy word for someone who makes you beautiful.

It hurt like billy-o and my neck swelled up like a toad in mating season. But a few weeks later theres less pudginess around my jaw

Like me, she is appalled by the unnecessary facial treatments young women are having to make them more like an Instagram version of themselves  or, worse, like reality TV stars. She is also really nice, with an air of calm competence that probably does wonders for nervous clients.

In my case, I wasnt nervous so much as curious. But all the same Im not a masochist, so I was grateful that the treatment began with a local anaesthetic, lidocaine, which acts instantly and makes you feel numb.

Next Dr Lizzie placed the grid over my neck and identified the injection points. She then grasped the flesh in the area firmly and made an injection. She paused to see how I was taking it, then moved on to the next area.

Reader, it hurt. Even with an anaesthetic, it really hurt. I did my best to be a brave little soldier but I cant imagine anyone actually enjoying it. It is in the nature of the thing to be painful, which is quite different from the kind of non-invasive treatments Im used to.

My ideal facial is manual lymphatic drainage, where a therapist gently manipulates your jaw, neck and face with her fingers. Injections are a different matter altogether.

At the end of the session, my neck and jaw felt both numb and very tender  and rather abused. Dr Lizzie advised that I probably shouldnt arrange any important engagements for the week after each treatment.

This would not be the time for a crucial job interview or for throwing a party. It would have been ideal just before lockdown. If you like polo necks, now is the time to wear them. In my case, what I needed after my treatment was a large gin.

It was just as well Dr Lizzie warned me what to expect, because the after-effects were dramatic. My neck swelled up like a goitre. I looked like a toad in mating season. It was appalling.

But forewarned is forearmed, and I simply went ahead with normal life, feeling self-conscious rather than going into hibernation. But I was alarmed at the extent of the reaction and got in touch with Dr Lizzie to see whether it was normal.

After the session, my neck and jaw felt both numb and very tender  and rather abused

She assured me that it was, and promised the swelling would subside after about a week.

We extended the time before my next session, however, so it was about a month before I went for the next one.

The initial swelling took a little longer than a week to subside, and at the end of it I couldnt see any obvious reduction in fatty areas. But that is normal, too. Some people see an immediate improvement, but they are probably a bit less like a dumpling than me.

The swelling, in fact, is a good thing. Dr Lizzie observed that: The inflammation is what causes the fat cells to be absorbed by the body. It produces fibroblasts, [the kind of cells] that make collagen and stimulate elastogenesis [the formation of elastic fibre], which ensures that any fat loss is matched with skin-tightening, so you dont end up with a saggy chin.

So the bullfrog look suggests the treatment is working.

The next session was in one way better because I knew what to expect. But it still hurt like billy-o. Again I swelled up afterwards. After the third session, what I noticed more was bruising on the neck where the needle had gone in: big black bruises. That wasnt a good look either, giving the impression that I had been self-harming in some way.

After the second session, Dr Lizzie sent me for an excellent radio-frequency facial treatment to improve my skin tone.

She also gave me a useful set of facial exercises to do at home (confession: I wasnt very good about doing those).

Dr Prager briskly pinched the skin on my neck and declared we can do more here

In addition, she gave me a set of Prager skin products to try, which are very good, including an antioxidant serum with vitamin C that stimulates collagen (skin fibre) production and helps deal with the inflammation. That worked on the look and feel of the skin. Id use them any time.

And she recommended that I should have tests for my thyroid function, because this can have an effect on fatty tissue.

We agreed that the condition of my neck and jaw wasnt just to do with fatty deposits. Muscle tone, which responds to facial exercise and electronic treatments, is important, too.

But what about the fat reduction that is the point of the treatment? What about the chiselled neck I wanted back?

Dr Lizzie Tuckey (pictured) and Melanie agreed the treatment achieved a subtle improvement after three sessions

Dr Lizzie and I examined the photographs after the third session and we both thought there was an improvement, but not a dramatic one.

My profile was a little changed in that the neck had tightened a little, but not so much that you would notice particularly. In other words, the treatment was not transformative. Yet.

For my fourth treatment, I was given the injection by Dr Prager himself, who is German and exudes expertise. He briskly pinched the skin on my neck, declared we can do more here and straight away gave me three or four injections.

He didnt bother with an anaesthetic. He is manifestly expert and no-nonsense. It did hurt, but because there were fewer injections, no more than before.

That was just over a week ago. I did swell up again and the skin looked bruised and a bit yellow. But perhaps for me, unlike poor Linda Evangelista, the swelling has subsided somewhat. I reckon recovery in my case takes between ten days and two weeks.

But the great thing is, the treatment continues to have an effect long after the injections are over. Dr Prager tells me that it works on the fat cells quickly but the real benefit of the procedure, the skin-tightening effect, takes much longer.

Melanie (pictured) said the treatment has given more definition to her neck, offering an improvement rather than a transformation

He adds: I would say that the skin-tightening is actually the main feature of the procedure. The dying fat cells cause the skin disposal cells, called macrophages, to lay down a lot of new collagen. And this process, like any form of skin resurfacing, takes time.

Body treatments, apparently, work much quicker. You can have Belkyra in several areas, including the stomach, thighs, underarms and chin. The chin, stomach and thighs are the most popular target areas  potentially the bum, too  during the summer months.

I have seen a difference from the treatment. Not drastic, quite subtle. There is less pudginess around the jaw, a bit more definition in the neck  so an improvement rather than a transformation. And there is still further to go.

But I should say that other women have had really good results from the treatment even after one session; it varies with the individual, as these things often do. Meanwhile, Im going back for one of Dr Lizzies excellent pain-free facials. That I really am looking forward to.

Belkyra costs 495-595 per session, depending on the amount of product used (drmichaelprager.com)
A man born with a crippling lung condition that made it feel like he was 'breathing through a straw' has been given a second chance at life by a surprise lung transplant.

Cody Sheehan was six months old when his parents were given the devastating news that their first child had been born with cystic fibrosis, a life-limiting genetic disorder which causes severe damage to the lungs and digestive tract.

Mark and Bridget Sheehan's world was shattered when doctors said their beloved son was unlikely to make it to primary school.

But their 'miracle' boy defied the odds by fighting until the age of 28, when he underwent a double lung and liver transplant in a surgery that took 17 hours at Sydney's Westmead hospital in March 2017.

'I wasn't struggling anymore, I was just lying there letting my lungs do the work. It was wonderful, just incredible really,' Cody, now 32, told Daily Mail Australia.

Cody Sheehan (left, as a teenager, and right, in 2019) is one of 3,500 born with cystic fibrosis, a life-limiting genetic disorder which causes severe damage to the lungs and digestive tract

Before his transplant, Cody's life revolved around daily cycles of medications, therapies and treatments.

He was so weak that he relied on a breathing machine called a nebuliser and often spent weeks in hospital to restore his lung function.

His condition deteriorated so severely at the age of 25 that he developed hypoxia, a dangerous condition where the blood does not carry enough oxygen to your tissues to keep you alive.

Cody was put on the transplant list in early 2016, but after two 'dry runs' - where a patient is called for transplant but the surgeon decides the organ is not a good match - his family were swiftly losing hope.

It was a year before Cody received the call that changed his life.

'I remember waking up like it was yesterday,' he said.

'It felt like there was this elephant-like pressure on my chest, but I could finally breathe.'

In the four years since, Cody has embraced every opportunity and has done all he can to support fellow patients by launching CF Avengers, a charity that supports people living with cystic fibrosis.

'I knew I had to get as strong and as healthy as possible so I could go out and take on the world in whatever way I could. I'm living for two people now,' he said.

Dad Mark, a travel writer from Charleston, South Carolina, sometimes struggles to believe how his sick little boy became the strong, determined man he knows today.

Dad Mark (right), a travel writer from Charleston, South Carolina, sometimes struggles to believe how his sick little boy became the strong, determined man he knows today

Cystic fibrosis explained Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disorder that affects how cells produce mucus and sweat, causing severe damage to the lungs, digestive system and other organs of the body. Jackie Fraser is one of just 3,500 Australians who live with CF, according to statistics from Victoria's Better Health database. People with CF have a defective gene that causes bodily fluids to become thick and sticky. Instead of acting as lubricants, as they should, the fluids block airways, ducts and passageways, most severely in the lungs and pancreas. CF is incurable and progressive, meaning it worsens with age. It requires daily care, but patients can still work and enjoy fulfilling lives if their condition is managed appropriately. Improvements in screening and treatment means people with CF now have a dramatically higher quality of life than they did in previous decades. Most cystic fibrosis sufferers now live into their late 30s and 40s, with some living well into their 50s. Life expectancy for cystic fibrosis patients in Australia is just 37 years, but Cystic Fibrosis Australia is working to extend this to 50 years by 2025 through clinical quality improvement programs, research and advocacy to ensure equal access to treatment. Source: Better Health Victoria Advertisement

'When we got Cody's diagnosis, I wanted to pull the covers over the heads of my wife, my son and myself,' he said.

'But Bridget said we're not having a discussion about Cody's future until he's 21. She kept me going because she wouldn't even entertain the idea that he might not survive.'

While the identity of his donor was suppressed under Australian law, Cody has learned that the person who gave him a second chance at life was a seventeen year old boy.

One year after his transplant, he was given the option to write an anonymous letter to his donor's surviving family to express the depth of his gratitude.

He was overjoyed to receive two letters from his donor's mother.

Each year on the anniversary of his transplant, Cody sends her a note updating her on all he has achieved.

Cody was put on the transplant list in early 2016, but after two 'dry runs' his family were swiftly losing hope

'It's been lovely to have that connection to them. It's not often people reply, so I'm just really grateful,' he said.

Mark is overcome with emotion when he thinks of how close he came to losing his son.

'There's not a single tool for measuring the sheer joy we've received from a family who must have suffered so much,' he said.

Cystic fibrosis is Australia's most common genetic disease, affecting about 3,500 men and women nationwide.

Sufferers develop an abnormal amount of thick, sticky mucus in the lungs and digestive tract, which leads to recurrent infections and irreversible damage. Lung failure is the most common cause of death.

Cody Sheehan (pictured as a child) was not expected to make it to primary school

The founder of CF Avengers (pictured) is now living for two, after receiving a double lung and liver transplant from a seventeen year old donor

There is no cure, but there is 'game-changing' medication that could drastically improve the lives of those living with cystic fibrosis.

Cody is a passionate campaigner for the subsidisation of Trikafta, a breakthrough therapy drug manufactured by Vertex that has been shown to thin mucus in the lungs of 90 per cent of CF patients.

But because it has not been approved for state funding in Australia, the drug currently costs almost $300,000 each year - an eye-watering sum that puts it out of reach for the vast majority of people.

To make it affordable, the medication must be added to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) for everyone with cystic fibrosis.

Trikafta is already available and reimbursed in 17 countries including Denmark, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Switzerland and the UK, a fact that Cody and other CF patients find 'incredibly frustrating'.

Since June, four new agreements have been also signed with drug administrations in France, Italy, Austria and the Czech Republic.

Cody is a passionate campaigner for funding for Trikafta, a therapy drug manufactured by Vertex that has been shown to thin mucus in the lungs of 90 per cent of CF patients

The drug company behind the medication, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, has requested Trikafta be approved under Australia's PBS three times.

In August, some headway was made when the drug was given the green light to be added to the PBS for people with a specific mutation of the disorder.

But this only applies to about 20 per cent of CF patients.

Vertex said the decision meant just 395 patients would be eligible to access Trikafta at a subsidised rate, one third of whom were already taking part in clinical trials or part of its compassionate program.

Efforts from advocacy groups like Cody's previously led to the subsidisation of Orkambi, a $250,000 per year drug that was added to the PBS in August 2018.

Following a lengthy battle between CF support organisations and the federal government, the cost to patients was reduced to just over $6 a month.

Cody believes the same must now be done for Trikafta, with access for everyone.

Mark Sheehan (left) has shared Cody's (right) incredible story in his new book, Breathing Through a Straw, Cody & I

'This drug not only slows the progression of CF, it's also showing signs of being able to reverse parts of the damage,' he said.

'It's going to be expensive, there's no doubt, but what is life worth?'

Cody argues that paying for the drug would not only help thousands of CF patients, but also the Australian healthcare system which has been stretched to its limits since the pandemic began in early 2020.

'A really easy way to look at why it's important is that if patients aren't given access to Trikafta, they'll eventually need multiple organ transplants,' he said.

'I don't think you can even imagine the pressure it will take off hospitals and clinics and organ donation facilities.'

Mark Sheehan has shared his son's incredible story in his new book, Breathing Through a Straw, Cody & I, which is available to order online for $29.99.

For more information on cystic fibrosis, treatment and clinical trials, please visit Cystic Fibrosis Australia.
Of all the interior design trends to pop up, you'd be forgiven for overlooking cardboard as a textile you'd want in your home.

However, a rise in sustainable living coupled with some epic designs has made cardboard furniture a beautiful, yet unsuspecting contender.

While cardboard beds have long since been used for temporary sleeping measures in disaster situations, the public first properly heard about them during the Tokyo Olympics when athletes slept on cardboard beds in a bid to host a more eco-friendly event.

Gerald Dissen, CEO of Room In A Box - an interiors company that specialises in producing zero-waste, cardboard furniture explains that a big inspiration for using cardboard as a material was making a lighter option to the, usually bulky, traditional options.

The 37-year-old from Berlin explained that while studying at university he came across cardboard furniture at a sustainability fair and was impressed with the stability and look of the furniture.

This Nordwerk chair 'the MC 302' is available for free download. People can find the plans and build it themselves

Room In A Box deliberately chose corrugated board because they saw its advantages. Using no environmentally harmful adhesives, their furniture is also assembled by hand

Each of their pieces of furniture is designed and manufactured as a fully-fledged alternative to a conventional item

Cardboard furniture can be recycled at the end of its life cycle, but it is by no means a throwaway piece of furniture

'Obviously, the main reason is the sustainability aspect, which is becoming more present and important due to climate change,' explained Gerald.

'In addition, companies like us are increasingly raising awareness for alternative, sustainable products, so that prejudices such as inferior quality and poor durability of the material can be reduced.'

'It is our mission to raise awareness for the benefits of cardboard furniture, to bring it out of the niche market and make it accessible to the wider society.'

Of course, a question most would have after seeing cardboard furniture, no matter how great it looks, is how long it will actually last?

The Room In A Box mission is to raise awareness for the benefits of cardboard furniture, to bring it out of the niche market and make it accessible to the wider society

Room In a Box Cardboard furniture is made of strong kraft papers ensures good resistance, even to liquids

Furniture is designed to consist of as few components as possible, which can be easily replaced and allow modifications

No one wants to sign up to purchasing a shelf that's going to need replacing every year but, thankfully, the durability is better than most might expect.

'Although our cardboard furniture can be recycled at the end of its life cycle, it is by no means a throwaway piece of furniture,' Gerald added.

'In fact, quite the opposite - each of our pieces of furniture is designed and manufactured as a fully-fledged alternative to a conventional piece of furniture.'

'The use of strong kraft papers ensures good resistance, even to liquids. It makes them durable and long-lasting. The well-designed connector systems and structures, such as the special rhombus structure of the bed, provide additional stability.'

Room In A Box also rely on modular construction methods in their designs, which allow an extremely high degree of flexibility in their use

Gerald Dissen, CEO of Room In A Box, with his business partner Lionel create cardboard furniture for interiors

With good treatment, Gerald estimates that their cardboard furniture has a life expectancy of about ten years.

Room In A Box also rely on modular construction methods in their designs, which allow an extremely high degree of flexibility in their use. They are designed to consist of as few components as possible, which can be easily replaced and allow modifications.

Flexible construction methods, modularity and simplicity play a role in all the designs, Gerald went on to say.

'We deliberately chose corrugated board because we saw its advantages,' he said. 'Using no environmentally harmful adhesives at all, our furniture is assembled by hand. The result is a high quality and durable design product, manufactured under fair and environmentally friendly conditions.'

Cardboard chairs are increasing in beauty as designers find new ways to make them aesthetically pleasing

NordWek built the 'largest self-supporting paper structure in the world' that covered over 198 square meters

NordWerk design, a Vancouver-based architectural studio, is another company with cardboard-focused work.

Along with furniture - some of which has free available templates for the public to download - they create huge structures completely from cardboard.

Building the 'largest self-supporting paper structure in the world' that covered over 198 square meters, it really becomes clear just how much opportunity there is with a textile a simple as cardboard.

Who knows where the future will take this trend, but Gerald assures FEMAIL it's not going anywhere soon.

He continued: 'Sustainability is becoming increasingly important in all areas - whether in fashion, food, mobility and of course also interior. Therefore, we see the demand for cardboard furniture increasing and we believe that in the future it will no longer be seen as an alternative but as furniture of equal value.'
In the past, surgeons could see only the surface of the spine during operations

Surgeons are using the sort of intelligent cameras found in self-driving cars to operate on spines  allowing them to work from intricate live 3D images of their patients anatomy.

In the past, they could see only the surface of the spine during surgery, but the new cameras show the patients computer-generated spine from every angle, even inside it.

As a result, surgeons are far less likely to cause damage during operations.

While accidents are not common, in at least one in 300 spine surgeries some nerve damage can occur, and on very rare occasions this can lead to paralysis.

In recent years, some surgeons have begun using imaging techniques such as CT scans  similar to X-rays  during procedures.

But these give only a partial image of the spinal column, and carrying out multiple CT scans during a procedure can increase operating time considerably. The machines also emit a small amount of radiation, and safety rules mean surgical teams have to leave the room when a scan is carried out.

Critical eye: Doctors say the high-tech imaging makes surgery safer. While accidents are not common, in at least one in 300 spine surgeries some nerve damage can occur

The new 7D Surgical System doesnt rely on CT scans. It combines previous scans of the patients spine with thousands of high definition photos taken during the procedure to create the images.

The computers brain works like the systems in self-driving cars, which combine existing satellite maps with real-time captured pictures in order to navigate roads.

Experts using the device to remove spine tumours and fix slipped discs say it is simplifying procedures, and believe it could radically change the way surgery is carried out in the NHS.

Fady Sedra, a consultant orthopaedic and spinal surgeon at The Royal London Hospital in East London, was one of the first to use 7D. He said: Spinal surgery of any kind is never a simple procedure. Youre operating very close to the spinal cord, which carries nerve messages from the brain to the limbs, so you have to be careful.

Having an aid which instantly gives surgeons a 3D image of the patients spine is a game changer. This means you can see where youre going, so the safety of the operation is immediately increased.

According to the NHS, more than 50,000 Britons undergo procedures on their spines every year.

One of the most complicated is the treatment of scoliosis, where the spine twists and curves to the side  a condition that occurs in adolescence.

Severe scoliosis is often treated through a procedure called spinal fusion, where two or more vertebrae are permanently connected to the spine with screws. About 3,600 children undergo spinal fusion on the NHS every year.

One of the most complicated spinal procedures is the treatment of scoliosis, where the spine twists and curves to the side  a condition that occurs in adolescence (file photo)

This, along with many other spinal operations such as the removal of tumours, requires holes to be drilled into the spine, which can be a risky task due to the proximity to the spinal cord.

Surgeons cannot see the spinal cord when they operate since it is encased within the 24 individual vertebrae that make up the spinal column. For this reason, patients are warned before surgery of the complications that can occur.

While imaging techniques using CT scans to locate the spinal cord have become more advanced, many surgeons have resisted using them as they are time consuming, said Brett Rocos, another consultant orthopaedic and spinal surgeon at The Royal London Hospital.

Most surgeons still operate by eye, looking for landmarks that suggest where the spinal cord may be, Mr Sedra said.

In the vast majority of surgeries this is a very safe technique. But we are always looking to make operations safer and more accurate.

The 7D System uses a high-definition camera which hangs above the patient during the operation, taking pictures constantly. As the surgeon works, the image is displayed on a screen, accurately showing how close surgical tools are to the spinal cord.

The computers brain works like the systems in self-driving cars (file photo, above), which combine existing satellite maps with real-time captured pictures in order to navigate roads

Saba Delgosha, a 16-year-old from London, was one of the first UK patients to benefit from the 7D System after her scoliosis became so severe she required spinal fusion.

Saba went into The Royal London Hospital for the procedure at the beginning of this month.

She said: When I came out of surgery, they told my mum it was lucky theyd had the scanner because my bones were apparently really small and it was hard to get the screws in.

Saba, who has just begun sixth-form and wants to become a doctor, is recovering at home and hopes to go back to school in a month.

Mr Sedra said: Scoliosis is just one of the many possible areas where the 7D could be useful.

In a few years time I think it is likely that this will be available in most NHS hospitals to guide spinal surgeries.
AMAZON, DISNEY+, SKY, APPLE TV+ & BRITBOX

Foundation

There have been several attempts to bring Isaac Asimovs series of epic, sprawling Foundation novels to the screen and Apple TV+, which has been quietly building a bank of first-rate shows, has finally succeeded.

The first ten episodes of Apple's adaptation of Isaac Asimovs series of epic, sprawling Foundation novels, featuring Leah Harvey (above), are visually stunning

The first ten episodes of what Apple hopes will be the new Game Of Thrones, featuring Leah Harvey, are visually stunning. Hari Seldon (Jared Harris) has developed a new science that allows him to predict the fall of the Galactic Empire, so he plans to ensure civilisation survives by preserving knowledge. But the Empire isnt best pleased. Apple TV+, from Friday

Mr. Mayor

Ted Danson plays retired LA businessman Neil Bremer, who runs for mayor to prove hes still got it. However, after he triumphs, Bremer has to figure out what he stands for in Americas second-weirdest city, and then win the respect of his biggest critic  the deputy mayor (Holly Hunter).

Ted Danson plays retired LA businessman Neil Bremer (above with Kyla Kenedy as his daughter), who runs for mayor to prove hes still got it in Mr. Mayor

He also needs to connect with his teenage daughter (Kyla Kenedy). Sky/NOW, from Friday

Being James Bond

Daniel Craig has long been equivocal about his stint as 007. On the one hand, its a nice little earner. On the other, its not much of an acting challenge playing a secret agent running from one action sequence to the next, although he has brought new depth to the role. Ahead of the release of No Time To Die later this month, this documentary looks at his tenure and features an exclusive behind-the-scenes interview with Craig  and includes the moment when he films his final scene as James Bond. Apple TV+, available now

Dian Fossey: Secrets In The Mist

Sigourney Weaver, who played Fossey in the 1988 movie Gorillas In The Mist, narrates this series examining the researchers life and legacy.

Sigourney Weaver narrates Dian Fossey: Secrets In The Mist which includes archive film of Fossey (above) and images, and hears from those who knew the researcher best

It includes archive film of Fossey and images, and hears from those who knew her best, including Wayne McGuire, who was convicted in absentia of her murder. Disney+, from Wednesday

The White Lotus

Acerbic comedy drama set at an exclusive Hawaiian resort, following three sets of wealthy, privileged guests whose unthinking behaviour is excruciating to watch.

Connie Britton and Steve Zahn (above) star in The White Lotus, an acerbic comedy drama set at an exclusive Hawaiian resort, following three sets of wealthy, privileged guests

Starring Connie Britton and Steve Zahn, and a brilliant Murray Bartlett as Armond, the White Lotuss increasingly stressed-out manager, who is being driven to the edge Sky/NOW, available now

The New Statesman

There have been many comparisons between the current British Government and this un-PC 1980s comedy, but even the boldest parliamentarian doesnt come close to matching Rik Mayalls ultra hard-line Alan BStard.

As well as offering a satirical look at the government of the time, The New Statesman also showcased Rik Mayalls (above) considerable comic  and dramatic  talents

Created by Maurice Gran and Laurence Marks, the show chronicles the efforts of the MP as he does whatever it takes to further his career. As well as offering a satirical look at the government of the time, it also showcased Mayalls considerable comic  and dramatic  talents. Michael Troughton plays Alans assistant, the hapless Piers. BritBox, from Thursday

The Green Knight

Arty fantasy film inspired by the enigmatic Arthurian tale of Sir Gawain And The Green Knight, told in the 14th Century poem of the same name. Dev Patel plays the impetuous would-be hero who takes up the gauntlet thrown down by the emerald-skinned Green Knight (Ralph Ineson) at Camelot and, consequently, a year later, has to journey to meet the knight at the Green Chapel to honour the promise he has made. This looks beautiful and has a dreamlike air of mystery. Amazon, from Friday

Y: The Last Man

Yorick Brown (Ben Schnetzer) is the only man left in a world populated by women after a cataclysmic event results in the death of every mammal with a Y chromosome  apart from him and his pet monkey, Ampersand. How can the survivors, led by Yoricks mother, Jennifer Brown (Diane Lane), who just happens to be the new president, build back better? Disney+/Star, from Friday

NETFLIX, ALL 4 & ACORN TV

Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries

Based on a series of best-selling novels by Kerry Greenwood, this is a mystery-of-the-week format show in which glamorous, beautifully dressed Phryne Fisher (Essie Davis) is a sexually liberated, modern-minded miss who works as a private detective in 1920s Melbourne; a sort of Sherlock Sheila.

Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries follows the glamorous, modern-minded Phryne Fisher (Essie Davis, above) as she works as a private detective in 1920s Melbourne

Phryne is a charming, vivacious character, and fans will love the romantic tension she has with DI Robinson. Acorn TV, from Monday

The Inner Circle

Anything dubbed Swedens House Of Cards has to be worth a look, but dare we say, this excellent drama is actually the equal of the English-language shows. It follows the political bloodbath that ensues after Elvira Kropp, the countrys prime minister, decides to step down.

The Inner Circle, dubbed Swedens House Of Cards, follows the political bloodbath that ensues after the prime minister tips David Ehrling (Niklas Engdahl, above) as her successor

She appears to tip David Ehrling, enterprise minister, as her successor, but singling him out from the pack makes him a target for all manner of unsavoury characters. Niklas Engdahl and Nanna Blondell star. All4/Walter Presents, from Friday

Destroyer

Nicole Kidman is almost unrecognisable in a masterful performance as Erin Bell, a cop consumed with guilt over a past mistake.

Nicole Kidman (above) is almost unrecognisable in a masterful performance as Erin Bell, a cop consumed with guilt over a past mistake in Destroyer

When the chance comes to put right that wrong, she goes after justice with a grim obsession. BBC iPlayer, available now

Dear White People

Fans of this smart show will be holding back the tears as the final season gets under way. It follows a group of black students at the predominantly white Winchester University. Creator Justin Simien, who was behind the 2014 film of the same name, is making sure they go out with a bang, serving up the series first musical offering. Netflix, from Wednesday
The Radical Potter

Tristram Hunt Allen Lane 25

Rating:

When Catherine the Great of Russia ordered a dinner service from Josiah Wedgwood in 1773, the industrialists pottery had already become a byword for sophistication around the world. Naturally, the Empress was keen to outshine every other king, princess or duke of her acquaintance, so she stipulated a 944-piece service, each item to be decorated with views of England. It was the biggest order that Wedgwood had ever received, and so exquisite that fashionable London society was urged to buy a ticket in order to view the marvellous sight before it was dispatched to St Petersburg.

This was a stunning endorsement for a working man who had grown up in Burslem, Staffordshire, a muddy town mostly associated with making sturdy earthenware. Within 30 years, and thanks to his unique blend of scientific know-how, artistic flair, managerial rigour and knack for publicity, Wedgwood had turned his familys crocks and pots business into a global phenomenon.

Tristram Hunt's The Radical Potter is a a rich portrait of Josiah Wedgwood (above, an item of his signature Jasperware) who made Georgian Britain the most stylish country in the world

By the 1780s, foreign sales accounted for 80 per cent of the companys production. From the salons of Paris to the drawing rooms of New York you would now find Wedgwoods exquisite dinner plates, vases and medallions, in everything from black basalt and Etruscan red to the delicate blue glaze and off-white of his signature Jasperware. Tristram Hunt reckons that Wedgwoods inter-disciplinary dazzle qualifies him as the Steve Jobs of the 18th Century.

What makes Wedgwoods achievement all the more remarkable is that he was disabled. Smallpox swept through the Potteries area when he was a child, leaving him with a damaged right leg that had to be amputated in 1768. This meant that he was unable to work the potters wheel that was the foundation of the modest family fortune. Rather than holding him back, he was spurred on to even greater achievements.

In addition to coming up with innovatory glazes and artistic shapes, he introduced modern industrial discipline to the workforce and pioneered the building of Britains canals and turnpike roads. This transformed the country from a series of sleepy rural communities into a hyper-connected, ultra- productive economic powerhouse.

Hunt is exquisitely alive to all the contradictions in Wedgwoods achievements. For while the potter ruled his workers with an iron hand, imposing fines for latecomers and poor workmanship, he was also passionately opposed to the Atlantic slave trade on which Britains economic boom depended.

At his own expense he designed and distributed medallions with a chained African slave bearing the famous abolitionist slogan: Am I not a man and a brother? And despite his own weak spot for royalty  the Queen had her own signature Queens- ware  he was also a passionate supporter of the American and French revolutions with their calls for a republic and an end to aristocratic rule.

This is tricky territory but Hunt, director of the Victoria & Albert Museum and ex-MP for Stoke-on-Trent Central, is the ideal person to guide us. The result is a rich portrait of the charismatic but contradictory man who made Georgian Britain the most stylish country in the world. Until, that is, Queen Victoria arrived and things started to turn ugly again.

The Joy Of Sweat

Sarah Everts W.W. Norton 19.99

Rating:

It is the ultimate temperature-control system, essential to our survival as a species but little understood. We can each release up to ten litres of the stuff every day. It can be a source of shame, embarrassment and discomfort, and in order to combat it we spend tens of billions every year on antiperspirants and deodorants. Welcome to the world of sweat.

The top note found in armpit aroma, apparently, is either a marriage between ripe tropical fruit and onion or a rancid, goat-like stench with a hint of stinky cheese. There is even such a thing as the smell of fear. The first trademarked deodorant  Mum  launched in 1888. There are three million saunas in Finland for a population of five million. Who knew?

Sarah Everts, a science journalist, takes us on a global tour of the sweat industry in The Joy Of Sweat. Everts has charm and enthusiasm and, along the way, debunks a number of myths

Sarah Everts, a science journalist, takes us on a global tour of the sweat industry: from a smell dating event in Moscows Gorky Park to sauna theatre in Amsterdam, and Berlin, where she meets an odour artist who can recreate historical smells  First World War trenches anyone? At Sheffield University she discovers the developing world of forensic sweat fingerprinting and, at the London Museum, the fashion curator enlightens her about the problems of historical sweat stains.

Everts has charm and enthusiasm, writes breezily and, along the way, effectively debunks a number of enduring myths: women do not merely glow; sweating like a pig is a complete misnomer; saunas do not detox (they are good for your heart); the sports-drink industry is, unsurprisingly, largely a triumph of marketing over substance.

What it all adds up to, Im not entirely sure, but this journey through one of the more arcane areas of human biology is fun, entertaining and full of interesting facts, whatever your levels of hidrosis.

Simon Humphreys
It was our trusty wardrobe staple back in the day and now the bodysuit is back. Rosie Green (who still has PTSD from a popper mishap) asks: do the 2021 varieties comfortably go the distance?

From left: Kylie Minogue, Halle Berry and Cindy Crawford flaunt their bodies, 90s style

Bodysuits are everywhere. The September issue of Vogue is full of them. And the autumn/winter catwalks had a cavalcade of statement ones, with the likes of Burberry and Balmain sending shimmering gold versions out for approval. Type bodysuit into Net-A-Porter and you get 294 results: latex ones by Saint Laurent that come with their own cleaning kit, knitted ones from Miu Miu with a woolly gusset (not sure about the practicalities of that), sexy ones from Myla.

In the showbiz section of this newspaper I see J-Lo wearing a sleek black poloneck version to kiss Ben Affleck in. Shes teamed it with white paper-bag trousers and sky-high heels and her look immediately makes me crave autumn polish.

But I have mixed feelings about the return of the bodysuit. The good things were great. They were form-fitting and flattering, but not overly exposing. Chic, classy and cool, they created a neat silhouette and added streamlined polish to any outfit. I loved my aubergine one from Pineapple Dance Studios, which clung to my curves and smoothed over imperfections. Spanx before Spanx was a thing. For clubbing I had a see-through net one  under which I wore a Wonderbra (sorry, Mum).

This shimmering, backless Oseree number is Rosies absolute favourite (even if she had to ditch her bra)

But it just wouldnt be fashion if there werent also some challenges. And they were not trifling. I am taller than average, so I spent a decent chunk of the 90s surreptitiously extracting fabric from my derriere. I spent yet more time wrestling with the poppers when Id had a few too many sea breezes (so sophisticated). There may have been a few times when I failed to correctly refasten those pesky dangling flaps. And the memory of the last time I wore a bodysuit, in 1995, still brings me out in a cold sweat. Warning: this story is not for the fainthearted and involves distressing images.

The new varieties are chic, sleek, form-fitting and sexy without being trashy

The item in question was a flesh-coloured number, which I wore under a sheer slip dress to a fancy fashion party. This nude body was tight. The fancy meal was plentiful. The laws of physics meant that as I stood up from the table, the bodysuit immediately snapped open. Thanks to its impressive Lycra content it rode up to my waist, revealing my lady bits to the assembled company. I hurried out of the private dining room, only to be greeted by hundreds of eyes having tea in the foyer.

For work drinks a sequined Commando one is just the job

So you can see why I might be a little apprehensive about revisiting the trend. I call YOUs fashion editor Sophie Dearden, who it turns out has been wearing them for a while.She likes them a lot. Blessed with an ample cup size, she likes bodies as they make her feel held: You dont need to worry about constantly tucking in a shirt. She wears hers under a tux jacket and says they pull the whole outfit together. They were a great option back when I was dating, she adds. Sexy without being trashy.

Inspired, I buy my first new bodysuit in years from Wolford, the classic poloneck in black (I manage to find it at Bicester Village, for 95 instead of the usual 160). Now the kids are back at school, I road test it on a trip to get my hair done. I pull it on with minimal wrestling. I team it with high-waist jeans and it both flatters (the price tag reflects the quality of the fabric, which sculpts and smooths) and is on trend. I feel chic and pulled together. Its a typical September day and it keeps me warm without bulky layers. Its what the fashion cognoscenti would call a trans-seasonal piece. Win.

For dinner out, a lacy Myla body beneath a blouse nails it

For a dinner date, I wear a sexy body in the same way I might have previously worn a camisole. Its a Myla number and the merest peek of lace peeps out from beneath a blouse. Again it feels like a win.

For a girls night I go on the hunt. My main criteria? I want to find a bodysuit that will a) make a statement b) work with a bra and c) not have a thong. I find the French brand LAgence has a great range  including some great one-shouldered and spaghetti strap styles  that are gorgeously soft and cool in a sort of off-duty model way. Trouble is, they also require a models perky boobs. And her bank balance. I find an Intimissimi black mesh panelled corset one that feels a bit Dolce & Gabbana and would look great with jeans.

The label Commando is a great discovery, and has some stylish mid-priced ones. You do need to wrestle them on, but thats because the fabric is satisfyingly supportive and gives you that held feeling Sophie talks about. Theyre edgier, coming in faux leather or covered in sequins, and look more expensive than they are. They have the thong, though.

A Wolford poloneck body is great with jeans. Rosie wears jeans, Acne. Shoes, Aquazzura

My absolute favourite is an Oseree gold sequined bodysuit that makes a real statement, and has a sleek, sexy backless design. I cant wear a bra with it, but somehow it works. Then theres a velvet scooped-neck style from The White Company (available from 10 October, great for the well endowed), and a Zara see-through lace one  which is rather fabulous, but I think Ill leave that to the 20-somethings along with the leopard print H&M slashed-to-there body. I dont really have enough shape tape or chutzpah.

I wear the gold sequined one to a birthday dinner and feel fabulous. Then I wear a Commando sequined one for a work drinks do and am similarly enamoured.

In conclusion? I can happily say Ive moved on from the whole bodysuit-popping trauma of the past. The new varieties are chic, sleek, form-fitting and sexy without being tacky.

Apparently puffballs and catsuits are the next 90s trends to return. Im not feeling the urge to give those another spin yet.

Bodysuits for every body

YOUs fashion editor Sophie Dearden picks the most flattering styles

SHORT

Look for bodies that fit your shape. You want to avoid sagging material. Size down if you need to achieve a more fitted silhouette.

FULL FIGURED

Try styles you feel really comfortable in. Bodies are amazing for wearing under things to feel secure and sexy and make great basics instead of tops that rise up. A lined body is really flattering and provides more coverage.

TALL

A lot of brands do tall lines (try Topshop, Asos, Misguided and Wolford) and a body is a key piece to shop wisely for. No one wants to be harassed by their clothing on an evening out: it should be comfortable and not ride up.

BIGGER BUST

Find a cut you love. You dont need to wear styles you think are prescriptive due to your shape. However, try on a few to make sure you find a body that you feel supported and secure in, as otherwise you will just feel uncomfortable and at risk of spilling out.

75, reiss.com

SLIM

The best bodies for you are ones with stretch to ensure they fit your figure. A thick jersey is great for this.

Make-up: Virna Midgley
JAMES FORSYTH: Austerity sandwiches and the death of the euro... poor George has a lot on his plate

Meeting: All the Tory Secretaries of State gathered in David Cameron's House of Commons office last Wednesday to discuss the Autumn Statement

Theres a new marker of a significant event in these Coalition times: a Conservatives-only political Cabinet.



Last Wednesday, all the Tory Secretaries of State gathered in David Camerons House of Commons office to discuss the Autumn Statement.

Over what one Cabinet Minister calls austerity sandwiches and orange juice, they discussed how the party could win an overall majority at the next Election, even as the economic climate worsens.



One of those present explains: We all like Nick Clegg, but we dont want to be stuck with him for ever.

Stephen Gilbert, Camerons political secretary, and Andrew Cooper, who is his chief political strategist, presented the latest polling data. Their main finding was that support for Labours Plan B fell away when people realised that it involved more borrowing.

The numbers show that the public gets the Tories message that you cant borrow your way out of a debt crisis. Expect Ministers to refer repeatedly to Plan B for borrowing this week.

Coalition strategists expect Tuesdays Statement to be overshadowed by the Office for Budget Responsibility downgrading its forecasts for both the economic and fiscal position. One senior source predicts that it will be a good 24 hours for Labour.

Among the measures Osborne will announce are the scrapping of the 3p rise in fuel duty scheduled for January, a set of new roads projects and measures to create an e-infrastructure for Britain that will boost high-tech computing.

Frank: One Conservative Secretary of State admitted: 'We all like Nick Clegg, but we don't want to be stuck with him for ever'

These will go alongside State-supported lending to small business and a slew of private-sector infrastructure projects backed by Government guarantees.

The Chancellors message will be that he can do all these things because Britain has credibility in the international markets, thanks to the deficit-reduction plan he set out in his 2010 emergency Budget.



One close Osborne ally says that the main theme of his speech will be, Were doing what it takes to keep Britain safe in a more dangerous world.

The Liberal Democrats are understandably keen to take their share of the credit for this. One Clegg ally emphasises: Its the Coalition that has persuaded the markets.



Plans: Osborne is expected to announce the scrapping of the 3p rise in fuel duty scheduled for January, a set of new roads projects and measures to create an e-infrastructure for Britain that will boost high-tech computing

The Liberal Democrats have even taken to teasing their Coalition partners in meetings by passing around copies of Tory Election posters that predicted an implosion of Britains economic credibility if no party won an overall majority.



But Osbornes speech risks being overshadowed by events in the eurozone. The fact that Italy has to pay almost twice what it did a month ago to get its debt down is a sign that the crisis on the Continent is approaching its denouement.



The British Government is now, in the words of one senior Cabinet Minister, readying itself for the collapse of the single currency. I understand that the break-up of the euro is now regarded as probably the most likely option.

Friends say Osbornes recent comments that even France could get dragged into the sovereign debt spiral were a sign that he now thinks the euro is entering the endgame.



If the eurozones second-largest economy is not safe, then the whole project is doomed.



Treasury sources refuse to confirm this shift in the Chancellors mindset. But I hear that contingency planning for the break-up of the single currency is proceeding with increased seriousness. Everyone knows that this is not a drill any more.

Absence: In recent weeks, insiders have noticed how rarely Steve Hilton is to be found at his new desk

After the summer, Steve Hilton was given a desk right outside David Camerons office.



In No 10, where proximity is power, this was meant as a signal that the mercurial Hilton remained at the heart of the Cameron operation.

The move also placed Hilton alongside the Prime Ministers two other most powerful lieutenants, his chief of staff Ed Llewellyn and the Downing Street permanent secretary Jeremy Heywood.



The idea was to ensure that these three men all knew what the others were up to.

But in recent weeks, insiders have noticed how rarely Hilton is to be found at this new desk.

His absence has become a barometer of his dissatisfaction. Dubbed Thatcher in a T-shirt by the Lib Dems, Hilton has been irritated by the safety-first attitude of many of his colleagues.



One Tory tells me: Steve and all those guys who came in hoping to be seriously radical are very frustrated.

Cameron, though, cannot afford to lose Hilton. Hes the grit in the Downing Street oyster. Without him, this would be a far blander Government, and one less likely to rise to the challenge of the times.

David Cameron ordered an emergency meeting of the Governments strike committee on Friday. He was deeply concerned about the countrys borders ahead of Wednesdays industrial action.

They are, according to one of his close allies, flashing red in all of the Coalitions contingency planning.

The Prime Minister is worried the unions will succeed in hanging a Britain is closed to business sign across the countrys doors. At the meeting, he ordered an increase in the number of civil servants being asked to volunteer to man border posts. He is desperate to avoid the sight of British airports shutting down.

Plan of action: On strike day, Francis Maude, the Cabinet Office Minister who has been leading negotiations with the unions, will be running a war room in Great Smith Street

But even with these contingency measures, the Government is braced for hours-long queues at all major entry points. They are also expecting more than 90 per cent of state schools to shut. It will be a flash frost of discontent.

On strike day, Francis Maude  the Cabinet Office Minister who has been leading negotiations with the unions  will be running a war room in Great Smith Street. His job will be to ensure that as many key public services as possible are kept functioning. The Government, though, is in defiant mood, bolstered by polls that show increasing public opposition to the strike. One source argues that everyone staying off work will have a better pension than those struggling in.

Im told that if an agreement with the unions on public sector pensions is not reached soon, the Coalition will take away a lot of concessions and simply impose one. They are resolute that they will not reward a strike.

The trouble is that Brendan Barber, the head of the Trades Union Congress, is not in a strong enough position to make a deal. One No 10 source says: The problem is that Barber cant deliver the hard nuts.

The question now is whether Dave Prentis, the leader of Britains largest union, Unison, decides to fill this leadership vacuum. Prentis is a Labour man and not a Trot.

He might decide that in the current economic climate, a deal is in the best interests of his members. But if he does not, then a long winter of strikes lies ahead of us.

James Forsyth is political editor of The Spectator








MPs reacted angrily yesterday after the frontrunner to buy Morrisons admitted it will use a shell company in the Cayman Islands to run the supermarket.

Clayton, Dubilier and Rice (CD&R) said it will use an entity called Market21 GP Holdings in the Caribbean as it released full details of its plans for the Bradford-based grocer to investors.

The firm is currently leading with a 7billion bid as it heads into a timed auction against rival private equity firm Fortress next month, ending a four-month battle.

Front-runner: Clayton, Dubilier and Rice is currently leading with a 7billion bid for supermarket Morrisons

But parliamentarians said it 'beggars belief' that another major supermarket could be managed through a tax haven, and called on the Government to tighten rules on foreign takeovers. Last year the ownership of Asda was transferred to the tax haven of Jersey after it was bought by the Issa brothers and TDR Capital.

Conservative MP Kevin Hollinrake said he will write to former Tesco boss Sir Terry Leahy, who is heading up CD&R's bid, for assurances the firm will pay UK taxes.

Margaret Hodge, a Labour MP and campaigner against tax avoidance, said: 'It beggars belief that one of our biggest supermarkets could soon be bought by a private equity firm using tax havens.'

Darren Jones, chairman of the MPs' business committee, added: 'The idea that private equity can just sweep in, buy up British businesses and move them offshore to reduce the amount of tax they pay, without any rules or regulatory interventions, is just madness and an insult to British taxpayers.'

CD&R said the entity that will own Morrisons, Market Bidco, will be registered and incorporated in the UK, adding: 'Morrisons will remain registered in the UK, headquartered in Bradford and continue to pay taxes in the UK.'
Sainsbury's has relaunched Habitat in its supermarkets and online after closing its flagship store during the pandemic.

Britain's second biggest grocer bought the furniture brand  which was founded in 1964 by designer Sir Terence Conran  alongside Argos five years ago for 1.4billion.

Iconic: A Habitat advert and (inset) the former flagship store on Tottenham Court Road

But the brand languished, leading to the closure of several stores  including its iconic Tottenham Court Road flagship in London  leaving it with 11 concessions in supermarkets and three furniture showrooms.

The grocer now hopes it can revitalise the brand by expanding online, selling cheaper items, such as cushions and vases, in supermarkets, and introducing a new children's furniture range.

Bosses said they hope Habitat will become a 1.5billion revenue business by 2025, although some fans are worried the brand will suffer by going downmarket.

But Simon Roberts, Sainsbury's chief executive, said: 'The new Habitat campaign will ensure it becomes more accessible and affordable for everyone.'
Reopening after lockdown should have been a time for business owners to get all-important income flowing back into their bank accounts. But the recruitment crisis, which has led to vacancies running at record levels, is hampering the efforts of many small and medium-sized enterprises.

According to the Recruitment and Employment Confederation, the hardest-hit sectors include lorry drivers, nurses, IT workers, care staff, nursery teachers, chefs, cleaners, carpenters and retail assistants.

The pandemic and post-Brexit regulations are the two main reasons for the dearth of potential recruits.

Fears: Lauren Prentice needs more teachers for her after-school cookery firm

Last week, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) confirmed job vacancies rose above one million in the three months to August, the first time since it started monitoring job adverts 20 years ago.

Sharon Birch, 55, director of Footprints Learning for Life nursery in Hartlepool, says: 'It's a huge problem. I'm recruiting for staff and had 50 applications.

'I invited ten for interview and only three turned up. It's so frustrating. I can spend weeks recruiting just one staff member and only after months of looking was I able to find and recruit a cook.'

Several long-standing staff reassessed their life goals during the pandemic and moved on, which Sharon says she understands. But she adds: 'It's a big loss for the business, especially when it is so difficult to get replacements.'

Former police officer Sharon spends 70 to 80 per cent of her business's income on staff wages, but with margins so tight she can only afford to pay just above the minimum wage. It is more than most of her competitors, but not enough in a sector which requires nursery staff to have two years' training, good GCSE grades, and is highly regulated.

To attract candidates, Sharon has refreshed her website, promotes the company on social media and offers staff perks such as childcare discounts, flexible working hours and nights out.

She even buys staff occasional cakes and chocolate. 'We're poor in assets, but rich in ambition,' she says. 'You'd never go into this sector for the money.'

Lauren Prentice, 31, founded Nutritional Ninjas in 2017 to provide after-school cookery clubs to primary schools around London and the South East.

'Children aren't taught to cook in primary school,' says Lauren. 'Yes, it's part of the National Curriculum, but pupils can end up just doing occasional classes. It's not nearly enough, so we provide hour-long cookery lessons after school. The schools love it, the parents love it and, of course, the kids really enjoy it.'

While the teaching job pays well  25 an hour  Lauren is struggling to find staff. She explains: 'We thought it would be easy to recruit after lockdown, so we're not sure why we're finding it so difficult. I have ten teachers, but I need at least five more.

'As a result, we're having to turn down work. The lack of new recruits is holding us back.' Lauren has stepped up her efforts by running adverts on social media as well as using recruitment agencies and asking teachers for referrals. But she is running into the same problems as nursery owner Sharon.

She says: 'People don't turn up for interviews or will accept a job and then not turn up, often without telling me.'

When Neil Sheth graduated from university, salary was the only thing he cared about. Now, the former investment banker and founder of digital marketing business Bubbli Digital and Writefully is changing his recruitment process and company's working practices to try to attract employees.

'We're really having problems recruiting,' he says. 'So we're putting a lot of time and effort into LinkedIn, approaching people directly.'

Neil is also testing out headhunting app Workable and asking business partners for referrals. 'There is no point in trying to attract people on salary alone,' says London-based Neil, now 37.

'These days, 21- year-olds want a more rounded experience  they want to be happy at work. So, we offer core working hours which are 11am to 3pm and then people can work their remaining hours around that.'

Emma Jones, founder of business network Enterprise Nation, says: 'My advice to small business owners is to join a small business network where you can find other entrepreneurs who are more than happy to help out.'
They called him the 'greatest criminal of the century' - a murderer, swindler and bigamist who slashed the throats of two of his wives and savagely ended the lives of his four children.

Now new research suggests Frederick Deeming may also have been history's most infamous serial killer - Jack the Ripper.

I began investigating Deeming's extraordinary life and crimes intending to write a book about an eccentric plumber and former Lancashire seaman who briefly became the world's most hated man in the late 19th century.

But that plan quickly turned into an unnerving journey into a gothic world filled with claims of ghostly possession, haunted houses and powerful figures - including a future Australian Prime Minister - who believed they could speak with the dead.

They called him the 'greatest criminal of the century' - a murderer, swindler and bigamist who slashed the throats of two of his wives and savagely ended the lives of his four children. Now new research suggests Frederick Deeming may also have been history's most infamous serial killer - Jack the Ripper. Deeming is pictured in the late 1880s

Author Garry Linnell's investigation into Frederick Deeming's extraordinary life and crimes turned into an unnerving journey into a gothic world filled with claims of ghostly possession and powerful people who believed they could speak with the dead. Pictured is how London's Illustrated Police News depicted Deeming in 1892

Deeming spent decades roaming the planet and preying on the innocent and gullible before being captured and hanged by Australian authorities in May 1892 following the discovery of the decomposing body of his second wife. His death mask, taken in the hours after his execution at Melbourne Gaol, is pictured

Deeming had spent decades roaming the planet and preying on the innocent and gullible before being captured and hanged by Australian authorities in May 1892 following the discovery of the decomposing body of his second wife.

His sensational murder trial in Melbourne included claims by Deeming that his dead mother's ghost regularly woke him at night urging him to kill the women he loved. The trial was front page news around the world and saw more than 10,000 people celebrate in the streets on the morning of his execution.

By then, suspicions were already strong that Deeming was also the culprit behind the Jack the Ripper slayings which had seen at least five women murdered and their bodies dismembered in London's Whitechapel district in the autumn of 1888.

'The belief is gaining ground in official quarters that the murders of which Deeming is now known to be the author are the same kind as those committed in Whitechapel,' reported The New York Times in a front page story on the morning he was hanged.

Deeming's sensational murder trial in Melbourne included claims that his dead mother's ghost regularly woke him at night urging him to kill the women he loved. The trial was front page news around the world and saw more than 10,000 people celebrate in the streets on the morning of his execution. Deeming is pictured shortly after his arrest

Deeming's first wife Marie and their children moved into his rented home in the Merseyside village of Rainhill while he shifted to a room at a hotel. He told suspicious locals his visitors were his sister and her children. Within days he had murdered them all. Deeming is pictured with Marie in the 1880s

Deeming's father, Thomas, swung between black moods, a fierce temper and hearing voices in his head. He regularly beat Deeming and believed one of their homes was haunted. He also attempted to cut his own throat with a razor on several occasions. An illustration of Deeming killing his first wife and their children is pictured

So who was Frederick Deeming and why should we take him seriously as a suspect in the world's greatest unsolved murder mystery?

His life began in much the same way as it ended - shrouded in superstition as religion and science collided in one of the most momentous upheavals of the 19th century.

Deeming's father, Thomas, constantly swung between black moods, a fierce temper and a chorus of voices in his head. He regularly beat Frederick, his fourth son and believed one of their homes was haunted. He also attempted to cut his own throat with a razor on several occasions.

'He was a most passionate man and when out of temper had no control over himself,' Frederick's older brother, Edward, would declare in a sworn affidavit.

'Frederick was never a favourite of my father's. He seemed to have taken a dislike to him from his birth.'

After marrying Emily Mather in September 1891 Deeming took her to Australia and rented a house in Melbourne. On Christmas Eve he killed her with an axe to the head before cutting her throat and burying her beneath the hearthstone of a fireplace in the home's second bedroom. Pictured is an illustration of the skull of Emily Mather and the axe used in her murder

Within weeks of murdering Emily Mather, Deeming was on a ship to Sydney and had introduced himself to 19-year-old Kate Rounsefell as Baron Swanston, an English engineer keen to marry for the first time. The fireplace and shattered hearthstone where Emily Mather's body was discovered in March 1892 is pictured

Following the death of his beloved mother, Frederick Deeming took to sea to escape his father's regular beatings. But as the years passed his brothers watched him grow increasingly eccentric whenever he returned to the family's Birkenhead home.

Dubbed 'Mad Fred', he sported a large light ginger moustache that tumbled over his lips like a theatre curtain, wore expensive jewellery and often dressed in formal clothing as if he was attending a funeral. He could often be heard talking loudly to himself and once claimed to have seen his mother's ghost floating outside his window.

Despite his erratic behaviour - he spent several months in a Calcutta hospital in 1878 suffering dozens of epileptic seizures - he married a Welsh woman, Marie James, in 1881 and the couple soon journeyed to Australia where Frederick found work as a plumber and gasfitter.

Jack the Ripper suspect: Following Fred Deeming's capture, police began investigating whether he could be Jack the Ripper and compared handwriting samples of Deeming's (top) with those of a note said to be left by the Ripper following one of his murders in 1888

Ned and Fred: The death mask of notorious Australian bushranger Ned Kelly was displayed for years alongside a skull thought to be his, but which was later suspected to be that of Deeming. The skull (pictured, right) was discovered in the burial grounds of the old Melbourne Gaol

But he was never far from trouble. He spent six weeks in prison in Sydney in 1882 for theft and several years later was jailed again for contempt of court after defrauding customers and failing to pay a string of bills.

By then Marie was pregnant with the couple's fourth child and trapped in an unhappy marriage. Her husband was a notorious philanderer who openly carried out affairs with several barmaids around Sydney, showering them with expensive jewellery he had stolen.

After his release from prison Deeming adopted a new alias and took his family to South Africa where, by several accounts, he staged a series of scams worth tens of thousands of pounds and claimed to have contracted syphilis from a prostitute. He later returned to England with a lion cub at his side that he boasted he had saved after slaying its parents with his bare hands in an African cave.

Post mortem: Emily Mather's autopsy report, which uses her husband's fake name of Williams, shows the horrific state of her body which was uncovered two months after her murder when prospective tenants complained about a foul odour in the second bedroom

Bedroom grave: The public fascination with Fred Deeming's murders was such that illustrations were published depicting the body of Emily Mather (pictured) after she was murdered and before Deeming concreted her into the bedroom hearth

But driven by an obsession with women that bordered on monomania, he soon turned up in Hull posing as Harry Lawson, a rich Australian pastoralist and owner of a gold mine. In early 1890 he married Nellie Matheson, the 21-year-old daughter of a local widow. But sensing the authorities were closing in on him after defrauding a local jeweller, he escaped on a ship to Uruguay.

Emily Mather, who Deeming married shortly after murdering his first wife, is pictured

Arrested and deported back to England, he spent nine months in Hull prison before he turned up in the Merseyside village of Rainhill. Passing himself off as a senior Army official named Albert Williams, he leased a house called Dinham Villa and began wooing another young woman, Emily Mather.

Not long before he was due to marry Mather, Deeming's first wife and children arrived in Rainhill and moved into his rented home while he shifted to a room at the local hotel. He told suspicious locals his visitors were his sister and her children and were only staying for a short time. Within days he had murdered them all and buried them beneath the villa's kitchen floor, which he then covered in several layers of cement.

It would take seven months before their bodies were uncovered and by then Deeming was in custody.

After marrying Emily Mather in September he took her to Australia, rented a house in the Melbourne suburb of Windsor and on Christmas Eve 1891 killed her with an axe to the head before cutting her throat and burying her beneath the hearthstone of a fireplace in the home's second bedroom.

'He was a most passionate man and when out of temper had no control over himself,' Frederick's older brother, Edward, would declare in a sworn affidavit. 'Frederick was never a favourite of my father's. He seemed to have taken a dislike to him from his birth.' Deeming's murdered children are pictured in an illustration

Within weeks he was on a ship to Sydney and had introduced himself to 19-year-old Kate Rounsefell as Baron Swanston, an English engineer keen to marry for the first time. He proposed to her the day after meeting her and, despite her initial reluctance, she finally gave in to his persistent pleas and agreed to join him in the small Western Australian mining township of Southern Cross.

WAS FREDERICK DEEMING THE NOTORIOUS 'JACK THE RIPPER'? Hacked to death: Frederick Deeming slit the throats of five of his six victims, including his infant daughter, as well as bludgeoning Emily Mather in the head with what was described as a 'native battle axe' (pictured, top) By Garry Linnell Frederick Baily Deeming was long discounted as a suspect in the Jack the Ripper murders because he was erroneously believed to have been either in jail or in South Africa at the time of the killings. But the case for his involvement has been strengthened by several revelations in recent years, including a claim in 2012 by a forensic expert and former Scotland Yard detective, Robin Napper, that Deeming was most probably the Ripper. Here are some of the similarities that have led to renewed interest in Deeming's potential role in the Whitechapel serial murders. Jack the Ripper: Believed to have had a pathological hatred of prostitutes, a potential symptom of someone suffering from neurosyphilis, although there is little evidence that most of his victims were sex workers. Frederick Deeming: Told two prominent doctors who examined him in the days before his trial that he had contracted syphilis from a prostitute and had gone searching for her on at least four occasions with the aim of seeking revenge. 'It seems to have made a tragedy of his life,' the doctors concluded in a paper for the prestigious British Medical Journal. 'Some of the Whitechapel murders become immediately possible by way of revenge.' Jack the Ripper: One of his victims was Catherine Eddowes, a down-on-her luck 46-year-old woman whose mutilated body was discovered in the early hours of 30 September 1888. One witness described seeing her at 1.35am shortly before her death talking to 'a fair-moustached man'. Frederick Deeming: A young dressmaker identified Deeming as a man with a prominent fair moustache she knew as 'Lawson' who courted her in London at the time of the Ripper murders and who showed an obsessive interest in the details of Eddowes murder. Unsubstantiated reports also suggested Deeming had corresponded with Eddowes and had been close to her at one point. Jack the Ripper: Believed to have used surgical dissecting knives to mutilate several of his victims and appeared to revel in the resulting publicity. Frederick Deeming: Asked a Melbourne jeweller shortly after his arrival from England to clean a pair of blood-stained surgical dissecting knives. Also hinted on several occasions that he had a secret in his past that would shock the nation. Told a fellow prisoner in Hull jail in 1889 that 'when I get out of here I will let this world know something that they know little about I will make the people stand on their heads. Advertisement

But as Rounsefell prepared to make the long journey to WA, Emily Mather's body was discovered. An unprecedent national manhunt quickly resulted in Deeming's arrest and he was returned under heavy guard to Melbourne to face trial for her murder.

And that is when events took a decidedly spooky turn.

By the early 1890s the quasi-religion of spiritualism had become a worldwide phenomenon and was enormously popular in Melbourne and Sydney. Its followers believed in an afterlife that allowed the dead to communicate with the living and the parlours and living rooms of the middle class were regularly used to stage seances.

By the early 1890s the quasi-religion of spiritualism had become a worldwide phenomenon and was enormously popular in Melbourne and Sydney. Alfred Deakin, the future prime minister of Australia who defended Deeming at his trial, is pictured with wife Pattie, a noted spiritualist and medium

The late 19th century had witnessed astonishing technological advances as the telephone, phonograph and electric light bulb dramatically altered people's lives. But the profound impact of this Second Industrial Revolution had seen millions of people turn their backs on traditional religion and embrace the occult.

The Devil's Work, by Garry Linnell and published by Penguin, is available from here

Deeming's lead barrister at his murder trial was Alfred Deakin, a future Prime Minister of Australia who would also become a key architect of his nation's constitution. He was also a committed spiritualist who once claimed he had hypnotic powers and could control others using mental commands. His wife, Pattie, was also a prominent medium known for channelling messages from the dead with her handwriting.

The trial attracted enormous crowds and only those with a ticket could gain admittance. So sensational was the evidence and the nature of his crimes that London's Madame Tussauds Wax Museum recreated the kitchen where the bodies of Deeming's first wife and four children were uncovered. Within weeks it was also displaying a life-sized effigy of Deeming, complete with his enormous moustache.

One of the reporters who covered the trial for an international audience was Boston-born Sidney Dickinson, a correspondent for The New York Times whose wife, Marion, also hosted seances, read people's palms and claimed to have the ability to see ghosts and the lost souls of the dead.

Deeming was sentenced to death after Deakin failed to convince the jury that his client was insane. Above is an illustration of Deeming's hanging at Melbourne Gaol which appeared in The History of a Series of Great Crimes on Two Continents

Deeming was sentenced to death after Deakin failed to convince the jury that his client was insane. Just days before his execution Deeming received two visitors to his death cell  Sidney and Marion Dickinson.

The American couple believed Deeming was Jack the Ripper and convinced him to let them make a plaster cast of his right hand  the same hand that had dealt so much death on opposing sides of the world  hoping the lines in his palm might reveal his true identity.

And long after Deeming's life was extinguished on the gallows, the Dickinsons continued to be haunted by the case  literally  when Sidney claimed the ghost of Deeming regularly visited his home in Melbourne.

Garry Linnell's 'The Devil's Work: How Australia hunted and hanged the serial killer who shocked the world' is published by Penguin. Available in print, eBook and audio formats on 28 September. It can be purchased here.
Three mates horrified by the rape and murder of Jill Meagher have created an app to help stop other women being attacked on their way home.

Matt Ball, Ross Sbisa, and Chris Jonker designed Safie, an app that alerts friends if the user is in trouble, and records their location, audio and video of the situation.

Mr Sbisa said the trio watched coverage of the search for Ms Meagher, the discovery of her body, and the arrest of her killer in 2102 and decided to do something about it.

'I am a father with three beautiful daughters and a beautiful wife. I thought to myself, "this has to stop",' he told Daily Mail Australia.

Mr Sbisa (pictured with his daughters) wanted to improve safety for Australians after the high-profile murder of Jill Meagher

Mr Sbisa and his wife began researching and were alarmed by how little information was out there about keeping safe.

He discussed the problem with Mr Ball, a personal security expert, and Mr Jonker, a digital expert, and they began working on the program.

The app allows people to alert their designated contact that they're in trouble, sends images from both the front and back of the camera, and pinpoints the location of where they are.

A panic button sends pre-written SMS alerts to notify contacts why the users needs help.

Once pressed, the app starts taking continuous pictures, records audio, and activates a GPS locator, while an alert is sent to a nominated emergency contact.

The Safie App (pictured) can be used for a range of scenarios, from children alerting parents they are lost, to friends asking friends for help escaping uncomfortable situations

The button can be used for notifying friends or family that you have made it to a destination, kids telling parents they are lost, or contacting a friend to get you out of an uncomfortable a social situation.

The final application, the 'I'm not OK' button, came from the stress of lockdowns and a growing national awareness of the prevalence of mental health issues, especially in young adults.

Mr Sbisa said the app was initially intended to help children safe but once after kicking off the development they realised it has a vast range of applications.

Jill Meagher (pictured above) was a 29-year-old Irish woman living in Australia who was raped and murdered by Bayley in Melbourne in September 2012

'At first we began thinking about all the situations our kids might find themselves,' he said.

'We came up with everyday events like going to and from school or school sport, going to the movies or the beach with friends, wandering away on family shopping trips.

'Then the ideas started to grow; a teen needing to be picked up from a party, an adult needing a phone call to get them out of a first date mistake, an older person who has had a mishap, or even someone who is feeling low.

'The more research we did, the more uses we found. A young driver can let a parent know they've arrived safely.

'Businesses can use it for employees coming and going at late hours through areas that do not feel safe.'

Mr Sbisa said the panic button was a great tool to help people seek help in situations where they may be too shocked to react.

'People freeze when they're frightened,' he said.

'Working out how to get out of a dangerous or awkward situation can take time or be impossible in the moment.

Matt Ball, Ross Sbisa, Chris Jonker (pictured in name order left to right) have created an app to help Australian women seek help fast when they are in trouble

'If you've worked it out before, you can act. You get help, you get out and you get safe.'

Safie is available on both IOS and Android phones and can be downloaded now.

Ms Meagher was raped and murdered by a stranger while making the short walk back to the Melbourne apartment she shared with her husband, Tom, in September 2012.

Eerie CCTV footage was aired across Australian TV screens showing the 29-year-old being approached on the way home by Adrian Bayley - who would be later given a life sentence for her murder - in hopes the missing woman might be found safe.

Her body was found in a shallow grave north of Melbourne six days later.
United Airlines has been fined $1.9 million over 25 flights in which the plane sat on the ground for several hours, the largest fine imposed by the government for such long delays.

The Transportation Department said Friday that the incidents occurred between December 2015 and February of this year. More than 3,200 passengers were trapped on planes without being given a chance to disembark, the department said.

In a consent order, United said most of the delays involved diversions caused by severe weather, when the airline is focused on making sure that planes land safely.

In this July 2, 2021 file photo, a United Airlines jetliner taxis down a runway for take off from Denver International Airport in Denver

The airline said it was a small number of the nearly 8 million operated by United and its United Express affiliates over the five-year span of the violations.

United was ordered to pay $950,000, and was given credit of $750,000 for compensating passengers on delayed flights. United also received $200,000 for the cost of developing a tool to improve management of diverted flights.

'The safety of our customers and employees is always our first priority  particularly during severe weather,' United spokesman Charles Hobart told The Washington Post. 'We remain committed to fully meeting all DOT rules and will continue identifying and implementing improvements in how we manage difficult operating conditions while maintaining the safety of our customers and employees.'

Federal rules require airlines to give passengers a chance to return to the terminal if a plane on a domestic flight sits on the ground for at least three hours - four hours in the case of international flights.

Exceptions are allowed for safety, security, or air traffic control problems.

The longest delay, more than five hours, occurred in April 2016 after an international flight bound for Houston diverted to New Orleans.

Passengers were only given a chance to deplane after pilots exceeded their legal working day and had to be replaced with another crew, according to a consent order.

Five delays occurred on the same day in April 2019, when a winter storm snarled Chicago's O'Hare Airport, prompting flights to divert to Dane County Regional Airport in Wisconsin.
Eleven people have been indicted and eight of them arrested after a Virginia Commonwealth University fraternity pledge died from alcohol poisoning following a hazing ritual at a party earlier this year.

Adam Oakes, 19, died in February after allegedly being ordered to drink a large bottle of whiskey during a rush party for the local Delta Chi fraternity chapter.

Eight students were charged on Friday with unlawful hazing of a student, and four of them were also charged with buying and giving alcohol to a minor.

Seven were held without bond at the Richmond Justice Center. The eighth was arrested in Prince William County and released on bond.

The university confirmed that all eight were students and all but one were enrolled this semester.

Three more people have also been indicted over the death and are expected to surrender in the coming days, police said. It is not clear if they were also frat members or students at the university.

The chief medical examiners office found that Adam Oakes (pictured) died of alcohol poisoning after he was forced to drink a whole bottle of whiskey at a Delta Chi fraternity event in February

Seven Delta Chi members (pictured) were arrested in Richmond county on Friday in relation to Oakes' death. From upper left: Alessandro Medina-Villanueva, Colin Tran, Christian Rohrbach, Benjamin Corado, Jason Mulgrew, Riley McDaniel and Quinn Kub

The following students have been arrested and charged with unlawful hazing of a student: Benjamin Corrado (19), Quinny Kuby (22), Riley McDaniel (21), Alessandro Medina-Villanueva (21), Jason Mulgrew (21), Christian Rohrbach (22), Colin Tran (20) and Enayat Sheikhzad (22).

Tran, Corado and Kuby have also been charged with giving alcohol to a minor due to an unrelated incident in 2018 when they provided alcohol to underage students.

The student code of conduct allows for sanctions up to and including expulsion, the university said in a statement, but it can't share potential disciplinary information, if any, about specific students.

The indictments come nearly seven months after 19-year-old Oakes, of Loudoun County, died on February 27. The office of the chief medical examiner ruled that his death was caused by alcohol poisoning.

Oakes had received a bid to the Delta Chi fraternity and attended a party where he would receive his 'big brother' the night before his death.

Oakes was told to drink a large bottle of whiskey and later passed out on a couch at an off-campus residence, his family said. He was found dead the next morning.

Richmond police, campus police and the university launched investigations. The chapter was suspended by the university and the fraternitys national headquarters and in June VCU expelled the fraternity.

Delta Chi's chapter was suspended before VCU's Division of Student Affairs ruled that it is no longer authorized to operate as a student organization as of May 28

In a statement, VCUs Division of Student Affairs said that it initiated disciplinary proceedings on the fraternity chapter on May 3 after reports of hazing, COVID-19 protocols and recruitment activities on February 26-27 in the hours before Adam Oakess death

Delta Chi, which has a fraternity house on West Cary Street in Richmond, was also suspended in 2018 for twice giving alcohol to underage students, throwing illegal and unregistered parties and an underground recruitment while banned from adding new members

Last month, the university announced that it would ban alcohol at fraternity and sorority events, publish misconduct instances online and pause new member recruitment.

On the same day, two investigations of university Greek life on campus were released, finding that there are concerns about hazing and binge drinking at the university and staff has struggled to address them.

'VCU continues to mourn the tragic death of Adam Oakes and is grateful to the Richmond Police Department for its investigation,' the university said in a statement.

'VCU is dedicated to continuing its efforts, announced this summer, to promote a safe and welcoming fraternity and sorority life culture for all.'

Oakes family expressed their gratitude in a statement, news outlets reported.

Oakes (right) pictured with his mother (left)

'We are grateful for some measure of justice these charges and arrests may produce, as well as the protection from hazing they may give young, impressionable college students,' the statement read.

'The past seven months have been agonizing for our family. This is the first time these young men have been held accountable for their historically toxic and destructive traditions, manipulation of the VCU disciplinary systems, and for Adams death.'

The fraternitys national office said in a statement that it was aware that former members of the indefinitely suspended chapter had been arrested.

'The alleged actions of these individuals are an affront to the values of Delta Chi. Our policies are clear as it relates to the expected conduct of members including that no member shall engage in or condone acts of hazing,' the fraternity said.

'No family should ever have to experience what the Oakes family has experienced.'
COVID-19 vaccine makers stand to make billions of dollars after US health officials approved booster shots for older and vulnerable Americans while manufacturers' stock prices continue to rise during the pandemic.

The Centers for Disease Control late on Thursday endorsed third shots of the Pfizer vaccine for all Americans 65 and older, along with tens of millions of younger people at higher risk of coronavirus because of their health or jobs.

The forecast for Moderna's 2022 revenue has jumped 35 percent since President Joe Biden laid out his booster plan in mid-August, though Moderna booster shots are not yet approved.

Morningstar analyst Karen Andersen expects boosters alone to bring in about $26 billion in global sales next year for Pfizer and BioNTech and around $14 billion for Moderna if they're endorsed for nearly all Americans.

Pfizer could make $26 billion in global revenue from boosters next year. Above, a technician works a packaging line for the company's COVID-19 vaccine in Belgium in March

The Centers for Disease Control approved third Pfizer shots for at-risk Americans last week

Pfizer's stock price has risen more than 19 percent since January. They're worth $43.94 each

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention approved Pfizer boosters for people 65 and older and those in long-term care settings like nursing homes, which have proven to be hotbeds for the contagious virus.

The third shots can be administered six months after a second dose.

Pfizer boosters are also approved for people aged 18 to 64 who work in high-risk settings or who suffer from underlying conditions, a long list that includes obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer and even current and former smoking.

On Sunday, Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla told ABC This Week host George Stephanapoulos that life should go back to normal within a year, but that annual vaccinations may become a fact of life.

'I agree that, within a year, I think we will be able to come back to normal life,' he said, referring to comments from Moderna's CEO.

'The most likely scenario for me, it is that, because the virus is spread all over the world, that we will continue seeing new variants that are coming out,' he said. 'And, also, we will have vaccines that  they will last at least a year.

'And I think the most likely scenario  it is annual re-vaccinations. But we don't know, really. We need to wait and see the data,' the pharmaceutical company chief added.

Vaccine makers have already fared very well during the pandemic, which has killed more than 687,746 people in the US, surpassing the 1918 flu pandemic's death toll.

Pfizer's stock price shot up from $30.99 on March 8, 2020 - days before the World Health Organization declared coronavirus a global pandemic - to $43.94 today. Johnson & Johnson's stock rose from $134.29 each to $164.59 today.

The biggest winner has been Massachusetts-based Moderna, which was founded in 2010 and has no other products on the market.

Among those eligible for third doses are all adults aged 65 and older and adults 18 and over with one of many pre-existing conditions or with high-risk jobs

Moderna's stock has risen 519 percent over the past year and 318 percent since the start of 2021. Prices went from $21.3 each on March 8, 2020 to $430 today

Johnson & Johnson's stock rose from $134.29 each to $164.59 today in the same period. The CDC says it will decide on Moderna and J&J boosters 'as soon as those data are available'

The company's stock has risen 519 percent over the past year, according to MarketWatch. It went from $21.3 each on March 8, 2020 to $430 today.

Two doctors say that the CDC's latest guidance is ahead of the science on whether or not boosters are necessary in an op-ed published Friday in the New York Times.

'As emergency physicians and public health professionals, we are frequently asked, "What would you do?" In the case of boosters, neither of us feels theres sufficient information to make informed choices for ourselves or our families, let alone for everyone else.'

Just how much manufacturers make from boosters depends on how big the rollout proves to be.

US officials described Thursday's move as a first step. Boosters will likely be offered even more broadly in the coming weeks or months, including boosters of vaccines made by Moderna and Johnson & Johnson.

That, plus continued growth in initial vaccinations, could mean a huge gain in sales and profits for Pfizer and Moderna in particular.

'The opportunity quite frankly is reflective of the billions of people around the world who would need a vaccination and a boost,' Jefferies analyst Michael Yee said.

COVID infections rose over the summer as the more deadly Delta variant raged on, though there are signs that new cases and infections are starting to drop

Only 55.2 percent of the US population is vaccinated, far behind other advanced countries

Most of the vaccinations so far in the US have come from Pfizer, which developed its shot with Germany's BioNTech, and Moderna.

They have inoculated about 99 million and 68 million people, respectively. Johnson & Johnson is third with about 14 million people.

Sixty-four percent of the US population, over 213 million people, have at least one dose of a vaccine, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Slightly above 55 percent are fully vaccinated.

No one knows yet how many people will get the extra shots.

Those companies also may gain business from people who got other vaccines initially.

In Britain, which plans to offer boosters to everyone over 50 and other vulnerable people, an expert panel has recommended that Pfizer's shot be the primary choice, with Moderna as the alternative.

Andersen expects Moderna, which has no other products on the market, to generate a roughly $13 billion profit next year from all COVID-19 vaccine sales if boosters are broadly authorized.

Potential vaccine profits are harder to estimate for Pfizer, but company executives have said they expect their pre-tax adjusted profit margin from the vaccine to be in the 'high 20s' as a percentage of revenue.

That would translate to a profit of around $7 billion next year just from boosters, based on Andersens sales prediction.

J&J and Europe's AstraZeneca have said they don't intend to profit from their COVID-19 vaccines during the pandemic.

For Pfizer and Moderna, the boosters could be more profitable than the original doses because they won't come with the research and development costs the companies incurred to get the vaccines on the market in the first place.

WBB Securities CEO Steve Brozak said the booster shots will represent 'almost pure profit' compared with the initial doses.

Drugmakers aren't the only businesses that could see a windfall from delivering boosters.

Drugstore chains CVS Health and Walgreens could bring in more than $800 million each in revenue, according to Jeff Jonas, a portfolio manager with Gabelli Funds.

Jonas noted that the drugstores may not face competition from mass vaccination clinics this time around, and the chains are diligent about collecting customer contact information. That makes it easy to invite people back for boosters.

Moderna, founded in Massachusetts in 2010, has no other FDA-approved drugs on the market

Drugmakers are also developing COVID-19 shots that target certain variants of the virus, and say people might need annual shots like the ones they receive for the flu.

All of that could make the vaccines a major recurring source of revenue.

The COVID-19 vaccines have already done much better than their predecessors.

Pfizer said in July it expects revenue from its COVID-19 vaccine to reach $33.5 billion this year, an estimate that could change depending on the impact of boosters or the possible expansion of shots to elementary school children.

That would be more than five times the $5.8 billion racked up last year by the world's most lucrative vaccine - Pfizer's Prevnar13, which protects against pneumococcal disease.

It also would dwarf the $19.8 billion brought in last year by AbbVies rheumatoid arthritis treatment Humira, widely regarded as the worlds top-selling drug.

This bodes well for future vaccine development, noted Erik Gordon, a business professor at the University of Michigan.

Vaccines normally are nowhere near as profitable as treatments, Gordon said. But the success of the COVID-19 shots could draw more drugmakers and venture capitalists into the field.

'The vaccine business is more attractive, which, for those of us who are going to need vaccines, is good,' Gordon said.
The FBI has contacted veterans' groups which helped evacuate Americans and at-risk allies left behind after the chaotic Afghanistan evacuation last month to make sure they did not violate federal laws.

Agents have enquired about financial records and flight manifests, and visited at least one group leader at home, Politico reported.

Members of 'Task Force Pineapple' and 'Task Force Dunkirk', as well as others, have been contacted by agents with a number of queries.

Agents are reportedly looking at whether any groups solicited money, offered bribes, or hired for-profit contractors for security and escort services.

The controversial private military contractor Erik Prince, who founded Blackwater, offered to safely evacuate people for $6,500 each, sparking allegations of profiteering. It is unclear if Prince has been contacted by the FBI.

Dozens of private groups made up of veterans and workers with experience in Afghanistan cropped up to aid those looking to flee the country.

Many were coordinated over messaging apps like WhatsApp, and some have continued their work since American military forces left the country for good on August 31.

Following the fall of Kabul in mid-August, multiple task forces made up of people with experience in Afghanistan cropped up to aid Afghans looking to flee

Task Force Pineapple was approached by agents when it recorded a 'substantial increase' in the amount of money in its nonprofit bank account, Politico reported.

Tim Parlatore, the group's legal counsel told the outlet that authorities had also visited the home of Task Force Pineapple founder Scott Mann.

Parlatore says the group was 'happy' to cooperate with the agency, and said they had been cleared of any wrongdoing.

But he notes that other veterans' groups are 'not doing the right thing,' and that the FBI should look into every group currently involved in rescue work in the country.

'We've heard of groups that are soliciting money based on false claims about their efforts. We've heard of groups that are taking actions which actually undermine the legitimate efforts of others,' Parlatore told Politico.

'Not everybody is necessarily acting with criminal intent, but when you have a situation like this, unfortunately bad actors do take advantage of tragedies.'

Agents are reportedly looking at whether any groups solicited money, offered bribes, or hired for-profit contractors for security and escort services

A person familiar with the investigations told Politico that the FBI is trying to ensure the groups do not offer bribes, or pay the Taliban to evacuate people from Afghanistan.

It is feared that any such payments would raise human trafficking concerns.

The Bureau's outreach has divided some groups.

'In my mind, the FBI was trying to be helpful, not intimidating,' a person familiar with the outreach said.

But another told Politico: 'Any time you get visited by the FBI or contacted by an entity like that, it's concerning.'
Video of the incident was circulating on social media but Katz said he wont share it in an attempt to protect the innocent student featured in the video

Officers arrived at Meadowbrook High School due to rumors of weapons being use but police confirmed weapons were used and no one was injured or arrested

Katz praised Bowen for acting 'selflessly' in the moment and protecting the young man

Katz said the incident proves the necessity of police presence in schools and how if the officer cultivate relationships with officers they can be of good use

Chesterfield County Police Chief Jeffrey S. Katz posted a video that shows resource officer Anthony Bowen use his body to protect a student from a mob

A Virginia police chief is thanking a school resource officer for using his own body to shield a student during a wild high school brawl involving dozens of students.

Chesterfield County Police Chief Jeffrey S. Katz posted a grab that shows resource officer Anthony Bowen use his own body to protect a student at Meadowbrook High School from a mob of students attacking him.

Katz said the incident proves the necessity of police presence in schools and how if the officer cultivate relationships with officers they can be of good use and protect them in violence situations.

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Chesterfield County Police Chief Jeffrey S. Katz posted a grab that shows resource officer Anthony Bowen use his body to protect a student from a mob

A brawl broke out at Meadowbrook high school in Virginia on Thursday, police say no one was injured

Officers arrived at Meadowbrook High School due to rumors of weapons being used during the brawl, but police confirmed weapons were used and no one was injured or arrested

Katz praised Bowen for acting 'selflessly' in the moment and protecting the young man.

'This officer conducted himself bravely, selflessly, and without regard for his own well-being,' the chief wrote on Facebook. 'That's how our people are expected to perform and with rare exception, that's how we conduct business.'

Officers arrived at Meadowbrook High School due to rumors of weapons being used during the brawl, but police confirmed no weapons were used and no one was injured or arrested, NBC12.com reported.

Katz praised Bowen for acting 'selflessly' in the moment and protecting the young man

Video of the incident was circulating on social media that showed a school resource officers getting hit as students brawled in a hallway, Fox News reported.

But Katz said he wont share it in an attempt to protect the innocent student featured and in order to not glorify violence.

Instead, he said, he wanted to highlight an exceptional officer's performance on job.

'Im proud of this officer, thankful for his service, and want to make it known exactly why I remain committed to ensuring our children remain safe within their learning environments. Thank you, Anthony,' he wrote.
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The Long Island funeral home that will host a public visitation memorial for Gabby Petito on Sunday released a touching video tribute featuring a montage of personal and family photos.

The body of the 22-year-old slain 'van life' girl who was found in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming last Sunday, is scheduled to be cremated before Sunday's service in Holbrook, a small hamlet in Suffolk County. Her funeral is scheduled for Monday.

Meanwhile, tributes are pouring in nationwide as mourners flood Facebook with condolences to the young woman's family. 'Gabby Petito has become America's child,' one well-wisher said.

Moloney's Funeral Home posted the montage on its web site on Saturday. It shows young Gabby as a happy, smiling girl who enjoyed playing outdoors and spending time with her family and its pet dog.

The photos also show her love of nature and the outdoors. Gabby is photographed at some of America's most popular outdoor destinations including Zion National Park in Utah.

In July, Petito and her boyfriend, Brian Laundrie, 23, of North Port, Florida, set out from her family's Long Island home on a cross-country 'van life' trip that they began to document on social media platforms.

Gabby Petito is seen in this undated file photo released by Moloney's Funeral Home in Holbrook, New York

Petito is seen above with a dog while walking on the beach in this undated file photo

Young Gabby is seen above in these undated file photos. Her family remembered her as a warm, loving young woman

Young Gabby is seen above in the arms of her father, Joseph Petito, in this undated file photo

Gabby Petito is seen above appearing to meditate along the beach in this undated file photo

The couple documented online their trip in a white Ford Transit van converted into a camper, but they got into a physical altercation on August 12 in Moab, Utah, that led to a police stop for a possible domestic violence case.

Ultimately, police there decided to separate the quarreling couple for the night.

But no charges were filed, and no serious injuries were reported.

Petito was reported missing on September 11 by her parents after she did not respond to calls and texts for several days while the couple visited parks in the West.

A bag of preparations and ribbons were dropped off at Moloney's Funeral Home in Holbrook, New York on Saturday - two days before a visitation memorial for Petito which will be open to the public

The visitation memorial will take place on Sunday while Petito's funeral will be held on Monday

Her body was discovered on Sunday in the vicinity of a remote, undeveloped campground along the border of Grand Teton National Park in northwestern Wyoming.

Laundrie, who has gone missing, is believed to have returned to his Florida home without Petito on September 1. He has been declared a 'person of interest' since he was the last to see her alive.

In Florida, searchers have been scouring the forbidding wilderness preserve near his parents' home while looking for Laundrie.

On Facebook, mourners posted their messages of condolence to the family. One commenter wrote: 'Gabby, You are now in the arms of the..Angel's!'

One Facebook commenter wrote that Gabby was 'in a beautiful place where there is no more sadness nor sorrow'

'You are free at last..Rest now in sweet heavenly peace!!' wrote another well-wisher on Facebook

A Facebook user from Idaho wrote: 'Rest In Peace beautiful girl! Fly high with the angels! Sending love & prayers to Gabby's family & friends!'

Another Facebook user wrote: 'To Gabby's Mom , Dad and Family and friends. My heart breaks along with yours on the loss of Gabby.'

The search began last week after Laundrie told his parents he was going there, several days after returning alone from his trip out west with Petito.

Laundrie's parents said he left their home on September 14 - but only reported him missing three days later. FBI and local police are still searching for him in Carlton Reserve, an alligator-infested reserve five miles from his home.

His silver Ford Mustang was also found abandoned near the Carlton Reserve with a note requesting it be towed away.

'These guys, our law enforcement partners are motivated and they are hungry to find Brian Laundrie,' North Port Police commander Joe Fussell, who is helping to coordinate the search, said Wednesday.

'It's rough out there, it's hot, it's wet. We are trying to cover every acre in this reserve.'

'I hope and pray justice will be served so she can rest in peace and you all can in time have some closure on this senseless tragedy,' wrote another Facebook user

One Facebook user wrote of Petito's family: 'I wish I could take away some of the pain you are feeling'

One Facebook user pleaded for the public to stay away out of deference to the grieving family. 'Out of respect for the family, I hope strangers keep their distance,' a concerned Facebook user wrote

Another Facebook commenter wrote: 'I have never met Gabby, but how could I not be affected by her passing as is all of America.'

One well-wisher commented: 'So much sorrow, such a beautiful soul, may God's arms comfort your pain and heartache at this time.'

A Canadian Facebook user wrote: 'My deepest condolences to the Petito and Schmidt families.'

On Wednesday there was a flurry of activity as divers were brought to the site, but it later emerged that there was no connection to the case.

The team, made up of about 10 divers, was requested by North Port Police on Wednesday morning, said Sarasota County Sheriff's office spokesperson Kaitlyn Perez.

'These divers are specifically trained and very talented in low visibility bodies of water,' Perez said.

'They dive down where you and I can't see anything at all. They utilize technology and other special equipment to help them get down deep into really deep bodies of water, so they're out there right now to recover whatever it is that they might find.'

The search has cost $1.2million so far as it enters its sixth day.

Petito was remembered as a young woman who had a great love of the outdoors (above)

Tributes poured in from all over the United States and Canada as well-wishers took to social media to express their shock and sadness over her death

A candlelight vigil was held in her hometown of Blue Point, New York on Friday

Her family has asked that in lieu of flowers that mourners make a donation to a nonprofit

Petito is seen in the above undated file photo released by Moloney Funeral Home on Saturday

The Petito case captivated the nation after she posted videos and images on social media of her 'van life' trip with her boyfriend

Teton County Coroner Brent Blue classified Petito's death as a homicide - meaning her death was caused by another person - but did not disclose how she was killed pending further autopsy results.

On Facebook, mourners posted their messages of condolence to the family.

One commenter wrote: 'Gabby, You are now in the arms of the..Angel's!

'In a beautiful place where there is no more sadness nor sorrow.

'You are free at last..Rest now in sweet heavenly peace!!'

The vigils were held on Friday, ahead of Petito's funeral and cremation services on Monday

Residents put up a heart-shaped memorial. Candles were handed out and $20 donations were collected for Petito's family

Posters and tributes were set up across town. A 'Fly High Gabby' poster was put up on a tree

One resident set up a candle outside outside her driveway to show solidarity for their late neighbor

Another Blue Point neighbor helped adjust candles at one of the vigil sites

Residents also put together cards and notes to display in tribute of their late neighbor

Other residents set put up flowers to display at one of the sites besides a display that read 'Wings of An Angel Gabby'

The memorial sites showed off candles, cards, posters, stuffed animals and flowers dedicated to the late Peitio

The site stands by a large display that reads, 'Gabby Petito, Forever in our hearts'

'Shine a light for Gabby' event took place in her hometown of Blue Point, pictured, and in West Islip

A Facebook user from Idaho wrote: 'Rest In Peace beautiful girl! Fly high with the angels! Sending love & prayers to Gabby's family & friends!'

Another Facebook user wrote: 'To Gabby's Mom , Dad and Family and friends. My heart breaks along with yours on the loss of Gabby.

'I hope and pray justice will be served so she can rest in peace and you all can in time have some closure on this senseless tragedy.

'I wish I could take away some of the pain you are feeling.'

Gabby Petito's stepfather James Schmidt has visited the exact spot where she was killed, and created a stone cross. He laid a floral tribute

James Schmidt, Gabby Petito's stepfather, traveled to Wyoming on September 14 to help the search for the 22-year-old. Four days later her body was found

A memorial of stones arranged in a cross pattern was spotted Monday evening at the Spread Creek Dispersed Campsite east of the Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. On Wednesday Petito's stepfather made a similar tribute at the exact spot where her body was found

One Facebook user pleaded for the public to stay away out of deference to the grieving family.

'Out of respect for the family, I hope strangers keep their distance,' a concerned Facebook user wrote.

'It's going to be hard enough with every media outlet going be there.

'They don't need complete strangers too...Sending healing prayers and thoughts to the family.'

Another Facebook commenter wrote: 'I have never met Gabby, but how could I not be affected by her passing as is all of America.

'Such a tragedy to lose a child. I can only imagine what pain your family and friends are going through.'

Gabby Petito, 22, is pictured with her boyfriend Brian Laundrie, 23, in a YouTube video made to document their 'van life' road trip. Petito's body was found on Sunday and Laundrie has disappeared

Petito and Laundrie are seen on July 4 in Utah. They had set out two days previously on a road trip, planning to document their journey on social media

The pair had been travelling on a cross-country trip together since July 2, when they left New York. Petito was reported missing on September 11

One well-wisher commented: 'So much sorrow, such a beautiful soul, may God's arms comfort your pain and heartache at this time.'

A Canadian Facebook user wrote: 'My deepest condolences to the Petito and Schmidt families.

'We in Canada feel your pain on the loss of this beautiful young lady. She has touched so many hearts.'

One Facebook user wrote: 'Words seem so feeble in moments like these.

'Life is so precious, and death such a thief. ... Love is a bond that death cannot part.'

Gabby's hometown in Long Island paid a somber tribute to her on Saturday.

The 'Light the Night for Gabby Petito' event took place in Blue Point and West Islip as neighbors lit candles throughout the towns in memory of Petito.

Hundreds of candles had been given out throughout Blue Point as organizers also collected $20 donations to deliver to Petito's family, ABC 7 reports.

The community also decorated thousands of trees with blue ribbons to honor the 2017 Bayport-Blue Point High School graduate.

Dorothy Johnson, of Blue Point, told News 12, 'For me it's important just to acknowledge Gabby, to support the family throughout the whole community, not only our community but throughout Long Island. Many people are lighting a candle.'

Jennifer Horton, of Blue Point, also put candles outside her driveway to honor Petito.

'When the community loses one, we all do,' says Horton. 'So just remember the great life she had. Losing her so young and just to really celebrate her life.'

Search teams are pictured on Wednesday heading into the Carlton Reserve in Florida

The Carlton Reserve has been the focus of a search for Laundrie since his car was found at the site on Sunday

Laundrie was apparently an avid reader, with some pointing to a video on the couple's YouTube page showing him reading a book about a missing woman. He is seen here camping on the Appalachian trail with Petito in March for her birthday

Joseph Petito, Gabby's father, confirmed that he funeral will take place at the Moloney Funeral Home, in Holbrook, on September 26.

The funeral home told The Sun that a memorial service was being held on Sunday for Petito's cremation.

The family asked that in lieu of flowers, donations be sent to the Future Gabby Petito Foundation through the Johnny Mac Foundation.

Petito's stepfather, James Schmidt, had visited the exact spot where her body was found in Wyoming, and created a memorial to the 22-year-old New Yorker.

Schmidt, who is married to Petito's mother Nichole, traveled from New York to Wyoming last week to help with the search for the missing 'van life' traveler.

She had been reported missing on September 11, and he set out on September 14. Her body was found on September 19.

On Wednesday Schmidt made a stone cross at the site where Petito was discovered, Fox News confirmed. He left yellow and white flowers on the site, beneath the trees.

A similar memorial had been made on Monday, on an open patch of muddy land on the banks of a river near the campsite.

Gary Rider, a friend of Schmidt, said the pair had visited the site on Wednesday and that they had left some flowers next to the other cross.

'We did go  the small cross with flowers was made by Jim and myself,' he told The Independent.

'That larger cross was not done by anyone connected with the search or recovery of Gabby.'

Nina Celie Angelo (left) of New Orleans recalled the August 27 incident in Jackson Hole, Wyoming involving Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie (right)

Angelo, a photographer, was with her boyfriend, financial adviser Matthew England, when they stopped to have lunch at Merry Piglets sometime between 1 and 2pm. The couple was in Wyoming in late August to attend a wedding. While dining at the restaurant, they overheard a loud conversation in which another customer, Laundrie, was heard screaming at wait staff in what appeared to be an argument over the check

On Thursday, the FBI issued a warrant for Laundrie's arrest after he fraudulently used a Capitol One Bank debit card that was not his.

The FBI said Laundrie is wanted for 'use of unauthorized access device' related to his activities between August 30 and September 1, following Petito's death, and that he used the card to obtain items totaling $1,000 or more.

The statement by the Bureau's Denver desk says: 'While this warrant allows law enforcement to arrest Mr Laundrie, the FBI and our partners across the country continue to investigate the facts and circumstances of Ms. Petito's homicide.

'We urge individuals with knowledge of Mr Laundrie's role in this matter or his current whereabouts to contact the FBI.'

Authorities are continuing to search for Laundrie, 23, who was last seen by his parents and his attorney last week.

Steve Bertolino, Laundrie's attorney, issued a statement on Thursday evening after the FBI's arrest warrant for his fugitive client was made public, emphasizing that the warrant was not for Petito's death but for related activities that took place after her demise.

'It is my understanding that the arrest warrant for Brian Laundrie is related to activities occurring after the death of Gabby Petito and not related to her actual demise,' Bertolino told Dailymail.com

Laundrie and Petito were reported to have been in heated arguments prior to her disappearance and death.

Nina Celie Angelo of New Orleans said she and her boyfriend were at the Merry Piglets restaurant in Jackson Hole on August 27 and saw the tragic Long Island woman try to calm down the hot-headed Laundrie.

'He was just very visibly angry. She was really upset. She was crying. He immediately went to the hostess stand and was going in on the hostess and the waitress and eventually the manager,' Angelo told GMA.

'It was almost like he was screaming. She was like 'I'm sorry, come on just let's just go.' But she was physically upset, she was crying. You could feel his temper. He was angry.'

The sighting at the Jackson Hole restaurant places Petito 300 miles north of Salt Lake City and just 45 miles from the Wyoming campground in the Grand Tetons where her remains were found.

Moab City Police Department announced that they will launch an independent investigation into their officers' handling of another domestic dispute between Laundrie and Petito that took place on August 12.

Moab City Police Department and the City of Moab an investigation into officers' handling of a domestic dispute between Brian Laundrie and Gabby Petito a month before she was found dead in Wyoming

Laundrie is seen with scratches on his face which he tells an officer were caused when Petito 'was trying to get the keys from me' and 'hit me with her phone'

Police found Laundrie with scratches to his face, with Petito claiming she'd hit him with a phone while battling her OCD.

Officers deemed her to be the 'primary aggressor' and separated the couple for the night to try and defuse the tension between them, but neither were arrested.

That has subsequently triggered allegations that investigating the incident more deeply might have saved Petito's life, although other's have countered by hailing the cops' calm handling of the couple.

The recorded encounter began after a chilling 911 audio captured a caller in Utah reporting a domestic abuse incident involving Petito and Laundrie that claimed Laundrie slapped her.

In the audio, obtained by DailyMail.com, the male caller tells a Grant County sheriff that a 'gentleman' in a white van with a Florida license plate had slapped a girl in the vehicle before driving away.

The man also mentions the incident had happened 'by Moonflower' - likely referring to the Moonflower Community Cooperative in Moab, where Laundrie and Petito stayed the night of August 11 and where they reportedly were seen having an explosive fight.

'I'm right in the corner of Main Street by Moonflower and we are driving and I'd like to report a domestic dispute. Florida with a white van - Florida license plate, white van,' the man says before being interrupted by the officer, who asks him what he saw exactly.

'They just drove off. They're going towards Main Street. They made a right onto Main Street from Moonflower. We drove by him, a gentleman was slapping the girl,' the man continues.

'He was slapping her?' the sheriff asks.

'Yes. And then we stopped. They ran down an up the sidewalk. He proceeded to hit her, hopped in the car and they drove off,' the man says as the audio ends.

Shortly after the call at 4:30 pm, Petito and Laundrie were filmed in police bodycam footage when they were stopped by Moab Police.

Moab police officers separated the couple for the night after responding to the 911 call. The City of Moab said they are 'unaware of any breach of Police Department policy' in their handling of Petito and Laundrie's domestic dispute

Police bodycam footage revealed the moment Utah cops asked missing 'van-life' woman Gabby Petito why she slapped her boyfriend Brian Laundrie in a dramatic incident 13 days before she disappeared on their cross-country trip

The bodycam footage shows an officer reporting that the driver of a vehicle ahead is showing 'obscure driving', driving 45mph in a 15mph road, and is 'possibly intoxicated.'

He says the vehicle has bumped a curb and puts the sirens on. Petito later told officers that the couple didn't drink.

The officer then gets out the vehicle and approaches the couple's white camper van, which they have pulled over. The officer asks Petito to step out of the vehicle and takes her down the road, separating the couple to ask her what happened.

In the video, an emotional Petito tells officers with tears streaming down her face that she 'was trying to get him [Laundrie] to stop telling [her] to calm down' and admitting the couple had 'been fighting all morning.'

In the bodycam footage from Moab officers, Petito says she suffers from OCD and anxiety, with both her and Laundrie saying she was stressed because of the YouTube blog they were working on to document the doomed cross-country trip.

The officer tells Petito she is 'not in any trouble' and escorts her to the back of the cop car so she can 'take a breath' and have 'a few minutes.'

Laundrie is seen with scratches on his face and arm which he tells an officer were caused when Petito 'was trying to get the keys from me' and 'hit me with her phone'.

He later said she was angry with him because of his dirty feet. When an officer asks Petito if her boyfriend hit her, she replies 'I guess' and makes a grabbing motion on her chin. Laundrie admits he 'pushed her' during the altercation.

'I am separating you two tonight, okay?' the officer is heard telling Petito. The 22-year-old nods through tears in response and mouths 'okay.'

Moab city officials released a statement on Thursday which said they were 'unaware of any breach of Police Department policy.'

They noted that 'individuals can view the same situation in very different ways' and 'recognize how the death of Ms. Petito more than two weeks later in Wyoming might lead to speculation, in hindsight, about actions taken during the incident in Moab.'
Fourteen Mexican soldiers were detained early Saturday morning for several hours by U.S. border agents after they crossed into El Paso, Texas, from Mexico's Ciudad Juarez, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said.

'Just after midnight today CBP officers working at the Bridge of the America's international crossing in El Paso noted two Mexican military vehicles crossing the boundary and entering the U.S.,' the CBP said in a statement.

The 14 Mexican soldiers said they did not realize they had entered the United States and U.S. border agents secured their weapons and equipment for 'safety and processing,' said the CBP, adding that Mexican military leadership was contacted and arrived at the port shortly thereafter.

Fourteen Mexican army soldiers were briefly detained and then returned to Mexico after they crossed into the U.S. at a border bridge in El Paso, Texas

Two Mexican military vehicles crossed the bridge, pictured, that links El Paso to Ciudad Juarez, Mexico in the early hours of Saturday

The soldiers were pictured sitting by the side of the road as U.S. officials worked out how to resolve the mistake

The Mexican soldiers were processed and held until their superiors came over the border to collect them

Thirteen of the 14 Mexican soldiers were processed without incident, but one soldier was assessed a civil penalty after CBP officers discovered a personal use amount of marijuana in his possession.

All 14 soldiers, their equipment and vehicles were returned to Mexico before 5am, said the CBP.

Mexico's Defense Ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The soldiers were seen standing at the side of the road with their hands behind their backs

The border was closed for several hours while the Mexican soldiers were processed

Due to the incident, the border crossing was closed for about two hours, a witness to the events said.

'The CBP (agents) yelled at the soldiers to put their hands up and drop their weapons immediately,' said the witness, who asked not to be named.

The CBP agents searched the vehicles and then escorted away the soldiers, which appeared to be handcuffed, according to the witness and photos of the situation that Reuters saw.

Inadvertent crossings of the border by Mexican military forces have occurred in the past, but usually in areas where the border is not clearly marked.

The embarrassing slip-up was caught on camera by others who were crossing the border

The soldiers were crossing in a green pickup truck, seen here through the windshield
Billionaire Walter Scott, the former CEO of the Kiewit construction firm who helped oversee Warren Buffett's conglomerate and donated to various causes in his hometown of Omaha, Nebraska, died Saturday at age 90.

The Suzanne and Walter Scott Foundation did not mention a cause of death.

Scott was a childhood friend of Buffett's and was a a board member of his Berkshire Hathaway conglomerate from 1988 until his death.

His net worth is estimated to be about $4.2 billion, according to Forbes. He recently said most of his money will be left behind to his personal foundation to help build up his hometown.

Walter Scott, left, died Saturday at age 90. Above, he sits next to Leslie Jackson, wife of glass artist Dale Chihuly, during a ceremony in Omaha, Nebraska in May 2017

Scott earned a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from Colorado State University in 1953. He later donated $53.3 million to the college, the largest gift in its history

Scott, left with racer Danica Patrick and Muhammad Ali in 2010, spent his entire career at the Omaha-based construction company Kiewit, which has built projects around the world

Scott and his wife Suzanne, left, have given about $500 million since 2001 to various causes

Scott invested alongside Berkshire in the company's utility and energy unit. He held about 8 percent of Berkshire Hathaway Energy's stock and 105 Class A Berkshire shares, with Buffett's Berkshire holding nearly all the rest.

Berkshire-Hathaway is a holding company that owns Geico, Dairy Queen, Helzberg Diamonds and other notable brands. It also owns significant shares in Kraft Heinz, American Express, Bank of America, Coca-Cola and Apple.

Scott was born in Omaha, Nebraska in 1931 and grew up during the Great Depression.

He graduated from Colorado State University, then Colorado A&M, with a bachelor's degree in civil engineering in 1953, according to the college .

He donated $53.3 million to the university in 2016 - the largest gift in its history. The university renamed its engineering school the Walter Scott, Jr. College of Engineering in his honor.

An examination of foundation's tax records shows his charitable grants since 2001 alone have exceeded $500 million, according to the Omaha World-Herald.

Scott spent his entire career working for Peter Kiewit Sons' Inc. - the Omaha-based construction company that builds major projects all over the world.

Buffet, 91, was a childhood friend of Scott's. Scott helped oversee Buffet's Berkshire Hathaway conglomerate until his death on Saturday. Buffet's net worth stands at over $100 billion

The construction company began building the US military Thule Air Base in Greenland in 1951. It also built the 63rd Street subway tunnel between Manhattan and Queens and the seven-mile San Mateo-Hayward bridge over San Francisco Bay, according to The New York Times.

Scott worked his way up from overseeing construction projects in California and New York to become the company's executive vice president in 1965.

When Peter Kiewit died in 1979, Scott succeeded him as Chairman and CEO. He also went on to serve as chairman of a Kiewit spin-off, Level 3 Communications, until that firm was bought in 2014.

He retired as CEO of Kiewit in 1998, leaving it as the country's seventh-largest construction company.

'Ive tried to be a good steward of what (Peter Kiewit) left,' Scott said at the time.

'You cannot find a better model for a citizen than Walter Scott,' Buffett, a longtime friend, told the Omaha World-Herald on Saturday.

'He was basically a builder, whether he was building Kiewit and physical things or building his vision of Omaha or Nebraska. He was nonstop.'

One of the main buildings at the University of Nebraska Medical Center's new Fred and Pamela Buffett Cancer Center is called the Suzanne and Walter Scott Cancer Research

The College of Engineering at Colorado State University was renamed after Scott in 2016

The wealth Scott accumulated allowed him to become a philanthropist.

Scott and his late wife Suzanne gave large sums to the University of Nebraska at Omaha, the University of Nebraska Medical Center and Colorado State University.

One of the main buildings at UNMC's new Fred and Pamela Buffett Cancer Center is called the Suzanne and Walter Scott Cancer Research Tower because of their donations.

Sections of the Joslyn Art Museum and Holland Performing Arts Center in Omaha are also named in honor of the Scotts' giving.

Scott was also a longtime supporter of the renowned Omaha zoo, where the large aquarium is named in honor of him and his wife.

The billionaire philanthropist had told the Omaha World-Herald that he intended for nearly all of his personal assets to be donated to his personal foundation, which supports projects in Omaha.

'My children were taken care of long ago - what they make of their lives is now their own responsibility,' Scott said to the World-Herald.

'Ultimately, nearly everything will go to the foundation, with the hopes it will benefit my hometown for many generations to come.'

Walter has been a director of numerous charitable and educational organizations and served as chairman of the boards of the Omaha Zoological Society, Omaha Zoo Foundation, Joslyn Art Museum, Horatio Alger Association, Heritage Services and the Board of Policy Advisors for the Peter Kiewit Institute.
The father of an Australian scientist known as 'the human swan' who could lose her legs after a horror paramotor accident in Britain has just 24 hours to prove he's her dad before his travel exemption is refused.

Sacha Dench, 43, was trying to circumnavigate Britain in a motorised steel parachute with Dan Burton, 54, when she plummeted from the sky after colliding with a member of her support crew on September 19.

Mr Burton died at the scene and Ms Dench was rushed to hospital in Aberdeen, northeast Scotland, with critical injuries.

Her father Steve Dench, who lives in Queensland, said on Sunday morning that the Australian Department of Home Affairs demanded to see her birth certificate to verify their relationship - which he does not have.

Sacha Dench (pictured), who is also known as 'the human swan' could lose her legs after an accident

Her father Steve Dench, who lives in Queensland, is now scrambling to get a travel exemption to see her

Australians are banned from leaving the country unless they plan to stay overseas long term or get a compassionate exemption.

Citizens leaving on compassionate grounds must prove travel is absolutely necessary with letters from doctors and relationship documentation - like birth or marriage certificates.

'Home Affairs have asked for a copy of her birth certificate or documentary evidence of our relationship. I do not have this,' he wrote in a Facebook group.

'I was only notified at 11.26pm on Saturday night and have until midnight tonight to provide this.'

Mr Dench explained that he applied for a new birth certificate through Births, Deaths and Marriages, but the document may not arrive for weeks.

He also said the department would not speak with him on the phone until unless his exemption has been refused.

Scientist and paraglider Sacha Dench (pictured) plummeted from the sky on a 4,800km journey and record attempt around the UK

People flooded the comments section with messages of support and advice.

Some even urged him to arrive at the airport for his Tuesday flight and plead with authorities to let him board the plane.

'Forget it, it doesn't work. If you don't receive exemption approval from the Department of Home Affairs, you cannot fly out,' one woman wrote.

But another chimed in and said Ms Dench, who is related to the actress Dame Judi Dench and has connections with David Attenborough and Prince Charles, means her case is high profile and would get priority.

Some suggested he hire an immigration lawyer, while others slammed authorities for failing to let him see his daughter - even with certificates and letters from her surgeons.

Paramotorist Sacha Dench in flight as she passes the Kelpies near Falkirk as she arrives back into Scotland as part of a world record breaking challenge (pictured on September 3)

Sacha Dench pictured with celebrity supporter Joanna Lumley who has supported her circumnavigation attempt

'I'm so sorry about your daughter... shes one of a kind,' one woman said.

'I'd be sending them news articles and doctors statement. How many people can even use a paramotor? Is that not proof enough?'

Ms Denchs condition is not life-threatening but it is life-changing, according to her father who explained she underwent an 18-hour surgery on Friday where doctors tried to save her legs.

The biologist gained her nickname after raising awareness of the plight of Bewicks swans by flying from the Russian Arctic to the UK.

She also set a world record in 2016 by being the first woman to cross the Channel by paramotor.

Ms Dench and Mr Burton had almost finished their 4,800km around the UK as part of the Round Britain Climate Challenge when disaster struck.

They aimed to fly around the country in wind and green electricity-powered paramotors ahead of the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow in November.

Sacha Dench at the Kelpies near Falkirk as she arrives back into Scotland as part of the world record breaking challenge

Pictured: Paraglider pilot Dan Burton, 54, who was killed in a crash near Unapool in the Scottish Highlands this weekend

A final photo taken by Mr Burton and shared on his Facebook at around 8am on Saturday shows clouds rolling in over hills near the village of Tongue in the Scottish Highlands.

At around 4.45pm, emergency services raced to the scene of the accident near Lochinver but Mr Burton could not be saved.

Ms Dench, who was living in Bristol in southwest England, is the chief executive of Conservation Without Borders - which was running the expedition.

On Saturday night, the charity said: 'In the last stages of the Round Britain Climate Challenge, a major incident occurred involving the lead and support paramotors.

'We are very sorry to have to confirm that Dan Burton, the support paramotorist, has died.

'Sacha Dench is seriously injured and is being treated in hospital.'

Sacha Dench i in a critical condition in hospital in Aberdeen, Scotland. Her father hopes to fly from Queensland on Tuesday

It added that both were 'highly experienced paramotorists' and as a result of the accident the challenge has been halted.

Ms Dench is known for global expeditions with migratory species but has turned her focus to climate change after losing her family home in Sydney to bushfires last year.

Dame Judi and Sir Ranulph Fiennes have backed previous missions, including a flight over the Atlas mountains.

For her latest challenge, Ms Dench was flying a specially adapted machine which enabled her to take off and land anywhere to recharge

The British Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association said it would be undertaking a 'formal investigation' into the accident.

'We cannot speculate on the causes of the incident. The investigation report will be published in due course,' it said.

'The BHPA can confirm that both pilots were BHPA members and they were qualified to fly powered paragliders.'

Police Scotland confirmed Mr Burtons death in a collision involving two paramotors.
Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner has faced a backlash after reportedly describing the Tories as 'racist, homophobic, scum'.

Ms Rayner reportedly launched an outspoken attack on the Conservatives during an event for Labour activists from northwest England at the conference in Brighton.

The Ashton-under-Lyne MP described the Tories as 'a bunch of scum, homophobic, racist, misogynistic', the Daily Mirror reported.

Ms Rayner reportedly launched an outspoken attack on the Conservatives during an event for Labour activists from northwest England

Ms Rayner said: 'Im sick of shouting from the sidelines, and i bet youse lot are too.

'We cannot get any worse than a bunch of scum, homophobic, racist, mysoginistic, absolute pile of banana republicEtonianpiece of scumand I held back a littlethat I have ever seen in my life

Government minister Amanda Milling described the Labour MP's remarks as 'shocking'.

Government minister Amanda Milling called on the Labour MP to apologise for the 'shocking' remarks

Amanda Milling said: 'Shocking. Angela Rayner must apologise for these comments.

'Dont forget Rayner was Corbyns henchman when Labour became embroiled in antisemitism.

'She failed to act. Rather than throwing around false accusations the Conservatives are focused on the peoples priorities.'

It isn't the first time the outspoken MP has caused controversy by calling the Tories scum

Fellow Foreign Office minister James Cleverly accused Ms Rayner of 'talking crap'.

He said: 'I'm sure this went down well in the room but when voters look at the party that has had both female PMs, with half of the great offices of state filled by women, half by BAME, most diverse government, more gay ministers than Labour ever had etc, they'll know she's talking crap.'

It isn't the first time the outspoken MP has caused controversy by calling the Tories scum.

Last October, Tory backbencher Chris Clarkson demanded an apology from Angela Rayner in a public letter after he suggested that the Labour frontbench was viewing the pandemic as a 'good crisis' to be exploited.

However, the hard-Left Corbynite then heckled Mr Clarkson, who asked: 'Excuse me, did the honourable lady just call me scum?'

The exchange prompted an intervention from a furious Commons Deputy Speaker Dame Eleanor Laing who said she would not accept such comments in the chamber 'under any circumstances'.
Owners of Tesla vehicles are now able to activate 'Full Self-Driving (FSD)' software following its release early on Saturday, much to the horror of regulators who claim it to be both unregulated and largely untested.

Chief Executive Elon Musk said Tesla drivers would be able to request a 'beta' version of its software starting Friday. But only those rated as 'good drivers' by Tesla's insurance calculator would be able to use the system.

Owners will need to agree to have their driving monitored and only when their driving is deemed to be 'good' over a seven-day period, will 'beta access will be granted.'

But the software comes all the while federal vehicle safety authorities are investigating the car maker for possible safety defects following a series of crashes into parked emergency vehicles.

Tesla has rolled out a long-awaited software update that allows customers to request access to its controversial, Full Self-Driving Beta (FSD beta) program

A disclaimer states 'the currently enabled features require active driver supervision and do not make the vehicle autonomous.' There is also a message that appears on the upgraded screen, warning drivers that 'it may do the wrong thing at the worst time'

One Tesla driver posted some images of the software upgrade onto social media

Elon Musk has said the firm is starting full self-driving slowly and cautiously 'because the world is a complex and messy place'

Tesla sparked controversy by testing the unfinished technology to 2,000 people since October on public roads, but Musk claims there have been no accidents with the beta users.

'FSD beta system at times can seem so good that vigilance isn't necessary, but it is. Also, any beta user who isn't super careful will get booted,' Musk tweeted.

The beta offers features allowing vehicles to navigate and change lanes on city streets and enabling left and right turns.

Tesla has said the FSB beta even warns drivers that it 'may do the wrong thing at the worst time, so you must always keep your hands on the wheel.'

In several tweets Musk has made lofty predictions about being able to have full self-driving cars

Early beta tests of the FSD system showed in struggling with roundabouts and left turns. It would also suddenly veer towards pedestrians in the street and cross double-yellow lines in the center of the road, directly into the path of oncoming traffic.

This weekend's software release is available to those who purchased the $10,000 software upgrade, and those who also have a subscription from Tesla ranging from for about $100 to $200 per month - although drivers will still need to pass the safety monitoring.

It will see drivers scored and marked out of 100. 0 to 100 criteria. Drivers will be assessed on five factors, including forward collision warnings per 1,000 miles, instances of hard braking, aggressive turning, unsafe following and forced disengagements of the Autopilot system.

Tesla will then use a formula to calculate their score with most drivers likely to score above 80.

This weekend's software release is available to those who purchased the $10,000 software upgrade - although drivers will still need to pass the safety monitoring

A Tesla video demonstrates how Autopilot features work

'These are combined to estimate the likelihood that your driving could result in a future collision,' Tesla explained.

It's not clear what score would need to be achieved in order to access FSD.

Worryingly, Musk has shared his own concerns over the self-driving software noting 'we need to make Full Self-Driving work in order for it to be a compelling value proposition.'

Investigators are still looking at looking at FSD's predecessor known as Autopilot which steers vehicles from highway on-ramps to off-ramp. The software can also park cars.

Last month, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an investigation last month into about a dozen crashes involving parked emergency vehicles while Autopilot was engaged.

Last month, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an investigation last month into about a dozen crashes involving parked emergency vehicles while Autopilot was engaged

Although the company has not specifically commented on the investigation, Tesla has repeatedly argued Autopilot is safer than cars being driven manually.

The move to rapidly roll out the feature is drawing criticism from regulators who say the issue needs further study with a focus on safety.

and industry peers who say the company is taking a hasty approach to an issue that requires careful study and an emphasis on safety.

'I do think that their product is misleading and overall leads to further misuse and abuse,' said National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy to the Washington Post.

'I'd just ask [Musk] to prioritize safety as much as he prioritizes innovation and new technologies  safety is just as important, if not more important, than the development of the technology itself.

'Tesla has not responded to any of our requests [regarding safety and previous crashes]. From our standpoint they've ignored us  they haven't responded to us and if those are not addressed and you're making additional upgrades, that's a problem,' Homendy said.

National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy, pictured, has voiced concern over the company's plans for self-driving cars

'It is incumbent on a federal regulator to take action and ensure public safety,' Homendy said. 'I am happy that they've asked for crash information from all manufacturers and they're taking an initial step with Tesla on asking for crash information on emergency vehicles. But they need to do more.'

Tesla's cars 'aren't actually fully self-driving,' added industry group the Chamber of Progress.

How does Tesla's Autopilot work? Autopilot uses cameras, ultrasonic sensors and radar to see and sense the environment around the car. The sensor and camera suite provides drivers with an awareness of their surroundings that a driver alone would not otherwise have. A powerful onboard computer processes these inputs in a matter of milliseconds to help what the company say makes driving 'safer and less stressful.' Autopilot is a hands-on driver assistance system that is intended to be used only with a fully attentive driver. It does not turn a Tesla into a self-driving car nor does it make a car autonomous. Before enabling Autopilot, driver must agree to 'keep your hands on the steering wheel at all times' and to always 'maintain control and responsibility for your car.' Once engaged, if insufficient torque is applied, Autopilot will also deliver an escalating series of visual and audio warnings, reminding drivers to place their hands on the wheel. If drivers repeatedly ignore the warnings, they are locked out from using Autopilot during that trip. Any of Autopilot's features can be overridden at any time by steering or applying the brakes. The Autopilot does not function well in poor visibility. Advertisement

'The underlying issue here is that in case after case, Tesla's drivers take their eyes off the road because they believe they are in a self-driving car. They aren't.'

Scrutiny from US safety regulators, who opened an investigation into its driver assistant system, follows 11 accidents feared to have been caused because the system has trouble spotting parked emergency vehicles.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said the investigation covers 765,000 vehicles, nearly everything Tesla has sold domestically since 2014.

Of the 11 crashes that have been identified over the past three years, 17 people were injured and one was killed.

That deadly accident happened in Interstate 70 in Cloverdale, Indiana, in December 2019 and saw passenger Jenna Monet, 23, killed after the Tesla being driven by her husband Derrick slammed into the back of a parked fire engine.

Two US senators also called on the Federal Trade Commission to investigate Tesla, saying it misled consumers and endangered the public by marketing its driving automation systems as fully self-driving.

The 11 crashes have occurred when Teslas on Autopilot or Traffic Aware Cruise Control hit vehicles at scenes where first responders have used flashing lights, flares, an illuminated arrow board or cones warning of hazards.

The crashes into emergency vehicles cited by NHTSA began on January 22, 2018 in Culver City, California, near Los Angeles.

That incident saw Tesla using Autopilot struck a parked firetruck that was parked partially in the travel lanes with its lights flashing. Crews were handling another crash at the time.

Since then, NHTSA said there were crashes in Laguna Beach, California; Norwalk, Connecticut; Cloverdale, Indiana; West Bridgewater, Massachusetts; Cochise County, Arizona; Charlotte, North Carolina, Montgomery County, Texas; Lansing, Michigan; and Miami, Florida.
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Reality star Dog the Bounty Hunter has dramatically joined the hunt for fugitive Brian Laundrie - exclusively vowing to DailyMail.com: 'I will find him.'

The former bail bondsman - real name Duane Chapman, 68 - arrived at the house of Laundrie's parents Christopher and Roberta on Saturday afternoon.

The 68-year-old tough guy - dressed head to toe in black - marched up the drive and banged repeatedly on their front door.

'I need to speak to the father,' Chapman told DailyMail.com, before banging again violently on the door of the North Port, Florida property. 'I need to ask him where his son is. Is he in there?'

Asked if he was confident of solving the mystery of missing Laundrie's whereabouts, Chapman replied: 'Yes - I will find him.'

He added: 'I'm chasing several leads. We've got a lot of leads. I can't tell you more but we are getting leads every ten minutes.'

Chapman has given himself a six-week deadline to find the fugitive - ahead of Brian's 24th birthday in November.

Reality star Dog the Bounty Hunter has dramatically joined the hunt for fugitive Brian Laundrie - exclusively vowing to DailyMail.com: 'I will find him'

The former bail bondsman - real name Duane Chapman, 68 - arrived at the house of Laundrie's parents Christopher and Roberta on Saturday afternoon

The 68-year-old tough guy - dressed head to toe in black - marched up the drive and banged repeatedly on their front door. 'I need to speak to the father,' Chapman told DailyMail.com, before banging again violently on the door of the North Port, Florida property. 'I need to ask him where his son is. Is he in there?'

Brian Laundrie, 23, has been missing since September 15, after he allegedly told his parents he was going hiking in the nearby Carlton Reserve, five miles away from their home. His parents only revealed to cops three days later that he had not returned.

He had embarked on a cross-country road trip with his fiance, Gabby Petito, 22, who was last seen alive on August 25. Laundrie returned home to Florida on September 1, and Petito was reported missing by her parents 11 days later.

After an extensive search at Grand Teton National Park's Spread Creek campground, Petito's remains were discovered on September 19. A coroner ruled that she died as a result of a homicide, but her manner of death has not yet been revealed.

FBI and local police are still searching for him in an alligator-infested reserve five miles from his home.

On Saturday, Chapman revealed to DailyMail.com that he has also set up a special phone line - 833-TELL-DOG - for the public to call his team with tips and leads.

Chapman is 'volunteering' his services because he was moved to help Gabby's family, according to his rep. He has vowed to cooperate with law enforcement and all leads and tips he receives from the public will be confidential

Chapman is 'volunteering' his services because he was moved to help Gabby's family, according to his rep. He has vowed to cooperate with law enforcement, and all leads and tips he receives from the public will be confidential.

'Dog and Francie have experienced extreme loss themselves,' Chapman's rep said. 'Their hearts go out to Gabby's family and want to help bring justice for her death.'

After knocking again, he turned and strode back to his vehicle, driven by latest wife Francie Frane, 52, saying he would reveal more soon, before they sped away.

Chapman and his new wife were in Florida for their honeymoon, having married on September 2, but the round-the-clock coverage of the Petito case sent the pair into action.

Chapman is particularly intrigued by an exclusive DailyMail.com story in which the slain influencer's best friend, Rose Davis, suggested Laundrie had spent long periods living alone in the Appalachian mountains.

'Unless there is convincing evidence that he's in the swamp in Florida that we don't know about, Dog does not think he's in there,' said one source. 'He thinks he will stick to what he knows, namely the Appalachians. That's where he knows he can survive for long periods because he's done it before.

'He doesn't think Brian would have the guts to kill himself. He's doesn't seem the violent type.'

After knocking again, he turned and strode back to his vehicle, driven by latest wife Francie Frane, 52, saying he would reveal more soon, before they sped away

On Saturday, Chapman revealed to DailyMail.com that he has also set up a special phone line - 833-TELL-DOG - for the public to call his team with tips and leads

The surreal appearance added to the media circus outside the Laundrie household which has been surrounded by FBI agents, cops and a dozen TV crews ever since Brian, 23, returned home from a country-wide road trip without his slain fiance Gabby Petito only to go missing himself.

'Dog and Francie have experienced extreme loss themselves,' Chapman's rep said. 'Their hearts go out to Gabby's family and want to help bring justice for her death'

The surreal appearance added to the media circus outside the Laundrie household which has been surrounded by FBI agents, cops and a dozen TV crews ever since Brian, 23, returned home from a country-wife road trip without his slain fiance Gabby Petito only to go missing himself.

More than 50 cops have spent the past week scouring alligator-infested swampland in the nearby 25,000-acre Carlton Reserve at a cost of approximately $1.2 million without finding any trace of him.

Chapman was earlier seen chatting casually to cops in the street directly behind the Laundrie residence. A spokesman for the North Port Police Department told DailyMail.com: 'The public interest in this case continues to grow. 'Everyone just wants answers. Nothing is surprising at this point.'

The FBI has now issued a federal arrest warrant for Laundrie in connection with the death of van-life girlfriend Gabby Petito, 22, whose body was found in a remote area of Bridger-Teton National Forest, Wyoming on Sunday after she was reported missing. He is accused of using her credit card and allegedly spent $1,000 after she went missing.

Laundrie's parents said he left their home on September 15 - but only reported him missing three days later. FBI and local police are still searching for him in Carlton Reserve, an alligator-infested reserve five miles from his home.

His silver Ford Mustang was also found abandoned near the Carlton Reserve with a note requesting it be towed away.

'These guys, our law enforcement partners are motivated and they are hungry to find Brian Laundrie,' North Port Police commander Joe Fussell, who is helping to coordinate the search, said Wednesday.

'It's rough out there, it's hot, it's wet. We are trying to cover every acre in this reserve.'

More than 50 cops have spent the past week scouring alligator-infested swampland in the nearby 25,000-acre Carlton Reserve at a cost of approximately $1.2 million without finding any trace of him

Laundrie's weeklong disappearance into the 25,000-acre nature reserve is nothing compared to other solo trips he's taken into the wilderness  including a hike on the Appalachian trail lasting three months, DailyMail.com has learned.

'I know he lived in the Appalachians for what I believe was three months, and he did it by himself, so I know he's skilled at it,' said Petito's best friend Rose Davis told DailyMail.com.

'He and Gabby both told me stories about it,' Rose added in an exclusive interview with DailyMail.com. 'And you could see the enthusiasm in his voice when he would talk about his adventures by himself like that trip into the Appalachians,' a trail stretching more than 2,000 miles from Georgia to Maine.

Rose said she met Gabby early last year on Bumble BFF, a meeting app for friends, and they instantly hit it off.

Rose, 21, who lives in Sarasota, said Laundrie often liked to be alone and didn't appear to have any friends.

Even when he'd join her and Gabby at the beach in Florida, he'd go off to sit by himself.

She described him as a jealous and controlling, and said he'd try to prevent his fiance from hanging out with her.

The couple had several brutal arguments in which Petito would drive off to spend the night at her house.

'I think that's one reason why Brian rushed into this van trip,' Rose said of the cross-country trip Petito and Laundrie began in July. 'He saw how close we were getting and he realized that after every fight, she was staying at my house. And he didn't have control over that.'

The couple were filming their adventures for a 'van-life' YouTube channel Petito was creating.

Rose was planning to meet them in Wyoming's Yellowstone National Park in September and had even asked her boss for days off for the trip. They were planning to lock in a specific date on August 29, Rose's birthday, but Petito never called.

Laundrie returned home without Petito on September 1, and her family from Long Island reported her missing on September 11.

Laundrie is seen with scratches on his face which he tells an officer were caused when Petito 'was trying to get the keys from me' and 'hit me with her phone

A tearful Petito is seen in the back of the police car. Laundrie admits he 'pushed her' during the altercation and cops determine Petito was 'the primary aggressor'

Rose said she was horrified when police then released details of an argument the couple had in Moab, Utah in early August, just days after Rose last spoke to her best friend.

'I'm sure it caused an argument when Gabby told him I was going there soon because he knows dang well that if I saw them in a rocky place, I would take her home with me,' she told DailyMail.com. 'I would be like screw this, you're coming home with me. We'll do this on our own some time.'

Rose had considered Laundrie a friend at one point, but said she now hopes he'll be caught and made to suffer.

'I hope he's found and then I want him to get convicted and go to jail,' she said. 'I won't go into detail with the rest that I want to have happen to him, him and his parents.'

During an interview with DailyMail.com on Friday, Rose went into detail about her friend's increasingly combative relationship with Laundrie. She recalled that he allegedly went so far as to hide Petito's ID once so that she couldn't meet up with her at a bar, trigging a violent episode similar to the one police investigated Aug. 12.

'Brian took her ID just so she wouldn't be able to come out with me,' she said.

'He's got these jealousy issues and he struggles from what Gabby called these 'episodes,' where he would hear things and hear voices and wouldn't sleep.

'Gabby had to stay at my house a bunch of times because she just needed a breather and didn't want to go home to him.'

Rose panicked when she learned that Laundrie had returned home from Wyoming without her best friend.

'When I saw that Brian was back from the trip, that was the first thing that popped into my mind - that Brian had one of his episodes - and I was just hoping he didn't have a snapping moment,' Rose said.

Rose said she met Gabby early last year on Bumble BFF, a meeting app for friends, and they instantly hit it off.

'Neither of us had any friends,' Rose recalled, laughing.

'She had texted me, saying: 'You seem so cool. I really want to be your friend. Can we be friends?' And I was like, 'Yes, I'd be happy to be your friend.'

'We just went everywhere together,' she said.

Gabby, who worked last year at Taco Bell and then took a job at a smoothie place, would sometimes join Rose when she was working her job delivering pizza.

'We'd tell people she was my emotional service human,' Rose giggled.

Rose got to know Laundrie early on when she'd visit their home in North Port.

'I used to consider him a friend, for sure, because I'd hang out with them a good amount,' she noted.

'He had this composure as a sweet, nice, caring guy. But you could tell he's a little off, a little weird. Like, he'd set up our hammocks when we'd go to beach, but wouldn't sit with us, which I found bizarre.

'Brian has a jealousy issue,' Rose said. 'I'm her only friend in Florida to my knowledge and that's not because she can't make friends, he just didn't want her to have friends.'

Rose and Gabby were so close that they'd share their locations with each through an iPhone app 'in case we got lost,' Rose said. But when Laundrie found out, he made Gabby delete it, she said.

'I didn't push the issue because I didn't want it to cause an argument with him,' she said.

'He was always worried she was going to leave him,' she added. 'It was a constant thing to try to get us to stop hanging out.

'He'd demand she be home for dinner, often cut our time short. He'd demand to pick her up from my house, even when I had a car and offered to drive.'

She said the couple wouldn't argue in front of her, but she could tell afterward. Gabby would appear upset, but he'd seem calm.

She said it was evident in the body camera footage police shared of an incident involving the two in Moab. A witness had called 911 after seeing the couple fighting.

When police pulled the couple over, Gabby was breathing heavily and crying, while Laundrie seemed composed, even as he exhibited scratch marks on his face.

Gabby was seen with tears streaming down her face, telling officers she 'was trying to get him to stop telling me to calm down' and admitting the couple 'have been fighting all morning.'

She also told cops that she suffers from OCD and anxiety. Both she and Laundrie also said she had been stressed about the YouTube blog they were working on about their cross-country trip.

Rose, who knew that her friend suffers from anxiety, said 'for her anxiety to act up like that, there has to be a decent thing to trigger it. Something had to happen, or just a lot of things had to build up.'

'I'm a little upset she didn't just call me after that fight, because she would have before,' Rose added.
Paedophile Jimmy Savile will be portrayed by Steve Coogan in a new drama detailing the former BBC presenter's life.

'The Reckoning', which will be broadcasted by the BBC, will trace the eccentric former star's upbringing, his early career and prolific child sex offences.

Working with Savile's victims, the Corporation says it will portray a story 'with sensitivity and respect'.

55-year-old Steve Coogan, who famously portrays fictional comedic character Alan Partridge, explained the decision to play Savile was not one 'I took lightly'.

He added: 'Neil McKay has written an intelligent script tackling sensitively a horrific story which, however harrowing, needs to be told.'

'The Reckoning', which will be broadcasted by the BBC, will trace eccentric former star Jimmy Savile's humble upbringing, his early career and prolific child sex offences

Savile, who rose from a humble working-class upbringing to become one of British television's biggest stars, passed away aged 84 in 2011.

In his final years, he fought to quell growing speculation about his illegal exploits throughout his illustrious career with the BBC - with victim testimony expected to be brought to life in the new drama.

A BBC-led inquiry into his actions found he had molested at least 72 children, some as young as eight, over a four decade campaign of sexual abuse with his first victim in 1959 and his last in 2006.

His horrific reign of abuse could be charted 'in the corridors, canteens, staircases and dressing rooms of every BBC premises', their 2016 report found.

Executive producer, Jeff Pope, says: 'I think this is a story that has to be told. We must understand why a man like Jimmy Savile seemed to remain immune for so long to proper scrutiny and criminal investigation.

'Steve has a unique ability to inhabit complex characters and will approach this role with the greatest care and integrity.'

The BBC also says it will draw on 'extensive and wide-ranging research sources' or the project, examining the lasting impact of Savile's crimes and the 'powerlessness' his victims felt.

55-year-old Steve Coogan, who famously portrays fictional comedic character Alan Partridge, explained the decision to play Savile was not one 'I took lightly'.

Piers Wenger Controller, of BBC Drama, added: 'The story of Jimmy Savile is one of the most emotive and troubling of our times. We do not intend to sensationalise these crimes but to give voice to his victims.

'We will work with survivors to ensure their stories are told with sensitivity and respect and to examine the institutions which Jimmy Savile was associated with and the circumstances in which these crimes took place.

'Drama has the ability to tackle sensitive real life subjects and consider the impact of a crime on its survivors and what lessons can be learnt to stop this ever happening again.'
Sir Keir Starmer said he will force private schools to start paying tax in order to raise 1.7billion for state schools if Labour wins the next election.

In his keynote speech to the Brighton conference this week, the Labour leader will pledge to end the charity status for schools.

The VAT exemption is currently worth 1.6billion and they will also have to pay 104million in business rates.

At the Labour Party conference on Wednesday, Sir Keir will also pledge to scrap Universal Credit, announce a fully costed plan to get all under-25s into jobs or training, close the education attainment gap between the rich and poor, give more money to tackle climate change, and rebuild 'Britain's footing on the world stage'

Speaking to the Sunday Mirror, Sir Keir said: 'Labour wants every parent to be able to send their child to a great state school.

'But improving them to benefit everyone costs money. Thats why we cant justify continued charitable status for private schools.'

At the Labour Party conference on Wednesday, Sir Keir will also pledge to scrap Universal Credit, announce a fully costed plan to get all under-25s into jobs or training, close the education attainment gap between the rich and poor, give more money to tackle climate change, and rebuild 'Britain's footing on the world stage'.

He added: 'I want others to have chances too.

'Instead, now we have a National Insurance hike for working people, a Universal Credit cut and their energy bills going up.'

The Labour Party conference this year is taking place in Brighton and began on Saturday.

It finished on Wednesday and this is the day the embattled Labour leader will make his speech.

Sir Keir has been facing internal party problems after he proposed to make changes to the way members vote for their new leader.

The current rules were brought in by Ed Milliband and they allowed Jeremy Corbyn to be elected as leader.

The VAT exemption is currently worth 1.6billion and they will also have to pay 104million in business rates. Pictured, the central courtyeard of Eton College)

Deputy leader Angela Rayner told the BBC there would be no vote this weekend about the changes to the rules but it will be discussed.

The Party's biggest union Unison said it was unthinkable that the leaders would change party rules to disenfranchise members.

Labour faces a rival conference as The World Transformed, described as a welcoming space for a new generation of young activists who supported Jeremy Corbyns leadership, is also being held in Brighton at the same time.

People speaking at the event are not just fringe Corbynites but respected politicians such as Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak has vetoed a move by the Government to introduce a new junk-food levy, arguing that voters are already being taxed too heavily.

Mr Sunak has been put under pressure by colleagues and Government officials to impose a tax on foods which are high on sugar or fat in next months Budget.

The suggestion is understood to have been made to Treasury Minister Helen Whately as part of a spending bid submitted by officials in Sajid Javids Health Department and George Eustices Environment Department, with backing from Public Health England.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has vetoed a move by the Government to introduce a new junk-food levy, arguing that voters are already being taxed too heavily

But sources say the Chancellor has kiboshed the idea on the grounds that it would further hit lower-income voters, who are still reeling from the introduction of the 1.25 per cent Health and Social Care Levy to tackle the Covid-related backlog of operations and reform long-term care for the elderly.

It will take taxes to their highest sustained level since the Second World War.

Mr Sunak is understood to have argued that evidence from countries which have introduced similar levies showed that the measure had no impact on child obesity.

A source said: Rishi feels that people have had enough of taxes, and that it is a nannyish measure which doesnt work anyway.

A Soft Drinks Levy introduced by the Government two years ago charges 24p per litre of drink if it contains 8 grams of sugar per 100 millilitres and 18p per litre of drink if it contains between 5 to 8 grams of sugar per 100 millilitres.

Mr Eustices department is developing a National Food Strategy for England which will consider the food chain from field to fork.

It comes after Mr Sunak played hardball with Mr Johnson in negotiations over the Health and Social Care Levy, trying to extract a pledge from the NHS to cut waiting lists to pre-pandemic levels by 2025 as a condition for the hike in National Insurance. His proposal, backed by No 10, was vetoed by Mr Javid.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said a freedom roadmap is still being finalised

New Covid-19 cases in NSW dropped to 961 with nine deaths, as the state inches closer to a post-pandemic summer with relaxed restrictions.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian said at a press conference on Sunday morning that 85 per cent of people have now had their first dose of a Covid vaccine.

The rate of fully vaccinated people in the state is expected to hit 60 per cent within the next 24 hours.

'Seventy per cent double-dosed is only a couple of weeks away,' she told reporters.

'I ask everybody to please hold the line, it's really important we work hard now so that when we do start opening up at 70 per cent, we are able to do so safely and by bringing everyone together.'

Ms Berejiklian said the government is close to finalising a roadmap for when 80 per cent of people have had two jabs, but unvaccinated people may have to wait another two months to access the same freedoms.

The number of new cases has been steadily dropping over the last week, and fell from 1,007 on Saturday.

October 11 has been pegged as NSW's 'Freedom Day', but liberties will only be available to those who have been fully vaccinated. Pictured: A woman at a vaccination hub Sydney

Premier Gladys Berejiklian (pictured) announced 961 new Covid cases on Sunday morning

When asked about the kinds of freedoms available for the fully vaccinated, Ms Berejiklian said life will not return to normal overnight.

'I don't want to be a party pooper by saying there is no such day as "Freedom Day",' she said.

'While all of us would like to think once we get to that 80 per cent double dose it will be back to living without Covid, but it will not be, it will be a new Covid normal.

'But we will enjoy so many more freedoms than what we have today and we will all adjust our lives and I am confident because of the goodwill demonstrated by everybody that people will step up and take responsibility.'

She also said some communities could be locked down in the future if there are outbreaks in certain areas.

Some restrictions, including social distancing and mask wearing in some settings, will be 'with us indefinitely', Ms Berejiklian explained.

The premier was uncertain when people will be able to walk into a business without signing in with a QR code, but said the practice may be relaxed when freedoms are granted to unvaccinated residents.

NSW is on track for 70 per cent of residents to be fully vaccinated by mid-October. Pictured: Women at the beach

The number of new Covid cases in NSW has been steadily declining over the past week (pictured)

When asked whether people will have to be fully vaccinated to go to places like outdoor pools, she fumbled and defaulted to Dr Jeremy McAnulty from NSW Health.

He explained the risk of transmission in outdoor settings is much lower, and that rules are still being finalised.

Dr McAnulty said the highest number of new cases are in western Sydney suburbs of concern, including Auburn, Guildford, punchbowl, Maryland, Penrith, Bankstown, Bossley Park and Liverpool.

Six men and three women died from the virus overnight on Sunday, including one person in their 40s, two in their 60s, two in their 70s and four in their 80s.

'Eight people were unvaccinated and only one received one dose of Covid vaccine,' Dr McAnulty said.

About 70 per cent pf people are expected to be fully vaccinated by mid-October. Pictured: People at Bronte Beach in Sydney on Friday

People have continued to flock to Sydney's beaches in droves throughout lockdown (pictured: people at Bondi Beach on Friday)

'Three were from south-western Sydney, four were from Western Sydney, one was from Sydney's inner-west and one was from Sydney's Eastern suburbs.'

He also urged younger Australians to roll up their sleeves.

'We would like to push the 16 to 39-year-old people to come forward with as well,' he said.

'It's important we all come together to raise levels, and younger people need to come forward to get vaccinated, help protect yourself and your loved ones.'

Ms Berejiklian also said she was looking forward to welcoming thousands of Australians from overseas from mid-October.

'I would feel very comfortable once we get to that 80 per cent double dose vaccination to have Sydney Airport be the gateway to our nation,' she said on Saturday.

Unvaccinated people may have to wait another two months before they get the same freedoms as vaccinated people (pictured: a woman at a vaccination hub in Sydney)

About 84 per cent of people in NSW have had one dose of a Covid vaccine. Pictured: People arriving at the South Western Sydney Vaccination Centre, at Macquarie Fields in Sydney

'If airlines want to put on extra flights to Sydney that would be great, joy, it means more people can come home, and also in an affordable way.'

She said fully vaccinated Australians may be able to go on international holidays once the 80 per cent target is met.

Sydney has now been in lockdown for more than 13 weeks, with some fun-starved residents giving marching orders after large crowds gathered at beaches in Bondi and Manly on Friday night.

Police issued three fines for public health order breaches and a number of a move-on directions as they dispersed revellers enjoying the warm weather in Manly.

Fully vaccinated residents are allowed to picnic in groups of five in Sydney (pictured: people picnicking near Sydney Harbour

Many parts of regional NSW are also subject to stay-at-home orders, as authorities battle the outbreak of the virulent Delta strain.

'I'm pleased to report 75 per cent of the nation's 16s and over, have rolled up their sleeves to receive a first vaccine dose,' federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said on Twitter.

'This means we have less than one million first doses to go before we hit 80 per cent.'

The ACT leads the way out of all states and territories with 85.93 per cent first dose coverage, ahead of NSW (85.18 per cent) and Victoria (76.91 per cent).

Minor easing of Covid-19 restrictions will be triggered in Victoria at the 80 per cent single-dose target, which is forecast to be hit mid-week.
Germany goes to the polls today in a vote that will bring to an end to 16 years of rule under Angela Merkel.

Despite the enduring popularity of Chancellor Merkel  known as Mutti or Mummy to millions of Germans  her Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party is floundering, having shed a commanding lead in the last few months.

Merkel is not seeking a fifth term, which has set up the first national vote in which there is no incumbent chancellor seeking re-election since 1949.

Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party is floundering, having shed a commanding lead in the last few months

During a rollercoaster campaign, polls have shown all three largest parties  the CDU (together with its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union), the Left-leaning Social Democratic Party (SPD), and the Greens  take the lead.

But successive errors by Merkels CDU successor, Armin Laschet, and the Greens leader Annalena Baerbock, have seen them slump.

Laschet, who leads the party in populous North Rhine-Westphalia, has been criticised for mishandling the response to the devastating summer floods in his state.

The winner of the campaign so far has been SDP leader Olaf Scholz, who currently serves as Germanys finance minister, with his partys ratings rising sharply recently.

Merkel will remain in post until a coalition is formed, which could take weeks or months.
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Boris Johnson has called on HGV bosses to give drivers a pay rise as the Prime Minister prepares to send them one million morale-boosting letters in the run-up to Christmas.

Ministers are said to be urging up to 40,000 retired hauliers to return to action in a last-gasp bid to save Christmas, as retailers warned the Government it has less than two weeks to prepare for the festive season.

Meanwhile, Boris Johnson is to personally sign off on a million morale-boosting letters urging drivers who turned away from the industry to get back on Britain's roads.

The move comes amid a nationwide panic-buying spree at petrol stations and growing fear inside Downing Street that supermarket shelves could remain barren until December 25.

The scenes of queues outside petrol stations - which for some will stir up memories of the 1973 Opec Oil Crisis and the 2000 fuel shortage - come amid fears of a 1978-style 'winter of discontent' for the UK, with skyrocketing energy prices, food shortages and fuel rationing.

And in a further boost, more than 10,000 temporary foreign visas will be fast-tracked by the Government as ministers rush to solve the supply chain crisis that's threatening Christmas.

Boris Johnson is to personally sign off on a million morale-boosting letters urging drivers who turned away from the industry to get back on Britain's roads and ease the supply chain crisis

Ministers are said to be urging up to 40,000 retired hauliers to return to action in a last-gasp bid to save Christmas, as retailers warned the Government it has less than two weeks to prepare for the festive season

More than 10,000 temporary foreign visas for HGV drivers and poultry workers will be fast-tracked by the Government as ministers rush to solve the supply chain crisis

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said the changes, with the visas available from next month, would 'ensure preparations remain on track' for the festive season.

He echoed calls for drivers to be fairly compensated and added: 'We are acting now, but the industries must also play their part with working conditions continuing to improve and the deserved salary increases continuing to be maintained in order for companies to retain new drivers.

'I know how important this Christmas is for all of us and thats why were taking these steps at the earliest opportunity to ensure preparations remain on track.'

Retailers had warned the Government that it had just 10 days to save the festive period from 'significant disruption' due to a shortfall of about 90,000 drivers in the freight sector.

It comes as thousands of desperate drivers ignored Government pleas for calm as they jammed roads - with fears mounting over the impact of lasting fuel shortages on the economy.

The Petrol Retailers Association had told drivers to 'keep a quarter of a tank' of fuel in their vehicles in preparation for potential closures of local petrol stations.

5,000 HGV drivers and 5,500 poultry workers will be given extraordinary three-month visas allowing them to work in the UK until Christmas Eve

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps (above) said the changes, with the visas available from next month, would 'ensure preparations remain on track' for the festive season

A Shell garage employee holds a sign on the side of the road informing traffic that they do not have unleaded petrol

Some had multiple jerry cans in the boot of their cars and spent time filling each up while others queued for hours to reach the pump. Pictured: Customers queuing in their cars to access an Asda petrol station in east London on Saturday

Furious motorists were seen fighting on Saturday as the nationwide rush for fuel continued amid calls for calm from the Government because less than 100 petrol stations were empty.

Shocking footage showed panic buyers punch and kick at each other during a violent brawl at an Esso petrol forecourt in Sidlesham, Chichester, as roads were left gridlocked and police had to be called in to marshal drivers.

Two men were seen grappling before throwing punches at one another, while another enraged motorist launched a flying kick at another man as the scramble for fuel turned violent in the sleepy West Sussex village.

The shortage of HGV drivers has long threatened to wreak havoc this winter, and it has been exacerbated by a huge backlog in HGV tests due to Covid, as well as foreign drivers returning home amid the pandemic and Brexit.

A motorist lays out a half dozen fuel containers on the floor of the forecourt in Upminster to fill her boot with fuel while desperate drivers queue for hours behind

The problems were triggered after BP and Esso admitted on Thursday that a lack of tanker drivers was hitting deliveries (pictured, gridlock at a petrol station in Tonbridge)

HGV boss is accused of triggering petrol pump crisis: Ministers point the finger at ex-BBC man and diehard Remainer who 'leaked remarks made by a BP executive at a private Government meeting' A former BBC boss opposed to Brexit has been accused of triggering the petrol pump crisis. Ministers say Rod McKenzie sparked the nationwide panic-buying frenzy by selectively leaking remarks made by a BP executive at a private Government meeting. Senior sources suggested he weaponised the comments to deflect blame for the UKs supply chaos. Mr McKenzie, who ran BBC Radio 1s Newsbeat for more than two decades before joining the Road Haulage Association, last night denied the claim. Ministers say Rod McKenzie (pictured above) sparked the nationwide panic-buying frenzy by selectively leaking remarks made by a BP executive at a private Government meeting As managing director of policy for the RHA, he has blamed post-Brexit immigration restrictions for the crisis in the industry and has been leading calls for the Government to lift visa restrictions to allow more foreign drivers into the country. The fuel crisis began to snowball last week after comments made by Hanna Hofer, head of BPs retail business, at a Cabinet Office meeting were leaked. On September 16, Ms Hofer told civil servants, hauliers and other industry figures that the company had two-thirds of normal forecourt stock levels. According to a senior Government source, however, she also said the situation had been going on for weeks and that very few forecourts had had to close. Crucially, those additional comments  which Government insiders believe would have prevented or at least reduced the panic-buying of fuel  were not made public. Mr McKenzie said he did not take part in the meeting and firmly denied that there was any direct evidence that he or anyone at the RHA leaked the selective remarks. But a senior Government source said: McKenzie will have been aware of Ms Hofers comments and had every incentive to weaponise them. The RHA leak every meeting they have with us. They have a rap sheet as long as their arm. McKenzie is just a moaning Remainer and he and the RHA are entirely responsible for this panic and chaos. We will deal with them when this is over. BP denied that any of its staff were behind the leak, with a spokeswoman saying it would have been completely counter-productive. BP, Esso, Texaco and Shell last night introduced a 30 limit on fuel purchases after motorists were seen on forecourts filling multiple jerry cans. Meanwhile, the Government announced up to 4,000 people will be trained as HGV drivers. Ministry of Defence examiners will be drafted in to increase capacity for those wanting to sit HGV tests, and almost a million letters will be sent to people who currently hold an HGV licence encouraging them to return to the industry. The Department for Education is also investing up to 10 million to create new boot camps to train 3,000 more HGV drivers at short, intensive and free courses Advertisement

Industry groups the Food and Drink Federation and Logistics UK both welcomed the visa changes, with federation chief Ian Wright calling the measures 'pragmatic'.

But British Chamber of Commerce president Baroness McGregor-Smith said the changes were the 'equivalent of throwing a thimble of water on a bonfire', and that the 5,000 new visas may be too little, too late to halt the chaos.

The announcement about immigration rules being relaxed to ease supply pressures comes amid scenes of lengthy queues at petrol stations after a shortage of specialised tanker drivers forced some fuel retailers to shut their pumps and ration sales.

As well as the short-term measure of opening up to foreign workers, the Ministry of Defence is also stepping in to provide examiners to help clear a backlog of drivers desperately trying to get their licences.

Officials said the loan of MoD examiners to work alongside Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) employees would help put on 'thousands of extra tests' over the next 12 weeks.

Meanwhile, nearly one million letters will be landing in the coming days on the doormats of people with HGV licences to encourage those who have left the industry to return.

The letter will set out the steps the haulage sector is taking to improve industry conditions, including increased wages, flexible working and fixed hours, according to the Department for Transport.

Mr Shapps said: 'This package of measures builds on the important work we have already done to ease this global crisis in the UK, and this Government continues to do everything we can to help the haulage and food industries contend with the HGV driver shortage.

'We are acting now but the industries must also play their part, with working conditions continuing to improve and the deserved salary increases continuing to be maintained in order for companies to retain new drivers.

'After a very difficult 18 months, I know how important this Christmas is for all of us and that's why we're taking these steps at the earliest opportunity to ensure preparations remain on track.'

The coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated a global shortage of lorry drivers, although there have been long-term issues in the UK with labour numbers amid an ageing workforce, low wages and poor truck stop conditions.

The DfT said it recognised that importing foreign labour 'will not be the long term solution' to the problem and that it wanted to see investment poured into establishing a robust domestic workforce.

Officials said the Government continued to support solving the high vacancy rate through improved testing and hiring, with better pay, working conditions and diversity.

Another long-term measure to turn the situation around will see the Department for Education plough up to 10 million into creating new 'skills bootcamps' to train up to 3,000 more people to become HGV drivers.

The free, intensive courses will train drivers to undertake an entry level HGV licence (Category C) or a more advanced course to operate heavier and longer lorries (Category C&E).

Another 1,000 people are expected to be trained through courses accessed locally and funded by the Government's adult education budget.

Those accessing medical and HGV licences through the adult budget in the 2021/22 academic year will have their qualifications paid for by the state, with the funding backdated to anyone who started one of these qualifications on or after August 1.

More DVSA examiners will also be freed up to conduct lorry driver tests via a law change to allow driving examiners at the three emergency services and the MoD to be able to conduct driving tests for one another.

Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi said: 'HGV drivers keep this country running.

'We are taking action to tackle the shortage of drivers by removing barriers to help more people to launch new well-paid careers in the industry, supporting thousands to get the training they need to be road ready.'

Environment Secretary George Eustice said: 'We have listened to concerns from the sector and we are acting to alleviate what is a very tight labour market.'

The Government said it had already streamlined the process for new HGV drivers while increasing the number of driving tests available to allow for an extra 50,000 tests to take place per year.

A BP at Hampton Court says 'Sorry we're out of diesel' after frenzied buying saw stations swamped by panicked customers

A major shortage of HGV drivers threatens to wreak havoc this winter, and the shortage has been exacerbated by a huge backlog in HGV tests due to Covid

Forecourt fury turns violent as drivers queuing to fill up exchange blows, while elsewhere motorists fill jerry cans and BP, Esso, Shell and Texaco limit drivers to 30 each - even though just ONE per cent of petrol stations are empty

By Emer Scully, Joe Davies and Jacob Thorburn for MailOnline

Furious motorists have been seen fighting as the nationwide rush for fuel continued yesterday, amid calls for calm from the Government because less than 100 petrol stations are empty.

Shocking footage shows panic buyers punch and kick at each other during a violent brawl at an Esso petrol forecourt in Sidlesham, Chicester, as roads were left gridlocked and police had to be called in to marshal drivers.

Two men were seen grappling before throwing punches at one another, while another enraged motorist launched a flying kick at another man as the scramble for fuel turned violent in the sleepy West Sussex village.

Thousands of desperate drivers ignored Government pleas for calm as they jammed roads - with fears mounting over the impact of lasting fuel shortages on the economy.

Shocking footage shows panic buyers punch and kick at each other during a violent brawl at an Esso petrol forecourt in Sidlesham, Chicester

A man is pictured carrying containers at a Tesco Petrol Station in Bracknell, Berkshire, as desperate drivers resort to different means of securing their fuel

Queues at the BP petrol station in Soham,Cambridgeshire,at 8am on Saturday morning as the panic buying continues

Photographs are today circulating online showing 'greedy' drivers stocking up on fuel - which is already in short supply because of the absence of drivers to transport it from source to stations

Photographs are today circulating online showing drivers stocking up on fuel - which is already in short supply because of the absence of drivers to transport it from source to stations - as just one per cent of Britain's petrol stations are empty, according to fuel bosses.

Some had multiple jerry cans in the boot of their cars and spent time filling each up while others queued for hours to reach the pump. Meanwhile, around 400 stations owned by the EG Group are limiting customers to 30 worth of petrol to give everyone a 'fair chance to refuel'.

Meanwhile, Boris Johnson revealed a visa U-turn for 5,000 foreign truck drivers to try to stem the shortage.

There are currently about 8,350 filling stations in the UK and less than 100 of them have been forced to close due to shortages. However, the Petrol Retailer's Association has warned the situation could get worse before it improves.

BP said around 20 of its 1,200 petrol forecourts were closed due to a lack of available fuel, with between 50 and 100 sites affected by the loss of at least one grade of fuel.

A 'small number' of Tesco refilling stations have also been impacted, said Esso owner ExxonMobil, which runs the sites. The queuing scenes come despite No 10 and motoring bodies urging the public not to panic-buy.

President of the AA Edmund King reiterated on Saturday there there 'is plenty of fuel at the source' and no need to stock up. When speaking to BBC Breakfast, he said the current queues at petrol stations were unlikely to last.

'The good news is you can only really fill up once - you've got to use the fuel, so this should be a short-term thing,' said Mr King. 'It's not like the fuel crises in the past when the supplier was hit by strikes, etc.

'So, once people have filled up, they won't travel more than they normally travel, so this strain on the system should ease up in the next few days.'

As the crisis continued:

Police were called to forecourts to manage queues, head off confrontations and keep traffic moving;

Motorists in queues complained about greedy customers filling their tanks and then jerry cans;

Small petrol stations raised prices to cash in on the panic and experts warned of further increases;

Couple missed an emergency A&E appointment because petrol station queues blocked a major road;

Haulage company boss warned a temporary change to visa rules would not solve the crisis.

Toby Ovens, managing director of Broughton Transport Solutions, said he is not convinced a temporary visa scheme will solve the current shortage of HGV drivers.

Photographs show desperate motorists queuing for petrol at 5.45am this morning at Sainsbury's Alperton station as the hunt for fuel continued overnight.

And one woman told MailOnline her 75-year-old husband missed his emergency A&E hospital appointment this morning when they hit traffic queuing for Esso garage on Wood Street in Barnet, London.

Dan Goldsmith, of Marine and Wildlife Rescue, told MailOnline his team couldn't help ill seal pups around the Norfolk coast because they were running out of fuel.

He said: 'We have numerous seal pups that are sick around the Norfolk coast and currently outstanding, we just have no fuel locally and now we are below 30 mile range for our vehicle, we have had to suspend our service. This situation is frustrating and so unfortunate.'

Britain is said to be short of more than 90,000 drivers, partly the result of coronavirus which cancelled the training and testing of tens of thousands of workers, and there are concerns an additional 5,000 may be too little, too late to halt the chaos.

A motorist filled multiple vessels with illegal quantities of fuel amid a national shortage at stations because of the absence of delivery drivers

A boot filled with jerry cans is pictured at a UK forecourt in Maidstone. Petrol stations are facing the impact of a shortage of tank drivers to bring the fuel from source to station

Around 400 stations owned by the EG Group is limiting customers to 30 worth of petrol to give everyone a 'fair chance to refuel'. Pictured: Motorists queue to fill their cars at a Tesco fuel station in Ashford, Kent, on Saturday

A sign is pictured outside an Esso garage informing the public that they have no fuel on Saturday in London amid fears fuel shortages could bring the economy to a grinding halt

Storing jerry cans at home is illegal if not done properly It is illegal to store petrol at home in a jerry can because by law the fuel must be kept in small quantities. Either a metal 10-litre container or a five-litre plastic one can be used. Both have to carry a notice reading 'Highly Flammable' and the maximum amount that can be kept at home in total is 30 litres. It is illegal to use 20-litre jerry can containers because the fuel must not be stored in such a large quantity in one vessel. The AA previously said it was 'desperately worried' about people storing petrol and diesel which it describes as 'incredibly, incredibly dangerous'. But it is legal to keep fuel as long as the strict limits are adhered to. There are guidelines for where the fuel can be kept: either in a shed; garage or outside no more than six metres from the house. Advertisement

Driver shortages are hitting every part of the economy, creating gaps on supermarket shelves, leaving pubs and restaurants short of key produce and jeopardising the supply of key chemicals to water firms.

The problems were triggered after BP and Esso admitted on Thursday that a lack of tanker drivers was hitting deliveries. The news led to a race to the petrol pumps with the result that hundreds ran out of some fuel types and dozens closed altogether.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps' appeal for drivers to 'carry on as normal' has been ignored, leading to long jams and angry scenes at filling stations.

Jackie Cohens husband Raymond missed his appointment on Saturday morning after queues completely blocked the road. Mrs Cohen told MailOnline: The queues are so horrendous for the stations that are open the area is blocked off.

The former social workers husband felt feint this morning and was told to visit Barnet General Hospital's A&E by his doctor  a trip that should have taken ten minutes by car.

She added: We got an appointment at 8.45am. We left very early and it took over an hour. He missed his appointment. The queues arent controlled in any way.

'I just spoke to a friend and theres solid traffic where she lives too. Im currently waiting in the car at the hospital while Raymond has tests and I cant get home because I wont get back in time.'

Once we cleared the garage the roads were empty,' she said.

Elsewhere, police officers have been pictured standing among cars to ensure queues don't block roads at one Esso station in Northwood, London.

The EG Group has limited customers to 30 worth of fuel to try to manage the sudden demand in supply.

A Tesco Petrol Station in Bracknell, Berkshire, had a sign outside warning drivers there was limited petrol (left). Right, a closed petrol station in Ashford, Kent

Motorists queued at an Esso petrol station in Brockley, South London, on Saturday morning

Boris Johnson is set for a foreign visas U-turn to allow in 5,000 lorry drivers amid frenzied buying and flare ups (pictured, an argument between staff and customers at a Londis in London) at gridlocked filling stations

Cars were seen in snaking queues outside petrol stations as people rushed to buy petrol despite Transport Secretary Grant Shapps' appeal for drivers to 'carry on as normal'

Frenzied buying has caused flare ups at gridlocked filling stations today (pictured in Tonbridge) as motorists ignored Government pleas for calm

In a statement, a spokesperson said: 'Due to the current unprecedented customer demand for fuel and associated supply challenges we have taken the decision to introduce a limit of 30 per customer on all of our grades of fuel.

'This excludes HGV drivers and emergency services due to their vital role at this time. This is a company decision to ensure all our customers have a fair chance to refuel and to enable our sites to carry on running smoothly.

'We kindly ask everyone visiting our sites to treat our colleagues, supply chain partners and customers with respect during these very challenging times.'

The head of the AA said while queues for fuel are unlikely to last, a shortage of lorry drivers and HGV drivers is an ongoing issue.

Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Mr King said: 'The market is stretched, so I think that is a broader issue that is affecting the supply chain, not just the petrol and diesel but retail as well.'

He added that the current queues at petrol stations are unlikely to last because the supply chain is not hit by ongoing problems such as strikes.

Mr King said: 'The good news is you can only really fill up once - you've got to use the fuel, so this should be a short-term thing.

'It's not like the fuel crises in the past when the supplier was hit by strikes, etc.

'So, once people have filled up, they won't travel more than they normally travel, so this strain on the system should ease up in the next few days.'

Mr King said there is 'plenty of fuel at the source' and no need to panic buy.

'We were in discussions with Government ministers last night and we talked to the major fuel companies, and we can reiterate there is not a problem with supply at the source.

'Earlier in the week, there were some problems with the supply chain, as we know, due to a shortage of some lorry drivers, but that was only a localised problem. Frankly, what has exacerbated it is people going out and filling up when they really don't need to.

'If you think about it, 30 million cars out there, if they've all got half a tank (and) if they all rush out to fill up the rest of the tank and the tank is about 60 litres, that will put a strain on the system.'

Mr King said the Government has freed up a number of driving tests for HGV drivers but said he did not know the specifics of further action it plans to take.

'(The Government) said announcements will be imminent, so possibly over the weekend, I think, we will hear more detail on that,' he said.
Children as young as two could soon get a Covid-19 shot as Moderna reveals plans to manufacture its vaccine in Australia.

Moderna chief medical officer Paul Burton said the company was in discussions with the Australian Government to produce vaccines in Australia.

He also said Moderna would release clinical studies on the effectiveness of its vaccine on children under 12 in November.

Moderna are set to release clinical studies in November which hope to allow infants as young as two to be vaccinated (pictured, a Modern vaccine)

'Our chief executive has been having discussions with the Australian Government about opportunities of bringing manufacturing to Australia,' Dr Burton told the Herald Sun.

'At the moment, it's been approved for use in adults and children aged over 12 and we're certainly going down into, you know, infants, two years old.'

Moderna already received the green light to immunise children between 12 and 15, along with Pfizer. Both are mRNA vaccinations.

The company is developing Covid booster shots that target variants of the virus, including the Delta strain which has spread rapidly in NSW and Victoria.

The production method used by Moderna allows for up to 30 different elements, meaning it can be modified to include any new variants that are yet to emerge.

Having already been approved to immunise children aged 12-15, the company hopes that they can help vaccinate younger aged children (pictured, a child receives a vaccination)

'In our cancer program, when we do personalised cancer vaccines, we can put 30 different messenger RNAs so we can we can combine against many different messenger RNAs and proteins,' Dr Burton said.

A study conducted by the US Centres for Disease Control found Moderna's vaccine was five per cent more effective at preventing hospitalisation than it's rivals.

Modern's vaccine was 93 per cent effective at preventing hospitalisation, compared to Pfizer's 88 per cent.

The Moderna vaccine has also been shown to contain three times more mRNA than Pfizer, making it the most effective mRNA vaccine available.

The Australian Government asked for expressions of interest for states to set up manufacturing sites earlier this year.

Moderna's mRNA vaccine has been clinically proven to be the most effective mRNA vaccine on the market, beating the Pfizer vaccine (pictured, a vial of the Moderna vaccine)

Multiple bids are being assessed and an announcement as to where mRNA vaccines will be produced is expected within weeks.

Monash University Professor Colin Pouton has been producing an Australian made mRNA vaccine, attempting to set up a production plant in Australia.

The Victorian Government put funding towards an mRNA vaccine manufacturing plant, and gave Monash University $5 million to produce doses for scientific trials.

About 50.9 per cent of Australians over the age of 16 have been fully vaccinated and 75.4 per cent have received their first jab

Moderna's chief medical officer Dr Paul Burton confirmed that the company is in discussions with Australian government officials about production (pictured, a vial of the Moderna vaccine)

NSW and the ACT are leading the way in their vaccination rollouts, with 85.2 and 85.9 per cent of residents having received their first dose of a vaccine.

The nation's capital is the first state to break the 60 per cent fully vaccinated mark, with NSW close behind at 59.3 per cent.

Western Australia and Queensland are lagging behind, with only 63 and 63.4 per cent of residents having received their first dose.

Both states have 44.5 per cent of their populations fully vaccinated.

On Sunday, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said her state was only a couple of weeks away from having 70 per cent of the population fully vaccinated.

'I ask everybody to please hold the line, it's really important we work hard now so that when we do start opening up at 70 per cent, we are able to do so safely and by bringing everyone together,' Ms Berejiklian said.

On Sunday NSW recorded 961 new cases of Covid-19 and 9 deaths

She also explained the government is close to finalising a roadmap for when 80 per cent of people have had two jabs, but unvaccinated people may have to wait another two months to access the same freedoms.

When asked about the kinds of freedoms available for the fully vaccinated, Ms Berejiklian said life will not return to normal overnight.

'While all of us would like to think once we get to that 80 per cent double dose it will be back to living without Covid, but it will not be, it will be a new Covid normal,' she said.

'But we will enjoy so many more freedoms than what we have today and we will all adjust our lives and I am confident because of the goodwill demonstrated by everybody that people will step up and take responsibility.'
Major Government contractor Capita has been accused of being 'hypocritical' for defying Ministers' advice to get staff back into the office.

The company last week announced a 'virtual first' approach, aiming to permanently ditch face-to-face meetings.

It means staff at the company will only come into its offices if necessary, and only when online meetings are not feasible.

Capita received 997 million in Government contracts in 2019-20, and a startling 6.5 billion since 2015, according to a recent report by Tussell, which analyses public contracts.

Major Government contractor Capita has been accused of being 'hypocritical' for defying Ministers' advice to get staff back into the office

Sir Iain Duncan Smith, the former Conservative leader, said: 'If no one goes back to their offices, those people who work in bars and cafes and restaurants will be out of work.

'So this 'I'm alright, Jack' approach to the economy, considering they've had money from Government, seems to be a bit hypocritical.'

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has said that going into the office is 'really beneficial' to young people and warned that video meetings are no substitute.

In the summer, Ministers dropped formal advice to work from home and instead 'expect and recommend' a gradual return to office work.

Capita said their strategy was due to the 'environmental benefits of this permanent shift to hybrid working' and its target of net zero emissions by 2035.

Its 35,000 employees are 'set to work more flexibly, even after Covid restrictions have ended' with a 'virtual first approach to all meetings'.

A Capita spokesman said: 'Like many employers, we have moved to a hybrid working model following widespread consultation with colleagues. As we look to support the Government and target net zero, our 'virtual first' meetings approach will ensure appropriate use of our offices.'
But a survey has found that voters fear that the measure will damage free speech

Under draft bill, Ofcom will be given power to penalise for 'harmful' content risks

Government plans to penalise tech companies for harmful content risks alienating key voters in Red Wall seats, an exclusive new poll has found.

Under the draft Online Safety Bill, the media regulator Ofcom will be given the power to levy large fines and block sites run by companies such as Google and Facebook if they expose users to material such as jihadi suicide videos.

But a survey by YouGov has found that voters fear that the measure will damage free speech  objections which are particularly pronounced among Tory Brexit supporters in those formerly Labour seats in the Midlands and North which fell to the Conservatives for the first time at the last General Election.

The poll found that a total of 59 per cent of Conservative Brexit voters believe that something which is legal to express verbally should not be made illegal simply because it has been published online. Just 17 per cent of voters think that there are some things that are legal to say in person which should not be legal to say online.

Government plans to penalise tech companies for harmful content risks alienating key voters in Red Wall seats, an exclusive new poll has found

The survey also found that only 6 per cent think that the Bills focus on tackling online comments which are offensive but do not break any laws is a priority given that racism, sexism and incitement to violence are all already illegal anyway.

The campaign group Index on Censorship is highlighting the potential impact on free speech by sending saucy seaside postcards to MPs to highlight the risks to humour.

The group says that the Bills introduction of a Duty of Care model would force tech platforms to delete posts that are legal under laws passed by Parliament but considered harmful without defining what is and is not harmful. The campaigners argue that this effectively outsources internet policing from the police, courts and Parliament to Silicon Valley in America.

The social media giants would use artificial intelligence algorithms to moderate the content  something which the poll found 62 per cent of voters oppose because they dont trust the technology.

Matthew Lesh, head of research at the Adam Smith Institute, said: This polling should frighten the Government  the Online Safety Bill is a political train wreck waiting to happen.

A policy to censor legal speech online is simply not why people voted Conservative in 2019. The polling shows that Brexit voters, who were key to delivering the Conservative Party its land-slide majority in the Red Wall, dislike the Online Safety Bills attack on free speech. It shows that voters value free speech and dont want the state to require censorship of legal speech.

Under the draft Online Safety Bill, the media regulator Ofcom will be given the power to levy large fines and block sites run by companies such as Google and Facebook if they expose users to material such as jihadi suicide videos (file photo)

The Bill would even strengthen Labours central attack line  one rule for them, another rule for us  by creating an opt-out for politicians.

Ruth Smeeth, head of Index on Censorship, said: MPs need to understand the very real impact this Bill will have on the freedom of speech Brits value so dearly, while failing to address the publics real concerns.

These postcards run in the great tradition of British humour, which would be lost to over-censorship under the Online Safety Bill as the Government washes its hands of responsibility for online content and hands powers over to the Silicon Valley giants rather than Parliament taking responsibility.

YouGov sampled 1,811 adults between August 9 to 10.
An FBI informant said to have been among those rioting at the January 6 riot at the US Capitol, passed on real-time updates to his handler as the mob stormed the building.

The informant, who is said to be a member of the far-right Proud Boys militia, was part of thousands taking part in the deadly riot and who continued to text an FBI agent throughout the course of the day.

The informant, who was a foot soldier in the group rather than a leader was not aware that there would attempt to break into the US Capitol, where lawmakers were busy certifying the results of the 2020 presidential election.

The person has been identified as belonging to a chapter of the group in the Midwest.

A member of the far-right Proud Boys who was an FBI informant was texting his handler during the January 6 riot at the US Capitol. Pictured, Pro-Trump rioters breach the security perimeter and penetrate the U.S. Capitol to protest against the Electoral College vote

The The New York Times reports, the fact the FBI were being texted in real time suggests those in law enforcement were more aware about what was happening on the ground than previously thought.

The Times details how the informant met with fellow Proud Boys by the Washington Monument in the morning of January 6 to hear President Donald Trump speak at a 'Stop the Steal' rally.

According to the informant, who began working with federal investigators in July 2020, the group were 'following a pro-Trump mob consumed by herd mentality'.

Members of the militia are said to have debated whether to enter the Capitol before finally making their way towards the building.

Members of the the far-right group Proud Boys march to the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington on January 6

Pro-Trump rioters destroy camera gear and media equipment after breaching the security perimeter and penetrate around the U.S. Capitol to protest against the Electoral College vote

The informant described seeing barriers knocked over as Trump supporters entered the building but the FBI handler did not appear to grasp that the Capitol had been breached.

The informant appears to suggest that there was no plot to storm the Capitol before the riot.

Such statements could create difficulties for federal prosecutors who were hoping to make the case rioters at the capitol associated with the Proud Boys in advance planned to storm the building.

The informant managed to gain access to the Capitol but then escaped through a window after learning from a police officer that someone had been shot inside.

Records seem to show the FBI had advanced knowledge that Proud Boys members were headed toward the Capitol

The FBI Informant suggests that plan to storm Capitol was not planned in advance. Pictured, Trump supporters scale the walls of the Capitol Building

Such intelligence could form part of the House select committee's investigation into the events of that day.

More than 600 rioters have been charged with offenses from the riot. 15 of those charge were members of the Proud Boys.

Those defendants who have pled guilty have been requested to testify before the panel.

'While the F.B.I.'s standard practice is not to discuss its sources and methods, it is important to understand that sources provide valuable information regarding criminal activity and national security matters,' the FBI told The New York Times in a statement.
Gladys Berejiklian floundered while trying to answer a question about whether unvaccinated people would be allowed to visit public pools when restrictions lift.

The NSW premier was announcing 961 new Covid cases on Sunday when she was blindsided by a reporter who asked about outdoor pools.

She was told of a leaked local council email claiming staff and patrons did not need their Covid jabs to enter a public pool when they reopen on Monday.

Ms Berejiklian appeared stumped and stammered: 'Oh look, I've not seen the health guidelines... I haven't seen what you've seen.'

Gladys Berejiklian (pictured during a press conference on Sunday) was unable to explain whether unvaccinated people will be able to swim at public pools

'All I know is that NSW Health has provided those guidelines to the, the, uh the people managing the public pools,' she fumbled, before turning to Jeremy McAnulty from the NSW Ministry of Health.

'Jeremy do you have? Do you want to? Is there anything you have? Is there anything you want?' she asked, looking towards the doctor who stood off-screen.

The reporter ignored her panicked stuttering and doubled down.

'Do they have to be vaccinated or not?' he repeated. 'It's a simple question.'

'Yeah,' Ms Berejiklian said quietly, before she gave up and repeated information that had already been announced.

'Obviously, the rules that we stated were at 70 per cent double-dosed - everybody has to be vaccinated,' she said.

Ms Berejiklian (pictured) panicked after the question and turned to Dr Jeremy McAnulty for help

After almost a minute of fruitless attempts at an explanation, Dr McAnulty finally took his mask off and came to her rescue (pictured centre)

When the reporter tried to ask her again, she said: 'I don't know what's in the email.'

'Children wouldn't have to be vaccinated, under 18s wouldn't have to be vaccinated, so that's clearly already been made public.'

Unsatisfied with her response, the journalist continued to demand a straight answer.

'But do you need to be vaccinated to go to a public pool tomorrow?' he asked.

Ms Berejiklian replied: 'Look, that was my understanding but if NSW Health has revised that - I've not see the email you're talking about.'

The reporter made the point that no one needs to be vaccinated to go to the beach or the Dawn Fraser Baths in Balmain, and asked if there would be different rules for indoor and outdoor pools.

After almost a minute of fruitless attempts at an explanation, Dr McAnulty finally took his mask off and came to her rescue.

Pictured: Dawn Fraser Baths in Balmain, Sydney's inner-west, which were re-opened this year

'NSW Health has produced Covid safety plan guidelines for outdoor pools and that encourages a range of activities to keep patrons and staff safe,' he said.

'Part of that is encouraging strongly for people to be vaccinated, including staff.

'There are a range of other activities that can be done to keep people safe at pools - outdoor pools are outdoor, and by the nature of that there's a much lower risk of transmission of Covid than indoors.'

When asked whether vaccine will be mandatory for outdoor pools, Dr McAnulty said the government would make a decision.

The sum total of the exchange was that parents and anyone else in need of a dip still have no idea if they need to be vaccinated when the pools reopen on Monday.

Outdoor pools will be open with strict 'arrive, swim, leave' rules and no mingling, while indoor pools will stay closed until lockdown ends at 70 per cent vaccination.

Dr McAnulty said the likelihood of community transmission at an outdoor pool was relatively low

Ms Berejiklian announced the number of new Covid cases in the state dropped from 1007 on Saturday to 961 on Sunday, with nine deaths.

New Covid-19 cases in NSW dropped to 961 with nine deaths, as the state inches closer to a post-pandemic summer with relaxed restrictions.

She also said about 85 per cent of people have now had their first dose of a Covid vaccine.

The rate of fully vaccinated people in the state is expected to hit 60 per cent within the next 24 hours.

The premier said the government is close to finalising a roadmap for when 80 per cent of people have had two jabs, but unvaccinated people may have to wait another two months to access the same freedoms.
New York state workers who are fired for refusing to get vaccinated are not eligible for unemployment insurance, Gov. Kathy Hochul said on Saturday - just two days before the deadline for workers to get the jab.

New York City teachers and state health care workers in hospitals and nursing homes have to prove that they received at least their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine by Monday.

The only exception to the vaccine mandate is a valid, doctor-approved request for medical accommodation.

The governor made the ramifications clear during Saturday's announcement of a contingency plan to address potential staffing shortages in hospitals and other health care facilities statewide.

Hochul specifically referred to hospital workers, but New York City is bracing for a similar situation, with about 13 percent of roughly 78,000 teachers are currently not vaccinated, an education department official said on Twitter.

New York State Gov. Kathy Hochul said state workers fired for being unvaccinated will not be eligible for unemployment insurance

NYS hospital workers and NYC teachers have to receive at least one shot of the COVID-19 vaccine by Monday. The teachers' mandate was temporarily pushed back by a federal judge

Tweet from the New York City school district press seccretary

Mayor Bill de Blasio said during a Thursday press conference that 'thousands and thousands of vaccinated, experienced substitute teachers ready to go' if unvaccinated teachers don't show up for work.

Union leaders have called on the mayor to push back the deadline and slammed the band-aid approach of deploying substitutes as 'irresponsible.'

'I believe that the mayor thinks that a body is a body  get them in, and we're good,' Mark Cannizzaro, president of the Council of School Supervisors and Administrators, told Chalkbeat.org. 'That's no way to run a school.'

But the potential drama was temporarily shelved late Friday night after a federal appeals judge blocked New York City schools from enforcing the COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals granted a temporary injunction and referred the case to a three-judge panel an an expedited basis.

A resolution is expected by the end of the week.

The number of cases, hospitalizations and deaths in New York City are decreasing, according to the New York City health department.

The court case only applies to New York City teachers; state hospital workers still have to prove they've been vaccinated and will lose their unemployment health insurance if they're fired for being unvaccinated.

Hochul addressed a potential shortage of hospital workers when the mandate goes into effect with a multi-pronged plan to backfill positions.

As part of the governor's plan, an executive order would be used to declare a state of emergency to increase workforce supply.

Qualified health care professionals who licensed in other states or countries, recent graduates, retired and formerly practicing health care professionals would be able to practice in New York State.

Other options include deployment of medically-trained National Guard members, Hochul said.
South Australia could reopen borders in mid-November when the state is predicted to reach 80 per cent vaccinated.

However, millions of people in Sydney and Melbourne will be locked up for potentially months longer as they still have hundreds of active cases.

Instead, a staged re-opening is planned, starting with fully vaccinated residents from low-risk parts in NSW and Victoria that have few cases.

But even with this overly-cautious plan, Premier Steven Marshall is being warned to delay any re-opening even after the 80 per cent threshold is reached.

South Australian officials are planning a staged reopening when the state reaches 80 per cent of the population being fully vaccinated (pictured, a woman receives a vaccine)

Mr Marshall said he was 'fully committed' to opening state borders and ending lockdowns for good by Christmas.

However, health authorities are monitoring the varying vaccination rates across the state and may wait for lagging areas to catch up.

Mr Marshall said that they needed to 'get some equity' across areas of the region with lower vaccination rates, meaning the day the 80 per cent target is reached won't necessarily mean travellers will be let in.

The premier will in coming days explain the rationale behind the speed of reopening to keep South Australian following the rules.

Opposition Leader Peter Malinauskas said that the premier needed to be honest about the potential impact on a 'health system already in crisis' if the state's borders reopened too early.

The state is predicted to reach the 80 per cent mark in mid-November, but Premier Steven Marshall is being urged to delay the reopening (pictured, people exercising in lockdown)

Mr Malinauskas said that the government was already concerned about the state's health system, as it is incredibly overcrowded and not dealing with the influx of cases.

'We all want life to return to normal as quickly as possible, but it is clear the perilous state of our health system under Steven Marshall is posing a risk to our pathway out of this pandemic,' Mr Malinauskas told Adelaide Now.

The actual process of allowing immunised Australians into South Australia is not yet known, but the premier suggested vaccination passports will be added to the mySA GOV app.

The state could also use a G2G Pass system similar to that of Tasmania and Western Australia.

To get a digital entry pass into those states, a vaccination passport, driver's license, and other proof of identity documents must be provided.

South Australia has pockets that have incredibly low vaccination rates, and officials will be monitoring rates before borders are opened (pictured, a test centre in Adelaide)

The Grant Council, surrounding the Mount Gambier district has only 9 per cent of the population fully vaccinated (pictured, a testing centre in Adelaide)

South Australia has 65.6 per cent of residents aged over 16 with at least their first dose, and 47.2 per cent are fully vaccinated.

Australia reached 75.4 per cent having received their first jab, and 51 per cent being fully vaccinated.

South Australia will allow essential travellers into the state from Victoria, NSW and ACT on October 11.

Those entering must have had at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine.

South Australia's immunisation rates have been hampered by a lack of staff to administer doses in regional areas.

Grant Council in the state's south-east has the country's worst vaccination rates, with only 18 per cent having received a single dose and nine per cent fully vaccinated.

The council surrounds the Mount Gambier district, and local doctor Richard Try said his practice was working weekends and evenings to boost vaccination rates.

Health officials are calling for the premier to be honest about a 'health system already in crisis' as the reopening of borders will bring new cases to the region (pictured, Modbury Hospital in Adelaide)

Dr Try said supply was the not the issue, problem for his practice and many other South Australian medical practitioners was a lack of trained staff.

'We need more people down here able to give the vaccine,' he said.

Local officials are hoping that initiatives such as vaccine pop-ups and more vaccines available at chemists will boost the uptake.

Rural Doctors Association SA chairman Peter Rischbieth said that the state's health workforce was already short, and now more nurses are needed to vaccinate residents.
An unnamed New York City subway rider torn up OkCupid ads on the D train after claiming it was 'propaganda'

A fed up New York City subway rider ripped down suggestive OKCupid dating adverts in a display of fury where she questioned whether it was appropriate for children to view them.

'All of this is gross, all of this is gross,' the unidentified woman said as she crumbled the ad in her hands. 'For kids to be looking at this, is that okay?' she said.

'This is propaganda, it's affecting the next generation. I don't know why no one sees this, this is disgusting.'

The ads are a part of the OkCupid's inclusive 'real dating' campaign, promoting single New Yorkers to get back out there as the city reopens. Paired with suggestive photos and an array of sexual identifies, fetishes, and characteristics, the company stated: 'We celebrate you: every single one of you.'

A 'gross' celebration of love: She ripped the ads off the train walls before changing course and lecturing masked riders about 'government is against us'

Divide and conquer: She and one of her companions ripped the ads off the wall

As the unmasked woman moved down the D train car while one of her companions filmed and another helped her rip the posters off, she switched her narrative and told her masked subway riders how the government wants to 'divide and conquer' citizens.

'Divide and conquer, that's what the Chinese want. The government is against us and you don't see it,' she said. 'You guys think you take a vaccine and this is going to go away? It's never going to go away,' the mask-less rider ranted before moving on to Old Navy's size inclusivity ads.

Like the OkCupid ads - which promotes all types of love from introverts to fetishes to the non-monogamists - Old Navy's is starting a 'fashion revolution' by celebrating all shapes and sizes of women.

UNBELIEVABLY BASED (Pt.2) pic.twitter.com/TUyE4PKXOV  Unbelievably Based Asian Lady (@DamnNobueno) September 22, 2021

'This isn't about equality, guys, this is about communism,' she claimed.

She also expressed dismay for New York City's 'vaccine pass,' which allows residents and visitors of the city to show their vaccination cards physically or digitally to gain access to indoor activities, like dining.

'It's going to make more sense to have a 'fat pass' than a 'vaccine pass,' because guess what, most people in the ICU are overweight,' she claimed in a Part 2 video.

'But we don't want to fat shame,' she said sarcastically, 'we don't want to go to the gym right?'

A representative for the MTA told the New York Post that the organisation is subject to the First Amendment.

'There is a review process for subway advertisements, the OK Cupid ads went through that process and were determined not to violate MTA guidelines,' he said.

However, he added that although customers have the right to complain about adverts, they cannot destroy them.

'Riders who violate that basic principle are subject to prosecution.'

It's not clear whether the woman has been identified and spoken to by the MTA.

OkCupid has been promoting their suggestive ads on their social medias, as well as the subway cars around the city

She also claimed being fat keeps you 'single.'

COVID-19 hospitalization have decreased in the last month in New York City, according to NYC's Health Department. With under a hundred hospitalization in the last 28 days.

NYC has reported almost 1700 cases as of Friday with a seven-day average of almost 1800.

The ads are meant to encourage single New Yorkers to get back out there as the city reopens
A man was shot and killed at Huntington Beach in Southern California on Saturday afternoon where hundreds of people were gathered nearby at the U.S. Open of Surfing competition.

The incident occurred at around 3:15pm close to the pier. Witnesses managed to capture the shooting on camera.

Pictures and video posted to Twitter sees the suspect lying on the sand surrounded by half a dozen police officers, many of them with their weapons drawn and aimed at the man.

Police shot and killed a man at close range at Huntington City Beach on Saturday afternoon as shocked witnesses watched and screamed from the pier and bike path

The shooting happened about 3:15pm on the sand, just south of the Huntington Beach Pier and near the pathway

Officers had received reports of a suspicious man with a gun and after making contact with the suspect and giving him multiple commands, he refused orders to drop his weapon, at which point police were forced to open fire.

After initial shots were fired, the man could be seen writhing on the sand before attempting to clamber to his feet.

Video shows the man raising his arm and holding a plastic bag in the air, before being shot several times.

The footage then seen another two officers opening fire at the man at point blank range.

Witnesses say three police officers were pursuing a man in a white t-shirt and jean shorts as he passed under the pier. Police said he had a gun and refused to drop the weapon

An ambulance was quickly on scene and the man was taken to hospital by ambulance

A portion of the beach was closed while paramedics attended and the man was loaded into an ambulance

Backup quickly arrived with the police setting up a perimeter to deal with the incident.

One eyewitness told TMZ police were chasing the man who had already been shot once by cops.

After jumping the wall he fell to the ground. Officers are said to have shouted orders for him to surrender his weapon but he refused.

'We started hearing pop, pop, pop,' said Hector Tovar who lives nearby to the OC Register. 'I thought it was fireworks, that's how many rounds there were.'

'I thought I heard fireworks  when I turned around these cops were following the guy,' Ana Leticia said on Twitter. 'Then they shot him.'

A large portion of the beach was taped off. First aid was administered at the scene and the man was taken to a local hospital, where he was later pronounced dead, police said.

'We can confirm an officer involved shooting did occur at Huntington City Beach at approximately 3:15pm,' Huntington Beach Police tweeted on Saturday. 'There is no current public safety threat.'

The shooting took place near to a packed Huntington Beach where the US Open of Surfing is taking place

A Surf dog grabs his surfboard as dogs and owners make their way out to catch waves at the annual Surf City Surf Dog event at Huntington Beach

The Orange County Sheriff's Department will now lead the investigation into the officer involved shooting.

Local activists are calling for the officers involved to be held accountable, according to Tory Johnson, a founding member of Black Lives Matter in Huntington Beach.

'This is what we're fighting. We're fighting police aggression, whether they are black, brown, purple,' Johnson said. 'What we are saying is you can't go around killing minorities, and you can't treat people a certain way just because they look different from you, or they don't fit the mold of an average citizen in our city.'

The U.S. Open of Surfing is an annual weeklong competition next to the Huntington Beach pier that is scheduled to conclude on Sunday.
Scott Morrison has demanded state leaders open borders when vaccination rates hit 80 per cent to allow families to reunite at Christmas.

The prime minister said he could not see any reason why Australians should be kept cooped up in their states after the milestone set by the national reopening plan.

'There comes a time when you just got to move on and get on with it,' he told Weekend Sunrise on Sunday.

'You've got to honour the arrangement you've made with the Australian people and that is once you get to 80 per cent vaccination, it is very clear that you can start opening up.'

Mr Morrison rebuked Queensland and Western Australian premiers Annastacia Palaszczuk and Mark McGowan for their refusal to open their borders on time.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison urged state leaders to open borders when vaccination rates hit 80 per cent

Ms Palaszczuk previously said she would like more research into the effect of Covid-19 on children before lifting border restrictions.

Similarly, Mr McGowan has shown resistance towards the targets agreed upon at national cabinet and said his borders are unlikely to open before Easter 2022.

While Mr Morrison admitted it was likely people would still have to check in to venues using QR codes and wear masks in some settings for a while, he demanded the rebel premiers give people 'their lives back'.

'I think that puts the big challenge on the premiers. I mean, they've had the power to do what they've been doing. They're not new powers. They've always had them, he said.

'Once you get to 80 per cent of your population that's vaccinated, it's very clear. I can't see any reason why Australians should be kept from each other.

'[Reopening by Christmas] is within the gift of governments. And that's a gift I'd like to see us give them.'

Queensland premier has been reluctant and said she wants research into the effect of Covid-19 in children. Pictured: Police at a truck stop on the Qld border

Pictured: People wearing face masks in Perth. WA premier Mark McGowan is also reluctant to re-open borders

Mr Morrison said he was eager to move Australia to a largely post-pandemic footing as soon as possible with vaccination rates into the 80s and 90s not far off.

'We can't stay in second gear,' he said. 'We've got to get to top gear in living with the virus. And that's where we need to be.

'We've done remarkably well with our economy through the pandemic and saving people's lives. But we must go into the next chapter.'

Mr Morrison acknowledged that some people will opt out of getting a vaccine, but said choices made by the minority should not impact the majority.

'Once we get to 80 per cent  the fact is that everybody has had the chance to get vaccinated by that point,' he said.

'If you've chosen not to get vaccinated, that's your choice. That's fair enough.

'But should that choice hold back the rest of the country from going forward engaging with those who are overseas, family members [who] are in India and other places who just want to come home?'

He declared those who decide not to get the jab were responsible for their own health.

Once Australia's population hits 80 per cent double jabbed international borders are expected to open with flight caps lifted for arrivals. Pictured: A woman at Melbourne airport

Victoria and NSW have unveiled separate roadmaps for reopening, which both hinge on vaccination rates of 70 and 80 per cent.

About 75.4 per cent of Australians older than 16 have had their first-dose of a Covid vaccine and 50.95 per cent are fully vaccinated.

'I'm pleased to report 75 per cent of the nation's 16s and over, have rolled up their sleeves to receive a first vaccine dose,' Health Minister Greg Hunt wrote on Twitter.

'This means we have less than one million first doses to go before we hit 80 per cent.'

During the Quad meeting at Washington DC over the weekend, the prime minister said stranded expats would be able to return home once 80 per cent of Australians are double jabbed.

The target is expected to be reached by December but Mr Morrison could not guarantee that the 45,000 stranded Aussies would be back in time for Christmas.

Mr Morrison could not confirm whether all 45,000 Aussies stranded overseas would make it home in time for Christmas. Picture: Woman at Sydney airport

He said arrival caps, which were introduced to help manage hotel quarantine figures, would be lifted allowing for more Australians to return home.

'We have been running more commercial flights and if we need to, we will [run more], but once we hit 80 per cent vaccinations, then that means Australians will be able to travel in those states that are opening up,' he told reporters on Saturday.

'They will be able to get on planes and go overseas and come home, and that means Australians who are overseas and who are vaccinated with the vaccines that are recognised in Australia will be able to get on planes and come to Australia.'

At 80 per cent vaccination international borders will reopen with caps on arrivals to be lifted as part of the country's national roadmap to reopening.
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Disturbing photos show homeless people in New York City's storied Garment District near Penn Station shooting up and dealing drugs in broad daylight as the crime in the area has spiked 41 percent since last year.

Homelessness in the area has been a years-long issue but has become more rampant in recent months, with people not even trying to hide their drug use.

Photos taken by DailyMail.com show one man with what appears to be drug paraphernalia in his hand, and another slumped over in a wheelchair.

Neighbors say police presence remains scarce, and outgoing Mayor Bill de Blasio has been criticized for 'coddling addicts' and not working to get the drugs off the streets.

Crime in the Midtown South Precinct, which includes the Garment District, is up 41 percent this year through Sept. 19 compared to the same period in 2020, according to NYPD crime data.

The most eye-popping spikes are in the number of robberies - which increased 189 percent from 97 to 280 - and felony assaults - which increased 151 percent from 131 to 329.

The number of shooting victims jumped from one to 10 and hate crimes are up from three to 27.

A homeless smokes on 8th Avenue near Port Authority in Manhattan on Saturday

A homeless person holds a lighter and a pipe on 8th Avenue near Penn Station.

A homeless man wears a garbage bag on 32nd Street near Penn Station on September 25

A homeless person begs for food or money near Penn Station on September 25

A homeless man reads outside of a church on 32nd Street while he begs for food

A beggar in a wheelchair on 8th Avenue is among the homeless who have gathered in New York City's Garment District

Witnesses in the 24-block radius between 34th and 41st Streets and west of 6th Avenue told The New York Post that the streets are 'littered with used needles, broken glass crack pipes, trash, urine, and feces.'

'I've personally seen dozens of deals go down. I've seen a person OD and nearly die,' one neighbor said on social media, according to the NYC newspaper.

'This is the worst this block has ever been,' another neighbor wrote in his social media post, The Post reported. 'People live here, and despite reporting and pleading with the NYPD to patrol more down this block, they are not doing anything to try and catch these dealers.'

Garment District Alliance President Barbara Blair told The Post that they're 'appalled and disgusted' by the drug use and 'other illicit behaviors that are taking place on our sidewalks in Midtown Manhattan and throughout New York City.'

'We have been fighting to put an end to this crisis, however our city officials have unfortunately failed to address the problem and have allowed this public disorder to continue,' Blair said.

A man begs for food in a pizzeria on 8th Avenue on September 25

Homeless are riding the subways

Homelessness has ravaged the Garment District in New York City

Police are seen here on September 25, but neighbors told The New York Post that there isn't a consistent police presence

NYPD crime statistics through September 5, showing a slight decrease in overall crimes. Year to date murders are down 2.2 per cent despite string of shootings over Labor Day weekend in the Bronx

The Garment District Alliance has contracted with Urban Pathways for the past several years in an ongoing effort to provide appropriate assistance to those in need, the Garment District Alliance said on its website.

'As part of its contract with the Alliance, a team from Partnership for the Homeless monitors the streets every weekday and on two weekend days per month.

'In addition to engaging clients, the outreach team assesses individual needs, offers referral options, and helps clients make decisions that will direct them towards life off the street. Services offered include transport and referrals to hospitals, shelters, city social service agencies, detox centers and drug treatment programs.'

This comes despite De Blasio crowing last month that New York City had it's safest August in 30 years. The city has not yet released its crime data for September.

Crime in August 2021 dropped 5.4 per cent compared to the same time last year. It is also at one of its lowest levels since 1995, according to CompStat with 6,141 violent incidents compared to 1,979 in the year to date. Those incidents include, murder, rape, assault, burglary, larceny and grand theft auto.

But despite overall crime rates being down, New York City continues to see a surge in violent crimes in some areas, with murders up a whopping 60 per cent in the Bronx alone this year, compared to 2020. Hate crimes citywide have also soared a shocking 97.8 per cent compared to last year.

The Garment District Alliance is pushing for long-term fixes are necessary; instead of taking a band-aid approach.

'The Alliance believes that permanent housing, coupled with appropriate health and social services, is the best way to address this problem,' the group said on its website.

Police are seen on 8th Avenue on September 25, but area residents said they need a more active police force

Two homeless people - one in a wheelchair - talk on 8th Avenue on September 25

The Garment District - which includes this intersection of 33rd Street and 8th Avenue near Penn Station - has been plagued by homelessness and drug use

'Toward that end, the Garment District Alliance works closely with the Street to Home Initiative, which shares this philosophy. Over the last few years, our efforts have resulted in several individuals being processed into their own apartments, and several more were admitted into other social service agencies that also help to provide permanent housing for homeless individuals.

'But we know there is more to do, and we continue to advocate for meaningful solutions to this tragic issue that is impacting neighborhoods throughout Midtown, as well as cities across the country.'
Teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg has accused New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern of 'not doing anything' to stop global warming.

The climate change activist sparked the global School Strike for Climate movement which saw over four million students walk out of classes in March 2019.

Known for her hardline views on emission reduction and demands of world leaders, she claimed she 'can't think of a single politician' whose actions to combat climate change impressed her.

Climate change activist Greta Thunberg has claimed that there isn't a single politician that has impressed her (pictured, Ms Thunberg addresses a climate march in Berlin)

When asked about Ms Ardern, who in June said climate change was a matter of 'life and death', she took a brutal swipe at the Kiwi leader.

'It's funny that people believe Jacinda Ardern and people like that are climate leaders. That just tells you how little people know about the climate crisis,' she told The Guardian.

'Obviously the emissions haven't fallen. It goes without saying that these people are not doing anything.'

NZ Climate Change Minister James Shaw said Ms Thunberg was correct in saying the country's carbon footprint hadn't yet decreased - but it would.

When asked about New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern (pictured), Ms Thunberg said that 'these people are not doing anything'

'That is why the work our Government is doing is so important  and clearly we have a lot of work to do,' Mr Shaw told Stuff.

In December 2020, New Zealand declared a climate emergency and pledged to de-carbonise the public sector by 2025.

Ms Thunberg took to Twitter claiming the move was hardly a positive step forward.

'In other words, the government has just committed to reducing less than one per cent of the country's emissions by 2025,' she tweeted on December 13, 2020.

'Text explaining New Zealand's so-called climate emergency declaration. This is of course nothing unique to any nation.'

Ms Ardern said at the time that the teenager's criticism was unfair as her government intended to do far more.

'If that was the sum ambition of any government, then that would be worthy of criticism; it is not our sum ambition and it is not the totality of our plans on climate change,' she said.

'But again, I think that it is actually for us just to get on with the business of fulfilling our obligations and expectations.'

After the swipe, New Zealand's Climate Chance Minister James Shaw said that Ms Thunberg was right in saying their carbon footprint hadn't reduced (pictured, Ms Thunberg in Germany)

In the year to March 2020, the country's greenhouse gas emissions decreased by 4.5 per cent, but began slowly increasing towards the end of the calendar year.

But the New Zealand Government will release a detailed plan to bring emissions down in 2022, and Mr Shaw said the country would enhance its contribution to the Paris Agreement.

The Climate Commission wants New Zealand to meet a reduced 'carbon budget' - the amount of emissions a country produces each year.

As much as Ms Thunberg advocates for climate change, she conceded her stance has affected her family.

Ms Thunberg also slammed New Zealand's declaration of a climate emergency on Twitter (pictured, Ms Ardern)

She claimed she and her family often have people filming them from outside their home, and attempting to break in.

Violence against climate change activists is very prevalent across the globe, she claimed.

Campaign group Global Witness alleged more than 220 activists have been murdered this year while working to protect the environment and land rights.

Now 18 years old, Ms Thunberg lives out of home, to escape the fans that also flock to the doorstep of the Thunberg family home.
Gabby Petito's father announced on Saturday that he is starting a foundation named after his slain daughter which will help families who are trying to search for their missing children.

Joseph Petito, Gabby's father, announced the creation of the Gabby Petito Foundation on social media on Saturday.

'No one should have to find their child on their own,' the bereaved father wrote.

'We are creating this foundation to give resources and guidance on bringing their children home.

'We are looking to help people in similar situations as Gabby.'

The social media post ended with the hashtag #gabbypetito and a link to the foundation.

Petito's body was a week ago at the Spread Creek campground near Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming - weeks after she was reported missing. Her death has been ruled a homicide, but the cause of her death has not yet been released.

Law enforcement officials have since launched a search in alligator-infested reserve in Florida after he disappeared a week ago. He is is considered a person of interestand the FBI has since issued an arrest warrant after he allegedly used Petito's bank card after her disapperance.

Gabby Petito's father announced on Saturday that he is starting a foundation named after his slain 'van lifer' daughter that will help families who are trying to locate their missing children

The announcement comes as well-wishers gathered in the hometown of Petito's boyfriend, Brian Laundrie, to hold a candlelight vigil for the woman and aspiring social media influencer whose disappearance has captivated the nation for weeks. Mourners are seen above in North Port, Florida, on Saturday

Well-wishers hold candles and pause to remember Petito, the 22-year-old 'van life' woman whose body was found last Sunday in Wyoming

The candleight vigil in North Port, Florida was held just a few miles from Carlton Reserve, where authorities are intensively searching for Laundrie, who has been missing since September 17

Mourners place balloons and flowers at the site of the vigil in North Port, Florida, on Saturday

Other well-wishers brought teddy bears and cards as a gesture of mourning in North Port, Florida, on Saturday

Petito (right), 22, was reported missing on September 11, 2021, after traveling with her boyfriend, Laundrie (left), around the country in a van and never returned home

Late Saturday afternoon, as Laundrie's neighbors in North Port, Florida, held a vigil for Petito where they released butterflies and held a moment of silence, search teams were working just a few miles away combing through alligator-infested swamps of Carlton Reserve as they continued the hunt for the 23-year-old.

The butterfly has symbolic value since Petito's final social media post shows her standing in front of a butterfly mural in Utah.

'When something like this happens, it affects everybody. It doesn't just affect one person or a family, because everybody knows everybody,' Arianna Ortiz, who attended the vigil on Saturday, told WFLA-TV.

Other locals at the vigil want Laundrie to come forward and tell authorities what he knows.

'I wish just wish he would do the right thing and tell us what happened and face the facts and bring closure to most of all her family and this community that is mourning her loss,' said Chrystal Ortiz.

The planned foundation and the vigil in North Port, Florida came a day before a visitation memorial will be held on Long Island.

Joseph Petito (seen above in North Port, Florida, on September 16) announced the creation of the Gabby Petito Foundation

Petito is seen above in an August 25 photo - one of the last to be posted on her Instagram account before she disappeared

The public is invited to pay their respects to the 22-year-old Petito at Moloney's Funeral Home in the hamlet of Holbrook, New York, in Suffolk County, Long Island.

Petito's funeral is scheduled for Monday.

The Long Island funeral home that will host a public visitation memorial for Petito on Sunday released a touching video tribute featuring a montage of personal and family photos.

Meanwhile, tributes are pouring in nationwide as mourners flood Facebook with condolences to the young woman's family. 'Gabby Petito has become America's child,' one well-wisher said.

Moloney's Funeral Home posted the montage on its web site on Saturday. It shows young Gabby as a happy, smiling girl who enjoyed playing outdoors and spending time with her family and its pet dog.

The photos also show her love of nature and the outdoors. Gabby is photographed at some of America's most popular outdoor destinations including Zion National Park in Utah.

In July, Petito and her boyfriend, Laundrie, 23, set out from her family's Long Island home on a cross-country 'van life' trip that they began to document on social media platforms.

Gabby Petito is seen in this undated file photo released by Moloney's Funeral Home in Holbrook, New York

Petito is seen above with a dog while walking on the beach in this undated file photo

Young Gabby is seen above in these undated file photos. Her family remembered her as a warm, loving young woman

Young Gabby is seen above in the arms of her father, Joseph Petito, in this undated file photo

Gabby Petito is seen above appearing to meditate along the beach in this undated file photo

The couple documented online their trip in a white Ford Transit van converted into a camper, but they got into a physical altercation on August 12 in Moab, Utah, that led to a police stop for a possible domestic violence case.

Ultimately, police there decided to separate the quarreling couple for the night.

But no charges were filed, and no serious injuries were reported.

Petito was reported missing on September 11 by her parents after she did not respond to calls and texts for several days while the couple visited parks in the West.

A bag of preparations and ribbons were dropped off at Moloney's Funeral Home in Holbrook, New York on Saturday - two days before a visitation memorial for Petito which will be open to the public

The visitation memorial will take place on Sunday while Petito's funeral will be held on Monday

Her body was discovered on Sunday in the vicinity of a remote, undeveloped campground along the border of Grand Teton National Park in northwestern Wyoming.

Laundrie, who has gone missing, is believed to have returned to his Florida home without Petito on September 1. He has been declared a 'person of interest' since he was the last to see her alive.

In Florida, searchers have been scouring the forbidding wilderness preserve near his parents' home while looking for Laundrie.

On Facebook, mourners posted their messages of condolence to the family. One commenter wrote: 'Gabby, You are now in the arms of the..Angel's!'

The search began last week after Laundrie told his parents he was going there, several days after returning alone from his trip out west with Petito.

Laundrie's parents said he left their home on September 14 - but only reported him missing three days later. FBI and local police are still searching for him in Carlton Reserve, an alligator-infested reserve five miles from his home.

His silver Ford Mustang was also found abandoned near the Carlton Reserve with a note requesting it be towed away.

'These guys, our law enforcement partners are motivated and they are hungry to find Brian Laundrie,' North Port Police commander Joe Fussell, who is helping to coordinate the search, said Wednesday.

'It's rough out there, it's hot, it's wet. We are trying to cover every acre in this reserve.'

On Wednesday there was a flurry of activity as divers were brought to the site, but it later emerged that there was no connection to the case.

The team, made up of about 10 divers, was requested by North Port Police on Wednesday morning, said Sarasota County Sheriff's office spokesperson Kaitlyn Perez.

'These divers are specifically trained and very talented in low visibility bodies of water,' Perez said.

'They dive down where you and I can't see anything at all. They utilize technology and other special equipment to help them get down deep into really deep bodies of water, so they're out there right now to recover whatever it is that they might find.'

The search has cost $1.2million so far as it enters its sixth day.

A candlelight vigil was held in her hometown of Blue Point, New York on Friday

Teton County Coroner Brent Blue classified Petito's death as a homicide - meaning her death was caused by another person - but did not disclose how she was killed pending further autopsy results.

On Facebook, mourners posted their messages of condolence to the family.

One commenter wrote: 'Gabby, You are now in the arms of the..Angel's!

'In a beautiful place where there is no more sadness nor sorrow.

'You are free at last..Rest now in sweet heavenly peace!!'

The vigils were held on Friday, ahead of Petito's funeral and cremation services on Monday

Residents put up a heart-shaped memorial. Candles were handed out and $20 donations were collected for Petito's family

Posters and tributes were set up across town. A 'Fly High Gabby' poster was put up on a tree

One resident set up a candle outside outside her driveway to show solidarity for their late neighbor

Another Blue Point neighbor helped adjust candles at one of the vigil sites

Residents also put together cards and notes to display in tribute of their late neighbor

Other residents set put up flowers to display at one of the sites besides a display that read 'Wings of An Angel Gabby'

The memorial sites showed off candles, cards, posters, stuffed animals and flowers dedicated to the late Peitio

The site stands by a large display that reads, 'Gabby Petito, Forever in our hearts'

'Shine a light for Gabby' event took place in her hometown of Blue Point, pictured, and in West Islip

A Facebook user from Idaho wrote: 'Rest In Peace beautiful girl! Fly high with the angels! Sending love & prayers to Gabby's family & friends!'

Another Facebook user wrote: 'To Gabby's Mom , Dad and Family and friends. My heart breaks along with yours on the loss of Gabby.

'I hope and pray justice will be served so she can rest in peace and you all can in time have some closure on this senseless tragedy.

'I wish I could take away some of the pain you are feeling.'

Gabby Petito's stepfather James Schmidt has visited the exact spot where she was killed, and created a stone cross. He laid a floral tribute

James Schmidt, Gabby Petito's stepfather, traveled to Wyoming on September 14 to help the search for the 22-year-old. Four days later her body was found

A memorial of stones arranged in a cross pattern was spotted Monday evening at the Spread Creek Dispersed Campsite east of the Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. On Wednesday Petito's stepfather made a similar tribute at the exact spot where her body was found

One Facebook user pleaded for the public to stay away out of deference to the grieving family.

'Out of respect for the family, I hope strangers keep their distance,' a concerned Facebook user wrote.

'It's going to be hard enough with every media outlet going be there.

'They don't need complete strangers too...Sending healing prayers and thoughts to the family.'

Another Facebook commenter wrote: 'I have never met Gabby, but how could I not be affected by her passing as is all of America.

'Such a tragedy to lose a child. I can only imagine what pain your family and friends are going through.'

Gabby Petito, 22, is pictured with her boyfriend Brian Laundrie, 23, in a YouTube video made to document their 'van life' road trip. Petito's body was found on Sunday and Laundrie has disappeared

Petito and Laundrie are seen on July 4 in Utah. They had set out two days previously on a road trip, planning to document their journey on social media

The pair had been travelling on a cross-country trip together since July 2, when they left New York. Petito was reported missing on September 11

One well-wisher commented: 'So much sorrow, such a beautiful soul, may God's arms comfort your pain and heartache at this time.'

A Canadian Facebook user wrote: 'My deepest condolences to the Petito and Schmidt families.

'We in Canada feel your pain on the loss of this beautiful young lady. She has touched so many hearts.'

One Facebook user wrote: 'Words seem so feeble in moments like these.

'Life is so precious, and death such a thief. ... Love is a bond that death cannot part.'

Gabby's hometown in Long Island paid a somber tribute to her on Saturday.

The 'Light the Night for Gabby Petito' event took place in Blue Point and West Islip as neighbors lit candles throughout the towns in memory of Petito.

Hundreds of candles had been given out throughout Blue Point as organizers also collected $20 donations to deliver to Petito's family, ABC 7 reports.

The community also decorated thousands of trees with blue ribbons to honor the 2017 Bayport-Blue Point High School graduate.

Dorothy Johnson, of Blue Point, told News 12, 'For me it's important just to acknowledge Gabby, to support the family throughout the whole community, not only our community but throughout Long Island. Many people are lighting a candle.'

Jennifer Horton, of Blue Point, also put candles outside her driveway to honor Petito.

'When the community loses one, we all do,' says Horton. 'So just remember the great life she had. Losing her so young and just to really celebrate her life.'

Search teams are pictured on Wednesday heading into the Carlton Reserve in Florida

The Carlton Reserve has been the focus of a search for Laundrie since his car was found at the site on Sunday

Laundrie was apparently an avid reader, with some pointing to a video on the couple's YouTube page showing him reading a book about a missing woman. He is seen here camping on the Appalachian trail with Petito in March for her birthday

Joseph Petito, Gabby's father, confirmed that he funeral will take place at the Moloney Funeral Home, in Holbrook, on September 26.

The funeral home told The Sun that a memorial service was being held on Sunday for Petito's cremation.

The family asked that in lieu of flowers, donations be sent to the Future Gabby Petito Foundation through the Johnny Mac Foundation.

Petito's stepfather, James Schmidt, had visited the exact spot where her body was found in Wyoming, and created a memorial to the 22-year-old New Yorker.

Schmidt, who is married to Petito's mother Nichole, traveled from New York to Wyoming last week to help with the search for the missing 'van life' traveler.

She had been reported missing on September 11, and he set out on September 14. Her body was found on September 19.

On Wednesday Schmidt made a stone cross at the site where Petito was discovered, Fox News confirmed. He left yellow and white flowers on the site, beneath the trees.

A similar memorial had been made on Monday, on an open patch of muddy land on the banks of a river near the campsite.

Gary Rider, a friend of Schmidt, said the pair had visited the site on Wednesday and that they had left some flowers next to the other cross.

'We did go  the small cross with flowers was made by Jim and myself,' he told The Independent.

'That larger cross was not done by anyone connected with the search or recovery of Gabby.'

Nina Celie Angelo (left) of New Orleans recalled the August 27 incident in Jackson Hole, Wyoming involving Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie (right)

Angelo, a photographer, was with her boyfriend, financial adviser Matthew England, when they stopped to have lunch at Merry Piglets sometime between 1 and 2pm. The couple was in Wyoming in late August to attend a wedding. While dining at the restaurant, they overheard a loud conversation in which another customer, Laundrie, was heard screaming at wait staff in what appeared to be an argument over the check

On Thursday, the FBI issued a warrant for Laundrie's arrest after he fraudulently used a Capitol One Bank debit card that was not his.

The FBI said Laundrie is wanted for 'use of unauthorized access device' related to his activities between August 30 and September 1, following Petito's death, and that he used the card to obtain items totaling $1,000 or more.

The statement by the Bureau's Denver desk says: 'While this warrant allows law enforcement to arrest Mr Laundrie, the FBI and our partners across the country continue to investigate the facts and circumstances of Ms. Petito's homicide.

'We urge individuals with knowledge of Mr Laundrie's role in this matter or his current whereabouts to contact the FBI.'

Authorities are continuing to search for Laundrie, 23, who was last seen by his parents and his attorney last week.

Steve Bertolino, Laundrie's attorney, issued a statement on Thursday evening after the FBI's arrest warrant for his fugitive client was made public, emphasizing that the warrant was not for Petito's death but for related activities that took place after her demise.

'It is my understanding that the arrest warrant for Brian Laundrie is related to activities occurring after the death of Gabby Petito and not related to her actual demise,' Bertolino told Dailymail.com

Laundrie and Petito were reported to have been in heated arguments prior to her disappearance and death.

Nina Celie Angelo of New Orleans said she and her boyfriend were at the Merry Piglets restaurant in Jackson Hole on August 27 and saw the tragic Long Island woman try to calm down the hot-headed Laundrie.

'He was just very visibly angry. She was really upset. She was crying. He immediately went to the hostess stand and was going in on the hostess and the waitress and eventually the manager,' Angelo told GMA.

'It was almost like he was screaming. She was like 'I'm sorry, come on just let's just go.' But she was physically upset, she was crying. You could feel his temper. He was angry.'

The sighting at the Jackson Hole restaurant places Petito 300 miles north of Salt Lake City and just 45 miles from the Wyoming campground in the Grand Tetons where her remains were found.

Moab City Police Department announced that they will launch an independent investigation into their officers' handling of another domestic dispute between Laundrie and Petito that took place on August 12.

Moab City Police Department and the City of Moab an investigation into officers' handling of a domestic dispute between Brian Laundrie and Gabby Petito a month before she was found dead in Wyoming

Laundrie is seen with scratches on his face which he tells an officer were caused when Petito 'was trying to get the keys from me' and 'hit me with her phone'

Police found Laundrie with scratches to his face, with Petito claiming she'd hit him with a phone while battling her OCD.

Officers deemed her to be the 'primary aggressor' and separated the couple for the night to try and defuse the tension between them, but neither were arrested.

That has subsequently triggered allegations that investigating the incident more deeply might have saved Petito's life, although other's have countered by hailing the cops' calm handling of the couple.

The recorded encounter began after a chilling 911 audio captured a caller in Utah reporting a domestic abuse incident involving Petito and Laundrie that claimed Laundrie slapped her.

In the audio, obtained by DailyMail.com, the male caller tells a Grant County sheriff that a 'gentleman' in a white van with a Florida license plate had slapped a girl in the vehicle before driving away.

The man also mentions the incident had happened 'by Moonflower' - likely referring to the Moonflower Community Cooperative in Moab, where Laundrie and Petito stayed the night of August 11 and where they reportedly were seen having an explosive fight.

'I'm right in the corner of Main Street by Moonflower and we are driving and I'd like to report a domestic dispute. Florida with a white van - Florida license plate, white van,' the man says before being interrupted by the officer, who asks him what he saw exactly.

'They just drove off. They're going towards Main Street. They made a right onto Main Street from Moonflower. We drove by him, a gentleman was slapping the girl,' the man continues.

'He was slapping her?' the sheriff asks.

'Yes. And then we stopped. They ran down an up the sidewalk. He proceeded to hit her, hopped in the car and they drove off,' the man says as the audio ends.

Shortly after the call at 4:30 pm, Petito and Laundrie were filmed in police bodycam footage when they were stopped by Moab Police.

Moab police officers separated the couple for the night after responding to the 911 call. The City of Moab said they are 'unaware of any breach of Police Department policy' in their handling of Petito and Laundrie's domestic dispute

Police bodycam footage revealed the moment Utah cops asked missing 'van-life' woman Gabby Petito why she slapped her boyfriend Brian Laundrie in a dramatic incident 13 days before she disappeared on their cross-country trip

The bodycam footage shows an officer reporting that the driver of a vehicle ahead is showing 'obscure driving', driving 45mph in a 15mph road, and is 'possibly intoxicated.'

He says the vehicle has bumped a curb and puts the sirens on. Petito later told officers that the couple didn't drink.

The officer then gets out the vehicle and approaches the couple's white camper van, which they have pulled over. The officer asks Petito to step out of the vehicle and takes her down the road, separating the couple to ask her what happened.

In the video, an emotional Petito tells officers with tears streaming down her face that she 'was trying to get him [Laundrie] to stop telling [her] to calm down' and admitting the couple had 'been fighting all morning.'

In the bodycam footage from Moab officers, Petito says she suffers from OCD and anxiety, with both her and Laundrie saying she was stressed because of the YouTube blog they were working on to document the doomed cross-country trip.

The officer tells Petito she is 'not in any trouble' and escorts her to the back of the cop car so she can 'take a breath' and have 'a few minutes.'

Laundrie is seen with scratches on his face and arm which he tells an officer were caused when Petito 'was trying to get the keys from me' and 'hit me with her phone'.

He later said she was angry with him because of his dirty feet. When an officer asks Petito if her boyfriend hit her, she replies 'I guess' and makes a grabbing motion on her chin. Laundrie admits he 'pushed her' during the altercation.

'I am separating you two tonight, okay?' the officer is heard telling Petito. The 22-year-old nods through tears in response and mouths 'okay.'

Moab city officials released a statement on Thursday which said they were 'unaware of any breach of Police Department policy.'

They noted that 'individuals can view the same situation in very different ways' and 'recognize how the death of Ms. Petito more than two weeks later in Wyoming might lead to speculation, in hindsight, about actions taken during the incident in Moab.'
A son has been charged with murdering his elderly parents after they were found dead at a home in Western Australia's south west.

The bodies of Colin and Bernice Dent were discovered inside a Berkshire Street residence, in Capel, about 8.15am on Friday.

Robert George Dent, 47, was taken into police custody at the scene and later charged with two counts of murder, The West Australian reports.

He appeared at Perth Magistrates Court on Sunday via video link from Bunbury, wearing a black hoodie.

Colin and Bernice Dent were found dead inside a home at Berkshire Street, Capel (above) in Western Australia on Friday morning

Dent remained silent throughout the hearing and showed little emotion - only offering a slight nod when asked if he could hear the proceedings.

He stood with his arms by his side, with his eyes occasionally glancing around the room.

Bail was rejected and the case was adjourned until September 29.

Dent was on Friday taken from the Capel home to Bunbury Hospital under police guard to be treated for minor injuries.

Mr Dent, 75, and Mrs Dent, 74, were well respected in their region, where locals are still reeling in shock over their deaths.

Mr Dent, who worked for Capel Shire, retired four years ago and the couple were both active members of the community.

Colin Dent (pictured), 75, worked for the local council and his wife was an active member of the community.

The discovery of the two bodies comes only weeks after father-of-three Tony Ditri was murdered in the the nearby town of Pemberton on August 27.

Local farmer John Della Franca was subsequently charged with his murder.

'We have just dealt with another community in the South West that had a homicide investigation and that community is reeling,' South West District Superintendent Geoff Stewart told the media.

'Capel will be reeling from this. People would have seen activity today from what's occurring and now hearing what's occurred...

'It is going to affect the community without a doubt.

'Our thoughts are with the people involved, their family and the community of Capel.'
Freshers' Week started for majority of universities last Sunday and will continue for some into next week

The annual fortnight of partying at British universities was cancelled last year due to Covid restrictions

Booze-fuelled partygoers in Leeds gave each piggybacks and one even rode off in a shopping trolley

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Hard-partying students marked the end of their first week as Freshers as they hit the clubs in university towns and cities across the country.

Thousands of revellers descended onto the streets of Leeds to make the most of their Saturday night - safe in the knowledge lectures don't start until Monday.

The young students partied into the early hours of the morning - with photos showing friends dressed up to make a good first impression.

Many of the partygoers looked relieved to be back partying once again after more than 18 months of restrictions.

Some were spotted giving friends piggyback rides down the high street, while one Fresher looking a bit worse for wear was wheeled off in a trolley by friends.

Trolleyed: Thousands of revellers descended onto the streets of Leeds as they marked the end of their first week as Freshers

Thousands of revellers descended onto the streets of Leeds to make the most of their Saturday night - safe in the knowledge lectures don't start until Monday

The jubilant scenes on the streets of Leeds last night were a lightyear away from last year when Covid curbs the Freshers' fortnight of events

Many of the partygoers looked relieved to be back partying once again after more than 18 months of restrictions

The young students partied into the early hours of the morning - with photos showing friends dressed up to make a good first impression

Dressed to the nines: Young students queued up to get into clubs and pubs for the night out

Paramedics were on hand to treat drunken students who had over-indulged and police were out in low numbers, but the night is believed to have passed without injuries.

Last year's events welcoming students had to be cancelled due to fears of spreading the Coronavirus, with many spending their first weeks with flatmates in halls.

At the height of the pandemic, nightclubs were forced to close while restaurants were also shut or faced heavy restrictions before ultimately being shuttered in Winter.

Last year's events welcoming students had to be cancelled due to fears of spreading the Coronavirus, with many spending their first weeks with flatmates in halls

Quick lie down: One reveller takes a moment to check her phone and relax in a pair of high heels

The night is young: The Freshers' week events are the first to take place since 2019 after last year's celebrations were wiped out by the pandemic

Freshers' Week kicked off for the majority of universities across the UK on Sunday and goes on until September 26

Some were spotted giving friends piggyback rides down the high street, while one Fresher looking a bit worse for wear was wheeled off in a trolley by friends

Fun and games: Revellers do push-ups in the street as they get excited for a night of partying

Freshers' Week kicked off for the majority of universities across the UK on Sunday and goes on until September 26.

Promoters in some cities with several universities however have taken to holding a second week of events, coined the 'Freshers' Fortnight'.

While Leeds undergrads will be buried in their books from Monday, wristbanded Freshers' events continue until Wednesday.

Despite warnings of an expected spike in Covid cases following the influx of students starting university, many freshers expressed little concern.
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Police today traced a third Sabina Nessa suspect to a Sussex address at least 50 miles from the crime scene in a 'significant development' in the investigation - as Ms Nessa's family visit the scene to read tributes.

The man was arrested on suspicion of murder at around 3am today at an address in East Sussex and taken into police custody.

And Pegler Square has today reopened after forensic searches were carried out in the hunt for Ms Nessa's killer.

Ms Nessa's family, including a woman understood to be her sister Jebina, visited the scene where the primary school teacher was allegedly murdered to look at the hundreds of tributes left in her memory.

Jebina collected a white box with a picture of Ms Nessa on it from vigil organiser Annie Gibbs. It had been used after the memorial to collect notes of condolence written by attendees.

CCTV footage which has not yet been released by police reportedly shows her attacker strike her over the head with an object before carrying her over his shoulder towards the park where her body was later discovered.

Meanwhile, a Nissan Micra pictured at a Eastbourne police compound is believed to be connected with the murder investigation.

Of the latest arrest, Detective Chief Inspector Neil John, from the Met's Specialist Crime Command, said: 'Sabina's family have been informed of this significant development and they continue to be supported by specialist officers.'

Detectives are also urging people who were driving in the area on Friday night to check their dashcam footage for possible glimpses of the suspect in the car headlights. A police source said a man caught on security cameras carrying a 'red reflective item' is their prime suspect.

Sabina Nessa, 28, originally from Bedfordshire, disappeared on September 17 as she left home to meet a man for a first date at a local pub and her body was found the following afternoon

Ms Nessa's family, including a woman understood to be her sister Jebina, visited the scene where the primary school teacher was allegedly murdered to look at the hundreds of tributes left in her memory

A Nissan Micra pictured at a Eastbourne police compound is believed to be connected with the murder investigation

Vigil organiser Ms Gibbs, who shared an emotional embrace with Ms Nessa's sister, said of Friday's service: 'I think it really honoured Sabina. It was very respectful. I believe there was possibly as many as 3,000 people who attended which was incredible.

'Everyone came there with the same heart. They just wanted the family to feel loved and supported and that was achieved. We really wanted to make sure we got the message out there that we want justice and this is not something that we expect in our community. But it's not going to divide us.

'We're going to keep fighting until we find who has done this. I was really delighted this morning to see an arrest has been made.'

Ms Gibbs fears some people are forgetting there is a family grieving losing a much loved sister and daughter at the core of a case promoting global discussion about wider issues.

She added: 'At the moment, we need to focus on the fact there is a family who has lost someone. Changes will come later.

'All this political stuff and organisations capitalising on it is just really not needed right now and it is wrong at this time. It is too soon. Barely a week has passed.

'This is a time for us to remember Sabina, not blaming or politics. Let's respect the family. Let's focus on Sabina and her loved ones.'

Forensic officers in blue full body overalls had been seen photographing areas which had been marked with yellow evidence cones.

They continued into Saturday with a particular focus on the building sites near a multi-storey car park for residents and visitors to the new build Kidbrooke Village complex.

But the area was fully open on Sunday morning with no sign of activity apart from the remnants of police tape where the cordon had been.

Hundreds of lit candles and bouquets of flowers remained in the communal square following the touching vigil to Ms Nessa held just metres from The Depot pub where she had planned to meet a friend on the evening she was murdered.

Jebina collected a white box with a picture of Ms Nessa on it from vigil organiser Annie Gibbs. It had been used after the memorial to collect notes of condolence written by attendees

Vigil organiser Ms Gibbs, who shared an emotional embrace with Ms Nessa's sister, said of Friday's service: 'I think it really honoured Sabina. It was very respectful. I believe there was possibly as many as 3,000 people who attended which was incredible. Pictured, Jebina was accompanied by a police liaison officer

Ms Gibbs fears some people are forgetting there is a family grieving losing a much loved sister and daughter at the core of a case promoting global discussion about wider issues

Written on one candle was the simple question many people continue to ask: 'Why?'.

A floral tribute read: 'Women deserve to go home safely. Thinking of Sabina and all who loved her.'

A cardboard placard had the names of every women murdered in the UK this year written on it and asked: 'How many more?'

One read: 'End male violence,' with a picture of the primary school teacher.

'Men, call each other out,' was written on one placard while another read: 'Women deserve safety.'

A small pot of pink roses was left at the spot on the grassy mound in Cator Park near the OneSpace Commmunity Centre where Sabina is believed to have been found dead.

Other flowers have been left on a bench near the spot along with candles.

Mark Turner, 53, who works in education, left a written message of condolence to Ms Nessa today/yesterday (SUN) at the scene of the floral tributes.

He said: 'I've left this message today because what happened here is shockingly violent and terrible for this community.

'I work in education and the fact this young woman was a teacher is simply devastating. To think about what those young children must be going through is incomprehensible.

'It's hard to fathom the impact of this on the children and teachers who have come down here to pay their respects.

Detectives are urgently to appeal for information about a mystery man who was captured on CCTV in Pegler Square, south east London, on the night Sabina, 28, was attacked

'Let's hope this latest development in the case leads to justice for Sabina.'

Celia McKiernan, 54, who also works in education and stopped for a moment by the floral tributes, said: 'It's really hard to put words to it.

'My biggest concern now is around the vulnerability and safety for women and young girls growing up.

'It is about time we felt safe walking along streets and through parks.'

Branch operator Henry Lansana, 45, who lives in Sydenham, remembered Ms Nessa by saying goodbye in a card.

He said: 'I didn't really know Sabina personally but she was within my friendship group. We knew some of the same people.

'From the few times I was with her within the same group, I instantly realised what a kind and thoughtful person she was.

'My mother and father were both teachers and Sabina had those same caring qualities you need to work with children.

'She was just such a warm, beautiful girl and you can see she meant so much to so many people from all of these tributes.'

Becoming emotional, Mr Lansana added: 'To think something as horrific as this can happen to someone as brilliant as her is awful.

'I came to say my final goodbye. May she rest in peace.'

In one heartbreaking tribute left at the scene, a child had written on a small sized white school uniform polo shirt in black permanent marker pen: 'Thank you for being my teacher,' with a love heart dotting the I.

Children at St Edwards Upton Park had also drawn a mosaic picture of Ms Nessa of her graduating from university - with pupils each colouring a tile.

An attached note read: 'Dear Ms Nessa and pupils of Rushey Green Primary School,

'We send our condolences and are so sorry for what has happened.

'All the children and staff at St Edward's Upton Park are keeping you in our thoughts and prayers!

Police comb the area around Pegler Square in Kidbrooke, south London, searching for evidence in the alleged murder of 28-year-old Sabina Nessa

'We know you were an amazing teacher and a kind, caring soul and we thank you for all you did. xxx'

Another hand drawn picture of Ms Nessa was also left with a teddy bear.

Police yesterday reissued footage of a man, who was seen on CCTV in Pegler Square in Kidbrooke, South East London.

The force said the images were captured 'shortly before' Sabina's murder. In the grainy film, the man is seen carrying something red in his hands.

The new information came as Home Secretary Priti Patel admitted women survivors of violence were being 'let down' by police.

Ms Patel said cases of violence against women were still 'far too common' and that she was 'carefully considering' moves to tackle the problem, the Times reported.

The Home Secretary's remarks came hours after the Metropolitan Police insisted the area where Ms Nessa was killed was still 'safe for women'.

Detective Chief Inspector Neil John, from the Met's Specialist Crime Command, said: 'People in the Kidbrooke area last Friday may recall seeing this man carrying a red reflective object, and possibly trying to conceal it.

'Please share the CCTV footage on social media and show the image to family members and friends who may not have seen it. He must be traced.'

Three men arrested in suspicion of Sabina Nessa's murder Arrest One (Suspect A): On the same day Sabina was found, a man in his 40s and known to her was the first to be arrested on suspicion of her murder. He was later released under investigation on September 24. Arrest Two (Suspect B): A 38-year-old man was arrested on Thursday at an address in Lewisham in connection with the murder. He was of has also been released under investigation. Arrest Three (Suspect C): Police arrested a 36-year-old man in a 'significant development' in the investigation on Sunday, September 26. The man was arrested at around 3am at an address in East Sussex and taken into police custody. Advertisement

Forensic officers scoured an area of Pegler Square on Friday evening. It's understood that they were looking for the potential murder weapon.

The team was seen photographing spots on the pavement and searched a building site where a pipe trench had been dug. Officers were seen turning over dug up soil for clues.

Ms Patel has said is considering recommendations to help tackle violence against women because these things 'should have no place' in our society.

She singled out crimes such as 'rape, female genital mutilation, stalking and harassment' which are taking place every day.

'These crimes are still far too common and there are too many instances of victims and survivors being let down.'

'The tragic cases of Sarah Everard, Julia James, Bibaa Henry, Nicole Smallman and Sabina Nessa demonstrate this.'

The Victims' Commissioner has urged the police to do more to make streets safe for women in the wake of the killing.

It also emerged yesterday that parents at Sabina's Rushey Green Primary School had received a warning letter several months ago about a string of attempted abductions by strangers.

Lewisham police issued the alert in May following the reports that four children had been approached by unknown men in neighbouring Bromley.

Ms Nessa had been working at the school in Catford, which has 600 pupils and around 70 staff, for just over a year after she qualified last year.

A teacher at the school said: 'The Year Two pupils, who Sabina taught last year in Year One will be the most upset, and their parents. It is hard for teachers to reassure children who are nervous about being at school for the first time, while they are putting on a brave face while consumed with grief themselves.'

Sabina left her flat in Kidbrooke to meet a man for a first date at the nearby Depot bar at around 8.30pm on Friday, September 17. She never arrived there.

Her body, which had been covered with leaves, was found the following evening by a dog walker near the OpenSpace community centre in Cator Park, less than 500 yards from the victim's front door.

Meanwhile, more than 500 well-wishers, including Ms Nessa's sister Jebina, gathered in Pegler Square for a vigil on Friday, organised by campaign group Reclaim the Streets, which said it is 'angry and heartbroken' about her death.

And teachers at Rushey Green Primary School in Catford, where Ms Nessa worked, said they are 'consumed by grief' following their colleagues death, but said they are putting on a 'brave face' for their students.

Teachers at Rushey Green Primary School in Catford, where Ms Nessa (pictured) worked, said they are 'consumed by grief' following their colleagues death

More than 500 well-wishers, including Ms Nessa's sister Jebina, gathered in Pegler Square for a vigil on Friday, organised by campaign group Reclaim the Streets, which said it is 'angry and heartbroken' about her death

One teacher at Ms Nessa's, who did not wish to be named, said it was awful to think that the 'kind and dedicated' teacher had 'suffered in the most violent way' and said the staff are all rallying around to support each other.

They told South London Press: 'No one and nothing can prepare you for this - the first anyone knew was when we arrived at school on Monday morning.

'It is awful enough when someone dies. This is so much worse. It is impossible to even comprehend - that she suffered in the most violent way. We were sitting beside her on Friday - then this.

'The Year Two pupils, who she had last year in Year One, will be the most upset - and their parents.

'Everyone is supporting each other. But it is hard for teachers to reassure children who are nervous about being at school for the first time - while they are themselves putting on a brave face while consumed with grief themselves.'

Ms Nessa had just taken on a new Year One class for the start of term at the school, which has 600 pupils and around 70 staff.

Lisa Williams, headteacher of the school, has spoken to classes individually with educational psychologists also offering help.

Speaking of her 'devastation' after Ms Nessa's death, she told Sky News: 'She was a brilliant teacher; she was kind, caring and absolutely dedicated to her pupils.

'She had so much life ahead of her and so much more to give and her loss is desperately sad.

'As a school we are supporting each other through this very difficult time.'

Ms Nessa was a member of the National Education Union's Lewisham branch, which held a minute's silence at a meeting on Wednesday night and has written to the school.

Branch secretary Duncan Morrison told the South London Press: 'Staff would be given the opportunity to reflect and spend time thinking about Sabina. We would always try to listen - the last thing people in shock or grief want is to be told what to do.

Meanwhile, a vigil took place in Peglar Square, near to where Sabina's body was found, at 7pm on Friday. Pictured: Jebina Nessa pays tribute to her sister during the vigil

Sister Jebina Nessa broke down in tears as she paid tribute to her sister Sabina, a 28-year-old primary school teacher who was murdered yards from her south east London home

'It is hard even for an adult to comprehend what seems to be the senseless murder of a young woman. Her pupils are so young, which makes it all the more difficult. It is hard even to explain to the oldest children at a primary school.

'She was only just starting to build relationships with the new Year One children. The class which will experience it most will be those she taught last year. She had a strong relationship with them.

'The crucial thing is to give them space to feel what they are feeling. But at that age, they have limited language to express it. We would say it is OK to cry and share your feelings - but if they do not want to, that's fine too. It is a terrible thing to deal with.'

Meanwhile, the Victims' Commissioner for England and Wales has urged police to do more to make the streets safer for women.

Furious campaigners and a handful of MPs have demanded that public spaces be made safer for women in the wake of a string of high-profile murders this year.

Parallels are being drawn to the horrific murder of 33-year-old marketing executive Sarah Everard in March, amid fresh fury that women could not walk through Britain's streets alone without fearing for their lives.

Detective Chief Superintendent Trevor Lawry insisted the area remains 'safe for women' despite mounting pressure from women's safety campaigners who are urging officers to do more to protect them on Britain's streets.

But Dame Vera Baird, who attended a vigil to the murdered 28-year-old in Wood Green, north London, on Friday, argued there needs to be more onus on police to protect the public than on women to take precautions.

She told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'Apparently the police have been giving out rape alarms to women and giving leaflets out saying how to stay safe in a public place.

'It is less, isn't it, about giving women leaflets on keeping themselves safe in dangerous places and more about the police making the streets safe for women?'

When it was put to her that there needed to be societal change along with police intervention, Dame Vera replied: 'It certainly isn't just a job for the police but, look, the police do have a very key role here.'

She added: 'Three-quarters of women over 16 have been harassed in a public place and don't feel safe.

'They need to know that the police understand that and will use all the powers they have got to keep the streets safe.'

Hundreds of mourners, including Ms Nessa's sister Jebina Yasmin Islam, attended an emotional candlelit vigil in Pegler Square, Kidbrooke, south-east London, where she had been heading to the pub on the evening she was killed.

Jebina broke down in tears as she paid tribute to her sister and addressed crowds at the vigil, saying her world had been completely 'shattered' following the loss of Sabina.

A separate rally earlier in the evening at East London Mosque heard powerful testimony from other members of Ms Nessa's family.

It comes as police are understood to believe the prime suspect in the Sabina Nessa murder is still at large after releasing two men they had arrested for the teacher's killing.

Detectives are appealing for information about a man who was captured on CCTV in Pegler Square, south east London, on the night Sabina, 28, was attacked.

Two men who were arrested in connection with the alleged murder have been released under investigation, the Metropolitan Police confirmed.

Sabina left her home on Astell Road after arranging to meet a friend at The Depot bar in Pegler Square, Kidbrooke Village, south-east London, last Friday night but never made it.

Police believe she was attacked in the busy Cator Park at around 8.30pm with her body being found by a member of the public almost 24 hours later near the OneSpace community centre.

No one reported Sabina missing after she failed to make the rendez-vous, said police, but her housemate has now spoken out on the horrifying ordeal and shared her unease.

She told the Guardian: 'I never thought something like this could happen to her. I had been texting her and it's not like her to not reply to my messages.

'I don't feel safe living here now.'

Scotland Yard appealed for information on the man shown, and a silver vehicle that was seen in the area, and asked the public to come forward with information

Well-wishers laid flowers and lit candles around a placard calling to 'end male violence' at a vigil in memory of killed primary school teacher Sabina Nessa

Earlier, detectives had speculated whether the attack had been carried out by a stranger and were 'keeping an open mind' on the killer's motive.

On the same day Sabina was found, a man in his 40s and known to her was the first to be arrested on suspicion of her murder. He was later released under investigation.

A 38-year-old man who was arrested on Thursday at an address in Lewisham in connection with the murder of has also been released under investigation.

The man in the CCTV footage, who is dressed in casual clothing and appears to be clutching an object in his right hand, was in the area where Nessa was found dead on the night she was attacked, according to police.

A 12-second clip shows a bearded and balding man wearing a black hooded coat and grey jeans looking over his shoulder and pulling at his hood as he walks down Pegler Square in Kidbrooke, south-east London.

Detectives have also released an image, captured in the same area, of a silver car they believe the man has access to and appealed for anyone who recognised either to contact the force immediately.

Detective chief inspector Neil John, from the Met's Specialist Crime Command, said 'an extensive trawl' of CCTV in the area continued and said information on the man's identity and whereabouts could be 'vital' to the investigation.

DCI John added: 'We want to thank those who have shared our image appeal over the last 24 hours  it has gained a huge amount of coverage and we are extremely grateful for the public's help.

'We are now a week on from Sabina's murder and while we have made good progress with our investigation we must keep this appeal for information going and encourage anyone who has any information to come forward.'

Anyone with information on the man's identity is urged to call the incident room on 0208 721 4266 or Crimestoppers completely anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Together the crowd said her name, Sabina Nessa, as they vowed she would not be forgotten and her murder would not go unchallenged

Women hold candles at a vigil for killed primary school teacher Sabina Nessa in Pegler Square, Kidbrooke, in south east London

Campaigners against violence to women stood together to remember Sabina Nessa who was killed just yards from her south London home as police continued to comb the site for clues

Well-wishers and campaigners shed tears as they gathered for a vigil in memory of killed 28-year-old primary school teacher Sabina Nessa

People light candles during a vigil in memory of Sabina Nessa, a teacher who was murdered in south east London last Friday

CCTV believed to be showing the attack, first reported by the Daily Telegraph, sees an assailant apparently striking Sabina on the head with an object moments after she left her house. Detectives have declined to comment on these reports.

Earlier, detectives had speculated whether the attack had been carried out by a stranger and were 'keeping an open mind' on the killer's motive.

More than 500 campaigners and well-wishers gathered in Pegler Square for a vigil on Friday with supporters arriving on foot, by bicycle and on the train to attend the memorial at the heart at the south London housing estate. Many had brought their young children, others had brought their dogs.

The vigil came as Kate Middleton said she was 'saddened by the loss of another innocent young woman on our streets'.

Dozens lit candles and placed bunches of flowers as they stood around a makeshift stage to honour Sabina.

And Downing Street also joined the vigil, placing a lantern on the front step of the Prime Minister's residence in memory of the killed primary school teacher.

Supporters clapped their hands in a show of solidarity while her friends thanked the hundreds who come together to remember the dynamic young teacher who was allegedly attacked and killed.

Her sister Jebina Yasmin Islam told the crowd: 'We have lost an amazing, caring, beautiful sister, who left this world far too early.

Flowers left at the edge of the park where police have sealed off an area of meadow

'Words cannot describe how we are feeling, this feels like we are stuck in a bad dream and can't get out of it. Our world is shattered, we are simply lost for words.'

Scotland Yard wanted to avoid a repeat of the disastrous scene earlier this year during a vigil for murder victim Sarah Everard.

Met chiefs were accused of being heavy-handed with female demonstrators at the height of Covid-19 restrictions, when large public gatherings were banned.

Kidbrooke Village residents Roxana Chelaru and husband Ionut told how they no longer feel safe in their home.

Roxana told MailOnline: 'We live two minutes from where this poor young woman was murdered. We walk our dog in the park where she was killed. Sometimes I walk him there at night when it is dark.

'We thought this was a nice place to live with other families. But now I don't feel safe.

'But tonight we want to show solidarity with this poor woman. This should not happen.'

Husband Ionut added: 'It's very sad. Now I am worried about my wife. Often she must walk back from the station alone. After what has happened we don't want to live here anymore.'

Michael Stacey and wife Seychelle brought their six year old daughter Olivia to the vigil because Sabina Nessa was her teacher.

Mr Stacey, 42, a printer told MailOnline: 'I don't know what to say. It's a terrible thing to happen. She was a lovely woman and a great teacher. Olivia loved her. So we're here to pay our respects. It's the least we can do.'

Supporters clapped their hands in a show of solidarity while her friends thanked the hundreds who come together to remember the teacher who was allegedly attacked and killed

Ms Nessa had planned to start a new life teaching young children in the Middle East before she was allegedly attacked and murdered during a five-minute walk through an east London park.

The teacher, who had gone through a break up with her partner, had hoped to move to Dubai, according to LBC.

A close friend told the radio station: 'She just wanted to live life.

'She wanted to go to Dubai or the UAE and teach children there.'

Speaking of the vigil, Jamie Klingler, co-founder of the Reclaim The Streets pressure group, said Londoners had to come together to defend women against violence.

She told MailOnline: 'This has been a terrible tragedy and everyone has been affected by this latest act of violence.

'But the community has come together to stand up against violence to women.'

Eltham MP Clive Efford told Ms Nessa's family: 'With everything that you are going through, these people are here for you.'

He told the crowd that the police 'officers here are also parents and they are just as determined to see justice to Sabina's family as anyone else, I have witnessed that this week.'

He also told those gathered that they will need to go back into their communities to make a difference in the way that women are treated, and the levels of respect given to everyone.

Meanwhile, police declined to comment on reports in the Daily Telegraph that Sabina was hit on the head yards from her home by an assailant wielding a weapon, then slung over his shoulder and dumped in a park in an attack caught on CCTV.

Footage showed Sabina being struck on the head by an assailant wielding a weapon just moments after she left her flat, before she was slung over his shoulder and dumped in a local park, it is claimed.

Sabina's family released a new statement reiterating their shock over her horrifying murder after the further details of the case were reported.

A forensic officer combs the area around Pegler Square as part of a murder probe into the death of 28-year-old primary school teacher Sabina Nessa

Sabina's sister Jebina Yasmin Islam said: 'We as a family are shocked of the murder of our sister, daughter and aunty to my girls.

'There are no words to describe how we are feeling as a family at the moment. We did not expect that something like this would ever happen to us.

'I urge everyone to walk on busy streets when walking home from work, school or a friend's homes. Please keep safe.

'I ask you to pray for our sister and make dua (supplication) for her. May Allah grant her paradise.'

Assistant Commissioner Rolfe said the Metropolitan Police is not asking women to change their behaviour when going out at night in light of the murder of Sabina Nessa.

Sabina was taking a five-minute walk to meet a friend at The Depot bar in Pegler Square near her home in Kidbrooke, south-east London, on September 17 at around 8.30pm when she was attacked.

It is believed that she was walking through Cator Park towards The Depot bar on Pegler Square, Kidbrooke Village, where she planned to meet a man for a first date.

Sabina never arrived at the pub and was allegedly murdered as she walked through the park, according to police.

But reports have claimed that Sabina was just minutes from her home when she was attacked near the OneSpace Community Centre in Cator Park at around 8.30pm on Friday, September 17.

A member of the public found her body close to the OneSpace community centre in Cator Park on Saturday at around 5.30pm.

A post-mortem examination was inconclusive and further tests will now be carried out to establish a cause of death.

Anyone with information should call the incident room on 0208 721 4266 or Crimestoppers completely anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Deliveries of over-the-counter drugs and prescriptions to pharmacies are being disrupted due to a lack of van drivers, according to reports.

Pharmacy bosses have reportedly told the Sunday Telegraph they are facing disruption to deliveries up to 'three times a week'.

And, according to the paper, pharmacists warn the issue could get worse due to an increase in demand in winter.

It comes amid a shortage of HGV drivers in the UK, which has sparked fears of empty shelves this Christmas and forced a number of petrol stations to close due to difficulties getting fuel to the pumps.

Martin Hewitson, who runs an independent pharmacy in Dorset and is a former board member of the National Pharmacy Association (NPA), is one of 'multiple' pharmacies to have raised issue about the concerns of medicine supplies.

He told The Telegraph: 'It's not happening every day, but once, twice, three times a week we're having disruption to wholesale deliveries.

Pharmacy bosses have reportedly told the Sunday Telegraph they are facing disruption to deliveries up to 'three times a week'

According to the paper, pharmacists warn the issue, which they say is caused by a shortage of van drivers (pictured: Library image) could get worse due to an increase in demand in winter

Martin Hewitson (pictured), who runs an independent pharmacy in Dorset and is a former board member of the National Pharmacy Association (NPA), is one of 'multiple' pharmacies to have raised issue about the concerns of medicine supplies

'Medicines which we were expecting end up not arriving, often with no explanation.'

Along with prescriptions, disruption has also reportedly affected supplies of over-the-counter medications.

One supplier said to have suspended delivery of all over-the-counter medicines for several weeks.

A spokesperson for the NPA told the Telegraph that it was aware that deliveries to some pharmacies had been 'reduced'.

Boris Johnson insists on a pay rise for truckers and will send a million of them morale-booster letters Boris Johnson has called on HGV bosses to give drivers a pay rise as the Prime Minister prepares to send them one million morale-boosting letters in the run-up to Christmas. Ministers are said to be urging up to 40,000 retired hauliers to return to action in a last-gasp bid to save Christmas, as retailers warned the Government it has less than two weeks to prepare for the festive season. Meanwhile, Boris Johnson is to personally sign off on a million morale-boosting letters urging drivers who turned away from the industry to get back on Britain's roads. The move comes amid a nationwide panic-buying spree at petrol stations and growing fear inside Downing Street that supermarket shelves could remain barren until December 25. Advertisement

However it said the problem was 'not generally affecting patients' access to treatment 'at this stage'.

Pharmacists, however, warn the issue could get worse over winter - when demand for over-the-counter drugs increases - according to the Telegraph.

The shortage of van drivers is reportedly being caused by a combination of factors.

These are said to include the UK's wider scarcity of labour and drivers having to self-isolate because of Covid-19.

Recent changes in the rules on freelancing, brought about by a change to the IR35 rule, has also had an impact.

The rule change, introduced in April, is part of the Government's action on companies treating full-time employees as freelancers.

However, the move has forced some drivers who want to retain their freelance status to work for multiple companies at once.

In a recent poll by industry group the Road Haulage Association, changes to the IR35 was one of the top reasons HGV drivers gave as for wanting to leave the industry.

It comes as, in the wider HGV driver shortage, it was announced that more than 10,000 temporary foreign visas will be fast-tracked by the Government as ministers rush to solve the supply chain crisis that's threatening Christmas.

5,000 HGV drivers and 5,500 poultry workers will be given extraordinary three-month visas allowing them to work in the UK until Christmas Eve.

The move comes amid a nationwide panic-buying spree at petrol stations and growing fear inside Downing Street that supermarket shelves could remain barren until Christmas.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said the changes, with the visas available from next month, would 'ensure preparations remain on track' for the festive season.

But the Road Haulage Association warned the announcement 'barely scratches the surface', while the British Chambers of Commerce said the measures were the equivalent of 'throwing a thimble of water on a bonfire'.

Retailers had warned the Government that it had just 10 days to save Christmas from 'significant disruption' due to a shortfall of about 90,000 drivers in the freight sector.

It comes as thousands of desperate drivers ignored Government pleas for calm as they jammed roads - with fears mounting over the impact of lasting fuel shortages on the economy.

Furious motorists were seen fighting on Saturday as the nationwide rush for fuel continued amid calls for calm from the Government because less than 100 petrol stations were empty.

Shocking footage showed panic buyers punch and kick at each other during a violent brawl at an Esso petrol forecourt in Sidlesham, Chicester, as roads were left gridlocked and police had to be called in to marshal drivers.

Two men were seen grappling before throwing punches at one another, while another enraged motorist launched a flying kick at another man as the scramble for fuel turned violent in the sleepy West Sussex village.

5,000 HGV drivers and 5,500 poultry workers will be given extraordinary three-month visas allowing them to work in the UK until Christmas Eve

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps (above) said the changes, with the visas available from next month, would 'ensure preparations remain on track' for the festive season

A major shortage of HGV drivers threatens to wreak havoc this winter, and the shortage has been exacerbated by a huge backlog in HGV tests due to Covid

The shortage of HGV drivers has long threatened to wreak havoc this winter, and it has been exacerbated by a huge backlog in HGV tests due to Covid, as well as foreign drivers returning home amid the pandemic and Brexit.

Industry groups the Food and Drink Federation and Logistics UK both welcomed the visa changes, with federation chief Ian Wright calling the measures 'pragmatic'.

But British Chamber of Commerce president Baroness McGregor-Smith said the changes were the 'equivalent of throwing a thimble of water on a bonfire', and that the 5,000 new visas may be too little, too late to halt the chaos.

Meanwhile, Marc Fels, director of the HGV Recruitment Centre, told BBC Breakfast the move was 'too little, too late'.

He said: 'Every additional driver that is coming into the sector at the moment is going to be of benefit.

'But I feel this is too little, because the numbers coming in, 5,000, is not going to make a very large dent on the 90,000-100,000 that we are perceived to be short.

'And too late because we have been understanding these problems have been coming as early as April this year, so we are moving into October and only now are the Government coming up with these solutions when this has been an issue since April.'

BIG BUCKS for blue collar workforce! Desperate bosses are posting job ads to pay truckers 78,000, fruit pickers 62,000 and milkmen 45,000 amid staff shortages (time for a career change?)

Firms desperate to lure staff amid a labour shortage are offering salaries that are more than double the UK average for the same or similar roles.

Lorry drivers can pick-up 78,000-per-year - almost as much as the average barrister and more than double the 32,500 average for HGV drivers in the UK - under job vacancies being listed online.

Firms desperate for fruit and vegetable pickers are also upping their pay offers, with bumper 30-per-hour salaries.

It means those working 40 hour weeks can earn up to 62,000 - way above the 26,000 average for fruit and vegetable pickers in the UK.

A 62,000-a-year pay packet would put fruit pickers on par with dentists in terms of average annual salaries and is almost exactly double the UK average of 31,000-a-year.

Meanwhile, one courier firm is offering delivery jobs for salaries of up to 52,000-a-year - more than the average London based office salary of 42,500-a-year.

Milkmen can also earn themselves a bumper pay packet, with one employment advert offering up to 45,000-a-year for a milk delivery driver.

Lorry drivers can pick-up 78,000-per-year - more than double the 32,500 average for HGV drivers - under job vacancies being listed online. Library image

Firms desperate for fruit and vegetable pickers are also upping their salary offers, with 30-per-hour salaries. Library image

Milkmen can also earn themselves a bumper salary, with one employment advert offering up to 45,000-a-year for a milk delivery driver. Library image

Meanwhile, one courier firm, Yodel (pictured) is offering delivery jobs for salaries of up to 52,000-a-year - more than the average London based office salary of 42,500-a-year

Job adverts on Total Jobs show one HGV role offering up to 70,000 per annum. The job, based in Slough, is listed as 'urgent'.

H Clements and Son Ltd, based in Boston, Lincs posted one job advert calling for broccoli pickers - who they say can earn up to 30-per-hour.

This works out at 240-per-day or 1,200-per-week. The monthly pay for doing it full-time is 4,800 and an annual salary of 62,400-a-year - based on an average working week.

The job advert reads: 'We are looking for Field Operatives to harvest our broccoli. Excellent piecework with potential to earn up to 30-per-hour. All year round work available.'

An average salary for a fruit and vegetable pick, according to job site Indeed, is in the region of 26,000.

Which industries are looking for new staff? These are the number of new job adverts posted in the UK from September 13 to September 19, according to data analysed by Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC). Care workers: 55,019 Chefs: 36,471 Primary school teachers: 32,942 Metal workers: 22,956 Cleaners: 28,220 HGV drivers: 7,513 Bar staff: 6,557 Sales assistants: 32,615 School secretaries: 2,678 Lollipop men and women: 2,478 Postal workers: 2,251 *The figures are for jobs posted between September 13 - September 19. In total there are more than 1.9million active job adverts. Advertisement

Meanwhile, delivery firm Yodel is looking for van drivers in south east and east London, and is offering up to 52,000-a-year.

According to job site Glassdoor, the average salary for a Yodel driver is 30,859.

Other ways to grab a plus 40,000-a-year salary is as a milkman in Loughborough.

According to Indeed, the job, working with Gmi Distribution, pays between 26,000 to 45,000-a-year and is available part and full-time. Milkmen typically earn an around 28,000.

UK job advert numbers have reached the highest figure in at least a year, with almost two million positions currently being offered, newly released figures have revealed.

Job market data from September 13 to September 19 shows more than 220,000 new job adverts were posted, bringing the total number of active job adverts to 1.9million.

According to the figures, there were 36,000 new adverts appeared for chefs, around 32,000 for sales assistants and 6,500 for bar staff in that period.

The figures for hospitality jobs are likely to reflect the country opening back up in the wake of Covid-19 rules being lifted.

But the job advert figures also show more than 7,500 job adverts have been posted for HGV drivers in the UK in the last week. Some offer salaries upward of 50,000-a-year.

The flurry of job adverts comes amid a shortage of lorry drivers across the UK.

The Road Haulage Association estimate the UK to be short of 100,000 HGV drivers.

Brexit and Covid are among the major reasons put forward by transport groups and ministers for the shortage, which has sparked chaos for the UK's transport industry.
Nine British soldiers are facing questions over the killing of a Kenyan mother who was found stabbed to death in a hotel septic tank in 2012 after a night of partying near an army base.

Agnes Wanjiru, 21, was found two months after her disappearance at the Lions Court Inn hotel in Nanyuki, leaving behind a five-month-old daughter.

Witnesses said the sex worker was seen at the hotel bar that night with a number of British soldiers and left arm-in-arm with one of them.

Her family is now demanding justice and claims her case has been overlooked in a bid to avoid a diplomatic row.

Nanyuki has an army base where, under an agreement with Kenya, the UK can send six infantry battalions a year for eight-week exercises.

As part of the agreement, Kenyan Defence Forces take part in the exercises with their British counterparts.

Agnes Wanjiru (pictured), 21, was found two months after her disappearance at the Lions Court Inn hotel in Nanyuki, leaving behind a five-month-old daughter

By the time her body was discovered, the British soldiers had returned home and rumours started about her death, one soldier told The Sunday Times.

Kenyan police identified nine soldiers they wanted to question and asked the British Royal Military Police to interview them and take DNA samples.

But the Ministry of Defence said last week they never received any such request, causing the inquiry to stall.

A new investigation has been opened after an inquest which had been delayed by six years found Agnes was killed unlawfully.

The MoD said last week it is now helping Kenyan authorities 'to determine what support is needed'.

Detectives from Kenya's FBI, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, visited Agnes' family this February, saying they are still focusing on the same nine suspects, who were they infantrymen, who had booked hotel rooms on the night of her disappearance but were never questioned.

Soldiers recalled it as a debauched evening of 'non-stop' sex with prostitutes for very little money, with a mass brawl taking place the night before between troops, and soldiers were made to get tested for HIV on their return to the UK.

Witnesses said the sex worker was seen at the hotel bar (pictured) that night with a number of British soldiers and left arm-in-arm with one of them

The former infantryman said: 'It was all night, ferrying women back and forth to the rooms, which were like these huts. You could do whatever you wanted.'

But when he returned to the UK he said rumours started, and he heard one soldier boasting about killing a prostitute in Nanyuki.

Agnes' sister Rose Wanyua Wanjiku, 48, said: 'Her case has been completely overlooked. From the first day we reported the case at the police station the police did nothing until her body was accidentally removed from a septic tank.'

She added that when detectives visited her earlier this year, they said they had the names of the nine suspects and would carry out the interviews even if they had to travel to the UK.

Confidential documents seen by The Sunday Times show four witnesses told the original Kenyan police investigation in 2012 that Agnes left the bar with a British soldier and went to his room.

One said they heard a 'fierce row' break out in the room, and the documents show Kenyan detectives asked the British military for DNA samples and to question the suspects, neither of which happened.

Nanyuki's local economy is hugely dependent on the British troops who carry out civil engineering projects and spend money in local businesses

Rose, who has since raised Agnes' daughter Stacy, says she believes authorities in both countries believe the death of a poor sex worker can be brushed aside.

She said: 'From the first day we reported the case at the police station, the police did nothing until her body was accidentally recovered.'

Two of the nine soldiers in the hotel on the night in question were tracked down by The Sunday Times, and denied their involvement in her death.

Nanyuki is heavily dependent on the income from British soldiers based at the Nyati Barracks and sex work is very common.

Girls can earn a week's salary, around 30, for sleeping with a soldier, but others charge much less.

At the time, Agnes was trying to support her baby while living with her sister in a single room in the Majengo ghetto.

A soldier says he remembers around 60 fellow military people dancing with around 40 local sex workers on the night of her disappearance.

Nanyuki is heavily dependent on the income from British soldiers based at the Nyati Barracks and sex work is very common

A friend waited for Agnes until 3am but eventually went home after she didn't return.

A night guard at the hotel said he had escorted Agnes and a soldier to his room and saw them enter, but they seemed to be getting on well and he was not concerned for her safety.

Her disappearance remained a mystery until two months later when the hotel general manager asked staff to investigate a smell in the building.

A maintenance manager opened a manhole and found a woman's body, naked except for a bra and necklace, lying in filth in a septic tank.

A post mortem found she had been stabbed in her abdomen and chest and there were signs she was beaten, but it was not possible to determine if she had been sexually assaulted.

A night porter added he heard a 'fierce fight' in the hotel room used by the soldier and Agnes, and believed there was more than one soldier in the room at the time.

Hotel logs identified nine soldiers who had checked in that day, paying 13-20 each, and they all checked out the next day.

Two of the rooms were adjacent to the septic tank where the mother-of-one was found.

Nanyuki has an army base where, under an agreement with Kenya, the UK can send six infantry battalions a year for eight-week exercises. Pictured: soldiers on exercise in Nanyuki

But forensics were hampered by the delay to the discovery of her body and the room she had been in had been repeatedly cleaned.

A new inquiry has been launched and is said to be 'concerned' about the original investigation.

It also poses difficult questions for Kenyan and British authorities, who recently agreed a 10milllion a year deal allowing 3,000 British troops to continue to train in Nanyuki.

The local economy is hugely dependent on the British troops who carry out civil engineering projects and spend money in local businesses.

An MoD spokesman said: 'In 2012, Special Investigation Branch carried out initial enquiries in Kenya, including providing information about British personnel to the Kenyan police.

'No further requests for assistance were received.'Following the conclusion of a Kenyan inquest in 2019, we are aware that the Kenyan authorities are looking into this incident.

'The jurisdiction for this investigation rests with the Kenyan police, and we are currently in discussions with the Kenyan authorities to determine what support is needed.

'Due to this being subject to an ongoing investigation it would be inappropriate to comment further.'
Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner put on an awkward show of unity tonight after he rebuked her for branding Tory ministers 'racist, homophobic, scum'.

The Labour leader and his deputy ostentatiously sat next to each other on the stage in Brighton in an apparent bid to quell civil war rumours.

They could be seen whispering in each others' ears as activists discussed reforming party rules - although neither looked very comfortable.

Earlier a clearly infuriated Sir Keir insisted 'that is not language that I would use' as he was grilled about the incendiary comments by Ms Rayner at a fringe meeting.

He said ominously that he would be 'speaking to Angela later' about the jibes, although he stopped short of demanding she apologise - something she has flatly refused to do.

Meanwhile, Sir Keir also appeared deeply frustrated when asked about Rachel Reeves insisting that she had no intention of increasing income tax. 'Nothing is off the table,' he told the BBC's Andrew Marr show.

The spats add to a torrid start to conference for Sir Keir, who has already been forced to water down a high-profile bid to overhaul internal party rules.

He was able to pass changes to the way the party leader is elected to require backing from 20 per cent of MPs, up from 10 per cent. But he was unable to get unions to back plans to remove 'one member one vote' in favour of an electoral college system.

He tried to get back on track today by re-announcing plans to tax private schools to boost the state sector, and also made a bold call for the government to grant 100,000 foreign drivers visas to solve the fuel and food crisis.

Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner ostentatiously sat next to each other on the stage in Brighton this afternoon in an apparent bid to quell civil war rumours

Sir Keir and his deputy could be seen whispering in each others' ears as activists discussed reforming party rules - although neither looked very comfortable

But he is facing another backlash from the Left after ruling out re-nationalising the Big Six energy firms - something he appeared to support when running for the party's top job.

Ms Rayner - who has been accused of blatant leadership manouevring - launched the extraordinary attack on Conservatives during an event for activists at the Labour conference in Brighton last night.

But despite a furious reaction, Ms Rayner this morning insisted she was right to highlight 'pretty scummy' comments by Boris Johnson and others.

Unusually going head-to-head with Sir Keir on TV, she told Sky News' Trevor Phillips programme she had been speaking at a 'post-watershed' fringe meeting with members to 'fire them up'.

Pressed on whether she regarded 14,000 Tory voters in her own Ashton-under-Lyne constituency as racist and homophobic, Ms Rayner said her remarks were about the PM.

Amid the fury over her statement, Ms Rayner was pictured smoking outside The Brighton Centre, where the Labour conference is being held

The Ashton-under-Lyne MP said her attack was made in the 'street language' of her northern working class roots

'I am not saying anyone who voted for the Conservatives are racist or scummy,' she added.

She made clear she would only apologise if the PM said sorry for his previous 'racist' comments.

'I'm not saying anyone voting for the Conservatives are racist scum,' she said. 'I'm saying the PM has said those things and acted in those way.'

Ms Rayner said: 'Anyone who leaves children hungry during a pandemic and can give billions of pounds to their mates on WhatsApp, I think that was pretty scummy.'

Sir Keir looked uncomfortable as he was read Ms Rayner's remarks on the Marr show this morning. 'Angela and I take different approaches,' he said. 'That is not language I would use.'

He said he would 'talk to Angela about it later', although he stressed that whether to apologise was a 'matter for her'.

A clearly infuriated Sir Keir Starmer insisted 'that is not language that I would use' as he was grilled about the incendiary comments by deputy Angela Rayner to activists

Starmer defends taxing private schools 1.7billion to raise cash for state sector Sir Keir Starmer has defended plans to force private schools to start paying tax in order to raise 1.7billion for state schools if Labour wins the next election. The Labour leader is pledging to end charitable status for schools. The VAT exemption is currently worth 1.6billion and they will also have to pay 104million in business rates. 'This is a political choice to take that money and switch it to our state schools so that children and young people in our state schools have the best chance they can have to come out of schools ready for life, ready for work,' he told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show. Advertisement

Addressing a raucous meeting of North West activists last night, Ms Rayner said: 'I'm sick of shouting from the sidelines, and i bet youse lot are too.

'We cannot get any worse than a bunch of scum, homophobic, racist, mysoginistic, absolute pile of banana republicEtonianpiece of scumand I held back a littlethat I have ever seen in my life'.

On Sky News, Ms Rayner said that 'scum' is a 'phrase that you would hear very often in northern working class towns'.

'We'd even say it jovially to other people. And that to me is my street language... '

She went on: 'If the prime minister wants to apologise, and remove himself from those comments that he's made that are homophobic that racist, that are misogynistic, then I will apologise for calling him scummy.'

A grim-faced Sir Keir stared into the distance and kept walking as reporters caught up with him outside the Brighton Centre conference venue.

He kept up a determined silence for several minutes as they demanded to know whether he thought the Cabinet were 'scum' and if he would tell Ms Rayner to apologise.

Appearing on Sky News after Ms Rayner, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said she should offer a proper apology.

'It is absolutely appalling,' he said. 'There is no place in public life for that sort of language, that sort of behaviour.'

He added: 'It would be befitting if she just apologised rather than talking around the subject.'

Shadow foreign secretary Lisa Nandy also suggested that Ms Rayner should think again saying her comments were 'not my preferred choice of words'.

'I'm not very interested in insulting the Tories. I just want to get rid of them,' she told Times Radio.

'She apologised in the chamber when she used language like that before. It's completely up to her.'

However, former shadow chancellor John McDonnell - who once joked about activists wanting to lynch former minister Esther McVey - defended Ms Rayner saying she was passionate and 'we've all been there, late at night'.

In an interview in the Sunday Times, Ms Reeves seemed to give a strong commitment on income tax.

'I don't have any plans to increase the rates of income tax,' she said, adding: 'I do think that people who get their income through wealth should have to pay more.'

She also said Labour wants to target 'people who get their incomes through stocks and shares and buy-to-let properties', as well as stopping people paying capital gains tax at 28 per cent rather than at the same rate as income tax.

But challenged on the income tax commitment, Sir Keir told the Marr show: 'We're looking at tax. Nothing is off the table.'

He said: 'We don't know what the state of the national finances will be as we go into the election.'

Bring in 100,000 foreign lorry drivers to fix supply chains crisis, says Keir Starmer Sir Keir Starmer today called for 100,000 foreign lorry drivers to be granted visas to come to the UK as he blasted the Government's handling of the fuel crisis. Ministers have announced a temporary visa scheme that will see 5,000 HGV drivers allowed to take up employment in the UK until Christmas Eve. But Sir Keir said 'we are going to have to bring in more drivers and more visas' amid reports that the shortfall of drivers is north of 90,000. The Labour leader said that 'for a long time we have known there is a problem' and it was 'predicted' the situation would get worse after Brexit. He said the Government was guilty of a 'complete lack of planning' as he suggested he would also grant permission for EU workers to come to the UK to take jobs in other industries struggling with recruitment like hospitality and food processing. Advertisement

Told that Ms Reeves had struck a different tone, the leader said: 'What Rachel Reeves said is she's not currently considering income tax and that is fine, but what I'm saying is as we go into the election we will apply the principles we have set out to the situation as it arises.

'What we don't want to do  whether it's income tax or any other sort of tax, national insurance  is unfairly to hit working families, which is what this Government is doing.'

Labour sources insisted both politicians were trying to say they did not have plans in place yet.

Sir Keir claimed that he is 'happy' with the party rule reforms, set to be signed off by conference later today.

He had wanted to axe the one member one vote system and return to the previous electoral college, with members, MPs and unions each getting a third of the say on new leaders.

That proposal has now been abandoned, but Sir Keir is expected to secure a consolation prize with the proportion of MPs needed to nominate a leadership candidate set to rise from 10 per cent to 20 per cent.

The tweak could reduce the chances of a 'Corbyn Mark 2' by preventing left-wingers from getting on to the ballot.

Sir Keir insisted said pushing the watered down reforms through represented 'strong leadership'.

Rejecting suggestions he needed to be more of a 'showman' like Mr Johnson, he told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show: 'It's priced in, apparently, that he's dishonest  priced in. Just stop there and ask ourselves: do we want our politics and our political leaders and our Prime Minister to be of a characteristic where they're untrustworthy and where it's priced in that they are dishonest?

'I'm different, I'm afraid. I believe in integrity, I believe in truth.'

Angela Rayner today flatly refused to apologise for branding Tory ministers 'racist, homophobic, scum' - saying she was just using 'street language'

Sir Keir is assailed by anti-Brexit and electoral reform campaigners at Labour conference today

Sir Keir was shown one of his 10 campaign pledges stating that 'public services should be in public hands' and that he would 'support common ownership of rail, mail, energy and water'. But pressed on whether that meant nationalisation, he replied: 'No.'

Left-wingers including Diane Abbott attacked Sir Keir over the nationalisation comments

Ms Rayner said she would only apologise if Boris Johnson said sorry for his comments

Sir Keir said: 'I've just taken a tough decision in relation to rule changes, because I didn't want to delay. And a tough, strong leader takes tough decisions when they arise and doesn't dither and put them to one side.

'I'm about to make my speech on Wednesday and that is an opportunity for me to set out where I think this country needs to go next, and what the alternative is to this Government which is in chaos, and we're going to see that over the course of the next month.'

Sir Keir defended his plans - inherited from the Corbyn era - to remove charitable status from private schools, leaving them liable to VAT.

'This is a political choice to take that money and switch it to our state schools so that children and young people in our state schools have the best chance they can have to come out of schools ready for life, ready for work,' he said.

Sir Keir was shown one of his 10 campaign pledges stating that 'public services should be in public hands' and that he would 'support common ownership of rail, mail, energy and water'.

But pressed on whether that meant nationalisation, he replied: 'No.'

'I don't see nationalisation there,' Sir Keir went on. 'When it comes to common ownership I'm pragmatic about this. I do not agree with the argument that says we must be ideological.'

But he did not say what form common ownership would take if it was not nationalisation, and neither did did aides.

'I'd be pragmatic about it, and where common ownership is value for money for the taxpayer and delivers better services, then there should be common ownership,' Sir Keir added, giving the example of track and trace.

Left-wingers immediately started circulating footage on social media this morning of Sir Keir raising his hand alongside other leadership candidates last year when asked if they backed nationalisation of energy.

Amid Tory fury at Ms Rayner last night, minister Amanda Milling said: 'Shocking. Angela Rayner must apologise for these comments.

'Don't forget Rayner was Corbyn's henchman when Labour became embroiled in antisemitism.

'She failed to act. Rather than throwing around false accusations the Conservatives are focused on the people's priorities.'

Fellow Foreign Office minister James Cleverly accused Ms Rayner of 'talking crap'.

He said: 'I'm sure this went down well in the room but when voters look at the party that has had both female PMs, with half of the great offices of state filled by women, half by BAME, most diverse government, more gay ministers than Labour ever had etc, they'll know she's talking crap.'

It isn't the first time the outspoken MP has caused controversy by calling the Tories scum.

Last October, Tory backbencher Chris Clarkson demanded an apology from Angela Rayner in a public letter after he suggested that the Labour frontbench was viewing the pandemic as a 'good crisis' to be exploited.

However, the hard-Left Corbynite then heckled Mr Clarkson, who asked: 'Excuse me, did the honourable lady just call me scum?'

The exchange prompted an intervention from a furious Commons Deputy Speaker Dame Eleanor Laing who said she would not accept such comments in the chamber 'under any circumstances'.

Former Labour MP Michael Dugher was among those decrying Ms Rayner's comments today

Appearing on the same show afterwards, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said Ms Rayner should offer a full apology
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The Kremlin has issued new photos of 'macho' Vladimir Putin fishing and hunting in the wilds of Siberia during a camping trip with his loyal defence minister.

The Russian leader, 69 next month, is currently self-isolating due to a Covid-19 outbreak in his entourage and the photos were taken during the trip to the taiga earlier this month.

It has led to suggestions that the strongman, who is facing health rumours, could be lining up minister Sergey Shoigu as his successor.

Unusually, the images were only released around two-and-a-half weeks after they were filmed, amid suggestions of a ploy to counter the doubts about his health, with analysts claiming he needs to undergo surgery over a longstanding issue hidden from the Russian public.

The Kremlin has issued new photos of 'macho' Vladimir Putin on the trail of a brown bear and fishing in the wilds of Siberia

Putin is seen driving an off-road vehicle, steering a boat on a Siberian river, fishing pike, and walking through mountains

The 'action man' videos and photos were only released around two-and-a-half weeks after they were filmed

Footage shows Shoigu pointing out a bear's den - where a beast had been 'sleeping' - and they also went on the trail of ibex in the Sayano-Shushensky Nature Reserve in Khakassia.

Putin is seen driving an off-road vehicle, steering a boat on a Siberian river, fishing pike, and walking through mountains.

The Kremlin leader also admitted he was nearly knocked over as he drove past a red maral deer.

'Huge marals - I haven't seen anything like that,' he was reported as saying.

'Good thing they didn't hit us - they nearly did. And at such a high speed. Jumping.

Putin - currently 'self-isolating' due to a Covid-19 'outbreak' in his entourage - is seen with his loyal defence minister Sergei Shoigu

He took a 72-hour camping trip in the taiga, believed to be the Sayano-Shushensky Nature Reserve in Khakassi

The vacation in Siberia was over by 8 September - but the first footage only appeared today in Moscow

'As for the Olympics, nobody was as good as them.'

Russian viewers were also shown the inside of Putin's tent with a simple camping bed.

Shoigu teased the Russian leader over a mock fireplace - but Putin said 'you shouldn't laugh' because the infrared heater, while not a proper hearth, still warmed his tent.

He was also pictured sitting beside a proper campfire - as he is accused of limiting gas supplies to Europe this winter, risking a new Cold War for people in their homes.

Putin was also shown footage of snow leopard cubs and also a gruesome kill by a brown bear snatching an ibex kid.

'It's tough footage, but it is nature', said reserve director Gennady Kiselev.

It follows a parliamentary election hailed as free and fair by the Kremlin, but Communists took to the streets this weekend to claim vast vote-rigging

The Kremlin leader admitted he was nearly knocked over as he drove past a red maral deer

The vacation in Siberia was over by 8 September - but the first footage only appeared today in Moscow.

It follows a parliamentary election hailed as free and fair by the Kremlin, but Communists took to the streets this weekend to claim vast vote-rigging.

Independent election analyst Sergei Shpilkin alleged fraud led to 14 million votes being added to the pro-Putin United Russia vote.

The footage and pictures is also released as Putin is reportedly self-isolating due to a mass outbreak of Covid-19 in his entourage.

But doubts have been expressed about the virus penetrating huge security that was known to be in place around Putin.

One Putin health-watcher, political analyst Valery Solovei, claimed last week on Echo Moscow radio that Putin 'needs to undergo surgery'.

The footage and pictures is also released as Putin is reportedly self-isolating due to a mass outbreak of Covid-19 in his entourage

'Either he has already had it done, or he will tonight,' he said.

Yet Putin was seen on TV talking by videoconference to parliamentary party leaders on Saturday.

Solovei and a Telegram channel linked to him and an unnamed disaffected former Lt-General with reported connections in the Kremlin elite have previously alleged that Putin has a major health problem that has been hidden from Russians.

Sociologist Olga Kryshtanovskaya, an observer of ruling circles in Russia claimed that a transition of power is gradually underway although the identity of Putin's successor was not known.

'The plan of the transition is, of course, kept secret,' she was quoted as saying, but there have been other rumours that Putin is identifying his favoured people for the succession.

One Putin health-watcher, political analyst Valery Solovei, claimed last week on Echo Moscow radio that Putin 'needs to undergo surgery'

One is certainly seen as Shoigu, 66, a frequent vacation buddy and the man who led a huge massing of Russian forces on the border of Ukraine earlier this year, is seen on the videos being comfortable in Putin's presence.

Another possible successor, former Putin bodyguard Yevgeny Zinichev, 55, the Kremlin's emergencies minister, was killed in a mysterious incident in the Arctic earlier this month when he 'fell off a cliff seeking to rescue a man'.

The Kremlin has repeatedly and strongly denied as 'complete nonsense' claims from the channel SVR General that Putin is suffering from either early stage Parkinson's Disease or abdominal cancer.

The channel claimed that Putin is undergoing treatment this month and that the Covid-19 breakout report is likely a smokescreen.
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Grant Shapps today claimed the fuel crisis has been 'manufactured' as he accused haulage firms of sparking panic buying after they warned of HGV driver shortages.

The Transport Secretary said 'there is plenty of fuel' to go around as he urged motorists to be 'sensible' and to 'fill up when you normally would'.

He said the rush to forecourts which has seen lengthy queues at stations across the country 'will come to an end' because soon 'everyone's cars will be more or less filled up'.

Mr Shapps said the chaos is a 'manufactured situation' in comments likely to spark fury among retailers and transport bosses.

It came as experts warned panic buying 'is going to get worse before it gets better' as the nation faces a 'catastrophic situation'.

Grant Shapps today claimed the fuel crisis has been 'manufactured' as he accused haulage firms of sparking panic buying after they warned of HGV driver shortages

The Transport Secretary said 'there is plenty of fuel' to go around as he urged motorists to be 'sensible' and to 'fill up when you normally would'

Experts warned panic buying 'is going to get worse before it gets better' as the nation faces a 'catastrophic situation'

Keir Starmer calls for 100,000 foreign lorry drivers to be given the green light to come to the UK to solve HGV shortage after the Government unveils plans to grant 5,000 temporary visas Sir Keir Starmer today called for 100,000 foreign lorry drivers to be granted visas to come to the UK as he blasted the Government's handling of the fuel crisis. Ministers have announced a temporary visa scheme that will see 5,000 HGV drivers allowed to take up employment in the UK until Christmas Eve. But Sir Keir said 'we are going to have to bring in more drivers and more visas' amid reports that the shortfall of drivers is north of 90,000. The Labour leader said that 'for a long time we have known there is a problem' and it was 'predicted' the situation would get worse after Brexit.

He said the Government was guilty of a 'complete lack of planning' as he suggested he would also grant permission for EU workers to come to the UK to take jobs in other industries struggling with recruitment like hospitality and food processing. The shortage of HGV drivers has hit the nation's fuel network while retailers have warned the Government that it has just 10 days to save Christmas from 'significant disruption' amid pressure on the food supply chain. Ministers want firms to hire and train British workers to fill HGV vacancies, with the 5,000 visas viewed as a short term fix. But Sir Keir said the Government must go much further to avoid prolonged chaos this winter. He said: 'On the HGV situation, we are going to have to bring in more drivers and more visas. 'I am astonished that the Government, knowing the situation is not acting today. 'The Prime Minister needs to say today what he is going to do. There are 100,000 vacancies for drivers.' Sir Keir continued: 'For a long time we have known there is a problem with HGV drivers, that has been there for years. 'But we knew in particular that when we exited the EU there would be a need for a back up plan to deal with the situation and there is no plan from the Government on this, and here we are, 100,000 needed and the Government is talking about 5,000 visas.' Asked directly if he would bring in 100,000 foreign drivers if he was prime minister, Sir Keir said: 'We are going to have to do that. We have to issue enough visas to cover the number of drivers that we need.' He added: 'If there is 100,000 vacancies for drivers in this country and the Government is saying we are going to bring in 5,000 visas, there is an obvious problem. '100,000 is, I think Norwich is 140,000. It is the size of a small city and the Government's response is far, far too small. 'Now, that is not an ideal response, it is a short term response. In the long term we need conditions to be improved, we need training, of course we do. 'But the Government has known that for years and we have got a situation now where we have got an absolute crisis in this country through a lack of planning on behalf of the Government.' Advertisement

There is an estimated shortfall of 90,000 HGV drivers in the UK freight sector.

The Government has announced plans to offer 5,000 three-month visas to foreign lorry drivers in a short term bid to ease pressure on supply chains.

The announcement came after scenes of lengthy queues at petrol stations as the shortage of fuel tanker drivers forced some retailers to shut their pumps and ration sales.

The British Retail Consortium and the British Chambers of Commerce criticised the scope of the measures set out by the Government which were seen by some as a step back from Boris Johnson's stated ambition to create a high-wage, high-skilled post-Brexit economy.

Mr Shapps today insisted there is 'plenty' of petrol as he urged motorists to refrain from panic buying.

He told Sky News there had been some 'pretty irresponsible briefing' by one of the road haulage associations 'which has helped spark a crisis'.

He said: 'I do not believe that the long term solution to Britain's shortages of HGV drivers is to say the only choice we have is to import the European drivers, under cut British salaries and not skill up people to do the job here in the United Kingdom so that is absolutely right.

'I also recognise and am completely pragmatic about this, that we need to ensure that people are reassured now that this rather sort of manufactured situation has been created because as I say there is enough petrol in the country, it is if everyone goes and buys it on the same day...'

Presenter Trevor Phillips interrupted and said: 'Hang on. When you say this was a manufactured situation, manufactured by whom? How?'

Mr Shapps replied: 'Well, as I say, there was a meeting that took place about 10 days ago, a private meeting in which one of the haulage associations decided to leak the details to the media and that has created, as we have seen, quite a large degree of concern, people naturally react to those things.

'The good news is, as I say, there is plenty of fuel. The bad news is if everyone carries on buying it when they don't need it then you would continue to have queues.

'Sooner or later everyone's cars will be more or less filled up and there won't be anywhere else to put fuel - it is not like the toilet roll crisis at the beginning of the pandemic where people could stockpile it. It is very difficult to do that with fuel and so it will come to an end.

'But we just appeal to people to be sensible, fill up when you normally would.'

Retail bosses fear the panic buying will continue as motorists rush to the pumps.

Brian Madderson, chairman of the Petrol Retailers Association, told Sky News that the 'situation is going to get worse before it gets better' as he described the panic buying as a 'catastrophic situation'.

It came amid reports that one of the UK's main oil refineries is on the brink of collapse.

The Times reported that the Stanlow oil refinery in Ellesmere Port, responsible for about one sixth of the UK's road fuel, is in talks with the Government.

The Government's new plans will see 5,000 temporary visas made available for foreign HGV drivers and 5,500 for poultry workers.

Retailers have previously warned the Government that it had just 10 days to save Christmas from 'significant disruption' due to the shortfall of HGV drivers.

British Chambers of Commerce president Baroness McGregor-Smith said consumers and businesses faced 'another less than happy Christmas' due to the visa offer being 'insufficient'.

The Conservative peer said: 'Even if these short-term opportunities attract the maximum amount of people allowed under the scheme, it will not be enough to address the scale of the problem that has now developed in our supply chains. This announcement is the equivalent of throwing a thimble of water on a bonfire.'

Mr Shapps said the rush to forecourts which has seen lengthy queues at stations across the country 'will come to an end' because soon 'everyone's cars will be more or less filled up'.

5,000 HGV drivers and 5,500 poultry workers will be given extraordinary three-month visas allowing them to work in the UK until Christmas Eve

Andrew Opie, a director at the British Retail Consortium, said the limit of 5,000 HGV visas would do 'little to alleviate the current shortfall' and called for visas to be extended to 'all sectors of the retail industry'.

He added: 'Supermarkets alone have estimated they need at least 15,000 HGV drivers for their businesses to be able to operate at full capacity ahead of Christmas and avoid disruption or availability issues.'

The relaxation of immigration rules was welcomed by other industry groups, however, with Food and Drink Federation chief Ian Wright calling the measures 'pragmatic', while Logistics UK said it showed Government had listened to hauliers' concerns.

Richard Walker, managing director at Iceland supermarket, called the announcement 'critical' and pushed for shop staff and other key workers to be fast-tracked past petrol pump queues.

The supermarket boss said: 'Until this eases, key workers including food retail workers need to be prioritised at the pumps so that we can keep hospitals operating and food shops open, and the nation safe and fed.'

As well as the visa changes, the Department for Transport (DfT) said it planned to train 4,000 more lorry drivers through both a 10million investment in skills camps and established adult education budgets, with some of those studying for HGV licences eligible to have their courses paid for by the state.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) will be stepping in to provide examiners for lorry driving tests as ministers look to steadily increase the size of the workforce.

Officials said the loan of MoD examiners to work alongside Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) employees would help put on 'thousands of extra tests' over the next 12 weeks.

The coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated a global shortage of lorry drivers, although there have been long-term issues in the UK with vacancy numbers amid an ageing workforce, low wages and poor truck stop conditions.

A Shell garage employee holds a sign on the side of the road informing traffic that they do not have unleaded petrol

In a drive to encourage people to return to the industry, nearly one million letters will be landing on the doormats of people with HGV licences in the coming days enticing them to give the job another go.

The letter will set out the steps the haulage sector is taking to improve industry conditions, including increased wages, flexible working and fixed hours, according to the DfT.

Officials said the Government was focused on raising pay and improving working conditions and diversity of the workforce, rather than relying on cheap foreign workers to fill vacancies in the long run.

The DfT said it recognised that importing foreign labour 'will not be the long term solution' to the problem and that it wanted to see investment poured into establishing a robust domestic workforce.
A leading medical journal has come under fire for describing women as 'bodies with vaginas' on the front page of its latest edition.

The Lancet was accused of sexism and dehumanising women after it editors used the term, which was written in an article titled 'Periods on Display', on the journal's front cover in an attempt to be inclusive to trans people.

The article, which was published on September 1, examines an exhibition exploring the taboos and history of periods at the Vagina Museum in London and sees the writer use the word 'women' but also use the term 'bodies with vaginas'.

The quote, which was then used on the journal's front page, read: 'Historically, the anatomy and physiology of bodies with vaginas have been neglected.'

However the move to display the quote on the journal's front cover has been met with criticism, with some academics calling it 'insulting and abusive' and a 'misguided pursuit of woke points'.

Meanwhile others said they had cancelled their subscriptions with the peer-reviewed medical journal - which was founded in 1823.

It comes just months after critics lambasted Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust after it told staff to use terms like 'birthing parents' and 'human milk' rather than referring to 'mothers' and 'breast milk'.

The Lancet used the term, which was written in an article titled 'Periods on Display', on the front cover of its latest edition

Dr Madeleine Ni Dhalaigh, who works as a GP, wrote on Twitter: 'Naming women as 'bodies with vaginas' is a new low, all in the misguided pursuit of woke points.

'You can be inclusive without being insulting and abusive. How dare you dehumanise us with a statement like this?'

While Prof David Curtis, honorary professor of genetics at University College London, said: 'Just wrote the Lancet to tell them to take me off their list of statistical reviewers and cancel my subscription and never contact me about anything ever again

'Absolutely inexcusable language to refer to women and girls.'

Elsewhere feminist Claire Heuchan wrote: 'This framing makes it sound like a coincidence that 'bodies with vaginas' have been neglected by medicine, as if it were not the product of a discrimination and oppression specific to the female sex.

'Medical misogyny... exists - and refusing to acknowledge women perpetuates it.

'Until [the Lancet starts] writing about 'bodies with penises', dehumanising and neglecting research specific to men, I'm going to call this erasure out for what it is: sexism.'

Earlier this year critics lambasted Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust after it told staff to use terms like 'birthing parents' and 'human milk' rather than referring to 'mothers' and 'breast milk'.

The hospital unveiled a blizzard of 'gender inclusive' phrases in a drive to stamp out 'mainstream transphobia'.

Other changes included replacing the use of the word 'woman' with the phrase 'woman or person', and the term 'father' with 'parent', 'co-parent' or 'second biological parent', depending on the circumstances.

Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals Trust was the first in the country to formally implement such a radical overhaul for its maternity services department - which will now be known as 'perinatal services'.

Medical experts and activists accused The Lancet of sexism and dehumanising women after editors used the term

Earlier this year critics lambasted Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust after it told staff to use terms like 'birthing parents' and 'human milk'

Last year law firm Clifford Chance said it was removing all mention of 'she' and 'he' from its legal documents.(Stock image)

But author and film writer Dougie Brimson and editor of the Jewish Chronicle, Stephen Pollard, was among critics to hit out at the new terminology.

Mr Brimson tweeted: ''Chestfeeding' and 'human milk'.... Someone within this trust is no doubt being paid a fortune to come up with this kind of utter nonsense.

'Think about that the next time you're whining about the #NHS being underfunded.'

Last year Tedx London, a volunteer-led organisation that holds regular events with TED-style talks, was left facing fierce criticism after replacing the word woman with 'womxn'.

The organisation used the term on social media posts announcing its forthcoming programme of autumn events, and later said the word had been used because it's 'more inclusive and progressive'.

However, the decision sparked a swathe of negative comments, with critics saying not using the term woman was 'misogynistic'.

The phrase is thought to have been originally devised by radical feminists who wanted a term for women that wasn't defined by the word men. In more recent years, it's been used as a term that includes women who aren't cis-gender.

In the same year law firm Clifford Chance said it was removing all mention of 'she' and 'he' from its legal documents in favour of 'they'.

MailOnline has contacted The Lancet for comment.
Two suspected Covid-deniers have been charged for allegedly attacking families picnicking in a Melbourne park by ripping off their face masks, coughing on them, and setting a dog on the terrified mums.

Two women, aged 43 and 51, were allegedly assaulted during a picnic with their two 12-year-old daughters at Slater Reserve in Blackburn North on Thursday.

A woman, 35, and man, 44, both from Box Hill North, have each been charged with one count of affray over the alleged attack.

The woman was charged with two counts of unlawful assault and the man with two counts of wilfully urging a dog to attack.

They have both been bailed to appear at Ringwood Magistrates Court on March 25 next year.

A woman and a man have been charged after allegedly attacking two mothers and their children at Slater Reserve in Blackburn North (pictured) on Thursday

Mother Jacquelyn (pictured) was picnicking with a friend and their daughters when they were allegedly attacked

Mother Jacquelyn, one of the alleged victims, became emotional speaking to reporters about the alleged incident.

'They were verbally abusing us, they also pushed me and kicked me,' she said on Friday.

'They were trying to rip our masks off and telling us were afraid of a cold, and trying to cough on us.

'I was trying to help [my friend] and he was trying to set his dog on me every time I tried to help her.'

The 35-year-old woman allegedly put Jacquelyn into a headlock and dragged her to the ground, while the 44-year-old man is accused of setting a dog on the women and two good Samaritans who rushed to their aid.

'Two males who came to their aid were also injured after being bitten on the hand by a dog,' Victoria Police said in a statement.

The two girls were not injured during the incident.

The dog involved in the incident was taken by the local council ranger, Victoria Police said.
Prince Andrew's accuser Virginia Giuffre has agreed to hand over a secret document which could defeat her lawsuit.

Ms Giuffre's lawyers will hand the duke a copy of a 'release' signed in 2009 after her settlement with sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.

The Prince is being sued in New York by Ms Giuffre, now 38, who alleges he sexually abused her on three separate occasions when she was 17  in London, New York and on serial US paedophile Jeffrey Epstein's island in the Caribbean. Andrew, 61, has consistently and fiercely denied the claims.

The Duke of York's attorney's will try to use the clause to exempt him from any fault in her claims against him, the Sun on Sunday reported.

Ms Giuffre's lawyers said the agreement was 'irrelevant' because it only offers protection to lawyers, employees, agents and heirs.

Her lead lawyer, David Boies, said he was happy to hand the document over to Andrew's team in a legal document filed in New York this week.

Virginia Giuffre's lawyers will hand the Duke of York a copy of a 'release' signed in 2009 after her settlement with sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. Pictured, Ms Giuffre and the Prince in 2001

The Prince (pictured in Windsor in April) is being sued in New York by Ms Giuffre, now 38, who alleges he sexually abused her on three separate occasions when she was 17

Mr Boies said: 'Although we believe that the release is irrelevant to the case against Prince Andrew, now that service has been accepted and the case is proceeding to a determination on the merits, we believe that counsel for Prince Andrew have a right to review the release and to make whatever arguments they believe appropriate based on it.'

It comes as Prince Andrew has dramatically changed his legal strategy to fight sex abuse claims, with an ally last night saying: 'Now it's time to turn and fight back to clear his name.'

US lawyers tried to serve legal documents on Andrew at his home at Royal Lodge in Windsor, through the British courts and by sending them through the post

After a surreal legal 'cat and mouse' game, Andrew's lawyers finally acknowledged on Friday that the Prince had been served with legal papers. He now has until October 29 to respond.

A source with knowledge of the proceedings told The Mail on Sunday: 'The decision to bring in high-profile [US lawyer] Andrew Brettler to fight the civil case marks a significant turning point in approach, and the US team will be looking to robustly engage and challenge the claims from Mrs Giuffre in a bid to provide the Duke with a platform to finally clear his name.

'They will be looking to examine and dismantle the claims one by one.'

The news came as respected biographer Nigel Cawthorne, author of Prince Andrew: Epstein, Maxwell And The Palace, called on Andrew to relinquish his HRH title while the case continues.

The Prince is being sued in New York by Virginia Giuffre, now 38

'Andrew is supposed to be an officer and a gentleman, so he should do the decent thing and give up his HRH title,' said Mr Cawthorne. 'Harry and Meghan had to stop using their HRH status and they haven't been accused of anything. But in keeping his titles and his military roles, the Queen has been tainted by the accusations.'

US lawyers tried to serve legal documents on Andrew at his home at Royal Lodge in Windsor, through the British courts and by sending them through the post.

A corporate investigator sent to the gates of Royal Lodge said that security staff there had been 'primed' not to accept the court papers. Ms Giuffre is seeking unspecified damages.
Britain's second biggest oil refinery is in crisis talks with tax officials amid fears it could be on the brink of collapse.

Bosses behind Stanlow Oil Refinery, in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, are in urgent talks with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) over a 223million VAT payment.

The refinery, which has been under financial strain during the Covid pandemic, needs to start repaying the bill this week unless it can agree a new deal, according to the Sunday Times.

Owned by the billionaire Ruia brothers, Shashi and Ravi, through their company Essar Oil UK, the refinery supplies about a sixth of Britain's road fuel. It is also supplies jet fuel for Manchester and Birmingham airports.

Around 900 people are employed directly at the refinery and around 800 contractors also work on site.

It also comes as Britain faces a fuel crisis, with the petrol stations having to shut and panic buying erupting after petrol chiefs announced they would have to close pumps as a knock on from the UKs lorry driver shortage.

Bosses behind Stanlow Oil refinery (pictured), in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, are in urgent talks with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) over a 223million VAT bill

Owned by the billionaire Ruia brothers, Shashi (pictured left) and Ravi (pictured right), through their company Essar Oil UK, the refinery supplies about a sixth of Britain's road fuel. It is also supplies jet fuel for Manchester and Birmingham airports.

The refinery's VAT bill built up during the pandemic under the Government's Covid VAT deferral scheme.

The scheme, launched in March last year, allowed firms to defer VAT payments to help businesses stay afloat during the first Covid lockdown.

But businesses were ordered to either pay back the money by March 2021, join an interest free instalment scheme stretching to June, or make arrangements with HMRC to push back the payments.

Essar Oil UK is said to have taken advantage of the scheme, to the tune of 356million.

It entered into a time-to-pay (TTP) arrangement with HMRC for a total of 770million in April 2021.

Forecourt fury turns violent as drivers queuing to fill up exchange blows, while elsewhere motorists fill jerry cans and BP, Esso, Shell and Texaco limit drivers to 30 each Furious motorists were seen fighting as the nationwide rush for fuel continued yesterday, amid calls for calm from the Government because less than 100 petrol stations are empty. Shocking footage showed panic buyers punching and kicking at each other during a violent brawl at an Esso petrol forecourt in Sidlesham, Chichester, as roads were left gridlocked and police had to be called in to marshal drivers. Two men were seen grappling before throwing punches at one another, while another enraged motorist launched a flying kick at another man as the scramble for fuel turned violent in the sleepy West Sussex village. Thousands of desperate drivers ignored Government pleas for calm as they jammed roads - with fears mounting over the impact of lasting fuel shortages on the economy. Photographs yesterday online showing drivers stocking up on fuel. Just one per cent of Britain's petrol stations are empty, according to fuel bosses. Some had multiple jerry cans in the boot of their cars and spent time filling each up while others queued for hours to reach the pump. Meanwhile, around 400 stations owned by the EG Group are limiting customers to 30 worth of petrol to give everyone a 'fair chance to refuel'. Meanwhile, Boris Johnson revealed a visa U-turn for 5,000 foreign truck drivers to try to stem the shortage. There are currently about 8,350 filling stations in the UK and less than 100 of them have been forced to close due to shortages. However, the Petrol Retailer's Association has warned the situation could get worse before it improves. BP said around 20 of its 1,200 petrol forecourts were closed due to a lack of available fuel, with between 50 and 100 sites affected by the loss of at least one grade of fuel. A 'small number' of Tesco refilling stations have also been impacted, said Esso owner ExxonMobil, which runs the sites. President of the AA Edmund King reiterated on Saturday there there 'is plenty of fuel at the source' and no need to stock up. Advertisement

The company says it has paid back 547million leaving a balance of 223 million - which must be paid by January next year.

Payments are due to begin this week. They are due to coincide with an end to the Government's suspension on winding-up petitions.

However the company says the economic recovery has been 'slower than predicted' and it will therefore not make the payment and that it was in talks to 'modify that schedule'.

'Therefore EOUK in discussions with HMRC over a short extension to make those deferred VAT payments,' a spokesman told MailOnline.

'Those discussions are positive and EOUK looks forward to a resolution soon,' the spokesman added.

In a statement, EOUK said: 'EOUK has made positive changes to its internal governance in recent months, having adjusted its board, constituted an Advisory Council, appointed a new independent director and has adopted the Wates principles.

'It continues to work with leading advisers, including E&Y. Since the refinery was acquired by Essar, Essar has invested more than $1 billion in the refinery and is committed to developing initiatives that support its vision for a low-carbon future.'

'EOUK remains confident in its future, not least as the air travel market continues to open up and demand recovers.'

However, sources have reportedly told the Times that unless that refinery can find more cash that it will likely go into insolvency and be taken on by the Official Receiver to keep the refinery running.

A Government bailout already been ruled out, according to the Sunday Times. Ernst & Young Global Limited (EY) has also been brought in to advise the firm on what to do next, the paper adds.

HMRC and EY have also been contacted for comment, but have not sent a response in time for publication.

It comes amid panic petrol panic following BP's decision to shut some of its stations due to supply chain issues impacting on getting fuel to pumps.

Meanwhile, more than 10,000 temporary foreign visas will be fast-tracked by the Government as ministers rush to solve the supply chain crisis that's threatening Christmas.

5,000 HGV drivers and 5,500 poultry workers will be given extraordinary three-month visas allowing them to work in the UK until Christmas Eve.

The move comes amid a nationwide panic-buying spree at petrol stations and growing fear inside Downing Street that supermarket shelves could remain barren until Christmas.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said the changes, with the visas available from next month, would 'ensure preparations remain on track' for the festive season.

But the Road Haulage Association warned the announcement 'barely scratches the surface', while the British Chambers of Commerce said the measures were the equivalent of 'throwing a thimble of water on a bonfire'.

Retailers had warned the Government that it had just 10 days to save Christmas from 'significant disruption' due to a shortfall of about 90,000 drivers in the freight sector.

It comes as thousands of desperate drivers ignored Government pleas for calm as they jammed roads - with fears mounting over the impact of lasting fuel shortages on the economy.

Furious motorists were seen fighting on Saturday as the nationwide rush for fuel continued amid calls for calm from the Government because less than 100 petrol stations were empty.

Shocking footage showed panic buyers punch and kick at each other during a violent brawl at an Esso petrol forecourt in Sidlesham, Chicester, as roads were left gridlocked and police had to be called in to marshal drivers.

Two men were seen grappling before throwing punches at one another, while another enraged motorist launched a flying kick at another man as the scramble for fuel turned violent in the sleepy West Sussex village.

5,000 HGV drivers and 5,500 poultry workers will be given extraordinary three-month visas allowing them to work in the UK until Christmas Eve

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps (above) said the changes, with the visas available from next month, would 'ensure preparations remain on track' for the festive season

A major shortage of HGV drivers threatens to wreak havoc this winter, and the shortage has been exacerbated by a huge backlog in HGV tests due to Covid

The shortage of HGV drivers has long threatened to wreak havoc this winter, and it has been exacerbated by a huge backlog in HGV tests due to Covid, as well as foreign drivers returning home amid the pandemic and Brexit.

Industry groups the Food and Drink Federation and Logistics UK both welcomed the visa changes, with federation chief Ian Wright calling the measures 'pragmatic'.

But British Chamber of Commerce president Baroness McGregor-Smith said the changes were the 'equivalent of throwing a thimble of water on a bonfire', and that the 5,000 new visas may be too little, too late to halt the chaos.

Meanwhile, Marc Fels, director of the HGV Recruitment Centre, told BBC Breakfast the move was 'too little, too late'.

He said: 'Every additional driver that is coming into the sector at the moment is going to be of benefit.

'But I feel this is too little, because the numbers coming in, 5,000, is not going to make a very large dent on the 90,000-100,000 that we are perceived to be short.

'And too late because we have been understanding these problems have been coming as early as April this year, so we are moving into October and only now are the Government coming up with these solutions when this has been an issue since April.'
A 14-year-old girl attacked her grandmother with an electric guitar after hatching a plot to murder her, steal a car and drive to Scotland, then 'start a revolution', a court has heard.

The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, sneaked up on her grandmother as she was cooking dinner and repeatedly hit her on the head with her guitar in their home in Shanklin, Isle of Wight, on February 19.

The teenager begrudged living with and being home-schooled by her grandmother and became 'very isolated' as she 'lived in a virtual world' with no real life friends or social interaction.

She 'desperately wanted freedom' so devised a 'wholly naive' plot to murder her grandmother so she could drive 525 miles to meet her 13-year-old 'boyfriend' in Scotland and 'start a revolution in Europe'.

The girl even laid out her murder plans to her four online friends weeks before, asking for their help and even spoke of hiring a hitman, Swindon Crown Court heard.

The teenager was charged with attempted murder but admitted an alternative charge of causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

The 14-year-old girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was charged with attempted murder but admitted an alternative charge of causing grievous bodily harm with intent at Swindon Crown Court

She was sentenced to a 24 month youth rehab order in which she has a three month curfew at a property in the South and must carry out a 90 day activity requirement.

Prosecutor Robert Welling told the crown court: 'She felt it was the only way she could have the freedom, the freedom she so desperately wanted, because she was being stifled by living with her.'

The grandmother, in her 50s, said 'the whole thing is a nightmare'.

Sitting in the dock, the teenager said 'this is a good thing, right?' after she was given a youth rehabilitation order.

The court heard the teenager was kicked out of three mainstream schools, her father was estranged, and her mother could not care for her due to her issues.

Mr Welling said: 'What it meant was she was being home-schooled and very isolated from young people her age and this situation was exacerbated by the lockdown and the Covid-19 pandemic.

'She lived in a virtual world, she spent most of her time socialising over the internet.'

In messages to four online friends, she said she 'wanted to leave' and outlined her plans.

In one text, she said she wanted to 'kill her grandmother', that she was 'going to do it', and said she 'wanted their help'.

Mr Welling said in another message the girl told a friend 'once grandmother was out of the way she would not need permission to go and see her'.

Mr Welling said: 'One message sent in the early hours set out what she would do - she would wait until she was asleep and either use a knife or her guitars to kill her.'

He continued: 'She thought they could take her grandfather's car, collect a friend, and make their way to Scotland and start a revolution in Europe.

The teenager devised a plot to murder her grandmother so she could drive from her home in Shanklin, Isle of Wight, to meet her 13-year-old 'boyfriend' in Scotland

'It was a wholly naive and ridiculous plan, one that portrays the immaturity of that individual.'

Concerns were raised the girl was being groomed online, however there was no evidence. Her friends thought she was 'joking' about her plans.

She attacked her grandmother in the kitchen as the unsuspecting woman cooked dinner.

She had been 'annoyed' as her grandmother took her phone off her and turned the internet off.

Mr Welling said: 'She struck her on the back of the head with the heavy end of a bass guitar.

'It took [the grandmother] by surprise, she thought the ceiling had collapsed in on her head, then she saw the girl swinging at her again.

'Despite pleading with her, the girl told her it had to be done so she couldn't ring the police.

'It continued into the hallway, the girl got an electric guitar and struck her again to the upper part of her body.'

Mr Welling said the girl inflicted up to five blows in a 'persistent assault' but stopped as she suddenly became 'frightened' and retreated to another room and neighbours rushed over after hearing screams.

Mr Welling said although her injuries were painful, the grandmother suffered 'little more than bleeding and bruises'.

In her victim impact statement, she said: 'I feel in shock... The whole thing is a nightmare and I want it to be over.'

She said the teenager had a 'robotic look on her face' and a 'lack of emotion' as she attacked her.

The grandmother also said the girl had been 'failed' by mental health services and she had tried to get her help for years.

She added: 'This is a girl who believes she would be a mermaid or My Little Pony if she died... I think she is a victim here.

'I want her to be safe and secure and get the treatment she needs. I want her to know how serious what she did was.'

Judge Peter Crabtree said: 'This is quite an exceptional case.'

He was satisfied she tried to cause 'really serious harm at a grave level'.

Medical experts said the girl showed signs of ADHD and autism, but suffered neurodevelopmental issues which were hampered by a lack of social activity and an 'assertive' grandmother.

Barrister Jodie Mittell, representing the girl, said: 'This is a very sad case dealing with a young person in a desperate situation, as she perceived it to be.

'The most important part is her welfare and preventing future re-offending.'

Judge Crabtree also raised concerns about the girls' internet use.

When asked if she could live without internet, she said: 'It would be hard to try to resist, my whole life was on the computer and seeing computers now just makes me want to go on them but I think I can do it.'
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As many as nine in ten forecourts have run out of fuel with the rest set to run out quickly, experts have warned amid a weekend of chaos that saw an ambulance hit a car in a petrol queue and ministers suspending competition laws in a bid to beat back the crisis.

Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng has agreed to implement a measure to temporarily exempt the oil industry from the Competition Act 1998 for the purpose of sharing information and optimising supply.

Officials said the measure will make it easier for industry to share information so that they can prioritise the delivery of fuel to the parts of the country and strategic locations that are most in need.

The triggering of what is known as the Downstream Oil Protocol comes as the Petrol Retailers Association (PRA) warned that as many as two-thirds of its membership of nearly 5,500 independent outlets was out of fuel, with the rest of them 'partly dry and running out soon'.

More petrol stations were forced to close today amid panic buying and the knock-on impact of the HGV crisis crippling the UK's transport industry.

And footage filmed in Bromley, Greater London, showed an ambulance being driven by paramedics bumping into the back of the car as paramedics tried to manoeuvre past a queue for a Shell petrol station which had spilled onto the road.

The paramedics had to stop to exchange details with the driver of the damaged car and a different ambulance had to attend the emergency.

Police also jumped ahead of queues of traffic at a Hackney petrol station to avoid running out of fuel.

Government officials have given the green light for plans to bring in 5,000 foreign lorry drivers to deal with the shortage - with the UK said to be 100,000 HGV drivers short, according to the Road Haulage Association.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps today took aim at the group, accusing them of sparking the panic buying crisis.

But he also warned that the lorry driver shortage could go on 'for years', despite the Government doubling the number of tests that can be carried out in a bid to quickly boost driver numbers.

Brian Madderson, chairman of the PRA, said panic buying had caused 'serious problems' for stock levels, which the Government's foreign HGV driver visa plan was unlikely to fix quickly.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4's The World This Weekend, Mr Madderson said: 'I've talked to a lot of our members this morning. They serve the main roads, the rural areas, the urban roads, and anywhere in between 50% and 90% of their forecourts are currently dry, and those that aren't dry are partly dry and running out soon.

'We have seen another phenomenon which is that the oil companies, perhaps rightly, have been giving motorway service areas priority delivery, and so people are now flocking on to motorways wherever they have one nearby and buying fuel from the motorways. One of them mentioned to me that yesterday they had a 500% increase in demand compared to a week ago, which is quite extraordinary.'

Oil giant BP also said that nearly a third of their petrol stations in Britain have run out of fuel despite continued pleas for motorists to 'continue as normal'.

BP, which operates 1,200 sites in Britain, said in a statement: 'With the intense demand seen over the past two days, we estimate that around 30 per cent of sites in this network do not currently have either of the main grades of fuel.'

Mr Kwarteng said: 'We have long-standing contingency plans in place to work with industry so that fuel supplies can be maintained and deliveries can still be made in the event of a serious disruption. While there has always been and continues to be plenty of fuel at refineries and terminals, we are aware that there have been some issues with supply chains.

'This is why we will enact the Downstream Oil Protocol to ensure industry can share vital information and work together more effectively to ensure disruption is minimised. We thank HGV drivers and all forecourt staff for their tireless work during this period.'

As the developing fuel crisis unfolds, it was today revealed:

That the government plan to fast-track visas for 5,000 HGV drivers and 5,500 poultry workers;

However the move was criticised by industry experts, who said it was like 'throwing a thimble of water on a bonfire;

Meanwhile Keir Starmer called for 100,000 foreign lorry drivers to be given the green light to come to the UK to solve HGV shortage after the Government unveils plans to grant 5,000 temporary visas;

Boris Johnson, meanwhile, insisted on a pay rise for all truckers and will send a million of them morale-booster letters as he love-bombs HGV drivers to try and save Christmas;

Ministers also pointed the finger at ex-BBC man and diehard Remainer who 'leaked remarks made by a BP executive at a private Government meeting';

The BBC also came under fire for 'pretending driver crisis is all about Brexit' and ignoring the fact shortages have affected countries throughout the world;

Experts warned there will be much less choice in supermarkets as bosses prepare for months of shortages that will leave gaps on shelves;

And, in a further blow, it was revealed Britain's second biggest oil refinery Stanlow, was holding crisis talks with HMRC over a 223m VAT bill.

An ambulance with its siren blaring was held up by huge queues of traffic rushing to buy petrol amid mass panic at the pumps due to Britain's fuel crisis

It comes as police have also jumped ahead of queues of traffic at a Hackney petrol station to avoid running out of fuel

Officers said: 'We had to jump the queue, our cars are empty and we can't get to the depot in Romford to refill'

More petrol stations are being forced to close after running out of fuel as Britons continue to panic buy amid fears of a shortage

Motorists queue up for fuel at a Sainsbury's supermarket petrol station in North West London

Cars queue for a Tesco petrol station to reopen in Camberley, Surrey, after it was refueled. The Government is considering temporary measures to tackle the shortage of HGV drivers which is wreaking havoc on a number of UK industries

Drivers queue for fuel on the A14 near Bosworth services in Cambridge on Sunday as desperate motorists rushed to petrol stations

Government officials have today green lit plans to bring in 5,000 foreign lorry drivers to deal with the shortage - with the UK said to be 100,000 HGV drivers short, according to the Road Haulage Association. Pictured: Cars queue for fuel at a Sainsbury's petrol station in Camberley, Surrey

An orderly queue as staff at the BP direct motorists to a vacant fuel pump at the Boreham Interchange on the A12 near Chelmsford in Essex

With petrol in short supply across the North East, a long queue of vehicles wait to fill up at an Esso fuel station in Byker, Newcastle this afternoon

Fuel tankers have arrived in Essex after pumps ran dry yesterday with many fuel stations completely running out of fuel

Fuel tankers have arrived in Essex after pumps ran dry yesterday with many fuel stations completely running out of fuel. Large queues have formed this morning. Today one worker was seen refilling the tanks at an Esso petrol station

Motorists fill up their vehicles with fuel at a Sainsbury's supermarket petrol station in North West London

A 'no diesel' sign has been placed outside a Sainsbury's supermarket petrol station in North West London

Motorists queue up for fuel at a Sainsbury's supermarket petrol station in North West London, on September 26

Britain's second biggest oil refinery faces collapse as fuel crisis cripples nation: Stanlow plant chiefs hold crisis talks with HMRC over 223m VAT bill Britain's second biggest oil refinery is in crisis talks with tax officials amid fears it could be on the brink of collapse. Bosses behind Stanlow Oil Refinery, in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, are in urgent talks with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) over a 223million VAT payment. The refinery, which has been under financial strain during the Covid pandemic, needs to start repaying the bill this week unless it can agree a new deal, according to the Sunday Times. Owned by the billionaire Ruia brothers, Shashi and Ravi, through their company Essar Oil UK, the refinery supplies about a sixth of Britain's road fuel. It is also supplies jet fuel for Manchester and Birmingham airports. Around 900 people are employed directly at the refinery and around 800 contractors also work on site. The refinery's VAT bill built up during the pandemic under the Government's Covid VAT deferral scheme. The scheme, launched in March last year, allowed firms to defer VAT payments to help businesses stay afloat during the first Covid lockdown. But businesses were ordered to either pay back the money by March 2021, join an interest free instalment scheme stretching to June, or make arrangements with HMRC to push back the payments. Essar Oil UK is said to have taken advantage of the scheme, to the tune of 356million. It entered into a time-to-pay ('TTP') arrangement with HMRC for a total of 770million in April 2021. The company says it has paid back 547million leaving a balance of 223 million - which must be paid by January next year. Payments are due to begin this week. They are due to coincide with an end to the Government's suspension on winding-up petitions. However the company says the economic recovery has been 'slower than predicted' and it will therefore not make the payment and that it was in talks to 'modify that schedule'. 'Therefore EOUK in discussions with HMRC over a short extension to make those deferred VAT payments,' a spokesman told MailOnline. 'Those discussions are positive and EOUK looks forward to a resolution soon,' the spokesman added. Advertisement

Officers said: 'We had to jump the queue, our cars are empty and we can't get to the depot in Romford to refill.'

A fight also broke out between moped drivers at a petrol station in north London and was captured and shared online as motorists queued to fill up.

The footage, shared on twitter, showed one driver running and jump-kicking another at a BP garage in Haverstock Hill, near Camden as motorists pack out petrol stations across the country.

The two men were already seemingly being separated before the physical fight began, with one trying to use his crash helmet to attack the other.

It comes after a four-man fight broke out at an Esso garage in Chichester, West Sussex yesterday.

More petrol stations are being forced to close after running out of fuel as Britons continue to panic buy amid fears of a shortage.

One motorist said: 'I have been driving around Croydon, Bromley, Westerham, Oxted and Godstone for two hours and passed over twenty garages.

'Eighteen were completely shut and two had queues so long, you couldn't even join them.'

London Ambulance Service told MailOnline: 'We can confirm that one of our ambulances was involved in a collision with another vehicle on Bromley Hill at approximately 6.55pm on 25 September while on a blue light call to a patient.

'As a result of the incident, the ambulance was out of service for a short amount of time and a different ambulance crew attended the patient.'

It comes as Mr Shapps today claimed the fuel crisis has been 'manufactured' as he accused haulage firms of sparking panic buying after they warned of HGV driver shortages.

The Transport Secretary said 'there is plenty of fuel' to go around as he urged motorists to be 'sensible' and to 'fill up when you normally would'.

He said the rush to forecourts which has seen lengthy queues at stations across the country 'will come to an end' because soon 'everyone's cars will be more or less filled up'.

Mr Shapps said the chaos is a 'manufactured situation' in comments likely to spark fury among retailers and transport bosses.

But he said that it would take a 'considerable amount of time' to fix the issue, which he said had been going on for five years and was also a problem in EU countries such as Poland.

Speaking on Times Radio's T&G show, Mr Shapps said: 'It is certainly going to take a considerable amount of time to alleviate this long term shortage of drivers which has gone on for five years.

'If you talk to the boss of Logistics UK, he came into the job five years ago and the first problem on his desk was a shortage of drivers. It's never changed. So that's going to take time to unwind.'

Asked whether it would be months or years before the crisis was resolved, Mr Shapps said: 'It will take months to years to fully unwind. But the short term issue can actually resolve itself immediately, because we don't actually have a shortage (of fuel)...

'I can't give you an exact day and hour because it does depend on millions of people's behaviour when it comes to the petrol pumps as well.'

A motorist fills up a car at a Sainsbury's supermarket petrol station in North West London on September 26

Turkey farmers see 250% surge in orders as families scramble to save Christmas dinner Turkey farmers are reporting a surge in orders as families scramble to save Christmas dinner amid fears of a poultry shortage. There have been unprecedented numbers of orders for turkey, with most high-end farms reporting soaring demand compared to this time last year. This panic buying surge has seen some farms receive more than five times the number of orders as in 2020. Several farms are reporting 250 per cent surges compared to figures from this time last year. Meanwhile the boss of the UK's Traditional Farm Fresh Turkey Association (TFTA) today blamed Brexit for Britain's supply chain crisis. The recent closure of fertiliser factories, due to a spike in natural gas prices, has also led to disruption in food production. The closure of the plants, one of which has since reopened as part of a Government deal, has led to a decrease in food-grade carbon dioxide - used to stun animals for slaughter, as well as in packing meat, dairy and salads. Fears over a possible shortage has now led to a surge in ordering good quality turkeys to prepare for Christmas, according to the Traditional FarmFresh Turkey Association (TFTA) which represents the high-end turkey market. To cater for the increase in demand in turkeys, many farmers have had to start taking orders earlier than usual with one Cornish farm having customers push to order as early as August. Supermarket Tesco has already warned that a shortage of delivery drivers, which is causing empty shelves, could lead to panic buying across Britain in the lead up to Christmas. Advertisement

It came as experts warned panic buying 'is going to get worse before it gets better' as the nation faces a 'catastrophic situation'.

There is an estimated shortfall of 90,000 HGV drivers in the UK freight sector.

The Government has announced plans to offer 5,000 three-month visas to foreign lorry drivers in a short term bid to ease pressure on supply chains.

The announcement came after scenes of lengthy queues at petrol stations as the shortage of fuel tanker drivers forced some retailers to shut their pumps and ration sales.

The British Retail Consortium and the British Chambers of Commerce criticised the scope of the measures set out by the Government which were seen by some as a step back from Boris Johnson's stated ambition to create a high-wage, high-skilled post-Brexit economy.

It also came as turkey farmers reported a surge in orders as families scramble to save Christmas dinner amid fears of a poultry shortage.

There have been unprecedented numbers of orders for turkey, with most high-end farms reporting soaring demand compared to this time last year.

This panic buying surge has seen some farms receive more than five times the number of orders as in 2020. Several farms are reporting 250 per cent surges compared to figures from this time last year.

Meanwhile the boss of the UK's Traditional Farm Fresh Turkey Association (TFTA) today blamed Brexit for Britain's supply chain crisis.

The recent closure of fertiliser factories, due to a spike in natural gas prices, has also led to disruption in food production.

The closure of the plants, one of which has since reopened as part of a Government deal, has led to a decrease in food-grade carbon dioxide - used to stun animals for slaughter, as well as in packing meat, dairy and salads.

Fears over a possible shortage has now led to a surge in ordering good quality turkeys to prepare for Christmas, according to the Traditional FarmFresh Turkey Association (TFTA) which represents the high-end turkey market.

It comes as a chilled food firm which supplies the likes of Asda and Sainsbury's (pictured: Library image) yesterday announced it had gone into administration amid the UK's crippling lorry driver shortage

Supply issue threatens Christmas: The classic Christmas dinner could be decimated, with turkey, pigs in blankets, potatoes and brussel sprouts all at risk by ongoing supply and distributions issues, as well as a potential CO2 crisis. Meanwhile, toys, vinyl and books could also experience shortages - with experts even warning of Christmas trees not being available

Fuel campaigner's home besieged by drivers after pranksters turned it into Shell garage on GoogleMaps A fuel campaigner's home has been besieged by drivers - after pranksters turned it into a Shell garage on GoogleMaps. Howard Cox, the public face of a campaign calling for fairer fuel prices, received more than 70 calls from motorists on the hunt for fuel. The jokers registered his home address in Kent on Google and marked it up as a Shell garage - complete with picture of a forecourt and review. Mr Cox, who fronts FairFuel UK, said: 'I got home the night before last and this bloke asked if I had any petrol there. 'I was like 'what?'. It sounds funny but when you get 70 calls it makes you annoyed. 'I've done lots of media appearances recently about the petrol crisis so my name is out there and some idiot has gone out there thinking it's funny. 'It's not funny at all. You just don't do that sort of thing. 'It's probably a militant environmentalist or militant cyclist - it's those sorts of people who do this sort of thing.' FairFuel UK has long campaigned for fairer prices for UK motorists at the pump and it is not the first time Mr Cox has been targeted for his activism. He explained: 'I've had faeces through the door, wrapped up in a cycle glove, and things like that. 'I've been subject to a lot of this, and all I'm trying to do is help UK drivers get a better deal.' Mr Cox, meanwhile, does not believe government plans to offer thousands of visas to overseas lorry drivers will 'even touch the sides' and does not think think the problem will be short lived He explained: 'The scaremongering by Grant Shapps saying don't panic is obviously going to create panic. 'We know that from the toilet roll problems during Covid. 'I think it will still be pretty bad for a couple of days but in three or four days everything will be back to normal. 'Petrol and diesel are in full supply - it's just the driver shortage.' Advertisement

To cater for the increase in demand in turkeys, many farmers have had to start taking orders earlier than usual with one Cornish farm having customers push to order as early as August.

Supermarket Tesco has already warned that a shortage of delivery drivers, which is causing empty shelves, could lead to panic buying across Britain in the lead up to Christmas.

Kate Martin, a Cornish turkey farmer and chair of the Traditional FarmFresh Turkey Association (TFTA) said: 'Last year we saw record demand, particularly for smaller turkeys, due to an increase in smaller gatherings and a desire to make Christmas lunch extra special, despite the restrictions.

'This year, many of our members have increased their flocks significantly to help meet growing demand for quality turkeys.

'While there will be more Golden Standard turkeys available this year, the orders we are currently seeing surpass anything we have ever seen before.'

It comes as Derbyshire-based EVCL Chill Ltd called in administrators, with around 400 jobs said to be at risk.

Administrators PwC said acute driver shortages had added to the company's challenges.

EVCL Chill, which is based in Alfreston, has sites across the UK including Daventry, Rochdale, Crick and Penrith.

It employed more than 1,000 staff in warehousing and HGV driving roles. Around 650 employees had been transferred 'to key customers', administrators said.

Around 400 staff are said to be 'at risk' and will be addressed about the company's future on Monday, saw PwC.

The company turned over 167million in the period up to December 2020.

But administrators say the firm had lost key customers in recent years. The company's issues had been compounded by the UK's HGV driver shortage, according to PwC.

Meanwhile, community nursing and care workers are also being impacted by the crisis, according to union chiefs.

They say members have warned that staff may struggle to get into work or to their clients on Monday due to being unable to fuel their vehicles.

Gary Smith, GMB General Secretary, took aim at the Government today over its handling.

He told MailOnline:'There is no plan in Number 10, only panic - and it's piling pressure on workers and services at every level.

'The run on the forecourts is unnecessarily affecting frontline workers in our ambulance and home care services and the rising cost of energy will cause distress for the lowest paid households trying to make ends meet.

'We need to ensure emergency and community services are properly resourced as a priority and that employers allow more flexibility on working from home to reduce the strain on this avoidable crisis.'

Grant Shapps today claimed the fuel crisis has been 'manufactured' as he accused haulage firms of sparking panic buying after they warned of HGV driver shortages

The Transport Secretary said 'there is plenty of fuel' to go around as he urged motorists to be 'sensible' and to 'fill up when you normally would'

A member of staff directs drivers queuing for fuel at an Asda petrol station in south London amid the developing fuel crisis

Motorists queue for petrol and diesel fuel at a Shell petrol station in Fleet, west of London on September 26

Frustrated motorists trying to get past the queue that blocked the road as motorists queued for fuel at Tesco in Danbury, Essex

Mr Shapps today insisted there is 'plenty' of petrol as he urged motorists to refrain from panic buying. He told Sky News there had been some 'pretty irresponsible briefing' by one of the road haulage associations 'which has helped spark a crisis'. Pictured: Cars queue for fuel at a BP petrol station in Bracknell, Berkshire

With petrol in short supply across the North East, a long queue of vehicles wait to fill up at an Esso fuel station in Byker, Newcastle this afternoon

Experts warned panic buying 'is going to get worse before it gets better' as the nation faces a 'catastrophic situation'

A major shortage of HGV drivers threatens to wreak havoc this winter, and the shortage has been exacerbated by a huge backlog in HGV tests due to Covid

Keir Starmer calls for 100,000 foreign lorry drivers to be given the green light to come to the UK to solve HGV shortage after the Government unveils plans to grant 5,000 temporary visas Sir Keir Starmer today called for 100,000 foreign lorry drivers to be granted visas to come to the UK as he blasted the Government's handling of the fuel crisis. Ministers have announced a temporary visa scheme that will see 5,000 HGV drivers allowed to take up employment in the UK until Christmas Eve. But Sir Keir said 'we are going to have to bring in more drivers and more visas' amid reports that the shortfall of drivers is north of 90,000. The Labour leader said that 'for a long time we have known there is a problem' and it was 'predicted' the situation would get worse after Brexit.

He said the Government was guilty of a 'complete lack of planning' as he suggested he would also grant permission for EU workers to come to the UK to take jobs in other industries struggling with recruitment like hospitality and food processing. The shortage of HGV drivers has hit the nation's fuel network while retailers have warned the Government that it has just 10 days to save Christmas from 'significant disruption' amid pressure on the food supply chain. Ministers want firms to hire and train British workers to fill HGV vacancies, with the 5,000 visas viewed as a short term fix. But Sir Keir said the Government must go much further to avoid prolonged chaos this winter. He said: 'On the HGV situation, we are going to have to bring in more drivers and more visas. 'I am astonished that the Government, knowing the situation is not acting today. 'The Prime Minister needs to say today what he is going to do. There are 100,000 vacancies for drivers.' Sir Keir continued: 'For a long time we have known there is a problem with HGV drivers, that has been there for years. 'But we knew in particular that when we exited the EU there would be a need for a back up plan to deal with the situation and there is no plan from the Government on this, and here we are, 100,000 needed and the Government is talking about 5,000 visas.' Asked directly if he would bring in 100,000 foreign drivers if he was prime minister, Sir Keir said: 'We are going to have to do that. We have to issue enough visas to cover the number of drivers that we need.' He added: 'If there is 100,000 vacancies for drivers in this country and the Government is saying we are going to bring in 5,000 visas, there is an obvious problem. '100,000 is, I think Norwich is 140,000. It is the size of a small city and the Government's response is far, far too small. 'Now, that is not an ideal response, it is a short term response. In the long term we need conditions to be improved, we need training, of course we do. 'But the Government has known that for years and we have got a situation now where we have got an absolute crisis in this country through a lack of planning on behalf of the Government.' Advertisement

It came as Mr Shapps today insisted there is 'plenty' of petrol as he urged motorists to refrain from panic buying.

He told Sky News there had been some 'pretty irresponsible briefing' by one of the road haulage associations 'which has helped spark a crisis'.

He said: 'I do not believe that the long term solution to Britain's shortages of HGV drivers is to say the only choice we have is to import the European drivers, under cut British salaries and not skill up people to do the job here in the United Kingdom so that is absolutely right.

'I also recognise and am completely pragmatic about this, that we need to ensure that people are reassured now that this rather sort of manufactured situation has been created because as I say there is enough petrol in the country, it is if everyone goes and buys it on the same day...'

Presenter Trevor Phillips interrupted and said: 'Hang on. When you say this was a manufactured situation, manufactured by whom? How?'

Mr Shapps replied: 'Well, as I say, there was a meeting that took place about 10 days ago, a private meeting in which one of the haulage associations decided to leak the details to the media and that has created, as we have seen, quite a large degree of concern, people naturally react to those things.

'The good news is, as I say, there is plenty of fuel. The bad news is if everyone carries on buying it when they don't need it then you would continue to have queues.

'Sooner or later everyone's cars will be more or less filled up and there won't be anywhere else to put fuel - it is not like the toilet roll crisis at the beginning of the pandemic where people could stockpile it. It is very difficult to do that with fuel and so it will come to an end.

'But we just appeal to people to be sensible, fill up when you normally would.'

Retail bosses fear the panic buying will continue as motorists rush to the pumps.

It came amid reports that one of the UK's main oil refineries is on the brink of collapse.

Bosses behind Stanlow Oil Refinery, in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, are in urgent talks with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) over a 223million VAT payment.

The refinery, which has been under financial strain during the Covid pandemic, needs to start repaying the bill this week unless it can agree a new deal, according to the Sunday Times.

Owned by the billionaire Ruia brothers, Shashi and Ravi, through their company Essar Oil UK, the refinery supplies about a sixth of Britain's road fuel.

It is also supplies jet fuel for Manchester and Birmingham airports.

Around 900 people are employed directly at the refinery and around 800 contractors also work on site.

The refinery's VAT bill built up during the pandemic under the Government's Covid VAT deferral scheme.

The scheme, launched in March last year, allowed firms to defer VAT payments to help businesses stay afloat during the first Covid lockdown.

But businesses were ordered to either pay back the money by March 2021, join an interest free instalment scheme stretching to June, or make arrangements with HMRC to push back the payments.

Essar Oil UK is said to have taken advantage of the scheme, to the tune of 356million.

It entered into a time-to-pay ('TTP') arrangement with HMRC for a total of 770million in April 2021.

The company says it has paid back 547million leaving a balance of 223 million - which must be paid by January next year.

Payments are due to begin this week.

They are due to coincide with an end to the Government's suspension on winding-up petitions.

Bosses behind Stanlow Oil refinery (pictured), in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, are in urgent talks with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) over a 223million VAT bill

Owned by the billionaire Ruia brothers, Shashi (pictured left) and Ravi (pictured right), through their company Essar Oil UK, the refinery supplies about a sixth of Britain's road fuel. It is also supplies jet fuel for Manchester and Birmingham airports.

Pharmacies warn of drugs delay: Lack of van drivers sees 'reduced' deliveries with prescriptions 'not arriving' - amid fears situation will get worse at winter Deliveries of over-the-counter drugs and prescriptions to pharmacies are being disrupted due to a lack of van drivers, according to reports. Pharmacy bosses have reportedly told the Sunday Telegraph they are facing disruption to deliveries up to 'three times a week'. And, according to the paper, pharmacists warn the issue could get worse due to an increase in demand in winter. It comes amid a shortage of HGV drivers in the UK, which has sparked fears of empty shelves this Christmas and forced a number of petrol stations to close due to difficulties getting fuel to the pumps. Martin Hewitson, who runs an independent pharmacy in Dorset and is a former board member of the National Pharmacy Association (NPA), is one of 'multiple' pharmacies to have raised issue about the concerns of medicine supplies. He told The Telegraph: 'It's not happening every day, but once, twice, three times a week we're having disruption to wholesale deliveries. A spokesperson for the NPA told the Telegraph that it was aware that deliveries to some pharmacies had been 'reduced'. However it said the problem was 'not generally affecting patients' access to treatment 'at this stage'. Advertisement

However the company says the economic recovery has been 'slower than predicted' and it will therefore not make the payment and that it was in talks to 'modify that schedule'.

'Therefore EOUK in discussions with HMRC over a short extension to make those deferred VAT payments,' a spokesman told MailOnline.

'Those discussions are positive and EOUK looks forward to a resolution soon,' the spokesman added.

Meanwhile, the Government's new plans will see 5,000 temporary visas made available for foreign HGV drivers and 5,500 for poultry workers.

Retailers have previously warned the Government that it had just 10 days to save Christmas from 'significant disruption' due to the shortfall of HGV drivers.

British Chambers of Commerce president Baroness McGregor-Smith said consumers and businesses faced 'another less than happy Christmas' due to the visa offer being 'insufficient'.

The Conservative peer said: 'Even if these short-term opportunities attract the maximum amount of people allowed under the scheme, it will not be enough to address the scale of the problem that has now developed in our supply chains. This announcement is the equivalent of throwing a thimble of water on a bonfire.'

Andrew Opie, a director at the British Retail Consortium, said the limit of 5,000 HGV visas would do 'little to alleviate the current shortfall' and called for visas to be extended to 'all sectors of the retail industry'.

He added: 'Supermarkets alone have estimated they need at least 15,000 HGV drivers for their businesses to be able to operate at full capacity ahead of Christmas and avoid disruption or availability issues.'

The relaxation of immigration rules was welcomed by other industry groups, however, with Food and Drink Federation chief Ian Wright calling the measures 'pragmatic', while Logistics UK said it showed Government had listened to hauliers' concerns.

Richard Walker, managing director at Iceland supermarket, called the announcement 'critical' and pushed for shop staff and other key workers to be fast-tracked past petrol pump queues.

The supermarket boss said: 'Until this eases, key workers including food retail workers need to be prioritised at the pumps so that we can keep hospitals operating and food shops open, and the nation safe and fed.'

Mr Shapps said the rush to forecourts which has seen lengthy queues at stations across the country 'will come to an end' because soon 'everyone's cars will be more or less filled up'.

A Shell garage employee holds a sign on the side of the road informing traffic that they do not have unleaded petrol

Boris Johnson insists on a pay rise for truckers and will send a million of them morale-booster letters Boris Johnson has called on HGV bosses to give drivers a pay rise as the Prime Minister prepares to send them one million morale-boosting letters in the run-up to Christmas. Ministers are said to be urging up to 40,000 retired hauliers to return to action in a last-gasp bid to save Christmas, as retailers warned the Government it has less than two weeks to prepare for the festive season. Meanwhile, Boris Johnson is to personally sign off on a million morale-boosting letters urging drivers who turned away from the industry to get back on Britain's roads. The move comes amid a nationwide panic-buying spree at petrol stations and growing fear inside Downing Street that supermarket shelves could remain barren until December 25. Advertisement

As well as the visa changes, the Department for Transport (DfT) said it planned to train 4,000 more lorry drivers through both a 10million investment in skills camps and established adult education budgets, with some of those studying for HGV licences eligible to have their courses paid for by the state.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) will be stepping in to provide examiners for lorry driving tests as ministers look to steadily increase the size of the workforce.

Officials said the loan of MoD examiners to work alongside Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) employees would help put on 'thousands of extra tests' over the next 12 weeks.

The coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated a global shortage of lorry drivers, although there have been long-term issues in the UK with vacancy numbers amid an ageing workforce, low wages and poor truck stop conditions.

In a drive to encourage people to return to the industry, nearly one million letters will be landing on the doormats of people with HGV licences in the coming days enticing them to give the job another go.

The letter will set out the steps the haulage sector is taking to improve industry conditions, including increased wages, flexible working and fixed hours, according to the DfT.

Officials said the Government was focused on raising pay and improving working conditions and diversity of the workforce, rather than relying on cheap foreign workers to fill vacancies in the long run.

The DfT said it recognised that importing foreign labour 'will not be the long term solution' to the problem and that it wanted to see investment poured into establishing a robust domestic workforce.

Government plan to fast-track visas for 5,000 HGV drivers and 5,500 poultry workers is like 'throwing a thimble of water on a BONFIRE': Industry experts say bid to ease Christmas supply crisis 'barely scratches the surface'

More than 10,000 temporary foreign visas will be fast-tracked by the Government as ministers rush to solve the supply chain crisis that's threatening Christmas.

5,000 HGV drivers and 5,500 poultry workers will be given extraordinary three-month visas allowing them to work in the UK until Christmas Eve.

The move comes amid a nationwide panic-buying spree at petrol stations and growing fear inside Downing Street that supermarket shelves could remain barren until Christmas.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said the changes, with the visas available from next month, would 'ensure preparations remain on track' for the festive season.

But the Road Haulage Association warned the announcement 'barely scratches the surface', while the British Chambers of Commerce said the measures were the equivalent of 'throwing a thimble of water on a bonfire'.

Retailers had warned the Government that it had just 10 days to save Christmas from 'significant disruption' due to a shortfall of about 90,000 drivers in the freight sector.

It comes as thousands of desperate drivers ignored Government pleas for calm as they jammed roads - with fears mounting over the impact of lasting fuel shortages on the economy.

Furious motorists were seen fighting on Saturday as the nationwide rush for fuel continued amid calls for calm from the Government because less than 100 petrol stations were empty.

Shocking footage showed panic buyers punch and kick at each other during a violent brawl at an Esso petrol forecourt in Sidlesham, Chicester, as roads were left gridlocked and police had to be called in to marshal drivers.

Two men were seen grappling before throwing punches at one another, while another enraged motorist launched a flying kick at another man as the scramble for fuel turned violent in the sleepy West Sussex village.

5,000 HGV drivers and 5,500 poultry workers will be given extraordinary three-month visas allowing them to work in the UK until Christmas Eve

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps (above) said the changes, with the visas available from next month, would 'ensure preparations remain on track' for the festive season

The shortage of HGV drivers has long threatened to wreak havoc this winter, and it has been exacerbated by a huge backlog in HGV tests due to Covid, as well as foreign drivers returning home amid the pandemic and Brexit.

Are you a company boss telling staff to work from home on Monday due to employees not being able to get fuel? Or has your boss told you to work from home due to you not being able to get hold of fuel? Email: james.robinson@mailonline.co.uk Advertisement

Industry groups the Food and Drink Federation and Logistics UK both welcomed the visa changes, with federation chief Ian Wright calling the measures 'pragmatic'.

But British Chamber of Commerce president Baroness McGregor-Smith said the changes were the 'equivalent of throwing a thimble of water on a bonfire', and that the 5,000 new visas may be too little, too late to halt the chaos.

Meanwhile, Marc Fels, director of the HGV Recruitment Centre, told BBC Breakfast the move was 'too little, too late'.

He said: 'Every additional driver that is coming into the sector at the moment is going to be of benefit.

'But I feel this is too little, because the numbers coming in, 5,000, is not going to make a very large dent on the 90,000-100,000 that we are perceived to be short.

'And too late because we have been understanding these problems have been coming as early as April this year, so we are moving into October and only now are the Government coming up with these solutions when this has been an issue since April.'

The announcement about immigration rules being relaxed to ease supply pressures comes amid scenes of lengthy queues at petrol stations after a shortage of specialised tanker drivers forced some fuel retailers to shut their pumps and ration sales.

As well as the short-term measure of opening up to foreign workers, the Ministry of Defence is also stepping in to provide examiners to help clear a backlog of drivers desperately trying to get their licences.

Some had multiple jerry cans in the boot of their cars and spent time filling each up while others queued for hours to reach the pump. Pictured: Customers queuing in their cars to access an Asda petrol station in east London on Saturday

HGV boss is accused of triggering petrol pump crisis A former BBC boss opposed to Brexit has been accused of triggering the petrol pump crisis. Ministers say Rod McKenzie sparked the nationwide panic-buying frenzy by selectively leaking remarks made by a BP executive at a private Government meeting. Senior sources suggested he 'weaponised' the comments to deflect blame for the UK's supply chaos. Mr McKenzie, who ran BBC Radio 1's Newsbeat for more than two decades before joining the Road Haulage Association, last night denied the claim. As managing director of policy for the RHA, he has blamed post-Brexit immigration restrictions for the crisis in the industry and has been leading calls for the Government to lift visa restrictions to allow more foreign drivers into the country. The fuel crisis began to snowball last week after comments made by Hanna Hofer, head of BP's retail business, at a Cabinet Office meeting were leaked. On September 16, Ms Hofer told civil servants, hauliers and other industry figures that the company had 'two-thirds of normal forecourt stock levels'. According to a senior Government source, however, she also said the situation had been 'going on for weeks' and that very few forecourts had had to close. Crucially, those additional comments  which Government insiders believe would have prevented or at least reduced the panic-buying of fuel  were not made public. BP denied that any of its staff were behind the leak, with a spokeswoman saying it 'would have been completely counter-productive'. Advertisement

Officials said the loan of MoD examiners to work alongside Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) employees would help put on 'thousands of extra tests' over the next 12 weeks.

Meanwhile, nearly one million letters will be landing in the coming days on the doormats of people with HGV licences to encourage those who have left the industry to return.

The letter will set out the steps the haulage sector is taking to improve industry conditions, including increased wages, flexible working and fixed hours, according to the Department for Transport.

Mr Shapps said: 'This package of measures builds on the important work we have already done to ease this global crisis in the UK, and this Government continues to do everything we can to help the haulage and food industries contend with the HGV driver shortage.

'We are acting now but the industries must also play their part, with working conditions continuing to improve and the deserved salary increases continuing to be maintained in order for companies to retain new drivers.

'After a very difficult 18 months, I know how important this Christmas is for all of us and that's why we're taking these steps at the earliest opportunity to ensure preparations remain on track.'

The coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated a global shortage of lorry drivers, although there have been long-term issues in the UK with labour numbers amid an ageing workforce, low wages and poor truck stop conditions.

The DfT said it recognised that importing foreign labour 'will not be the long term solution' to the problem and that it wanted to see investment poured into establishing a robust domestic workforce.

Officials said the Government continued to support solving the high vacancy rate through improved testing and hiring, with better pay, working conditions and diversity.

Another long-term measure to turn the situation around will see the Department for Education plough up to 10 million into creating new 'skills bootcamps' to train up to 3,000 more people to become HGV drivers.

The free, intensive courses will train drivers to undertake an entry level HGV licence (Category C) or a more advanced course to operate heavier and longer lorries (Category C&E).

A motorist lays out a half dozen fuel containers on the floor of the forecourt in Upminster to fill her boot with fuel while desperate drivers queue for hours behind

The problems were triggered after BP and Esso admitted on Thursday that a lack of tanker drivers was hitting deliveries (pictured, gridlock at a petrol station in Tonbridge)

A BP at Hampton Court says 'Sorry we're out of diesel' after frenzied buying saw stations swamped by panicked customers

BBC comes under fire for 'pretending driver crisis is all about Brexit' The BBC came under fire last night for ignoring the fact that the HGV driver shortage has affected countries throughout the world. Around 400,000 drivers are needed across mainland Europe, including shortfalls of 40,000 in Germany. In America, there is a shortfall of around 63,000 while China needs about four million extra drivers, according to the International Road Transport Union. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith, who trained as an HGV driver, accused the BBC of selective reporting. He said: 'The BBC insists on making this about Brexit and pretending that this is a problem confined to the UK. 'This is a Covid issue affecting not just the whole of Europe but the world. I don't understand why they are doing this but it is deeply misleading and the kind of reporting that leads to panic buying, as we have seen.' France has faced a shortage of around 43,000 drivers since 2019, when the shortfall in Italy was estimated to be around 15,000, according to analysts Transport Intelligence. Advertisement

Another 1,000 people are expected to be trained through courses accessed locally and funded by the Government's adult education budget.

Those accessing medical and HGV licences through the adult budget in the 2021/22 academic year will have their qualifications paid for by the state, with the funding backdated to anyone who started one of these qualifications on or after August 1.

More DVSA examiners will also be freed up to conduct lorry driver tests via a law change to allow driving examiners at the three emergency services and the MoD to be able to conduct driving tests for one another.

Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi said: 'HGV drivers keep this country running.

'We are taking action to tackle the shortage of drivers by removing barriers to help more people to launch new well-paid careers in the industry, supporting thousands to get the training they need to be road ready.'

Environment Secretary George Eustice said: 'We have listened to concerns from the sector and we are acting to alleviate what is a very tight labour market.'

The Government said it had already streamlined the process for new HGV drivers while increasing the number of driving tests available to allow for an extra 50,000 tests to take place per year.

Meanwhile, Grant Shapps, writing in the Mail on Sunday today, said some firms were offering more than 70,000 to encourage people to get into the HGV industry.

He wrote: 'First, there are nearly one million people with HGV licences across the country. So we are launching a call through the media to re-recruit inactive lorry drivers all over the UK.

'These are people who have left the industry but still hold a licence. In the next few days, letters will hit doormats throughout the land, reminding them that they can support the country during this crucial time while earning a salary never before available for expertly driving a lorry.

Supply problems are expected to cause a noticeable drop in choice, casting Britain back to an era 50 years ago when most shoppers were offered just basic ingredients. Pictured: A shopper looks at a meat fridge at a Lidl supermarket in Walthamstow, West London

Another said the 'systemic' problem has already spread to products like crisps and fizzy drinks thanks also in part to a shortage of CO2. Pictured: Bottles of water and crisps at a Pret a Manger store in London

Forecourt fury turns violent as drivers queuing to fill up exchange blows, while elsewhere motorists fill jerry cans and BP, Esso, Shell and Texaco limit drivers to 30 each Furious motorists were seen fighting as the nationwide rush for fuel continued yesterday, amid calls for calm from the Government because less than 100 petrol stations are empty. Shocking footage showed panic buyers punching and kicking at each other during a violent brawl at an Esso petrol forecourt in Sidlesham, Chicester, as roads were left gridlocked and police had to be called in to marshal drivers. Two men were seen grappling before throwing punches at one another, while another enraged motorist launched a flying kick at another man as the scramble for fuel turned violent in the sleepy West Sussex village. Thousands of desperate drivers ignored Government pleas for calm as they jammed roads - with fears mounting over the impact of lasting fuel shortages on the economy. Photographs yesterday online showing drivers stocking up on fuel. Just one per cent of Britain's petrol stations are empty, according to fuel bosses. Some had multiple jerry cans in the boot of their cars and spent time filling each up while others queued for hours to reach the pump. Meanwhile, around 400 stations owned by the EG Group are limiting customers to 30 worth of petrol to give everyone a 'fair chance to refuel'. Meanwhile, Boris Johnson revealed a visa U-turn for 5,000 foreign truck drivers to try to stem the shortage. There are currently about 8,350 filling stations in the UK and less than 100 of them have been forced to close due to shortages. However, the Petrol Retailer's Association has warned the situation could get worse before it improves. BP said around 20 of its 1,200 petrol forecourts were closed due to a lack of available fuel, with between 50 and 100 sites affected by the loss of at least one grade of fuel. A 'small number' of Tesco refilling stations have also been impacted, said Esso owner ExxonMobil, which runs the sites. President of the AA Edmund King reiterated on Saturday there there 'is plenty of fuel at the source' and no need to stock up. Advertisement

'Next, up to 4,000 new recruits will be able to take advantage of Government funding to train as road-ready HGV drivers. The Department for Education is investing up to 10 million to create new Skills Bootcamps, offering a free, intensive course for 3,000 people, while another 1,000 will be trained through local courses funded by our Adult Education Budget.

'This is a fantastic opportunity to start a career in a fast-growing sector offering rising salaries.

'The industry is rapidly improving pay and conditions, with some companies offering over 70,000 to drivers. As the sector continues to improve, now is the time for anyone who left the industry to return  and anyone looking for a fruitful career to join.'

It comes as supermarkets are preparing for months of shortages that will leave gaps on shelves for everything from crisps and meat to toilet paper and flour.

Supply problems are expected to cause a noticeable drop in choice, casting Britain back to an era 50 years ago when most shoppers were offered just basic ingredients and a wider choice of food and household products was limited.

Sources said the impact  the result of a host of problems including a shortage of HGV drivers and a spike in demand for shipping containers worldwide as the global economy restarts after the pandemic  would be most fiercely felt on inexpensive but bulky goods such as toilet paper, pre-packed bread and chilled goods.

'Whether it's attracting people to work in factories, fields, food processing plants or to drive lorries  it feels like the whole food and supermarket industry is grinding to a halt,' said one senior food industry source.

Another said the 'systemic' problem has already spread to products like crisps and fizzy drinks thanks also in part to a shortage of CO2.

'We're already anticipating there'll be two or three types of beef joint instead of six or seven, or a much smaller range of tomatoes.

;Toilet paper is a good example because it requires a lot of space to transport from one place to another and space in lorries is at a premium right now.

'The aim will be to get products on to shelves but not anything like a full range of pack sizes and options  so don't expect to match your toilet paper colour to your downstairs toilet wallpaper,' the source said.

Supermarkets and convenience stores have been trying to hide gaps for weeks  often placing cans of alcohol or other less perishable goods in refrigerated cabinets which had previously held salads and ready-meals.

One supermarket director said: 'This isn't going away and it's difficult to say right now what the solution is because there are so many factors. It's a complete nightmare.

'Suppliers don't have drivers, their Eastern European workforces in processing factories went home during the pandemic or, more recently, for their summer holidays and simply haven't come back. We are hearing these stories everywhere we go.'

Another director said firms are having to make tough decisions about where to direct lorries because of driver shortages.

Remote areas are more likely to suffer shortages as vehicles are diverted to high-demand sites where stock was likely to run out much more quickly.
An 88-year-old Aussie veteran who hasn't seen her family in 18 long months has reminded locked down Sydneysiders that next month's 'Freedom Day' is about much more than heading back to the pub - saying she is desperate for a 'cuddle'.

Shirley McLaren has had a lonely time in her Northern Beaches retirement village, not only cut off from her loved ones but also unable to interact with her friends inside the home.

The great-grandmother, who proudly served as a drill sergeant in the Women's Royal Australian Air Force, revealed in an emotional interview on The Project she hasn't been able to hold her tenth great grandchild due to the restrictions.

An 88-year-old Aussie battler who hasn't seen her family in 18-long months has reminded locked-down Sydneysiders that next month's 'Freedom Day' is about much more than heading back to the pub (pictured, pubgoers on Anzac Day in Sydney)

'I have not been able to travel to Melbourne to see my family - my adult grandchildren and their partners and great grandchildren,' she said, admitting it has made her very lonely.

'It's not nice. I've got a new great grandson and I've not yet had a cuddle and all great grandmothers need cuddles.'

To make things even more difficult for residents at the ANZAC retirement village in Narrabeen, social events have been forced to cancel during the current lockdown.

'All the lovely social activities we have in a retirement village like ukulele and dancing nights, nights for war widows and legacy ex-service women, our Friday lunches with the residents and just our general meet-and-greets where we would gather for coffee or a snack or a chat or a laugh (have stopped),' Ms McLaren said.

Comedian Tommy Little jokingly asked if the 'swingers nights' evenings at the retirement village were still going ahead.

The quick-witted Order of Australia medal recipient left the panel in stitches when she replied by saying they're not a regular feature, and that perhaps she's in the 'wrong retirement village'.

Comedian Tommy Little (left) jokingly asked Ms McLaren (right) if the 'swingers nights' nights at the retirement village were still going ahead

Ms McLaren was recognised for her service to veterans, their families and to the community at this year's Australia Day honours.

As one of 50 women accepted into the first intake of the reformation of the WRAAF in 1951 she would go on to train 270 recruits.

The trailblazer then spent a lifetime helping to support service men and women through various charities.

Ms McLaren said she has resisted the urge to have a 'gin and tonic' during her lonely period in isolation but has made a few exceptions.

'I haven't felt the need to have alcohol except I did raise a glass when I was awarded the Order of Australia medal and when my 10th great grandchild was born,' she told the panel.

Sydneysiders are gearing up for lockdown restrictions to be eased on October 11 when vaccination rates surpass 70 per cent (pictured, women enjoying pizza when restrictions last eased)

Premier Gladys Berejiklian is set to outline the state's reopening timetable this week with October 11 firming as the date fully-vaccinated Sydneysiders will likely be back to the pub and visit their friends and family.

But the easing of lockdown restrictions relies on the state's vaccination rate surpassing 70 per cent coverage.

With the long-awaited reopening now just over two weeks away, Ms McLaren made an impassioned plea to those who are yet to roll up their sleeves.

'I really need to see my family. So I'm just hoping that people will just go out and get vaccinated,' she said.

NSW recorded a further 961 Covid cases and nine deaths on Sunday as the state prepares to surpass the 60 per cent mark for residents who've been fully vaccinated.

Over 85 per cent of the population have now received their first dose.
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Not a single fine was dished out among the hundreds of partygoers who flocked to Bond Beach on Saturday evening despite footage on social media showing revellers ignoring physical distancing and mask wearing rules, with many in groups far larger than the five allowed at fully-vaccinated picnics.

The pictures and video shared online who hundreds of people gathering in groups, drinking and enjoying themselves on the famous grassy area of Biddigal Reserve on the northern end of the beach with the crowd only growing as the night went on.

By late evening the police had arrived causing hundreds to pack up and leave, but no fines were issued, despite Sydneysiders living in the city's west describing being fined for the smallest of rule-breaks.

Paula Masselos, the Mayor of Waverley Council, said it was 'disappointing' and 'frustrating' that noone had been fined.

Not one fine was issued among the hundreds of partygoers who packed Bondi (pictured) on Saturday despite 216 infringement notices being dished out elsewhere by NSW Police

'I'm certainly exasperated  It is really frustrating that there is a small group of people that is imperilling our community,' she told the ABC.

'Our rangers are doing the very best they can but we don't have any powers to move people on,' she said.

'And I do have to thank the police as they were down there and had dispersed people within an hour but they shouldn't have to do that.'

'Officers attached to Eastern Suburbs and Northern Beaches Police Area Commands attended local beaches on Saturday after reports crowd numbers were increasing,' a NSW Police spokesperson said.

'Police, alongside local council rangers, patrolled the area and dispersed the crowd.'

Under Sydney's current restrictions a maximum of five fully-vaccinated people can gather outdoors.

The photos of Bondi sparked fierce backlash online as police have for weeks been cracking down in other areas of Sydney including the long-suffering south and west which are under harsher restrictions than elsewhwere.

'This is double standard purely unfair for hard-working other parts of Sydney.' one person said.

Others said Western Sydney residents were being treated like they were 'second class citizens'.

On Saturday, police said they issued 216 fines to those breaking the public health order rules in areas other than Bondi.

'At Manly, a number of move-on directions were issued along with three infringement notices for breaches of the Public Health Order.' the spokesperson said.

And they added patrols would continue as 'part of Operation Stay at Home at Sydney beaches, parks and open recreational spaces across the weekend to ensure compliance with the current orders'.

Crowds at Bondi were similar on Friday.

Friday evening in Bondi was the same with hundreds of frustrated residents packing the foreshore with many not wearing masks or observing physical distancing (pictured)

Footage taken about 6pm at the famous grassy knoll in North Bondi showed locals gathering in large groups overlooking the beach - with no police in sight.

By 7.30pm officers had arrived to break up the festivities - with hundreds packing up and leaving the park.

But the scenes weren't just confined to Sydney's east, with big crowds on the northern beaches also packing Manly Beach foreshore for Friday evening drinks with friends.

And while video footage captured crowds at the beaches, similar scenes were played out on a balmy September evening across much of Sydney, with NSW now just 16 days away from lockdown restrictions easing once 70 per cent of NSW's population over 16 is fully-vaccinated.

Until the so-called 'Freedom Day' - currently due to be October 11, but subject to change - residents are only allowed to gather in groups up to five in outdoor public spaces if they are fully vaccinated against Covid-19.

Many who are banned from leaving their own local government areas in western Sydney were furious after the images from Manly and Bondi Beach emerged on Friday night.

'What is happening along Bondi and other places in the east is an absolute joke,' one said.

'What a slap in the face to us sacrificing by doing the right things out west. We either have rules or we don't? Who's checking their vax status? Who's policing RSA? What a double standard!'

Another Sydneysider could not understand why those gathered in Bondi and Manly weren't being more heavily monitored by police.

Many of the city's residents doing it tough during lockdown reacted with outrage after images from Manly and Bondi Beach emerged on Friday night

'Tell me how I got fined $1000 two nights ago for forgetting to check in at a 7-Eleven -with my mask on - across from my house and these people are allowed to do this in Bondi,' one said.

Another claimed authorities were picking and choosing where to enforce the lockdown, and suggested locals on the beaches were being left alone because of new 'picnic' rules allowing groups of up to five to gather outside if they are double-jabbed.

'I love a Friday night 'picnic' in North Bondi with the Sydney lockdown now elective,' they wrote.

Hundreds of people turned out for picnics (pictured) on Friday night in Bondi with police dispersing the crowd about 7.30pm

The government's roadmap to freedom allows a moderate easing of restrictions when the double-dose rate hits 70 per cent including the return of pubs, gyms and hair salons with strict density requirements.

International travel and interstate travel may also be on the cards for those who have been double jabbed alongside larger community events such as sport.

NSW reported 961 new locally acquired cases on Sunday.

About 84 per cent of those over 16 have have received one dose of vaccine, with 56 per cent fully vaccinated.

NSW is on track to hit 80 per cent fully vaccinated just two weeks after the first 70 per cent milestone is due to be reached on October 11.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian (pictured) warned opening up the state will be done with caution to avoid an influx of cases being hospitalised

Many Western Sydney residents complained of double standards with police more relaxed in the eastern suburbs

Premier Gladys Berejiklian has warned that opening up the state could cause an influx of cases in hospital so caution needed to be taken during the easing of restrictions.

'I am always wary of using terms like 'freedom day' because when we start to open up it must be step-by-step,' she said during Friday's press conference.

'It must be done cautiously and we must remember that even though people may be fully vaccinated, if you are vulnerable and have other conditions you can still succumb and get the disease in a serious way, or worse.'

'We are seeing case numbers in southwest and western Sydney continue to have a downward trend but unfortunately in the Illawarra and Central Coast we are seeing more case numbers than we would like,' Premier Gladys Berejiklian told reporters.

It comes after data published by NSW Health in recent days shows contact tracers are interviewing positive cases more quickly.

The number of people to be fully interviewed by contact tracers within a day of their positive result nearly doubled last week, the data reveals.

Contact tracers fully interviewed 58 per cent of new cases within one day of notification in the week ending September 20.

The week before, tracers only reached 31 per cent of people within that time frame. It is the first time that metric has surpassed 50 per cent since the end of August.

There were 8226 cases in the week ending September 20, 1326 fewer than the week before.

The number of people infected on average by each positive case in that week - known as the average growth factor - dipped to 0.98, falling below one for the first time since the current outbreak began in mid-June.

Greater Sydney has now been in lockdown for more than 13 weeks.
Sir Keir Starmer today said a Labour MP was wrong to say that 'only women have a cervix'.

Rosie Duffield, the MP for Canterbury, has opted to stay away from the Labour Party's annual conference in Brighton amid online threats from trans activists who view her remarks as discriminatory.

Sir Keir said this morning that 'it is something that shouldn't be said' and 'it is not right'.

The Labour leader said there needed to be a 'mature, respectful debate about trans rights' at the conference.

Sir Keir Starmer today said a Labour MP was wrong to say that 'only women have a cervix'

Rosie Duffield, the MP for Canterbury, has opted to stay away from the Labour Party's annual conference in Brighton amid online threats from trans activists who view her remarks as discriminatory

Now the Lancet CANCELS women: Fury as leading medical journal runs 'dehumanising' and 'sexist' front-page describing females as 'bodies with vaginas' to placate trans lobby A leading medical journal has come under fire for describing women as 'bodies with vaginas' on the front page of its latest edition. The Lancet was accused of sexism and dehumanising women after its editors used the term, which was written in an article titled 'Periods on Display', on the journal's front cover in an attempt to be inclusive to trans people. The article, which was published on September 1, examines an exhibition exploring the taboos and history of periods at the Vagina Museum in London and sees the writer use the word 'women' but also use the term 'bodies with vaginas'. The quote, which was then used on the journal's front page, read: 'Historically, the anatomy and physiology of bodies with vaginas have been neglected.' However the move to use the quote has been met with criticism, with some academics calling it 'insulting and abusive' and a 'misguided pursuit of woke points'. Meanwhile others said they had cancelled their subscriptions with the peer-reviewed medical journal - which was founded in 1823. Advertisement

Asked if Ms Duffield was welcome in the Labour Party, Sir Keir told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show: 'We need to have a mature, respectful debate about trans rights. We need to, I think, bear in mind that the trans community are amongst the most marginalised and abused communities and wherever we have got to on the law we need to go further and we want to go further on that.

'But whatever the debate is, it needs to be a tolerant debate and I am absolutely sure that our conference will be a place which is safe for that debate to take place and it is.'

Asked whether it is transphobic to say that 'only women have a cervix', Sir Keir said: 'It is something that shouldn't be said, it is not right.'

Asked why Ms Duffield should not have made the remark, the Labour leader said: 'I don't think that we can just go through various things that people have said.

'Rosie Duffield, I spoke to Rosie earlier this week and told her that conference was a safe place for her to come and it is a safe place for her to come.

'And I spoke to others to make exactly the same principle. We do everybody a disservice when we reduce what is a really important issue to these exchanges on particular things that are said.'

Ms Duffield has faced criticism for opposing people who were born male but self-identify as trans having access to spaces such as domestic violence refuges, school toilets and prisons.

The Canterbury MP also queried being called a 'transphobe' for 'knowing that only women have a cervix'.

Ms Duffield told the Sunday Times last week that she would not be attending the conference because she 'did not want to be the centre of attention'.

She told the newspaper: 'We have had Labour MPs who have had to have security at conference over the past few years, and I didn't want that sort of attention or to become the story. I just thought it was better for everyone if I quietly stayed away.'
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A group of migrants including a toddler and an elderly woman has landed on the Kent coastline as the warm weather encourages people smugglers to send out more boats.

A sobbing child was picked out of a boat by a Border Force official after a few dozen migrants were brought to the shoreline on Saturday morning.

And a man raised his hands and made two peace signs as the boat arrived in British waters following a treacherous journey in windy conditions across the English Channel.

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) was photographed helping more asylum seekers ashore in Kent as an dinghy filled with people landed on a Kent beach.

It means the number of migrants detained by Border Force crossing the Channel by small boats has now increased from 16,299 this year - nearly double the number who arrived in the whole of 2020.

Official Home Office statistics show 3,872 have arrived in 113 incidents so far this month - breaking the 3,509 who made the dangerous journey in 117 boats in July.

In 2020 there were a total of 8,410 were detained in small boat incidents.

A sobbing child was picked out of a boat by a Border Force official after a few dozen migrants were brought to the shoreline on Saturday morning

A group of people thought to be migrants are brought in to Dover, Kent, by Border Force officers, following a small boat incident in the Channel

A woman is escorted to land by a Border Force official as more migrants landed in the UK following a small boat incident in the English Channel

A man raised his hands and made two peace signs as the boat arrived in British waters following a treacherous journey in windy conditions across the English Channel

People smugglers took advantage of the last days of warm weather to send migrants into the English Channel. Pictured, the RNLI helped migrants onto a Kent beach

The migrants smiled as they landed on the Kent beach, after enduring a perilous crossing

Pictured: A graph showing the number of migrants crossing the Channel on small boats since 2019. The figure has increased each year and reached 16,299 so far in 2021

MIGRANT CROSSINGS: HIGHEST SINGLE-DAY CROSSINGS IN THE LAST TWO YEARS At least 495 migrants crossed to the UK on small boats on Wednesday brought the year's total to 16,299. Here's a list of the highest recorded single-day crossings in the last two years: September 2, 2020: 416 people reach the UK A wave of boats departed France with hundreds of migrants making their way across the sunny and calm English Channel. In the House of Commons Prime Minister Boris Johnson faced questions over the Government's handling of the issue of small boat crossings. August 6, 2020: 235 people reach the UK Migrants arrived in the UK aboard 17 boats in what was then the highest numbers on record. In one incident, Border Force apprehended 15 people who had landed at Dungeness beach in Kent. July 19, 2021: 430 people reach the UK Dozens of people, including women and young children, were seen walking ashore after one beach landing on the Kent coast, while more arrived elsewhere. Some raised their hands in celebration as they stood on the beach, while others sat down on the shingle shoreline amid 75F sunshine. The Home Office said that overall at least 430 people arrived in various places after travelling aboard 14 boats. August 21, 2021: 828 people reach the UK The number of arrivals hits a new record, as President Emmanuel Macron warns there was a risk a wave of migrants would sweep towards Europe due to the turmoil in Afghanistan. September 6, 2021: 1,000 people reach the UK The new record was based on sightings from witnesses and reported by Sky News. September 23, 2021: 495 people reach the UK At least 495 migrants arrived in the UK after crossing the Channel on Wednesday in 14 separate incidents. The arrivals made September the busiest month of the year for crossings and pushed 2021's total to 16,299 - more than double the number in the whole of 2020. Advertisement

Dan O'Mahoney, Clandestine Channel Threat Commander, said on Wednesday: 'The Government is determined to tackle the unacceptable rise in dangerous Channel crossings using every tool at our disposal, at every stage in the journey.

'Working with police and international partners there have been nearly 300 arrests, 65 convictions related to small boat criminality and our targeted efforts have prevented more than 12,000 migrant attempts. But this is a complicated issue requiring changes to our laws.

'The government's New Plan for Immigration provides the only long term solution to fix the broken system and deliver the change required to tackle criminal gangs and prevent further loss of life.'

On Wednesday Border Force catamaran Hurricane docked around 9.30am with about 50 people on board.

The first family to disembark consisted of a woman carrying possessions in a clear plastic bag, a man wearing a woolly hat and three young boys wrapped up in winter coats.

They were followed up the gangway for processing by a little girl aged around seven with two women and a man all wearing orange lifejackets.

A further five women were also on board alongside the remaining Middle Eastern men.

The RNLI Dover Lifeboat docked around 11am with around 30 migrants on board - including a man with his long hair tied in a bun wearing a bright blue jacket, sunglasses and a shoulder bag.

A little boy wearing a stripy beanie hat was followed by his mum, who was one of around a dozen women in the group.

Onlookers monitoring activity in the Channel off the Kent coast predict it will be a busy day of crossings with people smugglers taking advantage of warm weather and calm seas.

Another 30 landed on a lifeboat at Dungeness.

It comes after UK authorities had to rescue or intercept 134 migrants in 5 boats on Tuesday. And the French intercepted at least 60 people from 3 events, according to the Home Office.

Meanwhile, the Home Office's top mandarin admitted Priti Patel's 'pushback' tactics for Channel migrants will only be used on a 'small proportion' of boats.

During tetchy clashes with MPs, Matthew Rycroft dodged saying when the policy would be put in place, or even categorically that it will be.

However, he insisted there was a 'legal base' for the manoeuvre to be carried out in 'certain limited circumstances'.

France previously responded with fury after Priti Patel ordered the tactic to be developed amid mounting alarm at the numbers attempting the Channel crossing.

Experts also questioned how it could be used without either sinking the unstable boats and risking passengers dying, or breaking maritime law.

Giving evidence to the Commons Home Affairs Committee, Mr Rycroft said Border Force officers had been 'preparing and trialling' the 'new maritime tactic'.

However, he confirmed it had 'not been deployed yet' and this would only happen when 'all of the circumstances are in place to allow them to be deployed in a safe and legal way'.

Asked roughly what proportion of the crossings in the past six months would have met the circumstances to legally push back boats, he said a 'small proportion', later conceding it would be nearer 1 per cent than 49 per cent but adding: 'I'm not going to give a number I'm not going to go further down that '

A group of migrants are escorted by Police and Border Force officers away from the beach at St. Margaret's Bay near Dover in Kent after arriving on the beach in a small boat

Boys gave each other a piggy back as they got onto a bus at the beach at St Margaret's Bay near Dover

A group of men gather at St Margaret's Bay near Dover as they wait for transport

Migrants are pictured wearing facemasks at St Margaret's Bay near Dover

Dozens of migrants wore masks and had their hoods up as they were escorted by police at St Margaret's Bay

A team of police officers escorted migrants away from the beach at St Margaret's Bay near Dover

A number of men, women and children were pulled out of dinghies and brought to the shore by Border Force

Two men posed for the cameras as they were brought to shore by Border Force on Saturday morning

A small child and its mother were brought onshore by Border Force officials on Saturday morning

The migrants were given blankets to shield them from the cold after the freezing early morning sailing across the Channel

A couple of dozen migrants huddled together in a Border Force boat after they were rescued from the sea

The migrants jumped out of the dinghy to be greeted by members of an RNLI rescue team on Saturday

Pressing Mr Rycroft repeatedly on the subject, Tory MP Tim Loughton said the committee needed to establish whether the tactic would make a 'meaningful difference' and was 'actually going to happen'.

Mr Rycroft said he could not give a 'yes or no' answer when asked if the tactic would be deployed 'next week, month, year or ever', adding: 'When we see them will depend on lots of different factors.'

He explained it was 'hard to give a definitive answer' as it involves Border Force commanders making 'judgments in the moment' based on a number of factors, including the type of boat being used and the weather.

Mr Loughton suggested the boats may have made it to shore by the time this process is carried out, adding: 'Realistically, this isn't going to work'.

'I totally disagree with that assessment,' Mr Rycroft replied, adding that he did not want to provide detail on operations publicly so as not to give people smugglers arranging the boat crossings an advantage on tactics.

The Home Office's most senior official also hit back at suggestions that plans under the Nationality and Borders Bill to send migrants who arrive in the country illegally to jail for four years would go against the Refugee Convention and could risk criminalising Afghans fleeing the Taliban takeover.

The Home Office's most senior official also hit back at suggestions that plans under the Nationality and Borders Bill to send migrants who arrive in the country illegally to jail for four years would go against the Refugee Convention and could risk criminalising Afghans fleeing the Taliban takeover.
More than 6,000 people have now been evacuated with experts saying eruptions could last for three months

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Pope Francis today said that he was praying for all those affected by the volcanic eruptions which continue to devastate the island of La Palma, with 6,000 people forced to evacuate and hundreds of homes destroyed.

New satellite images show huge plumes of ash soaring into the sky and fields burning from lava flows cascading towards the sea - wiping out buildings in its path.

The eruption on the Spanish Canary Island entered a new phase yesterday when the Cumbre Vieja volcano's crater collapsed and a new emission vent opened, increasing lava flow.

It comes as experts warned the volcanic eruptions could last for another three months, creating the prospect of further devastation.

The island's airport was forced to close due to a heavy fall of volcanic ash but Spanish airport authority Aena has since said the airport was operational again.

The closure led to long lines at the island's port to catch ferries off the island.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Friday that the government would next week declare the island a 'catastrophe zone'.

The full of extent of devastation from volcanic eruptions on the Spanish island of La Palma has been revealed in new satellite images - with 6,000 people forced to evacuate and hundreds of homes destroyed

The eruption on the Spanish Canary Island entered a new phase yesterday when the Cumbre Vieja volcano's crater collapsed and a new emission vent opened, increasing lava flow

Aerial images show the charred remains on hillside burnt by a lava flow from the Cumbre Vieja volcano

The 4km-high ash cloud above the island in the archipelago can clearly be seen from space in new images released today

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Friday that the government would next week declare the island a 'catastrophe zone'

Authorities on the Spanish island of La Palma ordered the evacuation of the towns of Tajuya, Tacande de Abajo and the part of Tacande de Arriba that had not already been evacuated due to a volcanic eruption, emergency services said on Friday

Pope Francis said on Sunday that he was praying for all those affected by the volcano, dedicating a prayer to them at the end of his weekly noon blessing in St Peter's Square at the Vatican

However, the island's government said there had been 'no significant incidents' with the volcano on Saturday and authorities allowed some evacuated residents to collect belongings from their homes.

The prompt evacuations of more than 6,000 people helped avoid casualties. Scientists say the eruption could last for up to three months.

Three rivers of lava slithering down a hillside on the western side of the island have destroyed 461 buildings, including homes, and covered 212 hectares (more than 520 acres) of countryside, according to a European Union monitoring system.

Pope Francis said on Sunday that he was praying for all those affected by the volcano, dedicating a prayer to them at the end of his weekly noon blessing in St Peter's Square at the Vatican.

'I think especially of those who have been forced to leave their homes,' the pope said.

This month's eruption is the first on La Palma since 1971.

Morcuende said the evacuations currently in place would be maintained for another 24 hours as a precaution

Stunning images show the eruption shooting molten lava into the sky at night. More than 350 homes have been destroyed by the flows generated from the eruption

The Cumbre Vieja volcano spews lava, ash and smoke as seen from Los Llanos de Aridane on the Canary island of La Palma on Sunday

This month's eruption is the first on La Palma since 1971. Pictured: Smoke and black ash is seen rising from the volcano

Drone footage shows lava flowing following the eruption of a volcano in the Cumbre Vieja park

Tourists wait for the ferry to leave the island after La Palma Airport was closed, as flights are suspended due to the accumulation of ash following the volcano eruption, on the Canary Island of La Palma

A plume of smoke is seen rising high into the air as seen from Los Llanos de Aridane on La Palma on Sunday

According to the Canary Islands Volcanology Institute, a new emission vent opened to the west of the main vent on Saturday.

Images captured by drones from the national Geographical and Mining Institute appeared to show that the volcano's cone had broken.

Director of volcano response committee Pevolca, Miguel Angel Morcuende, told a news conference on Saturday: 'It is not unusual in this type of eruption that the cone of the volcano fractures. A crater is formed that does not support its own weight and ... the cone breaks.

'This partial rupture happened overnight.'

Morcuende said the evacuations currently in place would be maintained for another 24 hours as a precaution.

The Cumbre Viega volcano is seen spewing lava, ash and smoke on Sunday as the number of evacuees reaches 6,000 people

A couple use umbrellas to protect themselves from the volcanic ash which is falling on La Palma on Sunday

People wait in long queues to be evacuated at a port on the island of La Palma on Sunday following the intensified volcanic activity

A woman picks up the ash from the road after it fell on Santa Cruz de La Palma on Sunday following the volcanic eruption

There were long queues at La Palma's main port as people, some whose flights had been cancelled, tried to get ferries off the island

According to the Canary Islands Volcanology Institute, the new emission vent opened to the west of the main vent

A machine collects ashes on the road between Santa Cruz de La Palma and El Paso on Sunday

La Palma, with a population of over 83,000, is one of an archipelago making up the Canary Islands in the Atlantic.

Spanish airport operator Aena said the island's airport had closed.

'La Palma airport is inoperative due to ash accumulation. Cleaning tasks have started, but the situation may change at any time,' it tweeted.

Workers swept volcanic ash off the runway, electronic boards showed cancelled flights and the departures hall was quiet as some people arriving at the airport discovered they would not be able to fly out.

There were long queues at La Palma's main port as people, some whose flights had been cancelled, tried to get ferries off the island.

'I am going to Barcelona. But because we can't fly we are taking the ferry to Los Cristianos (on Tenerife island) and from there we will go to the airport and fly to Barcelona,' said Carlos Garcia, 47.

People evacuated from three more towns on Friday will not be able to return to their homes to retrieve their belongings because of the 'evolution of the volcanic emergency,' local authorities said.

Passangers wait at the closed La Palma Airport, as flights are suspended due to the accumulation of ash, on the Canary Island of La Palma

On Friday, authorities evacuated the towns of Tajuya, Tacande de Abajo and the part of Tacande de Arriba that had not already been evacuated after the new vent opened up in the flank of the volcano

The fiery explosions can be seen lighting up the sky behind hundreds of buildings in Los Llanos de Aridane on the island early this morning

Authorities initially ordered residents of those towns to stay indoors but moved to an evacuation due to intensifying volcanic activity (pictured, Cumbre Vieja continues to erupt overnight)

'Volcanic surveillance measurements carried out since the beginning of the eruption recorded the highest-energy activity so far during Friday afternoon,' emergency services said.

At the quiet port of Tazacorte, fishermen described the devastating effect the eruption has had on their livelihoods.

'We haven't been out fishing in a week, the area is closed,' said Jose Nicolas San Luis Perez, 49, who lost his house in the eruption.

'About half the people I know have lost their homes. I run into friends on the street and we start crying.'

On Friday, authorities evacuated the towns of Tajuya, Tacande de Abajo and the part of Tacande de Arriba that had not already been evacuated after the new vent opened up in the flank of the volcano.

No fatalities or serious injuries have been reported in the volcano's eruption, but about 15 per cent of the island's economically crucial banana crop could be at risk, jeopardising thousands of jobs.
Turkey farmers are reporting a surge in orders as families scramble to save Christmas dinner amid fears of a poultry shortage.

There have been unprecedented numbers of orders for turkey, with most high-end farms reporting soaring demand compared to this time last year.

This panic buying surge has seen some farms receive more than five times the number of orders as in 2020. Several farms are reporting 250 per cent surges compared to figures from this time last year.

It comes as a chilled food firm which supplies the likes of Asda and Sainsbury's yesterday announced it had gone into administration amid the UK's crippling lorry driver shortage.

Meanwhile the boss of the UK's Traditional Farm Fresh Turkey Association (TFTA) today blamed Brexit for Britain's supply chain crisis.

The recent closure of fertiliser factories, due to a spike in natural gas prices, has also led to disruption in food production.

The closure of the plants, one of which has since reopened as part of a Government deal, has led to a decrease in food-grade carbon dioxide - used to stun animals for slaughter, as well as in packing meat, dairy and salads.

There have been unprecedented orders for turkey, with most high-end farms reporting soaring demand compared to this time last year

It comes as a chilled food firm which supplies the likes of Asda and Sainsbury's (pictured: Library image) yesterday announced it had gone into administration amid the UK's crippling lorry driver shortage

Supply issue threatens Christmas: The classic Christmas dinner could be decimated, with turkey, pigs in blankets, potatoes and brussel sprouts all at risk by ongoing supply and distributions issues, as well as a potential CO2 crisis. Meanwhile, toys, vinyl and books could also experience shortages - with experts even warning of Christmas trees not being available

Fears over a possible shortage has now led to a surge in ordering good quality turkeys to prepare for Christmas, according to the Traditional FarmFresh Turkey Association (TFTA) which represents the high-end turkey market.

To cater for the increase in demand in turkeys, many farmers have had to start taking orders earlier than usual with one Cornish farm having customers push to order as early as August.

Boris Johnson insists on a pay rise for truckers and will send a million of them morale-booster letters Boris Johnson has called on HGV bosses to give drivers a pay rise as the Prime Minister prepares to send them one million morale-boosting letters in the run-up to Christmas. Ministers are said to be urging up to 40,000 retired hauliers to return to action in a last-gasp bid to save Christmas, as retailers warned the Government it has less than two weeks to prepare for the festive season. Meanwhile, Boris Johnson is to personally sign off on a million morale-boosting letters urging drivers who turned away from the industry to get back on Britain's roads. The move comes amid a nationwide panic-buying spree at petrol stations and growing fear inside Downing Street that supermarket shelves could remain barren until December 25. Advertisement

Supermarket Tesco has already warned that a shortage of delivery drivers, which is causing empty shelves, could lead to panic buying across Britain in the lead up to Christmas.

Kate Martin, a Cornish turkey farmer and chair of the Traditional FarmFresh Turkey Association (TFTA) said: 'Last year we saw record demand, particularly for smaller turkeys, due to an increase in smaller gatherings and a desire to make Christmas lunch extra special, despite the restrictions.

'This year, many of our members have increased their flocks significantly to help meet growing demand for quality turkeys.

'While there will be more Golden Standard turkeys available this year, the orders we are currently seeing surpass anything we have ever seen before.'

Last year, there was increased demand for turkeys produced to the TFTA's Golden Turkey Standard, a quality assurance which guarantees the birds are free-range, dry plucked and game-hung.

This year, demand has continued to rise, with high-end turkey farmers increasing their flocks by 8 percent.

Around 40 farms in the UK specialise in producing turkeys to the Golden Turkey standard and they are normally found in farm shops and butchers.

It comes as Derbyshire-based EVCL Chill Ltd called in administrators, with around 400 jobs said to be at risk.

Administrators PwC said acute driver shortages had added to the company's challenges.

EVCL Chill, which is based in Alfreston, has sites across the UK including Daventry, Rochdale, Crick and Penrith.

It employed more than 1,000 staff in warehousing and HGV driving roles. Around 650 employees had been transferred 'to key customers', administrators said.

Around 400 staff are said to be 'at risk' and will be addressed about the company's future on Monday, saw PwC.

The company turned over 167million in the period up to December 2020.

But administrators say the firm had lost key customers in recent years. The company's issues had been compounded by the UK's HGV driver shortage, according to PwC.

It comes as Derbyshire-based EVCL Chill Ltd called in administrators, with around 400 jobs said to be at risk. Administrators PwC said acute driver shortages had added to the company's challenges. Despite EVCL Chill going into administration does not affect the wider EV Cargo Group, which continues to trade as before. Pictured: Library image

A major shortage of HGV drivers threatens to wreak havoc this winter, and the shortage has been exacerbated by a huge backlog in HGV tests due to Covid

Eddie Williams, joint administrator, said: 'This has been a very difficult situation and involved intense discussions with key stakeholders on an accelerated basis to get to this position.

'As businesses move from survival mode to recovery, the financial climate is still very volatile.'

Despite EVCL Chill going into administration does not affect the wider EV Cargo Group, which continues to trade as before.

It comes as the UK continues to feel the effects of the UK's crippling HGV driver shortage.

The UK is short of around 100,000 HGV drivers due to knock on impacts from Covid and Brexit, experts say.

There are fears of a new 'winter of discontent', with empty shelves this winter and a shortage of tankers to get fuel to petrol pumps.

One fear is that there will not be enough turkeys for Christmas dinners this year.

Today Ms Martin said the labour shortage brought on by Brexit is '100%' the reason for concerns over turkey supplies in the lead-up to Christmas.

Asked whether Brexit was to blame, she told the PA news agency: 'For sure it has come from a lack of labour.

'We're small producers, we use local labour, but for the big processors it is 100% caused by a labour shortage.

'This situation with turkeys is caused by the fact that European labour is no longer available to us, and they are skilled workers who have been coming to us for years.

'People are now missing a whole host of their workforce that they have been training and investing in over the last however many years, and those workers are no longer available for us to use on a seasonal basis - they will go find work on mainland Europe instead.

'We're an innovative industry and we will get through it but there are less turkeys to be had.'
A missing college student from Florida has been found dead behind a fire station in South Carolina, two days before her car was discovered torched in a corn field ten miles away.

A friend has claimed that a man was seen fleeing the scene of the burning car, although this has not been confirmed by police.

Sheridan Wahl, 21, drove hundreds of miles from her Tampa home to visit her father in Myrtle Beach last week.

But he told police that she never arrived at his home, and Sheridan's mom Kelly issued a frantic plea for information on Facebook on September 20th.

The day before, Sheridan told her mother on Facetime that she was trying to rent a scooter on South Ocean Boulevard in Myrtle Beach, but had been refused service for not wearing shoes.

Police say that Sheridan told her mom that she was intending to drive home to Tampa - which would have been a nine-hour drive.

An incident report from the Florence County Sheriff's Office states that Wahl's body was found about 10 miles from her burned car

Wahl, 21, drove hundreds of miles from her Tampa home to visit her father in Myrtle Beach last week

A map (pictured) showing the route followed by Sheridan Wahl from Myrtle Beach to Tampa (inset) and on her way back where she disappear. Her burnt car was found in a cornfield close to Scranton and her body 10 miles away behind the Hannah-Salem Friendfield Fire Department

The body of Sheridan Wahl was found behind the Hannah-Salem Fire department station (pictured) in Florence County on Tuesday, September 21

Her mom told her to stay the night in Myrtle Beach to avoid a long drive home back.

But the family said they didn't hear from her again after that Facetime call.

Two days later, Sheridan's body was found behind the Hannah-Salem Fire station on Highway 378 - 50 miles west of Myrtle Beach, according to the Florence County Sheriff's office.

The station, just a tiny shed with three garages, would have been on her route home.

Her burgundy colored Toyota Corolla was found torched and abandoned in a ditch in a corn field, ten miles away from the local fire department, two days later.

Sheridan's roommate at University of South Florida, Elizabeth Echenique, wrote that a white male was seen 'driving/fleeing the scene' of where the car was found, on a Go Fund Me page that she created to raise funds for funeral expenses.

Sheridan's body was brought to the Medical University of South Carolina on Friday for an autopsy to determine her cause of the death.

The medical center has not yet responded to Dailymail.com's inquiry.

Sheridan told her mom that she was intending to drive home to Tampa - which would have been a nine-hour drive. Her mom told her to stay the night in Myrtle Beach to avoid a long drive home back. But the family said they didn't hear from her again after that Facetime call

Meanwhile, Myrtle Beach Police Department said it determined that Sheridan had left the area safely after opening an investigation a day after her disappearance, according to a tweet released from MBPD last Wednesday.

At that time, the local police department requested that South Carolina's Law Enforcement look into the matter because they have statewide jurisdiction and authority throughout the state.

Wahl's mother posted a tribute to her daughter on Facebook prior to the police release about her 'cherished and loving daughter, sister, niece and friend.'

'We are heartbroken beyond belief to share the news that our beloved Sheridan Lynne Wahl has passed,' the post read.

'Sheridan was our cherished and loving daughter, sister, niece and friend. She will be missed more than words can ever express.

'Please note that the case has yet to be closed  and details have not been confirmed. A full statement will be released pending more information. In the meantime, the family graciously requests that their privacy be respected and deeply appreciates the outpouring of love and support from all.'

Kelly DeArment Wall, mother of Sheridan Wahl post this update about her daughter in her FB page, paying tribute to her daughter

Echenique paid tribute to Sheridan, saying that 'she was an amazing musician and many times would sit down to make music for fun and relaxation alone and with friends.'

'She loved fashion and was very healthy. She was spontaneous and knew how to make you laugh  So, what happened to this kind, loving, talented and beautiful young woman?'

Sheridan's cause of death has yet to be determined.
Hardline state premiers who impose tough Covid border closures could be taken to court by Australians who have suffered as a result, an expert says.

Annastacia Palaszczuk of Queensland and Mark McGowan of Western Australia are reluctant to commit to the national Covid-19 recovery plan and reopen borders once 80 per cent of eligible Australians are fully-vaccinated.

But the premiers' tough border stances could leave their states vulnerable to unprecedented legal challenges, and are already costing the tourism industry billions on pre-pandemic earnings.

In an interview with The Sunday Project, constitutional lawyer Professor Kim Rubenstein said anyone who was negatively affected by states' refusal to open borders could take legal action.

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QLD Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk (pictured) and WA Premier Mark McGowan have shown reluctance to commit to the national plan to reopen state borders once 80 per cent of eligible Australians are fully-vaccinated

'Any person who is impacted by these restrictions and who can show that this is a disproportionate burden on trade [would have grounds for a case],' she said.

Poll SHOULD STATE BORDERS OPEN AT 80% FULLY-VACCINATED RATE? Yes - we need to move on No - they must keep Covid out SHOULD STATE BORDERS OPEN AT 80% FULLY-VACCINATED RATE? Yes - we need to move on 562 votes

No - they must keep Covid out 70 votes Now share your opinion





'So that if it can show that it is, in fact, protecting one state over the other, without a legitimate or proportional response, then it really is available for challenge. And we may, in fact, see that ahead of us.'

Professor Rubenstein said the Australian constitution was 'motivated by a desire to travel freely across the country.'

'Colonies were finding it difficult to have barriers around trade. Section 92 was placed there to discourage any restriction of travel within Australia,' she said.

'The reason we have tough border measures in place is because there is a massive outbreak at the moment in New South Wales and Victoria and their hospitals are going to be overwhelmed.'

Professor Rubenstein said states that withdrew from the national exit strategy in coming months would be more 'vulnerable' to legal action. Pictured: WA Premier Mark McGowan

Professor Rubenstein said if some premiers withdrew from the national Covid roadmap in coming months it would strengthen legal cases against them since all state and territory leaders had previously agreed to the plan.

The tough premiers' unrelenting border closures have left tourism businesses crippled, families separated and citizens banned from moving around their own country.

In the September quarter alone, tourism on the Gold Coast will see a $1billion slump compared to the same time last year, an industry group has revealed.

The projection, by Destination Gold Coast, shows visitor spending in the city has plummeted by nearly $1billion compared to 2019, The Australian reports.

Over the school holiday, vendor occupancy rates were as low as 40 per cent as tourism operators struggle amid lockdowns.

The industry group are expected to release the outlook on Monday and call for the premiers to stick to the national plan to reopen at the 80 per cent double target.

'These are the issues the court would actually need to take into account in determining whether these restrictions are needed for the purpose that theyre seeking to achieve in terms of health protection,' Professor Rubenstein said.

Constitutional lawyer Professor Kim Rubenstein (pictured) said states that disproportionately close their border to protect themselves over another could be open to legal action

'The fact that there are other circumstances showing a different approach does in fact make it [the state] more vulnerable.'

Queensland and Western Australia have the lowest vaccination rates in the country, both with almost 45 per cent of residents 16 and over fully-vaccinated compared to 60.1 per cent in NSW.

Epidemiologist Dr. Catherine Bennett told panellists the crawling vaccination rollouts in both states would delay them opening their borders.

'A very risk-averse approach to opening borders takes the pressure off people vaccinating. It becomes a fait accompli  you're unlikely to reach the vaccination levels needed to be able to open safely,' she said on Sunday.

Earlier this week, Ms Palaszczuk all but ruined Christmas plans for families hoping to reunite, saying she will ignore the national cabinet's plan to open borders at 80 per cent vaccination rates because it will send Queensland 'backwards'.

Border politics have forced families to meet up at the makeshift fence (pictured at Tweed Heads on September 2)

'Where are you going to go? Are you going to go to India? In Tokyo, you have to sit in Perspex screens with masks on and if you remove your mask you can't talk while you're chewing,' she said on Thursday.

'If you look at the national plan, the 80 per cent actually takes you backwards and I do not want that for Queensland, so we're probably going to see a difference for Western Australia and Queensland because at the moment we have freedoms.'

Over the weekend, Scott Morrison again put pressure on premiers who are wavering on opening borders to stick to the national plan.

'There comes a time when you've got to honour the arrangement you've made with the Australian people, and that is when you get to 80 per cent vaccination, it's very clear that you can start opening up,' Mr Morrison told the Seven Network in an interview while he was in Washington.

He said at that stage there will still be some common-sense controls, like QR code logins and mask-wearing in certain circumstances.

'But, you know, comes a time when you've just got to move on and get on with it,' he said.

Deputy Nationals leader and Queensland MP David Littleproud said the prime minister has tried to show leadership by bringing premiers and first ministers together through the national cabinet.

Epidemiologist Dr. Catherine Bennett told the panellists the crawling vaccination rollouts in both states would delay them opening their borders (pictured, police at the Coolangatta border)

'Then they walk out and go different directions. The question has to be why are you changing your mind,' he told Sky New's Sunday Agenda program.

'All Queenslanders want, all Australians want, is hope and certainty.'

Meanwhile, federal Heath Minister Greg Hunt said great progress is being made in the vaccination rollout.

He said 75.8 per cent of people aged 16 and over have now had their first dose of a vaccine and 51.5 per cent are fully covered with two jabs.

'We are on track, we are making great progress,' Mr Hunt said.

More than 27 per cent of 12 to 15-year-olds - 340,000 - have also come forward to be vaccinated.

'That program is less than two weeks into its course of action,' he said.

NSW reported 961 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday and nine more deaths. None of the deceased, aged from their 40s to their 80s, were double jabbed.

The death toll in the state's current outbreak now stands at 297.

Victoria recorded another 779 new cases and two further deaths, while their were 25 new infections in the ACT.
Monty Python legend Terry Jones's adult children have launched a court battle with their late father's belly-dancing widow over his will.

Jones died aged 77 last year, nine years after his marriage to Swedish clothing designer Anna Soderstrom, who is now 38.

His two grown-up children from his first marriage are demanding a bigger share of his fortune.

According to The Sun, Bill Jones, 45 and his sister Sally, 47, have launched a legal bid under the 1975 Inheritance Act, which allows unhappy family members to claim for 'reasonable provision'.

Monty Python legend Terry Jones's adult children have launched a court battle with their late father's belly-dancing widow over his will. Jones died aged 77 last year, nine years after his marriage to Swedish clothing designer Anna Soderstrom, who is now 38. Above: The couple in 2013

Whilst the contents of Jones's will have not been disclosed, Ms Soderstrom is thought to be the main beneficiary and is reportedly listed as the primary defendant in the case.

Ms Soderstrom met Jones at a book signing event in 2005 - when she was a 23-year-old student at Oxford, where she was a member of the university's belly-dancing club.

The pair married soon after Terry's divorce to first wife Alison Telfer, the mother of his children.

He and Ms Soderstrom then had their own child, Siri, now aged 12, together.

In 2016, it was announced that Jones had been diagnosed with a rare from of dementia which robbed him of his speech.

Ms Soderstrom met Jones at a book signing event in 2005 - when she was a 23-year-old student at Oxford, where she was a member of the university's belly-dancing club

Jones co-directed films Monty Python And The Holy Grail with Gilliam and was the sole director on Life Of Brian (pictured) and The Meaning Of Life

The actor passed away at his home in Highgate, North London, in January last year.

Along with Eric Idle, Michael Palin, John Cleese, Graham Chapman and Terry Gilliam, Jones formed the legendary Monty Python comedy troupe.

Jones co-directed films Monty Python And The Holy Grail with Gilliam and was the sole director on Life Of Brian and The Meaning Of Life.

He was responsible for some of the most iconic lines in British comedy, ones that would go on to make a huge impact on society.

Bill Jones (pictured above with his father in October 2016), 45 and his sister Sally, 47, have launched a legal bid under the 1975 Inheritance Act, which allows unhappy family members to claim for 'reasonable provision'

Jones is pictured above with his daughter Sally, who is now 47, in 1989

His most quoted line featured in Life Of Brian, where he played main character Brian's mother.

He is seen saying: 'Now, you listen here! He's not the Messiah. He's a very naughty boy!'

'Now, you listen here! He's not the Messiah. He's a very naughty boy!'
An actor working at haunted house in Ohio has been fired after he accidentally stabbed an 11-year-old boy with a real 'Bowie-style' knife that he was carrying as a prop.

The incident happened at the 7 Floors of Hell Haunted House at the Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds in Berea, Ohio on September 18 at 8pm.

According to police, Christopher Pogozelski, 22, was among several haunted house employees working at the attraction that night, attempting to scare people walking in.

When Frank Bednarski approached the haunted house with his sister and a friend, Pogozelski 'scraped the knife on the ground in front of them and began to stab at the ground' near the boy's feet.

The knife reportedly went through Bednarski's red Croc-style shoe and cut his left toe.

His toe was bleeding slightly when police arrived. Staff applied first aid to Bednarski, and his mother, Karen, was called.

An actor working at haunted house in Ohio was fired after he accidentally stabbed an 11-year-old boy with a real 'Bowie-style knife' he was carrying as a prop

The knife reportedly went through the boy's red Croc-style shoe and cut his left toe. The boy's toe was bleeding slightly when police arrived, and after staff applied first aid to the boy, his mother was called

Karen told WEWS her son went to the 7 Floors of Hell haunted house that night with his sister and family friends with hopes of having some good, scary fun.

She said things quickly turned scary when Pogozelski approached her son.

'He walked up to my son, and he was holding the knife, and his intentions were to scare him, but my son responded to him by saying, 'That's fake. I'm not scared,' said Bednarski.

Karen told reporters she was also upset and how staff responded afterward the incident.

'They just kept saying accidents happen, accidents happen,' said Bednarski.

The 22-year-old actor from Middleburg Heights told police he brought the knife from home, even though the haunted house provides actors with fake props.

Police say the man admitted to officers that it 'was not a good idea' after they confiscated the knife

He also said he 'had no intention of hurting anyone with it.'

When asked if she wanted to take her son to the hospital, Karen declined because her son wanted to continue going through the haunted house.

'I didn't want to make a scene, of course. I wanted to go about it the appropriate way,' said Bednarski.

Karen later decided to pursue negligent assault charges, the report state ad the actor was let go from his position at the attraction.

According to their website, 7 Floors of Hell Haunted House in Berea, Ohio., is one of the top rated haunted houses in the nation

The haunted house is a part of America Haunts, which is a group of the top-rated haunted attractions in the U.S

'The biggest thing for me is, you know, I don't understand the mental state of this man,' said Karen. 'There's got to be something wrong with him, and he should not be working at an establishment like that. That's what makes me upset,' said Bednarski.

The actor's mother later called authorities saying she wanted the knife returned, but they informed her they would hold on to it, Cleveland.com reports.

According to their website, the attraction is one of the top rated haunted houses in the nation.

The attraction is a part of America Haunts, which is a group of the top-rated haunted attractions in the U.S.

They've been featured on the NBC Today Show, Travel Channel, CNN, Forbes magazine and Fangoria magazine.
Covid-19 deaths and cases have both risen today compared to last week's figures as infections soar to 32,417.

Lives lost to the virus rose 3.5 per cent today compared to last Sunday with 58 deaths revealed in the last 24 hours.

Meanwhile, last week there were 29,612 new cases and 56 deaths.

The figures come after separate data suggested Covid infections plummeted last week despite fears that the new school term would fuel an autumn surge sooner.

One in 90 people in England had the virus, with around 620,100 infected in total, testing by the Office for National Statistics revealed.

This is down 18 per cent from a fortnight earlier, when one in 70 tested positive and estimated total infections stood at 754,000.

The weekly ONS survey, based on random swab testing of 150,000 people, is seen by the Government as the most reliable measure of the epidemic.

The Government said a further 122 people died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid as of today, bringing the UK total to 136,105.

Separate figures published by the Office for National Statistics show there have now been 160,000 deaths registered in the UK where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate.

As of 9am on Saturday, there had been a further 31,348 lab-confirmed Covid cases in the UK, the Government said.

In a further boost for hopes that the pandemic may be over, Government scientists said the R rate  the average number infected by someone with the virus  may have dropped below one for the first time since March. R is between 0.8 and 1 in England, meaning the epidemic is shrinking.

ONS study leader Kara Steel said: Infection levels have decreased in England for the first time in several weeks, though rates remain generally high across the UK.

Its encouraging that infection rates have continued to decrease among young adults, possibly reflecting the impact of the vaccination programme.

Office for National Statistics weekly surveillance report estimated 620,100 people had the virus on any given day in the week to September 18, down 11 per cent on the previous seven day spell (shown above)

Infections are highest in secondary schoolchildren, with around one in 35 testing positive, reflecting the fact that many in this age group are yet to be jabbed.

But the ONS report shows cases have decreased or remained flat in every other age group.

Last week Boris Johnson said further restrictions may be required under a Plan B this winter after scientists warned the virus could cripple the NHS again.

No10 declined to say when Plan B  including compulsory masks, vaccine passports and working from home  might be introduced.

But scientists have suggested the NHS would begin to struggle if total hospital cases top 10,000.

The latest data show admissions have fallen by 16 per cent in the past week and there are 7,124 Covid patients in hospital  the lowest level since August.

Current English hospitalisations, at 572 a day, are roughly half even the best case scenario in Sage models.

Daily infections are currently averaging 36,000, with another 35,623 cases and 180 deaths reported yesterday.

Experts have warned a back-to-school wave is still possible and that England could follow the trajectory of Scotland, where cases recently spiralled to record highs.

Oxford University Professor James Naismith, director of the Rosalind Franklin Institute, said: The very high prevalence in Scotland is a concern  it is roughly double that of England.

I very much hope England does not reach the level seen in Scotland. He added: Cases remain concentrated in the very young, who are the least likely to suffer illness and end up in hospital.

As a result of vaccination, there is no going back to the death rates we saw early this year.
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A big game fisherman was left trembling after reeling in a record-breaking 550lb deadly shark in British waters.

Simon Davidson, 39, hooked the monster shark seven miles out from the Devon coast near Ilfracombe.

He fought for about an hour to reel in the porbeagle, a relative of the Great White, and his body was 'battered' by the ordeal.

He and six other fishermen wrestled to secure the creature to the side of their 37ft boat and take its measurement.

It measured almost seven feet long and had a girth of six feet, giving it an estimated weight of 550lbs - making it the biggest ever caught in British waters.

Simon Davidson, 39, said he headed out in search of a porbeagle, having read that North Devon was a hot spot for the leviathans

The porbeagle, a relative of the Great White, was seven feet long and weighed an estimated 550lbs, making it the biggest to ever be caught in British waters

The monster was reeled in after an hour-long battle that left big game fisherman Simon Davidson feeling 'battered', his whole body 'shaking' from the goliath's defiant resistance

Although large and powerful, porbeagles are not considered harmful to humans as they rarely come towards the shore

Big game fisherman Simon Davidson and his team unhooked the leviathan after reeling it in and measuring it. It swam back into the murky depths of freedom after being spared its life

The plumber, from Kettering, Northamptonshire, said: "I originally started as a fresh water angler but was drawn to the allure of big game fishing, so I was deliberately on the look out for big sharks.

"I'd heard the North Devon coast was a good spot for porbeagles and I knew Dan Hawkins at Reel Deal Charters was renowned for catching them.

"I hired his boat for two days and this one came along on the second day - it was by far the biggest we'd caught and one of the largest Dan had ever seen.

"My bait got taken and I didn't think it was a big fish because it hadn't started to fight yet.

"Then I reeled it into the side of the boat and it was a real monster.

"Suddenly it took off through the water and pulled around 600 metres of my line and it was a brutal battle to pull it back in.

"It was an hour of agony - imagine dragging over 500lbs of pure muscle. You get to the point where your legs and arms are shaking and you just think your body is going to give up.

"When I finally managed to get it to the side of the boat, six of us fought to hold it down and take its measurement.

"When you saw it in the water, you'd think it was a Great White - they're related so they look very similar. It's terrifying to think that sharks as huge as that are prowling our waters just seven miles out to sea."

After taking its measurement, Simon unhooked the shark and let it back into the sea.

The official record for the biggest porbeagle shark caught in the UK stands at 507lbs. It was caught in 1993 by Scots fisherman Chris Bennett off the Orkney Isles.

It took seven people to hold the seven-foot long sea beast still against the side of the boat while its measurements were taken

Porbeagles - Lamna nasus in Latin - are native to UK waters, along with blue sharks and thresher sharks

The unsuspecting porbeagle was hooked seven miles out from the Devon coast, near Ilfracombe

Simon Davidson said the giant fish looked like a Great White, adding it was 'terrifying' to think such monsters prowled the British coast

Potential record fish must be weighed on land for them to be considered an official record by the British Records Fish Committee, meaning they have to be killed.

Most anglers are unwilling to do that, so they measure the shark and estimate its weight.

Along with blue sharks and thresher sharks, porbeagles - Lamna nasus in Latin - are native to UK waters.

They are large powerful sharks but are not considered harmful to humans as they rarely come towards the shore.
Alex Sobel, the shadow minister for tourism and heritage, suggested Labour should fight for the UK to rejoin the EU

One of Keir Starmer's shadow ministers has suggested Labour should fight for the UK to rejoin the European Union.

Alex Sobel, the shadow minister for tourism and heritage, told an anti-Brexit event at Labour's annual conference that he believes it will soon 'start dawning' on Leave voters that Boris Johnson's trade pact with Brussels is a 'bad deal'.

Mr Sobel said that 'then we can start talking about what a good deal looks like and what the best deal looks like' before adding: 'I think we all know what the best deal is.'

The comments risk reigniting a row over Sir Keir's Brexit position after he previously said a Labour government would 'build on' Mr Johnson's exit agreement and 'make it work'.

Mr Sobel made the comments at a fringe event in Brighton entitled 'Brexit isn't working: What can Labour do?'.

Speaking at the event hosted by the Labour Movement for Europe and Labour for a European Future, Mr Sobel said: There are new battles to fight. The battle isn't over. The battle is just beginning. This is a battle for our childrens futures and the future of our continent.

And we are still a part of the continent of Europe however much Boris Johnson might hate to say it.

The Labour frontbencher said that Remainer warnings about the impact of Brexit 'are now coming to pass'.

The comments risk reigniting a row over Sir Keir Starmer's Brexit position after he previously said a Labour government would 'build on' Mr Johnson's exit agreement and 'make it work'

He said: 'The food is missing from the shelves of the shops. The petrol stations are having fuel shortages. Chefs are missing from the restaurants.

All of those things we talked about and we were told we were scaremongering, we were told that none of it would happen and it is all happening one by one by one.

Mr Sobel suggested that Labour should be pushing for the UK to rejoin the EU.

He told the audience: When people see there is a problem it is my responsibility in the press and the media and on social media and all the rest of it, to say this is due to the terrible Brexit deal the Government rushed through without any need.

And then it will start dawning on them that it is a bad deal and then we can start talking about what a good deal looks like and what the best deal looks like.

I think we all know what the best deal is. And that is how we can win this battle.

I dont think it is a job for this year or the next two or three years, this is a long term project.

We have got to be in it for the long term and we actually need to repair, Im afraid to say, some of our broken relationships with our European Union colleagues.

Sir Keir has previously said that a Labour government would 'inherit' Mr Johnson's Brexit deal.

He said in response to the deal being agreed: 'It is something we will build on compared to the chaos of no deal.

'The public would expect a Labour government to make it work. And the EU would expect us to make it work.'
Outdoor public pools across NSW including those in Covid hotspots are reopening from Monday, with both vaccinated and unvaccinated swimmers welcome.

Swimmers will be faced with two-hour maximum time slots, while changing rooms will remain closed with only outdoor showers and accessible toilets in use.

Groups of five fully-vaccinated people are allowed in, while the un-vaccinated will be only permitted in groups of two - with a 'swim and go' policy meaning no one is allowed to stay and sunbake.

There was talk only fully-vaccinated locals would be allowed to swim at community pools similar to the 'picnic rule' where groups of five vaccinated adults can gather outdoors.

Even at Sunday's Covid press briefing premier Gladys Berejiklian said those over 18 wanting to attend public pools would need to be vaccinated.

But NSW Health's Dr Jeremy McAnulty later clarified that unvaccinated people would also be allowed to exercise at pools the same as in any other outdoor area.

He added the venues would need to have thorough COVID-safe plans in place.

Outdoor pools all over NSW (pictured, Cronulla) will be allowed to open from Monday for both unvaccinated and fully-vaccinated swimmer

RULES FOR SWIMMING POOL REOPENINGS - Only outdoor pools permitted to open - Two-hour visit limits - Fully-vaccinated allowed in groups of five - Unvaccinated swimmers only allowed in groups of two - 'Swim and go' policy means no sun-lounging Advertisement

'There are a range of other activities that can be done to keep people safe,' Mr McAnulty said.

'And outdoor pools are outdoors and by the nature of that, that's a much lower risk of transmission of COVID than indoors.'

Indoor pools and aquatic centres remain closed.

The 12 LGAs of concern Bayside, Blacktown, Burwood, Campbelltown, Canterbury-Bankstown, Cumberland, Fairfield, Georges River, Liverpool, Parramatta, Strathfield are included in the new outdoor pool rule.

Last week the mayors from each of the 12 council met with Ms Berejiklian to lobby for the reopening of pools, saying that they were being harshly treated compared to other areas.

Covid-safe measures that need to be implemented in the venues include physical distancing, ventilation, hygiene and cleaning procedures, and record keeping.

Perhaps the most famous community pool in the city, Icebergs at Bondi, will not reopen on Monday, however, with bosses saying it needed a little longer to ensure the venue had correct Covid procedures in place.

Sydneysiders swimming at Icebergs (pictured) in Bondi in mid-2021 just before the Delta variant outbreak swept through the city. Bondi Icebergs is still closed as bosses draw up Covid-safe plans

SYDNEY POOLS STAYING SHUT Fairfield: Prairiewood Lesiure Centre - closed for renovations Fairfield Leisure Centre - closed for renovations Cumberland: Merrylands Swimming Centre - closed for Covid testing use North Sydney: North Sydney Olympic Pool - closed while upgrades take place Parramatta: Macarthur Girls High School Pool - closed pending health advice City of Sydney: Gunyama Park Aquatic Centre - closed for recommissioning Bondi: Bondi Icebergs - closed Advertisement

The City of Sydney said its other pools such as Andrew (Boy) Charlton Pool at Woolloomooloo would be open but unvaccinated visitors can only gather in groups of two.

Fully vaccinated visitors can follow the five person gathering rule, while changing rooms will remain shut.

In Canterbury-Bankstown, locals will need to book a one hour slot and vaccinations are 'encouraged'.

NSW has reported 961 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 on Saturday.

'We are seeing case numbers in southwest and western Sydney continue to have a downward trend but unfortunately in the Illawarra and Central Coast we are seeing more case numbers than we would like,' Premier Gladys Berejiklian told reporters.

Greater Sydney has now been in lockdown for more than three months.
Alejandro Mayorkas finally admitted on Sunday that 12,000 Haitian migrants have been released into the U.S., claiming that number could go up as 5,000 other cases are still being processed and confusingly says not stopping illegal immigration is a 'proud tradition.'

'Approximately, I think it's about 10,000 or so  12,000 thousand,' Mayorkas told Fox News Sunday when asked how many have already been released into the country.

'It could be even higher,' he added. 'The number that are returned could be even higher. What we do is we follow the law as Congress has passed it.'

The new numbers suggest that there were actually 17,000 mostly Haitian migrants part of the Del Rio, Texas encampment rather than the previous figures that said the number didn't top 15,000.

It comes as even more Haitian migrants make their way to the U.S., with images emerging Saturday of a caravan traveling to the Panama border from Acandi, Colombia.

Mayorkas continued to downplay the massive southern border crisis on Sunday, saying these migrations are 'nothing new' and telling Fox he wouldn't classify the crossing as a 'flood' of people.

Another caravan of Haitian migrants are making the long trek to the U.S. to claim asylum. Here a group walks toward the border of Panama from Colombia on Saturday

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas finally admitted on Sunday that 12,000 Haitian migrants have been released into the U.S., claiming that number could increase as 5,000 other cases are still being processed

Haitian migrants sail on Saturday from Colombia to Panama as another caravan makes its way to the U.S. southern border amid an already overwhelming surge

The area where the encampment of Haitian migrants stood just days early is seen empty on Saturday, allowing the Del Rio Port of Entry to reopen after being closed for a week

Almost all of the mostly Haitian migrants who set up camp near the Del Rio International Bridge this month left as of Saturday

'11 million people in this country without lawful presence is a compelling reason why there is unanimity about the fact that our immigration system is broken and legislative reform is needed,' Mayorkas said.

He added when asked about the surge: 'I wouldn't call it a flood.'

Previously, partial information was released by DHS this week about the status of the thousands of mostly Haitian migrants who crossed into Del Rio, Texas over the last few weeks.

Those figures, however, only accounted for only 10,000 migrants  meaning at least another 5,000 were unaccounted for.

The information DHS did release on Thursday showed that 1,401 migrants were sent back to Haiti on 12 different flights, 3,206 remain in custody, and 5,000 are still camped out beneath the Del Rio International Bridge.

'Why didn't you stop them from coming into the country?' Fox host Chris Wallace asked the DHS chief on Sunday.

'We did,' Mayorkas insisted. 'We encountered them as they gathered  they assembled in that one location in Del Rio, Texas, and we applied the laws.'

'My question is why did you allow them in the country in the first place?' Wallace clarified. 'Why didn't you build  forgive me, a wall or a fence to stop them from walking  this flood of people coming across the dam, it looks like a highway that allows them to cross the Rio Grande.'

Mayorkas responded: 'It is the policy of this administration  we do not agree with the building of the wall. The law provides that individuals can make a claim for humanitarian relief.'

'That is actually one of our proudest traditions,' he added.

Migrants cross a river on horse-drawn wagons on Saturday as they head for the northern border Colombia shares with Panama

Migrants walk toward the border where they will wait in port town of Acandi, Colombia where they will wait for a boat to take them north so they can continue the dangerous trek to the U.S.

Many of these mostly Haitian migrants get stranded in the Colombia port awaiting a boat out to cross into neighboring Panama to make their way to the U.S. to claim asylum

Migrants set up a makeshift camp on Saturday evening as they travel to the northern-est border of Colombia to await boat transportation to Panama

Many Haitian migrants who have been camped out in South and Central American countries for months - and some for years  claim they now feel it's time to make the trek to the U.S. due to Biden's immigration policies.

Even though Mayorkas and the administration insist the border is 'closed,' migrants are easily able to cross the border and claim asylum, which kicks off a process that many times allows them to remain in the U.S. while their case is considered.

Last weekend, DHS ramped up deportation efforts by beginning removal flights back to Haiti.

This caused many migrants to trek back into Mexico from Del Rio to avoid deportation to their homeland, but the vast majority of the illegal immigrants are still in the U.S. and  it is now known  were released from custody.

Customs and Border Protection garnered an immense amount of backlash for carrying out the deportation and deterrence efforts after images emerged of agents on horseback appearing to use reins as whips against the migrants.

Included in the backlash was Representative Maxine Waters of California who claimed the 'whipping' images are 'worse than slavery' and fellow black Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley suggested the actions were counterintuitive to the Black Live Matter movement as they were used on black Haitian migrants.

Haitian migrants walk on Saturday as they make their way to the transport point to Panama

In response, the White House announced on Thursday that it would no longer allow Border Patrol agents in Del Rio to ride on horseback. Mayorkas also announced the agents in the images were reassigned to administrative duties while an investigation into their actions is carried out.

Agents are angered that they are facing consequences after being directed to do their job. They have reasoned that they were only using the split reins to direct their horses or to ward off immigrants  but not to whip them.

The photographer who took the images of the agents on horseback, Paul Ratje, said that he did not witness any agents use reins to whip migrants.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Sunday offered those federal agents facing reprimanding a job in the Lone Star State protecting its border with Mexico.

'Are you at all troubled by the images of these officers on horseback very aggressively pushing back on the Haitian immigrants coming across?' Fox News Chris Wallace asked Abbott on Fox News Sunday.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott offered on Sunday to give the federal agents jobs in his state protecting the border if they are fired

'Several quick points. First, they wouldn't have been in that situation had the Biden administration enforced the immigration laws and secured the border in the first place,' Abbott shot back. 'Second, as you know, Chris, the person who took those pictures said that the characterization that the Democrats have made about the Border Patrol using them as whips, whipping people who were coming across the border is false. They were simply maneuvering horses.'

'But the last thing I will tell you is what the president said, going after the Border Patrol, who were risking their lives and working so hard to try to secure the border, if he takes any action against them whatsoever, I have worked side-by-side with those Border Patrol agents,' Abbott continued.

'I want them to know something. If they are at risk of losing their job at a (sic) president who is abandoning his duty to secure the border, you have a job in the state of Texas,' he said. 'I will hire you to help Texas secure our border.

President Joe Biden 'promised' last week that 'those people will pay,' when talking about his border enforcement agents who were pictured on horseback.
The cafe, who post 'numerous positive messages' around the building, said they had removed the sign

Ms Bradley, who suffered from anorexia, said she was 'disgusted' by the sign

A cafe in East London has come under fire after an anorexia survivor found a note on a toilet saying 'smile, you're losing weight'.

Sian Bradley was working in Vintage Rooms Cafe near Brick Lane on Thursday when she went to the ladies toilet.

But the writer was left 'disgusted' when she found a note saying 'smile, you're losing weight' written on the toilet seat.

It is believed that a member of staff did the drawings, though they were not working at the time so were unable to comment.

Sian Bradley was working in Vintage Rooms Cafe near Brick Lane, east London when she found the 'smile, you're losing weight' note on a toilet seat in the women's bathroom

Bradley said: 'I was working from Vintage Rooms Cafe in Brick Lane yesterday. I went to use the toilet and was greeted with this.

'If I had found this while I was purging because anorexia recovery scared me, it would have tipped me over the edge. I'm disgusted.'

Twitter users joined her outrage saying 'Christ alive this is awful' and 'Ugh no this is so wrong'.

Sarah Rose McCann said: 'This is horrendous! So sorry that you had to see this & that it exists in the first place.'

The homemade graffiti was still there the next day and all over the bathroom, suggesting it was intended as a permanent feature and not the work of a rogue customer.

The cafe post 'numerous positive messages' on their walls. They said they have since removed the note

In a statement Vintage Rooms said: 'We have been made aware of this and have taken appropriate actions to remove the writing from the toilet seat, though we would like to put forward the toilet have numerous positive messages that have not been shown.

'We did not intend to cause any harm to any of our customers in fact the whole cafe is full with positive quotes, we do apologise for any harm this may have caused, it was never intentional.

'We fully support anyone suffering from anorexia and would not want to exacerbate the situation in any way shape or form.

'All writing in the cafe is was written with the intention of pure humour and not to cause any discomfort to anyone.

'We have taken measures to educate our staff on this issue going forward.'

The cafe describes itself as a 'coffee shop by day and bar by night' that 'offers a cosy atmosphere where you can have a quality taste of the good old times'.
Mega-rich residents in one of New York City's tallest building are suing its developers for $250 million in damages, arguing in court documents that they have failed to address 1,500 building defects, some of which are 'life safety' issues.

The lawsuit, filed in New York State Supreme Court on Thursday, claims that engineers hired by the building's condo board identified 1,500 construction and design flaws at 432 Park.

The problems have 'endangered and inconvenienced' owners who paid as much as $88million to live in the nearly 1,396 foot-tall building, according to the lawsuit.

Residents have been complaining that the building suffers from leaks, flooding, faulty elevators, and rising common charges caused by repairs.

They also cited 'intolerable' noises caused by the building sway and an electrical explosion in June that knocked out electricity for several weeks.

The lawsuit also alleges that the developers either tried to dodge accountability or 'negligently performed remediation efforts' that at worst 'caused millions of additional dollars in costs,' the Daily Beast reports.

Residents at 432 Park, the tallest residential building in New York City, are suing its developers for $250 million in damages, arguing in court documents that they have failed to address 1,500 building defects

The residents claim that engineers hired by the building's condo board identified a total of about 1,500 construction and design flaws at 432 Park

432 Park Avenue is among several residential skyscrapers located on Billionaires' Row - a cluster of high-end multi-billion dollar development projects on or near West 57th Street and which overlook Central Park

'This case presents one of the worse examples of sponsor malfeasance in the development of a luxury condominium in the history of New York City,' the complaint says, according to the New York Times.

Individual residents could also sue for other damages.

'It's almost like peeling an onion,' said Jonathan Adelsberg, a partner at Herrick Feinstein, which is representing the condo board in the suit.

'This is a work in progress in ascertaining what's wrong.'

In a statement provided to DailyMail.com, the sponsor said:

'Virtually all new construction has maintenance and close-out items during the building's initial period of occupancy. Sponsor has been and remains committed to working collaboratively with the HOA to resolve these matters.'

'Each and every commitment and term contained in the 432 Park Offering Plan and Declaration has been honored by Sponsor. However, the HOA has restricted access to the property for the performance of remediation, which has delayed completion of certain work.

'In addition, the HOA and certain vocal residents misunderstand Sponsor's obligations. This includes demanding modifications to the building and its operations that, while preferred by the HOA, are clearly not the responsibility of Sponsor.'

The building sponsor - a company formed by developers CIM Group and Macklowe Properties - also said in a statement to the BBC that 432 Park 'Manhattan's premier residence' and an 'iconic addition' to the city skyline.

They claimed the condo board 'has restricted access' to the property to address the issues, and that the homeowners association and 'certain vocal residents' misunderstand its obligation as sponsor.'

The Park Avenue building was designed by Rafael Vinoly and was developed by Macklowe Properties and the CIM Group

A view of Manhattan from the top of the nearly 1,400 foot-tall building

Residents spent tens of millions of dollars to live in the apartments, which has a covered entryway where vehicles can be dropped off discreetly for the rich and famous

The Park Avenue building was designed by Rafael Vinoly and was developed by Macklowe Properties and the CIM Group. It was completed in 2015, amid criticism from some New Yorkers who thought it looked out of place along the New York City skyline, with some likening it to a middle finger, the Times previously reported.

Its tenants included Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez, who bought a 4,000 square foot unit in 2018 for $15.3million - only to sell about a year later for $17.5million.

It also attracted many foreign buyers looking for some discretion in the Big Apple.

In 2016, the penthouse on the 96th floor was bought by Saudi billionaire Fawaz Alhokair for almost $88million.

He is now selling his more than 8,000-square foot penthouse overlooking Central Park for $170 million.

'Far from the ultraluxury spaces that they were promised, however, Unit Owners were sold a building plagued by breakdowns and failures that have endangered and inconvenienced residents,' the lawsuit states.

It says residents have been trapped 'on several occasions' for hours in stalled elevator cars, at least in part because of the building sway.

There have also been a number of floods and leaks, both on high floors and in the sub-basement, which the condo board attributes to poor plumbing and installation.

According to the Times, some 35 units and common areas were damaged by water, causing millions of dollars in damages, and one flood disabled two residential elevators in the ultra-tall building for weeks.

Noise complaints were also frequent with even Richard Ressler, a founder of CIM Group, and a unit owner, once saying the sound and vibration issues were 'intolerable' and made it difficult to sleep in inclement weather.

Another reportedly said the trash chute 'sounds like a bomb' when garbage is tossed.

There are also reportedly cracked ceilings, misaligned joints and sliding doors that do not work.

The lawsuit further states that the sponsor group hired a consultant that recommended using duct tape to stabilize the insecure materials.

And, residents claim, while attempting to patch a leak on a sublevel in June, a contractor mistakenly drilled into electrical wiring, causing an explosion 'which threw the contractor backwards, several feet through the air,' and knocked out the power for some residents.

It was the second such explosion in three years, and the repairs cost more than $15 million, the Times reports.

Celebrity couple Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez lived in the building until they separated earlier this year

Sarina Abramovich, who owns a unit in the building, said that the problems at the apartment building caused infighting among residents, previously telling the Times: 'Everybody hates each other here.'

She and her husband purchased a $17 million apartment in 2016, expecting white-glove treatment upon arrival, according to the Daily Beast.

But instead, she was brought to her unit in a freight elevator 'surrounded by steel plates and plywood, with a hard-hat operator.'

Since then, property insurance premiums have skyrocketed roughly 300 percent for the building, which holds an energy efficiency rating of a D, and residents who were promised free breakfasts at the Michelin Star-rated restaurant Juni now have to spend $15,000 annually to subsidize the restaurant's operation, the Daily Beast reports.

Meanwhile, most of the 125-unit building is nearly sold out, the Times reports, but since reports of defects at the building emerged in February, sales have been slow.

Eleven units are now listed for sale, ranging from around $7 million for a low floor, to-bedroom apartment up to $169 million for a penthouse.

Since January, though, only one has closed.
Furious left-wingers accused Keir Starmer of breaking his vow to nationalise the Big Six energy firms today.

Sir Keir was accused of 'swindling' his way to the Labour leadership after he ruled out taking the main suppliers into full public ownership.

Interviewed on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show, Sir Keir was shown his campaign pledges that 'public services should be in public hands' and he would 'support common ownership of rail, mail, energy and water'.

But he insisted: 'I don't see nationalisation there.' Sir Keir said he would not be 'ideological' - but did not spell out what 'common ownership' means if not nationalisation.

Former shadow home secretary Diane Abbott responded on Twitter that 'everyone assumed' during the leadership battle that Sir Keir backed nationalisation.

Other left-wingers went further by accusing Sir Keir of 'lying' and 'swindling' his way to the party's top job.

Ex-spin doctor Matt Zarb-Cousin circulated footage on social media of Sir Keir raising his hand alongside other leadership candidates last year when asked if they backed nationalisation of energy.

Sir Keir is likely to come under pressure from some unions not to backtrack on nationalisation.

A motion from Unite and the Communication Workers Union planned ahead of his comments urged him not to make 'timid tweaks' and said there is a clear case for 'extending public ownership' post-Covid.

Keir Starmer was accused of 'swindling' his way to the Labour leadership after he ruled out taking the main suppliers into full public ownership

Former shadow home secretary Diane Abbott responded on Twitter that 'everyone assumed' during the leadership battle that Sir Keir backed nationalisation

Labour former spin doctor Matt Zarb-Cousin accused Sir Keir of 'lying' and 'swindling' his way to the party's top job

Starmer rebukes defiant Rayner over 'Tory scum' attack Labour conference is already at risk of going into meltdown today as Keir Starmer rebuked Angela Rayner for branding Tory ministers 'racist, homophobic, scum' - and slapped down his shadow chancellor for suggesting income tax will not rise. A clearly infuriated Sir Keir insisted 'that is not language that I would use' as he was grilled about the incendiary comments by his deputy to activists. He said ominously that he would be 'speaking to Angela later' about the jibes, although he stopped short of demanding she apologise - something she has flatly refused to do. Meanwhile, Sir Keir also appeared deeply frustrated when asked about Rachel Reeves insisting that she had no intention of increasing income tax. 'Nothing is off the table,' he told the BBC's Andrew Marr show. The spats add to a torrid start to conference for Sir Keir, who has already been forced to water down a high-profile bid to overhaul internal party rules. Advertisement

It was another setback for Sir Keir after he rebuked Angela Rayner for branding Tory ministers 'racist, homophobic, scum' - and slapped down his shadow chancellor for suggesting income tax will not rise.

A clearly infuriated Sir Keir insisted 'that is not language that I would use' as he was grilled about the incendiary comments by his deputy to activists.

He said ominously that he would be 'speaking to Angela later' about the jibes, although he stopped short of demanding she apologise - something she has flatly refused to do.

Meanwhile, Sir Keir also appeared deeply frustrated when asked about Rachel Reeves insisting that she had no intention of increasing income tax. 'Nothing is off the table,' he told the BBC's Andrew Marr show.

The spats add to a torrid start to conference for Sir Keir, who has already been forced to water down a high-profile bid to overhaul internal party rules.

He tried to get back on track today by re-announcing plans to tax private schools to boost the state sector, and also made a bold call for the government to grant 100,000 foreign drivers visas to solve the fuel and food crisis.

But he is facing another backlash from the Left after ruling out re-nationalising the Big Six energy firms - something he appeared to support when running for the party's top job.

Ms Rayner - who has been accused of blatant leadership manouevring - launched the extraordinary attack on Conservatives during an event for activists at the Labour conference in Brighton last night.

But despite a furious reaction, Ms Rayner this morning insisted she was right to highlight 'pretty scummy' comments by Boris Johnson and others.

Unusually going head-to-head with Sir Keir on TV, she told Sky News' Trevor Phillips programme she had been speaking at a 'post-watershed' fringe meeting with members to 'fire them up'.

Pressed on whether she regarded 14,000 Tory voters in her own Ashton-under-Lyne constituency as racist and homophobic, Ms Rayner said her remarks were about the PM.

'I am not saying anyone who voted for the Conservatives are racist or scummy,' she added.

She made clear she would only apologise if the PM said sorry for his previous 'racist' comments.

'I'm not saying anyone voting for the Conservatives are racist scum,' she said. 'I'm saying the PM has said those things and acted in those way.'

Ms Rayner said: 'Anyone who leaves children hungry during a pandemic and can give billions of pounds to their mates on WhatsApp, I think that was pretty scummy.'

Sir Keir looked uncomfortable as he was read Ms Rayner's remarks on the Marr show this morning. 'Angela and I take different approaches,' he said. 'That is not language I would use.'

He said he would 'talk to Angela about it later', although he stressed that whether to apologise was a 'matter for her'.

A clearly infuriated Sir Keir Starmer insisted 'that is not language that I would use' as he was grilled about the incendiary comments by deputy Angela Rayner to activists

Angela Rayner today flatly refused to apologise for branding Tory ministers 'racist, homophobic, scum' - saying she was just using 'street language'

Starmer defends taxing private schools 1.7billion to raise cash for state sector Sir Keir Starmer has defended plans to force private schools to start paying tax in order to raise 1.7billion for state schools if Labour wins the next election. The Labour leader is pledging to end charitable status for schools. The VAT exemption is currently worth 1.6billion and they will also have to pay 104million in business rates. 'This is a political choice to take that money and switch it to our state schools so that children and young people in our state schools have the best chance they can have to come out of schools ready for life, ready for work,' he told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show. Advertisement

Addressing a raucous meeting of North West activists last night, Ms Rayner said: 'I'm sick of shouting from the sidelines, and i bet youse lot are too.

'We cannot get any worse than a bunch of scum, homophobic, racist, mysoginistic, absolute pile of banana republicEtonianpiece of scumand I held back a littlethat I have ever seen in my life'.

On Sky News, Ms Rayner said that 'scum' is a 'phrase that you would hear very often in northern working class towns'.

'We'd even say it jovially to other people. And that to me is my street language... '

She went on: 'If the prime minister wants to apologise, and remove himself from those comments that he's made that are homophobic that racist, that are misogynistic, then I will apologise for calling him scummy.'

A grim-faced Sir Keir stared into the distance and kept walking as reporters caught up with him outside the Brighton Centre conference venue.

He kept up a determined silence for several minutes as they demanded to know whether he thought the Cabinet were 'scum' and if he would tell Ms Rayner to apologise.

Appearing on Sky News after Ms Rayner, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said she should offer a proper apology.

'It is absolutely appalling,' he said. 'There is no place in public life for that sort of language, that sort of behaviour.'

He added: 'It would be befitting if she just apologised rather than talking around the subject.'

Shadow foreign secretary Lisa Nandy also suggested that Ms Rayner should think again saying her comments were 'not my preferred choice of words'.

'I'm not very interested in insulting the Tories. I just want to get rid of them,' she told Times Radio.

'She apologised in the chamber when she used language like that before. It's completely up to her.'

However, former shadow chancellor John McDonnell - who once joked about activists wanting to lynch former minister Esther McVey - defended Ms Rayner saying she was passionate and 'we've all been there, late at night'.

In an interview in the Sunday Times, Ms Reeves seemed to give a strong commitment on income tax.

'I don't have any plans to increase the rates of income tax,' she said, adding: 'I do think that people who get their income through wealth should have to pay more.'

She also said Labour wants to target 'people who get their incomes through stocks and shares and buy-to-let properties', as well as stopping people paying capital gains tax at 28 per cent rather than at the same rate as income tax.

But challenged on the income tax commitment, Sir Keir told the Marr show: 'We're looking at tax. Nothing is off the table.'

He said: 'We don't know what the state of the national finances will be as we go into the election.'

Bring in 100,000 foreign lorry drivers to fix supply chains crisis, says Keir Starmer Sir Keir Starmer today called for 100,000 foreign lorry drivers to be granted visas to come to the UK as he blasted the Government's handling of the fuel crisis. Ministers have announced a temporary visa scheme that will see 5,000 HGV drivers allowed to take up employment in the UK until Christmas Eve. But Sir Keir said 'we are going to have to bring in more drivers and more visas' amid reports that the shortfall of drivers is north of 90,000. The Labour leader said that 'for a long time we have known there is a problem' and it was 'predicted' the situation would get worse after Brexit. He said the Government was guilty of a 'complete lack of planning' as he suggested he would also grant permission for EU workers to come to the UK to take jobs in other industries struggling with recruitment like hospitality and food processing. Advertisement

Told that Ms Reeves had struck a different tone, the leader said: 'What Rachel Reeves said is she's not currently considering income tax and that is fine, but what I'm saying is as we go into the election we will apply the principles we have set out to the situation as it arises.

'What we don't want to do  whether it's income tax or any other sort of tax, national insurance  is unfairly to hit working families, which is what this Government is doing.'

Labour sources insisted both politicians were trying to say they did not have plans in place yet.

Sir Keir claimed that he is 'happy' with the party rule reforms, set to be signed off by conference later today.

He had wanted to axe the one member one vote system and return to the previous electoral college, with members, MPs and unions each getting a third of the say on new leaders.

That proposal has now been abandoned, but Sir Keir is expected to secure a consolation prize with the proportion of MPs needed to nominate a leadership candidate set to rise from 10 per cent to 20 per cent.

The tweak could reduce the chances of a 'Corbyn Mark 2' by preventing left-wingers from getting on to the ballot.

Sir Keir insisted said pushing the watered down reforms through represented 'strong leadership'.

Rejecting suggestions he needed to be more of a 'showman' like Mr Johnson, he told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show: 'It's priced in, apparently, that he's dishonest  priced in. Just stop there and ask ourselves: do we want our politics and our political leaders and our Prime Minister to be of a characteristic where they're untrustworthy and where it's priced in that they are dishonest?

'I'm different, I'm afraid. I believe in integrity, I believe in truth.'

Sir Keir was shown one of his 10 campaign pledges stating that 'public services should be in public hands' and that he would 'support common ownership of rail, mail, energy and water'. But pressed on whether that meant nationalisation, he replied: 'No.'

Sir Keir said: 'I've just taken a tough decision in relation to rule changes, because I didn't want to delay. And a tough, strong leader takes tough decisions when they arise and doesn't dither and put them to one side.

'I'm about to make my speech on Wednesday and that is an opportunity for me to set out where I think this country needs to go next, and what the alternative is to this Government which is in chaos, and we're going to see that over the course of the next month.'

Sir Keir defended his plans - inherited from the Corbyn era - to remove charitable status from private schools, leaving them liable to VAT.

'This is a political choice to take that money and switch it to our state schools so that children and young people in our state schools have the best chance they can have to come out of schools ready for life, ready for work,' he said.

Amid Tory fury at Ms Rayner last night, minister Amanda Milling said: 'Shocking. Angela Rayner must apologise for these comments.

'Don't forget Rayner was Corbyn's henchman when Labour became embroiled in antisemitism.

'She failed to act. Rather than throwing around false accusations the Conservatives are focused on the people's priorities.'

Fellow Foreign Office minister James Cleverly accused Ms Rayner of 'talking crap'.

He said: 'I'm sure this went down well in the room but when voters look at the party that has had both female PMs, with half of the great offices of state filled by women, half by BAME, most diverse government, more gay ministers than Labour ever had etc, they'll know she's talking crap.'

It isn't the first time the outspoken MP has caused controversy by calling the Tories scum.

Last October, Tory backbencher Chris Clarkson demanded an apology from Angela Rayner in a public letter after he suggested that the Labour frontbench was viewing the pandemic as a 'good crisis' to be exploited.

However, the hard-Left Corbynite then heckled Mr Clarkson, who asked: 'Excuse me, did the honourable lady just call me scum?'

The exchange prompted an intervention from a furious Commons Deputy Speaker Dame Eleanor Laing who said she would not accept such comments in the chamber 'under any circumstances'.

Sir Keir is assailed by anti-Brexit and electoral reform campaigners at Labour conference today

Former Labour MP Michael Dugher was among those decrying Ms Rayner's comments today

Appearing on the same show afterwards, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said Ms Rayner should offer a full apology
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The recent chaos at Britain's borders has been driven by 'nightmare' changes to guards' rotas which has forced them to work 12-hour shifts, MailOnline can reveal.

Since at least May, there have been huge queues at Heathrow Airport, with some passengers reporting three-hour waits at passport gates.

Earlier this month, the Home Office finally admitted the situation was 'unacceptable' when a pregnant woman fainted while in a queue of people waiting to have their documents checked.

An IT failure at the airport on Friday caused further chaos, with thousands forced to wait in queues of up to three hours.

Now, speaking exclusively to MailOnline, a Border Force official has suggested that the problems are at least partly caused by changes to the staff rota which saw shifts extended by two hours in August.

Officers had already had their shift lengths increased to 10 hours and 25 minutes but this was further extended to just over 12 hours, meaning that more staff have suffered from exhaustion and called in sick as a result.

The unnamed staff member claimed: 'The rotas are a nightmare. They made all officers extend their shifts by two hours. So an already long 10.25 hour shift became 12.25 hours.

They added: 'They [the rotas] are highly unpopular amongst the staff, higher officers, senior officers and including the rostering and resource management department.'

They also claimed that more than 20 per cent of staff were off sick in August, whereas on a normal day the absence rate is around half that. The staff member added: 'It's only going to get worse'.

The recent chaos at Britain's borders has been driven by 'nightmare' changes to guards' rotas which has forced them to work 12-hour shifts, MailOnline can reveal. Since at least May, there have been huge queues at Heathrow Airport, with some passengers reporting three-hour waits at passport gates. Above: Queues at Heathrow earlier this month

Huge queues at Heathrow were first reported on May 17, when passengers flying into the UK faced 'bedlam' at passport gates

Heathrow's summer of queuing chaos: So when WILL the government get a grip? May 17 - Passengers flying into the UK faced 'bedlam' at the border with some facing a three hour wait at the Heathrow passport gates. Travellers told MailOnline how they were 'terrified of catching Covid' while being crammed into the airport's border hall this morning. July 12 - Passengers said they had 'never seen anything like' the queues at Heathrow Terminal 5 as officials blamed the scenes on staff having to self-isolate. A passenger said: 'Total chaos at security at Heathrow airport T5 this morning. Never seen anything like it.' July 20 - 90-minute queues were seen at arrivals after the government failed to update Passenger Locator Forms ahead of its 'Freedom Day' rule changes - resulting in double-jabbed Britons being rejected at e-gates. August 2 - Queues of passengers stretched the entire length of Terminal 5. Officials again blamed staff having to self-isolate. A spokesman quoted figures showing that one in four Border Force guards were reported to be off sick with Covid or self-isolating. 29 - Three-hour waits were reported at passport control. A day later the Home Office risked fury as it said passengers 'need to accept' the risk of delays at peak times. 30 - One passenger describes the immigration process in Terminal 2 as 'incompetent and ridiculous', adding that he was forced to wait for more than five hours with 'no water, no bathroom' 31 - One traveller wrote on Twitter that a queue for families with children had lasted three hours. September 1-4 - Pictures and video show long snaking lines of travellers packed closely together with no social distancing, as some aired themselves with leaflets in an attempt to stay cool. There are reports of pregnant women and elderly people being forced to stand for hours, with no shuttle made available, and of a male passenger fainting in the queue. September 7 - More long queues are seen, prompting the boss of British Airway to say the travel rules are 'not fit for purpose'. September 24 - Documentary maker Louis Theroux is among thousands of passengers caught up in travel chaos at Heathrow after an IT failure. Advertisement

A spokesman for the Immigration Services Union backed up the staff member's claims, saying that a range of rostering issues during the Covid-19 pandemic has created 'chaos for staff and caused widespread resentment'.

A Home Office spokesperson said: 'It is inaccurate to say changes to Border Force staff rotas caused a spike in sickness in August. The changes were only introduced on August 22nd, and were made following extensive consultation with staff and the trade unions, including the Immigration Service Union, to improve our operational efficiency and effectiveness.

'Our utmost priority is protecting the safety and health of the public. We will never compromise on border security and continue to fulfil our vital function of keeping the border secure and provide the resources needed to do this.

'Border Force regularly reviews staffing requirements to ensure resources are deployed flexibly as and when required to carry out the vital function of border security.'

Huge queues at Heathrow were first reported on May 17, when passengers flying into the UK faced 'bedlam' at passport gates.

In July, passengers said they had 'never seen anything like' the queues at Heathrow Terminal 5 as officials blamed the scenes on staff having to self-isolate.

Similar scenes in August were also blamed on staff shortages caused by Covid-19.

Further pictures and video from earlier this month showed long snaking lines of travellers packed closely together with no social distancing.

One holidaymaker told how he saw a pregnant woman pass out after a queue only 'moved about five feet' in the space of around 45 minutes.

The Border Force official also told MailOnline that newer staff are having to do all night shifts because older staff 'on better terms and conditions are no longer allowed to do them'.

This means that there are fewer staff on busier day shifts.

The official added: 'These new rosters started on 22nd August. A week before the busiest period at Heathrow.'

They also claimed that some officers are unable to even 'stamp passports' and are instead 'sat in back offices'.

The number of officers on 'restricted duties' due to health problems is also on the rise, he added.

Speaking to MailOnline, the ISU said the problems are further compounded by a 'perfect storm' of a lack of funding and the fact that there are not enough new recruits.

'There has been some limited recruitment into Heathrow in recent months but it has barely scratched the surface of the chronic underfunding at Heathrow,' they said.

'Plus it takes 12 months to train a border officer and face to face training has been impacted by the pandemic.

'Staff are, understandably, voting with their feet and leaving the business; either to more supportive roles elsewhere or all together. The cumulative impact has been an almost perfect storm.'

The delays on Friday were caused by what a Heathrow spokesperson said was a 'systems failure' impacting the airport's e-gates.

Documentary maker Louis Theroux was among the thousands of passengers caught up in the travel chaos.

Disgruntled passengers took to social media to share their frustration with one claiming queues for immigration checks were 'one kilometer' long and others slamming the 'absolute farce.'

Travel industry experts have repeatedly warned the chaotic scenes seen in the wake of the country reopening are blighting the UK's global reputation, while running the risk of a spike in Covid cases  further jeopardising the already crisis-hit tourism sector.

Tory MPs demanded answers from the head of Border Force over the Heathrow queuing scandal seen in recent months but Paul Lincoln, the agency's director general, has not commented publicly on the issue in recent weeks.

The delays on Friday were caused by what a Heathrow spokesperson said was a 'systems failure' impacting the airport's e-gates. Above: Queues at Terminal 2

According to the Home Office a technical issue affected eGates at a number of ports including Heathrow

Documentary maker Louis Theroux was among the passengers caught up in the chaos on Friday afternoon

Border Force chief Paul Lincoln, a career civil servant who has also served in the Ministry of Defence and Cabinet Office, had his salary bumped up from 130,000-135,000 to between 135,000 and 140,000 in the last financial year, accounts show.

He has overseen a summer of Heathrow border chaos dating back to at least May, when some passengers reported three-hour waits at passport gates.

In July, it was announced he will soon leave his current role, a month after being made an OBE for services to border security.

Former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan-Smith and James Gray, MP for North Wiltshire, have called on senior officials including Mr Lincoln to explain what is causing the 'unacceptable' queues.

Due to the extensive queues, masses of luggage were grouped together for people to sift through once they made it through the border control as the baggage handlers tried to keep up with the constant stream of inbound flights to Heathrow
Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said Sunday that the U.S. should return to normal within the year as his COVID-19 booster was approved for the elderly and other higher risk communities.

'Finally, Moderna's CEO said this week that the pandemic is on course to be over in about a year. Do you agree with that?' ABC This Week host George Stephanapoulos asked Bourla on Sunday.

'I agree that, within a year, I think we will be able to come back to normal life,' he concurred.

'I don't think that this means that variants will not be continuing coming,' Bourla countered. 'And I don't think that this means that we should be able to live our lives without having vaccinations, basically. But that's  again, remains to be seen.'

He said that the most likely outcome is that people will need to continue to get coronavirus booster vaccines annually, similar to how people get the flu shot each year to protect against the most likely variant of the influenza virus that year.

Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said Sunday that he thinks the U.S. will return to normal within a year as his company's booster shot is approved last week for elderly and at-risk individuals

CDC Director Rochelle Walensky explained her organization's decision to overrule the FDA advisory board ruling that the Pfizer booster should only be administered to the elderly and immunocompromised. The CDC expanded that to individuals who live or work in high risk areas

'The most likely scenario for me, it is that, because the virus is spread all over the world, that we will continue seeing new variants that are coming out,' he said. 'And, also, we will have vaccines that  they will last at least a year.'

'And I think the most likely scenario  it is annual re-vaccinations. But we don't know, really. We need to wait and see the data,' the pharmaceutical company chief added.

Pfizer is the only company of the three who were approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for COVID-19 vaccines in the U.S. that has also been approved for a booster.

The booster shot, however, was only permitted by the FDA to be distributed to elderly people  those 65 and older  and high-risk individuals, like those with autoimmune disorders.

The Centers for Disease Control overruled on Friday the advisory panel's decision, allowing the booster to be distributed for other high-risk individuals, including those who live or work in high contact areas.

Rochelle Walensky, the CDC director, explained on Sunday morning why approval was not granted to the general public and why they overruled the FDA decision.

'There was some real scientific discussion and a scientific close call was for those people who are at high risk by virtue of where they live or where they work,' she told CBS News' Face the Nation.

While 183 million Americans are fully vaccinated, the number of those receiving the jab severely plateaued over the summer  leading the administration to reimplement mask mandates in high contact areas and issue a federal-level vaccine mandate.

President Joe Biden announced that all companies with 100 or more employees are now required to garner proof of vaccination from their workers or else subject them to at least weekly testing.

Morningstar analyst Karen Andersen expects boosters alone to bring in about $26 billion in global sales next year for Pfizer and BioNTech and around $14 billion for Moderna if they're endorsed for nearly all Americans.

Pfizer's stock price shot up from $30.99 on March 8, 2020 - days before the World Health Organization declared coronavirus a global pandemic - to $43.94 today.

Johnson & Johnson's stock rose from $134.29 each to $164.59 today.

Moderna's stock has risen 519 percent over the past year, according to MarketWatch. It went from $21.3 each on March 8, 2020 to $430 today.
CIA officials under the Trump administration allegedly made secret plans to kidnap or even assassinate Wikileaks founder Julian Assange after the website published sensitive agency hacking tools online, according to a report on Sunday.

The publication of the tools by Wikileaks in 2016 was considered the 'largest data loss in CIA history', and senior agency officials reportedly requested 'sketches' and 'options' on how to kidnap or assassinate Assange in response.

The claims were made in a newly released Yahoo News investigation that included interviews with 30 former US officials.

Former CIA director Mike Pompeo allegedly led the crusade against Assange in 2017 when WikiLeaks continued publishing classified government documents under the name 'Vault 7.'

Pompeo's plans intensified that year when the US government heard Assange might attempt to escape Ecuador for Russia, prompting the CIA to plan a number of scenarios for intercepting him.

One proposal allegedly involved shooting out the tires of his plane if Assange attempted to flee to Russia from London.

Assange had his asylum at the embassy revoked in April 2019, and was arrested by British police. He is currently detained in Belmarsh prison while he fights extradition to the US on espionage charges.

CIA officials under the Trump administration had deliberated killing Julian Assange in 2017 when, despite being holed up for five years in Ecuadorian Embassy in London, WikiLeaks continued publishing classified government documents under the name 'Vault 7'

In 2012, Assange sought asylum in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London and was pictured above addressing the press in 2017

Among the proposals reportedly suggested by agency officials are scenarios that appear to be straight out of a James Bond movie.

They included possible shootouts on the streets of London, crashing a car into a vehicle transporting him, or shooting out the tires of a plane taking him to Russia.

In the lattermost scenario, U.S. officials allegedly even asked their British counterparts to aide in the mission by carrying out the shooting.

A former senior administration official told Yahoo News that the British agreed with the plan.

The CIA's war against Assange was concurrent to the Justice Department's debate over extraditing Assange from London to the US for prosecution.

WikiLeaks first drew fury from the U.S. government in 2010 after publishing thousands of pages of once-secret reports and documents generated by American military and intelligence agencies, including detailed descriptions of CIA hacking capabilities.

That same year, U.S. authorities alleged Assange engaged in a conspiracy to hack a classified U.S. government computer with former Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning.

In 2012, Assange entered the Ecuadorian embassy in London and was granted political asylum.

Debate over possible American moves to seek Assange's extradition from Britain first arose nearly a decade ago when Barack Obama served as president and Joe Biden was his vice president.

Former CIA director Mike Pompeo led the crusade against Assange, which intensified in 2017 when the US government heard Assange might attempt to escape Ecuador for Russia

Obama's Justice Department decided not to seek Assange's extradition on the grounds that what Assange and WikiLeaks did was too similar to journalistic activities protected by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

WikiLeaks gained national attention again after publishing emails hacked from Democrat Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign and a key adviser, which Clinton and some of her supporters say was a factor in her election defeat to Republican Donald Trump.

Then, in 2017, WikiLeaks began Vault 7 and drew the ire of Trump administration officials.

Only weeks after taking office in January 2017, the Trump administration filed a series of increasingly harsh criminal charges accusing Assange of participating in the Chelsea Manning hacking conspiracy.

The Justice Department rushed its drafts of such charges against Assange out of concern that Pompeo and the CIA's talks of kidnapping or killing him would derail or jeopardize the prosecution, Yahoo reports.

A former senior counterintelligence official told Yahoo News that these talks happened 'at the highest levels' of the Trump administration and 'there seemed to be no boundaries.'

The official added that Pompeo and agency leaders 'were completely detached from reality because they were so embarrassed about Vault 7. They were seeing blood.'

Five weeks after the Vault 7 files began, in April 2017, Pompeo addressed WikiLeaks at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a Washington think tank, for his first public remarks as Trump's CIA director.

He said, 'WikiLeaks walks like a hostile intelligence service and talks like a hostile intelligence service and has encouraged its followers to find jobs at the CIA in order to obtain intelligence. It's time to call out WikiLeaks for what it really is: a non-state hostile intelligence service often abetted by state actors like Russia.'

The CIA planned a number of scenarios for intercepting Assange's potential prison break, according to a newly released Yahoo News investigation that included interviews with 30 former US officials

If the CIA could legitimize WikiLeaks as a non-state hostile intelligence service, it meant they could treat it the way they treat foreign enemies. However, the CIA faced difficulty in proving that WikiLeaks was conspiring with the Kremlin, which stunted their attempts to plan Assange's capture or murder.

A former senior counterintelligence official told Yahoo News, 'There was a lot of legal debate on: Are they operating as a Russian agent? It wasn't clear they were, so the question was, can it be reframed on them being a hostile entity.'

Nevertheless, soon after his speech, Pompeo asked a small group of senior CIA officers to determine 'the art of the possible' when it came to WikiLeaks, another official told Yahoo News.

'He said, 'Nothing's off limits, don't self-censor yourself. I need operational ideas from you. I'll worry about the lawyers in Washington.'

Within months, U.S. spies moved beyond just Assange and began targeting other WikiLeaks personnel with 'offensive counterintelligence' strategies like paralyzing its digital infrastructure, disturbing its communications, planting damaging information in the organization to start infighting and even stealing WikiLeaks members' electronic devices.

Some of these proposals may have come to fruition because Andy Muller-Maguhn, a German hacker involved in the Vault 7 projects, made several claims in December 2020 about his time with WikiLeaks. Among them were that someone tried to break into his apartment, that he had been followed by 'mysterious figures' and that his encrypted telephone had been bugged.

Meanwhile, U.S. officials heard about a plan in which Ecuadorian officials would grant Assange diplomatic status as part of a scheme so he could leave the embassy and fly to Moscow.

According to Yahoo News, officials grew more concerned when they spotted Russian operatives near the Ecuadorian Embassy practicing a 'starburst' maneuver, a common tactic for spy services in which multiple operatives suddenly disperse to escape surveillance. U.S. officials believed they were seeing a practice run for Assange's prison break.

Talk of killing Assange may have been just that and Trump recently denied that he ever considered having Assange assassinated

'We had all sorts of reasons to believe he was contemplating getting the hell out of there,' a former senior administration official told Yahoo News. 'It was going to be like a prison break movie.'

The CIA began coordinating with the Trump White House to prepare for his anticipated escape, which is when CIA officials discussed tactics like shooting out the tires of his plane.

Assange's escape plan never came to fruition, but Pompeo allegedly continued to seek vengeance. A former Trump administration national security official told Yahoo News, 'WikiLeaks was a complete obsession of Pompeo's. After Vault 7, Pompeo and [Deputy CIA Director Gina] Haspel wanted vengeance on Assange.'

Pompeo and other intelligence officials discussed abducting Assange from the embassy through a process known as 'rendition,' which involves bringing him to a third country before bringing him back to the U.S. The idea was to 'break into the embassy, drag [Assange] out and bring him to where we want,' a former intelligence official told the news outlet.

The idea came off to some as 'ridiculous,' the former intelligence official said. 'This isn't Pakistan or Egypt  we're talking about London.'

'There was a discussion with the Brits about turning the other cheek or looking the other way when a team of guys went inside and did a rendition,' a former senior counterintelligence official told Yahoo News. 'But the British said, 'No way, you're not doing that on our territory, that ain't happening.'

In addition to diplomatic concerns with carrying out a rendition, some national security officials believed that it would be clearly illegal. 'You can't throw people in a car and kidnap them,' one source said.

Currently, Assange is housed in a London prison as the courts there deliberate on a U.S. request to extradite him on charges of participating in the Chelsea Manning hacking conspiracy

'As an American citizen, I find it absolutely outrageous that our government would be contemplating kidnapping or assassinating somebody without any judicial process simply because he had published truthful information,' Barry Pollack, Assange's U.S. lawyer, told Yahoo News.

'My hope and expectation is that the U.K. courts will consider this information and it will further bolster its decision not to extradite to the U.S.,' Pollack added.

Nevertheless, talk of killing Assange may have been just that. 'It was viewed as unhinged and ridiculous,' recalled one former senior CIA official to Yahoo News.

And in a statement to Yahoo News, Trump denied that he ever considered having Assange assassinated. 'It's totally false, it never happened,' he said, adding 'In fact, I think he's been treated very badly.'

In April 2019, Ecuador's government revoked Assange's asylum and British police arrested him for failing to surrender to the court over a warrant issued in 2012. The U.S. government unsealed its initial indictment of Assange the same day.

Currently, Assange is housed in a London prison as the courts there deliberate on a U.S. request to extradite him on charges of participating in the Chelsea Manning hacking conspiracy and acting in violation of the Espionage Act.
Dozens of anti-vax demonstrators swarmed a food court in New York City's Staten Island in protest against a New York City mandate which requires indoor diners to prove they have been vaccinated.

On Saturday, a crowd of about 60 people took over the Food District area at the Staten Island Mall.

In a video published to FreedomNewsTV, activists are seen waving American flags and continuously chanting, 'USA!' and F**k Biden.'

One individual was seen wearing a QAnon-themed T-shirt, while another activist sported a 'Trump won' shirt.

Individuals who did not appear to be among the protestors were seen cheering for the group.

Despite having a vaccinated-only policy, the protesters were not asked to provide any proof of vaccination upon entry, nor did they receive any resistance from security or staff.

Anti-vax protestors swarm the the Food District area at the Staten Island Mall to protest the city-wide vaccine mandate on Saturday

In protest against vaccine mandates, dozens of anti-vax protesters swarmed a food court in New York City chanting 'USA' & 'f**k Joe Biden'

Bystanders cheer on a group of anti-vax protesters at the Staten Island Mall

The group then proceed to take seats, occasionally breaking into chants while eating food they ordered at the various restaurants.

According to FreedomNewsTV, the group 'ate for over 30 minutes' uninterrupted before leaving.

During one moment, the demonstrators chanted 'My body, my choice,' and recited the pledge of allegiance.

The scene was a different to one that played out outside an Italian restaurant on NYC's Upper West Side, where a Black Lives Matter organizer pledged a national 'uprising' over COVID vaccine mandates, claiming them to be 'racist.'

Chivona Newsome, a co-founder of Black Lives Matter of Greater New York, made the vow last Monday as NYC restaurants began enforcing legislation requiring all people aged 12 and older to show proof of vaccination to dine inside.

'We're putting this city on notice... Black people are not going to stand by, or you will see an uprising. And that is not a threat. That is a promise,' Newsome declared.

Chivona Newsome, a co-founder of Black Lives Matter of Greater New York, has pledged an 'uprising' over the city's COVID vaccine mandate, claiming it is 'racist'

Her threat comes as data shows black New York City residents are less likely to have received the COVID jab than their white counterparts - with 38 percent of black New Yorkers fully vaccinated compared to 49 percent of whites.

Newsome was speaking outside Carmine's - an Italian restaurant on Manhattan's Upper West Side - where three black women from Texas were arrested for attacking a hostess after members of their group were refused entry because they did not have proof of vaccination.

Newsome joined a protest of 40 people outside Carmine's, where she stated: '72 percent of black people in this city from ages 18 to 44 are unvaccinated,' she declared.

'So what is going to stop the Gestapo, I mean the NYPD, from rounding up black people, from snatching them off the train, off the bus? ... The vaccination passport is not a free passport to racism.'

The arrested tourists had accused an Asian hostess of using the n-word, though the restaurant vehemently denied any racial slur was hurled before the melee.

Owner Jeffrey Bank told ABC 7: 'Three women brutally attacked our hosts without provocation, got arrested and charged for their misconduct, and then, over the last several days, had their lawyer falsely and grossly misrepresent their acts of wanton violence in a cynical attempt to try to excuse the inexcusable'.

'My team members work too hard to serve our guests, work too hard to comply with New York's vaccination requirements, and still suffer too much from the attack for me to allow these false statements to stand.'

Footage of the protest was captured by FNTV, and showed one BLM protester making anti-gay slurs.

Earlier this week, DailyMail.com exclusively revealed that the waitress at the center of the scandal had only been working at Carmine's for a few days before she was assaulted by the three women.

The waitress has not been publicly named. Her assailants have been identified as Kaeita Rankin, 44, her niece Tyonnie Keshay Rankin and Sally Rechelle Lewis, 49.

Meanwhile, the restaurant shared the surveillance footage, taken from both inside the entrance to the restaurant and the outdoor area where the brawl broke out last week, after Black Lives Matter protesters accused the restaurant of intentionally keeping it under wraps.

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 mandate, called the Key to NYC program, was announced in August but was not formally enforced until Monday, even though the latest figures show that the number of COVID-19 infections continues to drop.

But business owners that serve many who are unvaccinated say that the edict will drive away customers and cause unnecessary friction with those who did not get the shot.

City inspectors will fine businesses found to be flouting the rules. Those who commit a first offense will be fined $1,000. A second offense will result in a $2,000 fine.

Every subsequent violation will be met with a $5,000 penalty.

De Blasio said that the mandate is key to the Big Apple's return to normalcy.
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Hundreds of mourners including Gabby Petito's family and friends as well as many strangers who were personally moved by her story, packed a funeral home in Long Island Sunday to grieve a 22-year-old woman whose life of adventure was tragically cut short.

'The entire planet knows this woman's name,' said her father Joe Petito, standing before a golden urn at the Moloney Holbrook Funeral Home.

The standing-room only chapel was adorned with bouquets of flowers, and photo and video montages of his daughter. They showed her life growing up in Blue Point, Long Island, including a picture of Petito as a little girl with her small hand print on a piece of paper. Behind the urn was a more recent photo of her standing at the foot of a cave.

'She always wanted to go out and do stuff, whether it was scuba diving with my uncle, or myself or hiking the Appalachian trail, surfing sand dunes in Colorado,' the father said. 'She had some wild experiences that I could only wish that I could experience.

'To see that type of joy that brought her, and the stones it took to do that at such a young age,' he continued. 'I would like you to take a look at these videos and I want you to be inspired by them.'

Mourners were seen hugging and crying as they consoled one another while attending Petito's public funeral service

Jim Schmidt (left), Petito's stepfather, speaks with someone outside of Moloney's Funeral Home

A man put his arm around Schmidt (left) as they prepared to leave Petito's memorial service on Sunday

Schmidt (left) spoke at his stepdaughter's public memorial on Sunday, which was livestreamed

Schmidt honored Petito describing the young woman and her positive spirit to the crowd of mourners

Joe Petito, (left) spoke at his daughter's memorial service standing next to Schmidt (right) surrounded by photos of Petito throughout her life

Police escorted two red vans carrying the Petito family as they left Moloney's Funeral Home Sunday evening

Hundreds of people who knew Petito or were moved by her story gathered at her public funeral in Long Island

Family and friends mourned Petito at a funeral service on Sunday in Holbrook, Suffolk County

Three children wearing 'Rest in Peace Gabby' t-shirts picturing Petito were seen leaving her memorial service

Petito grew up in Blue Point, New York, down the street from the funeral home where people gathered to honor the young woman whose body was found in Wyoming

Friends embraced outside of Moloney's Holbrook Funeral Home a week after Petito's remains were found at a camp site near Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming

First responders gathered at the Long Island funeral home to pay respects to Petito and her family as the search for Brian Laundrie continues in Florida

A blue heart is seen across the street from the funeral home where people gathered on Sunday

Blue ribbons in memory of Petito are scattered across her hometown of Blue Point, New York

First responders waited in line at Moloney Funeral Home to pay their respects to Petito and her loved ones

A long line of people was seen outside the Long Island funeral home to pay their respects to Petito, whose story captivated the nation

A woman places a decoration near a poster honoring Petito after attending her memorial service

Petito's body was found last week in Wyoming's Grand Teton National Park, and her death has been ruled a homicide. Her fiance Brian Laundrie, 23, is the prime suspect but remains at large after he returned from their cross country roadtrip without her on Sept. 1.

At Sunday's visitation, her father didn't discuss the circumstances of her death, but offered advice for people in bad relationships.

'I want you to take a look at these pictures, and I want you to be inspired by Gabby. If there's a trip you guys want to take, take it now. Do it now while you have the time.'

'If there is a relationship that you're in that might not be the best thing for you, leave it now. Take care of yourself first.'

'Gabby is the most amazing person I've ever met,' he said, choking back tears. 'So if you're going to leave here today, I'm asking you guys to be inspired by the way she treated people, all people .... She genuinely loved people.'

He smiled as he spoke about his love for his daughter and her bright blue eyes that would melt him. He said when he'd ground her, she'd cry and that he'd always fall for it.

'She actually would do that on purpose just so I'd take her off grounding,' he laughed.

Meanwhile, authorities are scaling back their search of Florida swampland for missing Brian Laundrie, DailyMail.com understands.

Officers will continue to scour targeted areas of the Carlton Nature Reserve, mostly from the air, and will double back to waterlogged areas when water levels subside.

A spokesman for the North Port Police Department insisted the search, into its eighth day Sunday, would continue into next week on some level and that officers would do whatever the FBI asked of them.

He referred all further inquiries to the FBI. DailyMail.com earlier revealed that it is costing authorities an estimated $200,000 every day to search for Laundrie with an array of resources from bloodhounds and drones to divers and swamp buggies.

A woman wipes tears from her eyes after the leaving the memorial service for Petito which was opened to be the public from noon to 5pm

A man holding flowers arrived at Petito's memorial service in Long Island which was attended by hundreds

A man and young woman carrying a homemade sign honoring Petito joined the crowds of people that gathered in her honor on Sunday

People around the country were captivated by the search for Petito. Her family opened her funeral service to the public who gathered to show share their condolences with Petito's family and friends

A group of young girls wore blue ribbons and accessories with their funeral attire in honor of Petito

The reach of Petito's compelling story was seen on Sunday as hundreds of people attended her memorial service and were visibly upset

Members of the media set up on a sidewalk outside the Holbrook funeral home to report on the crowds of people who attended Petito's public memorial service

Over 200 firefighters were on the scene to pay their respects and help monitor the large crowds that gathered on Sunday afternoon

The crowd included over 200 firefighters, who came out to pay their respects. Petito's stepfather Jim Schmidt, a former local fire chief, told mourners that he'd attended and even planned funerals in the past, but that 'not one of them could have prepared me for this moment.'

'Parents aren't supposed to bury their children,' he said.

Still, he said he wanted the gathering to be a celebration of his stepdaughter's life.

'Gabby at 22 years old helped teach me that you could always make money but you can't make up for lost time,' Schmidt said. 'Gabby loved life and lived her life every single day. Every day. She is an example to all of us to live life, to enjoy every moment of this beautiful word that she did.'

He noted that his stepdaughter had a tattoo on her arm that read, 'Let it Be,' from a Beatles song she loved. He read a verse he found meaningful on this day: 'And when the broken-hearted people living in the world agree, there will be an answer. Let it be.'

'It's okay to mourn for Gabby, it's okay to feel sorrow and pain,' Schmidt continued. 'But we want to celebrate her and how she lived her life. We want you to hold onto all those memories that we shared with her because that will be the answer. Let it be.'

'We will hold onto all those wonderful memories we shared with her,' he said.

He and Joe Petito embraced in a hug, as mourners wept. Schmidt then walked over to his wife, Nichole Schmidt, Petito's mother who sat in the front row but chose not to speak.

Wearing a black short-sleeve dress, she cried into the arms of mourners who filed past her and leaned over to give her hugs.

A prayer card with a poem titled 'Let It Be,' the phrase which Petito had tattooed on her arm, was passed out to those who attended the service.

'Do not grieve for me for I am free. I am traveling a path the Lord has taken me,' the poem reads. 'Be not burdened with times of sorrow. I wish for you the sunshine of tomorrow. Perhaps my time seemed too brief. Do not lengthen it with undue grief. Lift up your hearts and share with me the memories that will always be.'

People around the country were moved by Petito's story after she was reported missing by her family on September 11

The Petito family hosted a small private gathering at the funeral home on Sunday morning before the public was welcomed

People of all ages arrived at Moloney's Funeral Home to honor Petito and hear her family speak about the young woman who went missing while on a cross-country road trip with her fiance

Adam Silverstein, 23, of Northport, Long Island was among those who lined up to pay his respects. He did not know Petito was moved by her tragic story

The gathering included Petito's former Bayport Blue Point High School classmates and members of the Long Island community where she grew up

After a private gathering for family and close friends Sunday morning, the funeral home opened its doors to several hundred other people forming a line that wrapped around the funeral home on the bright sunny day.

The service was livestreamed online showing the packed service at the Long Island funeral home which was covered with photos of Petito throughout her life.

Desiree Keeffe, a friend of Petito's mother, attended the service. 'She gave you love,' Keeffe told NBC. 'She was just a beautiful soul. She touched everybody like she did now.'

The large gathering included many former classmates of Gabby's at Bayport Blue Point High School.

'I'm heartbroken, it's just so horrible,' Melanie McGuire, 21, cried.

Adam Silverstein, 23, of Northport, Long Island was one of the hundreds of people who were moved by Petito's story. 'I didn't know Gabby, but I feel a connection with her, with her family and her story,' he told DailyMail.com.

He joined a social networking app where nearly 7,000 people worldwide are celebrating Petito's life and seeking justice in the case.

'The way she lived her life really spoke to me and she's touched people around the world,'he said. 'She was a kind hearted soul and she expressed her love to the world in the way she lived her life.'

Lexi Ruiz, Petito's former co-worker, remembered working with her at a local cafe. 'She was always willing to help someone else,' Ruiz told NBC. 'She was just such a light. ... It's nice to see so many people come together and support her family.'

Petito was reported missing on September 11 after her 23-year-old fiance, Laundrie, came back to his parents' home in Florida. The pair were on a cross-country road trip in Petito's white van and they were documenting their travels on social media platforms including Instagram and YouTube before authorities found Petito's body in Grand Teton Park on September 19

A friend holds up a sign which reads 'Rest in peace little Gabby!!!' with photos of Petito, flowers, butterflies, and a balloon

A man was seen carrying a colorful wreath at the public memorial service honoring Petito

A young woman left Petito's memorial service visibly upset as she walked out of the funeral home hand-in-hand with another woman

Firefighters arrived around noon on Sunday for Petito's memorial service. Petito's stepfather is a former firefighter

In lieu of flowers, the family asked for donations be sent to the Future Gabby Petito Foundation, which was recently formed by Joseph Petito and is dedicated to helping families locate their missing children

Across the street from the funeral home, a chain link fence was adorned with posters featuring Petito's image and messages such as, 'She touched the world'

Another vigil took place on Saturday night in North Port, Florida, where Petito lived with Laundrie and his parents. Community members gathered at city hall lighting candles and releasing butterflies in her honor and to voice support for her family.

Petito, who embarked on a cross-country road trip with Laundrie, was last seen alive on August 25. Laundrie returned home to Florida on September 1, and she was reported missing by her parents 11 days later.

After an extensive search at Grand Teton National Park's Spread Creek campground, Petito's remains were discovered on September 19. A coroner ruled that she died as a result of a homicide, but her manner of death has not yet been revealed.

Laundrie's parents said he left their home on September 14 - but only reported him missing three days later. FBI and local police are still searching for him in an alligator-infested reserve five miles from his home. On Sunday, FBI agents paid another visit to the home of his parents  before leaving with a mysterious package.

Laundrie's mom Roberta, 55, was seen darting outside to leave an item in the screened porch of their North Port, Florida home at 10am.

An hour later two FBI agents with bulletproof vests, weapons and a clipboard walked up the drive, hovering at the front door before stooping to pick something up.

A female agent then walked back to their black SUV carrying a brown paper bag, which was believed to be used for evidence.

The agents did not appear to knock on the door and did not speak to either Roberta or her husband Christopher, 62.

When asked by a DailyMail.com reporter about the purpose of the visit neither agent responded. The FBI also declined to comment.

The development came as authorities continued to scour alligator-infested swampland in the Carlton Nature Reserve for Brian, 23, on Sunday.

The huge search has involved bloodhounds. It's typical for cops to ask families for a personal item or a piece of clothing from a missing person to help the animals pick up their scent.

People who knew Gabby have partnered with law enforcement to increase the reward for tips about Laundrie's whereabouts to $30,000. Jerry Torres, a neighbor of the Petito family, first offered $5,000 for information that could help authorities find Laundrie.

The reward, however, was raised to $10,000 in part from help from Steve Moyer, the former deputy chief of police for Sarasota, Florida, secured another $10,000 to Torres's reward, telling CNN affiliate WZVN on Friday, 'Money gets people to talk.'

Boohoff Law, a personal injury law firm, announced last week that it was adding another $20,000 for information, according to a statement published in the Sun North Port. 'The authorized reward will remain open for two months starting from the receipt of the tip by the investigating law enforcement,' the statement said.

Police are continuing the massive manhunt for Laundrie, who was the last person seen with her, as FBI agents paid another visits to his parents' home on Sunday

One FBI agent had a mysterious brown paper bag believed to contain evidence

Laundrie's parents said he left their home on September 14 - but only reported him missing three days later. FBI and local police are still searching for him in an alligator-infested reserve five miles from his home

Rewards totaling $30,000 are being offered for information leading to his whereabouts

'We believe by offering a reward, it may help law enforcement get answers and bring justice for Gabby,' Kate Shakira, an employee at the firm, told the Sun. 'We have been in touch with law enforcement about this reward.'

Petito's death has been classified as homicide, meaning she was killed by another person, but medical examiners in Wyoming haven't disclosed how she died pending further autopsy results.

The couple posted online about their trip in a white Ford Transit van converted into a camper. They got into a physical altercation August 12 in Moab, Utah, that led to a police stop for a possible domestic violence case. Ultimately, police officers decided to separate the quarreling couple for the night. But no charges were filed, and no serious injuries were reported.

On Thursday, the FBI issued a warrant for Laundrie's arrest. The agency said he is wanted for 'use of unauthorized access device' related to his activities between August 30 and September 1, following Petito's death, and that he used the card to obtain items totaling $1,000 or more.

A statement released by the Bureau's Denver desk reads, 'While this warrant allows law enforcement to arrest Mr Laundrie, the FBI and our partners across the country continue to investigate the facts and circumstances of Ms. Petito's homicide.'

Steve Bertolino, Laundrie's attorney, issued a statement Thursday evening after the FBI's arrest warrant for his fugitive client was made public, emphasizing that the warrant was not for Petito's death but for related activities that took place after her demise .

'It is my understanding that the arrest warrant for Brian Laundrie is related to activities occurring after the death of Gabby Petito and not related to her actual demise,' Bertolino told Dailymail.com

'The FBI is focusing on locating Brian and when that occurs the specifics of the charges covered under the indictment will be addressed in the proper forum.'
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Harry and Meghan have touched down in Santa Barbara, California to be reunited with their children Archie and Lilibet after their whirlwind tour of New York - after a wire poking out of Harry's pocket suggests the trip will be part of their multi-million dollar Netflix deal.

Exclusive pictures obtained by DailyMail.com show the Duke and Duchess of Sussex returning home Saturday night.

Touching down in their private jet, the virtue signaling couple and fossil fueled eco-warriors embraced members of staff who had accompanied them on the pseudo royal tour before heading back to their Montecito mansion.

Landing back in California late Saturday Meghan, 40, ditched the block color power dressing that saw some social media users mock her as a Michelle Obama wannabe.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle arrived back in Santa Barbara on a private jet as they gave long hugs to staff including Archewell's CEO Mandana Dayani (pictured right next to Meghan) after a long trip to New York City

Touching down in their private jet the virtue signaling couple and fossil fueled eco-warriors embraced members of staff who had accompanied them on the pseudo royal tour

Landing back in California late Saturday, Meghan, 40, ditched the block color power dressing that saw some social media users mock her as a Michelle Obama wannabe

Instead, she appeared casual and relaxed, dressed in loose camel sweater and black pants as she embraced the members of staff who constitute the retired royals neo court for the trip that began Thursday morning, with a visit to the World Trade Center memorial and Freedom Tower in the company of New York Mayor Bill de Blasio and the states new governor Kathy Hochul.

Meghan look-a-like, and CEO of the couples Archewell organization Mandana Dayani was among the staff whom the Sussex fondly hugged goodbye at Santa Barbaras private airport Saturday.

Dayani, an Iranian activist and lawyer, was announced as the CEO of Harry's and Meghan's organization earlier this month. She will be in charge of day-to-day operations at Archewell Foundation, Archewell Audio and Archewell Productions. Dayani is also the founder of the successful 'I am a voter' movement, which seeks to engage people in civic participation.

Harry, 37, was also low-key when he touched down on the west coast last night, swapping his New York suits for navy jeans, a light casual sweater and buff suede boots as he arrived laden with bags which he loaded into a waiting Jeep.

Earlier, the couple had wrapped up their three-day stint on the East coast with an appearance on stage at Central Parks Global Citizens Festival, dubbed Wokestock.

The Sussexes will be reunited with their children Archie and Lilibet following their whirlwind tour of New York. The couple, now headed back to their home in Montecito, took part in a string of worthy pow-wows across three days

Meghan look-a-like, and CEO of the couples Archewell organization Mandana Dayani was among the staff whom the Sussex fondly hugged goodbye at Santa Barbaras private airport

It is believed the film crew that followed the couple wherever they went in New York could have been part of their multi-million dollar Netflix and Spotify contracts

Meghan and Harry attend Global Citizen Live in New York on Saturday, the 24-hour global event starting on September 25 aimed to unite the world to defend the planet and defeat poverty. The couple were accompanied by a cameraman, sparking rumors they may be filming as part of their multi-million-dollar deal with Netflix

Meghan, who had perplexed onlookers by consistently wrapping up in winter clothing despite the balmy New York temperatures, finally shed her coat as she took to the stage to preach vaccine equity and pandemic awareness to the crowd at the culmination of the couples three night stay in the luxury Carlyle Hotel where suites cost upwards of $8,000 a night.

Harry was first to take the mic on the stage on Central Parks Great Lawn. Are you ready to do whats necessary to end this pandemic? he asked the crowd.

He handed the mic to his wife who addressed the crowd, Hi everybody. It is so good to be back here with all of you. We know that it feels like this pandemic has been going on forever. We get it. Its been a lot, and some people are just over it.

But if everyone is over it, its never going to be over with. Theres so much we can do today that can get us closer to ending this pandemic, and thats why were all here.

She credited, the most brilliant scientists, researchers, frontline worker and selfless public health leader, for making it possible for them to be there and dubbed them, humanitarian heroes before handing the mic back to Harry.

Harry appeared to be sporting a secret mic during his visit with Meghan Markle as he leaned forward to hug Melba restaurant owner Melba Wilson on Friday, in a sign the couple may have been recording the NYC tour

A tell-tale wire was spotted poking out from underneath the prince's shirt and trailing into his chino pocket

Prince Harry attending a school event at PS123. Dozens of children at the school were able to grab a hug with the duke and duchess during their visit to a Harlem school. An estimated 95 percent of students at the public school fall on the economic need index

The Sussexes arrived at Harlem's PS 123 Mahalia Jackson school where Meghan read to a group of students before they were photographed hugging dozens of young school children

The children and the couple were all seen wearing face masks, which have been mandatory in schools across the state since New York Governor Kathy Hochul reimplemented the mask mandate after she took office last month

He spoke of their meetings with independent world health leaders, that week.

In fact the couple took part in string of worthy pow-wows across three days. They followed their World Trade Center visit with a trip to the United Nations where they met with US Ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield for what they described as an important discussion on COVID-19, racial justice and mental health.

Their visit also included a meeting with Chelsea Clinton, part of a conversation that, again according to the couple themselves, included a number of the foremost leaders on public health, pandemic preparedness, scientific progress, and community building.

Posting on their foundations Instagram account they professed themselves so encouraged by the spirit of collaboration we heard throughout our conversation, and said they were eager to do their part.

In a bid to do their part they also visited PS 123 Mahalia Jackson School in Harlem  with Meghan donning an outfit costing $7,520 and around $387,000 worth of jewelry to visit the school where 94 percent of the pupils are eligible for free meals.

The visit was purportedly to promote literacy and saw the Duchess read from her own childrens book The Bench

The couple appeared to have worked up an appetite during the visit as they then headed on to local soul food joint Melba's for a bite to eat. They sat down for lunch at famed southern-food restaurant Melba's run by Harlem-local, Melba Wilson. She later thanked the couple on the restaurant's social media pages for a promised $25,000 donation towards the business's COVID-19 Employee Relief Fund

New York, NY - The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrive at Melba's restaurant in NYC for lunch after spending the morning with school children at a Harlem elementary school on Thursday

Prince Harry appeared to be wearing a secret mic when he arrived with Meghan to a Harlem soul food joint Friday, suggesting the couple may have been recording their New York tour as part of their multi-million dollar Netflix and Spotify deals.

The wire was seen poking out from underneath the Duke of Sussex's shirt and trailing into his chino pocket as he leaned forward to hug Melba restaurant owner Melba Wilson.

The visit was purportedly to promote literacy and saw the Duchess read from her own childrens book The Bench.

Next was a lunch of chicken and waffles at local restaurant, Melbas where the couple donated $25,000 to owner Melba Wilsons Covid relief fund.

A wire spotted poking from Harrys shirt and into his chino pockets led some to speculate that the couple were filming their visit for their multi-million dollar Netflix or Spotify contracts.

The couple were also frequently seen being followed around by a man carrying a video camera.

Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are escorted as they leave the United Nations headquarters after a visit during 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly

They had an 'important discussion' on COVID-19, racial justice and mental health with US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield

Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are escorted as they leave the United Nations headquarters

Prince Harry and Meghan are seen leaving the UN building on Saturday in a cavalcade of gas-guzzling vehicles

Later on Thursday Harry met with the President of Angola, Joao Lourenco, to discuss the countrys de-mining efforts and environmental issues before taking off in the cavalcade of gas-guzzling vehicles in which the couple was transported around town.

DailyMail.com exclusively captured video of the retired prince in an animated meeting with three others, including Archewell Foundation Executive Director, James Holt, that same evening.

Ensconced in a corner table in the Carlyle Hotels Bemelmanss bar, Harry spoke earnestly and gestured frequently as his drinking companions listened and took notes.

With the Duchess nowhere to be seen he wrapped up his drink after 45 minutes or so and left clutching an iPad and notepad.

Harry and Meghan had enjoyed drinks with her friend, and their one-time matchmaker, Misha Nonoo and her husband at the very same table on Wednesday, the night before when they had dipped under the radar and arrived in the Big Apple.

Harry and Meghan gave a joint and coordinated speech where they alternated every couple sentences

Prince Harry's narrowed gaze showed pride as he watched Meghan Markle become the 'lead star' during the Global Citizen Live on Saturday, body language expert Judi James claimed
A mother who was found guilty of child cruelty after her toddler was crushed to death by a car seat has been spotted for the first time since her release.

Adrian Hoare, 26, was seen walking in Chatham, Kent, where she is believed to have moved in with her mother Janis Templeton-Hoare, 55 - who once said she would 'always feel hatred towards her' daughter following her grandson's death.

Hoare's usually brunette-coloured hair has been dyed blonde and red, suggesting she is trying to avoid being recognised.

The hairdresser was jailed in 2019 after being found guilty of putting her son Alfie Lamb into harm's way by placing him into the footwell of an Audi convertible.

Her boyfriend at the time Stephen Waterson, 28, then slammed into Alfie with his seat, before pulling him out of the car and trying to revive him.

Alfie suffered a cardiac arrest and his life support machine was turned off three days later in 2018.

Adrian Hoare, from Kent, was jailed for two years and nine months in May 2019 after being found guilty of child cruelty over the death of her son Alfie Lamb

Three-year-old Alfie was crushed to death by a car seat after she placed the toddler into the footwell of an Audi in 2018 (pictured left with Hoare)

A source told the Sun: 'It's sickening to see her walking the streets again already.

'She didn't deserve Alfie and doesn't deserve to be free.

'Scumbags who abuse kids are among the most hated offenders so it's no surprise she's trying to avoid being spotted.'

Hoare was jailed for two years and nine months in May 2019, but was offered early release and left prison in October that year.

However her licence was revoked just three months later after she 'placed herself in a risky situation' and then 'lost touch with the probation service', according to parole bosses.

She then remained 'unlawfully at large' until she was taken back into custody in May 2020, before being released in July this year when her sentence expired.

Waterson, meanwhile, received a seven-and-a-half-year sentence for manslaughter.

It comes after a parole board in May this year ruled that Hoare was not suitable for release at that time.

Hoare's boyfriend Stephen Waterson (pictured), from Croydon, was also jailed over the toddler's death

A document setting out the Parole Board's decision said: 'After considering the circumstances of her offending, the progress made while in custody and on licence, and the other evidence presented at the hearings and in the dossier, the panel was not satisfied that Ms Hoare was suitable for release.'

At the time of her offending she was described as making 'poor decisions and acting impulsively at times', with the document adding: 'She had been in relationships where she had been easily led and controlled or manipulated.

'She had shown some aggression and even violence.

'Ms Hoare had misused illicit drugs and had mixed with like-minded, anti-social people.'

While the Parole Board was told of some progress she had made to address her behaviour, for example taking part in counselling, it added that 'there were concerns about how open Ms Hoare might be with her supervising team.'

Three-year-old Alfie Lamb was in the footwell of the Audi A4 (pictured) when Waterson slammed his chair into him in south London in February 2018

Hoare was jailed in 2019 after being found guilty of putting her son Alfie Lamb into harm's way by placing him into the footwell of an Audi convertible

It said: 'She was considered to show insufficient self-awareness or insight and to lack adequate self-control.'

Hoare was cleared of manslaughter following a trial, but was convicted of child cruelty.

Her partner Waterson was jailed for seven and a half years for manslaughter, plotting to pervert the course of justice and intimidating a witness after admitting squashing Alfie by reversing his car seat into him.

Speaking to the Sun on her daughter's initial release in 2019, Hoare's heartbroken mother said she was still unable to forgive her daughter.

She said: 'I will always feel hatred towards her for what she's done. She has taken everything from me. Adrian has literally broken me.'

She added: 'The hardest thing at this time of year is going out and seeing little kids out telling their nannies what they want, and that they want to go to see Father Christmas.

'He should still be here and we should be doing those things together.'
Angela Rayner was spotted having a crafty cigarette amid tensions at the Labour Party conference after she called senior Tories 'racist, homophobic, scum'.

Deputy Labour leader Ms Rayner had refused to apologise for her remarks, delivered at a reception for activists.

Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer distanced himself from Ms Rayner's comments - which outraged members of the Government, with one minister accusing her of 'talking cr**'.

Ms Rayner said she would only apologise if Boris Johnson said sorry for past comments he made 'that are homophobic, that are racist, that are misogynistic'.

Amid the fury over her statement, Ms Rayner was pictured smoking outside The Brighton Centre, where the Labour conference is being held.

Angela Rayner was spotted having a crafty cigarette amid tensions at the Labour Party conference after she called senior Tories 'racist, homophobic, scum'

Amid the fury over her statement, Ms Rayner was pictured smoking outside The Brighton Centre, where the Labour conference is being held

Sir Keir said he would speak to his deputy but it was a matter for her whether she apologised.

He told BBC One's The Andrew Marr Show: 'Angela and I take different approaches and that's not language that I would use.'

Ms Rayner said her comments, made in a 'post-watershed' reception, were an attempt to get across the 'anger and frustration' felt about Mr Johnson and the Cabinet.

'Anyone who leaves children hungry during a pandemic and can give billions of pounds to their mates on WhatsApp, I think that was pretty scummy,' she told Sky News.

The Ashton-under-Lyne MP said her attack was made in the 'street language' of her northern working class roots.

In an apparent reference to Mr Johnson's history - including comparing burka-wearing Muslim women to 'letter boxes' - Ms Rayner said she would only apologise if the Prime Minister also said sorry.

'I'm saying the Prime Minister has said those things and acted in that way. If the Prime Minister wants to apologise and remove himself from those comments he has made that are homophobic, that are racist, that are misogynistic, I will apologise for calling him scummy.'

The Daily Mirror reported that at the event in Brighton on Saturday night, Ms Rayner said: 'We cannot get any worse than a bunch of scum, homophobic, racist, misogynistic, absolute vile... banana republic, vile, nasty, Etonian... piece of scum.'

Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner sat next to each other on the stage in Brighton this afternoon in an apparent bid to quell civil war rumours

The Ashton-under-Lyne MP said her attack was made in the 'street language' of her northern working class roots

To applause, she added she had 'held back a little'.

Conservative chairman Oliver Dowden said: 'At a time when the country is trying to pull together to recover from Covid, the last thing we need is the deputy leader of the Labour Party calling people 'scum' and yelling insults.

'We need to make politics better, not drag it into the gutter. Let's see if we get an apology.'

Foreign Office minister James Cleverly said voters would see a Tory Party which has had two female prime ministers and the 'most diverse government' and 'they'll know she's talking crap'.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said Ms Rayner's verbal attack was 'absolutely appalling', telling Sky News: 'There's no place in public life for that sort of language, that sort of behaviour.'

But veteran Tory MP James Gray also opened up the Conservatives to criticism after he suggested a bomb should be planted in Labour frontbencher Anneliese Dodd's office.

Mr Gray apologised for the 'foolish remark' that he wrote in a WhatsApp group with fellow Tory MPs.

Left-wing Labour veteran John McDonnell defended Ms Rayner, suggesting she should not have used the language she did but that 'deep down she's expressing the anger many of us feel'.

The former shadow chancellor told Sky's Trevor Phillips On Sunday: 'We've all been there, late at night, getting very angry about what's going on. What I like about Angie Rayner is that she's human.'

Current Labour frontbencher Lisa Nandy said it is 'completely up to' Ms Rayner whether she apologises over the remarks but conceded it is not the kind of language she herself would use.

The shadow foreign secretary told Times Radio: 'It's not my preferred choice of words. I'm not very interested in insulting the Tories. I just want to get rid of them.'
Fox News' Chris Wallace on Sunday pushed back on Greg Abbott's vow to 'eliminate rape' in the Texas governor's defense of the new abortion law that doesn't include exceptions for rape and incest.

Wallace played a previous clip of Abbott during Fox News Sunday where the Texas governor said: 'Goal number one in the state of Texas is to eliminate rape so that no woman, no person will be a victim of rape.'

'Is it reasonable to say to somebody who is the victim of rape and might not understand that they are pregnant, you know, until six weeks, 'Well, don't worry about it because we're going to eliminate rape as a problem in the state of Texas.'?' Wallace asked Abbott of his comments.

'Well, there's multiple things I have to say in answer to this. But the first thing, obviously, is that survivors of sexual assault, they deserve support, care, and compassion. And Texas is stepping up to make sure that we provide that by signing a law and creating in the governor's office a sexual assault survivors task force.'

Fox News' Chris Wallace (left) pushed back on Texas Governor Greg Abbott (right) on Sunday over his defense of the new abortion law not including exceptions for rape or incests

Abbott previously said: 'Goal number one in the state of Texas is to eliminate rape so that no woman, no person will be a victim of rape'

'I got to point out about the ways that I have fought to go to arrest and apprehend and try to eliminate rape. I sought the death penalty for repeat rapists ' he continued, but was cut off by Wallace.

'Governor, excuse me, because we are running out of time  there were more than 15,000 rapes in 2019 when you were governor,' he pointed out.

Abbott signed one of the nation's most restrictive abortion laws in May, which bans termination of a pregnancy around the sixth week of pregnancy, or when a fetal heartbeat can be detected.

The bill was immediately challenged and struck down in court, but the 6-3 conservative majority on the Supreme Court overruled that decision this month and declared the bill was constitutional.

The new Texas law does not have exceptions for anyone who may be seeking an abortion after six weeks even in the cases of rape or incest.

The new Texas law, which was upheld by the Supreme Court this month, bans abortion in the state after six weeks  or when a fetal heartbeat can be detected

'Let me just ask this question,' Wallace said to Abbott on Sunday, 'A Republican state representative says that he's going to offer a new measure that would restore the exception to the Texas abortion law for victims of rape and incest. If that came to your desk, will you sign it or not?'

'Well, we've got to go back, Chris, to what the reason was why the law was passed in the first place. And the goal is to protect the lives of every child with a heartbeat. And so we're working to achieve that goal,' Abbott deflected.

'Including a child of a rape?' Wallace questioned.

'This goal is consistent with what the United States Supreme Court has written, and that is states have the ability to make sure that we protect the health and safety of both the mother and the child. And that's what we are seeking to do here,' he reasoned.

'Are you saying that you will not sign an exception for rape and incest?' Wallace pushed.

Abbott responded: 'Well, first, I've got to tell you, Chris, you're  you're making a hypothetical that is not going to happen because that bill is not going to reach my desk. But, second, again, the goal is to protect the life of every child with a heartbeat.'

'OK,' the Fox News host said.
A San Francisco-area news anchor has been 'suspended indefinitely' after reportedly arguing with the station's news director over media coverage of the Gabby Petito case.

Three-time Emmy winner Frank Somerville, 63, wanted to add a 'brief tagline' at the end of a KTVU report to discuss 'missing white woman syndrome'.

The term, coined by late journalist Gwen Ifill, refers to how missing young, white women are given more media coverage than minority groups and men.

Somerville, who is the adoptive father of a black teen daughter, wanted to question the amount of coverage devoted to 'van life' woman Petito after the 22-year-old's body was found in a Wyoming campsite last week, according to the Mercury News.

But news director Amber Eikel reportedly told him that his suggested tagline was 'inappropriate' - an assertion that sources told the newspaper he pushed back on.

There's no word on how heated the disagreement got, but the anchor was suspended indefinitely the following day, the Mercury News said.

Responding to a request for comment from DailyMail.com, Somerville said: 'I can't right now for my own protection. What I can tell you is that most of the reports you're reading are generally correct.'

KTVU did not immediately respond to emails or calls from DailyMail.com.

Frank Somerville, 63, has been 'suspended indefinitely' from his his job at the Bay Area's KTVU after reportedly arguing with news director Amber Eikel, right, about Gabby Petito coverage

The TV veteran has an adoptive black teen daughter who he often posts on his Facebook

Petito was reported missing 10 days after her fiancee returned home from a cross-country road trip without her on September 1. She has since been found dead in a Wyoming campsite

The suspension comes just six weeks after he returned to the desk following a May 30 incident in which he slurred his words live on air.

Several people have criticized the media blitz that has followed the case Petito, who vanished on a cross-country road trip with her fiancee Brian Laundrie.

Laundrie returned to their shared home in Florida without her on September 1, and her family reported her missing two weeks ago on September 11.

Laundrie, 23, is now missing himself and remains a person of interest in the case. The FBI issued a warrant for his arrest on Thursday.

On Monday, MSNBC host Joy Reid slammed the media's fascination with the story.

'It goes without saying that no family should ever have to endure that kind of pain,' Reid said on her show The ReidOut.

'But the way this story has captivated the nation has many wondering - why not the same media attention when people of color go missing?'

'Well, the answer actually has a name,' the newscaster continued, 'missing white woman syndrome.'

Reid also suggested that missing women of color are not paid attention to as much by the public because of their appearance, and that they do not look like the daughters or granddaughters of newsroom executives.

'Most of the reports you're reading are generally correct,' Somerville, right, told DailyMail.com

On Monday, MSNBC host Joy Reid criticized the 'missing white woman syndrome' that she says has driven media interest in the case of 22-year-old Petito

The FBI has since released an arrest warrant for her fiancee, Brian Laundrie, who is missing

The incident comes just six weeks after Somerville was off the air for nine weeks following a May 30 incident where he slurred his words live on air

The FBI had over 89,000 active missing person cases at the end of 2020, and 45 percent of those were people of color, according to ABC News.

Only one-fifth of missing person cases involving minorities are covered in the news, according to a 2016 study published in the Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology.

Somerville interned at KTVU while he was attending San Francisco State University in 1981, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

He became co-anchor of the station's highly rated Mornings on 2 show in 1992 and was named anchor of Channel 2 News at 5 when it launched in April 2005, according to the newspaper.

On May 30, he appeared to slur his words and struggled to read from a teleprompter during a news broadcast.

He was off the air for nine weeks after a spokesperson for Fox, the network that owns and operates KTVU, announced that Somerville would take an indefinite leave of absence to 'focus on his health.'
Andy Burnham today accused Sir Keir Starmer of sidelining Labour's metro mayors at the party's annual conference.

Mr Burnham questioned if the party is 'serious about winning back the north of England' after he claimed senior elected politicians had not been given the chance to deliver major televised speeches in the conference hall.

The Mayor of Greater Manchester said it is 'regrettable that no Labour metro mayor outside of London is being asked to address this conference properly from the platform'.

The comments from Mr Burnham, who has been widely tipped as a potential successor to Sir Keir, risk igniting a major internal Labour row.

Andy Burnham today accused Sir Keir Starmer of sidelining Labour's metro mayors at the party's annual conference

The comments from Mr Burnham, who has been widely tipped as a potential successor to Sir Keir, risk igniting a major internal Labour row

Speaking at a fringe event in Brighton this afternoon, Mr Burnham claimed Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, will be the only regional mayor who will address the main conference hall from the platform.

He said: I do think it starts with taking this role that we have seriously.

'It is I think regrettable that no Labour metro mayor outside of London is being asked to address this conference properly from the platform.

I think Sadiq should have a conference speech from the platform. He is the mayor of our capital city and he is doing a damn fine job of being mayor of our capital city.

But if this party is serious about winning back the north of England, why is Steve Rotheram (Metro Mayor of the Liverpool City Region) not standing up there making a speech?

Why isnt Tracy Brabin, our first woman metro mayor, not addressing this conference from the platform?

Mr Burnham said there is a need to 'see this partys commitment to the north of England'.

The former MP said Labour should focus on rebuilding in the north of the country 'because when we rebuild there we will keep it strong and that will be the foundation for future Labour governments to come.

Labour sources said that Mr Burnham and Ms Brabin are scheduled to deliver some remarks to the conference hall.

Mr Burnham said Labour must fully commit to devolution because locally elected mayors have the power to improve lives.

He compared the party and its apparent fixation on waiting for general elections to win power to that of a 'problem gambler'.

He said: 'This mindset that we have got in the Labour Party that we say "do you know what, we will just wait four more years, and then we will go in, and this time, and this time".

'It is like a problem gambler walking into a casino.'

Mr Burnham was introduced at the event hosted by the Progressive Economy Forum as the 'King of the North'.

He joked: 'I have not quite gathered all the troops on the M6 at Knutsford services yet. But you never know, the day may come.'
Three Russian fighter jets escorted a United States Air Force bomber away after it approached Russian air space, the country's news agency has claimed.

According to Russian state news agency TASS, air defense radars on duty in the Eastern Military Region on Sunday spotted a 'target' over the Pacific Ocean that was approaching Russia's airspace.

'In order to identify and escort the foreign plane, three Sukhoi-35S fighter plans of the Eastern Military Regions air defense were scrambled,' the National Defense Command Center told the outlet.

As they approached, the center said, 'the fighters' crews identified the target as a strategic B-52H bomber of the U.S. Air Force and escorted it over the Pacific Ocean.

'There were no violations of Russia's state border or dangerous proximity of planes in the air.'

The center also noted that the fighter planes 'strictly followed' international law and returned to base after the plane moved away from the border.

The United States Department of Defense could not be reached for comment as of press time.

Three Russian Sukhoi Su-35 fighter planes reportedly escorted a United States Air Force B-52H bomber, like the one seen here, on Sunday (file picture)

The bomber was allegedly entering Russian air space over the Pacific Ocean

The encounter comes amid growing tensions between Russia and either United States or NATO air forces.

In March, NATO scrambled fighter jets 10 times to track and intercept an unusually 'rare peak pf Russian bombers and fighters flying over the North Sea, Black Sea and Baltic Sea, CNN reports.

'NATO aircraft intercepted six different groups of Russian military aircraft near alliance airspace in less than six hours,' the organization said in a statement at the time.

That same day, the North American Aerospace Defense Command said it tracked Russian aircrafts off the coast of Alaska.

None of the planes entered NATO airspace and the intercepts were all considered safe.

And in August 2020, two Russian aircrafts made an 'unsafe, unprofessional' intercept of a US Air Force B-52 bomber over the Black Sea and in international waters, crossing within 100 feet of the bomber and causing turbulence that restricted its ability to move.
A lorry driver stabbed to death outside a railway station in south-east London last weekend has been named as Vitali Skrypniak.

The 45-year-old Ukrainian was stabbed in the chest outside Belvedere train station at around 10pm on Saturday, September 18.

The Metropolitan Police revealed today that a 27-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder and remains in custody.

The force said in a statement: 'An investigation was launched after police were called to reports of a man found injured outside Belvedere Railway Station at 22:13hrs on Saturday, September 18.

'Despite the efforts of emergency services, Vitali Skrypniak, who was aged 45 and from Lviv Oblast in Ukraine, died at the scene.

Vitali Skrypniak (pictured), 45, from Ukraine, was stabbed in the chest outside Belvedere train station at around 10pm on Saturday, September 18

Police officers at the scene outside Belvedere railway station in Bexley after the fatal stabbing on September 18

Forensic teams were seen carrying out their investigations after Mr Skrypniak was stabbed outside Belvedere railway station

'A post-mortem examination held on Tuesday, September 21 at the Princess Royal University Hospital gave cause of death as a single stab wound to the chest.'

Mr Skrypniak's family have been informed of the development and continue to be supported by specially trained officers.

The area was immediately sealed off by police following the discovery of Mr Skrypniak's body last week.

Forensic teams donning white protective gear were seen sweeping the cordoned off area for evidence.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call investigation room on 0208 345 3715 or 101 quoting CAD 7975/18Sep.

To remain anonymous contact the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Jewish Labour members received another unreserved apology from the party tonight as it brought in new rules to tackle anti-Semitism.

The party conference in Brighton voted to bring in a new independent disciplinary system that would take power away from the leader's office.

The move was a key demand of the Equality and Human Rights Commission when it carried out its bombshell review into anti-Jewish racism in the party under the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn.

But despite some heckling in the conference hall at the Brighton Centre the measure was passed this evening after a vote of members and unions.

Earlier the conference had heard from Jewish former MP Ruth Smeeth, who said she felt 'sick' attending the event, for fear of more abuse from party members.

Labour leader Keir Starmer said the reforms, part of a number of changes to the constitution brought in today, were 'a major step forward in our efforts to face the public and win the next general election'.

He added: 'This is a decisive and important day in the history of the Labour Party. I promised to tackle anti-Semitism in our party.

'We've now closed the door on a shameful chapter in our history. I want to acknowledge the courage of all the people who spoke up against it.

Earlier the conference had heard from Jewish former MP Ruth Smeeth, who said she felt 'sick' attending the event, for fear of more abuse from parry members.

Shabana Mahmood told Labour conference that anti-Semitism in the party was 'shameful' and apologised 'unreservedly' to Jewish Labour members and the wider Jewish community.

Labour's leader Keir Starmer and deputy Angela Rayner were both in the hall as they heard people urging members to pass the new rules.

Shabana Mahmood told Labour conference that anti-Semitism in the party was 'shameful' and apologised 'unreservedly' to Jewish Labour members and the wider Jewish community.

Ms Mahmood, the Labour Party national campaign co-ordinator, told members at the conference in Brighton: 'It has been a shameful period in our history, utterly horrifying and today with your support for these rule changes we decisively turn the page on that shameful period in our history.

'We apologise unreservedly to our Jewish members and to the wider Jewish community and we resolve from this conference floor today that no community will ever go through this pain again.'

Ms Smeeth, who now represents the Jewish Labour Movement, told delegates: 'I stand here with mixed emotions.

'Relief that we can finally turn the page on the blight of anti-Semitism that has infected our party. Anger that it has taken five years to get here.

'Disbelief that despite the hurt of so many Jewish members, there are people in here today who say it was all a smear. And sorrow that so many wonderful friends were forced to choose between their faith and their politics.'

Ms Smeeth said this was her 22nd year at Labour Party conference, adding: 'And yet I feel sick at the idea of being in Brighton knowing that I will be a target for more racist abuse for being here.

'But I'm here to help deliver the promise that Keir made when he became leader. He promised the country he would root out the anti-Semitism that has infected our party and end the anti-Jewish hate which undermines the values we were founded to protect.'

Mark Ferguson, a member of Labour's National Executive Committee, also apologised for discrimination against all Jewish members and supporters.

As delegates prepare to vote on plans for a new independent complaints process, Mr Ferguson, who is chairing the debate, said: 'I know many of you will have been shocked by the conclusions of the EHRC report, in particular that we as a party have been found to have unlawfully discriminated against and harassed Jews. A source of real shame for our party.

'Keir rightly made it a key pledge of his leadership to put this right. The NEC agreed an action plan which, under David's stewardship, is well on the way to implementation. Wendy will no doubt expand on the details when she moves the set of rule changes.

'But I want to start, from this chair, on behalf of the whole party to say sorry to our Jewish members. Sorry to our Jewish members, supporters and those in the wider community. Conference, rest assured it will not happen again. I hope that delegates will help us in that objective by backing this set of rule changes, proposed this afternoon.'

Mr Ferguson also rejected those heckling and shouting, adding: 'We are going to conduct this debate, this serious debate, in the way it was intended. I will not accept heckling, booing or any of other attempts to hassle myself or any other person speaking from this platform, now or any other time for the rest of this session.'
A Washington school bus driver was killed after a man boarded the bus and stabbed him in front of elementary school children on Friday, police said.

Richard Lenhart, 72, from Kennewick, was taken to a regional hospital but succumbed to his injuries.

Lenhart was picking up young children at Longfellow Elementary School in Pasco when the suspect boarded the bus and attacked him with a knife.

The bus was in motion at the time of the attack, and jumped a curb before it crashed into hedges as Lenhart lost control.

No children were harmed in the crash, police said.

Pasco police responded to reports of a stabbing at 301 N. 10th Ave. around 3.10pm.

The suspect - who has not yet been named by police - waited at the scene and was arrested without incident, officials said.

Students who were inside the bus and in the vicinity were taken back to school grounds and their parents were called to pick them up.

A school bus driver was stabbed by an assailant as young children on boar witnessed the attack

Richard Lenhart, 72, from Kennewick, was picking up children at Longfellow Elementary School when the attack took place

The bus was in motion at the moment of the attack and was crashed into hedges as Lenhart lost control. No children were harmed in the crash, police said

The Pasco School District has said that counselors were going to be available over the weekend to offer support for children who witnessed the gruesome attack.

The bus was examined by investigators on Friday and Police said an official statement about the crime will follow on Monday.

Captain Bill Parramore with Pasco Police said that his department will work in close partnership with the Pasco School District in the investigation.

Pasco School District Superintendent Michelle Whitney released an statement on Facebook addressing the events on Friday.

Pasco School District Superintendent Michelle Whitney released an statement on Facebook addressing the events on Friday

Pasco police responded to reports of a stabbing at 301 N. 10th Ave. around 3.10pm. The suspect was arrested at the scene without inconvenience, police said

'It is with a heavy heart that I write to you this evening. Pasco Police Department shared information at a press conference earlier tonight that one of our bus drivers was assaulted today and died from his injuries. We are devastated by the tragic loss of one of our own. Our focus right now is on supporting our students and staff who are deeply impacted by this tragedy,' Whitney said.

'Counselors will be available over the weekend and next week to provide support for students and staff. Events like these can trigger strong and unexpected emotional reactions. Please dont hesitate to reach out to your students school counselor or principal if you or your child need support. We are deeply saddened by the events of today. As our community processes these events, please keep a watchful eye on each other and reach out if you need us, she concluded.'

Parents in the comments shared their condolences and support to the family of the driver and the young children who were in the bus and the surrounding area at the time of the stabbing.
The Rwandan military leader was described as the 'kingpin' behind genocide

Bagosora was jailed for life in 2008 for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, though his sentence was reduced to 35 years on appeal in 2011

heoneste Bagosora died in a prison in Mali where he was serving a 35-year sentence for his role in the 1994 Rwandan genocide

Theoneste Bagosora died in prison in Mali

Theoneste Bagosora, the Rwandan military leader described as the 'Heinrich Himmler of Rwanda', has died in a prison in Mali where he was serving a sentence for masterminding the slaughter of 800,000 people during the 1994 genocide.

Bagosora, who died aged 80, was serving a 35-year sentence after being found guilty of being in charge of the troops and militia who butchered minority Tutsis and moderate Hutus in 100 days in 1994.

His son Achille Bagosora announced the death in a Facebook post: 'Rest in Peace, Papa.'

'Theoneste Bagosora died in a hospital in Mali yesterday (Saturday) late morning,' said Abubacarr Tambadou, registrar for the Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals, which oversees prosecution of those responsible for the genocide.

Bagosora was jailed for life in 2008 for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, though his sentence was reduced to 35 years on appeal in 2011.

The Rwandan genocide saw 800,00 ethic Tutsis, Hutu moderates and their political allies massacred in 100 days of bloodshed.

Bagosora died in prison where he was serving a 35-year sentence for masterminding the slaughter of 800,000 people during the 1994 genocide

Known as a hardliner within the National Republican Movement for Democracy and Development party of Rwandan President Juvenal Habyarimana, Bagosora in 1993 was appointed cabinet director in the defense ministry and took control of military and political affairs in the country.

Canadian General Romeo Dallaire, head of United Nations peacekeepers in Rwanda at the time, described Bagosora as the 'kingpin' behind the genocide.

Once a close ally of then President Juvenal Habyarimana - they both came from the same northwestern province of Gisenyi - he later reportedly held a grudge after being passed over for promotion to general.

The Rwandan genocide saw 800,00 ethic Tutsis, Hutu moderates and their political allies massacred in 100 days of bloodshed

The 1994 Rwandan Genocide The Rwandan genocide saw 800,00 ethic Tutsis, Hutu moderates and their political allies massacred in 100 days of bloodshed. The majority of Rwandans are ethic Hutus, but the country was ruled by the Tutsi minority for decades until 1959 when the Tutsi monarchy was overthrown. In 1990, a Tutsi rebel group called the Rwandan Patriotic Front that had formed in Uganda invaded the country. After several years of guerrilla fighting, a peace deal was signed in 1993 between President Juvenal Habyarimana and RPF leaders. However, the fragile peace lasted only until the night of April 6, 1994, when a plane carrying Habyarimana and Cyprien Ntaryamira, president of Burundi and a Hutu, was shot down. The Hutus blamed the RPF for the attack and enacted a 'final solution' to rid the country of Tutsis, with militias handed lists of names and told to kill them. Neighbours turned on each other, husbands murdered their Tutsi wives, and there were even accounts of priests and nuns killing those who sought shelter in churches. It lasted 100 days and 800,000 Tutsis were killed, alongside thousands of Hutu moderates who objected to the killing. They were slaughtered by supporters of the Hutu government, who claimed to be weeding out the cockroaches. Men, women and children were felled by machetes, grenades and bullets in their homes and on the streets By July 15, almost 800,000 people had been killed - a massacre which only stopped when the RPF took control of the capital, causing some 2million Hutus who perpetrated the genocide or feared reprisal attacks to flee. The killings only stopped when the Tutsi-controlled Rwandan Patriotic Front seized control, and put Paul Kagame into power. The international community, and the UN, were criticised for failing to act, despite warnings from inside the country that genocide was taking place. Advertisement

French military intelligence concluded Bagasora was one of the prime sponsors behind the April 6 assassination of both President Habyarimana and his Burundian counterpart Cyprien Ntaryamira - both Hutus - as well as the Rwandan army chief of staff.

Their Falcon plane was shot down when preparing to land in the Rwandan capital Kigali, an event many blamed on Tutsi rebels and which triggered the massacres.

'The assassination of moderate opposition ministers and Tutsis less than half an hour after the explosion of the presidential Falcon would confirm the high degree of preparation of this operation,' according to the intelligence memo from September 1994, revealed in 2019.

A few days later, the foreign minister and Hutu moderate was killed by soldiers. Bagasora and Boniface Ngurinzira had clashed constantly during 1993 peace talks in Tanzania.

Bagasora accused Ngurinzira of making too many concessions to the rebels and, on his return to Rwanda, reportedly said he was heading home 'to prepare the Apocalypse' - something he denied in court hearings.

Bagasora denied any direct role in the genocide, though he was seen as part of a Hutu extremist faction in the country.

With the defence minister also out of the country on a mission, Bagasora was the most senior military official from April 6-9, the first days of the genocide - when extremists rounded on the Tutsi majority, Hutu moderates and those from mixed lineages in an orgy of bloodletting that shocked the world.

After the genocide, Bagosora fled into exile in Cameroon. He was arrested there in 1996 and flown to face trial in Arusha, Tanzania in 1997. His trial began in 2002 and lasted until 2007.

Bagosora was found guilty in connection with the killing of 10 Belgian peacekeepers and responsible for the deaths of the Rwandan prime minister and head of the constitutional court. He was also found responsible for organized killings of Tutsi at numerous sites in Rwanda's capital, Kigali, and in Gisenyi in the west of the country.

The appeal court in 2011 found that while there was no evidence he ordered the massacres, Bagasora knew they were planned and did nothing to stop them, even though he was in a position to do so.

Reacting to the news of Bagosora's death, Rwanda's ambassador to the Netherlands, Olivier Nduhungirehe, said Bagosora didn't show remorse for his crimes.

'The main reasons against Bagosora's request for early release were that he never accepted responsibility for genocide, showing no sign of remorse or regret; and that he is a man with a forceful personality who at times is unable to control himself,' Nduhungirehe said in a Twitter post.

Bagosora was serving his sentence in Koulikoro prison in Mali, but had been transferred to a clinic in the capital Bamako, an official in the Malian prison administration said.

An official at the institution where he was admitted said he died of 'heart failure', without giving further details.

Bagosora had in April been refused an application for early release because of the 'extremely high gravity (of his) crimes', with the judge ruling that he had failed to demonstrate rehabilitation.
The search for fugitive Brian Laundrie continued today as FBI agents paid another visit to the home of his parents to retrieve personal items - for DNA matching.

Laundries mom Roberta, 55, was seen darting outside at 10am to leave an item in the screened porch of their North Port, Florida home.

An hour later two FBI agents with bulletproof vests, weapons and a clipboard walked up the drive, hovering at the front door before stooping to pick something up.

Without knocking on the door, the pair both walked back to their black SUV, with an agent carrying what appeared to be a small brown evidence bag.

Two FBI agents with bulletproof vests, weapons and a clipboard walked up the driveway at Brian Laundrie's North Port home as they searched for 'personal items' they could use for DNA matching

One of the FBI agents was then seen carrying what appeared to be a brown evidence bag

They were seen entering the porch and kneeling down to pick something up

The FBI agents jotted something down before they left the house

Video courtesy of WFLA

When asked by a DailyMail.com reporter about the purpose of the visit neither agent responded but the familys lawyer, Steven Bertolino, said that agents wanted a sample of missing Brians DNA.

He cautioned that it was a routine request rather that an indication that the fiancee of slain Gabby Petito had finally been found.

The FBI requested some personal items belonging to Brian Laundrie to assist them with DNA matching and Brians parents provided the FBI with what they could, Bertolino said.

Brian Laundrie, 23, left, is still missing, one week after the body of his fiancee, Gabby Petito, right, was found in Wyoming

Police in North Port continued their search for Laundrie in the Carlton Nature Reserve, as rewards totaling $30,000 are being offered for his whereabouts

The development came as authorities continued Sunday to scour alligator-infested swampland in the Carlton Nature Reserve for Laundrie, 23.

Rewards totaling $30,000 are now being offered for any information that helps track him down.

According to the New York Post, Jerry Torres, a neighbor of the Petito family, initially offered $5,000 for any tips that could lead to Laundrie's arrest.

He wrote on Twitter: 'Law enforcement is working tirelessly and they need your help.' The message was shared by members of Petito's family.

Soon, the reward was raised to $10,000, in part due to Steve Moyer, the former deputy Chief of Police for Sarasota, Florida.

And last week, Boohoff Law, a personal injury law firm announced that it was ofering $20,000 for 'information leading directly to the exact whereabouts' of Laundrie.

'The authorized reward will remain open for two months starting from the receipt of the tip by the investigating law enforcement,' the law firm said in a statement to the Sun North Port.

'We believe by offering a reward, it may help law enforcement get answers and bring justice for Gabby,' Kate Shakira, an employee at the firm said.

'We have been in touch with law enforcement about this reward.'

A woman was seen getting emotional after visiting the family at the memorial for Gabby Petito on Sunday

A friend holds up a sign with photos at the memorial for Gabby Petito, at Moloney's Funeral Home, in Holbrook

Guests wait on line to get to the Maloney Funeral Home for the memorial service

A person cries outside the funeral home after paying respects to Petito

Meanwhile, Petito's friends and family gathered on Sunday for her funeral.

Her body was found last Sunday in the western state of Wyoming, near where the white camper van she and her boyfriend, Brian Laundrie, were traveling in was reported seen.

Petito's death has since been ruled a homicide. Authorities have issued an arrest warrant for Laundrie over fraudulent use of a credit card and have broadened their search for the 23-year-old, who remains at large.

Petito and Laundrie visited several of the West's state and national parks, chronicling their journey through the awe-inspiring landscapes on Instagram and YouTube.

A father and his young daughter leave the memorial or Gabby Petito on Sunday

Family members were seen embracing and getting emotional

Friends were seen embracing and getting emotional after the visit

Local firefighters paid their respects at the funeral home

Petito's father, who opened Sunday's funeral service in Holbrook, New York to the public, urged Americans not to be saddened by his daughter's tragic death, but motivated by her brief, adventurous life.

'When you leave here today, be inspired by what she brought to the table -- because the entire planet knows this woman's name now,' Joe Petito said.

'I couldn't be more proud as a father.'

A live feed of the service showed loved ones hugging in front of bouquets of flowers and large photographs of Gabby Petito.

Dozens of police and other first responders were seen lining up to enter the funeral home.
A Maine woman allegedly called bomb threats in to her boyfriend's workplace so he would be sent home and they could spend more time together.

Kayla Blake, 33, was arrested on charges of felony terrorizing after officers traced the call in Etna, Maine.

Blake allegedly called State Police at around 9:30am on Thursday, and said she planned to bomb Puritan Medical Products in the neighboring town of Pittsfield.

Her boyfriend - who was not named by police - was among 400 employees who were evacuated from the plant and operations were shut down for the day.

In a second call to police around two hours later, Blake allegedly told dispatchers that she intended to place four pipe bombs around the medical manufacturing facility.

Police quickly discerned that 33-year-old Kayla Blake of Etna never had any bombs - after her calls were traced on Thursday, she confessed that she made the empty threats hoping that her boyfriend would be sent home for the day

State Police notified Pittsfield Police and sheriff's departments in Somserset and Penobscot counties, then traced the calls to the town of Etna, Pittsfield police Chief Harold Bickmore told the Portland Press Herald.

Police said Blake confessed when police began interviewing residents in her neighborhood, and said she made the empty threats hoping that her boyfriend would be sent home for the day.

Bickmore told the outlet that the Pittsfield Fire Department, the plant's private security company and the FBI also assisted in the investigation.

'It was great teamwork,' Bickmore said to the Herald. 'It was a great investigation and hard work by Penobscot County Sheriffs Office deputies. I cant say enough about all their hard work and the support we got from the Maine State Police and the FBI.'

Blake was charged with felony terrorizing, according to the Penobscot County Sheriff's Office, and is being held on $1,500 bail.

Neither department responded to DailyMail.com's request for comment.

A judge also ordered that Blake stay off the plant's property and never contact them again.

Puritan, which makes procedure swabs for COVID-19 tests and other medical purposes, has two plants in the town of Pittsfield, according to the company's human resources director Kristy Rizzitello - both locations needed to be evacuated after the calls, and 400 employees were sent home or told not to come to work

Manufacturing resumed and employees went back to work on Friday after the incident, according to WHAS11.

Puritan, which makes procedure swabs for COVID-19 tests and other medical purposes, has two plants in the town of Pittsfield, according to the company's human resources director Kristy Rizzitello - both locations needed to be evacuated after the calls.

Losses are still being calculated, but Rizzitello told the Herald that Thursdays are generally 'full manufacturing days.'
Prince Andrew is close to selling his 17million Swiss chalet to settle a legal dispute with the former owner.

The Duke of York is understood to have reached an agreement with Isabelle de Rouvre, 74, to drop proceedings with the imminent sale.

The French socialite sued Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah, both 61, last year over 6.6million she claimed they still owed her.

The Yorks bought the seven-bedroom Chalet Helora from Miss de Rouvre in 2014 for 16.6million, but she alleged they missed the final instalment on January 1, 2020.

The Yorks bought the seven-bedroom Chalet Helora (pictured) from Miss de Rouvre in 2014 for 16.6million, but she alleged they missed the final instalment on January 1, 2020

She took the case to the Swiss courts demanding the money for the property in Verbier, equipped with an indoor swimming pool which costs up to 22,000 a week to rent.

But now that it is being sold for close to the asking price of 17.3million, she has agreed to drop proceedings, The Sunday Times reported.

The Yorks intend to repay their debt once the sale goes through. It was first reported the chalet was for sale last year. A source said: The matter is close to being resolved to everybodys mutual satisfaction.

The Yorks became friends with Miss de Rouvre after regularly renting the chalet for holidays with their children, Beatrice and Eugenie.

The Yorks became friends with Miss de Rouvre after regularly renting the chalet for holidays with their children, Beatrice and Eugenie

Prince Andrew and his ex-wife bought it with a mortgage and private funding from the Queen as a long-term family investment, sources claimed.

When the sale is complete, the duke will no longer own any property, it is believed.

But while he appears to have settled his Swiss case sources close to Andrew suggested he will strongly contest the sex abuse claims made in the US by Virginia Roberts, 38.

The duke has repeatedly denied her allegations.
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Boris Johnson could call in the Army to deliver fuel to petrol stations across Britain amid a crisis that has seen competition laws suspended and nine in ten forecourts run dry.

Ministers will consider drafting in troops to deliver petrol and diesel later this week if panic-buying persists, sources said, after Government officials gave the green light for plans to bring in 5,000 foreign lorry drivers to deal with the shortage.

The Petrol Retailers Association (PRA), which represents 5,500 independent stations, said two-thirds had run dry by Sunday night. Its chairman, Brian Madderson, said it would take up to a week to restock  and warned the crisis could become 'self-perpetuating' if motorists continued to panic.

Mr Madderson said panic buying had caused 'serious problems' for stock levels, which the Government's foreign HGV driver visa plan was unlikely to fix quickly.

He told BBC Radio 4's The World This Weekend: 'I've talked to a lot of our members... They serve the main roads, the rural areas, the urban roads, and anywhere in between 50% and 90% of their forecourts are currently dry, and those that aren't dry are partly dry and running out soon.'

As the crisis deepens, many commuters now face having to find alternative routes to work on Monday morning, meaning the travel chaos is set to spill over into other transportation sectors.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has now refused to rule out bringing in the Army to drive fuel tankers, saying the Government would 'do whatever is required'.

And Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng has agreed to implement a measure to temporarily exempt the oil industry from the Competition Act 1998, as part of a plan called the Downstream Oil Protocol, for the purpose of sharing information and optimising supply.

Officials said the measure will make it easier for industry to share information so that they can prioritise the delivery of fuel to the parts of the country and strategic locations that are most in need.

The new plan to bring in the Army case as:

Transport Minister Grant Shapps urged motorists to stay calm ahead of commute to work on Monday

Fears have been growing over the fuel crisis sparking school closures and care home food shortages

The Road Haulage Association wrote to Boris Johnson warning of 'critical supply chains failing' in June, but they claim their call for temporary worker visas was 'ignored'

Mr Shapps said he was sending SOS letters to one million HGV licence holders asking them to return to work

Experts warned panic buying 'is going to get worse before it gets better' as UK faces a 'catastrophic situation'

Vehicles queue to refill at a Texaco fuel station in south London on September 26 as ministers are set to consider mobilising the Army

Ministers will consider drafting in troops to deliver petrol and diesel later this week if panic-buying persists, sources said, after Government officials gave the green light for plans to bring in 5,000 foreign lorry drivers to deal with the shortage (pictured: Queues at Texaco in south London)

A motorist fills a container with fuel at a Sainsbury's petrol station in Alperton, West London as it reopens on Sunday

Boris Johnson could call in the Army to deliver fuel to petrol stations across Britain amid a crisis that has seen competition laws suspended and nine in ten forecourts run dry. Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng has agreed to implement a measure to temporarily exempt the oil industry from the Competition Act 1998 for the purpose of sharing information and optimising supply

A member of staff directs drivers queuing for fuel at an Asda petrol station in south London. Picture date: Sunday September 26

Shocking footage from last week shows panic buyers punch and kick at each other during a violent brawl at an Esso petrol forecourt in Sidlesham, Chicester

Ministers will consider drafting in troops to deliver petrol and diesel later this week if panic-buying persists, sources said, after Government officials gave the green light for plans to bring in 5,000 foreign lorry drivers to deal with the shortage (Pictured: An army tanker in the last fuel crisis in September 2000)

Ministers are understood to be looking at what additional training military drivers with existing HGV licences would need to take to drive fuel tankers, which require additional safety qualifications.

Mr Johnson is set to gather senior cabinet members on Monday to scrutinise 'Operation Escalin' after oil giant BP said that a third of its petrol stations had run out of the main two grades of fuel, the Guardian reports.

It will come following a weekend of chaos that saw an ambulance hit a car in a petrol queue and ministers suspending competition laws in a bid to beat back the crisis.

And footage filmed in Bromley, Greater London, showed an ambulance being driven by paramedics bumping into the back of the car as paramedics tried to manoeuvre past a queue for a Shell petrol station which had spilled onto the road.

The paramedics had to stop to exchange details with the driver of the damaged car and a different ambulance had to attend the emergency.

Police also jumped ahead of queues of traffic at a Hackney petrol station to avoid running out of fuel. Officers said: 'We had to jump the queue, our cars are empty and we can't get to the depot in Romford to refill.'

A joint statement from energy and logistics companies including Shell, ExxonMobil and Wincanton said: 'We are in regular contact with ministers and policy officials and it was reassuring to meet with the Business Secretary again on Sunday evening and discuss further action.' It also reassured drivers there is 'not a national shortage of fuel'.

Kevin Hughes, manager at Chaddesley fuel station in Kidderminster, told BBC Breakfast this morning that he had seen queues of at a least a quarter of a mile last week.

He said: 'It all got very, very silly on Friday. We've had a very, very tough time over the past 18 months, but not seen anything like this at all. Massive queues - there is no reason to panic buy. We have got plenty of fuel. Most of the customers have been very, very good, but trying to martial them and keep the road open has been interesting.

'Nobody's putting in 5 worth. It's just a case of trying to get people parked up properly, moving along and organised and get them through as quickly as we can. The team in the shop have been absolutely flat out getting people through and that's all we can do.

He added that the fuel station was prioritising NHS workers, saying: 'We have done. Last Saturday evening we had an hour and a half when we stayed open extra and the uptake on that was absolutely brilliant. The comments we've had on the Facebook page have been wonderful. Depending on how the situation goes, we're going to assess if we need to do it. So we don't know what's going to happen today  it's going to be interesting.'

Government officials have given the green light for plans to bring in 5,000 foreign lorry drivers to deal with the shortage - with the UK said to be 100,000 HGV drivers short, according to the Road Haulage Association.

An ambulance with its siren blaring was held up by huge queues of traffic rushing to buy petrol amid mass panic at the pumps due to Britain's fuel crisis

It comes as police have also jumped ahead of queues of traffic at a Hackney petrol station to avoid running out of fuel

Officers said: 'We had to jump the queue, our cars are empty and we can't get to the depot in Romford to refill'

More petrol stations are being forced to close after running out of fuel as Britons continue to panic buy amid fears of a shortage

Motorists queue up for fuel at a Sainsbury's supermarket petrol station in North West London

Cars queue for a Tesco petrol station to reopen in Camberley, Surrey, after it was refueled. The Government is considering temporary measures to tackle the shortage of HGV drivers which is wreaking havoc on a number of UK industries

Drivers queue for fuel on the A14 near Bosworth services in Cambridge on Sunday as desperate motorists rushed to petrol stations

Government officials have green lit plans to bring in 5,000 foreign lorry drivers to deal with the shortage - with the UK said to be 100,000 HGV drivers short, according to the Road Haulage Association. Pictured: Cars queue for fuel at a Sainsbury's petrol station in Camberley, Surrey

Paul Chuckle claimed on Twitter that a station had advertised a lower price than the one he had to pay

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps took aim at the group, accusing them of sparking the panic buying crisis.

But he also warned that the lorry driver shortage could go on 'for years', despite the Government doubling the number of tests that can be carried out in a bid to quickly boost driver numbers.

Oil giant BP also said that nearly a third of their petrol stations in Britain have run out of fuel despite continued pleas for motorists to 'continue as normal'.

BP, which operates 1,200 sites in Britain, said in a statement: 'With the intense demand seen over the past two days, we estimate that around 30 per cent of sites in this network do not currently have either of the main grades of fuel.'

Mr Kwarteng said: 'We have long-standing contingency plans in place to work with industry so that fuel supplies can be maintained and deliveries can still be made in the event of a serious disruption. While there has always been and continues to be plenty of fuel at refineries and terminals, we are aware that there have been some issues with supply chains.

'This is why we will enact the Downstream Oil Protocol to ensure industry can share vital information and work together more effectively to ensure disruption is minimised. We thank HGV drivers and all forecourt staff for their tireless work during this period.'

An orderly queue as staff at the BP direct motorists to a vacant fuel pump at the Boreham Interchange on the A12 near Chelmsford in Essex

With petrol in short supply across the North East, a long queue of vehicles wait to fill up at an Esso fuel station in Byker, Newcastle on Sunday afternoon

Fuel tankers have arrived in Essex after pumps ran dry yesterday with many fuel stations completely running out of fuel

Fuel tankers have arrived in Essex after pumps ran dry yesterday with many fuel stations completely running out of fuel. Large queues have formed on Sunday morning. One worker was seen refilling the tanks at an Esso petrol station

Motorists fill up their vehicles with fuel at a Sainsbury's supermarket petrol station in North West London

A 'no diesel' sign has been placed outside a Sainsbury's supermarket petrol station in North West London

Motorists queue up for fuel at a Sainsbury's supermarket petrol station in North West London, on September 26

Britain's second biggest oil refinery faces collapse as fuel crisis cripples nation: Stanlow plant chiefs hold crisis talks with HMRC over 223m VAT bill Britain's second biggest oil refinery is in crisis talks with tax officials amid fears it could be on the brink of collapse. Bosses behind Stanlow Oil Refinery, in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, are in urgent talks with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) over a 223million VAT payment. The refinery, which has been under financial strain during the Covid pandemic, needs to start repaying the bill this week unless it can agree a new deal, according to the Sunday Times. Owned by the billionaire Ruia brothers, Shashi and Ravi, through their company Essar Oil UK, the refinery supplies about a sixth of Britain's road fuel. It is also supplies jet fuel for Manchester and Birmingham airports. Around 900 people are employed directly at the refinery and around 800 contractors also work on site. The refinery's VAT bill built up during the pandemic under the Government's Covid VAT deferral scheme. The scheme, launched in March last year, allowed firms to defer VAT payments to help businesses stay afloat during the first Covid lockdown. But businesses were ordered to either pay back the money by March 2021, join an interest free instalment scheme stretching to June, or make arrangements with HMRC to push back the payments. Essar Oil UK is said to have taken advantage of the scheme, to the tune of 356million. It entered into a time-to-pay ('TTP') arrangement with HMRC for a total of 770million in April 2021. The company says it has paid back 547million leaving a balance of 223 million - which must be paid by January next year. Payments are due to begin this week. They are due to coincide with an end to the Government's suspension on winding-up petitions. However the company says the economic recovery has been 'slower than predicted' and it will therefore not make the payment and that it was in talks to 'modify that schedule'. 'Therefore EOUK in discussions with HMRC over a short extension to make those deferred VAT payments,' a spokesman told MailOnline. 'Those discussions are positive and EOUK looks forward to a resolution soon,' the spokesman added. Advertisement

A fight also broke out between moped drivers at a petrol station in north London and was captured and shared online as motorists queued to fill up.

The footage, shared on Twitter, showed one driver running and jump-kicking another at a BP garage in Haverstock Hill, near Camden as motorists pack out petrol stations across the country.

The two men were already seemingly being separated before the physical fight began, with one trying to use his crash helmet to attack the other.

It comes after a four-man fight broke out at an Esso garage in Chichester, West Sussex yesterday.

More petrol stations are being forced to close after running out of fuel as Britons continue to panic buy amid fears of a shortage.

One motorist said: 'I have been driving around Croydon, Bromley, Westerham, Oxted and Godstone for two hours and passed over twenty garages.

'Eighteen were completely shut and two had queues so long, you couldn't even join them.'

London Ambulance Service told MailOnline: 'We can confirm that one of our ambulances was involved in a collision with another vehicle on Bromley Hill at approximately 6.55pm on 25 September while on a blue light call to a patient.

'As a result of the incident, the ambulance was out of service for a short amount of time and a different ambulance crew attended the patient.'

It comes as Mr Shapps claimed the fuel crisis has been 'manufactured' as he accused haulage firms of sparking panic buying after they warned of HGV driver shortages.

The Transport Secretary said 'there is plenty of fuel' to go around as he urged motorists to be 'sensible' and to 'fill up when you normally would'.

He said the rush to forecourts which has seen lengthy queues at stations across the country 'will come to an end' because soon 'everyone's cars will be more or less filled up'.

Mr Shapps said the chaos is a 'manufactured situation' in comments likely to spark fury among retailers and transport bosses.

But he said that it would take a 'considerable amount of time' to fix the issue, which he said had been going on for five years and was also a problem in EU countries such as Poland.

Speaking on Times Radio's T&G show, Mr Shapps said: 'It is certainly going to take a considerable amount of time to alleviate this long term shortage of drivers which has gone on for five years.

'If you talk to the boss of Logistics UK, he came into the job five years ago and the first problem on his desk was a shortage of drivers. It's never changed. So that's going to take time to unwind.'

A motorist fills up a car at a Sainsbury's supermarket petrol station in North West London on September 26

Turkey farmers see 250% surge in orders as families scramble to save Christmas dinner Turkey farmers are reporting a surge in orders as families scramble to save Christmas dinner amid fears of a poultry shortage. There have been unprecedented numbers of orders for turkey, with most high-end farms reporting soaring demand compared to this time last year. This panic buying surge has seen some farms receive more than five times the number of orders as in 2020. Several farms are reporting 250 per cent surges compared to figures from this time last year. Meanwhile the boss of the UK's Traditional Farm Fresh Turkey Association (TFTA) blamed Brexit for Britain's supply chain crisis. The recent closure of fertiliser factories, due to a spike in natural gas prices, has also led to disruption in food production. The closure of the plants, one of which has since reopened as part of a Government deal, has led to a decrease in food-grade carbon dioxide - used to stun animals for slaughter, as well as in packing meat, dairy and salads. Fears over a possible shortage has now led to a surge in ordering good quality turkeys to prepare for Christmas, according to the Traditional FarmFresh Turkey Association (TFTA) which represents the high-end turkey market. To cater for the increase in demand in turkeys, many farmers have had to start taking orders earlier than usual with one Cornish farm having customers push to order as early as August. Supermarket Tesco has already warned that a shortage of delivery drivers, which is causing empty shelves, could lead to panic buying across Britain in the lead up to Christmas. Advertisement

Asked whether it would be months or years before the crisis was resolved, Mr Shapps said: 'It will take months to years to fully unwind. But the short term issue can actually resolve itself immediately, because we don't actually have a shortage (of fuel)...

'I can't give you an exact day and hour because it does depend on millions of people's behaviour when it comes to the petrol pumps as well.'

It came as experts warned panic buying 'is going to get worse before it gets better' as the nation faces a 'catastrophic situation'.

There is an estimated shortfall of 90,000 HGV drivers in the UK freight sector.

The Government has announced plans to offer 5,000 three-month visas to foreign lorry drivers in a short term bid to ease pressure on supply chains.

The announcement came after scenes of lengthy queues at petrol stations as the shortage of fuel tanker drivers forced some retailers to shut their pumps and ration sales.

The British Retail Consortium and the British Chambers of Commerce criticised the scope of the measures set out by the Government which were seen by some as a step back from Boris Johnson's stated ambition to create a high-wage, high-skilled post-Brexit economy.

It also came as turkey farmers reported a surge in orders as families scramble to save Christmas dinner amid fears of a poultry shortage.

There have been unprecedented numbers of orders for turkey, with most high-end farms reporting soaring demand compared to this time last year.

This panic buying surge has seen some farms receive more than five times the number of orders as in 2020. Several farms are reporting 250 per cent surges compared to figures from this time last year.

Meanwhile the boss of the UK's Traditional Farm Fresh Turkey Association (TFTA) blamed Brexit for Britain's supply chain crisis.

The recent closure of fertiliser factories, due to a spike in natural gas prices, has also led to disruption in food production.

The closure of the plants, one of which has since reopened as part of a Government deal, has led to a decrease in food-grade carbon dioxide - used to stun animals for slaughter, as well as in packing meat, dairy and salads.

Fears over a possible shortage has now led to a surge in ordering good quality turkeys to prepare for Christmas, according to the Traditional FarmFresh Turkey Association (TFTA) which represents the high-end turkey market.

Supply issue threatens Christmas: The classic Christmas dinner could be decimated, with turkey, pigs in blankets, potatoes and brussel sprouts all at risk by ongoing supply and distributions issues, as well as a potential CO2 crisis. Meanwhile, toys, vinyl and books could also experience shortages - with experts even warning of Christmas trees not being available

Fuel campaigner's home besieged by drivers after pranksters turned it into Shell garage on GoogleMaps A fuel campaigner's home has been besieged by drivers - after pranksters turned it into a Shell garage on GoogleMaps. Howard Cox, the public face of a campaign calling for fairer fuel prices, received more than 70 calls from motorists on the hunt for fuel. The jokers registered his home address in Kent on Google and marked it up as a Shell garage - complete with picture of a forecourt and review. Mr Cox, who fronts FairFuel UK, said: 'I got home the night before last and this bloke asked if I had any petrol there. 'I was like 'what?'. It sounds funny but when you get 70 calls it makes you annoyed. 'I've done lots of media appearances recently about the petrol crisis so my name is out there and some idiot has gone out there thinking it's funny. 'It's not funny at all. You just don't do that sort of thing. 'It's probably a militant environmentalist or militant cyclist - it's those sorts of people who do this sort of thing.' FairFuel UK has long campaigned for fairer prices for UK motorists at the pump and it is not the first time Mr Cox has been targeted for his activism. He explained: 'I've had faeces through the door, wrapped up in a cycle glove, and things like that. 'I've been subject to a lot of this, and all I'm trying to do is help UK drivers get a better deal.' Mr Cox, meanwhile, does not believe government plans to offer thousands of visas to overseas lorry drivers will 'even touch the sides' and does not think think the problem will be short lived He explained: 'The scaremongering by Grant Shapps saying don't panic is obviously going to create panic. 'We know that from the toilet roll problems during Covid. 'I think it will still be pretty bad for a couple of days but in three or four days everything will be back to normal. 'Petrol and diesel are in full supply - it's just the driver shortage.' Advertisement

To cater for the increase in demand in turkeys, many farmers have had to start taking orders earlier than usual with one Cornish farm having customers push to order as early as August.

Supermarket Tesco has already warned that a shortage of delivery drivers, which is causing empty shelves, could lead to panic buying across Britain in the lead up to Christmas.

Kate Martin, a Cornish turkey farmer and chair of the Traditional FarmFresh Turkey Association (TFTA) said: 'Last year we saw record demand, particularly for smaller turkeys, due to an increase in smaller gatherings and a desire to make Christmas lunch extra special, despite the restrictions.

'This year, many of our members have increased their flocks significantly to help meet growing demand for quality turkeys.

'While there will be more Golden Standard turkeys available this year, the orders we are currently seeing surpass anything we have ever seen before.'

It comes as Derbyshire-based EVCL Chill Ltd called in administrators, with around 400 jobs said to be at risk.

Administrators PwC said acute driver shortages had added to the company's challenges.

EVCL Chill, which is based in Alfreston, has sites across the UK including Daventry, Rochdale, Crick and Penrith.

It employed more than 1,000 staff in warehousing and HGV driving roles. Around 650 employees had been transferred 'to key customers', administrators said.

Around 400 staff are said to be 'at risk' and will be addressed about the company's future on Monday, saw PwC.

The company turned over 167million in the period up to December 2020.

But administrators say the firm had lost key customers in recent years. The company's issues had been compounded by the UK's HGV driver shortage, according to PwC.

Meanwhile, community nursing and care workers are also being impacted by the crisis, according to union chiefs.

They say members have warned that staff may struggle to get into work or to their clients on Monday due to being unable to fuel their vehicles.

Gary Smith, GMB General Secretary, took aim at the Government over its handling.

He told MailOnline:'There is no plan in Number 10, only panic - and it's piling pressure on workers and services at every level.

'The run on the forecourts is unnecessarily affecting frontline workers in our ambulance and home care services and the rising cost of energy will cause distress for the lowest paid households trying to make ends meet.

'We need to ensure emergency and community services are properly resourced as a priority and that employers allow more flexibility on working from home to reduce the strain on this avoidable crisis.'

Grant Shapps claimed the fuel crisis has been 'manufactured' as he accused haulage firms of sparking panic buying after they warned of HGV driver shortages

A member of staff directs drivers queuing for fuel at an Asda petrol station in south London amid the developing fuel crisis

Motorists queue for petrol and diesel fuel at a Shell petrol station in Fleet, west of London on September 26

Frustrated motorists trying to get past the queue that blocked the road as motorists queued for fuel at Tesco in Danbury, Essex

Mr Shapps insisted there is 'plenty' of petrol as he urged motorists to refrain from panic buying. He told Sky News there had been some 'pretty irresponsible briefing' by one of the road haulage associations 'which has helped spark a crisis'. Pictured: Cars queue for fuel at a BP petrol station in Bracknell, Berkshire

With petrol in short supply across the North East, a long queue of vehicles wait to fill up at an Esso fuel station in Byker, Newcastle on Sunday afternoon
Border Patrol agents on horseback try to prevent mostly Haitian migrants from crossing into the United States near Del Rio, Texas on September 19

Border Patrol agents' outrage at Joe Biden is growing, with officers furious that the president has thrown them under the bus over the Haitian migrant debacle.

They are especially angry at the White Houses rush to judgment over pictures of a mounted agent swinging the reins of his horse while confronting an immigrant, which were first believed to show him whipping the man.

That account has already been debunked with even the photographer saying his image showed no such thing.

But that didnt stop Biden calling the image and video outrageous.

It is absolutely outrageous that President Biden wouldnt give us the benefit of the doubt before spouting off, one agent told DailyMail.com.

He should have supported us as Federal agents  especially in light of how abysmally hes handled the border crisis.'

We do this job for the safety and security of our families and the nation. Just because Biden won't man up and accept responsibility for his actions doesn't mean we won't, a second agent told DailyMail.com.

We have handled every crisis this administration has challenged us with and we still hold our heads up, put a badge on and go to work to defend this country from any who would enter illegally, he added.

Instead of support them, Biden said of the picture and video: It was horrible to see, to see people treated like they did, with horses nearly running them over. People being strapped.'

He added: It's outrageous. I promise you those people will pay. There will be investigation underway now and there will be consequences. There will be consequences. It's an embarrassment.'

Migrants exit a Border Patrol bus and prepare to be received by the Val Verde Humanitarian Coalition after crossing the Rio Grande in Del Rio, Texas on September 22

The image above shows migrants crossing back and forth from Mexico to the United States. The photo above was taken from Acuna, Mexico on September 22

Vice President Kamala Harris said: 'Human beings should not be treated that way and as we all know it also evoked images of some of the worst moments of our history, where that kind of behavior has been used against the indigenous people of our country. Has been used against African Americans during times of slavery.'

The White House says horseback officers will no longer be used to round up migrants near the border in Del Rio, Texas, and that has sparked the anger, as Border Patrol agents feel they are being used as a political football for merely doing their job.

Both agents spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of losing his job.

Agents spend their own money to buy French fries for crying kids. They help women and children up steep embankments to safety, and the left liberal media continues to spin a narrative of hate and corruption.

The saying goes that God created Border Patrol to get out in the dirt and brush because the mail man had the city jobs, he added.

Horse patrol agents go through weeks of training to be prepared to handle a trained wild mustang,

The agent said that if the man on horseback  who has now been assigned a desk job pending an investigation  did anything wrong, he would own up, because agents have a code of conduct that they adhere to.

Photographer Paul Ratje (above) says that he did not witness whipping at the border

I know one thing, I have never seen an agent whip a single illegal, he said.

And he pointed out the hardships of the job. When its below zero, we patrol. When its over 100 degrees, we patrol. When its pouring rain, we patrol.

'Thats what we do. Thats our job and we are proud of it. Every American locks their doors at night and trust that if someone wants in they will knock, and if they come through the window its a criminal act.

Same with immigration, and we are policing those criminals.

The agents union, the National Border Control Council did not respond to a DailyMail.com request for comment.

Paul Ratje, the New Mexico-based photographer who took the image said the rider was merely swinging his rein, not trying to harm the migrant.

I didnt ever see them whip anybody, with the thing, Ratje told El Pasos NBC affiliate, KTSM.

He was swinging it. But I didnt see him actually whip someone with it.

Thats something that can be misconstrued when youre looking at the picture.

Ratje, 34, took the picture near Del Rio, Texas, where some 15,000 migrants crammed into a squalid makeshift tent city last week.

The last was moved out of the camp at 11:41 am on Friday, Val Verde County Sheriff Joe Frank Martinez told DailyMail.com. That was a little over 12 hours ahead of the midnight deadline the administration had set to close the camp.

By Saturday, the town of 35,000 residents had more-or-less returned to normal after being at the center of the growing storm over the Biden administrations handling of the crisis.

The only sign that anything was wrong was that the Del Rio International Bridge heading south into Mexico remained closed.

Hundreds of state troopers, border patrol agents and other law enforcement personnel left town on Friday.

Politicians from both parties have slammed the Biden administrations handling of the crisis. One of the most stinging attacks came from former presidential candidate Beto ORourke in an opinion piece for El Paso Matters.

Vice President Kamala Harris said: 'There needs to be consequences and accountability'

ORourke, who is now running for the Democratic nomination for Texas Governor, asked: How could we not see this coming?

And once the Haitians arrived, why was our government so slow to respond, leaving the people of Del Rio and the Border Patrol to their own devices?

The disregard for border communities, and the over reliance on already stressed federal law enforcement, produced conditions that ultimately led to the unforgettable and unforgivable scene of mounted officers charging into the mass of unarmed immigrants.

Biden promised to get the Del Rio situation under control earlier in the week.

It had started when tens of thousands of Haitians living mostly in Chile and Brazil  where they had moved following the disastrous 2010 earthquake in their homecountry  started traveling north through Central America buoyed by their belief that the Biden administration would be more lenient with its immigration policies than Donald Trumps.

They were penned back at Tapachula, just across the Mexican border from Guatemala at the behest of the Biden administration.

But on September 12, Mexican authorities had a sudden change of heart and told the migrants they were free to leave the Tapachula camp and thousands flooded northward to Del Rio.

Todd Bensman of the Center for Immigration Studies told DailyMail.com they were freed in advance of the Mexican holiday of El Grito on September 16.

Of the thousands that made it to Del Rio, many families were processed and then bussed out of town, mainly to Houston and San Antonio, where they will have 10 days to report to authorities and be given a court date.

Migrants seeking asylum cross the Rio Grande river into the U.S. on Thursday night

Migrants wait in line to board a bus to Houston from Val Verde Border Humanitarian Coalition in Del Rio, Texas, on Friday

Some, mainly single men were largely deported to Haiti, a country that many had not lived in for years, while others fled back across the border into Mexico to avoid being sent to Port-au-Prince and possibly to try again to enter the United States at a later date.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said Friday that 2,000 migrants have been expelled to Haiti on 17 flights, 8,000 have gone to Haiti voluntarily, 12,400 are having their cases heard and 5,000 are being processed.

That leaves some 2,600 missing.

Bensman went to the bus station at Ciudad Acuna just across the Mexican border from Del Rio and found many Haitians buying bus tickets to other Mexican cities, such as Monterrey and Mexico City where they planned to work to build up enough money to try again.

But another mass crisis is looming from South America where some 19,000 migrants, mainly Haitians, are now amassed near the Colombian border with Panama.

Only 650 migrants are allowed to cross the area known as the Darien Gap each day in an agreement between the Colombian and Panamanian governments.

But more than 80,000 migrants are believed to have crossed the border illegally this year.

They have faced a dangerous trek through the Darien jungle, rife with perils such as poisonous snakes, steep ravines, swollen rivers, tropical downpours, and criminals often linked to drug trafficking. Assaults and rapes are commonplace on the trek as drug traffickers prey on the vulnerable migrants.

They then face an 1,100 mile trek through Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras and Guatemala to reach Tapachula and then another 1,500 miles to the US border.
An alleged Islamist extremist with links to Al Qaeda has launched an extraordinary legal challenge after Priti Patel refused to let him work as a pizza delivery driver.

The Afghan national has been granted permission for a judicial review in a case that could cost the taxpayer thousands.

He is seeking to overturn the Home Secretarys ruling that he does not have employment rights as a foreign national.

Afghan national is seeking to overturn the Home Secretarys ruling on employment rights

The man, who can only be identified as C6 after the courts granted him anonymity, came to the UK in 2003 aged 14.

He settled in west London, gaining British citizenship in 2011.

But he was stripped of his British passport in 2014 after taking trips to Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan.

The Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) looked at his history in 2015 and ruled that it was very highly probable he was an extremist with links to a small group of highly-experienced Al Qaeda militants.

The judges said: There is a strong case the appellant has engaged in terrorist-related activities.

'It is highly probable he transported electronic equipment to Afghanistan for the use of terrorist associates.

SIAC placed C6 under a range of restrictions, including a curfew and internet ban. The latest ruling, by Judge Stephen Smith, said: The applicant has obtained an offer of work as a delivery driver for a pizza and chicken outlet.

Miss Patel had decided C6 was ineligible to take up a role which is only open to UK residents under the Home Offices shortage occupation list.

C6 has made two attempts to get permission from the Home Office to take the job, the judge went on, adding: It is the ensuing refusal of that application that lies at the heart of these proceedings.

Priti Patel refused to let him work as a pizza delivery driver because he was stripped of his British passport in 2014 after taking trips to Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan

At an immigration tribunal, Judge Smith rejected arguments that C6s human rights had been infringed.

Dr Alan Mendoza, of counter-terrorism think-tank the Henry Jackson Society, said: The Home Secretarys job tackling terrorism is hard enough without spurious legal cases like this.

'As much as this man might like to deliver pizza, the Home Secretary must be entitled to place reasonable blanket restrictions on suspected extremists.

It is becoming increasingly clear that new legislation is required to clamp down on lawyers who are simply after a slice of the legal aid budget.

A Home Office spokesman said: The Governments priority is the safety and security of the UK and the people who live here.

It would be inappropriate to comment further whilst legal proceedings are ongoing.
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A retired couple and a 28-year-old who was traveling to Portland with his wife have been identified as the three killed when an Amtrak train derailed in Montana on Saturday.

Don and Margie Varnadoe were aboard the Empire Builder when it derailed near Joplin on Saturday afternoon. Family member Janet Sexton posted on Facebook that they were on their 50th anniversary trip when they died. Zach Schneider, 28, of Missouri, also died in the crash.

The Varnadoes were both heavily involved in the Glynn County School District, on the coast of Georgia, with Margie serving as a teacher, principal, personnel director and assistant superintendent of human resources, according to The Brunswick News, while Don served as a school board member for four years.

He worked as a real estate agent on St. Simons Island before he retired, the News reports.

'I was just shocked,' said fellow St. Simons real estate agent Roland Daniel. 'Three people are dead and two of them are Don and Marge Varnadoe.'

He described them as 'grateful, wonderful, honorable people,' noting: 'It's a shame they're gone.'

Don and Margie Varnadoe were identified as two of the victims of the Amtrak derailment in Missouri on Saturday

Zach Schneider is pictured in photos from his Facebook page. Zach was killed on September 25 2021, when an Amtrak train derailed in Montana, on his way to Portland

Three people are dead and more than 50 are injured after an Amtrak train carrying 147 passengers and 13 crew derailed in Montana on Saturday afternoon

This aerial view taken on Sunday shows part of an Amtrak train that derailed in north-central Montana Saturday that killed multiple people and left others hospitalized, officials said

The westbound Empire Builder was en route to Seattle from Chicago, with two locomotives and 10 cars, when it left the tracks about 4pm on Saturday

Amtrak's Empire Builder derailed near Joplin, Montana around 4pm MST

During her time as an administrator in the Glynn County School District, retired school superintendent Howard Mann said Marge 'went in and took over our human resources and made some changes.'

She oversaw and implemented a complete reorganization of the office, he explained to the News, and improved upon the application process to attract the best teachers to the district, working directly with Valerie Hepburn, the president of the College of Coastal Georgia, to identify good candidates in the school's teacher education program.

Marge retired from her position as an assistant superintendent of human resources in June 2011, First Coast News reports.

'She was sadly missed when she retired,' Mann said, 'but her impact lives on.'

Don, meanwhile, served on the Glynn County school board between 1998 and 2002 before stepping down. During his time in office, Mann said he worked hard and conscientiously on improving the attendance zones and boundaries, which are necessary to keep student populations balanced.

'I couldn't have asked for a better person to work with on ways to help kids,' Mann said on Don.

'He made a concerted effort to follow the rules governing school boards,' he noted. 'He knew his issues were policy and budget, and that's what he stuck to.'

Don decided not to seek re-election, Mann said, and Earl Perry won his seat.

'He bought me a box of paperwork and showed me everything they had done,' Perry recounted of taking over for Don. 'It was a great help.'

Don had worked at Sea Island Realty before joining Coldwell Bankers.

Daniel called him 'the most solid real estate agent I've ever known.

'He was as kind as they come,' he said, and listened more than he talked to learn about his customers' needs.

Of Margie, Daniel said she is 'just the smartest person I've ever known.'

They were both heavily involved in the Glynn County School District, on the coast of Georgia, with Marge, left, serving as an assistant principal, and Don, right, serving for four years as a school board member. He worked as a real estate agent on St. Simons Island before he retired

Following the news of their deaths, residents started posting tributes to the couple, with John Matthews commenting on a story about their reported death: 'Such a sad moment. They were fine people, close friends, good Christians and real contributors to our community. God rest their souls.'

Elizabeth Horton Ruff also wrote: 'Margie touched so many lives through her work with students, parents and teachers, as well as the yoga community. She was a leader by example.'

And Cheryl George commented, 'Oh no, I worked with Don, he was a great man!

'They will surely be missed in the Golden Isles,' she wrote.

Zach Schneider, 28, and his wife Becca, 26, were both onboard the train at the time

A GoFundMe page has been set up by a friend of the family for Zach Schneider's funeral expenses

Zach Schneider is pictured with wife Becca Schneider in photos from her Instagram page. The couple had been married since 2016

The third victim of the train derailment was Missouri engineer, Zach Schneider, 28, who was on the Empire Builder with his wife Becca en route to Portland, Oregon, when it derailed.

Zach, who was from St. Louis and worked for payments firm Stripe, was killed after several of the train cars left the tracks and toppled over onto their sides. He was identified by a GoFundMe page set up to raise money for his funeral.

Schneider's wife Becca, 26, was traveling with him but survived. She has since posted photos of herself with her late spouse on Facebook, but has not commented.

Family friend Caleb Morris, who created the page, paid tribute to Schneider by saying he was one of the 'sweetest, smartest, and most unique people I know.'

More than $25,000 had been raised by friends, family members and well-wishers since Sunday night.

'Zach always used this to push for a better world where everyone was included. I have always respected his ability to think differently. Thankful to have been blessed by knowing you, Zach,' wrote Morris in a heartfelt plea for donations.

Crews appear to be using ladders to get on top of the cars in a rescue effort on Saturday

It is suspected that the train derailed near the switch at East Buelow. The cause of the derailment is not clear. Pictured: People use ladders to climb up the side of train cars to help trapped passengers escape

Amtrak CEO Bill Flynn said Sunday his firm was distraught over the derailment, whose cause has not yet been identified.

'We are in mourning for the people who lost their lives due to the derailment of the Empire Builder train Saturday, near Joplin, Montana, on the BNSF Railway, as well as the many others who were injured,' Amtrak's Bill Flynn said.

'We have no words that can adequately express our sorrow for those who lost a loved one or who were hurt in this horrible event. They are in our thoughts and prayers.'

In the statement, Flynn said the company was cooperating with the investigation. He added they are working with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the Federal Railroad Administration, local law enforcement and response agencies.

'Amtrak's immediate and sustained focus is on doing everything we can to help our passengers and crew, especially the families of those who were injured or died, at this painful and difficult time,' Flynn added.

He said the company's incident response team has been initiated. Amtrak has sent emergency personnel and company leadership to help support passengers, employees and their families.

The westbound Empire Builder was traveling to Seattle from Chicago when it left the tracks at about 4pm on Saturday near the small town of Joplin. The tracks cut through vast, golden brown wheat fields that were recently harvested.

Several large cranes were brought to the tracks that run roughly parallel to U.S. Highway 2, along with a truckload of gravel and new railroad ties.

Several rail cars could still be seen on their sides.

The train was carrying about 141 passengers and 16 crew members and had two locomotives and 10 cars, eight of which derailed, Amtrak spokesman Jason Abrams said.

Passengers are pictured beside derailed cars on the track near Joplin, Montana. One passenger said she heard a boom and felt the carriage 'pitching violently side-to-side'

At least three cars derailed and two separated from the train

The last train car was completely on its side from the derailment

A 14-member National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) team including investigators and specialists in railroad signals were looking into the cause of the derailment on a BNSF Railway main track that involved no other trains or equipment, board spokesman Eric Weiss said.

The agency is expected to give a press briefing with further information about the derailment in the 'late afternoon' on Monday.

The accident scene is about 30 miles from the Canadian border.

Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte said BNSF was readying replacement track for when the NTSB gives the go-head. 'BNSF has assured me they can get the line up and running in short order,' he said.

Railroad safety expert David Clarke, director of the Center for Transportation Research at the University of Tennessee, said accident scene photos show the derailment occurred at or near a switch, which is where the railway goes from a single track to a double track.

Clarke said the two locomotives and two cars at the front of the train reached the split and continued on the main track, but the remaining eight cars derailed. He said it was unclear if some of the last cars moved onto the second track.

'Did the switch play some role? It might have been that the front of the train hit the switch and it started fish-tailing and that flipped the back part of the train,' Clarke said.

Another possibility was a defect in the rail, Clarke said, noting that regular testing doesn't always catch such problems. He said speed was not a likely factor because trains on that line have systems that prevent excessive speeds and collisions.

Matt Jones, a BNSF Railway spokesman said at a news conference that the track where the accident occurred was last inspected Thursday.

Most of the people on the train were treated and released for their injuries, but seven people who were more seriously hurt remained at the Benefits Health System hospital in Great Falls, Montana, according to Sarah Robbin, Liberty County emergency services co-ordinator.

Another two people were at Logan Health, a hospital in Kalispell, Montana, spokeswoman Melody Sharpton said.

Five of the seven who were injured remained at the Benefits Health System hospital on Monday, with two in the intensive care unit, according to NBC Montana.

Robbin said emergency crews struggled without success to cut open cars with special tools, 'so they did have to manually carry out many of the passengers that could not walk.'

Robbin said nearby residents rushed to offer help when the derailment occurred.

'We are so fortunate to live where we do, where neighbors help neighbors,' she said.

'The locals have been so amazing and accommodating,' passenger Jacob Cordeiro said on Twitter. 'They provided us with food, drinks, and wonderful hospitality. Nothing like it when the best comes together after a tragedy.'

Cordeiro, who is from Rhode Island, just graduated from college and was traveling with his father to Seattle to celebrate.

'I was in one of the front cars and we got badly jostled, thrown from one side of the train to the other,' he told MSNBC. He said the car left the tracks, but did not fall over.

'I'm a pretty big guy and it picked me up from my chair and threw me into one wall and then threw me into the other wall,' Cordeiro said.

Another passenger, Joe Abaunza, said he 'felt a jolt,' and 'before I knew it, I've been swung across the room - or at least it went from one place to another.

'I was on the drivers' side, per se, and I ended up on the passenger side. We had flipped over.'

Abaunza, of Miami Beach, Florida, said he saw one of the train attendants break her arm while others 'were screaming, yelling crying.'

'You could tell some people were in pain,' he told 7News Miami.

'It's rough,' he said, as he prepared to fly to New Mexico to continue his trip. 'It's not easy.

'I mean, I feel for the people who lost their lives, for the people who have to deal with the loss of life.'

Chester Councilwoman Rachel Ghekiere said she and others helped about 50 to 60 passengers who were brought to a school..'

Liberty County Sheriff Nick Erickson said the rest of the names of the dead would not be released until relatives had been notified.

Ms Robbin said nearby residents had rushed to help when the derailment occurred.

'We are so fortunate to live where we do, where neighbors help neighbors,' she said.

One car flipped over. Some of the cars slid down a 30 foot embankment

The train spread across two tracks. It is believed the accident happened near a switch

Workers walk next to an Amtrak train that derailed Saturday just west of Joplin, Montana

Amtrak said it had sent emergency personnel and other officials to the site to help passengers, employees and local officials. It said company officials had been 'deeply saddened' to learn of the deaths.

Following the derailment, Sunday's westbound Empire Builder from Chicago was terminating in Minneapolis, and the eastbound train was originating in Minneapolis.

Trevor Fossen was first on the scene. The Joplin resident was on a dirt road nearing the tracks Saturday when he saw 'a wall of dust' about 300 feet high.

'I started looking at that, wondering what it was and then I saw the train had tipped over and derailed,' said Fossen, who called 911 and started trying to get people out. He called his brother to bring ladders for people who couldn't get down after exiting through the windows of cars resting on their sides.

Passenger Megan Vandervest told The New York Times she had been woken by the derailment.

'My first thought was that we were derailing because, to be honest, I have anxiety and I had heard stories about trains derailing,' Ms Vandervest, from Minneapolis, said.

'My second thought was that's crazy. We wouldn't be derailing. Like, that doesn't happen.'

She told the newspaper that the car behind hers was tilted, the one behind that was tipped over, and the three cars behind that 'had completely fallen off the tracks and were detached from the train'.

Speaking from the Liberty County Senior Centre, where some passengers were being taken, Ms Vandervest said it had felt like 'extreme turbulence on a plane'.

Residents of communities near the crash site quickly mobilized to help.

Chester councillor Rachel Ghekiere said she and others had helped about 50 to 60 passengers who were taken to a school.

'I went to the school and assisted with water, food, wiping dirt off faces,' she said.

'They appeared to be tired, shaken but happy that they were where they were. Some looked more disheveled than others, depending where they were on the train.'

Allan Zarembski, director of the University of Delaware's Railway Engineering and Safety Program, said he did not want to speculate but suspected that the derailment stemmed from an issue with the train track or equipment, or a combination of both.

Railways had 'virtually eliminated' major derailments by human error after the implementation of positive train control nationwide, Mr Zarembski said.

'I would be surprised if this was a human-factor derailment,' he said.

NTSB findings could take months, he added.

Bob Chipkevich, who oversaw railway crash investigations for several years at the NTSB, said the agency would not rule out human error or any other potential causes for now.

'There are still human performance issues examined by NTSB to be sure that people doing the work are qualified and rested and doing it properly,' Mr Chipkevich said.

Mr Chipkevich said track conditions had historically been a significant cause of train accidents. He noted that most of the track that Amtrak used was owned by freight railways and depended on those companies for safety maintenance.
Steven Miles has backtracked on claims millions of Australians could remain locked out of Queensland this Christmas.

In an extraordinary about face, the Queensland deputy premier on Monday hinted the state's borders could be opened before Christmas.

'No-one has ever suggested that the border should be closed at Christmas, but what we have said is that it should be opened at the right time and that with done yet have the information that tells us what that right time is,' Mr Miles told reporters in Townsville.

'Let's focus on what we can do today and tomorrow and next week and that is the best way to make sure that we are open by Christmas, maybe even before Christmas.'

Mr Miles, and Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk had earlier warned Queensland could be closed to travellers from New South Wales and Victoria in three months time while unleashing a scathing attack on Scott Morrison.

Queensland holidays could remain off limits for NSW and and Victorian travellers this summer

The Prime Minister on Sunday demanded state leaders meet their commitments under the national cabinet plan to reopen borders when vaccination rates hit 80 per cent, allowing families to reunite at Christmas.

Mr Miles hit back hours later where he accused Mr Morrison of giving people false hope before backpedalling on his comments on Monday morning, where he conceded 'a lot can change' in 90 days.

'The point I was trying to make is that's it's 90 days away. The only information and modelling we have at the moment pre-dates the Sydney outbreak.

'Sydney has been in lockdown for 13, approaching 14 weeks and the modelling we currently have is before that outbreak.'

'Christmas is still 90 days away. A lot can change in that period of time.'

Queensland deputy premier Steven Miles slammed Scott Morrison on giving people false hop that the borders will reopen to NSW and Victoria by Christmas (pictured travellers at Brisbane Airport)

The comments were certainly a contrast to a day earlier, when Mr Miles said Mr Morrison should be more focused on the health and wellbeing of NSW and Victoria and on international affairs than 'what might happen in Queensland in a few months' time'.

'This bloke should focus on his job. Diplomacy is his job, international trade is his job, vaccination should be his job but we're doing it,' Mr Miles told reporters on Sunday.

'Quarantine should have been his job, but we're doing it. Keeping Covid out of New South Wales was his job and he failed at it.'

He accused the Prime Minister of offering false hope by saying borders will be re-opened when the vaccination rates hit 80 per cent.

'It's not that simple and it's misleading people to tell them that it should be that simple,' Mr Miles added.

'I don't think Queensland does want to just give in this close to the end of the pandemic. I don't think Queenslanders will want to let Covid in for Christmas if we don't have it but NSW still does.

'So they're the considerations that we will need to make, because we are in the very fortunate position of not having the virus here.

Agriculture Minister David Littleproud hit back on Monday morning, accusing Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk of 'reneging' on the national plan and destroying the state's devastated tourism industry.

'When you look at the Gold Coast, a billion dollars will be lost in just this quarter,' Mr Littleproud told Today on Monday.

'They are the cheap casualty, according to the Palaszczuk government, of this Covid disaster.

'We need confidence and certainty, but we need leadership.

'We're saying when you're coming into the room (at national cabinet) and say you're going to sign up to the plan, the Prime Minister needs to look to his left and right and know you're there. Instead, Premier Palaszczuk has gone off in all sorts of directions.'

Earlier on Sunday, Mr Morrison said he could not see any reason why Australians should be kept cooped up in their states after the milestone set by the national reopening plan.

'There comes a time when you just got to move on and get on with it,' he told Weekend Sunrise on Sunday.

'You've got to honour the arrangement you've made with the Australian people and that is once you get to 80 per cent vaccination, it is very clear that you can start opening up.'

Prime Minister Scott Morrison urged state leaders to open borders when vaccination rates hit 80 per cent

Ms Palaszczuk previously said she would like more research into the effect of Covid-19 on children before lifting border restrictions.

Similarly, Mr McGowan has shown resistance in honouring the targets agreed upon at national cabinet and said his borders are unlikely to open before Easter 2022.

While Mr Morrison acknowledged people would still have to check in to venues using QR codes and wear masks in some settings for a while, he demanded the recalcitrant premiers give people 'their lives back'.

'That puts the big challenge on the premiers. They've had the power to do what they've been doing. They're not new powers. They've always had them, he said.

'Once you get to 80 per cent of your population that's vaccinated, it's very clear. I can't see any reason why Australians should be kept from each other.

'[Reopening by Christmas] is within the gift of governments. And that's a gift I'd like to see us give them.'

Queensland premier has been reluctant and said she wants research into the effect of Covid-19 in children. Pictured: Police at a truck stop on the Qld border

Pictured: People wearing face masks in Perth. WA premier Mark McGowan is also reluctant to re-open borders

Mr Morrison said he was eager for Australia to join much of the rest of the world in moving to a post-lockdown footing as soon as possible with vaccination rates into the 80s and 90s not far off.

'We can't stay in second gear,' he said. 'We've got to get to top gear in living with the virus. And that's where we need to be.

'We've done remarkably well with our economy through the pandemic and saving people's lives. But we must go into the next chapter.'

Mr Morrison acknowledged that some people will opt out of getting a vaccine, but said choices made by the minority should not impact the majority.

'Once we get to 80 per cent  the fact is that everybody has had the chance to get vaccinated by that point,' he said.

'If you've chosen not to get vaccinated, that's your choice. That's fair enough.

'But should that choice hold back the rest of the country from going forward engaging with those who are overseas, family members [who] are in India and other places who just want to come home?'

He declared those who decide not to get the jab were responsible for their own health.

Once Australia's population hits 80 per cent double jabbed international borders are expected to open with flight caps lifted for arrivals. Pictured: A woman at Melbourne airport

Victoria and NSW have unveiled separate roadmaps for reopening, which both hinge on vaccination rates of 70 and 80 per cent.

About 75.4 per cent of Australians older than 16 have had their first-dose of a Covid vaccine and 50.95 per cent are fully vaccinated.

'I'm pleased to report 75 per cent of the nation's 16s and over, have rolled up their sleeves to receive a first vaccine dose,' Health Minister Greg Hunt wrote on Twitter.

'This means we have less than one million first doses to go before we hit 80 per cent.'

During the Quad meeting at Washington DC over the weekend, the prime minister said stranded expats would be able to return home once 80 per cent of Australians are double jabbed.

The target is expected to be reached by December but Mr Morrison could not guarantee that the 45,000 stranded Aussies would be back in time for Christmas.

Mr Morrison could not confirm whether all 45,000 Aussies stranded overseas would make it home in time for Christmas. Picture: Woman at Sydney airport

He said arrival caps, which were introduced to help manage hotel quarantine figures, would be lifted allowing for more Australians to return home.

'We have been running more commercial flights and if we need to, we will [run more], but once we hit 80 per cent vaccinations, then that means Australians will be able to travel in those states that are opening up,' he told reporters on Saturday.

'They will be able to get on planes and go overseas and come home, and that means Australians who are overseas and who are vaccinated with the vaccines that are recognised in Australia will be able to get on planes and come to Australia.'

At 80 per cent vaccination international borders will reopen with caps on arrivals to be lifted as part of the country's national roadmap to reopening.
The owners of illegal guns, zombie knives and knuckle-dusters have been paid more than 4million in a weapons-for-cash scheme.

Nearly 50,000 lethal items were bought by the Home Office, it was revealed in a Daily Mail freedom of information request.

Under the controversial arrangement, taxpayers cash is given to anyone who held a weapon due to be banned by new laws which came into effect last month.

All the items were already barred in public by the Criminal Justice Act 1988 but have now been outlawed in private.

Experts have questioned the amount paid for 48,447 weapons from last December to March as the money mostly went on guns they say are rarely used in crime

Experts have questioned the amount paid for 48,447 weapons from last December to March as the money mostly went on guns they say are rarely used in crime.

It is believed manufacturers and collectors snapped up most of the cash as there were just 840 claims, meaning the average owner got 4,851 for a haul of 576 weapons.

The largest sum of 2.78million went on buying 1,000 lever release rifles while 262,470 was paid for 133 manually activated release system (MARS) rifles  both rapid-fire weapons.

Another 781,766 was spent on 32,348 pieces of ancillary firearms equipment.

Firearms expert Philip Boyce said: In my 35 years in forensics, I have never seen a lever release rifle used in crime. I have seen a few MARS rifles but not many. These guns are used for rabbit shooting mainly.

There were a lot of lever release rifles handed in. I would be very interested in who had all of these as it seems to me like a producer.

It is believed manufacturers and collectors snapped up most of the cash as there were just 840 claims, meaning the average owner got 4,851 for a haul of 576 weapons

Bill for horror cache 27 swordsticks for 3,227 plus 255 curved swords at a cost of 13,536 94 shurikens (Japanese star-shaped weapon with projecting blades) for 405 959 knuckledusters were bought for 2,290 224 zombie knives at a cost of 2,299 8,504 telescopic truncheons for 170,110 61 blowpipes for 854 2,991 batons for 30,377 719 flick knives for 16,852 1,000 lever release rifles for 2,783,859 133 MARS (manually activated release system) rifles for 262,470 Advertisement

They could make a lot of money from this scheme. They can produce guns for under 100, easy.

Owners could receive compensation by handing in items to police with proof of ownership or purchase and completing a form but there was no limit on the number of claims that could be submitted.

The Home Office had a list of values, such as 10 for a zombie knife, but owners could try to get more with an auction house valuation, receipt or other evidence.

Former police officer Graham Wettone, who served in the Met force for 30 years, was also puzzled by the scheme.

He said: It seems they have put this in place to ensure manufacturers and collectors did not sell them on the black market. It is obviously a good thing that there are fewer weapons on the street but were these weapons really a threat? I cant say Ive seen any of these guns used in crime.

Im left scratching my head as to why we have spent so much on this. It doesnt feel that well thought through.

On the other hand, theyve managed to collect some pretty dangerous blades that could have fallen into the wrong hands.

There was a compensation scheme for handguns when they were banned in 1997 but this initiative is the first to offer money for so many types of weapon.

Mr Wettone added: Ive never seen an amnesty for so many different types of weapons before, which explains the high numbers.

'If you break it down by weapon type, it compares about the same to normal amnesties as usually they would just be for a certain type of gun, or for knives.

But with an amnesty there is no paperwork, you just dump them at a police station.

The problem with paying is it requires paperwork which puts off any gangsters or types like that. It sets a strange precedent, offering to pay for things that become illegal.

Under the law, anyone with a banned firearm faces up to ten years in prison. Those with the other weapons can get up to six months in jail or a fine or both.

Last night the Home Office said: We will stop at nothing to stop deaths from violent crime and continue to give the police the powers they need to protect the public.
Last Friday, when I posed for the photograph that accompanies this article at the bridge overlooking the junction on the M1 where my husband Jason was killed, I heard from behind me a sickening thud. It was a collision between a car and a lorry on the other side of the road.

A lorry had slammed into a car and dragged it hundreds of yards down the carriageway. I was in shock: my own husband, after all, had died on the opposite side of the same stretch of road.

Could there possibly have been a more visceral and painful reminder of how dangerous the craze for smart motorways has become?

Motorways are always dangerous and unpredictable: they need a dedicated, protected space where drivers can shelter from the hazards around them, especially after a minor accident or a breakdown.

Last Friday, when I posed for the photograph that accompanies this article at the bridge overlooking the junction on the M1 where my husband Jason was killed, I heard from behind me a sickening thud. It was a collision between a car and a lorry on the other side of the road

This should be obvious but for too long, ministers have tried to bury their heads in the sand over the issue.

That is why the Mail's seminal undercover investigation, published today, is so important.

The 'smart' motorway  lauded by government and road bosses alike as both efficient and safe  is literally lethal and riddled with ongoing, deeply serious failures.

As the Mail reveals today, many cameras are either broken, faulty or simply not monitored, leaving motorists who have broken down or stopped for any reason stranded in deadly high-speed traffic.

Staggeringly, one in ten cameras was found to be faulty out of more than 800 devices nationwide.

Worse still, almost half the cameras on one of the busiest sections of the M25  where three deaths have been attributed to smart motorways  were faulty. On the day of the audit, one in four cameras was broken on the stretch of the M1 near Sheffield where Jason died.

Pictured: Jason Mercer who was killed on the M1 smart motorway on 7 June 2019

Scene picture on the M1 motorway at junction 34 where a crash has happened on 24 September near to the spot where Jason Mercer was killed on the smart motorway on 7 June 2019

Overall, the toll speaks for itself: figures from Highways England [now known as National Highways] show that between 2015 and 2019, 39 people died on smart motorways.

But behind each of those numbers are individual tragedies, as I know all too well. On June 7, 2019, a few minutes after we ate breakfast together, Jason was driving north on the M1 between junctions 34 and 35 when he changed lanes and suffered a minor collision with a Ford Transit van.

As is required by law, my husband pulled over to exchange insurance details with the other driver  a 22-year-old delivery worker from Romania called Alexandru Murgeanu.

Except there was nowhere to go. In 2016, that stretch of the M1 had been converted into an all- lane-running 'smart' motorway, meaning the hard shoulder was open to traffic.

On camera footage, Jason and Alexandru can be seen driving on, trying to find somewhere safe to stop, before finally pulling up as closely as they could to the safety barrier near a gantry with a traffic camera.

The inquest into their deaths would later reveal that the camera wasn't monitored and the lane remained open.

Hemmed in by the crash barrier  behind which was a 30-foot drop  motorists swerved to avoid Jason and Alexandru, but six minutes after they pulled over, Prezemyslaw Szuba, a Polish lorry driver, failed to notice in enough time to manoeuvre into a different lane. Instead, he ploughed into the back of Alexandru's van, killing them instantly.

I knew Jason was dead the moment I saw police officers draw up in their patrol car some hours later. I remember dropping to the floor, shaking with shock.

Jason died because of the smart motorway: that was the verdict of the coroner at his inquest who, while recording the primary cause of death as Szuba's careless driving, stated that the lack of hard shoulder contributed to the tragedy and that smart motorways presented an ongoing risk of future deaths.

Following the inquest, I launched a campaign to highlight the failures and dangers of smart motorways and am bringing a judicial review against the Government. Highways England is now being investigated for corporate manslaughter.

Szuba was jailed for ten months for Jason and Alexandru's death, but I believe he was wrongly imprisoned. If Highways England hadn't removed the hard shoulder, the lorry driver would have been in a different lane and the collision would never have happened.

Now, two years on from the coroner's stark warning, the Mail's damning dossier lays bare in terrifying detail the ongoing risks of smart motorways.

They are risks that affect us all. What happened to my husband and Alexandru wasn't an unusual, cataclysmic series of circumstances  it could happen at any time, to anyone.

How many more people have to die before ministers see sense and end the smart motorway madness?

Claire is arranging a march and protest on November 1 in Westminster. Visit facebook.com/smartmotorwayskill or smartmotorwayskill.co.uk for more information
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Police were quizzing the man they believe to be the prime suspect in the murder of primary school teacher Sabina Nessa

Police were quizzing the man they believe to be the prime suspect in the murder of primary school teacher Sabina Nessa on Sunday night after a dramatic 3am raid.

In a major development just over a week after her killing, officers traced a 36-year-old man to an address more than an hour away from the scene.

After an urgent appeal to locate a suspect captured on CCTV, officers made a breakthrough in the case and arrested a man on suspicion of murder.

It can now be revealed that detectives had been following the man for several hours on Saturday afternoon before arresting him at an address in Eastbourne, East Sussex, at 3am yesterday.

The arrest followed a huge police operation in which the suspect's movements were traced using CCTV and automatic number plate recognition.

Detective Chief Inspector Neil John, from the Met's Specialist Crime Command, said Miss Nessa's family had been told about the arrest and were being supported by specialist officers.

It comes just days after police issued a desperate appeal for a suspect and a vehicle captured on CCTV close to where 28-year-old Miss Nessa was ambushed and hit over the head.

In the footage, a balding man is seen clutching a red 'reflective' object before trying to conceal it up his sleeve.

Detectives said they were keeping 'an open mind' as to whether it was used to attack Miss Nessa. Police are no longer looking for the man in the footage.

Meanwhile, Miss Nessa's family yesterday visited the scene where the University of Greenwich graduate was murdered. Miss Nessa's older sister Jebina Yasmin Islam  who broke down at Friday's vigil as she spoke of her family's loss  read some of the hundreds of tributes at the scene.

Miss Nessa was last seen heading out on a five-minute journey for a first date in Kidbrooke, south-east London, at 8.30pm on Friday September 17.

Detectives had issued an appeal for information about a mystery man who was captured on CCTV in Pegler Square, south east London, on the night Sabina, 28, was attacked

Sabina Nessa, 28, originally from Bedfordshire, disappeared on September 17 as she left home to meet a man for a first date at a local pub and her body was found the following afternoon

A Nissan Micra pictured at an Eastbourne police compound is believed to be connected with the murder investigation

Three men arrested in suspicion of Sabina Nessa's murder Arrest One (Suspect A): On the same day Sabina was found, a man in his 40s and known to her was the first to be arrested on suspicion of her murder. He was later released under investigation on September 24. Arrest Two (Suspect B): A 38-year-old man was arrested on Thursday at an address in Lewisham in connection with the murder. He was of has also been released under investigation. Arrest Three (Suspect C): Police arrested a 36-year-old man in a 'significant development' in the investigation on Sunday, September 26. The man was arrested at around 3am at an address in East Sussex and taken into police custody. Advertisement

Detectives have recovered grainy CCTV footage which they believe is of the attack.

The teacher's body is thought to have been carried into Cator Park before being hidden under leaves, 200 yards from her home. She lay undiscovered until being found by a dog-walker at 5.30pm the next day.

Detectives are still desperately trying to work out whether her killer had ever come into contact with her or was a stranger.

The murder has reignited a debate about the safety of women. It comes just six months after marketing manager Sarah Everard, 33, was abducted and murdered by a serving Met police officer.

Annie Gibbs, who organised Friday's vigil and accompanied Miss Nessa's sister to the scene yesterday, said the focus should remain on Miss Nessa and not politics.

'At the moment, we need to focus on the fact there is a family who has lost someone. Changes will come later,' she said.

'All this political stuff and organisations capitalising on it is just really not needed right now and it is wrong at this time. It is too soon. Barely a week has passed. This is a time for us to remember Sabina, not blaming or politics. Let's respect the family. Let's focus on Sabina and her loved ones.'

Tributes continued to pour in yesterday for Miss Nessa, who was born in Bedford to Bangladeshi parents. Hundreds of tributes  including a bouquet left on behalf of the Duchess of Cambridge  have been left at the scene.

They also include one from a Year 1 pupil at Rushey Green primary school in Catford, south-east London, who wrote: 'Thank you for being my teacher.' Yesterday, Henry Lansana, 45, of Sydenham, left a card for Miss Nessa, who he said was in his friendship group.

Ms Nessa's family, including a woman understood to be her sister Jebina, visited the scene where the primary school teacher was allegedly murdered to look at the hundreds of tributes left in her memory

He said: 'From the few times I was with her within the same group, I instantly realised what a kind and thoughtful person she was. My mother and father were both teachers and Sabina had those same caring qualities you need to work with children. She was just such a warm, beautiful girl and you can see she meant so much to so many people...'

Two men, aged 38 and 40, were separately arrested on suspicion of murder but were subsequently released under investigation.

Ms Nessa's family, including a woman understood to be her sister Jebina, visited the scene where the primary school teacher was allegedly murdered to look at the hundreds of tributes left in her memory.

Jebina collected a white box with a picture of Ms Nessa on it from vigil organiser Annie Gibbs. It had been used after the memorial to collect notes of condolence written by attendees.

CCTV footage which has not yet been released by police reportedly shows her attacker strike her over the head with an object before carrying her over his shoulder towards the park where her body was later discovered.

Jebina collected a white box with a picture of Ms Nessa on it from vigil organiser Annie Gibbs. It had been used after the memorial to collect notes of condolence written by attendees

More than 500 well-wishers, including Ms Nessa's sister Jebina, gathered in Pegler Square for a vigil on Friday, organised by campaign group Reclaim the Streets, which said it is 'angry and heartbroken' about her death

Vigil organiser Ms Gibbs, who shared an emotional embrace with Ms Nessa's sister, said of Friday's service: 'I think it really honoured Sabina. It was very respectful. I believe there was possibly as many as 3,000 people who attended which was incredible.

'Everyone came there with the same heart. They just wanted the family to feel loved and supported and that was achieved. We really wanted to make sure we got the message out there that we want justice and this is not something that we expect in our community. But it's not going to divide us.

'We're going to keep fighting until we find who has done this. I was really delighted this morning to see an arrest has been made.'

Ms Gibbs fears some people are forgetting there is a family grieving losing a much loved sister and daughter at the core of a case promoting global discussion about wider issues.

She added: 'At the moment, we need to focus on the fact there is a family who has lost someone. Changes will come later.

'All this political stuff and organisations capitalising on it is just really not needed right now and it is wrong at this time. It is too soon. Barely a week has passed.

'This is a time for us to remember Sabina, not blaming or politics. Let's respect the family. Let's focus on Sabina and her loved ones.'
The Queen is said to have loved it because it was a home not a palace, a place where she and Prince Philip were able to live a relatively normal life.

Now rare images of her private bathroom and bedroom in the Villa Guardamangia in Malta, where the couple lived when they were first married between 1949 and 1951 - and the only home Her Majesty has known outside Britain, have been revealed.

Historian Bettany Hughes was allowed to film inside the property, which has fallen into disrepair but has been acquired by the Maltese government for restoration, for an episode of her TV series Treasures of the World.

In the Channel 4 show, she goes through the mid-18th century limestone house's front door with its brass dolphin knockers to explore what she calls the Queen and Philip's 'romantic hideaway' and a 'hidden wonder' of the Mediterranean island.

The villa had six bedrooms, three bathrooms, a grand hall and servants' quarters, as well as separate apartments for the Queen, who was then Princess Elizabeth, and Philip, who was stationed in Malta as an officer of the Royal Navy (Pictured: Presenter Bettany Hughes exploring the villa)

Entering the Queen's yellow private bathroom, in which a broken lavatory can be seen, Hughes says: 'This is a corner where I feel I'm poking about a little bit too much.'

Historian Bettany Hughes (pictured) was allowed to film inside the property, which has fallen into disrepair but has been acquired by the Maltese government for restoration, for an episode of her TV series Treasures of the World

Despite having been empty for years and barely used since the royal couple left, Hughes describes the villa, with its high ceilings and shuttered windows, as 'hauntingly romantic'.

The villa had six bedrooms, three bathrooms, a grand hall and servants' quarters, as well as separate apartments for the Queen, who was then Princess Elizabeth, and Philip, who was stationed in Malta as an officer of the Royal Navy.

Entering the Queen's yellow private bathroom, in which a broken lavatory can be seen, Hughes says: 'This is a corner where I feel I'm poking about a little bit too much.'

She also walks round the Queen's old bedroom, noting that it has a fireplace which was 'very unusual for Malta at the time'.

The villa, in a narrow street at the top of a hill outside the capital Valetta, was rented in 1929 to Philip's uncle Lord Louis Mountbatten, who made it available to the royal couple.

The Queen and Prince Philip outside their Maltese villa in 1950

The villa (pictured with Ms Hughes) was acquired by the Maltese government last year

The restoration is expected to take at least five years, after which the house will eventually be opened as a museum

Elizabeth went to the two-storey Guardamangia - the name translates as `look and eat'- in November, 1949 to join Philip, then a first lieutenant on the warship Chequers.

In the documentary, Hughes says the princess had a footman, a lady in waiting, and a detective.

She did perform some royal duties in Malta such as touring military installations, cutting ceremonial ribbons and visiting bursary school, but 'also got to be just an ordinary woman.'

She had lunch with officers' wives, sunbathed, had her hair done in salons and 'sometimes, we're told, she even handled her own money.'

The royal couple left Malta for the birth of their second child, Princess Anne, in August 1950, but they were back by Christmas.

After Philip took command of the frigate Magpie, the couple spent three blissful months at Guardamangia until February 1951.

In the documentary, Hughes (pictured in the villa) says the Princess Elizabeth had a footman, a lady in waiting, and a detective

The royal couple left Malta for the birth of their second child, Princess Anne, in August 1950, but they were back by Christmas (Pictured: Ms Hughes taking a tour of the villa)

The ground floor will contain exhibitions depicting the relationship between Britain and Malta, which gained independence in 1964

The first floor will feature a reconstruction of how the house looked when it was home to the young royal couple from 1949 to 1951

*Bettany Hughes' Treasures of the World: Malta, Channel 4, 8pm today (September 4)

When her father George VI's failing health meant Elizabeth had to fill in for him more and more, they had to return to England.

When they left, Elizabeth described her time in Malta as `the happiest days of my life'. This year is the 70th anniversary of her leaving there.

During a visit to the island in 2015 the Queen said: 'Visiting Malta is always very special for me. I remember happy days here with Prince Philip when we were first married.'

Her happy years there have also been portrayed in the TV series The Crown.

Earlier this year, plans were revealed for Villa Guardamangia to undergo a multi-million pound restoration with a view to turning it into a museum.

It was acquired by the Maltese government last year. The restoration is expected to take at least five years, after which the house will eventually be opened as a museum.

The ground floor will contain exhibitions depicting the relationship between Britain and Malta, which gained independence in 1964.

The first floor will feature a reconstruction of how the house looked when it was home to the young royal couple from 1949 to 1951.

*Bettany Hughes' Treasures of the World: Malta, Channel 4, 8pm today (September 4).
The BBC has admitted that a Radio 4 documentary on an alleged chemical weapon attack in Syria contained serious inaccuracies.

The Corporation's Executive Complaints Unit (ECU) upheld a protest from Mail on Sunday columnist Peter Hitchens following last November's broadcast of Mayday: The Canister On The Bed.

Adjudicators agreed that the programme by BBC investigative journalist Chloe Hadjimatheou failed to meet the Corporation's editorial standards for accuracy by reporting false claims.

The programme, part of a series on aspects of the conflict in Syria, dealt with an attack at Douma in 2018 and included an account of the role later played by 'Alex', a former inspector with the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), the poison gas watchdog.

The BBC has admitted that a Radio 4 documentary on an alleged chemical weapon attack in Douma (pictured in 2018), Syria, contained serious inaccuracies

Adjudicators agreed the programme by investigative journalist Chloe Hadjimatheou (pictured) failed to meet the Corporation's editorial standards for accuracy by reporting false claims

Last week  nearly ten months after the broadcast  the ECU delivered its finding that the BBC was wrong to insinuate that 'Alex' was motivated to go public about his doubts over the attack by the prospect of a $100,000 (72,000) reward from the whistleblowing website WikiLeaks.

No such reward was ever paid, according to WikiLeaks.

The BBC also accepted it had no evidence to back up its claim that 'Alex', a highly qualified and apolitical scientist, believed the attack in Douma, which prompted retaliatory missile strikes by Britain, the US and France, had been staged.

In its ruling, the Corporation withdrew the imputation that Mr Hitchens, who has reported on despotic regimes for more than 40 years, shared 'the Russian and Syrian state views on the war'.

The programme (pictured) dealt with an attack at Douma in 2018 and included an account of the role later played by 'Alex', a former inspector with the poison gas watchdog

The ECU ruled the BBC was wrong to insinuate that 'Alex' was motivated to go public about his doubts over the attack by the prospect of a reward from WikiLeaks. Pictured: Syrian police on a destroyed street in Douma in April 2018

Upholding his complaint, the adjudicators said: 'The ECU found that, although they were limited to one aspect of an investigation into a complex and hotly contested subject, these points represented a failure to meet the standard of accuracy appropriate to a programme of this kind.'

Welcoming the ruling, Mr Hitchens said: 'This is a major victory for the truth. The whistleblowers inside the OPCW were always motivated by a strict regard for scientific truth.

'Far from seeking rewards, they realised that their actions would damage their careers but went ahead anyway.

'I do not serve any government, least of all those in Moscow and Damascus.

'I am glad the BBC has now made clear that it grasps that my reporting was motivated solely by the search for truth.'

He added: 'It is astonishingly rare for the BBC to rule against itself.

'This is a huge development. I hope it represents a wider change of heart in the Corporation.'
It's a scenario most parents will recognise: relaxing with a nice glass of wine after homeschooling the kids during lockdown.

But for best friends Martin Stead and Toby Radcliffe, both from London, it sparked a business idea they were passionate about - selling sustainable wines from independent vineyards.

The entrepreneurs, who met when they were 18, had been looking for a way to work together, and soft-launched the Collectivino delivery service, which has net zero carbon impact, in July this year.

Martin Stead, left, and Toby Radcliffe discussed the idea while chatting over Zoom drinks

Martin, 44, said: 'One day in 2020 while enjoying a glass of red together over a lockdown Zoom call, Toby and I realised there were two issues for wine enthusiasts like us.

'It often seemed like potluck as to whether we'd choose an outstanding, average or downright disappointing wine, and it was way too difficult to work out and minimise the environmental impact of the wines we were choosing.

'So, we decided to do something about it, and created Collectivino to provide wine lovers with exceptional quality wines that are produced and distributed responsibly, at an accessible price.'

Father-of-two Toby, 43, added: 'I'll joke, but I was homeschooling, drinking a lot of wine, it was a great idea!'

The pair set about putting a business model in place, and initially looked at selling UK wines, but changed tack after realising they could stock varieties from around the world, including Europe and New Zealand, and still stick to their core values.

Toby said: 'We wanted to bring wines to our website which are difficult to get or aren't currently available in the UK.

Martin and Toby advertised on MailOnline and liked the fact they could do it themselves

'And if you look at it from a carbon point of view, the transport isn't the major impact on the footprint, and we more than double offset it, so it's under 10% of the overall footprint. It's much more important it's organic, or sustainable, using low intervention techniques.

'We interview all our suppliers to make sure they're doing what we're expecting them to do to make sure they're in line with the types of things we're looking for.'

The company uses zero carbon delivery methods, such as bicycle couriers in Central London, and carbon neutral deliveries nationally.

They also calculate the carbon impact of the wines  from grape to glass  and off-set any residual CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent) impact using VCS Gold Standard reforestation schemes, so every bottle they deliver is climate positive.

Toby added: 'We curate really amazing wine. Every bottle we list has a wow factor, and everything on our site is sustainable as a minimum, and a lot of them are also organic or biodynamic or regenerative, so you can enjoy good wine and know it's coming from the right place.

'And as part of our ethos, we positively offset everything so there's no carbon associated with any of it.'

After their soft launch, Toby and Martin were ready to take their marketing strategy to the next level - and have been one of the first businesses to try MailOnline's Ad Manager advertising platform.

Ad Manager allows entrepreneurs to target as many of MailOnline's incredible 25 million readers as they like, targeting potential customers by postcode, interests or life stage.

THE RESULTS: Cost: 2,779.19 Ad impressions (how many times the ads were viewed): 731,361 in a week Doubled website traffic every day Clicks to website: 916 'It cuts out the middleman, which is cost efficient for a start-up'

And it comes without a hefty price tag.

What's more, business owners can easily create their own campaign, set the budget and the target audience - and it can be live in less than 24 hours.

Toby said: 'As a small business, the Ad Manager platform is brilliant. It cuts out the middleman - you don't have to have a huge budget and go through media agencies.

'Having that direct access to a platform to be able to plan our media based on our needs is just super efficient for startups but also ultimately helps us reduce costs, because we're not having to pay lots of other people to do it for us.

'In terms of the platform itself, we were able to generate our own artwork, and then build our own campaign and it was really, really easy.'

In just a week, through their Ad Manager campaign, the co-founders saw a huge 916 click throughs to their website - as well as more than 700,000 ad impressions.

Toby said: 'The campaign was great for brand awareness.

'It reached more than 700,000 impressions, and, as these were mainly through headline banners, they would have been widely seen.

'Over the week of the campaign we saw double our usual website traffic each day, so we were really pleased with the additional engagement, all from new prospects.

'As a start-up, getting in front of target prospects is a key challenge, which the platform really helped us achieve.'

As a business owner, you can set up a new Ad Manager campaign in just minutes with the simple-to-use system - and it allows you to advertise to more people in your area than your local titles can reach.

There are no hidden fees, and you can control everything, from budget to target audience to creative design.

Here's how you can advertise YOUR small business on MailOnline:

Behind The Business

Martin Stead and Toby Radcliffe have been best friends since they met at Cambridge University aged 18 - and they always knew they'd go into business together.

The entrepreneurs had plenty in common, including enjoying drinking great wine together, which was ultimately what sparked their idea for Collectivino.

Martin, 44, who was best man at Toby's wedding, spent seven years in the energy sector promoting low-carbon sources, before becoming CEO of Nutmeg Savings.

Toby, 43, is a former professional Iron Man, and has a varied business background from commodities trading to sustainability auditing and consulting.

Toby said: 'We were both a bit jaded about corporate life. So we'd been talking about working for ourselves for a while, and looking for a business idea that might work.

'The key principle was that it had to be sustainable and drive social and environmental value.

'Wine came from the fact we're both wine enthusiasts, and we want to unpick some of the complexities surrounding organic and sustainable wines, what's true, what's not true - how do you find good wines.

'We want to help people make choices around their lifestyle.'

During lockdown, Martin was on a Zoom call with another of their friends who mooted the idea of buying a vineyard.

Martin said: 'That was the thought starter for what would be an interesting thing to do with wine.

The friends now enjoy visiting vineyards and finding delicious wines to bring back to the UK

'Then on the second or third lockdown, I was on a call with Toby, we were both drinking wine and I told him the idea, he thought it was great and said he'd been wanting to do something in regenerative agriculture.

'Our friend then stepped away, and Toby and I decided the thing that would make most sense due to the level of capital investment required would actually be to prove there's a demand for sustainable wine and grow that demand in the UK, which took us down more of the retail path.

'We really enjoy it. We get to meet really interesting people who have a real passion and belief in what they're doing, and it's just so inspirational to go and hear their stories.

'So in time, we absolutely would hope to have our own vineyards and produce our own fabulous sustainable wines.'

Toby added: 'Martin was best man at my wedding a decade ago, and he's now the best man to be partnered with on Collectivino.

'I particularly enjoy spending time together with our wine club customers trying out new wines we've brought back from our travels - it always makes for a fun evening meeting some great people.'

He added: 'Creating Collectivino with Toby has been just brilliant. We get to travel around vineyards together meeting amazing sustainable farmers and trying their delicious wines, we have a laugh and support each other through the highs and lows of start-up life, and we get to call all of this work.'
Hackers have been gathering data from the United Nations' internal system since April, using an employee's stolen login credentials that have been sold on the dark web for as little as $1,000.

The combination of username and password was sold by multiple Russian-speaking cybercriminals as late as July, but the identity of the hackers and their explicit purpose is still unknown.

The credentials offer access to the organization's project management software Umoja. The entry point provides valuable insight into government and humanitarian work across the globe.

The UN, which is in constant contact with high-powered nations and companies, has been targeted by state-directed hackers before, but everyday cybercriminals are now going after large companies and organizations with the goal of selling access to highly coveted information.

Hackers gathered data from the United Nations through the organization's project management software Umoja. Above, UN headquarters in New York City

A login was offered for as little as $1,000 by multiple Russian-speaking cybercriminals on the dark web, according to one cybersecurity expert. The purpose of the hack is unknown

Hackers gained access to the UN system on April 5 and were still active in the network a month ago, according to Bloomberg.

'Organizations like the UN are a high-value target for cyber espionage activity,' said Gene Yoo, the CEO of Resecurity, a cybersecurity firm that says it discovered the breach.

'The actor conducted the intrusion with the goal of compromising large numbers of users within the UN network for further long-term intelligence gathering.'

Yoo told DailyMail.com that his firm alerted the UN about a breach in July after 'monitoring' the Dark Web.

The UN responded that the hackers had only taken screenshots, but when the firm alerted them to stolen data, the organization stopped talking to them, Resecurity says.

On Thursday, a UN spokesman said the organization was aware of the hack before Resecurity told them about it. He also said the UN has detected even more breaches.



'This attack had been detected before we were notified by the company cited in the Bloomberg article, and corrective actions to mitigate the impact of the breach had already been planned and were being implemented,' UN spokesman Farhan Haq wrote in an email shared with DailyMail.com.

'At that time, we thanked the company for sharing information related to the incident and confirmed the breach to them.

'The United Nations is frequently targeted by cyberattacks, including sustained campaigns. We can also confirm that further attacks have been detected and are being responded to, that are linked to the earlier breach.'

In 2018, Dutch and British law enforcement stopped Russian hackers from gaining access to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, which frequently cooperates with the United Nations.

The organization was investigating the March 2018 poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal, a Russian double-agent for British intelligence and his daughter, who was in England at the time. The attack left them both critically ill.

Colonial Pipeline paid more than $4 million in ransom to a hacker group that stopped their services in May until they got paid. More than half of the ransom was eventually recovered

Close to 50 million former, prospective and current T-Mobile customers had their IDs and social security numbers exposed in a huge breach revealed in August

In April, four Russians were caught with spying equipment at a hotel next to the OPCW, according to Reuters.

In October, the US Department of Justice indicted seven Russian intelligence (GRU) officers, four of whom allegedly took part in the planned hack. In 2020, the DOJ charged six hackers from the GRU for that and other breaches, including an attempt to disrupt the 2017 elections in France.

In 2019, dozens of UN servers were breached by unknown actors, including some at the UN human rights office, which collects sensitive data and has often been a lightning rod of criticism from autocratic governments for exposing rights abuses, according to the Associated Press.

'Traditionally, organizations like the United Nations have been targeted by nation state actors, but as cybercriminals are finding ways to more effectively monetize stolen data and as access to these organizations is more frequently available for sale by initial access brokers, we expect to see them increasingly targeted and infiltrated by cybercriminals,' Allan Liska, a senior threat analyst at Recorded Future, told Bloomberg about the latest breach.

The UN credentials were being sold in combination with dozens of usernames and passwords to various organizations for just $1,000, said Mark Arena, chief executive officer of security-intelligence firm Intel 471, in an interview with Bloomberg.

The credentials were marketed by multiple Russian-speaking cybercriminals, he said.

'Since the start of 2021 we've seen multiple financially motivated cybercriminals selling access to the Umoja system run by the United Nations,' Arena said.

'These actors were selling a broad range of compromised credentials from a multitude of organizations at the same time. In a number of previous occasions, we've seen compromised credentials being sold to other cybercriminals, who have undertaken follow up intrusion activity within these organizations.'

Cybercriminals have targeted large operations before, sometimes holding their networks hostage for money.

In June, the Justice Department announced it had seized more than half of the $4.4 million ransom payment to DarkSide hackers.

The group interrupted access to Colonial Pipeline's systems on May 7 until it was paid, triggering fuel shortages and panic buying at the pump.

Last month, T-Mobile announced that close to 50 million current, former and prospective US customers had their names, social security numbers, and IDs stolen by a 'bad actor' who snaked into the company's system and allegedly posted the data for sale on an 'underground forum.'

Motherboard reported that a hacker was selling a subset of the data with 30 million customers' Social Security numbers and drivers' licenses for six Bitcoin, or $270,000.
Diane Kruger celebrated the little girl she shares with fiance Norman Reedus on National Daughter's Day.

The 45-year-old actress penned a message to 'mein Engel' [my angel] as she shared a snap of them playing together on Saturday.

Nodding to the butterfly wings her daughter was wearing in the snap, the German-born stunner wrote that watching her 'spread her wings' was the 'greatest joy.'

The greatest joy: The 45-year-old German born actress celebrated the little girl she shares with now fiance, Norman Reedus, on National Daughter's Day as she called watching her grow 'the greatest joy'; pictured September 13

Sweet message: 'Happy national daughter's day mein Engel  watching you spread your wings and have all your colors come out is the greatest joy I've ever known,' she wrote

In the Instagram snap the Inglourious Basterds star wore a pink crew neck and leggings as she swung her daughter around playfully in New York City.

The two and a half-year-old  whose name has never been revealed  donned a very colorful tutu dress and a pair of green butterfly wings which seemed to inspire Diane's caption.

'Happy national daughter's day mein Engel  watching you spread your wings and have all your colors come out is the greatest joy I've ever known.'

It was confirmed that she and Reedus, 52, welcomed a daughter together (her first) in November 2018.

Newly engaged: Six years after the pair met on the set of Sky in 2015, PEOPLE confirmed on August 26 that they were engaged; pictured December 2018

The couple who first met on the set of the movie Sky in 2015 went public with their romance in 2017.

And after nearly six years together, PEOPLE confirmed on August 26 that the duo were engaged.

Two weeks later she was spotted out with a massive diamond on her left finger in photos obtained by DailyMail.com before she officially debuted it at the Met Gala on September 13.

According expert Mike Fried of The Diamond Pro, the square-cut diamond is said to be at least eight carats, with a staggering estimated cost of $500K.

Massive sparkler: The Inglourious Basterds actress formally debuted her massive engagement ring at the Met Gala on September 13

Pricey! According expert Mike Fried of The Diamond Pro, the square-cut diamond is said to be at least eight carats, with a cost estimated at $500K

Prior to the Walking Dead actor Kruger was in a 10 year relationship with Joshua Jackson from 2006 to 2016.

And Reedus, most famously dated supermodel Helena Christensen from 1998 to 2003.

The former pair share a 21-year-old son, Mingus, who was arrested for misdemeanor assault on September 24, after punching a woman in the face following an altercation at the San Gennaro Festival in Little Italy.

The budding model  who made his debut on the cover of Vogue Hommes just one week ago  was subsequently released.
She's resisted the allure of cashing in on her risque photos by joining OnlyFans.

And Arabella Del Busso, 31, shared another raunchy image of herself free-of-charge on Saturday as she posed in risque, bondage-inspired lingerie.

Setting pulse racing, the former NRL WAG posted a low-angle photo of herself posing in a blue bra, underpants and a matching garter.

Fifty shades of blue! Ex-NRL WAG Arabella Del Busso, 31, put on a very risque display on Saturday as she posed on Instagram Stories wearing bondage-inspired lingerie worth $400

Her racy lingerie featured an array of straps, chains and cut-out details, including an open section of her bra that revealed a glimpse of under-boob.

The Melbourne reality star's three-piece ensemble retails for $400 and was designed by Australian lingerie brand Honey Birdette.

It comes days after Arabella was spotted rolling around in a jaw-dropping Ferrari 488 GTB, which usual retails upwards of $400,000 in Australia.

Say cheese! Arabella often uses her social media page to share photos of herself posing in skimpy lingerie

Nice wheels! It comes days after Arabella was spotted rolling around in a jaw-dropping Ferrari 488 GTB, which usual retails upwards of $400,000 in Australia

Taking to Instagram last Thursday, the lingerie model bragged about enjoying a 'casual ride' in the white supercar, amid the city's ongoing lockdown.

She then exited the vehicle to pose for a photo perched on the front of it, wearing a slinky black dress, stiletto heels and large designer sunglasses.

It's not clear if Arabella owns the car herself or is simply renting it, but she appeared to be extremely comfortable sitting on the edge of the vehicle in her slinky outfit.

'Beautiful day for a casual ride!' On Thursday, Arabella also shared pictured from inside the jaw-dropping vehicle, as she went for a spin mid-lockdown

Just last month, Arabella shared a photo of herself posing completely topless in her apartment while wearing nothing but a pair of $1225 Christian Louboutin heels and fishnet stockings.

Despite showing off her luxury accessories, one cheeky fan commented: 'Didn't even realise you had shoes on.'

Meanwhile, another recommended she join content platform OnlyFans.

No one is looking at the footwear! Just last month, Arabella shared a photo of herself posing completely topless in her apartment while wearing nothing but a pair of $1225 Christian Louboutin heels and fishnet stockings

'You might as well start an OnlyFans and get paid lol,' they commented.

Arabella, who is currently in lockdown at home, has not let the tough times get her down, sharing positive thoughts with her fans and regularly exercising.

Arabella starred on the first season of SAS Australia, and was the first contestant to walk after a tense interrogation over her pregnancy scandal.

The scandal was in connection to her controversial relationship with Wests Tigers player Josh Reynolds in which she falsely claimed she was pregnant with twins and showed fake pregnancy scans.
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Emily In Paris' second season will be released on December 22, Netflix have announced, as they released a fun-filled trailer for the comedy on Saturday.

Star Lily Collins was the picture of French elegance in an array of looks as she joined her pals for a fun-filled jaunt to the Riviera.

Emily's luxurious escapades can be seen in a glamorous new sneak peek that also revealed the release date for the second installment.

Looking fab: Emily In Paris' second season will be released on December 22, Netflix have announced, as they released a fun-filled trailer for the comedy on Saturday

As ever Emily showcases her incredible fashion sense in an array of chic looks as she enjoys a sunny break in Saint Tropez with her gal pals Mindy (Ashley Park) and Camille (Camille Razat).

The show follows the American who lands a job for a French marketing company to help boost its social media strategy.

Whilst in Paris she embarks a series of misadventures brought on by her cultural differences with the locals - including her inability to speak the language.

You got to have friends: The title character, played by Lily Collins, teams up with her gal pals Mindy (Ashley Park) and Camille (Camille Razat) for her jaunt to the Riviera

Incoming: Emily's luxurious escapades can be seen in a glamorous new sneak peek that also revealed the Netflix release date for season two - December 22

Premise: The show follows an American who winds up in Paris to help a French marketing company shore up its social media strategy and appeal to the states

But by season two clearly Emily has temporarily ditched her job and headed out of town for a sumptuous trip to the South Of France.

She can be seen getting shown into a palatial hotel and stepping out onto the balcony to admire a dazzling view of the Mediterranean.

Naturally her phone is out so she can get selfies of all her big moments - sitting at a harbor, taking a drink at an alfresco table and so on.

Having a ball: Whilst in Paris she embarks a series of misadventures brought on by her cultural differences with the locals - including her inability to speak the language

Terrific: But by season two clearly Emily has given work the shove-off and headed out of town for a sumptuous trip to the South Of France

Vista: She can be seen getting shown into a palatial hotel and stepping out onto the balcony to admire a dazzling view of the Mediterranean

She even has one random gentleman film her as another sprays her with a hose for effect - and of course both are wearing shirts with Breton stripes.

The locals are only to happy to help her out with her picture as one of them is seen cheerfully giving her a high-five afterwards.

Emily's trip down south gets even better when Mindy and Camille arrive to greet her as she soaks up the sun by the pool.

A votre sante: Naturally her phone is out so she can get selfies of all her big moments - sitting at a harbor, taking a drink at an alfresco table and so on

Here and there: She even has one random gentleman film her as another sprays her with a hose for effect - and of course both are wearing shirts with Breton stripes

Bonhomie: The locals are only to happy to help her out with her picture as one of them is seen cheerfully giving her a high-five afterwards

Such fun: Emily's trip down south gets even better when Mindy and Camille arrive to greet her as she soaks up the sun by the pool

At one point the trio are seen heading to an elaborate nighttime pool party that includes a saxophonist playing over the water.

The trio look glammed up for a night on the town as they cuddle up to each other so that a gentleman at the party can snap a photo.

Indeed the friendship seems completely unaffected by the fact that Emily swiped Camille's boyfriend in season one.

Talent: At one point the trio are seen heading to an elaborate nighttime pool party that includes a saxophonist playing over the water

On the move: The trio look glammed up for a night on the town as they cuddle up to each other so that a gentleman at the party can snap a photo

Remember when: Indeed the friendship seems completely unaffected by the fact that Emily swiped Camille's boyfriend in season one

Camille, the heiress to a champagne fortune, was dating Gabriel (Lucas Bravo), a dashing chef, when he slept with Emily and then dumped his girlfriend.

Near the end of the trailer Mindy, Camille and Emily are basking in the sun on deck chairs by the pool and Emily has her phone out.

Suddenly she decides against the social media update she was about to send: 'No! I'll post it later - I'm on vacation!'

Switching off: Despite her penchant for a good selfie, Emily decides against the social media update she was about to send: 'No! I'll post it later - I'm on vacation!'

Mindy exclaims joyfully: 'Yes b****!' and claps her hands as Emily puts her phone away and smirks up at the sky.

Created by Darren Star of Sex And The City fame the show became a runaway hit and was described by Netflix as its 'most popular' comedy show last year.

It received criticism from many French viewers who were offended by the show's various comic stereotypes about them, arguing that Parisians were painted as having a low work ethic and being habitually unfaithful to their spouses.
She has enduring beauty and a timeless fashion sense to match.

And Katie Holmes, 42, showcased both as she was spotted leaving an office building in Midtown Manhattan on Saturday afternoon.

The actress kept it classic in jeans and a white tee but opted to spruce up the look with a pair of cowboy style boots.

Class act! The timeless beauty, 42, was spotted leaving an office building in Midtown Manhattan on Saturday afternoon wearing the always classic jeans and a white tee

The Dawson's Creek darling flashed her trim frame in a pair of bootcut jeans and a french tucked white T-shirt.

She added height and a bit of style to the look with a pair of black pointed toe boots with a thick heel, as she continued on with her day following a meeting.

Opting for a splash of color she kept herself protected with a printed face mask and left her choppy brown locks down.

And Katie rounded out the look with an oversized black tote bag and was seen clutching her cellphone in hand.

Pop of color: Opting for a splash of color she kept herself protected with a printed face mask and left her choppy brown locks down

On Friday, the actress attended the New York Film Festival as the event kicked off with a screening of The Tragedy of Macbeth.

Held at Lincoln Center she was seen walking the red carpet and supporting the film stars which include Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand.

Proving to be very busy this week , the mom of one was also seen out with a mystery man at the Lucille Lortel Theatre in the West Village, nearly five months after splitting from boytoy Emilio Vitolo Jr.

However a source told the National Enquirer that Katie is 'focused on directing' and is putting the dating game on the backburner.

Red carpet regular: The actress attended the New York Film Festival as the event kicked off with a screening of The Tragedy of Macbeth on September 24

'She's focused on directing and meetings, and any downtime she has she spends at home,' the source said. 'Katie's worn out by dating.'

The Batman Begins actress and the chef/actor were hot and heavy beginning in Fall 2020 before they split 'amicably' in May, per Us Weekly.

Currently Katie is working on her third directorial project, Rare Objects, which will be launched under her production company Lafayette Pictures.

'I am very excited to embark on this journey, working to bring authentic characters and stories to the screen,' she told Deadline.

Watch Dawson's Creek on Stan in Australia.
The first look at the upcoming Kanye West documentary, Jeen-Yuhs, was released on Netflix's official YouTube account on Saturday.

During the clip, the 44-year-old rap mogul was seen performing with his friend and collaborator, Mos Def, while hanging out with a group of other individuals who marveled at the pair's rapping skills.

The feature has been in the works for just over two decades, and it is currently set to be released on the streaming service in 2022.

New content: A first look clip from the upcoming Kanye West documentary Jeen-Yuhs was released on Netflix's YouTube account on Saturday

The clip began by specifying that the clip shown was shot in New York nearly twenty years ago.

An individual then asks Mos Def to perform the track Two Words, which was released on West's 2004 album, The College Dropout.

The 47-year-old rapper then began his verse and notably shouted out his collaborator while demonstrating his impressive grasp on wordplay.

The Grammy-winning songwriter went on to perform his part of the song and became much more animated as his portion progressed in intensity.

In the past: The clip began with a text graphic that noted that the footage shown was shot in New York nearly two decades ago

Doing their thing: In the clip, Mos Def and West were seen performing their collaborative track Two Words, which was released on his 2004 album The College Dropout

The group of individuals present reacted to the rappers' performances following the end of the track, and Mos Def and West were also seen congratulating each other.

The first look clip ended with the revelation that the feature's official name was Jeen-Yuhs.

A specific release date was not given following the conclusion of the featurette, although a screen with a text graphic that read 'coming soon' was shown.

The news about the forthcoming feature was first reported by Billboard, who initially released information about the project in April.

Building hype: News about the project was initially reported by Billboard this past April; West is seen in 2020

Multiple subjects from the performer's life will be covered, including his failed bid for the presidency of the United States and the passing of his mother, Donda West.

It is currently unknown if his relationship with Kim Kardashian and his family life will be shown in the motion picture.

The media outlet also reported that Netflix acquired the rights to the documentary for nearly $30 million, although Variety contested that amount.

The feature was helmed by producing duo Clarence Simmons and Chike Ozah, also known as Coodie and Chike, who previously worked with the rapper on the music videos for his tracks Jesus Walks (Version 3) and Through The Wire.

Solid backing: The feature was helmed by producing duo Coodie and Chike, who previously worked on several of West's music videos

The pair have previously worked on music videos for artists such as Erykah Badu and Lupe Fiasco, as well as various other documentary features.

Although Jeen-Yuhs will premiere on the streaming service next year, it has not been given a release date as of yet.

West's former bodyguard, Steve Stanulis, previously announced that he would be working on a documentary that would cover his time working as part of the rapper's security team.

In March, the media personality spoke to Page Six and told the media outlet that his feature would showcase never-before-heard of experiences with the performer, stating: 'Every day was a new adventure...There are a ton of stories I havent told.'

Another one: It was previously announced that the rapper's former bodyguard, Steve Stanulis, would be helming a feature centered around the performer; West is pictured in 2019

Stanulis, who was previously sued by the rapper and his legal team, noted that his film would begin with details of the case.

Specifically, he expressed that the feature 'starts off with the $30 million lawsuit, and works backwards, with all the craziness. Why not address the elephant in the room?'

He then pointed out that West's team 'threatened to sue me two separate times  once back in the day, and then on a podcast this year...they threatened to sue me again for $10 million, and my attorney countered and it just went away.'

Stanulis also remarked that he began producing the documentary so 'nobody has to ask me about this ever again. I swear to you  no matter what I do somewhere along the line [the job with West] comes up.'
Jett Kenny has revealed the one thing about SAS Australia he literally couldn't stomach.

The model, 27, admitted he disliked the food served to the reality TV recruits so much, that he lost eight kilograms during filming.

'The selection of food I eat isnt great at the best of times,' admitted the self-described 'fussy eater' in an interview with the Daily Telegraph.

'Fussy eater': Jett Kenny (pictured) has revealed the one thing about SAS Australia he literally couldn't stomach: the food served to recruits

The son of Uncle Toby's spokesperson Lisa Curry also revealed he actually can't stand eating oats.

'I am not an oats fan,' stated the ironman, saying that his preferred food would be McDonalds.

Kenny ranked the food even lower than the physicality of the show's gruelling challenges and his infamously testy relationship with co-star Koby Abberton.

Prickly: Kenny ranked the food even lower the physicality of the show's gruelling challenges and his infamously testy relationship with co-star Koby Abberton (pictured right)

Punching on: Jett recently hinted that his run-ins with Koby weren't the only tensions simmering behind the scenes

'We are polar opposites and we clashed here or there, but we got along in the end,' he said of the surfer, while imploring those attacking Abberton and his family online to leave them alone.

Jett recently hinted that his run-ins with Koby weren't the only tensions simmering behind the scenes.

The son of sporting greats Lisa Curry and Grant Kenny said in a recent interview on Queensland radio that one of his fellow recruits had blocked him on Instagram.

Feud: Kenny revealed one of his SAS Australia co-stars blocked him on Instagram after he confronted them over their 'links to a troll account' that targeted him in 2019

Jett didn't name the celebrity who'd blocked him, but said he suspected they were linked to a troll account that targeted him when he was on Dancing with the Stars in 2019.

'I'm not going to say who it is... I was on Dancing with the Stars, and Lilly [Cornish, his dance partner] and I were sort of getting bad messages from someone saying that we were bad people,' he explained.

Jett claimed the troll account was followed by a celebrity who would go on to appear on his season of SAS Australia.

After filming wrapped earlier this year, he spoke to the recruit in question about their links to the troll account, but they responded by blocking him on Instagram.

Rivals: Jett didn't name the celebrity in question, but said he suspected they were linked to a troll account that targeted him when he was on Dancing with the Stars in 2019. He added that when he confronted his fellow recruit about the issue, they blocked him on Instagram

'I didn't get a reply, and just got blocked straight away. I'm still blocked,' he said.

A cursory glance of Jett's Instagram account reveals he is not following Isabelle Cornish or Koby Abberton, but is following the other cast members.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Jett for comment and clarification.

Who could it be? A cursory glance of Jett's Instagram account reveals he is not following Isabelle Cornish or Koby Abberton, but is following the other cast members (all pictured)

Jett's comments come days after he expressed his disappointment over not getting enough airtime on the show in comparison to former NRL player Sam Burgess.

He felt like he had no choice but to address his social media followers last Thursday after one of his crucial scenes was edited out of the show.

He shared a photo of himself in the driver's seat of a car about to plunge into freezing cold water, alongside another image of himself in the water displaying the thumbs-up sign.

'For those wondering: yes, I made it,' he wrote.

SAS Australia continues Wednesday at 7.30pm on Channel Seven
Tracey Ullman has revealed how her family tried to keep her father's death a secret from her.

The comedian was only six when her dad Antony died shortly after he began reading his daughter a bedtime story at the family home in Slough, Berkshire.

Speaking on today's Desert Island Discs, she says: 'He had had an operation and then he came home, and he was reading me a story and he became unwell and then an ambulance came.

'I think I knew that he'd passed away but my family dealt with it in a way then which you just wouldn't deal with a child with grief now. They said for a while  until they'd settled matters and things  'Oh, he's on holiday' and I didn't go to the funeral and I think you would now.'

Tracey Ullman has revealed how her family tried to keep her father's death a secret from her

'My sketches wouldn't all survive today' During a career spanning five decades, Tracey Ullman's comic characters have ranged from a Jamaican care giver to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, taking in Indian pharmacist Padma Perkesh. But she has admitted that today's political correctness means she would no longer feel comfortable recreating some of her most acclaimed skits. The comedian as pharmacist Padma Perkesh Asked by Desert Island Discs presenter Lauren Laverne if she would now play so many parts where the age, sexuality and ethnicity was different to hers, she replied: 'No probably not. It wouldn't be the right sort of atmosphere for it, no. I think the late 1980s, it was just what you could do. It was what you were doing then. It would be different now.' However, the star has no misgivings about her previous work. 'No, I don't regret anything and I don't apologise for anything really. It's pointless, you know  onward.' Advertisement

The 61-year-old star says that because her family, including her mother Doreen, refused to talk about what had happened, she quickly fell into a new routine even though it meant they had to move home and she was pulled out of private school.

'Then it was very much you go to a new school, you just get a new uniform, you get a new doll, and you carry on,' she recalls. 'Nobody talked about it.'

Ms Ullman, the first British woman to be offered her own TV sketch show in both the UK and the US, does not blame her family because 'grief was dealt with differently then'.

She says: 'Of course I talked to my mother about it eventually. It was very difficult for her. She was in her thirties, very young.

'As you get older, you realise how really hard it was for her.'

Doreen died aged 85 in a fire at her retirement flat in 2015.

Antony Ullman was a Polish-born lawyer who served with the Polish army before being evacuated from Dunkirk and setting up a business.

He would tell customers in his shop: 'Tracey is going to be a star.'

Ms Ullman recalls that after her father's death: 'Our financial fortunes came and went. [My mother] would wash up in pubs and work in hospitals ... It was bloomin' hard.

'She used to bring back food from this food lab [where she worked].

'She brought back this corned beef and we were all eating it, it was like fritters and sandwiches for a whole weekend.

'She looked at the label on a Monday and she said it says 'unfit for human consumption'. [We said] 'Mum, you could have killed us'.'

The comedian was only six when her dad Antony died shortly after he began reading his daughter a bedtime story at the family home in Slough, Berkshire

The comedian moved back to London after the death of her husband of 30 years, Allan McKeown, in 2013.

The mother-of-two said: 'There was more dignity to being a widow in London... Just walking around and talking to people. You don't do that in LA. You are up a hill in your car all the time. The connection with people was crucial at that time... It's very lonely in Los Angeles.'
She has a well-known fondness for showgirl glitz.

And Christina Aguilera showed it off in a series of Instagram snaps she posted to her page this Saturday of her escapades two nights previously.

The 40-year-old had decked out her curves in a clinging dress that featured nude mesh connecting purple mirror-work.

Showgirl glitz: Christina Aguilera showed it off in a series of Instagram snaps she posted to her page this Saturday of her escapades two nights previously

Her glittering ensemble was complemented by long purple fingernails as well as the Burlesque star's deep shade of lipstick.

Sharpening her screen siren features with makeup she let her signature platinum blonde hair down for her latest stage look.

She was decked out in the shimmering getup in order to perform for a gala for YES Scholars, a charity for underprivileged students.

The foundation was started by Eric Eisner, the son of former Disney chairman Michael Eisner, and this week's gala honored another Disney name.

Swanking about: The 40-year-old had decked out her curves in a clinging dress that featured nude mesh connecting purple mirror-work

Bob Iger, who was CEO of Disney until last year and is executive chairman until New Year's Eve this year, was honored along with his wife Willow Bay, a former TV anchor.

Christina revealed over the summer revealed that she currently has two albums in the works - one in English and one in Spanish.

Her last Spanish album was Mi Reflejo (My Reflection), which was her second studio album overall and was released in 2000 when she was just 19.

Place to be: She was decked out in the shimmering getup in order to perform for a gala for YES Scholars, a charity for underprivileged students

Over the summer she vamped that she was a 'freakin' teenager like baby' in those days and that the next Spanish record will show her development since then.

'My voice quality was different. I look back and I'm like: "Aw, baby Christina,"' she noted during an interview with TooFab in July.

'Now it's like, okay, she's coming with a new set of pipes, and it's just a deeper and I feel more experienced and interesting place to come from,' said she.

Details: Bob Iger, who was CEO of Disney until last year and is executive chairman until New Year's Eve this year, was honored along with his wife Willow Bay, a former TV anchor

'I'm culturally exploring my roots a little bit more, I'm singing about my father and that's kind of always been sort of an interesting, private but layered topic for me.'

Christina has said in the past that her father, who was born in Ecuador, physically abused her as a child and that she fled his home to live with her grandmother.

In her TooFab interview she added: 'So I'm really exploring that on the Spanish side with a really special song, and hopefully the fans will really appreciate that honesty and love, coming from the place I am now.'
Kate Moss's daughter Lila celebrated her 19th birthday at a spectacular Disney-themed party last week, with my exclusive pictures showing how she channelled the spirit of Tinker Bell.

But there was a notable omission from the many party snaps Ive seen: her stepfather, Count Nikolai von Bismarck, who is said to be incredibly close to the teenager.

Nor was Kates boyfriend present when Lila took to the catwalk at London fashion week on Tuesday. While mum was on the front row proudly watching, her 34-year-old partner was absent.

Kate, 46, was instead accompanied by Vogue editor Edward Enninful and Jordan Barrett, a 24-year-old male model who has been Kates constant companion in recent months and appears to have replaced Nikolai as the supermodels number one wingman.

Fairy cake: Beaming Kate Moss watches as her daughter Lila, dressed as Tinker Bell, gets her birthday treat at a Disney-themed party last week

Kate was a ring bearer at Jordans wedding to fellow male model Fernando Casablancas in Ibiza last month  where she resumed her party-loving ways after years of laying low.

Nikolai, who is staunchly sober and credited with encouraging Kates recent penchant for Netflix and early nights, was apparently nowhere to be seen.

As I revealed last week, friends have been wondering if Kate may be tempted back into her wilder ways now that lockdown is over.

One friend has suggested that Nikolai may be, at least temporarily, off the scene.

Lila pictured with her cake. The teenagers choice of outfit was appropriate, given she has been nicknamed Tinkers

Meanwhile, Kate was in good spirits at her only daughters birthday bash, ahead of the big day this Wednesday, thrown in an elegant townhouse which looked like Kates own Highgate home.

She smiled adoringly as she presented Lila with an ornate, three-tier pastel blue cake, carried into the room by a man dressed as Winnie The Poohs pal Tigger.

The teenagers choice of outfit was appropriate, given she has been nicknamed Tinkers. And because Count Nikolai appears to be a Lost Boy...

Jack Whitehall has been banging on about how keen he is to step out of the shadow of his talent agent father Michael  after a BBC talk show and five travel series for Netflix together.

But Im wondering how keen he is on his other partner, influencer Roxy Horner, 30.

Jack Whitehall and Roxy Horner pictured attending the Elena Gual: AURA Private View at Grove Square Galleries in London on September 22

The pair arrived separately at an Elena Gual art exhibition last week, and barely touched as they posed for snaps. While that partnership may be up for debate, Jack, 33, is in no doubt about the relationship with his dad, 81.

My ambition is to finally get out of Michael Whitehalls long and dark shadow, he joked. It drives me mad when strangers yell out in the street: Wheres your dad? Even in America!

My lips are sealed, but...

Which married MPs recent demotion was not unconnected to the fact that they were having an affair  and their spouse had found out about it?

The gossip in Westminster is that Boris didnt want another Hancock situation...

Damien Hirst famously submerged a cow in formaldehyde and called it art, making millions in the process. Now the wacky artist has immortalised his ballerina girlfriend Sophie Cannell in a silver cast  posing on all fours. Her risque stance is undoubtedly eye-catching  but I do hope her relatives avert their eyes.

Artist Damien Hirst has immortalised his ballerina girlfriend Sophie Cannell in a silver cast (pictured above)  posing on all fours

The image of her throwing her head back has an expression that suggests she is in a state of, er, euphoria.

After stepping out with numerous girlfriends since splitting with long-term partner Maia, Damien, 56, seems to have settled on Sophie, 27, whom he met two years ago while she was toiling as a waitress at Chiltern Firehouse.

He has lavished her with expensive gifts ever since, including a diamond encrusted Rolex and regular trips around the world on his private jet.
Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler recently confirmed that they would be participating in a sequel to the 2019 comedy feature Murder Mystery.

The performers announced that they were prepping to star in the upcoming Netflix flick, currently titled Murder Mystery 2, during the Tudum fan event, which took place on Saturday.

Development on a follow-up to the comedy film was initially reported just months after its initial release, although the involvement of the performers was not confirmed at the time.

Back at it: Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler recently confirmed that they would be appearing in a sequel to their 2019 feature Murder Mystery; the former is seen in 2020

During the pair's conversation, which was shared in a fan account's Twitter post, Sandler broached the topic of another movie by suggesting to Aniston that they should get dinner in the near future.

The 52-year-old actress then proposed that the two should see each other on multiple occasions, although her 55-year-old actor noted that 'a lot of people died' the last time they did so.

The Friends star pointed out that their experiences happened in the original Murder Mystery film and that fewer deaths should occur during their next outing.

The actress went on to ask if her friend could add David Spade to the call, and he promptly asked Aniston if he would be able to relax and skinny dip at her beach house while she was not there.

Tough break: Aniston proposed that she and Sandler should meet for dinner, although he pointed out that 'a lot of people died' the last time they did so; he is seen in 2019

Famous friend: At one point, David Spade joined their video call and asked the actress if he could spend time at her beach house so he could go skinny dipping

The clip ended by showing the title card for Murder Mystery 2, and a text graphic noted that the film would feature 'more mystery, some murders.'

The original Murder Mystery film featured Aniston and Sandler as Audrey and Nick Spitz, a couple from New York City who become involved in an investigation regarding an incident on a billionaire's yacht.

Also involved in the Kyle Newacheck-directed feature include Luke Evans, Gemma Arterton and Terence Stamp, among others.

The feature was watched by millions of households in its first few days of release, and it received mixed reviews from critics.

Successful feature: Murder Mystery was watched by millions of households in its first few days of release

Development on a sequel was initially reported by The Hollywood Reporter in 2019, and the media outlet noted that the original feature's writer, James Vanderbilt, would return to pen the second feature's script.

Aniston and Sandler had not signed on to reprise their roles as the Spitzes at the time.

This past August, Deadline reported that Jeremy Garelick had been brought in to serve as the sequel's director.

They also noted that the filmmaker would also rework Vanderbilt's script prior to the start of production.

A release date for Murder Mystery 2 has not been set as of yet.
On Saturday a new trailer for the forthcoming Netflix movie Red Notice was released.

The film, which will be available November 12, stars Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, 49; Ryan Reynolds, 44; and Gal Gadot, 36.

The preview comes as part of Tudum, the streaming service's three-hour virtual fan event, in which the company broadcast new trailers of its imminent titles.

New peek: On Saturday a new trailer for the forthcoming Netflix movie Red Notice was released

All three entertainers wear evening attire for the scene.

A previously shared preview revealed the group had attended a black-tie gala.

The Israeli actress stuns in a long, cleavage-baring red dress with matching lipstick.

She's tantalizing in her delivery as she interacts with her counterparts.

Both men are clad in tuxedos and bow ties, one with a black jacket and the other white.

Heavy hitters: The film stars Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, 49; Ryan Reynolds, 44; and Gal Gadot, 36

After a red notice is issued, an FBI profiler (The Rock) sets out to catch a most-wanted criminal (Gal) with an unexpected partner (Ryan).

The action-packed peek shows Gadot's feisty character in a face-off with Johnson's and Reynold's characters.

In the three-minute-long snippet, the trio engages in a physical altercation that leaves the two men in handcuffs.

Smoking hot: The Israeli actress stuns in a long, cleavage-baring red dress with matching lipstick

The three actors battle it out as they compete for a prized piece of art - a golden egg.

Throughout the scuffle they spontaneously employ various weapons collected from the fragile glass encasings that surround them.

The guys' female nemesis puts up a tough fight and ultimately comes out on top.

Valued item: The three actors battle it out as they compete for a prized piece of art - a golden egg

Dressed up: Both men are clad in tuxedos and bow ties, with The Rock in a black number

Hypnotic: She's tantalizing in her delivery as she interacts with her counterparts

Ryan, Gal, and Dwayne reportedly earned $20M each to star in the $200M-budget thriller - which is the biggest budget yet for a feature film on the streaming giant.

'Life doesn't always imitate art,' the 44-year-old Canadian actor tweeted earlier this month.

'But I'd wear a tux and do karate with @TheRock and @GalGadot everyday if I could.'

Packing the action: Throughout the scuffle they spontaneously employ various weapons collected from the fragile glass encasings that surround them

In addition to starring in the project, Johnson is also a producer.

Last year filming was briefly halted due to the pandemic.

On the final day of shooting, after production resumed, Reynolds took to Instagram to praise the cast and crew.

'Yesterday was my final day on #RedNotice. We started this film 10 months ago,' he wrote in October of 2020. 'We stopped in March with no idea when or if wed go back. With the help of so many whip-smart health and safety workers, Netflix found a way to get us back to work.'

Spunky: The action-packed peek shows Gadot's feisty character in a face-off with Johnson's and Reynold's characters

Battling it out: The guys' female nemesis puts up a tough fight and ultimately comes out on top
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Jennifer Lopez and Lizzo were just some of the headliners, attendees, and speakers rolling up to the star-studded Global Citizen Live Festival in New York City.

On Saturday, the musical powerhouses were seen arriving to Central Park Lawn ahead of their performances, where they showcased their personal style.

The 24-hour Global Citizen Live broadcast event took place at various locations around the globe including Lagos, Rio de Janeiro, Paris, London, Seoul, LA and Sydney.

Arrivals: Headliners at the Global Citizen Live in NYC included Jennifer Lopez and Lizzo who were pictured arriving to Central Park Lawn ahead of their performances

Big celebrity names came together to both perform and throw their support behind the festival, which aims to unify the globe to defend the planet and defeat poverty.

The 52-year-old Hustlers star turned heads as she arrived wearing a very glitzy ornate jacket and a pair of patchwork jeans ahead of her performance.

As she expertly balanced on silver stilettos, her starpower caught the attention of many including a string of NYPD officers at the event.

And Lizzo was seen decked out in her stage ensemble which included a pink latex lace front jumpsuit with white Doc Martens.

Head turning: Lopez was seen arriving wearing a glitzy embroidered jacket with a pair of patchwork jeans

Ready to go: Lizzo was seen walking around in her pink latex performance look before she performed

Her hair was slicked back in a full high ponytail and she donned a matching pink lip, later taking the stage with some dancers while performing hits including Truth Hurts and Juice.

In between songs she spoke about the importance of giving back and also touched on subjects including poverty and institutionalized racism.

At one point she addressed the large crowd and told them to turn to each other and say 'I love you, you're beautiful.'

Other performers at the global outreach event included Coldplay, Billie Eilish, Shawn Mendes, Camila Cabello and Meek Mill  who was also pictured arriving ahead of his set.

Meek Mill: The rapper was seen arriving at the event ahead of his performance

Showing support: Andy Cohen was seen showing support at the global outreach event

Ice-T: The Law & Order actor was also present at the event

For a good cause: The Victoria's Secret vet was also there to see music for a good cause

Also present at the NYC location of the concurrent broadcast event were A-list attendees including Andy Cohen, Connie Britton, Padma Lakshmi, Rachel Brosnahan, Shanina Shaik, and Ice-T.

Some stars including Katie Holmes, Hugh Jackman's wife Deborra-Lee Furness and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle took the stage to speak about world issues and provide tangible solutions, while addressing a crowd in the tens of thousands.

Though some tickets for the event were available for as little as $18, the worldwide event will be streamed for the next 24 hours.

And in making sure the massive all-ages festival was following COVID-19 protocol, all attendees at the NYC festival were required to show proof of full vaccination and sport face coverings.

Globally, exceptions were made for guests who were not able to be vaccinated due to age restrictions, based on medical advice, or inability to access vaccinations, however that group was required negative PCR test from within 72 hours of the start of the show or a negative rapid test of any kind.

Bright light: Connie Britton was pictured in a colorful dress at the festival

Guests: Actresses, musicians and TV personalities all came out to show their support at the global outreach event

Speaker: Deborra-Lee Furness was pictured at the event before taking the stage

Demi Lovato was notably spotted performing at the musical event, and she notably shared the stage with Adam Lambert at one point.

The hitmaker sported an all-black outfit that included a sharp blazer that featured multiple pockets at its bottom portion.

The Disney Channel alum also wore a set of reflective cargo pants that shone slightly in the spotlight.

They also wore numerous articles of sparkling jewelry that added a bit of sparkle to their monotone outfit.

Doing their thing: Demi Lovato and Adam Lambert were seen performing during the star-studded event
She never fails to turn heads in her risque ensemble.

And Nicole O'Brien commanded attention as she flashed a glimpse of underboob in a very racy white crop top at MKNY house on Saturday night.

The Too Hot to Handle star, 29, flaunted her taut abs in the tiny top as she stepped out at the celeb hotspot for a night on the town.

Turning heads: Nicole O'Brien commanded attention as she flashed a glimpse of underboob in a very racy white crop top at MKNY house on Saturday night

Nicole set pulses racing as she worked her angles for the camera in the all-white co-ord that showcased her lithe legs in the skintight leggings.

The redhead smouldered as she posed in the figure-hugging ensemble that flaunted her toned figure.

She accessorised with a pair of large gold hoop earrings and a matching watch as she strode confidently through Mayfair.

Nicole completed her look with an enviable nude Yves Saint Laurent shoulder bag and went full glam for the outing in lashings of lip liner.

Party time: The Too Hot to Handle star flaunted her taut abs in the tiny top as she stepped out at the celeb hotspot for a night on the town

Wow: Nicole set pulses racing as she worked her angles for the camera in the all-white co-ord that showcased her lithe legs in the skintight leggings

Sizzling: Nicole completed her look with an enviable nude Yves Saint Laurent shoulder bag and went full glam for the outing in lashings of lip liner

While Nicole did not find love on the show, she went on to date her co-star Bryce Hirschberg after the show wrapped, making their relationship public last April.

They called it quits later in the year due to the travel restrictions posed by COVID-19, as Bryce lives in Marina Del Rey, California, and Nicole calls the UK home.

Nicole was joined for the wild night out by her co-star Christina Carmela.

Christina put on a stylish display in a plunging black mini dress which she styled with a pair of knee-high leather boots.

The raven haired beauty set pulses racing in the very low cut long sleeved dress and completed her ensemble with a Louis Vuitton shoulder bag.

Pals: Nicole was joined for the wild night out by her co-star Christina Carmela

Stepping out: Christina put on a stylish display in a plunging black mini dress which she styled with a pair of knee-high leather boots

The pair appeared in high spirits as they headed on their Saturday night out.

Nicole sweetly wrapped her arms around Christina's waist as they posed together on the streets of London.

They walked hand in hand as they left their dinner in Mayfair and carried on their night into the early hours.

Stunning: The raven haired beauty set pulses racing in the very low cut long sleeved dress and completed her ensemble with a Louis Vuitton shoulder bag

Up beat: The pair appeared in high spirits as they headed on their Saturday night out

Party: They walked hand in hand as they left their dinner in Mayfair and carried on their night into the early hours
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A bounty of stars got all glammed up for the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures gala in Los Angeles on Saturday evening.

Among the best and brightest were Nicole Kidman, Kate Hudson, Lady Gaga and Katy Perry who all wore their red carpet best at the event.

Originally slated to open in 2017, the $484 Million museum was made possible by many high profile Hollywood donors who helped fund the first-ever space dedicated to all things movies.

Red carpet royalty! The $484 Million Academy Museum of Motion Pictures held a star studded gala with a bevy of A-listers on Saturday evening to celebrate its grand opening on September 30; (L-R) Nicole Kidman, Kate Hudson, Lady Gaga, and Katy Perry

At the glitzy event Nicole Kidman, 54, dazzled in a nude dress that was embellished with red sequined flowers which she paired with pointy brown pumps.

Kate Hudson, 42, played with proportions as she modeled a beaded black top with structured shoulders and a tiny leather mini skirt that showed off her legs.

And Lady Gaga, 35, opted for classic Hollywood glamour as she made her green carpet debut in a black velour dress with dramatic powder blue sleeves.

All the glamour: Nicole Kidman and Lady Gaga did not disappoint as they arrived in eye-catching gowns

Striking: Kate wore a black top covered in rows of sequins with gold chains over her shoulders that hung down loosely at her sides. She spread her arms to show off the top like wings

Girl power: Gaga and Katy, whose fans often rival on social media, proved there is enough space in the pop culture sphere for the both of them as they posed for a friendly snap outdoors

Catch up: The ladies shared a chat between photos

Engaged: Katy cozied up to her fiance Orlando Bloom, who looked dapper in a velvet tuxedo

A laugh a minute: Gaga joined Katy and Orlando for a few snaps

Having a laugh: Lagy Gaga larked around on the red carpet with Katy and Orlando

Icon: Cher showed off her wild side in leopard pants as she posed with Bob Mackie

Range of style: Cher, Selma Blair, and Maggie Gyllenhaal let their personalities shine through their fashion choices for the evening

Showing off her newly dark hair Katy Perry, 36, wore a latex dress with pocket detailing while making an appearance with fiance Orlando Bloom, before posing for a photo with Gaga.

The very stacked guest list also saw the likes of Cher, Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, Gabrielle Union, Selma Blair, Sarah Paulson, Laura Dern, Eva Longoria and Issa Rae.

At the event Italian screen legend Sophia Loren, 87, was honored as well as independent filmmaker Haile Gerima.

Others including Hanks, Annette Bening and Bob Iger were also set to be given special nods for helping to raise the funds to erect the space.

Still got it! The Italian screen legend Sophia Loren was seen ahead of her honor in an Armani Prive gown

A-listers: Tom Hanks, who is set to receive a special nod at the event for his fundraising efforts, strolled through the event with wife Rita Wilson, while Anette Benning and her longtime husband Warren Beatty walked hand-in-hand

Fun in florals: Meg Ryan was also present at the event

Elegant: Sarah Paulson was seen with her longtime partner Holland Taylor both dressed by Giorgio Armani, while Chris Hardwick posed with his pregnant wife Lydia Hearst

Back in black: Laura Dern, Gabrielle Union, and Lindsey Vonn stunned in black dresses

Red carpet appearance! Kaia Gerber and Jacob Elordi walked the carpet together in their first official red carpet debut

Sparkler: Kaia glowed in a golden dress with a waffle print and glittering sequins. She paired it with matching open-toe heels and wore her brunette tresses in a bun

Ageless: Halle Berry looked beyond incredible as she showed off her fit physique and glowing complexion at the gala

Lots of history: The museum space was designed by Renzo Piano and boasts four full floors of gallery space and two theaters inside; (L-R) Ava Duvernay, Camila Morrone, and Anna Kendrick

'It matters for Los Angeles to have this film museum,' Hanks said of the space, adding that it had been in talks for over 20 years.

Additional high profile donors for the museum included Barbra Streisand, Steven Spielberg and the Dolby Family.

The space itself was designed by Renzo Piano and boasts four full floors of gallery space and two theaters inside.

Among the legendary film touchstones on display are the Rosebud sled from Orson Welles' Citizen Kane, Star Wars droids C-3P0 and R2-D2, the Mount Rushmore backdrop from Alfred Hitchcock's North By Northwest, a full sized shark model from Jaws and Dorothy's red slippers from The Wizard of Oz.

Golden girls: Adriana Lima, Ariana Debose and Natasha Lyonne all opted for gowns with gold as their focus

Power couple: Adriana Lima was also seen taking a picture with her boyfriend as they spent time outside of the Museum

Family outing! Spike Lee was seen with his family at the event

Personal taste: Jamie Lee Curtis and Jenna Dewan opted for collar detailing at the event, while Angela Bassett posed in a flared jumpsuit with mesh sleeves

Goddess: Laverne Cox looked to channel her inner goddess

Feeling blue? Molly Shannon, Riley Keough and Issa Rae all wore eye catching shades of blue

Flapper: Jennifer Hudson was decked out in sparkly fringe

Bringing the party: Tiffany Haddish looked in great spirits as she flashed a big smile at the event

Bill Kramer, the director and president of the Academy Museum, said in a statement to AP that the museum was 'committed to celebrating and championing the work of film artists, scholars and professions through our exhibitions, screenings, programs, collections and now, through our annual gala.'

Gala co-chairs include Ava DuVernay, Ryan Murphy and Jason Blum.

The museum had originally been slated to open in 2017 but faced numerous construction delays.

In November 2020, the museum announced that it had reached its $388 million pre-opening fundraising goal, and it is officially set to open to the public on September 30.

Growing up! Olivia Rodrigo looked virtually unrecognizable as she sported a very glam gown that showed off her cleavage

Velvet: Eva Longoria and Ruth Negga wore velvet dresses while Jurnee Smollett chose an Armani Prive tea-length gown for the evening

Elevated tracksuit: Regina King looked to sport an elevated take on a track suit

Mens fashion: Jeremy Scott and Questlove had very opposite fashion styles
Chris Hardwick and his wife Lydia Hearst were seen attending the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures' opening gala in Los Angeles on Saturday evening.

The 49-year-old podcaster was pictured flashing a wide smile while his spouse, 36, cradled her baby bump as the happy couple posed together for a set of glammed-up shots.

The pair's outing marks their first red carpet appearance as a couple since announcing in late August that they are expecting their first child together.

Perfect pair: Chris Hardwick and Lydia Hearst made their first red carpet appearance since announcing that they would be expecting a child at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures' opening gala in Los Angeles on Saturday evening

Hardwick wore a light beige suit and a matching pair of pants while spending time with his wife.

The television host contrasted the dominant color of his clothing with a stark white shirt and a pair of black leather shoes.

Hearst opted for a lovely blue checkered dress that shone brightly while she posed for a few shots with her husband.

The mother-to-be's dark orange hair complimented the flashier tones of her outfit and she accessorized with numerous pieces of jewelry.

Stylish star: The Z Nation actress wore a lovely blue dress that was accentuated by numerous pieces of sparkling jewelry

Coordinating colors: Hardwick wore a light beige suit and matching pants that beautifully contrasted with his wife's outfit

Although the couple appeared to be soaking up the spotlight during the gala, they are currently awaiting the arrival of their child.

The Z Nation star and Hardwick previously confirmed the news just over a month ago during a sit-down with Just Jared.

The couple's joyous announcement came just days after they celebrated five years of marriage on August 20.

'We are beyond thrilled!' the couple gushed to the publication. 'We have wanted a family for awhile now, and are so incredibly excited about this!'

Baby on board: The actress and her comedian husband revealed that they were expecting their first child together during a sit-down with Just Jared last month

According to the couple, their baby is set to arrive early next year.

On Friday, the lovebirds both shared photos of them on the dance floor for their first dance as husband and wife.

Chris gazed lovingly into Lydia's eyes while she smiled back at him in her photo, while he shared a glimpse of the two touching foreheads while dancing.

'It's been five years, and yet it feels like only yesterday. I love you @hardwick,' she wrote.

Over the moon: 'We are beyond thrilled!' the couple gushed to the publication. 'We have wanted a family for awhile now, and are so incredibly excited about this!'

Special moment: On Friday, the lovebirds celebrated their fifth wedding anniversary with photos from their first dance as husband and wife

'Happy 5 Year Anniversary @lydiahearst!!! Holy cats! Five years! You are the absolute best,' he wrote lovingly in his caption.

'Fun slideshow time! The first pic is our first married dance,' he continued.

Fittingly for the Nerdist Industries founder and pop culture obsessive, he had a Star Wars droid featured during the ceremony.

'the second [photo] is our ring bearer, R5-D4,' he wrote of the red-and-white rolling droid whose main claim to fame is being the droid that Luke Skywalker selected in the original Star Wars film, only to be replaced by R2-D2 when it blew a fuse.

For the wedding cake, the Doctor Who fan had half of it designed to look like a TARDIS, a space- and time-traveling device designed to look like a 1960s-era London police box.

The other half of the cake featured lovely roses and was topped with frosted cowboy boots, with Chris explaining that 'the party was Western-themed.'

'Such an amazing night!' he added.

Brave new world: The nerd-friendly nuptials featured a Star Wars droid as ring bearer

His and hers: The wedding cake was half Dr. Who's TARDIS and half western-themed cowboy boots

Lydia originally began a modeling career starting in 2004 before transitioning to film and television acting later in the decade.

She's the great-granddaughter of legendary newspaper publisher and yellow journalism purveyor William Randolph Hearst, as well as the daughter of Patty Hearst.

Chris is a popular stand-up comedian and podcaster who hosts the Walking Dead after show Talking Dead.

He was embroiled in controversy in 2018 after his ex-girlfriend, Chloe Dykstra, alleged in a Medium post from June of that year that one of her ex-boyfriends had emotionally and sexually abused her.

She didn't name Hardwick, but the dates and clues led readers to assume he was the target of her post.

Serious allegations: In 2018, Hardwick's ex-girlfriend Chloe Dykstra wrote that she had been emotionally and sexually abused by an unnamed boyfriend, but fans assumed she referred to Chris based on the dates listed; seen in 2019 in Hollywood

Hardwick denied the allegations in a statement: 'Our three year relationship was not perfect  we were ultimately not a good match and argued  even shouted at each other  but I loved her, and did my best to uplift and support her as a partner and companion in any way and at no time did I sexually assault her.'

Hearst also defended her husband on Instagram after the accusations went public.

'This is not a statement in defense, this is a statement of defense,' she wrote. 'Defense for all the women who have been sexually abused, raped, trafficked, and tortured; defense of all the people who this movement was started for.'

Although she wrote that stories of women in the #MeToo Movement 'need to be told,' she said her husband had done nothing wrong.

'I have made the decision to come out in support of my husband not out of obligation, but out of necessity to speak the truth about the person I know,' she continued. 'Chris is nothing but loving and compassionate and is the only person who has stood by me, never judged me, helped me heal, and feel whole.'

She concluded: 'To defend my husband would be giving credence to any of these accusations. I will not do that. Chris Hardwick is a good man.'

Hardwick was later cleared of wrongdoing in investigations launched by AMC, which broadcasts Talking Dead and his other talk shows, and Nerdist.

Dykstra opted not to be interviewed for the investigations.
Ex-Bachelorette winner Sasha Mielczarek has splashed out a whopping $2.15 million for a home in Burleigh Heads, on the Gold Coast.

According to a report in Domain at the weekend, Sasha, 36, snapped up the jaw-dropping property alongside his girlfriend of one year, Carly Cottam.

The couple are said to have paid 35 per cent more than the $1.6 million it fetched just 14 months prior, according to the publication.

Home: Ex-Bachelorette winner Sasha Mielczarek, 36, has splashed $2.15million for a Burleigh Heads home with new girlfriend Carly Cottam (both pictured), according to a report in Domain

The property was built in 2018, with the single-level home featuring three bedrooms, three bathrooms, a media room.

It home features multiple living areas and a glamorous rear pool.

The couple recently celebrated their one-year anniversary together at North Stradbroke Island, Queensland.

Million-dollar listing: The couple's new property (pictured) was built in 2018, with the single-level home featuring three bedrooms, three bathrooms, a media room

The purchase comes after Sasha sold his elegant Bowral home for $2.6 million earlier this month for a record price.

It was a very successful sale for the former reality star, who won the heart of Sam Frost in the 2015 series, as it was sold before it had even touched the market.

It's also the highest payment made for a house in the Retford Park Estate as prospective home owners continue to snap up property in the Southern Highlands.

Sold! Sasha sold his striking self-built Bowral house (pictured) for $2.6 million before it even went to the market earlier this month

Sacha bought the 1337 square metre plot of land in 2016 for $420,000 in the hopes of building an investment property.

Records show the home was advertised as a rental in October last year with a listing price of $1450 per week.

The immaculate house features four bedrooms, three bathrooms and a double garage.

Successful: It's also the highest payment made for a house in the Retford Park Estate as prospective home owners continue to snap up property in the Southern Highlands area

It also includes SMEG kitchen and a gas fireplace, European oak timber flooring, wool carpets, double glazed windows.

It also includes custom cabinetry, 2.7 metre ceilings, panelled walls and timber finishes in the home.

Sacha rose to fame on The Bachelorette Australia back in 2015, where he met and fell in love with Sam Frost. However, they sadly broke up 18 months later.
Three weeks have passed since Nadia Bartel was caught on camera snorting white powder at an illegal gathering during Melbourne's Covid lockdown.

And the footy WAG's once tight-knit circle of friends is now said to be divided in the wake of the scandal, with The Sun-Herald reporting the incident has 'driven a wedge' within the group of women.

While the newspaper didn't go into detail about the rift, Nadia does not appear to have ousted the woman responsible for posting the 'snorting' video in the first place: BFF Ellie Pearson.

Divided: Nadia Bartel's (left) once tight-knit circle of friends is said to be divided in the wake of her white-powder scandal earlier this month. However, she does not appear to have ousted the woman responsible for posting the 'snorting' video in the first place: BFF Ellie Pearson (right)

Ellie quietly returned to Instagram last week after deactivating her account when the scandal erupted at the start of the month. Nadia is still among her 8,429 followers.

Daily Mail Australia previously reported that one of Nadia's 'frenemies' - an enemy who falsely poses as a friend - had downloaded Ellie's video before she had a chance to delete it, then sent it to media outlets in a campaign to 'destroy' the socialite.

The ex-wife of Geelong great Jimmy Bartel was caught attending an illegal party during Melbourne's Covid lockdown on September 2.

She and three other women were each fined $5,452 after damning footage of the party was accidentally posted on Instagram by her friend and business partner Ellie.

Return: Ellie quietly returned to Instagram last week after deactivating her account when the scandal erupted on September 2. Pictured: her account when it was deleted (top) and after it was restored (bottom)

Still friends? Nadia is still among Ellie's 8,429 followers on Instagram

But the most humiliating part of the scandal was seeing Nadia, once known for her impeccably clean-cut image, snorting a line of white powder off a $1.50 Kmart plate.

While the 36-year-old wasn't charged with drug offences because police couldn't prove what she was snorting, the video nonetheless caused irreparable damage to her brand and she was dropped by major sponsors.

Just 24 hours after the video leaked, Nadia issued a grovelling apology on Instagram, where she has 567,000 followers.

Caught on camera: The ex-wife of Geelong great Jimmy Bartel was caught attending an illegal party during Melbourne's Covid lockdown on September 2. She and three other women were each fined $5,452 after footage of the party was accidentally posted on Instagram by Ellie

Bad luck: While Nadia (left) wasn't charged with drug offences because police couldn't prove what she was snorting, the video nonetheless caused irreparable damage to her brand

'Hi everyone, I have let you all down by my actions,' she wrote on September 3.

'I take full responsibility and I am committed to taking all necessary steps to ensure I make better choices in future.

'To my family and friends, my business partners and the public health workers trying to keep us all safe, I am embarrassed and remorseful.

'I am truly and deeply sorry. I hope I can earn your forgiveness and, in time, your trust.'
It was a star-studded affair at The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures Opening Gala at The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles on Saturday.

Brazilian model and actress Adriana Lima was among the many stars to converge on the event to celebrate its upcoming grand opening with her best fashion foot forward alongside boyfriend Andre L III.

The longtime Victoria's Secret Angel oozed glitz and glamour in a strapless golden gown that showcased her runway-worthy physique.

Glowing: Adriana Lima, 40, stunned in a golden shoulder-less gown at The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures opening gala in Los Angeles on Saturday

Lima, 40, was all about showing off some skin with the shoulder-less design.

She was also able to flaunt her left leg at a moments notice due to the long slit on the left side of the the bold number.

On this night, the longtime Maybelline covergirl went with matching open-toe heels and had her dark tresses pulled back into a tight ponytail.

Andre L III, 40, looked handsome in a tradition black suit and bowtie that were paired with a white shirt and black dress shoes.

Shining bright: The Brazilian model and actress shared the festive evening with her boyfriend Andre L III, who looked handsome in a black suit and bowtie

The glowing gown trailed Lima's every step while showcasing her shoulders, back and cleavage

Earlier on Saturday, Lima took to her Instagram page and promoted her new campaign for Rihannas Savage X Fenty line.

'I came home to my boyfriend like this. And yes. It was Savage,' the longtime supermodel flirted in the caption of a video showing her decked out in a sexy black lace ensemble.

On Friday, she struck a number of poses in the very same revealing outfit.

'About last night. Bringing my spirit Savage to life,' she gushed in the caption.

Promo mode: Earlier on Saturday, Lima took to her Instagram page and promoted her new campaign for Rihannas Savage X Fenty line

Sexy strut: Lima struck a number of sex poses in a black lace ensemble

Beau mention: 'I came home to my boyfriend like this. And yes. It was Savage,' the longtime supermodel flirted in the caption of a video

Revealing: Lima could be seen dancing and gyrating in the Savage X Fenty outfit

The festive Saturday evening gala, co-chaired by Ava DuVernay, Ryan Murphy, and Jason Blum, honored actress Sophia Loren and filmmaker Haile Gerima.

Tom Hanks, Annette Benning and Bob Iger were also being recognized for their fundraising efforts for the museum.

Other stars who attended the event included Brad Pitt, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Orlando Bloom, Nicole Kidman, Regina King, Laura Dern, Anna Kendrick, Kate Hudson, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Cher, Queen Latifah and Kristen Stewart, among many others.

The new $484 million Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, which is located on the LACMA campus, was originally slated to debut in 2017.

The 300,000-square-foot complex will officially be open to the public starting on September 30.

Repeat performance: One Friday, Lima shared a series of snaps decked out in the same black lace ensemble

Temptress: The outfit included full arm gloves made of matching black lace

Sexy number: Lima's outfit in particular features a coordinating black lace set complete with a bralette, high-hip briefs and a sheer skirt
Nicole Kidman showcased her sensational frame in a chic dress at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures gala in LA on Saturday.

The Oscar-winner, 54, dazzled in a nude dress that was embellished with red sequined flowers which she paired with pointy brown pumps.

The dress teased a glimpse of her cleavage and featured a daring thigh-split, which revealed her enviable legs as she posed.

Chic: Nicole Kidman showcased her sensational frame in a chic dress at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures gala in LA on Saturday

Nicole wore her tresses in soft waves and sported a rich palette of make-up for the evening.

She exuded confidence as she posed up a storm before heading into the event.

Originally slated to open in 2017, the $484 Million museum was made possible by many high profile Hollywood donors who helped fund the first-ever space dedicated to all things movies.

Shimmer: The Oscar-winner, 54, dazzled in a nude dress that was embellished with red sequined flowers which she paired with pointy brown pumps

Pose: The dress teased a glimpse of her cleavage and featured a daring thigh-split, which revealed her enviable legs as she posed

The very stacked guest list also saw the likes of Cher, Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, Gabrielle Union, Selma Blair, Sarah Paulson, Laura Dern, Eva Longoria and Issa Rae.

At the event Italian screen legend Sophia Loren, 87, was honored as well as independent filmmaker Haile Gerima.

Others including Hanks, Annette Bening and Bob Iger were also set to be given special nods for helping to raise the funds to erect the space.

'It matters for Los Angeles to have this film museum,' Hanks said of the space, adding that it had been in talks for over 20 years.

Additional high profile donors for the museum included Barbra Streisand, Steven Spielberg and the Dolby Family.

The space itself was designed by Renzo Piano and boasts four full floors of gallery space and two theaters inside.

Among the legendary film touchstones on display are the Rosebud sled from Orson Welles' Citizen Kane, Star Wars droids C-3P0 and R2-D2, the Mount Rushmore backdrop from Alfred Hitchcock's North By Northwest, a full sized shark model from Jaws and Dorothy's red slippers from The Wizard of Oz.
Love Island Australia has had its airdate pushed back.

According to TV Blackbox, a spokesperson for Channel 9 confirmed the show will reach screens later this year.

'After working through production issues that have been widely reported, Love Island Australia will now launch on Monday, October 11 at 8.45pm on Channel 9 and 9Now,' the spokesperson told TV Blackbox on Sunday.

Door closed: Love Island Australia has had its airdate pushed back. According to TV Blackbox, a spokesperson for Channel 9 confirmed the show will reach screens later this year. Pictured: Host Sophie Monk

The Mayor of Byron Shire had demanded to halt production on Love Island when the entire region was forced into a seven-day lockdown after a staffer working on both Love Island and I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! tested positive for Covid-19.

Michael Lyon accused ITV Studios - which produces both Love Island and I'm a Celebrity for different networks - of bringing 'Covid to the region' in a searing Facebook post on Wednesday, and said he was trying to 'rescind council approval'.

However, instead of a shutdown, the crew are being given a 30 day window to film the series.

Soon: 'After working through production issues that have been widely reported, Love Island Australia will now launch on Monday, October 11 at 8.45pm on Channel 9 and 9Now,' a spokesperson told TV Blackbox on Sunday

The same amount of episodes will be made despite the new restrictions and the show is expected to make it to air just a week late.

The Nine dating show was scheduled to begin filming on Monday, but a last-minute disruption threatened to derail production in the Byron Bay region.

A makeup artist working a job for I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! nearby - which is made by the same production company - was diagnosed with Covid-19, plunging Byron Bay, the Tweed Shire and Kempsey into a snap seven-day lockdown.

Not happy: The Mayor of Byron Shire, Michael Lyon (pictured), demanded ITV halt production after a crew member on I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! tested positive to Covid-19, sending the entire region into a snap seven-day lockdown

While this isn't a huge problem for 10's I'm a Celebrity since it has already wrapped, it caused disruptions for Love Island - which hasn't started filming yet - because the same crew is supposed to work across both shows.

Love Island was slated to begin production on Monday ahead of its original October 4 premiere date, but the new development raised concerns that Nine may be forced to delay filming and/or find an alternate location.

'We are working with production and authorities as we find a way to deliver the show for our audience,' a Nine spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia on Thursday.
He's celebrating his success as a solo artist.

But on Saturday, Luke Hemmings joined his 5 Seconds of Summer (5SOS) bandmates on stage at Global Citizen Live in Los Angeles.

Looking sharp in a black top, teamed with a blue pantsuit and brown boots, the 25-year-old gave his all, belting out lyrics at the historic event in favour of global unity.

United: Luke Hemmings (pictured) joined his 5 Seconds of Summer bandmates on stage at Global Citizen Live in Los Angeles on Saturday, after celebrating his success as a solo artist

On guitar and vocals, Luke joined bandmates Michael Clifford on guitar, Calum Hood on bass and Ashton Irwin on drums.

The group also happily posed for photos on the media wall.

Musicians across the globe gathered in support of Global Citizen's Recovery Plan for the World, including Adam Lambert, Demi Lovato, Billie Eilish and Camila Cabello.

Sharp: Looking sharp in a black top, teamed with a blue pantsuit and brown boots, the 25-year-old gave his all, belting out lyrics at the historic event in favour of global unity

For a worthy cause: On guitar and vocals, Luke joined bandmates (from L to R) Ashton Irwin on drums, Calum Hood on bass and Michael Clifford on guitar. Pictured on the media wall

Global Citizen's aim is to unite in fighting poverty, climate change and vaccine inequity.

In August, Luke hit number one on the ARIA charts with his album, When Facing The Things We Turn Away From.

'Wow. Debuting at #1 on the ARIA charts on my first solo release means more than I could ever express,' Luke said in a statement.

Star-studded: Musicians across the globe gathered in support of Global Citizen's Recovery Plan for the World, including Adam Lambert, Demi Lovato, Billie Eilish and Camila Cabello

'Thank you so much to the fans for supporting When Facing The Things We Turn Away From, downloading, streaming, and buying it.

'Thank you to my friends, family, and to my entire team for making this possible and being patient while I changed my mind a million times. Much love to you all.'

Luke revealed his decision to release music independently happened almost by mistake.

United effort: Global Citizen's aim is to unite in fighting poverty, climate change and vaccine inequity

Branching out: In August, Luke hit number one on the ARIA charts with his album, When Facing The Things We Turn Away From

Shock: 'Wow. Debuting at #1 on the ARIA charts on my first solo release means more than I could ever express,' Luke said in a statement

'I started writing songs on my own and trying to push myself in that way, and then I stumbled into it being a separate project,' he told Rollacoaster.

'I think at the start of writing it was less intense topics, and then once I broke the seal I was more comfortable writing about harder things, and going through family history,' he explained.

'The whole album basically revolves around trying to decipher the last ten years and all the things that are put on the back burner,' he said.
Emma Thompson went wild for her husband Greg Wise's debut Strictly Come Dancing performance on Saturday.

The doting wife and actress, 62, was joined by their daughter Gaia Romilly Wise, 21, at the studio while Greg took to the dancefloor to honour his late sister.

The Sense And Sensibility star, 55, danced the American Smooth to That's Life by Frank Sinatra alongside strictly pro Karen Hauer - earning a respectable 24 points.

Wild: Emma Thompson (right) went wild for her husband Greg Wise's debut Strictly Come Dancing performance on Saturday. Pictured with their daughter Gaia Romilly Wise, 21 (left)

Strictly Come Dancing: Greg, 55, took to the BBC show to honour his late sister

After oozing Old Hollywood glamour with their performance, Greg and his professional dance partner caught up with co-host Claudia Winkleman.

Claudia pointed out: 'Your wife and daughter are in the audience.'

Emma put on an animated display as she mouthed: 'She's the wife and I'm the daughter.'

Animated display: Emma put on an animated display as she mouthed, 'she's the wife and I'm the daughter'

Laughter: Gaia laughed as the audience cheered along with the mother-daughter-duo

Gaia laughed as the audience cheered along with the mother-daughter-duo.

'Your wife is the one who persuaded you to do it. Are you grateful?', Claudia asked.

The Crown star responded: 'Pathetically grateful, my love.

'I mean come on, what's not to love?'

'Pathetically grateful': The Crown star said he was 'pathetically grateful' to wife Emma for encouraging him to go on the show

Glamour: After oozing Old Hollywood glamour with their performance, Greg spoke to co-host Claudia Winkleman

After the pair danced, Anton praised: 'This was a dance that made me miss going on the floor, I'd give you 45 points on my own if you could,' while Shirley noted that he needed to work on 'the fundamentals.'

Craig also complemented: 'The Viennese waltz section left a lot to be desired but out of hold thoroughly thoroughly engaging,' and the duo earned 24 points out of 40.

His performance comes as his wife has prepared herself, and him for the threat of the so-called 'Strictly Curse'.

Strictly Curse: His performance comes as his wife has prepared herself, and him for the threat of the so-called 'Strictly Curse' by gifting him condoms (pictured September 2021)

The actress revealed last week that she gifted her husband condoms in case he gives into temptation.

While the 'curse' - which sees its victims split with their partners after taking part in the competition - has had an impact on stars signing up in the past, Emma isn't concerned.

Emma and Greg have been married for 18 years after meeting in 1992 while filming Sense and Sensibility.

Not concerned: While the 'curse' - which sees its victims split with their partners after taking part in the competition - Emma isn't concerned

Clearly confident in her relationship, she joked to The Sun: 'I am worried about the Strictly curse, very much so. I have put a packet of Durex into Gregs good luck card. Just two.

'But you dont know, do you? They havent got time for a lot of s***ging, I hope, theyll be so exhausted.

She added: 'I am not going to the show every week. Karens gorgeous, shes from Venezuela and is only 39.'
Crown Princess Mary and Crown Prince Frederik paid a visit to historic Kings Jelling in Denmark to attend a Tour de France 2022 event.

The royal couple were all smiles as they admired a Tour de France trophy and strolled around the town.

Mary, 49, opted for a chic but casual outfit for the occasion, consisting of a sleeveless wool, turtleneck vest with a striped pattern.

Ready for it: Crown Princess Mary and Crown Prince Frederik paid a visit to historic Kings Jelling in Denmark to attend a Tour de France 2022 event. Both pictured

She wore an oversized, pale blue dress shirt underneath, which included long sleeves.

The princess belted the outfit at the waist, with a gold buckle adding interest to the braided straps.

The brunette beauty completed her look with a pair of black slacks and high-heeled boots.

Nice! The royal couple were all smiles as they admired a Tour de France trophy and strolled around the town

Looking good: Mary, 49, opted for a chic but casual outfit for the occasion

Pretty: She wore a sleeveless turtleneck vest with a striped pattern

Details: Mary wore an oversized, pale blue dress shirt underneath, which included long sleeves

Buckled: The princess belted the outfit at the waist, with a gold buckle adding interest to the braided straps

Dressy: The brunette beauty completed her look with a pair of black slacks and high-heeled boots

For makeup, Mary opted for a rosy palette with a pale pink lip and lashings of mascara, while wearing her hair down around her face.

Prince Frederik looked smart in a navy blue blazer worn over a striped, long-sleeved shirt.

He matched it with trousers in the same dark tone, and a pair of smart dress shoes.

Wow: For makeup, Mary opted for a rosy palette with a pale pink lip and lashings of mascara

Feeling free: The princess wore her hair down around her face

Beaming! She flashed a huge smile as she was shown around the town

Man oh man: Prince Frederik looked smart in a navy blue blazer worn over a striped, long-sleeved shirt

The couple were showed around the area by a guide as a whole host of onlookers caught a glimpse of the pair.

After the visit to Jelling the Crown Prince couple continued to the nearby Vejle, where they held their yearly award show during the evening.

At this event the largest gold treasure ever was revealed to the surprise for all.

Local: After the visit to Jelling the Crown Prince couple continued to the nearby

Vejle Shiny: At this event the largest gold treasure ever was revealed to the surprise for all

Impressive: The treasure was found just outside Jelling, and Mary held it in her hands as she inspected it

The treasure was found just outside Jelling, and Mary held it in her hands as she inspected it.

Denmark is the starting country for Tour de France 2022 and the race goes through Jelling Kings.

Kings Jelling marks the establishment of Christianity as state religion in Denmark by the baptizing of King Harald Bluetooth in 965.
She's become a formidable force in the international modelling scene, having walked the runways for both New York and Milan Fashion Weeks this month.

But South Sudanese-Australian supermodel Adut Akech remains grounded, vowing to do her part to support Australian designers and brands amid a challenging time.

The 21-year-old told News.com.au on Sunday that she loves being able to support the fashion community as it attempts to 'recover' from the effects of the pandemic.

Doing her part: Australian supermodel Adut Akech, 21, has vowed to do her part to support local designers amid the pandemic as her star status continues to rise overseas. Pictured walking the runway for Versace at Milan Fashion Week this week

Adut managed to fly back home to Australia for a whirlwind trip before strutting her stuff down the runway for the likes of Fendi and Max Mara.

The catwalk queen has become an ambassador for Vogue Fashion's Night In next month, in a bid to boost retail sales amid the pandemic.

'I feel very lucky to have been able to return home to Australia to visit my family. It was such a quick trip,' Adut told News.com.au.

Stance: The South Sudanese-Australian star told News.com.au on Sunday as she becomes an ambassador for Vogue Fashion's Night In, in a bid to boost Australian retail sales: 'The fashion community needs our help to recover from the global pandemic'. Pictured at Met Gala 2021

'I love being able to support Australian designers and brands especially at the moment when the fashion community needs our help to recover from the global pandemic,' she continued.

Adut ruled the Fendi runway during Milan Fashion Week on Wednesday, stunning in a sheer bra, satin mini-skirt and a fur-trimmed bomber jacket.

She also flaunted her trim pins in a pair of sheer stockings emblazoned by the brand's logo and carried a chic mini bag.

Queen of the catwalk! Adut ruled the Fendi runway during Milan Fashion Week on Wednesday, stunning in a sheer bra, satin mini-skirt and a fur-trimmed bomber jacket (pictured)

Elsewhere, the statuesque beauty modelled a bikini and a resort-style crochet maxi skirt by Alberta Ferretti.

She also strutted down the catwalk in a breathtaking green and turquoise blue peacock-inspired embellished mini dress by the Italian designer.

Adut recently splashed out $3.7million (US$2.8million) on a sprawling four-bedroom property in Los Angeles.

Home sweet home! Adut recently splashed out $3.7million (US$2.8million) on a sprawling four-bedroom property in Los Angeles

The model who grew up in a refugee camp in Kenya before moving to Adelaide with her family, unveiled her new home in a video shared to Instagram.

Adut said she was 'so bloody proud' of herself to own the mansion in LA's Studio City neighbourhood, in what is now her fifth property.

The 3,000-square-foot home boasts five bathrooms, an open-plan living area and an outdoor space with an infinity pool and spa

How delightful! Adut said she was 'so bloody proud' of herself to own the mansion in LA's Studio City neighbourhood, in what is now her fifth property

The house is decorated in shades of brown and cream, with a large marble island as the centre-piece in the kitchen.

The property also has floor-to-ceiling windows, a rooftop entertaining area and a walk-in wardrobe in the en-suite master bedroom.

'I did it. I bought my first house in America!' Adut excitedly wrote in the caption, before showing fans around in an MTV Cribs-style video.

Elegant: The house is decorated in shades of brown and cream, with a large marble kitchen island as a centre-piece, which Adut proudly posed on as she showed fans around her new pad

Lovely: The 3,000-square-foot mansion boasts five bathrooms, an open-plan living area and an outdoor space with an infinity pool and spa

Proud: Adut was beyond excited to show off the incredible property on Instagram, posing in every room as she gave fans an MTV Cribs-inspired tour

'I'm usually quiet about personal things like this, I just be moving in silence but this one is too big of an achievement and proud moment for me to not share with the world,' she added.

'I cannot believe that at 21 years old I'm a proud owner of five houses!

'I sit back, reflect on my life and the things I have achieved within my career and personal life.... and damn I'm so bloody proud of myself for staying focused and working my a** off to get here.'

She said she was 'beyond grateful to God, my family and the people in my life that encourage me to keep pushing'.

Stunning: The bedroom features a rooftop balcony just steps away from the bed

Necessary! The fashion icon showed off her walk-in wardrobe next to the master bedroom

'To the people who have given me the opportunities that have led to moments like this, I'm so grateful to my supporters who motivate me everyday. Thank you! Cheers to new beginnings!' she said.

Adut was born in South Sudan and raised in a refugee camp in Kenya, and arrived in Adelaide with her family when she was seven years old.

She caught a taste for modelling when she was 16, and was later snapped up by Chadwick Models on a chance trip to Melbourne in 2016.

Since then Adut has soared to international fame, walking the runway for the likes of Alexander McQueen, Prada, Tom Ford, Calvin Klein and Versace.

She has also featured on the cover of Vogue.
Rebecca Lobie called out a vile troll on Sunday who mocked her derriere horse tattoo in the comments section of her latest racy Instagram post.

Sharing a screenshot of the nasty remarks she received from a stranger on her Instagram Stories, Steve Irwin's 'hot niece' detailed the extent of the bullying.

The 33-year-old mother of two said that while she usually 'stays quiet', sometimes enough is enough.

Online: Steve Irwin's 'hot niece' Rebecca Lobie (pictured) called out a vile troll on Sunday, who mocked her derriere horse tattoo in the comments section of her latest racy Instagram post

The nasty comments saw the troll asking whether she got the horse tattoo when she was 'ugly', and suggesting her children must be 'proud' to see their mother posing in revealing ensembles.

Rebecca wrote online: 'Comments like these! Seriously bullying online is out of control.'

The Queensland-based star went on to reveal that the tattoo has 'sentimental meaning' and urged the troll to 'stop commenting on things you have no idea about'.

Awful: The nasty comments saw the troll asking whether she got the horse tattoo when she was 'ugly', and suggesting her children must be 'proud' to see their mother posing in revealing ensembles

After receiving messages of support from fans, the blonde beauty later took to Instagram Stories, thanking them for their 'kind messages'.

'Thank you for the kind messages. I'm okay, I've learnt to have thick skin. I usually stay quiet about it but sometimes it's enough. It's not hard to be kind,' she wrote.

It comes as the busty beauty continues to encourage fans to pay a $7 monthly fee for access to her 'exclusive' content.

Appreciative: After receiving messages of support from fans, the 33-year-old blonde beauty later took to Instagram Stories, thanking them for their 'kind messages'

Grateful: 'Thank you for the kind messages. I'm okay, I've learnt to have thick skin. I usually stay quiet about it but sometimes it's enough. It's not hard to be kind,' she wrote

Rebecca is charging fans US$4.99 (AUD$6.80) for the first month's subscription on beckylobie.com, and US$9.99 (AUD$13.61) thereafter.

For an additional US$55 (AUD$74.92), Rebecca says one video shows her 'fully naked... with just the seat belts covering up my [lemon emoji].

'But don't worry, I made sure to pull back to give you a full view. We are just getting started,' she added.

Tickled pink: The Queensland-based star often displays her ample assets and toned curves in racy Instagram photos

For an extra US$34 (AUD46.31) she promises a 'nip slip' in a three-photo gallery.

Rebecca, who is the daughter of Steve Irwin's sister Joy and her husband Frank Muscillo, resigned from Australia Zoo in December 2015.

She recently discussed her new website in an interview with Daily Mail Australia, explaining that it is similar to subscription site OnlyFans but will use her own branding so she has 'more control'.

New venture: It comes as the busty beauty continues to encourage fans to pay a $7 monthly fee for access to her 'exclusive' content

Business: Rebecca is charging fans US$4.99 (AUD$6.80) for the first month's subscription on beckylobie.com, and US$9.99 (AUD$13.61) thereafter

'Having another platform to be able to share my content is something I have wanted to do for a while now and has always been a big request from people,' she said.

'I love creating content and engaging with my fans and this is another way I can.'

Speaking about her decision to shun OnlyFans, Rebecca added: 'It has the same features if not more. I will be posting exclusive content, chatting with fans and going live.'
Following the announcement that The Witcher will make its much-anticipated return in December, Netflix dropped a first look clip for season two on Saturday.

In the spellbinding preview, Geralt of Riviera (Henry Cavill, 38), a monster hunter for hire who was mutated and trained from an early age to slay deadly beasts, throws knifes at a painting with his old friend Nivellen (Kristofer Hivju, 42).

'Anything else? I've got nothing to hide,' begins Geralt.

Exciting: Following the announcement that The Witcher will make it's much-anticipated return in December, Netflix dropped a first look clip for season two on Saturday

'From me maybe, but have you told the girl the truth. That witches obtain children so they can feed them with magic herbs,' replies Nivellen.

'The few who survive become witches themselves. All human feelings and reactions are trained out of them. They are turned into monsters to kill other monsters.'

Gerald says, 'That's not going to happen to her.'

His pal argues, 'But it happened to you. For better or worse, she's with you now. How does she feel about it? Oh, the look of a man who's worried he's lost his touch.

Coming soon: In the spellbinding preview, Geralt of Riviera (Henry Cavill, 38), a monster hunter for hire who was mutated and trained from an early age to slay deadly beasts, meets with his old friend Nivellen (Kristofer Hivju, 42, pictured)

Fun: They bide their time by throwing knifes at a painting

'The look of a man who's wondering why his old friend is cheating,' Geralt says.

'You got me there,' Nivellen chuckles sinisterly. 'Magic knives,' before hurling one of them towards the makeshift painting.

A previous trailer for season two dropped back in July, picking up where the first season left off.

Geralt has finally met up with the exiled Princess Ciri (Freya Allan) and their relationship is expected to be the main focus of the fantasy drama's upcoming season, according to IndieWire.

Teaser: A previous trailer for season two dropped back in July, picking up where the first season left off

Season one, which jumped across several timelines, ended with Geralt and Ciri battling an army from the villainous Nilfgaardian Empire.

Fast forward to the first teaser for season two, Geralt has a homecoming of sorts, when he heads back to his childhood home of Kaer Morhen, where he begins training sessions with Ciri, the crown princess of Cintra who possesses magical powers, to help her be better suited to 'a world that is changing.'

'Facing your fear is not easy but I am here for you,' he tells his protege, while he hands her a large sword.

'When I say run, you run. And when I say hide, you hide,' he tells her during their training.

Grwoing relationship: Geralt tells Ciri she's 'much more' than his destiny in the opening

Fearing danger: The pair take a journey to Geralt's childhood home of Kaer Morhen

Home sweet home: Geralt announces 'we're home, finally' when they arrive at Kaer Morhen

But the seemingly more tranquil home life would be short-lived when Geralt warns Ciri to 'run' when real danger arrives.

While Yennefer was largely absent for much of the trailer, she did finally make an appearance in the final few moments.

In its synopsis, Netflix described season two: 'Convinced Yennefer's life was lost at the Battle of Sodden, Geralt of Rivia brings Princess Cirilla to the safest place he knows, his childhood home of Kaer Morhen.'

It adds, 'While the Continent's kings, elves, humans and demons strive for supremacy outside its walls, he must protect the girl from something far more dangerous: the mysterious power she possesses inside.'

Greetings! Geralt gets a homecoming welcome moments after he and Ciri arrive

Intense: Much of the trailer focuses on Geralt training Cirilla for battle

'Facing your fear is not easy but I am here for you,' Geralt tells his protege, while he hands her a large sword.

Training: 'When I say run, you run. And when I say hide, you hide,' Geralt tells Ciri

Characters like Phillipa, Lambert, and Vesemir will appear in the second season along with new monsters like the Leshy, according to IGN.

The Witcher is an adaptation of the bestselling medieval fantasy book series by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski that was later adapted into a popular video game and comic book franchise of the same name.

The first season was released in December of 2019 and received primarily positive critical attention, with much praise going towards Cavill's performance.

A second season, consisting of eight episodes, is scheduled to be released on December 17, 2021

Making its mark: The first season was released in December of 2019 and received primarily positive critical attention, with much praise going towards Cavill's performance
Model Georgia Fowler has been relishing motherhood since welcoming her first child, daughter Dylan, with her boyfriend Nathan Dalah on September 17.

On Sunday, the 29-year-old shared a sweet photo to her Instagram Stories of the newborn sleeping soundly, looking cute as a button in a white onesie.

The Victoria's Secret star announced she was expecting her first child with her hospitality entrepreneur beau Nathan back in April.

Her bundle of joy! Model Georgia Fowler, 29, shared this precious photo of her newborn daughter Dylan sleeping soundly to her Instagram Stories on Sunday

In the heartwarming photo, little Dylan looked to be sleeping on her father's lap on the couple's plush bed in Sydney.

Just days earlier, Georgia shared more precious photos to her Instagram Stories of Dylan sleeping soundly, including one of her adorable dog peering over the crib.

'Looking over you baby sister,' the New Zealand-born beauty captioned the sweet black and white image.

Proud mother: The Victoria's Secret star (pictured) has been delighting fans by sharing regular photos of her precious baby girl to Instagram

Heartwarming: Just days earlier, Georgia shared more precious photos to her Instagram Stories of Dylan sleeping soundly, including one of her adorable dog peering over the crib

Georgia also posted another gorgeous shot of Dylan resting her little frame against a plush white cushion, once again looking adorable with white mittens on.

The brunette beauty announced Dylan's birth in an Instagram post on September 20, posting two photos of the newborn lying in her crib.

Revealing her daughter's name in the caption, Georgia wrote: 'Dylan Aman Dalah. 17.9.21. Welcome to the world. We love you so much.'

Too cute: The Auckland-born beauty also posted another gorgeous shot of Dylan resting her little frame against a plush white cushion, once again looking adorable with white mittens on

Congratulations! Georgia announced Dylan's birth via an Instagram post on September 20, posting two photos of the adorable newborn lying in her crib

Georgia's army of celebrity pals quickly commented on the post, with footy WAG Rebecca Judd writing: 'Congratulations - she's a beauty.'

Activewear mogul Pip Edwards added: 'So so beautiful! Congratulations.'

Georgia announced she was expecting her first child with Fishbowl co-founder Nathan back in April.

Adorable: Revealing her daughter's name in the caption, the brunette beauty wrote: 'Dylan Aman Dalah. 17.9.21. Welcome to the world. We love you so much'

Parents: Georgia announced she was expecting her first child with Fishbowl co-founder Nathan (right) back in April

At the time, she shared the news by writing: 'We can't wait to meet you, little one.'

'It's been hard to keep this one quiet, but now it's pretty hard to hide,' she added.

'Nathan and I couldn't be happier to share our exciting news with you. We cannot wait to meet you little one and begin our next adventure together. The best is yet to come.'

Bumping along! Georgia had documented her pregnancy with bump updates on Instagram

She also shared a video of her sonogram, showing the active baby bouncing around in her stomach.

'Our little bouncing bean,' she captioned it.

Nathan also shared the news on his own Instagram account, and revealed they were having a daughter.

The genetically blessed couple confirmed their romance in February last year.
Offset was among several stars generously contributing towards funeral expenses for the late actor Anthony Johnson.

The Migos rapper, 29, donated $5,000, TMZ reported on Sunday.

Johnson's family has reportedly raised $70,000 from celebrities and fans alike, meaning the funeral is now entirely paid for.

Doing good: Offset was among several stars generously contributing towards funeral expenses for the late actor Anthony Johnson (pictured September 2021)

Gone too soon: Anthony Johnson, best known for his role as Ezal in Friday, died early this month at 55 years old

Comedian Lil Rey Howery reportedly gave $4,000 to the I Got the Hook-Up actor's family.

When asked why he did so, representatives for the Free Guy actor said that he wanted to help because he views comedy as a brotherhood.

Michael Blackson, who also appeared in the Friday franchise, raised $10,000 towards funeral costs.

The family have also received phone calls from rapper Fat Joe and Couples Retreat actor Faizon Love, expressing their condolences.

Beloved comedian: Johnson, seen here in the movie Friday, has received a lot of support from fellow celebrities like Lil Rey Howery and Michael Blackson

A comedic kinship: Lil Rey Howery, seen here at the Free Guy premiere in August 2021, gave money for Johnson's funeral because his reps said he sees comedy as a brotherhood

Johnson was found unconscious in a Los Angeles store on September 6. He was rushed to the hospital and pronounced dead there.

The actor appeared in dozens of film and television shows including on hit programs like Martin and Malcom & Eddie.

Though he worked consistently over the years, his widow admitted earlier this month that they were having trouble paying for his funeral and asked for all the 'fake love' to stop.

A little extra : Johnson, seen here in Friday, worked consistently over the years, but his widow said earlier this month that the family did not have enough to cover the funeral costs

'But just please stop the fake love. Please stop the fake calls. Please stop the fake texts. Please just for our family and when I say our family, I mean me, the kids, and the grandkids. Just stop it,' Jones Mason said.

Donations exploded after Mason Jones' heartfelt comments and the family now has more money than they need for the funeral. Johnson's widow intends to make the most of the excess funds.

She revealed that, after funeral expenses are paid, she will use some of the money to take care of his four children, and she also said she wants to start a standup comedy school for underprivileged kids.

Jones Mason also said that Johnson didn't have life insurance, and she intends to use some of the money to advocate for actors and comedians to get that insurance.
Daniel Craig, along with other stars of the upcoming James Bond film, No Time To Die, hopes that the Covid-delayed film can boost ailing cinemas amid the pandemic.

Craig and Rami Malek play 007 and his latest nemesis in the spy drama - which is officially the longest James Bond film ever made with a runtime of 163 minutes - and the actors have both expressed hopes that the cinema business picks up again soon.

Craig told PA: 'There's a great deal of expectation surrounding this film. I believe in cinema, it's the job I do and having this film come out right now and try and hopefully to give the industry some sort of boost.

Drawing in the punters: The cast of the upcoming James Bond film, No Time To Die, are hoping that the Covid-delayed film can boost ailing cinemas amid the pandemic

'Cinema is here to stay as far as I'm concerned and if we can help in some way, I'll be very happy.'

Oscar-winning actor Malek - who portrays villain Safin - said he will always believe in the importance of the theatrical experience, adding: 'I would be devastated if we lost this great global pastime.

'It is, for me, one of one of the great arts that we have to share with each other and with the world and if this film can reinvigorate our ability to go back to those places that we just have fallen in love with in our youth and throughout our lives, then I would feel a great privilege.

'I won't say I'd be responsible for it, but I'd love to be included in bringing that back, to be able to share with the world. We need it. I will always have faith in the theatrical experience.'

Boost: Daniel Craig plays 007 in the spy drama - which is officially the longest James Bond film ever made with a runtime of 163 minutes - and expressed hopes that the cinema business picks up again soon

The movie, which will be Craig's final outing as 007, was initially due for release in April 2020; but as concerns about the coronavirus pandemic grew, the release was pushed to November 2020 and has been moved several times since then.

When it was announced the film was being pushed back to April 2021, Cineworld made the decision to close 127 Cineworld and Picturehouse sites.

Multiplexes have started to see the return of crowds for franchise favourites such as Fast & Furious 9 and Marvel properties Black Widow and Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings, which posted the biggest three-day opening in the pandemic era in the UK with 5.8 million.

The top grossing film of the year so far in the UK is Peter Rabbit 2, which has amassed 20.2 million since its release in May, according to figures provided to the PA news agency by the BFI.

Oscar-winning actor Rami Malek - who portrays villain Safin - said he will always believe in the importance of the theatrical experience, adding: 'I would be devastated if we lost this great global pastime'

However, cinemas will be hoping it is the allure of Bond that will draw back hesitant crowds who are yet to venture back inside to sit in front of a screen.

It was reported that studio MGM held discussions with Netflix and Apple about releasing No Time To Die directly on to a streaming platform but, asked if it came close to the film bypassing a theatrical release, producer Barbara Broccoli told PA: 'Not for us. Fortunately, we have great partners with MGM and they stuck with us, and the pressure was tremendous on them, obviously.

'But I think we've learned many things during this 18-month period and certainly one of them is the sense of community, that we need people, we're social creatures, and we need each other.

'I think there's no better place to come together than the cinema. And we are hoping this is going to be a joyful return for people to come back with their friends and their families to see the film and to again celebrate, after a very long and difficult period.'

Craig told PA: 'There's a great deal of expectation surrounding this film. I believe in cinema, it's the job I do and having this film come out right now and try and hopefully to give the industry some sort of boost'

No Time To Die will have a world premiere at the Royal Albert Hall on Tuesday, with the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in attendance. The film will be released in UK cinemas on September 30.

007 enthusiasts will be treated to the lengthy instalment, having not had Bond in their lives since Spectre in 2015.

Until now, this had been the longest-running movie, which ran for approximately 148 minutes.

No Time To Die will be 15 minutes longer than the previous record-holder - and Craig will continue to have the honour of playing 007 in both the longest and shortest ever Bond films.

Longest-ever! 007 enthusiasts will be treated to the lengthy instalment, having not had Bond in their lives since Spectre in 2015; it has a runtime of 163 minutes

Quantum of Solace, his second outing as 007 in 2008, ran for just 102 minutes.

Played back-to-back, Craig's five Bond films would run for a total of 701 minutes - or more than 11 and half hours.

This is longer than the combined running time of Sean Connery's six official outings as 007 (697 minutes), but some way behind Roger Moore's seven-film stint as Bond (889 minutes), according to analysis by the PA news agency of BBFC data.

The 007 films have swollen in size over the decades. While Connery's six films (released in 1962-67 and 1971) averaged a concise 116 minutes, Moore's seven films (1973-85) averaged 127 minutes and Timothy Dalton's two films (1987-89) an even longer 132 minutes.

Lagging behind: Sean Connery's [L] six official outings as 007 total at 697 minutes, while the four films of Pierce Brosnan [R] saw the average drop to 125 minutes

Close but no cigar: Roger Moore's seven-film stint as Bond totaled at 889 minutes [Moore and Madeline Smith are pictured in a scene from Live And Let Die in 1973]

The four films of Pierce Brosnan (1995-2002) saw the average drop to 125 minutes - but Daniel Craig's five films as Bond (2006-21) have seen running times balloon to an average of 140 minutes.

The only film starring George Lazenby as James Bond, 1969's On Her Majesty's Secret Service, clocked in at 142 minutes.

This remained the longest-ever 007 film until Craig's debut Casino Royale in 2006, which ran for 145 minutes.

Such an epic running time is perhaps a fitting tribute to an actor who has held the role of James Bond for more than 15 years: longer than anyone else.

No Time to Die opens in cinemas on Thursday September 30.
Holly Willoughby looked sensational as she shared a set of elegant photos with her Instagram followers on Monday.

The TV personality, 40, looked typically chic while showcasing her svelte waist in a black maxi dress featuring puffed sleeves.

She accessorised the number with a grey bow-enhanced circular clutch along with a delicate silver chain necklace.

Beauty: Holly Willoughby looked sensational as she showcases her svelte waist in a puff-sleeved black maxi dress in a Monday Instagram post

Adding inches to her frame in a pair of onyx heels, the This Morning presenter smiled into the distance before darting her eyes to the floor.

The blonde bombshell had styled her luscious locks into a smart bun, allowing for a selection of strands to loosely frame her face.

She recently launched a lifestyle website to rival Gwyneth Paltrow's Goop, which experts predict could make 1million a year.

The former The Voice UK host's website Wylde Moon is an online space to empower women, explore crystal energies and offer fashion and beauty tips.

Stunning: The blonde bombshell had styled her luscious locks into a smart bun, allowing for a selection of strands to loosely frame her face

According to popular culture and brand expert Nick Ede, Holly's surprise career move draws similarities to that of Gwyneth Paltrow, who has become quite the wellness guru in recent years thanks to her website, Goop.

Speaking exclusively to FEMAIL, he commented: 'Like Gywneth with Goop and Kourtney with Poosh and back in the day Meghan with The Tig she knows she has a captive audience who love everything about her.

'With her team of experts she's showing her fans the everyday products that are available to buy and how good they can make you look and feel,' Nick continued.

'It's great to see she's not gone for overpriced items and she's mixing and matching just as you would imagine she did in her daily life as a working mother.'

Business venture: The TV presenter has followed in the footsteps of Gwyneth Paltrow by launching her own lifestyle website to share her favourite products with fans

'She is set to open a boutique on the site and this is where she will earn good money from affiliates, sponsorship and I am sure in time she will create a subscription model too. This is an ultra smart move from a woman who is taking control of her brand identity and its working very well.

'I think she could make at least half a million in the first year and then millions moving forward once proof of concept is done.'

Explaining her hopes for her new website, Holly penned: 'I want WYLDE MOON to be a place where I can share the things that I love, the lessons that I've learnt, the things I see and instantly want to share with others.'

'I want it to be a place where we can celebrate other people, too, where we can shine a light on them, their brands, their experiences. It's a celebration of all kinds of beauty.'

It's here: In an Instagram post, Holly wrote: 'Welcome to WYLDE MOON, a space created by @hollywilloughby where she will be sharing the people, places, practices and products that she loves'

It's the latest career move for Holly, who already has several other jobs - from being an ambassador of Garnier and Marks and Spencer, to a novelist who is set to release her first tell-all book in October costing 20 a copy.

As well as her fortune from TV presenting - the mainstay of which is a reported 600,000 a year to present ITV's flagship daytime show This Morning - the mother-of-three also rakes it in from numerous sponsorship deals with the likes of Garnier and Marks and Spencer.

Holly, who is set to release a novel in October retailing at 20 a copy, has recently been announced as the new co-presenter of BBC1's Wim Hof's Superstar Survival, alongside comedian Lee Mack.

And let's not forget her company Roxy Media recording, which is thought to be worth a cool 10million.
Donatella Versace cut a glamorous figure as she arrived at the Versace special event during Milan Fashion Week on Sunday.

The designer, 66, donned a tan leather coat which was cinched in at the waist with a large black belt.

She added some sparkle to her style with the belt's diamond-encrusted Versace logo buckle which glittered in the light as she walked.

All that glitters: Donatella Versace, 66, cut a glamorous figure as she arrived at the Versace special event during Milan Fashion Week wearing a diamond encrusted belt

She casually rested her hand in her pocket as she walked and looked relaxed as she posed for onlookers.

Donatella dressed all in black below the coat, looking chic in a top and trousers.

The fashion star wore a gold Versace logo statement necklace which stood out against her black attire.

Style squad: Naomi Campbell, 51, looked chic in a charcoal grey shirt and trousers and followed Donatella into the venue soon after

She carried a black and gold embroidered Versace bag in her hand to compliment the colours in her outfit.

Naomi Campbell, 51, looked chic in a charcoal grey shirt and trousers and followed Donatella into the venue soon after.

The supermodel gave a peek at her black and white bra with frills over the top as she stepped out the taxi.

Fashion queen: The designer, 66, donned a tan leather coat which was cinched in at the waist with a large black belt

Stepping out: She casually rested her hand in her pocket as she walked and looked relaxed as she posed for onlookers

She had on a short black bomber jacket which matched her facemask and dark shades.

Naomi's long black hair hung down over her shoulders and gently moved in the wind as she walked.

On Friday, Naomi returned to the catwalk for the Versace Milan Fashion Week show in a hot pink power suit, four months after revealing she had welcomed a daughter.

VIP arrival: The supermodel gave a peek at her black and white bra with frills over the top as she stepped out the taxi

Catwalk icon: She had on a short black bomber jacket which matched her facemask and dark shades

She surprised fans back in May when she announced she had become a mother, with reports later claiming she had become a parent through a surrogate.

And Naomi was given a warm welcome back to the runway as she shared a heartfelt embrace with designer Donatella after the stunning show.

Naomi has walked in Donatella's shows for years after forging a close friendship with the late Gianni Versace, who kickstarted her career, before he was assassinated in 1997.

She's back: Naomi returned to the catwalk for the Versace Milan Fashion Week show in a hot pink power suit on Friday, four months after revealing she had welcomed a daughter

Loud and proud: Model Stella Maxwell, 31, stood out as she arrived in a yellow and brown floral print two piece

Model behaviour: The Victoria's Secret star walked tall on a pair of chunky black platform heels and waved as she headed into the building

Meanwhile, model Stella Maxwell, 31, stood out as she arrived in a yellow and brown floral print two piece.

She wore a blouse which had a ruffled collar beneath a long black leather coat.

The Victoria's Secret star walked tall on a pair of chunky black platform heels and waved as she headed into the building.

Fashion set and ready: She wore a blouse which had a ruffled collar beneath a long black leather coat which matched the colour of her facemask

Fellow model Mariacarla Boscono, 42, was seen kissing a female pal outside who passed in a black car.

The stranger had removed her facemask and rolled down the window of the vehicle for the passionate embrace.

She could be seen holding her hand on the back of Mariacarla's head as they puckered up and kissed on the lips.
Amy Schumer shared a health update with her fans on Sunday as she recovered from her hysterectomy and appendectomy.

The 40-year-old comedienne's uterus and appendix were removed last week during the surgery she underwent to treat her endometriosis.

'Im feeling stronger and thrilled about life,' Amy wrote in the caption of her Instagram post.

Healing: Amy Schumer shared a health update with her fans on Sunday as she recovers from her hysterectomy

In the first photo that Schumer shared, she was seen standing in a hallway wearing a red t-shirt that was emblazoned with the lettering 'Recovery Mode On.' She said that the t-shirt was given to her by her close friend and fellow comedienne Rachel Feinstein.

The mother of one also included photos in which she was seen posing with her arms around her surgeon Dr. Tamer Seckin and a video in which Dr. Seckin was heard explaining the his findings after her surgery.

She continued, 'I attached the audio of @seckinmd going over my pathology with me if that interests you. I cry through most of the findings.'

Grateful: The mother of one also included photos in which she was seen posing with her arms around her surgeon Dr. Tamer Seckin

'I had a tumor in my endo ravaged appendix. Chocolate cysts in both ovaries. Endo of the uterus, psoas all over all my lifelong pain explained and lifted out of my body.

'I am already a changed person. I am busting with joy for the new energy I have to be with my son. Thank you @rachelfeinstein_ for getting me this shirt I needed to let people know what's up.

Amy went on to say, 'And anyone wondering if this is connected to my difficult pregnancy and hyperemesis I say f**k yes!'

Finding out: She also posted a video in which Dr. Seckin was heard explaining the his findings after her surgery

Schumer then voiced her frustration over the lack of research on endometriosis which she attributed to an outsized focus on medical issues that affect men.

The Trainwreck star also implored Melissa Gates to help with funding for endometriosis research.

'I can't answer medically because there is no research on this sh*t because they only happen TO WOMEN and there is no time to study them because all resources need to be funneled into researching ERECTILE DISFUNCTION.'

Schumer continued, 'THERE IS BARELY ANY RESEARCH ON ENDOMETRIOSIS WHICH OVER 10 percent of women have. ALL FUNDING SEEMS TO GO TO DICKMEREGENCIES. @melindafrenchgates how about we help this?!!'

Recovering: The I Feel Pretty star later shared a photo to her Instagram Story in which she was seen laying in bed with her three-year-old son Gene

In the video that she posted, Amy trained the camera on the floor as Dr. Sekin explained that there was evidence of endometriosis in her uterus and that out of the 30 specimens that were removed, 26 had tested positive for endometriosis.

'That's sharpshooting m'am. I didn't miss much, ' he added.

Amy replied, 'Hey, not to toot your own horn but thank you.'

The I Feel Pretty star later shared a photo to her Instagram Story in which she was seen laying in bed with her three-year-old son Gene. She covered Gene's face with a heart emoji and wrote, 'Healin'.

Last week, Amy revealed that she had a hysterectomy and disclosed the results of her surgery, reposting a video of herself laying in her hospital bed.

Schumer has long been vocal about her battle with endometriosis - a condition where tissue similar to the lining of the womb starts to grow in other places, such as the ovaries and fallopian tubes.

The condition can cause considerable pain for sufferers and have an impact on fertility.

Giving an update: Last week, Schumer revealed her uterus and appendix were removed as she underwent surgery for endometriosis

While one treatment for endometriosis is surgically removing the uterus, the treatment is controversial as a hysterectomy leaves you unable to get pregnant and it's not always a cure  the condition and related pain can return.

Schumer began the video by noting that it was 'the morning after my surgery for endometriosis and my uterus is out.'

She explained: 'The doctor found 30 spots of endometriosis that he removed. He removed my appendix because the endometriosis had attacked it.

'There was a lot, a lot of blood in my uterus and I'm, you know, sore and I have some, like, gas pains.'

Health issues: In her video, Schumer revealed that her doctors had found '30 spots of endometriosis near my appendix'

As well as a video, Schumer uploaded a selfie taken in a hospital gown and blue latex gloves.

In the caption she wrote: 'If you have really painful periods you may have #endometriosis.'

WHAT IS A HYSTERECTOMY? A hysterectomy is a surgical procedure to remove a woman's uterus. There are three kinds: PARTIAL HYSTERECTOMY: Removes two-thirds of the uterus.

Removes two-thirds of the uterus. TOTAL HYSTERECTOMY: Removes uterus and cervix.

Removes uterus and cervix. RADICAL HYSTERECTOMY: Removes uterus, cervix and ovaries. The operation is most commonly performed on women between the ages of 40 and 49. More than 20 million American women have had a hysterectomy, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As women approach menopause, the odds that they will develop one of several serious uterine health conditions increases. Doctors may recommend a hysterectomy as a treatment for: fibroids

endometriosis

uterine (endometrial) cancer

chronic uterine pain or bleeding

collapsed uterus In some cases, doctors may suggest a hysterectomy as a preventative measure if a woman has significant warning or early signs of developing one or more of these conditions. When necessary, surgeons may also remove the ovaries and fallopian tubes, if these have also been damaged or are at serious risk of damage. The removal of reproductive organs sends a woman's body into menopause, no matter how old she is. This comes with unpleasant side effects like hot flashes, and many women have to start hormone therapy, taking estrogen to balance out their own hormones. Advertisement

The Snatched star has previously spoken about her experiences with endometriosis in the past, which caused complications when she gave birth to her son, Gene, in 2019.

Schumer recalled that her condition had made her cesarean section much harder during an episode of the Informed Pregnancy podcast.

She stated: 'Even through the birthing centre has an operating room and doctors at the ready... my instincts were just like, no.

'I was throwing up through the whole first hour of my C-section. It's supposed to take about an hour and a half or something but mine took over three hours because of my endometriosis.'

She said that her husband Chris Fischer, 41, was 'so great' during the procedure. The writer went on to note that, although the process was strenuous, she felt that it was worth it after she saw her son for the first time.

'It was kind of brutal, But Chris was so greatwe just stared in each other's eyes and he just held me there,' she said.

'Then they let me hold Gene for a good amount of time. I got to see him and hold him.'

Schumer then underwent IVF treatment in a bid to conceive a second child.

In-vitro fertilization, known as IVF, is a medical procedure in which a woman has an already-fertilized egg inserted into her womb to become pregnant.

It is used when couples are unable to conceive naturally, and a sperm and egg are removed from their bodies and combined in a laboratory before the embryo is inserted into the woman.

Once the embryo is in the womb, the pregnancy should continue as normal.

The procedure can be done using eggs and sperm from a couple or those from donors.

However, Schumer admitted in August 2020 that she and Chris had decided against expanding their family because the process had been so 'tough' on her.

She said: 'We did IVF, and IVF was really tough on me. I don't think I could ever do IVF again.

'I decided that I can't be pregnant ever again. We thought about a surrogate, but I think we're going to hold off for right now.'

Schumer notably documented her pregnancy in the miniseries Expecting Amy, which was released last June.

The show chronicled the star's life as she got married, embarked on a cross-country tour and discovered she was expecting a child.

Complications: Schumer previously revealed that having a cesarean section for son Gene 'took over three hours because of my endometriosis' (pictured with husband Chris and their son)

The project received widely positive reviews upon its release, with many critics commending the performer's choice to be upfront and honest about her health issues.

Schumer and Chris were first linked in 2017, and the couple were married during a February 2018 ceremony in Malibu.

In October of that year they announced they were expecting their first child, and Amy welcomed Gene David on May 5, 2019.

'I'm run down and emotional': Schumer underwent IVF treatment in a bid to conceive a second child but revealed last year that she had decided against trying again as the process had been 'really tough'

Their son's middle name was originally 'Attell,' after Amy's comedian friend Dave Attell, but they switched it to adopt his first name after realizing 'Gene Attell' sounded dangerously close to 'genital.'

In March of 2019, the couple announced that Chris had been diagnosed on the high-functioning end of the autism spectrum.

'Once he was diagnosed, it dawned on me how funny it was, because all of the characteristics that make it clear that he's on the spectrum are all of the reasons that I fell madly in love with him,' the comedian said in her 2019 Netflix special Growing.

Being honest: The performer was the focus of a well-received docuseries that was centered on her difficult pregnancy
In another exciting step for the latest James Bond film, No Time to Die will release the first-ever digital collectibles to accompany the movie.

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios & EON Productions is partnering with digital platform VeVe to celebrate the upcoming release - which has been much-marred by the ongoing pandemic - with a series of NFTs from the iconic 007 franchise.

NFTs [non-fungible tokens] are one-off assets that contain exclusive information only accessible to those who purchase them.

Breaking boundaries: In another exciting step for the latest James Bond film, No Time To Die will release the first-ever digital collectibles to accompany the movie [star Daniel Craig is pictured]

The James Bond franchise comes with a legacy that dates back to 1952, when the spy series was first cooked up by author Ian Fleming.

Since 1962's first filmic adaptation Dr. No, the franchise has produced board games, video games, chocolates, comics, vehicles and gadgets, with a cultural legacy that spans the globe.

Veve already works with major movie properties, such as Marvel, DC, and the Ghostbusters and Jurassic Park franchises; the company has also inked a $100 million deal this summer, with art collective Rewind and gallerist/activist Amar Singh to celebrate women and the LGBTQ community via art.

Dan Crothers, COO and Co-Founder of VeVe, said of the Bond deal: 'As fans of Bond, the film franchises legacy, and its ongoing impact worldwide, we couldnt be more thrilled to bring an array of Bond digital collectibles to VeVe and our passionate community of collectors.

Collab: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios & EON Productions is partnering with digital platform VeVe to celebrate the upcoming release - which has been much-marred by the ongoing pandemic - with a series of NFTs from the iconic 007 franchise

Bond buffs will have access to a range of collectible content from the soon-to-be-released film.

Stephen Bruno, Chief Marketing Officer at MGM said: 'As one of the longest-running and most successful film franchises of all time, James Bond continues to evolve and innovate to meet the demands of our devoted audiences around the globe.

'We are thrilled to partner with VeVe to create the first-ever digital collectible from No Time To Die, and offer fans an exclusive opportunity to own a piece of cinematic history.'

Activist Amar Singh, founder of Amar Singh Gallery which is dedicated to championing female artists, has together with the anonymous feminist artists Rewind Collective signed a their six year deal with VeVe, having partnered in June to sell NFTs raising money for Pride.

Bond universe: The franchise has produced board games, video games, chocolates, comics, vehicles and gadgets, with a cultural legacy that spans the globe

Legacy: The James Bond franchise comes with a legacy that dates back to 1952, when the spy series was first cooked up by author Ian Fleming and adapted to film, starting with 1962's Dr. No [pictured, Sean Connery and Ursula Andress in the first movie]

$128,000 was sold within seconds on VeVes platform by selling the first NFT created for an International beauty brand (Givenchy) by Rewind Collective. A total of $400,000 worth of NFTs by Rewind Collective, curated by Singh, were sold on Veves platform in the June sale, all selling within seconds.

Singh has focused on womens rights & LGBTQ rights for a decade and in January pledged to donate $5 million worth of art by these communities to museums worldwide by 2025.

Singh said of the deal with VeVe at the time: 'I am honoured to partner with [VeVe co-founder] David Yus visionary company which is bringing art to the masses and our deal will ensure women, LGBTQ and minorities are well represented within the digital arts space unlike the traditional art world.'

Big brands: Veve already works with major movie properties, such as Marvel, DC, and the Ghostbusters and Jurassic Park franchises [pictured Scarlett Johansson in Black Widow]

Artworks previously sold by Singh and Rewind Collective on VeVe are selling for up to 50 times their original price, with most NFTs released selling for 10 times their original price since June 2021.

The exclusive content Singh and Rewind Collective will deliver to the platform will only be available to Veve members, currently of which there are nearly 500,000.

This comes after it was announced moviegoers watching No Time To Die at IMAX cinemas will be treated to 40 minutes of special expanded footage.

As announced by MailOnline earlier this month, these sequences will visually expand to fill the screen as creatively designed by the filmmakers, allowing moviegoers to experience more of the images with unprecedented crispness and clarity.

Activist: Amar Singh, founder of Amar Singh Gallery which is dedicated to championing female artists, has together with the anonymous feminist artists Rewind Collective signed a their six year deal with VeVe

The new footage - which has been combined with next generation precision sound, with audiences promised a truly spectacular and immersive experience - features in our exclusive first-look IMAX trailer, which sees 007 in death-defying car chases and performing dramatic motorcycle stunts.

This marks the first time in the history of 007 films that footage has been shot with IMAX 15/70 film cameras.

Filmmaker Cary Joji Fukunaga captured select sequences of No Time To Die using IMAXs extremely high-resolution 15/70mm film cameras to deliver IMAX audiences greater scope and breathtaking image quality.

Only in IMAX cinemas will audiences see the film the way it was creatively intended, as the scenes shot with IMAX film cameras will expand vertically to fill the IMAX screen, providing audiences with unprecedented crispness, clarity and colour for a truly immersive experience.

In for a treat! Moviegoers watching the new James Bond film, No Time To Die, at IMAX cinemas will be treated to 40 minutes of special expanded footage

Crisper than ever: This will be combined with next generation IMAX precision sound, with audiences promised a truly spectacular and immersive experience

In addition to being shot with IMAX film cameras and the exclusive expanded aspect ratio, the IMAX release of No Time To Die will be digitally re-mastered into the image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience with proprietary IMAX DMR (Digital Re-mastering) technology.

The crystal-clear images, coupled with IMAX's customised cinema geometry and powerful digital audio, create a unique environment that will make audiences feel as if they are in the movie.

In No Time To Die, Bond - played for the final time by Daniel Craig - has left active service and is enjoying a tranquil life in Jamaica. His peace is short-lived when his old friend Felix Leiter from the CIA turns up asking for help.

The world premiere takes place at the Royal Albert Hall on September 28. No Time To Die opens in cinemas from September 30.
Suranne Jones unveiled the newly-created sculpture of Anne Lister - the 'first modern lesbian' - in Halifax on Sunday.

The actress, 43, plays Anne in the hit series Gentleman Jack - a name which she used to go by back in the 1800s.

Anne was an entrepreneur and landowner back in the day, and had affairs with women which she details in diaries she is now famous for.

Making history: Suranne Jones, 43, unveiled the statue of the first modern lesbian Anne Lister in Halifax on Sunday

The journals were partly written in code as her behaviour was not socially accepted at the time, and also told of her life as a businesswomen in Halifax - as well as her social relationships, which all form the story of the BBC series.

Suranne revealed the statue, which is situated in the West Yorkshire town, with the series creator Sally Wainwright.

She looked stylish at the event as she wore a chic navy blue suit and a white graphic T-shirt paired with white trainers.

Role: The actress, 43, plays Anne in the hit series Gentleman Jack - a name which she used to go by back in the 1800s

Drama: Anne was an entrepreneur and landowner back in the day, and had affairs with women which she details in diaries she is now famous for [Suranne pictured in costume as Anne]

Influential: The journals were partly written in code as Anne's behaviour was not socially accepted at the time, and also told of her life as a businesswomen in Halifax [above, painting of Anne]

The Doctor Foster star told the BBC that it had been an 'incredible day', and that it was 'vitally important that we continue to tell the story of strong women throughout history.'

The artwork sits at The Piece Hall, a renovated 18th Century cloth trading hall, nearby to where Anne lived before her death in 1840.

The sculpture was unveiled from under a piece of cloth - something which was once traded at the hall - and Sally and Suranne were joined by the artist Diane Lawrenson.

Momentous day: Suranne often uses her platform to promote LGBT+ equality, so much so that the star was awarded The British LGBT Awards' Celebrity Ally prize during November's ceremony

The revelation of the piece of art comes amid the town celebrating 181 years since Anne's death.

Nicky Chance-Thompson, chief executive of The Piece Hall Trust, told the publication: 'This is a story of a woman that still holds such resonance today. It felt right that we, as The Piece Hall Trust, helped enable this remarkable new piece of art, commemorating a woman who continues to have such an impact locally, nationally, and internationally.'

Suranne often uses her platform to promote LGBT+ equality, so much so that the star was awarded The British LGBT Awards' Celebrity Ally prize during November's ceremony.

Appearing via videolink, Suranne gave an emotional acceptance speech while in full costume.

She said: 'I just want to say a huge thank you. I am so thrilled and honoured to receive the Ally Of The Year Award.

'It's so special to be accepted by your community, and for me to stand by your side and be part of your community.'
Kanye West has reportedly purchased a new home amid his divorce from Kim Kardashian after six years of marriage.

According to Flemish newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws, as reported by The Sun, the 44-year-old rapper bought a bachelor pad in an exclusive neighborhood outside the city of Antwerp.

Het Laatste Nieuws reported that Kanye was spotted in Wijnegem, one of the most expensive municipalities in Flanders.

Bachelor pad: Kanye West had reportedly purchased a new home amid his divorce from Kim Kardashian after six years of marriage. Pictured in 2019

According to The Sun, at least one of the residents of the suburb had never heard of the superstar.

West reportedly engaged in conversation with one of the neighbors, Peter Hoste, who said he was completely unfamiliar with the Flashing Lights hitmaker or his work.

Hoste said, 'I think Kanye thought it was funny that I had absolutely no idea who he was.'

Moving on: According to Flemish newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws , as reported by The Sun , the 44-year-old rapper bought a bachelor pad in an exclusive neighborhood outside the city of Antwerp. Seen in 2019

Details of the sale were confirmed to Het Laatste Nieuws by sources close to Belgian interior decorator Axel Vervoordt.

Kanye is said to have enlisted Vervoordt's help with designing a new kitchen for his home.

Axel is a friend of West and helped design his and Kim's minimalist estate in Los Angeles. According to Architectural Digest, West and Vervoordt met at antiques fairs and exhibitions in Maastricht and Venice.

According to insiders: Details of the sale were confirmed to Het Laatste Nieuws by sources close to Belgian interior decorator Axel Vervoordt (pictured in 2020)

However, a spokesman for the art dealer would not confirm the sale to The Sun.

'Axel Vervoordt confirms that American musician Kanye West is a personal friend and that they collaborate on several projects together,' the spokesman stated.

'We cannot confirm the rumour that Kanye West may have bought an apartment here.'

In February 2020, Kardashian and West showcased their home for the first time in a feature for Architectural Digest, with Kanye praising Vervoordt's work.

'When I saw the kind of work he was doing, I thought, This man could design Batman's house. I had to work with him,' Kanye said in an interview.

No idea: According to The Sun, at least one of the residents of the suburb had never heard of the superstar. Seen in 2020

He went on to say, 'It was a coup to get Axel to come to Calabasas to redo a McMansion, which is essentially what the house was.'

Vervoordt told the magazine, 'I'm not from the pop world, the rapper's world. But I discovered Kim and Kanye as wonderful human beings.'

He added, 'We have common values in life, important human values, like a respect for the beauty and spirituality of art.

Collaborators: Axel is a friend of West and helped design his and Kim's minimalist estate in Los Angeles

High praise: Kanye praised Vervoordt's work, saying it was a 'coup' to get Axel to come to Calabasas

'You can call it religion, but this is perhaps beyond religion, a search for cosmic values of peace and positive energy. We had very profound conversations about the space of the mind and the importance of silence.'

Meanwhile, Kardashian quashed rumors of reconciliation with her estranged husband in an Instagram Story which she later deleted. Last week, she shared a heart-wrenching quote with her 255 million Instagram followers that seemed to allude to the Yeezy founder.

'You were never asking for too much. You were simply just asking the wrong person,' read the message posted by the KKW Beauty founder, 40.

Moving on: Kim Kardashian shared a cryptic message about her split from Kanye West after six years of marriage with her 255 million Instagram followers; seen in 2018

A few hours later, she shared a screenshot of her family's group chat with a text from her mom Kris Jenner with a passage from Romans 12 17-18.

'If someone has done you wrong, do not repay them with more wrong. Try to do things in such a way that everyone can see you are good and honorable. Do everything possible on your part to live in peace with everybody,' Jenner sent.

In response, Kim replied that she 'needed this today' while Khloe wrote back: 'That's a beautiful one.'

Sad: Seven months after she filed for divorce from the Yeezy founder, the mom-of-four shared a heart-wrenching quote that put any reconciliation rumors to rest

Maybe not? Last month, a source told E! News that the Keeping Up With The Kardashians star was still 'open' to reconciling with the billionaire rapper; pictured in 2019

In June during the Keeping Up with the Kardashians finale, she opened up about her marital woes, including living in different states and not having a lot in common during a conversation with her mom.

'I don't want a husband that lives in a completely different state to me,' she admitted. 'I want someone that we have the same shows in common. I want someone that wants to work out with me every single day  the little things are what I don't have.'

She continued: 'I have all the big things. I have the extravagant, everything you could possibly imagine  and no one will ever do it like that, I know that, you know what I mean? And I'm grateful for those experiences  but I think I'm ready for the smaller experiences that I think will mean a lot.'

Telling: Later, Kim shared a screenshot of a group chat with her family with a passage from Romans 12 17-18, which read: 'If someone has done you wrong, do not repay them with more wrong. Try to do things in such a way that everyone can see you are good and honorable.'

Last month, a source told E! News that Kim was still 'open' to reconciling with the billionaire rapper.

'Kim is not rushing the divorce,' the source explained. 'She and Kanye are in a good place right now and she is not on a rushed timeline to push the divorce forward.'

The new information arrives after many of Kim and Kanye's fans speculated that a reconciliation might be in the works after she made an appearance in a Balenciaga Couture wedding gown during his third public listening party for his new album Donda.

The show-stopping event came just after the hitmaker lit himself on fire and stumbled around a replica of his childhood house, which had been erected in the center of Chicago's Soldier Field.

Symbolic display: Kim wore a wedding gown to Kanye's third Donda listening party in Chicago in August

After he was extinguished, the now maskless Kanye recreated his wedding to Kim in front of the crowd.

The exes were also seen together in Malibu earlier in August for lunch together, and they have continued to spend time with their four children as a family.

The source added that Kim and Kanye 'are finally in a great place and Kim wants to enjoy this time and be a family unit.'

The Jesus Walks rapper is also reportedly looking to get back together with his reality star wife.

'Kanye has expressed that he wants her back, and Kim is open to it, but wants to focus first on rebuilding their foundation and friendship back stronger,' the insider continued.

Open to love: 'Kanye has expressed that he wants her back, and Kim is open to it, but wants to focus first on rebuilding their foundation and friendship back stronger,' an insider recently revealed; seen in 2016

The shapewear mogul is apparently 'really happy' that they're coparenting so well at the moment, which is a necessity 'for the sake of the kids, who are really close to their dad.'

Another insider told the publication that Kim was looking forward to being part of Kanye's listening parties, especially her onstage appearance for the final event before the Sunday release of Donda.

'She respects and trusts him fully as a creative, so when he asked her to be part of his performance art performance, she happily wanted to support him,' they revealed.

The source said the two 'are finally in a great place,' and other sources say Kanye would also like to get back together with his wife; seen in 2019 in LA

However, another insider insisted that the A-list couple were not back together, despite their listening party display, according to TMZ.

Kim has also accompanied their children to previous events, though they were only part of the audience.

In August, a source close to Kanye shared with Us Weekly that he 'wants to get back with Kim' and 'sees the two of them together and wants to make that a reality now.'

'He has been trying to get back in her good graces again and it seems to be working,' the insider claimed.

Family first: They are parents to: North, seven, Saint, five, Chicago, three, and Psalm, two

Still, their divorce appears to be proceeding, though the couple could choose to pause it in the future.

Kim and Kanye tied the knot back in 2014 at the Forte di Belvedere in Florence, Italy, where Kim was dressed in a custom-made gown by Givenchy Haute Couture.

The parents share four children: North, eight; Saint, five; Chicago, three; and Psalm, two.
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Dua Lipa, Demi Moore and Elizabeth Hurley turned up the glamour on Sunday evening as they arrived at Versace HQ ahead of Milan Fashion Week's special event.

Gracing a blue carpet and standing against a moss backdrop, the stars worked their best angles as they prepared to take front row seats at the catwalk.

For the event - which was launched by Versace in collaboration with Fendi - Dua, 26, looked sensational in a sparkly sheer number, whilst Demi, 58, opted for an elegant white co-ord.

Wow! From L-R: Dua Lipa, Demi Moore and Elizabeth Hurley turned up the glamour on Sunday evening as they arrived at Versace HQ ahead of Milan Fashion Week's special event

Meanwhile Elizabeth, 56, sported a figure-hugging outfit that consisted of black and yellow hues.

The New Rules hitmaker made her runway debut on Friday in north Italy - and Sunday's outfit showcased her modelling abilities.

She coiffed her raven tresses with curls and applied glowing makeup to contribute to her look.

Graceful: The New Rules hitmaker made her runway debut on Friday in north Italy - and Sunday's outfit showcased her modelling abilities

Glam: Dua coiffed her raven tresses with curls and applied glowing makeup to contribute to her look

Flawless: The popstar completed her look with a slick of nude lipstick

Greeting: Demi waved to onlookers as she stunned in her blazer and skirt co-ord

Front row: Demi was joined by Jon Kortajarena

Mother-and-son night out: Elizabeth was accompanied by her 19-year-old son, Damian

Prime spot: Elizabeth was granted a front row seat

Star-studded evening: As well as posing with Demi, Elizabeth and Damian also stopped to have a photo with Italian fashion journalist Anna Dello Russo

Elizabeth was accompanied by her 19-year-old son, Damian.

The actor-come-model cut a suave figure in an open black shirt and smart trousers.

His get-up was finalised by smart black-and-gold shoes, colour-coordinating with his mum.

Fashionistas: Dua was joined by Canadian model Winnie Harlow

Beautiful: Winnie wowed in a classy long-sleeved gown and gold heels for the special event

Stellar front row: (L-R) Iris Law, Dua, Fedez, Chiara Ferragni and Dylan Sprouse were seen on the front row of the Versace special event

Photo opportunities: Dua, Fedez and Chiara looked sensational

Branding: Dylan sported Fendi for the evening

Gorgeous: Addison Rae (l) and Iris Law (r) also joined the glamorous attendees

One Direction star Niall Horan pulled out all the fashionable stops in Milan as he arrived in a leather jacket, tailored trousers and a face mask.

Throwing a thumbs up to passers-by, the Irishman looked incredibly suave.

In March 2020, Niall claimed his first UK Number 1 album with Heartbreak Weather.

Dapper: One Direction star Niall Horan pulled out all the fashionable stops in Milan as he arrived in a leather jacket, tailored trousers and a face mask

Success: In March 2020, Niall claimed his first UK Number 1 album with Heartbreak Weather

Milan event: From L-R - Zoey Deutch, Ester Exposito and Daniela Melchior put on a stunning display

Naomi Campbell, Gigi Hadid, Lily Donaldson and Emily Ratajkowski were also among the slew of models taking to the runway on Sunday evening.

Strutting their stuff in Fendi, Naomi wowed in a figure-accentuating metallic styled dress, whilst Gigi and Emily took to the catwalk in silver and khaki two-pieces respectively.

Lily also took the opportunity to flaunt an off-the-shoulder black number teamed with Fendi embellished tights.

Kate Moss also exhibited her modelling expertise, taking to the runway in an open black dress that drew attention to her sensational figure.

Strutting their stuff: From L-R - Naomi Campbell, Gigi Hadid and Emily Ratajkowski were among the slew of modelstaking to the runway on Sunday evening

Model: Lily Donaldson also took the opportunity to flaunt an off-the-shoulder black number teamed with embellished tights

Chic: Emily well and truly flaunted her Fendi attire, including a bandana and strappy heels

Silver: Gigi kept her hair poker straight

Working it: Naomi has recently been announced at The Queen's Commonwealth Trust Platinum Jubilee Global Ambassador

Supermodel: Kate Moss also exhibited her modelling expertise

Parading: The businesswoman took to the runway in an open black dress that drew attention to her sensational figure

Statement: From L-R - Karen Elson, Esther Canadas and Imaan Hammam also modelled on the catwalk

Glowing: Kate's daughter Lila was a vision on the catwalk

Glitzy: Vittoria Ceretti also appeared at the special event

Night over: Kate still looked typically stylish as she left the Fendace after party with her beau Nikolai von Bismarck

Still glam! Gigi, Kate and Naomi looked just as stunning after their latest catwalk stint

Leaving: Iris was also in attendance at the Fendace after party

Emily also arrived at Versace headquarters in style ahead of the fashion show on Sunday.

Stepping out in all black attire - consisting of an oversized blazer and baggy trousers - the 30-year-old was bound to turn heads as she made her fashionable arrival.

She looked effortlessly chic as she stepped out of her taxi.

Glowing: Emily cut a chic figure in all black attire as she arrived at Versace HQ ahead of the Fendi fashion show in Milan on Sunday

Tucking the trousers into her heeled beige and black boots, the actress strutted her stuff in the northern Italy city.

Her tousled brunette locks sat loosely around her face and she accessorised with statement shades and a mini bag.

Adding a splash of colour to her ensemble, Emily sported yellow dangly hoops.

Turning heads: The model made a stylish arrival in an oversized blazer and baggy trousers

Beauty: Emily's tousled brunette locks sat loosely around her face

Chic: The 30-year-old accessorised with statement shades and a mini bag

Her outing comes after she stormed the catwalk at Versace's Milan Fashion Week show on Friday.

The Gone Girl actress put on a sensational display, flashing her taut abs in a quirky silk top with matching headscarf in vibrant purples and pinks.

This was teamed with a black long skirt, with a leg split, white strap heels and a matching purse.

Busy schedule: Her outing comes after she stormed the catwalk at Versace's Milan Fashion Week show on Friday

She took to Instagram after her latest runway stint, giving followers a glimpse of her behind the scenes experience.

'@versace doesnt miss [sic] thank you @donatella_versace,' she penned.

'I LOVE YOU!!!! Was so good to see uuuuuu [sic],' the Italian fashion designer replied.
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Supermodels past and present united on Sunday evening as catwalk veterans Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell joined Gigi Hadid on the runway for a Versace special event held in honour of Milan Fashion Week.

The three stars led the way as Donatella Versace launched the show in collaboration with Fendi as the biannual fashion extravaganza wound down after an eventful few days in northern Italy.

Making her way across the dimly lit catwalk, Kate, 47, looked like an old pro as she modelled a cut-out black dress and gold patterned cape.

Here they come: Supermodels past and present united on Sunday evening as Kate Moss (L) and Naomi Campbell (C) joined Gigi Hadid (R) on the runway for a Versace-Fendi special event held in honour of Milan Fashion Week

Meanwhile Naomi, 51, opted for a glittering, cleavage enhancing gown teamed with strappy heels as she made her own entrance during Sunday night's show.

Following the two veterans, Gigi, 26, showed off her slender physique in a distinctive silver crop top and matching skirt.

Lila Moss followed in her supermodel mother Kate's footsteps as she strutted down the catwalk at the Versace special event during Milan Fashion Week on Sunday.

Model Lila, 18, looked every inch the style icon in in a gold and white swimsuit with an elaborate pattern.

She donned a stunning Fendi jacket with beautiful gold embroidery with the colour matching the Fendi statement necklace which glistened under the bright lights at the venue.

Others to walk the catwalk at the celebratory event included Victoria's Secret Angel Stella Maxwell and Emily Ratajkowski, who has returned to the runway following the birth of her first child.

Make way: Kate was joined by Amber Valetta as she strode the catwalk in northern Italy at the star-studded event

Following in her footsteps: Kate's 18-year old daughter Lila soon followed her famous mother down the catwalk

I say: Lila stunned in a Versace bikini, embellished jacket and matching accessories during her latest catwalk appearance

Tasteful: Naomi, 51, opted for a glittering, cleavage enhancing gown teamed with strappy heels as she made her own entrance during Sunday night's show

Don't mind me: Kate, 47, looked like an old pro as she modelled a cut-out black dress and gold patterned cape from the brand's Spring-Summer 2022 collection

The 30-year old ensured she claimed her own share of the spotlight in a striking gold co-ord that fully exposed her post-pregnancy abs as she made her way past a socially distanced front row filled with famous faces - among them Dua Lipa, Winnie Harlow and Elizabeth Hurley.

New Rules hitmaker Dua, 26, had previously made her runway debut on Friday in northern Italy - and Sunday's outfit showcased her modelling abilities.

Taking her seat in the front row, she coiffed her raven tresses with curls and applied glowing makeup to contribute to her look.

Welcome back: Model and actress Emily Ratajkowski returned to the runway following the birth of her first child

Stunning: Emily was in fine form as she joined a host of stars on the Versace catwalk in Milan on Sunday evening

Meanwhile Winnie, looked impeccable as she attended the Versace special event as part of Milan Fashion Week on Sunday.

The fashionista donned a beautiful nude floor-length silky gown with a cut out feature just below the neckline, while the figure-hugging dress perfectly accentuated her shapely curves and her long slender legs.

Elsewhere Liz Hurley once again donned a racy ensemble which put her ample cleavage on display with cut out detailing as she attended the special Versace event with her lookalike son Damian.

B old look: Distinctive patterns were the order of the day as a troupe of models made their way down the catwalk

Exclusive: Sunday night's event was billed as an intimate celebration, held at the sprawling Milan home of Donatella Versace

In attendance: (L-R) Iris Law, Dua Lipa, Fedez, Chiara Ferragni and Dylan Sprouse were seen on the socially distanced front row at the event

The figure hugging number flattered the 56-year-old actress' amazing physique and boasted a very loud gold and black pattern as she arrived at the Milan Fashion Week event.

Her brunette locks were were styled in a side parting for the affair, and she wore dark eye make up which made her blue eyes stand out.

Her 19-year-old son, meanwhile, decided to go shirtless underneath a black patterned suit, which revealed his hairy chest and a cross on a chain round his neck.

Damian has long hair which he wore in a glamorous blown out style, while on his feet he wore patterned trainers.

All eyes on me: Victoria's Secret Angel Lily Donaldson also walked the catwalk during the intimate celebratory event

Bold choices: The night was a celebration of fashion, with models wearing collaborative Versace and Fendi outfits as they crossed the runway

Mix and match: One striking model teamed Versace/Fendi accessories with a bold coat from the new range

Wow! From L-R: Dua Lipa, Demi Moore and Elizabeth Hurley turned up the glamour on Sunday evening as they arrived at Versace HQ ahead of Milan Fashion Week's special event

Graceful: The New Rules hitmaker made her runway debut on Friday in north Italy - and Sunday's outfit showcased her modelling abilities

Mother-and-son night out: Elizabeth was accompanied by her 19-year-old son, Damian
Emily Ratajkowski shimmered in a gold mini-dress and tube top on the catwalk at the Versace special event at Milan Fashion Week on Sunday, just six months after giving birth.

The model and actress, 30, flashed her midriff and slender pins as she strutted down the runway in the Italian city.

Her naked arms and shoulders were left exposed to the air and she wore a gold Fendi statement necklace at the bash.

Gold goddess: Emily Ratajkowski, 30, shimmered in a gold mini-dress and tube top on the catwalk at the Versace special event at Milan Fashion Week on Sunday

The American star - who welcomed son Sylvester with husband Sebastian Bear-McClard in March - wore a Fendi bandana on her head and held a gold bag in her hand.

She accentuated her height with a pair of gold heels and her long brown hair gently rested on her shoulders.

Emily had a sultry look on her face as she walked under the bright lights at the event.

Fashion forward: The model flashed her midriff and slender pins as she strutted down the runway in the Italian city

Gold sheen: Her naked arms and shoulders were left exposed to the air and she wore a gold Fendi statement necklace at the bas

Her outing comes after she stormed the catwalk at Versace's Milan Fashion Week show on Friday.

The Gone Girl actress put on a sensational display, flashing her taut abs in a quirky silk top with matching headscarf in vibrant purples and pinks.

This was teamed with a black long skirt, with a leg split, white strap heels and a matching purse.

Miles ahead: The American star wore a Fendi bandana on her head and held a gold bag in her hand

Model behaviour: She accentuated her height with a pair of gold heels and her long brown hair gently rested on her shoulders

She took to Instagram after her latest runway stint, giving followers a glimpse of her behind the scenes experience.

'@versace doesnt miss [sic] thank you @donatella_versace,' she penned.

'I LOVE YOU!!!! Was so good to see uuuuuu [sic],' the Italian fashion designer replied.
Katie Price appeared to be wearing her 50k engagement ring while leaving a make-up masterclass in Manchester on Sunday.

The diamond was allegedly stolen from the glamour model, 43, after she was reportedly assaulted in an 'unprovoked 1:30am attack' which left her battered and bruised at an Essex home.

She was leaving the event wearing an oversized black jumper while linking arms with one of her entourage, and the ring could be seen in clear view - although she could have had a replica made.

What's going on? Katie Price, 43, appeared to be once again wearing her stolen 50k engagement ring while leaving a make-up masterclass in Manchester on Sunday

Katie wore heeled boots and had her blonde tresses styled straight before she smiled for a selfie with a fan.

Later, she concealed the ring beneath the sleeve of her knitted top. MailOnline has contacted Katie's representatives for further comment.

Katie also sparked confused after eagle eyed fans spotted she was again wearing an almost identical piece of jewellery in a video she posted to Instagram on Friday.

The video was taken on a trip to Turkey with her husband-to-be Carl Woods, where she was having extensions fitted.

There it is: The ring was visible as she made her way out onto the street following her masterclass (L). The item bore an uncanny resemblance to her 50k engagement ring (R)

Taken: The diamond was allegedly stolen from her after she was reportedly assaulted in an 'unprovoked 1.30am attack' which left her battered and bruised at an Essex home

Hiding: She was leaving the event wearing an oversized black jumper while linking arms with one of her entourage, where she covered the ring with the sleeve of her jumper, although she could have had a replica made

Katie was seen filming her lunch in the new video shared with her 2.6m followers, which appeared to be intended to show her food, however she frequently and seemingly deliberately had the eye-popping item of jewellery in shot.

It comes in the wake of her former Love Island star fiance's repeated denials that he was the perpetrator of the attack, as he has posted several defiant pleas on Instagram while Katie has also denied they have split.

After the drama, a source told told The Sun: 'Katie no longer has her ring. It cost thousands but went during the incident.'

Last month, a man, 32, was released on bail after he was arrested for assault and coercive control. Katie was taken to hospital after the alleged assault at a home where she was staying while her home is reportedly being renovated.

Katie said she was attacked as she watched TV - forcing her to flee in terror to her son Harvey's nearby home. Pictures show the mother-of-five with bruises on her face and cuts on her lips.

Huh? She also sparked confused after eagle eyed fans spotted she was again wearing an almost identical piece of jewellery in a video on Instagram on Friday

She said: 'I've got a big bruise, my face is all puffy, and I went to hospital. 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.'

She said the alleged assault was 'unprovoked', adding: 'I was just sitting there watching telly when the assault happened.'

A source said at the time of the incident: 'Katie is so upset and far too emotional to go back to the home she was attacked in. She's sent friends to pick up some stuff she needs from the Essex house so she's comfortable.'

An Essex Police spokesman said at the time: 'A 32-year-old man arrested on suspicion of assault, theft and coercive and controlling behaviour has been released on bail until September 20.'

Bold: The social media activity comes in the wake of her former Love Island star fiance's repeated denials that he was the perpetrator of the attack

It was reported on Thursday that Katie fled to Turkey with fiance Carl to 'clear her head and get new hair extensions' after the attack.

Katie has travelled abroad for a short break after furiously denying that she called the police on her husband-to-be amid whispers about the identity of the man who was arrested at her home following the assault.

A source told The Sun: 'Katie left for Turkey this morning - she needs a few days to clear her head after everything that's been going on'.

Katie is 'visiting her trusted hairdresser Alper Damdelen' and revealed on Thursday that she was still having her extensions put in at 2.30am.

Shock: Last month she was allegedly assaulted in an 'unprovoked 1.30am attack' which left her battered and bruised at an Essex home, after which it was reported that her custom-made, seven-carat ring was taken

The source added that Katie will return to the UK to fulfil her work commitments adding: 'She's going back to where she stayed after the surgery...

'She needs to relax and enjoy the sun for a few days. She'll be back for her make-up classes at the weekend, but needed to get away for a few days.'

A day later The Sun added: 'Katie was desperate to get her extensions redone and there's only one man she trusts with her hair.'

On Wednesday Katie insisted she never called the police on Carl.

Amid whispers about who was the perpetrator and Carl's denial over involvement, Katie took to Instagram to write: 'FACT, I've ALWAYS said DON'T believe everything you read in the media and what Carl is saying is true.

Announcement: Carl released a statement earlier this month

Hitting back: She penned: 'FACT I've NEVER called the police on Carl my police investigation I'm currently going through to a incident a few weeks ago is not to do with Carl'

'FACT I've NEVER called the police on Carl my police investigation I'm currently going through to a incident a few weeks ago is not to do with Carl.'

In her comment under Carl's video, Katie went on: 'This man's mental health is so low and easy to say suicidal. Someone played what they thought was a clever game and involved media with inaccurate information'.

Former Love Island contestant Carl had previously posted a statement on Instagram refuting all allegations that he was the perpetrator, and now he has taken to his Instagram Stories to reveal the toll the situation has taken on his mental health.

He said: 'I've not been on Instagram for a long, long time. Let me tell you this past month has been one of the roughest of my life.'

The reality star went on to reveal how the backlash and accusations were so severe, he was forced to take drastic action and go into hiding.

The television personality is mum to Harvey, 18, Junior, 15, Princess, 13, Jett, seven, and Bunny, six, from three previous relationships (pictured together with Carl last Christmas)
The breakfast TV ratings war took a surprise turn earlier this month when Today defeated Sunrise for the first time in three years - leaving Seven bosses blindsided.

And Sunrise executives are now holding 'crisis talks' at the network's Sydney headquarters as they plan a series of 'drastic measures' to reclaim the ratings crown.

Nine's Today show had claimed victory on September 15 after pulling in 248,000 metro viewers, while Sunrise lagged behind with 237,000.

Panic mode: Sunrise executives are said to be holding 'crisis talks' at Channel Seven's Sydney headquarters after Nine's Today show won the breakfast TV ratings earlier this month for the first time in three years. Pictured: Sunrise hosts: Natalie Barr and David 'Kochie' Koch

It was the program's first ratings victory over Sunrise since Karl Stefanovic and Allison Langdon teamed up as co-anchors early last year.

The loss was particularly painful for Seven, as Sunrise had aired a highly publicised interview with Meghan Markle's father, Thomas Markle Snr, on the same day.

The network had actually paid Markle for the interview, only to apologise the following day after he made defamatory claims live on air.

'The gap has been narrowing for a while, and while Seven relaxed and dropped their guard, Nine came along and pipped them at the post!' an insider told Woman's Day.

Winners are grinners! Today had claimed victory on September 15 after pulling in 248,000 metro viewers, while Sunrise lagged behind with 237,000. It was the show's first ratings victory since Karl Stefanovic and Allison Langdon teamed up as co-anchors early last year

'No one saw this coming, least of all Nat and Kochie who thought they were cruising to their fourth year in a row as number one,' they added.

Seven is apparently hoping to beat Today at its own game by airing more interesting and edgy content that will spark debate on social media - a tactic for which Karl and Allison are well known.

While Sunrise is still the market leader nationally and across the five capital cities, Today's victory on September 15 was still a significant milestone after three years of being left in the shade, and the result will no doubt have rung alarm bells at Seven.

Blindsided: 'No one saw this coming, least of all Nat and Kochie who thought they were cruising to their fourth year in a row as number one,' a source told Woman's Day

The ratings show Today has slowly been catching up to Sunrise in recent months.

In June, Karl and Allison told TV Week that beginning their tenure during the catastrophic bushfires - followed by the Covid pandemic - was 'the best thing' for the relaunched show.

'The focus was the story, as opposed to us and our relationship,' Allison said.

Karl, meanwhile, described the timing as 'probably the best thing for us to try to cement what we were going to be to the Australian public.'

Plan: Seven is apparently hoping to beat Today at its own game by airing more interesting and edgy content that will spark debate online - a tactic for which Karl and Allison are well known

The veteran journalist also said he wanted to be serious first, and entertaining second.

However, the duo conceded at the time that despite making some inroads, they were still trailing Sunrise in the ratings.

Karl, who is already on his second go-around on the breakfast show, admitted if they didn't start winning the ratings battle, he'd 'be off the show again'.

Gaining ground: Today has slowly been catching up to Sunrise in recent months

Nine had sacked Karl shortly after his 'lavish' second wedding in Mexico amid speculation female viewers didn't like him leaving his first wife for a younger woman.

The news anchor had been married to journalist Cassandra Thorburn for 21 years and he has three children aged 13 to 20 with the 50-year-old.

The couple split in 2016, and in 2018 he married shoe designer Jasmine Yarbrough.
She confirmed her pregnancy in early September after she was seen rocking a blossoming baby bump in New York City.

And over two weeks later, Jennifer Lawrence put her growing midsection on display while enjoying a PDA filled outing with husband Cooke Maroney in the Big Apple.

The 31-year-old pregnant star, who sported a denim jumpsuit, smiled and giggled during their loved up stroll on Sunday.

Mom to be: She confirmed her pregnancy in early September after she was seen rocking a blossoming baby bump in New York City. And over two weeks later, Jennifer Lawrence put her growing midsection on display while enjoying a PDA filled outing with husband Cooke Maroney in the Big Apple

Mr. and Mrs. The 31-year-old pregnant star, who sported a denim jumpsuit, smiled and giggled during their loved up stroll; Jennifer and Cooke pictured Sunday

The couple grinned and laughed during their Sunday stroll in the SoHo area of New York City, stopping to embrace and share a tender moment.

Jennifer rocked a short-sleeved one-piece number that featured a tie-dye accent along the neckline.

The blonde actress hit the pavement in sneakers with a nylon black Prada handbag slung over her arm.

Jennifer shielded her eyes from the autumn sun with a pair of black cat eye sunglasses.

Giddy: The lovebirds shared a laugh during their outing to pick up some healthy juice

Happy: The couple grinned and laughed during their Sunday stroll in the SoHo area of New York City, stopping to embrace and share a tender moment

Blooming: Jennifer rocked a short-sleeved one-piece number that featured a tie-dye accent along the neckline

Sweet moment: The blonde actress hit the pavement in sneakers with a nylon black Prada handbag slung over her arm

Glowing: Jennifer shielded her eyes from the autumn sun with a pair of black cat eye sunglasses

Jennifer stopped to hydrate with a beverage before later buying a juice from Pressed Juicery.

Cooke cut a casual figure in a white T-shirt with a blue open button up, adding navy trousers.

Jennifer's pregnancy news was confirmed by her representative after she was seen sporting a visible baby bump during a lunch outing in NYC while wearing fitted floral overalls.

Duo: Jennifer stopped to hydrate with a beverage before later buying a juice from Pressed Juicery

Cool: Cooke cut a casual figure in a white T-shirt with a blue open button up, adding navy trousers

Errands run: The pregnant star kept it casual in sneakers alongside her art gallery director husband

In conversation: They were joined by a friend for their juice run

Sunday fun-day: Jennifer's pregnancy news was confirmed in early September after she was seen sporting a visible baby bump during a lunch outing in NYC; pictured Sunday

Smiling: The mom-to-be glowed during the Sunday stroll

Sources close to the actress revealed to People that she has wanted to start a family for a long time, and finally found the right partner to have kids with.

'She loves married life, and they have a solid foundation for a baby. She is very happy and looking forward to being a mom,' the source added.

Jennifer and Cooke tied the knot in 2019 at the Belcourt of Newport in Rhode Island with the likes of Adele, Cameron Diaz, and Emma Stone in attendance.

Their wedding had 150 guests, including Kris Jenner and her boyfriend Corey Gamble, Amy Schumer, Emma Stone and Ashley Olsen.

The actress was first linked to Cooke after they were introduced by mutual friends in 2018, and by February 2019, the blonde beauty was spotted wearing an engagement ring.

Hitting their stride: Back in May 2021, the couple were pictured going on a power walk at Hudson River Park

'Well, he's just the best person I've ever met in my whole life. It was a very, very easy decision,' she told Entertainment Tonight after accepting his proposal.

This December, Lawrence will star in the upcoming Netflix movie Don't Look Up alongside Leonardo DiCaprio, Meryl Streep, and Jonah Hill, among others.

The Great Gatsby actor and the bombshell will portray two astronomers racing against time to warn the world about an impending asteroid set to destroy the planet

Written and directed by Adam McKay, the film also stars Ron Perlman, Kid Cudi, Gina Gershon and Tyler Perry, and is set for a Dec. 10 theatrical release before heading to the streaming service on Dec. 24.

Coming up: This December Lawrence will star in the upcoming Netflix movie Don't Look Up alongside Leonardo DiCaprio
Lila Moss followed in her supermodel mother Kate's footsteps as she strutted down the catwalk at the Versace special event during Milan Fashion Week on Sunday.

Model Lila, 18, looked every inch the style icon in in a gold and white swimsuit with an elaborate pattern.

She donned a stunning Fendi jacket with beautiful gold embroidery with the colour matching the Fendi statement necklace which glistened under the bright lights at the venue.

Model family: Lila Moss, 18, followed in her supermodel mother Kate's footsteps as she strutted down the catwalk at the Versace special event during Milan Fashion Week on Sunday

She carried a bag to match her outfit on a gold strap in her hand along with a smaller gold purse,

Her blonde hair was styled in a ponytail behind head while to the front she had kiss-curls visible.

Lila's famous mother Kate, 47, was sitting was in attendance at the event to proudly watch her daughter.

Simply stunning: Model Lila looked every inch the style icon in in a gold and white swimsuit with an elaborate pattern

Striking: Meanwhile Kate exposed her cleavage in a cut-out black dress, teamed with a Versace cape

Kate shares Lila with Jefferson Hack who she was in a relationship with in the early 00s.

Jefferson and Kate - who dated from 2001-2004 with Lila being born in 2002 - have an amicable relationship and would ensure their daughter spent a regular amount of time with each of them in her childhood.

Back in 2016, Jefferson admitted that despite Lila having two famous parents, she found them both to be 'deeply uncool'.

Golden goddess: She donned a stunning Fendi jacket with beautiful gold embroidery with the colour matching the Fendi statement necklace

Model behaviour: Her blonde hair was styled in a ponytail behind head while to the front she had kiss-curls visible

Speaking to the Sunday Times Magazine, he explained his daughter keeps himself and her model mother rooted in the 'real' world.

Despite her mother's status as a bonafide British icon, thanks to her status in the fashion industry, and Jefferson's own achingly cool CV, Lila - wouldn't label her parents as cool.

'She thinks me and her mum are deeply uncool,' he explained. 'I dont think her music tastes are cool  Capital radio and Justin Bieber. She keeps me real.'

While Lila still has a good relationship with both parents, she is often seen out with mum Kate as she is signed to her modelling agency.
Naomi Campbell looked sensational as she strutted down the runway in a glittering pink gown at the Versace special event during Milan Fashion Week on Sunday.

The model, 51, strutted her stuff down the catwalk at the fashion event which saw the Italian fashion house join forces with designer brand Fendi for a new collection.

The 90s icon oozed glamour in the ensemble while her raven tresses were styled straight and fell over one shoulder neatly.

Wow! Naomi Campbell, 51, looked sensational as she strutted down the runway in a glittering pink gown at the Versace special event during Milan Fashion Week on Sunday

The gown, which boasted subtle nods to the collaboration, including the Fendi symbol and a V subtly embossed into the sequins, hugged Naomi's curves perfectly and had gold chain straps.

Her ample cleavage was on full display, while she donned shining jewellery including chunky bracelets and rings.

Slinking down the runway in her signature style, Naomi wore pink glittery heels which exposed a red pedicure.

Her make up looked gorgeous and highlighted her amazing bone structure, as she wore a smokey eye and a neutral lip.

New collection: The model strutted her stuff down the catwalk at the fashion event which saw the Italian fashion house join forces with designer brand Fendi for a new collection

Still got it: The 90s icon oozed glamour in the ensemble while her raven tresses were styled straight and fell over her shoulder neatly

The collection, which is being dubbed Fendace by Donatella Versace and Kim Jones from Fendi, was rumoured to be in the works for some time, and saw many famous faces on and off the runway.

Kate Moss joined fellow supermodel Naomi the strut her stuff, wearing a cut-out black dress and gold patterned cape from the collection.

Others to walk the catwalk at the celebratory event included Victoria's Secret Angel Stella Maxwell and Emily Ratajkowski, who has returned to the runway following the birth of her first child.

Design: The gown, which boasted subtle nods to the collaboration, including the Fendi symbol and a V subtly embossed into the sequins, hugged Naomi's curves perfectly and had gold chain straps

Gorgeous: Slinking down the runway in her signature style, Naomi wore pink glittery heels which exposed a red pedicure

Off the runway sat a socially distanced front row filled with famous faces - among them Dua Lipa, Winnie Harlow and Elizabeth Hurley.

New Rules hitmaker Dua, 26, had previously made her runway debut on Friday in northern Italy - and Sunday's outfit showcased her modelling abilities.

Taking her seat in the front row, she coiffed her raven tresses with curls and applied glowing makeup to contribute to her look.

Beauty: Her ample cleavage was on full display, while she donned shining jewellery including chunky bracelets and rings

Stunning: Her make up looked gorgeous and highlighted her amazing bone structure, as she wore a smokey eye and a neutral lip

Meanwhile Winnie, looked impeccable as she attended the event.

The fashionista donned a beautiful nude floor-length silky gown with a cut out feature just below the neckline, while the figure-hugging dress perfectly accentuated her shapely curves and her long slender legs.

Elsewhere Liz Hurley once again donned a racy ensemble which put her ample cleavage on display with cut out detailing as she attended the event with her lookalike son Damian.

Big show: The collection, which is being dubbed Fendace by Donatella Versace and Kim Jones from Fendi, was rumoured to be in the works for some time, and saw many famous faces on and off the runway, inlcuding model Kate Moss (pictured)

Stunning: Emily was in fine form as she joined a host of stars on the Versace catwalk

The figure hugging number flattered the 56-year-old actress' amazing physique and boasted a very loud gold and black pattern as she arrived at the Milan Fashion Week event.

Her brunette locks were were styled in a side parting for the affair, and she wore dark eye make up which made her blue eyes stand out.

Her 19-year-old son, meanwhile, decided to go shirtless underneath a black patterned suit, which revealed his hairy chest and a cross on a chain round his neck.

In attendance: Off the runway sat a socially distanced front row filled with famous faces - among them Dua Lipa, Winnie Harlow and Elizabeth Hurley

Wow! Dua Lipa turned up the glamour on Sunday evening as they arrived at Versace HQ ahead of Milan Fashion Week's special event

Damian has long hair which he wore in a glamorous blown out style, while on his feet he wore patterned trainers.

Naomi's outing at the show comes after she shed light on motherhood, after announcing the birth of her child via surrogate earlier this year.

She discussed her child for the first time during an interview with BBC HardTalk, where she described her as being 'independent and smart'

Mother-and-son night out: Elizabeth was accompanied by her 19-year-old son, Damian

Fashionistas: Dua was joined by Canadian model Winnie Harlow, who looked sensational in a figure hugging shimmery maxi dress

Naomi told listeners: 'I'm really lucky I think have a dream child', as she detailed the first few months of being a mother on Thursday.

Naomi, who was recently appointed Queen's Commonwealth Trust Platinum Jubilee Global Ambassador, said: She's wonderful. She's very independent already.

'Very smart, alert, sleeps 12 hours. She's a good girl,' she added.

When asked if she planned to instil the values in her to be a strong independent woman, Naomi said: 'Absolutely. Right down to the hygiene part.'

The supermodel surprised her Instagram followers as she shared a picture cradling her newborn daughter and stated she has never felt a 'greater love'.

Offering a first look at her new arrival with a picture of her baby girl Naomi penned: 'A beautiful little blessing has chosen me to be her mother.'

So sweet: Naomi recently discussed her child for the first time during an interview with BBC HardTalk, where she described her as being 'independent and smart'

Naomi later revealed she was listening to Bob Marley during the 'special moment' she became a mother for the first time.

She said: 'Music is like... In my most special moments, you know I just became a mum, I had Bob Marley playing. That's my roots, you know? It's my roots.'

The supermodel told fans she was 'honoured and humbled', amid claims she's set to raise her daughter with her 'secret American boyfriend'.

The model is said to have welcomed her baby via a surrogate, with unearthed pictures of the star taken three weeks before her baby's arrival showing her out in New York City - where she now lives.
Shraddha shared a time-lapse video on her Instagram page, featuring Mumbais nightlife, which she captured while enjoying an auto ride. For the background music of the video, the actress added the song My Universe by Coldplay and K-pop sensations BTS.

The short clip grabbed fans attention, who appreciated the star for her simplicity. Love your simplicity mam [sic], one fan wrote. Incidentally, this isnt the first time a celebrity actor has been spotted travelling in a rickshaw.

Shraddha Kapoor shared the photo of her autorickshaw ride

A few weeks ago, actor Alia Bhatt was also papped after she ditched her luxurious car to take an auto ride to get her shoot location. Previously, actors including Salman Khan, Disha Patani and Sanjay Dutt, among others, have been spotted in public transports through the city.

On the work front, Shraddha will next be seen in Chaalbaaz In London, which is a reboot of the 1989-Sridevi-classic Chaalbaaz. The actor has also reportedly signed a three-film franchise based on the TV series Naagin, which is to be produced by Nikhil Dwivedi.
Vijayawada: As many as 75,283 candidates are expected to attend the RGUKT CET-21, popularly known as the IIIT exam, on Sunday, September 26, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The exam will be held under strict Covid-19 protocol at 467 examination centres in AP and eight centres in Telangana state, for entry into the Indian Institutes of Information Technology in AP.

Only candidates observing Covid protocols will be allowed into the test centres.

One each of the exam centres in Telangana is located in Hyderabad, Ranga Reddy, Nizamabad, Mahbubnagar, Karimnagar, Warangal, Nalgonda and Khammam districts.

Addressing a press meet at IIIT Nuzivid on Saturday, RGUKT chancellor Prof. K.C. Reddy said of the total of 75,283 candidates taking the test, the maximum number of 8,887 will be from YSR Kadapa district, amounting to a share of 12 per cent of total candidates. Anantapur is second with 7,281 applications (10 per cent), Prakasam third with 6,567 candidates (9 per cent), Kurnool fourth with 6,066 candidates (8 per cent), closely followed by Chittoor with 5,836 candidates (7.7 per cent), and Srikakulam 5,763 candidates (7.6 per cent), Guntur 5,760 candidates (7.6 per cent), and Krishna 5,535 candidates (7 per cent). Lowest number of registrations is from West Godavari district with 3,060 candidates (4 per cent).

Prof. Reddy said of the total candidates, 54 per cent are boys and 46 percent girls. Their social break up is 21 per cent BC-D, followed by SC 17.6 per cent, BC-B 16 per cent and BC-A 13.4 per cent. The share of OC candidates is 16.7 per cent of the total. Seven per cent candidates belong to economically weaker sections. Percentage of BC-E candidates is 4 and STs too is 4 per cent. Registration of BC-C candidates is 0.4 percent of the total.

The chancellor said all arrangements have been made for conducting the test smoothly while effectively following the Coronavirus norms throughout Andhra Pradesh and the eight centres in Telangana state.

RGUKT CET-21 convener Prof. D. Harinarayana said the maximum number of candidates accommodated at a centre is 240 and minimum 60. Seating capacity per hall has been restricted to 24 or 16, so that distancing norms could be adhered to.

RGUKT CET-21 registrar Dr K. Samrajya Lakhmi and other officials were present at the press meet.
The TD government had agreed to the Rs 2,000 crore six-lane road project that was to connect Anantapur and Amravati. Representational Image. (PTI)

Anantapur: The sluggish behaviour of TDP and YSRC state governments, neither of which released matching grants, has resulted in the ambitious six-lane road between Anantapur- Amaravati, being a non-starter.

The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) is now taking up a separate project to provide road connectivity from the interiors to Amaravati road. A connecting road has been proposed between Bengaluru and Amaravati via Anantapur district, albeit a four-lane one.

National Highway sources told Deccan Chronicle that NHAI was on the job of preparing the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the revised project.

The TD government had agreed to the Rs 2,000 crore six-lane road project that was to connect Anantapur and Amravati.

But, the government neither released its matching grants to the Centre nor did it go in for land acquisition for the project. As a result, the mega project was confined to papers, a senior engineer from the department recalled.

In a significant development, during a recent meeting with the union minister and state government representatives, NHAI gave its nod for a four-lane road. As many stretches of the proposed road already have four-lanes, land acquisition is needed in only certain towns and villages, sources said. Moreover, being a NHAI project, there is no need for the state government to provide matching grants. The proposed road will pass from the outskirts of Anantapur through Tadipatri.
The official said incriminating material, including arms and ammunition, was recovered from the site of the encounter. (Representational image: PTI)

Srinagar: A militant involved in the killing of BJP leader Waseem Bari and two of his family members was among two ultras killed in an encounter with security forces in Bandipora district of Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday, police said.

Security forces launched a cordon and search operation in Watrina area of Bandipora in north Kashmir following inputs about the presence of militants there, a police official said.

He said the search operation turned into an encounter after the militants fired upon the forces, who retaliated.

In the ensuing encounter, two unidentified terrorists were killed, the official said.

Among the slain militants is the killer of BJP district president Bari, his father and brother who were shot dead in July last year.

#Killer of BJP leader late Waseem Bari, his father and brother #killed in the #encounter. Further details shall follow, Kashmir Zone Police said in a tweet.

The official said incriminating material, including arms and ammunition, was recovered from the site of the encounter.

The search operation is on in the area, he added.
Commerce ministry secretary B.V.R. Subrahmanyam said nearly 45 seafood exporters from across the country are participating in the meet to discuss future challenges in seafood exports from the country. (Twitter)

Vishakhapatanam: Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) under the ministry of commerce and industry has achieved nearly 50 percent of its targeted $ 7.8 billion worth exports fixed by central government during the current fiscal.

Of this, Andhra Pradesh has contributed 34 percent, amounting to $2.6 billion, various speakers at the Seafood Exporters meet here said on Saturday.

Nearly 70 percent of seafood exports in AP take place from Visakhapatnam port, while the balance volume is exported through Krishnapatnam and Kakinada ports.

Commerce ministry secretary B.V.R. Subrahmanyam said nearly 45 seafood exporters from across the country are participating in the meet to discuss future challenges in seafood exports from the country.

MPEDA chairman K.S. Srinivas explained the exporters performance during the pandemic period, apart from trade issues exporters faced from China, European Union (EU), Vietnam, Australia, South Korea, Kuwait, Thailand and Saudi Arabia.

We have prepared an action plan for achieving the target of $7.8 billion fixed by the government for fiscal 202122. We have already covered nearly 50 percent of our targets, Srinivas maintained.

Seafood Exporters Association of India (SEAI) national president Jagdish Fofandi spoke about major trade issues being facing by seafood exporters, like steep hike in freight charges, shortage of containers, relisting of exporters by the EU and approvals pending from it, and interventions required by central government.

SEAI AP president Alluri Indra Kumar said increase in container cost by five times within a year has become a huge burden for exporters.
Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy will flag off 2,600 garbage-collecting vehicles from Benz Circle in Vijayawada on October 2. (Twitter)

VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy will flag off 2,600 garbage-collecting vehicles from Benz Circle in Vijayawada on October 2, coinciding with Mahatma Gandhi's birth anniversary.

Launch of these vehicles is part of state governments programme Clean Andhra Pradesh (CLAP)  Jagananna Swachha Sankalpam  with the aim of providing safer and better sanitation facilities and services in both rural and urban areas.

Further, 4,171 additional solid waste processing centres will be constructed. 14,000 tricycles will be distributed to gram panchayats in the state for transporting garbage. 1,000 autos will be distributed to villages with a population about 10,000, including those near urban local bodies, to lift garbage.

According to a press release, state government will also distribute 6,417 incinerator devices to dispose of waste, such as masks and sanitary pads in an environment-friendly manner. 10,731 high-pressure toilet cleaners are being deployed for ensuring cleanliness at community toilets.

Comprehensive liquid waste management will be undertaken at 135 major panchayats. Government will create vermi-compost facilities at 10,645 gram panchayats. Non-recyclable waste will be transported to nearby cement factories and waste-to-energy plants.

The press release said state government is distributing 1.20 lakh blue, green and red dustbins at the rate of three bins per household within municipalities, so that wet garbage can be separated and collected from the household itself.

Government will distribute 3,097 auto tippers and 1,800 electric autos to improve garbage collection and transportation. There will be 231 garbage transfer stations in 124 municipalities. Under the PPP model, tenders will be called for finalisation of agencies to implement Integrated Solid Waste Management (ISWM) projects in 72 municipalities.

Municipalities have been directed to call for tenders to dispose of waste from dumpsites in 32 municipalities with a population of over one lakh. Faecal sludge treatment plants (FSTP) are being set up at 65 non-Amrut cities in the state to treat waste collected from septic tanks.

With monsoon continuing, 10,628 thermal fogging machines are being deployed to control mosquitoes, thereby checking outbreak of diseases like dengue and malaria.
Experts said heavy waterlogging and moisture content in soil caused pest attack on standing cotton plants. (DC file photo)

ADILABAD: Cotton farmers are worried about the sway of pest Internal Boll Dot that attacks standing crops following the rains in Adilabad. Such attacks are high on standing cotton crop in black soil, where waterlogging is high. The pest, popularly known as Kayapuchu Tegulu, eats the boll from inside.

Experts said heavy waterlogging and moisture content in soil caused pest attack on standing cotton plants. Farmers say the pests are eating leaves and one side of the cotton bowls. The district experienced heavy rain for the past one month.

Farmers are in distress as the standing cotton crop is already in the flowering stage. The unexpected rain hit the standing cotton plants in the state and this was followed by the pest attack, they said.

Kumra Shyam Rao, Sarpanch of Chinchughat of Adilabad Rural mandal said the leaves of cotton plants are getting dry with black dots and plants are largely affected by the pest attack.

Farmers are incurring heavy expense by spraying of pesticides to kill the pests and save the cotton plants. The attacks were high in Adilabad and Komaram Bheem Asifabad district.

Pest attack was massive in Jainoor, Sirpur (U), Indravelli, Jainad, Tamsi, Talamadugu and Adilabad mandals.

The Rythu Swarajya Vedika said the attack by pest, internal boll dot, is causing huge loss to farmers.
ANANTAPUR: The alleged negligence of a duty doctor and the staff at the Rayadurgam government hospital led to a pregnant woman delivering a baby in the washroom in hospital premises on Saturday.

Sources said K. Lakshmi of Chandrababu Naidu Colony in Rayadurgam town went into labour on Saturday morning. Her family took her to the hospital for delivery and approached the duty doctor for admission.

The staff, after examining Lakshmi, asked her family to rush her to the Kalyanadurgam RDT Hospital as the condition of the foetus was not good. Besides, weight of the foetus was less. This could lead to complications if the delivery was done at the Rayadurgam hospital, they told Lakshmis family members.

The two hospitals are about 40 km apart.

Lakshmi went to relieve herself at the washroom in the hospital premises ahead of the journey, and delivered the baby. On coming to know of this, Lakshmi was provided assistance.

Lakshmis relatives and family members staged a protest and demanded action against duty doctor and nursing staff in the hospital for refusing her admission.

The delivery was normal minutes after the doctor and staff referred her as an emergency case. The baby weight was 3.030 kg, and not undeweight as informed by the hospital staff, Lakshmis mother said. The family submitted a complaint to hospital superintendent Dr Manjuvani against the staff.
Revanth Reddy and Bhatti Vikramarka called on party scores to make a grand success of the Bharat Bandh on September 27.  DC file photo

HYDERABAD: TPCC president A. Revanth Reddy and CLP leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka said that the state Congress political affairs committee (PAC) had unanimously passed a resolution urging party leader Rahul Gandhi to take over as All India Congress Committee (AICC) president.

They were speaking to the media after a prolonged PAC meeting on Saturday night Gandhi Bhavan.

On other issues, they demanded that the state government instal a statue of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi at Dilsukhnagar. If the government did not do so, Congress would will take up the responsibility of installing the statue, they said. They also demanded a statue of Dr B.R. Ambedkar at Panjagutta circle.

Congress leaders said the TRS government was becoming anti-people. They said the party would prepare an action plan on the podu lands issue after discussing it with other political parties, he said.

Revanth Reddy and Bhatti Vikramarka called on party scores to make a grand success of the Bharat Bandh on September 27. AICC secretary G. Chinna Reddy, TPCC senior vice-president Mallu Ravi and others were present.
Prime Minister Narendra Modis September 22-25 visit to the United States, his first since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic last year, covered a lot of ground. He had bilateral meetings both with US President Joe Biden and his Indian-origin vice-president Kamala Devi Harris, attended the first in-person Quad summit at the White House and also met the two other leaders of the four-nation grouping, the Prime Ministers of Australia and Japan.

The broad themes were already known as hosts United States in its briefings, as indeed President Biden in his UN General Assembly address last week, listed climate change, the Covid-19 pandemic and emerging technologies as the areas of focus for the Quad. A week earlier a new strategic grouping of Australia, Britain and the US  called AUKUS was announced, revealing that technology to make nuclear-powered submarines would be transferred to Australia. This raised the question about its impact on the Quad. It seems that the US is constructing a multi-dimensional wall to contain China. Both these groups constitute different pillars of it. AUKUS introduces a serious naval dimension to upend Chinese missile-based defence of the mainland as the existing US bases in the Pacific, in the first ring of islands, are vulnerable to attack. Australia with its nuclear submarines provides a land mass removed from this menace.

There were no surprises in the Biden-Modi meeting. It only remained to be seen whether Indias concerns over Afghanistan would get addressed. As expected, President Biden ducked the entire issue of the US military withdrawal from Afghanistan as he has a closed mind on its necessity. Both Mr Biden and Ms Harris approached the issue through the role of Pakistan in the region, particularly as an abettor of terror. Only a week earlier US secretary of state Antony Blinken had to face the ire of the members of the House Foreign Relations Committee on the role of Pakistan over the last two decades. Some members sought sanctions, and Mr Blinken promised to look into their charges. Thus, the US line is to help restrain Pakistan without direct involvement in the region, leaving India largely to its own designs.

This subtle handholding aside, both the US President and his deputy raised the need for the defence of democracy, both at home and abroad. President Biden talked of shared responsibility to uphold democratic values and a joint commitment to diversity. Indian officials dismissed questions about the US sending a strong message to the Narendra Modi government. Surely the world is aware of the Pegasus episode, involving the use of military-level malware to snoop on journalists and other foes of the Indian government.

The fact that Indias Supreme Court has had to dismiss the governments danger to national security defence underscores the danger to liberty and freedom of speech.

Prime Minister Modis address to the UN General Assembly was well structured and delivered in the usual hybrid Hindi-English format. Besides the usual narration of Indian domestic achievements in taking banking to the common man and drinkable water to his home, Mr Modi touched on other important themes. He attacked Pakistan directly and China obliquely. He called use of terrorism as a political tool as regressive thinking. He warned that Afghanistan must not become a rallying ground for this. He sought open oceans, a dig at China, and a rules-based order. He sought reform of the United Nations as 75 years after its founding it no longer represented contemporary global reality. Implied in that is the inequity of India not being a permanent member of the UN Security Council.

Most interesting of all was the great emphasis by the Prime Minister on democracy. India, he asserted, was the Mother of Democracy  a claim that Greece may take issue with. In keeping with his penchant for slogans, he added: Yes Democracy Can Deliver/Yes Democracy Has Delivered. He chose to ignore the many complaints by the Opposition and liberal opinion in India, as indeed amongst democracy watchers abroad, that in fact India had regressed from its position as a liberal democracy under Mr Modi. He was confusing liberal democracy with electoral democracy. Yes, India has the latter, but has been slowly slipping from the norms of a liberal democracy.

An example of that has been the 10-month-old farmers agitation against the three controversial agricultural reform laws passed without proper examination by committees of Parliament or a division called by the Opposition while voting on them. The fact that some members of the diaspora were protesting on behalf of the farmers in Washington and the fact that this wasnt even shown by main Indian news channels speaks of the slipping independence of the media.

Equally strange was the Prime Ministers argument that India needs science-based, rational and progressive thinking. If anything, he needs to address this message to elements in his party who often go public with non-rational theories about healthcare. But underscored is the yawning gap between what is preached abroad to keep Indias image intact and the politics of the BJP at home. The subtle hints by President Joe Biden about inclusivity need to be taken seriously. A body of opinion in the Democratic Party holds liberal values and human rights extremely dear. It would be a mistake to treat the US advice as tokenism undertaken to appease fringe groups.

The conclusion that can be arrived at is that the Prime Minister had a good visit to Washington and New York. The Quad will continue to push back at China using its soft power of democracy and financial/technical wherewithal to supply vaccines to the world. It also needs to roll out an infrastructure development map to counter Chinas Belt and Road Initiative. India will have to balance one foot in this boat with another in a Russia-Iran one to counter the Pakistan-Taliban nexus. The latter has Chinas blessings, although China would be careful not to get stuck in a fresh Afghan quagmire.

India-US relations naturally got positively reviewed but some problem areas remain. Trade issues cannot be kept in abeyance for much longer. India will have to live with the Afghan mess that the US has left behind. US-Pakistan relations shall always remain an irritant as the US wouldnt want to completely shut the door on Pakistan. The Gulf and West Asia will keep the Islamic world destabilised in parts. But India needs to fix the Jammu and Kashmir imbroglio, moderate its majoritarian instincts and harden its defences against terrorism  of both the traditional and cyber variety.
Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday asserted that the National Asset Reconstruction Company Ltd is not a bad bank and is aimed at restructuring and selling the NPAs.

Addressing the 74th annual general meeting of the Indian Banks Association, she thanked the IBA for having come together in establishing the National Asset Reconstruction Company Ltd. and India Debt Resolution Company Ltd.

Working together, NARCL and IDRCL would be able to restructure and sell the NPAs, she said, adding: "NARCL is not a bad bank".

It is a formulation which is intended to clean up banks' assets and dispose of NPAs in a speedy manner. The banks are now able to raise money from the market, hence the burden on govt. to recapitalise banks will be less, this is how we want banks to function  a lot more professional, with a changed mindset, she said.

Sitharaman said that this is absolutely the right time to become professional. Bank valuations should be razor-sharp, enabling you to raise the right kinds of amount at the right cost, she said.

Read | For economys sake, bad bank must work

The minister underlined the importance and need for Development Finance Institutions, even in the private sector. Govt. is coming up with a Development Finance Institution, at the same time, we have made enough provisions for DFIs to come up in the private sector as well. We hope there is going to be good competition between public and private sector DFIs, so that money is available at competitive prices.

The FM recalled that the Prime Minister has said that there needs to be a change and reset in our mindset and ways of living and hoped that IBA lives up to this invocation. We are at a very critical stage of the Indian economy, you are the backbone for it, I wish IBA rises to this occasion and provides India the best of financial services.

The finance minister said that UPI needs to be strengthened. In the payment world today, Indian UPI has actually made a very big impression. A RuPay card which was not as glamorous as a foreign card is now accepted in so many different parts of the world, symbolic of India's futuristic digital payment intentions. FinTech understands that UPI is its backbone, you have to give it its flesh and blood, you have to strengthen UPI, the Minister advised bankers.
Quiet, friendly and a man dwelling in the background. This is how residents of Jolly Mohalla area described Jitendra Singh, 24, who was arrested last week in that area on charges of spying for a foreign power.

Police and Military Intelligence officials told DH that while the interrogation of Singh is ongoing, he has already admitted to conducting reconnaissance missions on behalf of Pakistans Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). For residents of Jolly Mohalla and members of the Cottonpet traders community, the news has come as a bolt out of the blue.

Residents said that Singh could be frequently seen walking around the neighbourhood in his army uniform. He told us he was in the military. There was nothing outwardly to suggest that his story might be a lie, said one resident of the area who did not want to be identified.

Read | Spy story: The Army officer who took ISI for a ride

Singh was described as being friendly. He was also a man who went by largely unnoticed. For Santosh Shankar, president of the Purvi Plaza where Singh allegedly worked in a shop dealing with garments, Singh is a face that does not stand out.

I was told about this individual on Tuesday morning, but when I saw photos of him, I could not remember ever having seen him in the Plaza. In fact, the store in which he is supposed to have worked, on the ground floor of the plaza, is constantly closed. I do not know what commercial work he did with garments with that store being closed all the time, Shankar said.

Purvi Plaza also happens to be just up the road from the headquarters of the Central Crime Branch (CCB), whose officers jointly arrested Singh on Friday along with officials from Military Intelligence (MI). Singhs neighbours insisted that he dealt with garments and phenyl. One local merchant said he served as a distributor of readymade T-shirts for roadside vendors in the Chickpet area.

According to residents, Singh first moved to this part of Chickpet about six months ago, with five other young men. Those five others are now said to have vanished.

However, the army told DH that Singh was sharing accommodations with one other person who left several months before. We have no reason to suspect at this time that his roommate was also involved in his activities, an army source said.

Law enforcement sources shed further light on how Singh was allegedly sharing information with his handler in Pakistan, identified in an FIR filed on Sunday by her alias, Pooja Ji.

He was using WhatsApp to send the data. Once the data was downloaded, he would delete the message, an MI source said. Cyber experts are now working to recover the deleted content.

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Two persons waylaid and assaulted a Hindu man for giving a lift to his female Muslim colleague on Friday night. The accused abused the woman, forced her off the bike and also abused her husband over the phone.

The incident happened near Dairy Circle on Hosur Road. The Suddaguntepalya police registered a case following a complaint by the woman and arrested the two accused. All names have been withheld.

Police took up the matter after the video clips of the incident went viral on social media. "Two youths from the Muslim community have been arrested and their mobile phones have been seized. Further investigation is ongoing," a police officer said, refusing to divulge more information in view of a high court order.

Police registered a case under several sections of the Indian Penal Code, including section 34 for the act done with common intention, promoting enmity on grounds of religion (153-A), outraging the modesty of a woman (IPC 354), assault (IPC 323) and criminal intimidation (IPC 596).

Police sources said the woman and the man work in a company near Richmond Circle and he was dropping her home after work. The accused chased them and waylaid their bike before assaulting the man.

One of the video clips shows the accused threatening the man. "If you ever take a woman clad in burqua on your bike again...," the accused is heard saying before assaulting him repeatedly.

The accused force the woman to give the number of her husband and call him. The husband is overheard trying to explain that he knows that she was getting help from a friend to reach home. The accused then forced her to get off the bike and into an autorickshaw.

As the issue took a communal turn on social media, some pointed out that it hits at the heart of the cosmopolitan spirit of the city and a few noted the harassment of the woman. In some of the clips, the woman is seen trying to question the accused over their behaviour but is forced into silence with a warning against travelling with non-Muslim.

DCP for South East Division Joshi Srinath Mahadev, City Police Commissioner Kamal Panth and even Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai tweeted about the incident.

In connection with the case of assault on a bike rider travelling alongwith a woman of different faith,@BlrCityPolice has acted swiftly, identified & secured 2 accused persons. A case is registered & legal action is initiated. My Govt. deals with such incidents with an iron hand.  Basavaraj S Bommai (@BSBommai) September 19, 2021

"In connection with the case of assault on a bike rider travelling along with a woman of a different faith, @BlrCityPolice has acted swiftly, identified & secured 2 accused persons. A case is registered & legal action is initiated. My Govt. deals with such incidents with an iron hand," Bommai tweeted.

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Kenya has banned a documentary about a gay Kenyan man's struggle to be accepted by his family and country, saying it was blasphemous and an affront to the constitution.

The Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB) announced a prohibition on the exhibition, distribution, possession or broadcast of "I am Samuel," on Thursday.

"We knew it was possible... but you hope for the best. When I made this film, I made it with African audiences in mind," Peter Murimi, the movie's director, told Reuters.

"We will try and appeal but I am really disappointed because I was looking forward to engaging with fellow Kenyans" on LGBTQ issues, he said.

Murimi's team followed Samuel - a religious, optimistic gay man, as he navigated his sexuality and his relationships in a country where homosexuality is outlawed.

"I just want father to understand me, the way I am, to know my life," says Samuel in the film. When his father discovers that he is gay, he is disowned and grows worried that his family might have paid people to "teach him a lesson."

At the end of the documentary, Samuel marries his partner Alex - whom he calls the love of his life - in a traditional ceremony.

"The Board finds the documentary not only blasphemous but also an attempt to use religion to advocate same sex marriage," the KFCB said in a statement. It was also an affront to the constitution, which codifies marriage as heterosexual, the statement said.

The decision comes three years after KFCB banned "Rafiki," an Oscar-nominated film about two women falling in love, saying that it promoted homosexuality.

Rafiki was fiction, whereas "I am Samuel" is a documentary - a distinction the team had hoped would enable its release under press freedoms but so far has not.

Under a colonial-era law, gay sex in Kenya is punishable by 14 years in prison.

"The laws criminalise a significant community that is part and parcel of Kenya. Those laws are inhumane. They cause a lot of suffering," Toni Kamau, the films producer, said.

"We are figuring out next steps for Kenya but we are still going ahead with the release for the rest of Africa."

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By Kristen V Brown,

Public-health researchers seeking new ways to persuade vaccine holdouts to take coronavirus shots are turning to the strategies of the digital marketing industry to figure out how to win over the reluctant.

Companies that use online ads to sell products try out various colors, phrases, typefaces and a whole host of other variables to determine what resonates with consumers. So why not, the thinking goes, apply the same sort of A/B testing to figure out how best to promote vaccines?

To that end, the United Nations Childrens Fund, The Public Good Projects and the Yale Institute for Global Health have partnered to create the Vaccine Demand Observatory, which is working with Facebook Inc. to help nations around the world fine-tune their appeals to better inspire vaccine confidence.

Read | Stars lend voices to world concert for climate, jabs

The work is critically important as the world grapples with the combined obstacles of the hyper-contagious delta variant, sluggish vaccine rollouts in some nations and plateauing uptake in others, and its been given fresh impetus after Pfizer Inc. and partner BioNTech SE said this week that their Covid-19 vaccine was safe and effective in children ages 5 to 11, findings that could pave the way to begin vaccinating grade-school kids within months. Medical evidence makes clear that vaccines are safe and effective at both tamping down the spread of the virus and greatly decreasing the risk of hospitalisation for those rare vaccinated individuals that do contract Covid. Yet, in the US, where vaccines are widely available, about 25% of eligible adults havent taken their shots.

The newly formed Vaccine Demand Observatory and Facebook are now building on experiments that concluded earlier this year that tested how people respond to different sorts of vaccine messaging. In that study, researchers showed content related to vaccines to more than 100 million people on the social network across six countries, tweaking everything from the message itself to its tone, format and style, then analysing engagement with the content. They also queried both those who saw the ads and those who didnt on their attitudes toward vaccines to measure the difference the ads made. In this case, the messaging sought to encourage parents to continue routine vaccinations for their kids during the pandemic.

It turned out that different messaging performed better depending on where it was being deployed. In Ukraine, an informative tone did a better job at improving perceptions of vaccination than emotional pleas. In some countries, cartoons worked better than photos. In India, the top-performing message was a personal appeal from a doctor talking about why he vaccinated his own kids. In Kenya, a straightforward message accompanied by an infographic with a recommended vaccine schedule performed best. Elsewhere, taking a purely factual approach was ineffective, and tugging at heartstrings worked best. The disparate results highlight the need to tailor messages to specific audiences.

We need to test our vaccine messaging for efficacy and safety just as we test our vaccines for efficacy and safety, said Angus Thomson, a social scientist at Unicef who studies vaccine demand.

Read | CDC endorses Covid booster for millions of older Americans

Its a frustrating conundrum for government officials and others in healthcare: Just laying out the data isnt always enough to persuade someone on the fence to take the vaccine. The trouble is that often the facts arent really at the root of the concern. Research has shown that frequently the hang-up is actually a lack of trust in public-health authorities or governments. Misinformation on side effects or secret tracking devices just helps to confirm worldviews a person already holds. Simply giving people more data or cleansing social media of all its misinformation wont ever fully solve that problem. In practice, it can actually backfire. In one study, when Centers for Disease Control & Prevention messaging about the flu vaccine was tested among people with concerns, it reduced their intention to vaccinate even as it dispelled myths about the vaccine. Another found similar trends in messaging to parents about the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine.

There's many different social, psychological and political reasons why people might come to hold anti-vaccine attitudes, said Matt Motta, a political scientist who studies vaccine hesitancy at the Oklahoma State University in Stillwater. And so that means that we have to make lots of different communication pitches to try to reach people.

Often though, those reasons come down to a lack of trust, whether in the science itself, the government or the health-care system. That's part of why the tone of a message is just as important as the content. The trick is knowing which tone to strike.

Thats where the Vaccine Demand Observatory is trying to make a dent. The group is at work replicating the initial experiment with more scientific rigor, testing content in four countries. The materials that perform best will then be compared with standard messaging in randomised trials to measure outcomes like vaccine coverage rates.

Preliminary data is showing that very different approaches may work in different audiences, Thompson said. In one country, messages that included trusted messengers like health workers or parents but also emphasised liberty tested positively. In another, it was personal testimonials that referred to everyone having a fair chance to be protected by vaccines.

The Vaccine Demand Observatory also supports countries with tools to monitor social media posts about vaccines in order to understand local opinions about them. In this new experiment, messages are crafted based on what insights the group already understands based on social listening efforts in a particular country, as well as behavioral insights. A marketing research team suggests what might perform well based on cultural insights and messaging already in circulation, a production team works to identify and replicate the visual look of well-performing content in a region and then a creative team crafts messages based on all of that.

In the Philippines, for example, researchers have focused in particular on testing messages that align with different values, such as liberty, self-reliance and the safety and efficacy of vaccines. In most cases, the liberty messaging was a top performer.

The effect sizes we are seeing for indicators like click-through rates, message retention, and some key survey questions are really impressive, and would make a big retail company very, very happy with their multi million-dollar campaigns, Thomson said.

So far, what the group has found aligns with something academic studies have long suggested about vaccine messaging that is rarely put into practice: Concerns about vaccines stem from a variety of root causes, and so when trying to promote them it is essential to appeal to the concerns of a specific group or community. What works in Kenya might backfire in India.

Motta at Oklahoma State University said these sorts of A/B tests for vaccine messaging are the gold standard way to assess which messages tend to be most effective in vaccine skeptical populations. In his own research, Motta and colleagues tested three approaches to increase Covid vaccine intention in the US In one, they emphasised personal health risks, in another economic costs and in a third, the collective public health consequences of not vaccinating. They found messages emphasising the personal health risks and collective health consequences of not vaccinating significantly increased Americans intentions to vaccinate, with no difference based on a person's political party.

But in the US certain messages might perform differently in Arkansas than they would in Idaho, two states where there are significant pockets of vaccine hesitancy, but different cultural values that might underlie them.

Sometimes misinformation succeeds because it's addressing concerns that are otherwise left unanswered by official sourcesthis has been especially true over the past year and a half, a time filled with much uncertainty. By failing to take those concerns seriously, public health often loses out on winning public trust.

We should be valuing and investing in public trust as much as we value and invest in vaccines, Thomson said. Because without any public trust, theres no public immunity.

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Almost every article written about Angela Merkels tenure as Germanys chancellor notes that one of her greatest political strengths has been that she is so often underestimated. In this, she is not unique: Helmut Kohl, who launched Merkel into politics and spent even more time in the chancellors office, once declared, I make my living by being underestimated.

There are many differences between Merkel and Kohl  she came from a Protestant family in Communist East Germany, he from the Catholic Rhineland; she was a serious scientist before entering politics, he a politician almost from the get-go. But it is a reflection on modern German politics, and on Germanys place in the world, that through more than 30 tumultuous years  years in which Germany and the world were radically reordered  the country was led by two conservative leaders who made a virtue of being decidedly uncharismatic in style, demeanor, and speech.

Also Read | Germans vote today to set direction after 16 years under Merkel

This may be in part because Germanys Nazi past has discouraged demagoguery, passion, and self-aggrandizement in politics. Whatever the reason, it has worked for Germany. Though Kohl exited from politics under the cloud of a political-funding scandal  an exit for which Merkel, his erstwhile protegee, gave him the final push  the world has assigned him a firm place in history as a statesman who played a central role in the peaceful reunification of Germany and Europe.

Merkel, widely regarded as the real leader of Europe and as the most powerful woman on earth, is already gathering even greater laurels. To be sure, serious questions continue to hover over her tightfisted approach in the eurozone debt crisis, her refusal to scuttle the Nord Stream 2 pipeline from Russia, Germanys continued reluctance to raise its military spending and her failure to take serious measures against the rise of authoritarian populists in Central Europe.

But when millions of Syrians began fleeing their war-ravaged land for the safety of Europe, Merkel refused to close the doors. Wir schaffen das  the German equivalent of Barack Obamas Yes we can  was her characteristically colorless way of countering fears of the wave of asylum-seekers, a phrase that became a sort of motto for her leadership.

There will be many more assessments of her 16-year reign after the elections Sunday that will determine her successor, and of what follows, and many will focus on the uncertainties facing German and European politics in the post-Merkel era. The Economist wrote about the mess Merkel leaves behind; The Guardians view of the Europe Merkel is exiting was problems managed, not solved; The Wall Street Journals Germany correspondent writes that her international legacy will be cooler trans-Atlantic relations.

Also Read | Affluent, anxious, almost normal: Journey through Merkels Germany

Yet in a time when Americas democracy seems paralysed by profound polarisation, when elected leaders in many Western democracies are held in disdain and autocrats are on the rise, there might be value in also looking at what it is that has enabled Merkel to enjoy consistently strong approval ratings and for Germany to enjoy a high degree of prosperity and political harmony under her stewardship.

Part of it is the genuine political skill concealed behind Merkels lack of interest in the trappings of power. Her demeanor may be that of a naturally modest woman raised in a Protestant home in a police state, and her nonconfrontational style may be a response to having to function in a conservative, male-dominated political party. But pity those who have mistaken her blandness for weakness, or her quiet for lack of calculation.

Friends say that in private she has a sharp sense of humor. She does her homework with a scientists dispassionate focus before negotiations or meetings, and she never flinched before the crude macho antics of adversaries like Vladimir Putin or Donald Trump. The photo of Merkel, with the leaders of the Group of 7 ranged behind her, staring fiercely at a seated American president is an icon of resistance to the bombastic Trump.

After Putin, knowing that Merkel fears dogs, deliberately summoned his black Lab into the room where they were meeting, she offered a biting explanation: I understand why he has to do this  to prove hes a man. Hes afraid of his own weakness.

Also Read | Merkel makes final push for successor in Germany's knife-edge polls

That is one of Merkels very few quotable quotes, but thats not for lack of things to say. A few years ago she explained in an interview that she simply never believed that a person can touch other people so much with words that they change their minds. Accordingly, she has always focused more on actions than words. She almost never gives interviews to foreign news outlets, and those she gives the German media are rarely exciting. She has never supplied the tabloids with even a hint of scandal.

These traits of honesty, modesty, discipline, persistence, and reserve would seem almost quaint elsewhere, in New York City, say. But when someone facing almost insurmountable political odds  as a woman, an East German, and a scientist  rises to the pinnacle of German power and stays there for four terms, theres something for America and other democracies, where decent people are increasingly shunning politics, to learn and emulate.

Merkels tenure has not been not flawless, and the Germany she bequeaths to the next chancellor, who may not be known for weeks, will continue to bob warily in a world of perpetual crises. Her real legacy is the evidence that effective politics need not mean shedding humanity or steadfastness, and that being underestimated may be the true key to political longevity.

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Billions more in profits are at stake for some vaccine makers as the US moves toward dispensing Covid-19 booster shots to shore up Americans' protection against the virus.

How much the manufacturers stand to gain depends on how big the rollout proves to be.

The Biden administration last month announced plans to give boosters to nearly everybody. But US regulators have rejected the across-the-board approach and instead said third shots of Pfizer's vaccine should go to people who are 65 and older and certain others at high risk from Covid-19.

Still, the crisis is constantly evolving, and some top US health officials expect boosters will be more broadly authorised in the coming weeks or months. And that, plus continued growth in initial vaccinations, could mean a huge gain in sales and profits for Pfizer and Moderna in particular.

Also read: Experts back Covid booster shots for frontline, healthcare workers: Report

The opportunity quite frankly is reflective of the billions of people around the world who would need a vaccination and a boost, Jefferies analyst Michael Yee said.

Wall Street is taking notice. The average forecast among analysts for Moderna's 2022 revenue has jumped 35% since President Joe Biden laid out his booster plan in mid-August.

Most of the vaccinations so far in the US have come from Pfizer, which developed its shot with Germany's BioNTech, and Moderna. They have inoculated about 99 million and 68 million people, respectively. Johnson & Johnson is third with about 14 million people.

No one knows yet how many people will get the extra shots. But Morningstar analyst Karen Andersen expects boosters alone to bring in about $26 billion in global sales next year for Pfizer and BioNTech and around $14 billion for Moderna if they are endorsed for nearly all Americans.

Those companies also may gain business from people who got other vaccines initially. In Britain, which plans to offer boosters to everyone over 50 and other vulnerable people, an expert panel has recommended that Pfizer's shot be the primary choice, with Moderna as the alternative.

Andersen expects Moderna, which has no other products on the market, to generate a roughly $13 billion profit next year from all Covid-19 vaccine sales if boosters are broadly authorised.

Also read: CDC endorses Covid booster for millions of older Americans

Potential vaccine profits are harder to estimate for Pfizer, but company executives have said they expect their pre-tax adjusted profit margin from the vaccine to be in the high 20s as a percentage of revenue. That would translate to a profit of around $7 billion next year just from boosters, based on Andersen's sales prediction.

J&J and Europe's AstraZeneca have said they don't intend to profit from their Covid-19 vaccines during the pandemic.

For Pfizer and Moderna, the boosters could be more profitable than the original doses because they won't come with the research and development costs the companies incurred to get the vaccines on the market in the first place.

WBB Securities CEO Steve Brozak said the booster shots will represent almost pure profit compared with the initial doses.

Drugmakers aren't the only businesses that could see a windfall from delivering boosters. Drugstore chains CVS Health and Walgreens could bring in more than $800 million each in revenue, according to Jeff Jonas, a portfolio manager with Gabelli Funds.

Jonas noted that the drugstores may not face competition from mass vaccination clinics this time around, and the chains are diligent about collecting customer contact information. That makes it easy to invite people back for boosters.

Drugmakers are also developing Covid-19 shots that target certain variants of the virus, and say people might need annual shots like the ones they receive for the flu. All of that could make the vaccines a major recurring source of revenue.

The Covid-19 vaccines have already done much better than their predecessors.

Pfizer said in July it expects revenue from its Covid-19 vaccine to reach $33.5 billion this year, an estimate that could change depending on the impact of boosters or the possible expansion of shots to elementary school children.

That would be more than five times the $5.8 billion racked up last year by the world's most lucrative vaccine  Pfizer's Prevnar13, which protects against pneumococcal disease.

It also would dwarf the $19.8 billion brought in last year by AbbVie's rheumatoid arthritis treatment Humira, widely regarded as the world's top-selling drug.

This bodes well for future vaccine development, noted Erik Gordon, a business professor at the University of Michigan.

Vaccines normally are nowhere near as profitable as treatments, Gordon said. But the success of the Covid-19 shots could draw more drugmakers and venture capitalists into the field.

The vaccine business is more attractive, which, for those of us who are going to need vaccines, is good," Gordon said.

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Icelanders ended voting late on Saturday in an election that could have a messy outcome with a record nine parties likely to enter parliament, making it difficult to find common ground on topics like climate change and healthcare.

The North Atlantic island of 371,000 has had a period of stability since 2017 under the ruling left-right coalition, after years of political scandals and distrust of politicians following the 2008 financial crisis.

The current government coalition led by Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdottir's Left-Green Movement won its mandate on a promise to secure stability after Icelanders went to polls five times from 2007 to 2017.

In 2017, the Left-Greens, who call themselves a "radical left wing party," teamed up with unlikely partners - the pro-business Independence Party and the centre-right Progressive Party - to the anger of some in the party grassroots.

While Jakobsdottir remains popular, polls suggest her party will lose support, marking the end of her coalition. Support for the Independence Party, Iceland's biggest party, is also declining, but the election result may still give former Prime Minister Bjarni Benediktsson a mandate to form a new government.

A shattered political landscape will make it difficult to form a new government, but Jakobsdottir may seek a coalition with other left-wing parties that opinion polls suggest will gain support.

"If we get such a government, we are going to see some changes when it comes to taxation of the rich, and environmental questions are going to be more important," said Baldvin Bergsson, political analyst at broadcaster RUV.

Climate change is an important issue for Icelanders, who like to call their nation the "Land of Fire and Ice" because of its other-worldly landscape of volcanoes and glaciers used in the HBO TV series "Game of Thrones".

Iceland has already pledged to achieve carbon neutrality by 2040, well ahead of most other European nations, but especially younger voters are pushing for even bolder steps.

Left-wing parties are also calling for more government spending on healthcare, which has been the most important topic in the election.

Successful weathering of the pandemic and the lifting of coronavirus restrictions has reopened borders, providing a needed boost to the vital tourism sector, which attracted some 2 million foreign visitors in 2019.

"The pandemic was a huge blow to the important tourism industry," said Stefania Oskarsdottir, a political scientist at University of Iceland, adding that high public spending has fuelled optimism.

"Despite coming out of a deep recession, the average Icelander feels that these are good times," she said.

Polls closed at 2200 GMT on Saturday, with a final result expected on Sunday morning.
Same-sex marriage, which Switzerland approved in a referendum on Sunday, is now legal in 30 countries, but homosexuality remains banned in many parts of the world.

Here is an overview of the global situation.

On October 1, 1989, for the first time in the world, several gay couples in Denmark tied the knot in legal civil unions.

Danish homosexual couples would, however, have to wait until 2012 to be allowed to marry in church.

The right to a religious marriage ceremony was first allowed in the Netherlands in 2001.

Thirteen European countries followed: Belgium, Britain, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, Portugal, Spain and Sweden.

Austria allowed gay marriage from 2019.

In Switzerland, same-sex couples could only register a civil partnership until the parliament approved marriage late last year.

Opponents launched a referendum against the decision under Switzerland's direct democracy system, only to be defeated by Sunday's vote, in which 64 percent backed same-sex marriage.

Some countries allow only civil partnerships for gays, including Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Italy and Switzerland.

The Czech government has backed draft legislation that would make the country the first post-communist member of the European Union to legalise same-sex marriage, but its fate is uncertain.

Slovenia also allows civil partnerships but in 2015 rejected in a referendum a proposal to legalise gay marriage.

In 2014 Estonia became the first former Soviet republic to authorise same-sex civil unions.

In Romania a referendum aimed at enshrining a ban on gay marriage in the constitution failed in 2018 because of a low turnout.

Canada was the first American country to authorise same-sex marriage in 2005.

In 2015 the US Supreme Court legalised gay marriage nationwide at a time when it was banned in 14 out of 50 states.

However the United States' first gay marriage actually took place in 1971, when a Minnesota couple obtained a marriage licence thanks to an overlooked legal loophole. The marriage was officially recognised in March 2019, after a five-decade legal battle.

In Latin America six countries allow same-sex marriages: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Uruguay and Costa Rica.

Mexico's federal capital authorised gay civil unions in 2007 and marriages in 2009. Half of its 32 states have followed.

Chile legalised gay civil unions in 2015.

Cuba left out of its new constitution adopted in 2019 changes that would have paved the way for legal same-sex marriage. In 2021, a draft of a new family code opened the door to same-sex marriage, but it will be put to a referendum.

While much of Asia is tolerant of homosexuality, Taiwan became in May 2019 the first in the region to allow gay marriage.

In Japan, a court in northern Sapporo ruled in 2021 that the country's failure to recognise same-sex marriage is unconstitutional, in a landmark first verdict on the issue.

Australia (2017) and New Zealand (2013) are the only places in the wider Asia-Pacific region to have passed gay marriage laws.

In the Middle East, where homosexuality is repressed, Israel leads the way in terms of gay rights, recognising same-sex marriages that are sealed elsewhere although not allowing such unions in the country itself.

Several countries in the conservative region still have the death penalty for homosexuality, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

South Africa is the sole nation on the African continent to allow gay marriage, which it legalised in 2006.

Around 30 African countries ban homosexuality, with Mauritania, Somalia and Sudan having the death penalty for same-sex relations.

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A "once-in-a-generation" music event circled the world Saturday, with a slew of megastars taking the stage in New York and beyond for Global Citizen Live -- 24 hours of shows across the planet to raise awareness on climate change, vaccine equality, and famine.

Between star-studded sets of some of the biggest names in music -- including Elton John, BTS, Coldplay, Lizzo, Jennifer Lopez, and Billie Eilish -- actors, politicians, company executives, royals, actors and activists made appeals or announced donations to tackle major global challenges.

NGO Global Citizen wants one billion trees planted, two billion vaccines delivered to the poorest countries, and meals for 41 million people on the brink of starvation.

After the show ended in Paris and was handed off to New York, Britain's Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, took to the stage to advocate for Covid-19 vaccine access to be treated "as a basic human right."

"My wife and I believe the way you're born should not dictate your ability to survive," the Duke of Sussex said to cheers from the thousands-strong crowd at Central Park.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex followed pop veteran Cyndi Lauper with a rendition of her "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" dedicated to Afghan women.

As night fell, the crowd swelled and attendees roared for shows from headliners, including Eilish, who bounded around the stage in her staple T-shirt and shorts ensemble.

Between sets, funding announcements poured in, and calls to action were hammered home, even from the International Space Station.

USAID Administrator Samantha Power announced in a recorded message the United States would "contribute more than $295 million to countries around the world to stave off famine and extreme hunger, confront gender-based violence and address the urgent humanitarian needs the Covid-19 pandemic is leaving in its wake."

Global Citizen co-founder and CEO Hugh Evans urged the audience to "take action" to help raise $6 billion needed by the World Food Programme, tackle vaccine inequality and pressure leaders ahead of the UN COP26 climate change conference in November.

"Charity alone... will never be sufficient to end extreme poverty or tackle climate change," he said.

"The actions of a movement of people is needed to drive lasting change."

After an appearance by renowned 92-year-old American biologist Edward O. Wilson, the show moved to Los Angeles, opened by pop band 5 Seconds of Summer at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, with Demi Lovato, Adam Lambert, and Stevie Wonder, among others, also billed.

Lead vocalist Luke Hemmings celebrated being in their first concert in almost two years "and for an honorable cause."

"This is an amazing thing to witness and be part of."

The broadcast on social media opened with a pre-recorded performance by pop superstars BTS in Seoul before the show kicked off in Paris with Elton John.

The "Rocketman" performed hits including "Tiny Dancer" and "Your Song" in front of the Eiffel Tower in a dazzling green suit.

"No one should be left behind," said the 74-year-old pop legend, who appeared despite a hip injury that forced him to cancel the rest of his tour dates this year.

Ed Sheeran was the headliner in Paris alongside Black Eyed Peas and Stormzy.

The concerts required Covid-19 vaccination proof or negative tests.

Pre-recorded performances were also delivered by Green Day in Los Angeles, DJ superstar Alok in Rio, Kylie Minogue in London, and Andrea Bocelli in Tuscany.

This week's comeback gig by The Fugees in New York -- their first in 15 years -- was also billed as part of the event.

Global Citizen has been behind other high-profile charity events, including a concert earlier this year that called for global Covid-19 vaccinations.

The organization describes itself as a movement with a mission to end extreme poverty by 2030.

Its app uses incentives such as concert tickets to encourage users into pressuring governments on issues around sustainability and equality.

The New York event included tributes to other major benefit concerts, with Chinese global superstar pianist Lang Lang performing a medley of Queen's famed Live Aid performance in 1985.

The weekend event also brought charitable pledges from international companies such as Lego, Cisco, Verizon, and Pepsico.

World Health Organization chief Tedros Ghebreyesus lent his support to the campaign, urging vaccine equality.

"We now face a two-track pandemic of haves and have-nots," he said ahead of the event.

"We cannot disregard this gross inequity or become complacent."

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Canada on Sunday announced that it will allow direct and indirect flights from India, after a month-long ban on travel from the country due to the Covid-19 situation.

Passengers travelling on direct flights will be required to present a negative Covid-19 report obtained from the Genestrings Laboratory, located above the metro station in the Airport Connect Building (ACB) at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, the Canadian government said. The test has to be taken within 18 hours of their scheduled departure. The test result has to be presented to the air operator before boarding the flight.

Those who contracted coronavirus before can present a test report from any certified laboratory in India.

Passengers won't be allowed to board if they fail to meet any of the requirements.

Those ravelling on indirect flights will be required to furnish a negative test report from the third country. Canada has warned that many countries may still not be allowing Indians due to the Covid threat and some may not have testing facilities at airports.

If a person contracts the virus during travel, they may be quarantined in line with local healthcare rules or be returned to point of departure, the new travel guidelines said.

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Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Sunday asked the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) to reinvent itself, turn futuristic and come out with new innovations, techniques and solutions to address the problems faced by farmers.

Participating in the 80th Foundation Day celebrations of the CSIR here, he urged CSIR laboratories and institutes to address challenges that require long-term scientific and technological solutions.

Naidu asked the CSIR to bestow greater attention on agricultural research and come out with new innovations, techniques and solutions to address the problems faced by farmers. He cited climate change, drug resistance, pollution, epidemic and pandemic outbreaks among the challenges that need the focus of the scientific community.

"Agriculture is the basic culture of the country. I am son of a farmer. Bachpan mein kuch din kheti bhi kiya rajniti mein aane se pehle. Aisa lag raha hai, woh hi behtar tha. Karen kya, yahan aaya, isme phans gaya (As a child I was involved in cultivation for some time before entering politics. It seems that (agriculture) was better. What to do, I got stuck here)," the vice president said on a lighter note.

Observing that the Covid-19 pandemic is just one unforeseen crisis and that there are many challenges, he said institutions like the CSIR need to gear up to address any sudden and unexpected problem.

"Each laboratory of the CSIR must come out with a clear roadmap on the new research projects that seek to address various challenges and contribute to the larger good of humanity," Naidu stressed.

Noting that India has made a significant contribution to the world of science in space, atomic energy, ocean science and defence research, he said as the nation celebrates 75 years of Independence, this is an appropriate time to see how it can accelerate ongoing development.

He said the ultimate aim of science should be to improve people's lives and make them comfortable.

Observing that investment by industries in research and development in India was insignificant, Naidu urged corporates and industries to form close linkages with leading scientific institutions, identify important R&D projects and invest in them.

"This will not only boost funding but also improve both quality and innovation," he said.

Pointing out that the coronavirus has overwhelmed the world despite scientific and technological advancements, he said the virus swept through the globe with alarming virulence, infecting millions and claiming thousands of lives.

Lauding the scientific and medical fraternity for leading the nation's battle in the fight against the pandemic with grit and determination, he said the CSIR scientists and researchers worked tirelessly to develop solutions -- be it diagnostics, vaccines, medicines, makeshift hospitals and medical assistive devices.

Observing that India is implementing the largest vaccination drive in the world, the vice president said the fact that 85 crore doses of vaccine have been administered is a remarkable achievement.

He said this was largely facilitated by India's indigenous vaccine, Covaxin and other vaccines like Covishield that was manufactured in India. "I must compliment the vaccine manufacturers for rising to the occasion and ramping up the production to meet the huge demand for vaccines in the country," he said.

Naidu said CSIR scientists are the pride of the nation, thanks to the initiatives taken by forefathers of CSIR and early leadership of the country right from Jawaharlal Nehru to other ministers as also the great scientists who focussed on starting all the laboratories.

The vice president, who gave away Young Scientists Awards, complimented the winners in various categories, including the CSIR Innovation Award for School Children.

Speaking on the occasion, Union Minister of Science and Technology Jitendra Singh said that he would like CSIR and all the science departments to brainstorm and come up with a blue print of the science and technology innovations needed in the next 10 years if India has to be globally competitive.

"We should not restrict our ambition to be the best in India but be the best in the world," a statement issued by the Vice President Secretariat quoted the minister as saying.

He underlined that India is blessed with the demographic dividend of youth and they can take up any challenge with the right training and motivation.

Singh said he is delighted to see the power of innovation among the winners of CSIR Innovation Award for School Children and added that they will be the future entrepreneurs, industry leaders, scientists and professors.

Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India K Vijay Raghavan, Director-General of CSIR Shekhar C Mande, senior scientists, researchers and awardees were present on the occasion.
Underlining the importance of large banks, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman on Sunday said that India needs four to five more lenders like the State Bank of India (SBI).

India needs 4 to 5 more banks like SBI to meet changing requirements of the Indian economy, Sitharaman said during the keynote address at the 74th Annual General Meeting of the Indian Banks Association (IBA) in Mumbai.

The way in which the economy is shifting to a different plane altogether, the way in which industry is adapting, so many new challenges keep arising. To address these challenges, we need not just more, but bigger banks, she said.

During her address in India's financial capital, she stressed extensively on digitisation and underlined the importance of seamless and interconnected digital systems in creating a sustainable future for the Indian banking industry.

Also Read | Indian economy on sustained path of revival: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman

If we look at post-Covid-19 scenario, India's banking contour will have to be very unique to India, where there has been an extremely successful adoption of digitisation. While banks in many countries could not reach out to their clients during the pandemic, the level of digitisation of Indian banks helped us to transfer money to small, medium and big account holders through DBT and digital mechanisms, she said.

The benefits of digitisation notwithstanding, the Finance Minister observed that there are wide disparities as well in access to financial services. She said there are parts of our country where brick-and-mortar banks are necessary.

Sitharaman asked the IBA to improve access to banking in every district through a rationalised approach and optimal utilisation of digital technologies.

To achieve this, she advised IBA to carry out digitised location-wise mapping of all bank branches for every district in the country.

Almost two-thirds of nearly 7.5 lakh panchayats have optical fibre connection, IBA should consider this and conduct an exercise and decide where banks should have a physical presence and where we are able to serve customers even without a physical branch. IBA should take the initiative and complement the government's efforts for financial inclusion and enhancing access to financial services, especially in unserved and under-served areas.

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Supreme Court Judge B V Nagarathna on Sunday said advancing women participation in judiciary promotes role of gender equality in broader ways and female judicial appointments, particularly at senior levels, can shift gender stereotypes, thereby changing attitude and perceptions of appropriate roles of men and women.

Justice Nagarathna, who is set to become the first woman Chief Justice of India in 2027, said, "Women visibility as judicial officers can pave the way for greater representation of women in other decision-making positions such as legislative and executive branches of the government."

She was speaking at a function organised by the Lady Advocates of the Supreme Court for felicitation of nine newly appointed judges of the top court, which includes three women judges.

Justice Nagarathna said, I say, Chief Justice of India N V Ramana has shown the way as to why in other branches women cannot break the glass ceiling whether in the legislature or in the executive branches.

Read | CJI calls for 50% representation for women in judiciary

I may not speak in detail but I can only say that advancing women participation in the judiciary promotes the role of gender equality in broader ways. Female judicial appointments particularly at senior levels can shift gender stereotypes, thereby changing attitude and perceptions of appropriate roles of men and women, she said.

Terming the appointment of nine judges at one go as a monumental achievement for the top court, she said, Higher number and greater visibility of women judges can increase the willingness of women to seek justice and enforce their rights.

Justice Nagarathna said that the instant appointment should not be the only event and it should continue as we the women members will scout for talent from all over India so that they get elevated not only at relevant high courts but also to the Supreme Court.

Advising young women advocates, she said that her advice to them is that they should involve themselves in all branches of law and continuously strive to do better.

I think, the time has come to break the glass ceiling and for women to strive ahead. I have come to believe that each one of us has a personal calling which is unique as our fingerprint and the best way to succeed is to discover what it is our passion and to find the way to offer it to others in the form of service, she said.

Justice Nagarathana said that there are three phenomenon which women lawyers should look at when we are concerned about women in the bar and on the bench that is the very entry of women into the legal fraternity, secondly, the retention of women in the bar, which is a very important thing and critical aspect, and thirdly, the advancement of women later on to the higher echelons.

Another top court judge Justice Bela M Trivedi, who was appointed along with Justice Nagarathna, said that recently at a function in Gujarat she had said that judges do not have a gender when they are on the dais. But I do have soft corner for women more particularly working women, Justice Trivedi said.

I do have a soft corner not because I consider them as weaker gender but because I respect their commitment. I respect their inner strength. You know I used to say if you want to be free from your outer domination, you need to discover your inner strength, she said.

Justice Trivedi in Sanskrit told young women lawyers that nobody would enlighten their path and they would have to themselves light their path.

Be a light of yourself, she said.

Justice Hima Kohli, who was also sworn in as judge of the top court along with justices Nagarathna and Trivedi, said that they would try to live up to the expectations and follow the rule of law to do justice and give it that sensitivity which sometimes women tend to give to situations looking at from their perspective.

I am not talking from a gender point of view but as a unisex point of view. So that a kind of focus that a woman can have and a view on a matter which does not sometimes occur to a male and I am not saying my male colleagues are not sensitive. It is amazing to see that many of our colleagues which I have sat with, will give a different perspective to women-oriented issues which may not occur to me, Justice Kohli said.

I will be the first one to admit it but its very heartening to see that men are equally sensitive, she said.

On August 31, the top court had held the swearing-in ceremony of nine Supreme Court judges, including three women, in one go which has been unprecedented and would go into the annals of 71-year-long history of the apex court.

With the swearing-in of three women judges, Justices Nagarathna, Trivedi, and Kohli which happened for the first time in the apex courts history, the top court now has as many as four women judges on its bench simultaneously, another first to its credit.

Besides the three women judges, CJI N V Ramana had also administered oath to Justices Abhay Shreeniwas Oka, Vikram Nath, Jitendra Kumar Maheshwari, Justices C T Ravikumar, M M Sundresh, and P S Narasimha, who was a senior advocate and former Additional Solicitor General.

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News Highlights: Ready to agitate for 10 years, but won't allow farm laws to be implemented, says Rakesh Tikait
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday held 81st Mann ki Baat episode which is aired on the last Sunday of every month. PM Modi is returning from his three-day visit to the US, where he met President Joe Biden, and Prime Ministers of Japan and Australia in the first in-person meet of the Quad. Stay tuned for updates.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's three-day trip to the United States was packed with meetings as he attended 20 of them during the around 65 hours he spent in the country, government sources said on Sunday.

He also had four long meetings in flights with officials on the way to and back from the US, they added.

Sharing details, sources said Modi had two meetings in flight on Wednesday on the way to the US and three in the hotel upon his arrival.

Read more: PM Modi sends Pakistan veiled warning on terrorism

On September 23, he had five meetings with as many CEOs followed by talks with US Vice President Kamala Harris and bilateral interactions with his Japanese and Australian counterparts Yoshihide Suga and Scott Morrison respectively. He also chaired three internal meetings.

He had a bilateral meeting with US President Joe Biden the next day and then attended the Quad meet. Sources said Modi also held four internal meetings on September 24.

As Modi left the US for India on September 25, he held two meetings in the flight back, sources said.

The prime minister is known to keep a busy schedule on his overseas trips, packing his stay with important meetings.

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Speculating about major changes in Rajasthan politics after Punjab, lobbying and WhatsApp calls have picked up pace in the state and Delhi after former deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot met Congress leader Rahul Gandhi twice in Delhi in the last one week. This time, he met Priyanka Gandhi along with Rahul raised eyebrows in the Gehlot camp.

While a few Rajasthan ministers and MLAs have reportedly visited Delhi for lobbying, there are others seen busy making WhatsApp calls to discuss newer permutations and combinations coming up in the state.

Before leaving for Delhi, Pilot met Rajasthan Speaker CP Joshi which led to speculation that Pilot was making his camp stronger, and hence major changes will be reported here.

Meanwhile, there is speculation that Pilot may be given the Pradesh Congress Committee presidency or a major portfolio in the government as CM Ashok Gehlot presently handles a number of portfolios.

Read | Focus shifts to Rajasthan as Rahul, Priyanka meet Sachin Pilot

There are also reports that Congress veteran leader from Madhya Pradesh Digvijaya Singh might visit Rajasthan on October 1 to talk to MLAs here and draft a strategy for upcoming changes in the political map.

"These changes, the high command feels, are required not only for the upcoming assembly polls in 2023 but also for the Lok Sabha polls in 2024," they added.

"In December 2018, the Congress won 99 seats out of 200 and Ashok Gehlot was made the CM even though he was not the CM face during the poll campaign. After five months of these elections, Lok Sabha polls were held, where Congress scored a duck out of 25 seats."

Now, the next elections are scheduled in 2023 and the party is contemplating a new CM face so that the 2019 Lok Sabha results are not repeated in the 2024 parliamentary elections, said Congress sources.

In fact, veteran strategist Prashant Kishor has chalked out a comprehensive strategy and submitted it to Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

Read | Are Manohar Lal Khattar & Ashok Gehlot next to exit in CM musical chair?

Gandhi, they said, had shared it with leaders like Ambika Soni and others. In his report, Kishor has recommended major changes in Punjab, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.

These are the states where the Congress is on a strong wicket and hence the party should not take them lightly, he recommended.

Eventually, in the next few days, there will be major changes in the desert state which has been lying low in terms of political action.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday subtly criticised the World Health Organization and the World Bank for hurting their credibility over tracing the origin of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and the Ease-of-Doing-Business rankings.

He urged the vaccine producers around the world to make the Covid-19 jabs in India.

With regard to the origin of Covid-19 and the ease of doing business rankings, institutions of global governance have damaged the credibility they had built after decades of hard work, the Prime Minister said, while addressing the United Nations General Assembly at the headquarters of the international organization in New York.

Though the erstwhile US President Donald Trump repeatedly criticised the WHO for working as a puppet of Beijing and covering up the beginning of the pandemic at Wuhan in central China in 2019, New Delhi never criticised the global health agency on the issue. This is the first time India has spoken up against the WHO at the highest level, albeit without directly referring to the organisation, which is based in Geneva.

Also read: Narendra Modi urges world's vaccine makers to 'make in India'

The World Banks Ease of Doing Business rankings also recently came under a shadow after a probe into data irregularities found that it buckled under pressure to boost the ranking of China.

The Prime Minister on Saturday said that if the United Nations would have to improve its effectiveness and enhance its reliability in order to remain relevant. He also noted that the UN had come under questions these days.

We have seen such questions being raised, related to the climate crisis and during the Covid-19 pandemic, he said.

Despite limited resources, India, which believes in the philosophy of "Seva Param Dharam" (service is the highest religion), is completely invested in the development and manufacture of the vaccines, said Modi.

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Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh arrived in Oman on Sunday for a three-day visit aimed at further expansion of bilateral military ties with the influential Gulf nation.

The Navy Chief will hold talks with the top military brass of the Gulf nation, including his Omani counterpart Rear Admiral Saif bin Nasser bin Mohsen Al-Rahbi, during his visit from September 2729, officials said.

"The visit aims to consolidate bilateral defence relations with Oman, as also to explore new avenues for defence cooperation," Indian Navy Spokesperson Commander Vivek Madhwal said.

Apart from talks with Al-Rahbi, Singh is also scheduled to meet Chief of Staff Omani armed forces Vice Admiral Abdullah Khamis Abdullah Al Raisi, Commander of Royal Army of Oman Maj Gen Matar Bin Salim Bin Rashid Al Balushi, Commander of Royal Air Force Air Vice Marshal Khamis Bin Hammad Bin Sultan Al Ghafri.

He would also be visiting key defence installations like Muaskar Al Murtafa (MAM) camp, Maritime Security Centre (MSC), Said Bin Sultan Naval Base, Al Musanna Air Base and National Defence College, Oman.

The Indian Navy cooperates with the Royal Navy of Oman on many fronts that include operational interactions and training.

Both navies have been participating in the biennial maritime exercise Naseem Al Bahr since 1993. This exercise was last conducted in 2020 off Goa and the next edition is scheduled in 2022.

"This official visit of the Chief of Naval Staff to Oman highlights the growing cooperation between Indian Navy and Royal Navy of Oman," Commander Madhwal said.

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As part of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations, the Indian Air Force (IAF) Sunday held an impressive air show in the skies over the scenic Dal Lake in Srinagar.

During the air show, formation of MiG-21 Bison fighter aircrafts held a flypast while Sukhoi SU-30 and SU-20 held an impressive aerobatic display. Display by paramotors and para-jumpers also mesmerized the audience.

Besides, the air show also included Akashganga skydiving display, an IAF symphony orchestra display and a motivational photo exhibition.

The event, as per an official spokesperson, was organised in collaboration with Jammu and Kashmir K government and was witnessed from the Sher-e-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC).

While J&K Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha was the chief guest at the event, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief HQ Western Air Command, Air Marshal BR Krishna, was the senior most IAF Officer and the chief host, he said.

The spokesperson said the star attraction of the event was the Surya Kiran Aerobatic Display Team or SKAT, also known as Ambassadors of IAF.

The team has the distinction of being one among the few nine-aircraft formation teams in the world. Flying the highly versatile Hawks manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, SKAT set hearts racing with their synchronized aerial ballet in the sky. Maneuvers by Chinook heavy lift helicopters culminated the air show, he said.

While addressing the gathering, LG Sinha said that such events by the IAF will encourage youth of J&K to join the prestigious Air Force. He also paid glowing tributes to the fallen Indian Air Force officers and jawans for their sacrifice in safeguarding the country.
A self-styled commander of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), who was accused of killing a BJP leader and his family last year, was neutralised along with his associate by security forces in north Kashmirs Bandipora district on Sunday.

A police spokesperson said a cordon-and-search-operation was launched in Watrina, Bandipora, 70 kilometres from here, by the Armys 14-Rashtriya Rifles and J&K police after a specific input about the presence of militants in the area.

A contact was established with the two hiding militants on Sunday morning. Frequent appeals were made to the militants to surrender but they refused and fired upon the search party of security forces. In the retaliatory action, both the hiding militants were killed, he said.

Also Read | TRF terrorist arrested in Jammu, terror attack foiled

The police identified the slain militants as Abid Rashid Dar alias Haqani and Azad Ahmed Shah, both affiliated with the LeT. Shah, they said was involved in the killing of BJP leader Sheikh Waseem Bari, his brother and father on July 8, 2020 in Bandipora along with Usman and Sajad alias Haider, both Pakistanis militants. Usman and Sajad were killed in Kreeri in September last year.

Police said Abid Dar was a Pakistan-trained militant who had crossed over the Wagah border in April 2018 and had infiltrated back in 2019. He was involved in local militant actions and had been tasked with recruitment and running the ranks of the Lashkar in north Kashmir, the spokesperson said and added two AK-47 rifles, one pistol and other incriminating material seized from the possession of the slain militants.

Nearly 110 militants and 21 security forces and police personnel have been killed in Jammu Kashmir since the beginning of this year. The highest number of militants (31) were killed in July.

Among the militants slain in J&K this year, only 11 were Pakistanis while the rest were all locals. According to the army, there are still 200-225 militants active across the J&K despite low infiltration this year.

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In an apparent bid to set the caste equations right ahead of the forthcoming assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, due in six months time, chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday expanded his cabinet by inducting seven new faces, including former Congress leader Jitin Prasada.

The seven ministers, who were administered the oath of office and secrecy by governor Anandiben Patel at Raj Bhavan, included Prasada (Brahmin), Paltu Ram, Sangeeta Bind and Sanjeev Gond (SC), Chatrapal Gangwar, Dinesh Khatik and Dharmveer Prajapati (all OBCs).

Read | Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi carries out first Cabinet expansion, inducts 15 Ministers, 7 new faces

While Prasada was made a cabinet minister, all the others were made ministers of state. Prasada had crossed over to the BJP from Congress a few months back and his inclusion in the ministry was apparently aimed at countering the perceived resentment in the Brahmin community.

Besides the inclusion of ministers from SC, ST and OBC communities was also intended to woo the non-jatav Dalits and sections of the OBC, which were in sizable strength in pockets across the state.

The expansion comes within days of an electoral alliance between the BJP, Nishad Party and the Apna Dal. Union minister and party's UP in-charge Dharmendra Pradhan had then said that some other smaller outfits were also in touch with the saffron party and that they might also be included in the alliance.

Political analysts here said that the cabinet rejig barely six months before the assembly polls was also an attempt to offset the possible loss of jat votes owing mainly to the ongoing agitation by the farmers of western UP region against the new farm laws.

The opposition parties termed the cabinet expansion a 'desperate' attempt to gain electoral mileage in the forthcoming polls. "It is nothing but an attempt to hide the failure of the state government on all fronts... it will not help the BJP gain peoples' support," Samajwadi Party supremo Akhilesh Yadav said.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday tacitly warned Pakistan that its policy of using terrorism against India could turn out to be damaging for it also.

The nations, which are using terrorism as a political tool, must realise that the menace poses a grave threat to them as it does to others, Modi said, addressing the United Nations General Assembly, which earlier saw a war of words between India and Pakistan.

Amid reports about Islamabads role in bringing the Taliban and its affiliate Haqqani Network back to power in Kabul, the Prime Minister said that the territory of Afghanistan should not be used to spread terrorism or launch terrorist attacks against other countries. We must be careful to ensure that the sensitive situation there should not be misused as a tool by any nation for its own interest, Modi said in his 22-minute long speech at the UNGA.

Read more: Biden reiterates US support for Indias permanent seat in UNSC, entry into NSG

New Delhi earlier on the day deployed one of the youngest diplomats to respond to Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khans remarks against India.

We have had a great tradition of democracy that goes back to thousands of years, the Prime Minister said. It is a country that has dozens of languages, hundreds of dialects, different lifestyles and cuisines. This is the best example of a vibrant democracy, said Modi, adding that it would soon be 20 years of him serving the people of the country as head of government  first as the longest serving Chief Minister of Gujarat and then as the Prime Minister for the last seven years. The strength of our democracy is demonstrated by the fact that a little boy who at one time used to help his father at his tea stall at a railway station is today addressing the United Nations General Assembly for the fourth time as Prime Minister of India.

Yes, democracy can deliver. Yes, democracy has delivered, he said.

After Khan earlier accused the Modi government in New Delhi of Islamophobia as well as of committing atrocities and violating human rights in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), India exercised its Right to Reply to turn the table on Pakistan.

Sneha Dubey, First Secretary at the Permanent Mission of India at the UN in New York, slammed Pakistan Prime Minister for spreading falsehood on the world stage. This is the country which is an arsonist disguising itself as a fire-fighter, she said, tacitly referring to Pakistans role in Afghanistan and dismissing its claim to be a victim of terrorism. India alleged that Pakistan nurtured terrorists in its backyard in the hope that they would only harm its neighbours. She said that South Asia and, in fact, the entire world had suffered because of the policies of Pakistan, which, on the other hand, were trying to cover up sectarian violence in the country as acts of terror.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to address the 81st edition of 'Mann Ki Baat' on September 26, after concluding his visit to the US during which he expressed confidence that India-US relationship will grow even stronger in the years to come.

During his three-day visit, Prime Minister Modi addressed the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly, attended the first in-person Quad summit and held bilateral and multilateral engagements, including with US President Biden, US Vice President Harris and his counterparts from Australia Scott Morrison and from Japan Yoshihide Suga.

Also read: We are stronger and better when we are together, says PM Modi

The prime minister also met top American CEOs of five companies and invited them to step up their investments in the country.

In the last address of the monthly radio programme, he had noted that the start-up culture has become very vibrant in India with youngsters in even smaller cities embracing it, and asserted that it is a sign of India's bright future. He had also said that the space sector reforms in the country have caught people's imagination and expressed confidence that a large number of satellites in the coming days will be those on which youngsters from universities, labs and other sectors would have worked upon.

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(With agency inputs)
Six fishermen from Srikakulam district in north coastal Andhra Pradesh were reported missing in Bay of Bengal on Sunday evening as the cyclonic storm Gulab moved closer to the shore and is likely to make landfall around midnight.

The three north coastal districts of Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam had been receiving moderate to heavy rain under the influence of Gulab.

AP State Disaster Management Authority Commissioner K Kanna Babu said Gulab lay centered around 85 km from Kalingapatnam in Srikakulam district and likely to cross the coast between Kalingapatnam and Gopalpur (in Odisha) around midnight.

He reviewed the situation with the district Collectors and other officials in Visakhapatnam and directed them to be on high alert.

Six fishermen from Palasa, who returning to their native village by sea in a new boat they purchased in Odisha two days ago, were feared missing in the storm. One of the six called his village over phone and informed that their boat lost balance and five of his fellow fishermen were lost in the sea. Subsequently, his mobile phone too went silent, indicating that he too might have gone missing.

The villagers brought this to the notice of Fisheries Minister S Appala Raju, who immediately called the Navy authorities for help to trace and rescue the missing fishers.

Meanwhile, the South Central Railway informed in a release that eight trains on the Vijayawada-Howrah route were diverted via Kharagpur, Jharsuguda, Bilaspur and Balharshah. Two other trains that were supposed to begin journey on Sunday, have been rescheduled for Monday.

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The proposed Silver Line semi high-speed rail project of Kerala that aims at reducing the travel time from Thiruvananthapuram in the south to Kasargod in the north, covering a distance of 530 kilometres, to four hours is likely to have a bumpy ride as the Congress-led United Democratic Front has raised red flag to the project citing viability and ecological issues.

The much-hyped project of the Pinarayi Vijayan government is in the initial stages of land acquisition and has been already witnessing stiff resistance from landowners. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has sought the opposition's cooperation for the project.

The Silver Line has been projected not just as a faster mode of transportation, but also as an eco-friendly alternative mode of transport that could decongest the state roads and bring down pollution caused by vehicles. It is estimated that once commissioned. over 46,000 persons who use roads would shift to Silver Line daily and over 12,850 vehicles would remain off the road. This would not only reduce pollution but bring down fuel consumption. It will have eleven stops in ten out of the 14 districts.

Land acquisition would be the major challenge for the project as around 20,000 houses with around 1.5 lakh people and 50,000 shops would have to be displaced for acquiring 1,198 hectre land for the project. Besides, around 150 hectre farmland would be also required. The estimated project cost is around Rs. 64,000 crore and various models like public-private-partnership and foreign funding are being considered for the project.

A panel of the opposition UDF has reported that the project was not viable and poses environmental issues. A four to 10 metre wall on either sides of the rail line across the state would affect water flow, especially during heavy rains and could lead to floods, the opposition maintained and suggested strengthening the existing rail network and setting up airstrips as alternatives.

Kerala Rail Development Corporation, a state-railway ministry joint venture for improving rail infrastructure, which is the implementing agency of the project, maintains that the fencing on either sides of the track, which is mandatory as the running speed is around 200 kmph, would be designed in such a manner that water flow would not be affected. In paddy fields elevated structures are planned to avoid damage to fields. Expansion of the existing rail network involved serious practical and technical hurdles and hence the fresh high-speed rail is the suitable option for Kerala.

Delhi Metro Rail Corporation's former principal advisor 'Metro Man' E Sreedharan also said that strengthening the existing rail network would be only a temporary option and an alternative high speed line was required for the state.

"However, the Silver Line project was not at all feasible especially due to the high land requirement and displacements involved. What is suited for the state was an elevated and underground rail line that would require minimum displacement. The DMRC had mooted a high-speed rail line in Kerala earlier, it was not taken forward," he said.

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A teacher has been sentenced to rigorous imprisonment (RI) for 29 years by a Special Fast Track Court for sexually assaulting a first standard girl student. The court here said the offence committed by the teacher was inhumane and barbaric.

"The perverted act of the convict on an innocent young girl of 6.5 years certainly calls for severe punishment and hence I decided to impose it on him," the court said.

The child narrated the incident to her parents who lodged a complaint.

The court said a teacher is considered to be the embodiment of knowledge, wisdom and fine qualities of life. "Guru is a friend, a philosopher, guide, social engineer and nation-builder. In Indian philosophy, Guru occupies an exalted and envious position.

His influence is not confined to an individual but it extends to families, institutions and education establishments, in fact, in all spheres of life. He imparts knowledge, teaches the values of life, provides guidance and building of the nation itself," the court noted in the judgment.

According to the prosecution, the child, aged 6.5 years at the time of incident, was molested in 2012 by the teacher when he accompanied the students on a study tour from the school.

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He idolises Sylvester Stallone, is pally with Jackie Chan and a die-hard fan of Amitabh Bachchan, boasts of 60-odd multilingual films in his resume, and has eye-catching looks - but actor Sonu Sood attained global popularity more for his charities than his cinemas.

That helped 48-year-old Sonu Sood  technically a migrant to Mumbai himself  attain a cult status of sorts among his fans, and helped set an example for many of his ilks to follow suit.

In mid-2020, with the Covid-19 pandemic at its first peak, with the nationwide stringent lockdown in force, Sood took to the streets to help out the stranded masses and became a messiah of the migrant workers, the worst-hit class.

The actor got down to real-life business, organising buses, trains and even a few flights to help the displaced and anxious people reach their destinations, and soared to the top of several popularity charts.

Also read: OPINION | Raids on critics misuse of State power

His Juhu home became a rest house for the poor, hungry, penniless people hoping for a lifeline to survive and return home to their separated near-and-dear ones. And, he tried to live up to their tall expectations.

Somewhere, something seems to have gone wrong politically, even though he claims he politely declined offers of Rajya Sabha membership from two parties.

A few days ago, he had some unexpected and uninvited guests  in the form of Income Tax sleuths  who carried out a series of searches going after his suspected tax evasions, irregularities in books, dubious source of funding, diversion of funds and more, allegedly to the tune of over Rs 250 crore, as per an official statement.

Social media is rife with debates that Sood, who was seen rubbing shoulders with many a high-and-mighty of Indian politics, may have unwittingly gotten into the bad books of the ruling party at the Centre.

Sood recently agreed to become the Brand Ambassador for the Aam Aadmi Party-led Delhi governments mentorship programme for school students Desh ka Mentor after a high-profile meeting with Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. The media even speculated that the AAP may field Sood for the upcoming Assembly polls in Punjab. The nationwide tax survey in 28 locations came days after the above incident.

Also Read | Sonu Sood evaded Rs 20 crore in taxes, says I-T Department

Every rupee in my foundation is awaiting its turn to save a precious life and reach the needy. In addition, on many occasions, I have encouraged brands to donate my endorsement fees for humanitarian causes too, which keeps us going, Sood clarified after remaining incommunicado for a few days.

Sood hails from an ordinary middle-class family from Punjab. Born on July 30, 1973, in Moga to Shakti Sagar Sood, owner of Bombay Cloth House and a teacher Saroj Sood, along with his two sisters Monika and Malvika Sachar, he had humble beginnings.

His inspiration for social work and charity were his own parents. His father used to run langars in his hometown and his mother used to teach poor children. With his good looks and perfect physique, inspired by posters of Rambo, Sood decided to pursue his dreams.

He came to Mumbai in the late 1990s, armed with an engineering degree from Yeshwantrao Chavan College of Engineering, Nagpur, with a cash of around Rs 5,000 in his pocket.

His first Mumbai suburban train railway pass ID card bears the date July 8, 1997, which marks the beginning of his rickety lifes journey to stardom. Barely a couple of years later in 1999, he got his first big break in a Tamil film Kallazhagar, and in 2000, he got a chance in a Telugu film.

Married to Sonali, he climbed up the success ladder in the south Indian (Tamil and Telugu) film industry, mostly essaying the role of an antagonist. He got a break in 2002, with Shaheed-e-Azam, where he played freedom fighter Bhagat Singh. Mani Ratnams Yuva lodged him to fame and the Telugu movie Super virtually catapulted him to stardom. There was no looking back since then.

Also Read | Been busy attending to guests: Sonu Sood after I-T raids

He went global as Randall, with Chinas second-highest grosser Jackie Chan movie Kung Fu Yoga, and later launched a film company Shakti Sagar Productions. He owns a hotel in Juhu and founded the Sood Charity Foundation last year.

During the lockdown, he collaborated with childhood friend and restaurateur Neeti Goel to help out the stranded people.

Nevertheless, the IT sleuths raised uncomfortable questions about the source of his funds used for the charity work for migrants. Currently, Sood is going around defending himself and vows to come out unscathed from the crisis.
So, the much anticipated first in-person Quad summit has ended with the four-member countries issuing a lengthy statement, a detailed factsheet and even a separate significant statement on the "Quad Principles on Technology Design, Development, Governance, and Use."

With the first summit being held in the virtual mode in early March, US President Joe Biden, Indian PM Narendra Modi, Australian PM Scott Morrison and Japanese PM Yoshihide Suga met physically in the East Room of the White House for two hours on September 24.

And therein lies the importance of the meet, with Biden signalling his administration's intent to step up the engagement in the Indo-Pacific in the wake of China's belligerence in the region.

And yet, despite the leaders of four of the world's leading democracies converging in Washington DC for a summit-level meeting within a span of six months, much of its strategic thunder was stolen by the freshly-minted AUKUS.

Announced just days ahead of the Quad summit, Australia, the UK and the US plan to expand their defence capabilities under the rubric of the AUKUS trilateral military pact.

To begin with, Australia will acquire eight nuclear-powered (not nuclear-armed) submarines with assistance from the US and UK. With Australia consequently cancelling a $66 billion contract with France for conventional diesel-electric submarines, Paris is obviously hopping mad.

After initially choosing not to comment on AUKUS after its announcement on September 15, India later sought to play down concerns that the Quad stood diluted now.

Foreign secretary Harshvardhan Shringla has stated that while the Quad is a "plurilateral grouping", AUKUS is a security alliance between three countries. "We are not a party to this alliance. From our perspective, this is neither relevant to the Quad, nor will it have any impact on its functioning," he said.

It was amidst the backdrop of AUKUS taking shape that the second Quad summit was held. The summit's joint statement shows that the Quad will continue to focus on the Covid-19 response, vaccine partnerships, climate change, infrastructure development, and education.

Running into a lengthy 17 paragraphs, as opposed to the five-paragraph joint statement issued after the first summit, it's a mix of old iterations now elaborated upon in greater detail with some new initiatives thrown in. The statement and allied documents, however, do little to disabuse the notion among many that AUKUS is now the strategic partnership to watch out for in the Indo-Pacific.

Of course, the Quad's joint statement made the mandatory reference to a "free and open Indo-Pacific". It affirmed to "recommit to promoting the free, open, rules-based order, rooted in international law and undaunted by coercion, to bolster security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific and beyond."

With no military heft like AUKUS, the Quad will seek to counter China by other means. An important initiative, detailed in the Quad principles on technology, is clearly aimed at countering China in the technology realm. "Technology should not be misused or abused for malicious activities such as authoritarian surveillance and oppression, for terrorist purposes, or to disseminate disinformation," it said.

The Quad summit also expressed support for 5G deployment and diversification to help member countries to promote a "resilient and secure telecommunication ecosystem." This is important since the Chinese company Huawei with its 5G technology, has been widely perceived as intrusive and a threat to national security by many countries. India too left out Huawei when it announced the commencement of 5G trials in May this year.

Notably, the Quad also focused its attention on critical technologies such as semi-conductors and decided to launch a joint initiative to ensure their supply-chain security.

But the AUKUS has somewhat diluted the Quad's strategic salience in the Indo-Pacific. While some argue that the trilateral security alliance will supplement the Quad's efforts, there are fears it will effectively reduce the Quadrilateral grouping to playing second fiddle in this region.

This, just when the Quad appeared to be coming into its own, having moved from official-level meetings and anodyne statements running into a few sentences when the grouping was revived in 2017, to two summits within just six months this year.

Many in the Indian defence establishment are irked that while the US has consistently rebuffed it over the years even to discuss nuclear propulsion for submarines and aircraft carriers, it had no such qualms when it came to Australia. India, of course, is not a military treaty ally of the US like Australia, Japan and the UK.

There is also the reality that India and Japan, both facing an already aggressive China on their frontiers, do not want a further spike in tensions with their immediate and much larger neighbour through an avowedly military alliance like the AUKUS.

With the huge chasm erupting between the AUKUS and Paris, India could also conceivably turn to a miffed France for nuclear-propulsion military technologies. As part of the robust bilateral partnership, France is already building the Scorpene diesel-electric submarines in India and supplying the Rafale fighter jets to the IAF.

Soon after the announcement of the AUKUS, French president Emmanuel Macron incidentally was on the phone with Prime Minister Narendra Modi discussing cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.

Only time will tell if the military initiatives under AUKUS actually complement the non-military ones under the Quad to take on China in the Indo-Pacific. India, of course, will have to prepare for any eventuality.

(The writer is a senior journalist. Twitter: @ParulChandraP)
Mara and Geetha from Mysuru had decided to end their nearly three-decade-long marriage owing to personal differences. The divorce was confirmed in 2018, but given that the issue of alimony was still pending, they agreed to a mutual settlement in the Lok Adalat held last month, on August 14.

The matter was settled not in maintenance to be given to the spouse but by way of reuniting the couple. Such a turnaround is attributed to the environment in a Lok Adalat court room as against usual courtroom proceedings.

The Karnataka State Legal Services Authority (KSLSA), which has been conducting mega Lok Adalats to settle certain select old pending cases, proudly announced that on August 14, some 21 such reunions materialised in Mysuru alone.

This is exactly in consonance with what Chief Justice of India N V Ramana proposed in a recent programme held in Bengaluru.

He emphasised the need for Indianisation of the judicial system. Explaining further, Justice Ramana said there is a need to adapt to the practical realities of our society and localise the justice delivery system. Against this backdrop, the Lok Adalat could well be a step forward in taking the justice delivery system to the doorsteps of the litigants.

The Lok Adalat is proving to be an innovative mechanism to settle disputes and reduce pendency of court cases.

Across the country, some 19.88 lakh pending court cases have been settled in state Lok Adalats since 2018.

Haryana tops the list, with an 18% share in total cases disposed, followed closely by Karnataka (13.3%), Odisha (10.25%) & Delhi (9.69%).

During the pandemic, Karnataka disposed of 1.29 lakh cases through state Lok Adalats.

A single sitting of a mega Lok Adalat (several Lok Adalats held across the state on a single day) in March this year saw some 3.12 lakh cases getting disposed of, with Rs 18 crore of penalties imposed. The KSLSA estimates that this single instance also saved the state exchequer Rs 123-odd crore, by way of judges' remuneration and office costs.

Considering these aspects, there is no doubt that Lok Adalat has been a success. But should this system be encouraged, or is it an indication that the legal system needs a revamp?

With a statutory status under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987, the Lok Adalat is one of the alternative dispute redressal mechanisms now made popular by various legal services authorities.

But not all legal cases can be referred to Lok Adalats.

Most cases listed are accident claim cases and compoundable offences. The other categories of cases that have been recently posted arise out of land acquisition proceedings, usually on claims for enhancement of compensation.

Every award of the Lok Adalat is deemed to be a decree of the civil court and the court fee paid in such cases shall be refunded.

More importantly, the award made by the Lok Adalat is final and binding on all the parties to dispute and with no possibility of appeal against such an award.

Recently, the KSLSA has also taken an initiative to list civil suits for settlements in Lok Adalats.

But is this enough?

Data from the National Judicial Data Grid (as of September 25), shows some 19.31 lakh cases pending in various district courts in Karnataka alone.

This includes 6.13 lakh civil cases. In all, 28% of these cases have been pending in the lower courts for more than three years.

With just 1,072 courts to deal with all types of legal matters, the rising volume of cases along with the increasing rate of pendency is a matter of concern.

Compared to this, Lok Adalats in the state have settled just 22.61 lakh cases over the course of more than two decades, from April 1997 till January 2020.

Harish Narasappa, an advocate and co-founder of the not-for-profit organisation Daksh India, says the Lok Adalat system could focus more on fresh cases. Settling old cases through mediation is a great effort. But in my personal opinion, it is ideal if mediation is done within the first 6-12 months of cases being filed. At the early stage, parties involved in the litigation are in doubt about whether to settle or to continue the litigation, considering the merits of the case.

But what is wrong in settling cases that are pending for 15-20 years?

Some advocates, who do not wish to be named, say that litigants get frustrated because of the delay in the justice delivery system.

Going to court may not necessarily be a good option. When you file a case before the court, you expect the case to be decided one way or the other within a stipulated time. When you are given a choice to settle after a long wait for justice, it is nothing but pushing the clients to go for a settlement, the advocate said.

Drop in the ocean

The high number of pendency even in Lok Adalat cases raises another pertinent question: Is this system sufficient to address the real issue of delay in the delivery of justice?

Speaking to DH, former Supreme Court judge and former Karnataka Lokayukta Justice N Santosh Hegde said that the judiciary has to take note of the pendency among the new cases filed in the past 5-10 years. He said that there is a need to revamp the justice delivery system to weed out speculative litigations/filings.

While Lok Adalat is being pressed into service to settle old cases, much needs to be done to tackle the new pending cases. We have a system in place which allows people to file repeated appeals or revisions. Many developed countries have evolved this method of not more than one appeal/revision in certain categories of cases. What we are seeing today is that any case can be taken up till the Supreme Court. The judges in the Supreme Court are also human beings. The only way to instill faith in the judiciary is to weed out speculative litigations, by restricting 2-3 revisions. Like Lok Adalat, which is a final settlement and there cannot be any appeal on such a settlement, judicial review will have to be limited only to certain categories of cases, he says.

Mandatory mediation

With the success of settling old cases through Lok Adalats, there is a demand to include mediation in as many disputes as possible.

Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka, judge of the Supreme Court who was the Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court, had suggested that the litigants in motor vehicle accident claim cases need to be informed about the settlement facility through Lok Adalat at the stage of filing of claim petition itself.

A case in point is a provision in Commercial Courts Act 2015.

According to section 12A of this Act, the plaintiff has the mandatory obligation to initiate the mediation process. However, a senior advocate pointed out that according to the Commercial Courts (Pre-Institution Mediation and Settlement) Rules 2018, the opposing party has the right to refuse to participate in the mediation process.

What is now in the pipeline is the Mediation Bill, which is expected to be tabled in the parliament soon. In July, Justice Ramana had emphasised the need for a law to make mediation a mandatory first step in the dispute resolution process.

He said that mandating mediation would certainly help reduce the backlog of three crore pending cases in the country.

And as Justice Hegde pointed out in March 2021, litigants today are in dire need of ways to come out of the judicial process.

This could either be done through the Lok Adalat or a mandatory mediation process.

Though the constitution specifically does not say access to justice is a fundamental right, it has been stated so in clear terms by the Apex Court that it is a right of every citizen. There is another aspect of the judicial system other than access to justice. And that is to come out of the justice system which should be fast and quick, Justice Hegde said.
Charanjit Singh Channi is the accidental Chief Minister of Punjab, his name having come through the infamous elimination round that is often part and parcel of political systems. But it is a development which many in Congress believe will end up benefiting it electorally.

A senior but low profile leader from the Sikh Dalit community, Channi, who took oath as CM September 20, was mindful of reason for his elevation; he hailed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as a revolutionary leader. Standing next to PCC chief Navjot Singh Sidhu, who is widely believed as the future face of the party to take over as next CM if Congress wins the Assembly polls due early next year, the MLA from Chamkaur Sahib gave a long speech spelling out his vision for the state pitching his government as one dedicated to Aam Aadmi and Kisan.

Channis taking over led to the impression that he was only a stop-gap arrangement; it threatened to undo any of the electoral gains that Congress could reap by naming a Dalit as CM. This forced AICC in-charge Harish Rawat to correct his earlier statement and clarify that the 2022 Assembly election will be fought with both Sidhu and Channi as the party faces.

Also read: New Punjab Cabinet: 7 fresh faces likely to join Channi's team

Now this is a tight rope walk that the Congress has do to in a state which has more than 31% Dalit population while it is the Jat Sikh, who has dominated the Chief Ministerial space ever since it came into being. Channi is the first Dalit CM. Former CM Captain Amarinder Singh as well as Sidhu are from Jat Sikh community. In this backdrop, both the situations - either replacement or continuation of Channi if Congress wins the election, will be a tricky affair for the party.







Sidhu could not be made CM because the party was keen to avoid a clear split with the outgoing CM declaring publicly he would fight any such move tooth and nail. That the Congress has not gone hammer and tongs slamming the former CM even after his direct attack on Gandhi siblings (Rahul and Priyanka), calling them inexperienced, tells a lot about the worry in the party if the Captain chooses to rock the boat midway, by splitting the party. Congress is not keen to fire the former CM so that he gets an opportunity to play the victim card but Singh has already unleashed a campaign against not only Sidhu and the partys central leadership but also against the Channi.

Amarinder Singh is up to ensure that Sidhu does not get the coveted post even after the Assembly polls. If Sidhu behaves as super CM, Punjab Congress wont function, he said after Sidhu shared a photo of his accompanying the Chief Minister and the two newly-appointed Deputy Chief Ministers in a chartered flight to Delhi to meet the Congress top brass.

The new CM has the challenge of proving that he is not a dummy or a rubber stamp, an impression, which could spoil the prospects of Congress as well as he himself.

Sukhbir Singh Badal, chief of Opposition party Akali Dal, which has tied up with Mayawatis BSP, asked the Congress to spell out who its CMs face is for the next years Assembly polls. First, the Congress high command announced one name but when an objection was raised it announced two names. Soon, there may be three leaders who will be given this assignment. Punjabis want to know who the real leader is, Badal said in a statement.

With internal rumblings continuing within state Congress and Opposition Akali Dal, AAP and BJP not sparing a single opportunity to slam the new dispensation, Channi has a tough target in the border state to live up to the expectation, given the hierarchical nature of the politics and the shadow of Sidhu.

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Retired Director General and Inspector General of Police Shankar Mahadev Bidari stated that unless the politicians stop collecting money for postings and transfers from officials of home and revenue departments, it is not possible to eradicate corruption in government departments.

Inaugurating retired police officers bhavan, here on Sunday, he said the government, irrespective of any party that comes to power, has cultivated the practice of collecting money from police officers and revenue department officers for postings and transfers. Those who pay bribe to the politicians will indulge in corruption to compensate for the bribe paid to the government. So politicians must end this practice, he demanded.

"Police, judges, and advocates must be allowed to discharge their duties promptly. In many developed countries like America, France, Japan, children of president are punished if they go against the rule. But in India, VIPs are not punished at all. People with poor background are punished. People who looted crores of rupees are shielded in India. The judiciary system must be strengthened for the progress of a nation. BJP, Congress and JD(S) leaders promise voters that they would develop the state if they are voted to power. It is nothing but a myth as all parties are the same with regard to corruption," he said.
Climate change will bring major changes in Karnatakas agriculture landscape by 2035 with a study flagging drop in the yield of major crops such as ragi, rice, groundnut, redgram, soybean while some crops like cotton and sugarcane will see an increase in yield, thereby increasing the risk of glut in market.

Macro studies have already indicated that a temperature rise of 2 to 3.5 degrees Celsius will lead to up to 25% loss in net agriculture revenue. However, The vulnerability assessment by H S Shivaramu, former head of Agrometeorology section in University of Agricultural Sciences-Bengaluru, used crop simulation models to arrive at scenarios specific to Karnataka.

The overall productivity of crops during 2035 showed a 5.6% decline in productivity of rice compared to the existing yield. Other crops fared worse with productivity loss of sorghum put at 20.3%, soybean 28.9%, redgram 19.2%, ragi 12% and groundnut 9.6%.

There will be an increase in the yield of some crops that thrive in a relatively high carbon-di-oxide atmosphere due to the moisture-retaining nature of the soil in which they are grown. So, the productivity of cotton will go up by 55.6%, followed by maize (24.5%), chickpea (13.5%) and sugarcane (6.1%).

That the yield of some crops goes up may not be the bright side of the issue, said Prof Shvaramu, now dean of Horticulture College in Kolar. Several problems may crop up. As some crops thrive, more farmers may adopt them, leading to a glut in the market. We are staring at a future where the diversity of crops is eroded and the cope-up mechanism of the farmers cant withstand the weather extremes, he told DH.

The study assessed the risk to crops based on data on soil properties, crop yield (2001 to 2018 data from the Union Agriculture Ministry), climate data (1981-2018) from IMD, rainfall projection by IISc (2021 to 2050) among other materials.

Welcoming the adoption of some of the existing mitigation measures, including crop diversification, drip irrigation and groundwater recharging among others, the study has proposed weather-based cropping pattern, strengthening the agrometry services, flood adaptation and more programmes to encourage organic farming and conserve soil health.
Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Sunday said the government is mulling hosting the winter session of the state legislature in this border district in December, and more government offices will be shifted here, by then.

"Already orders have been issued and instructions given to officials to start the functioning of the Sugar Directorate from here from October 3, also orders have been issued to shift some government offices here, while it is yet to be issued for few others, and we will take necessary action in this regard," Bommai said.

Speaking to reporters, he said, "there is a thinking to hold the legislature session here in December, it will be placed before the cabinet for approval, and all those offices that can be shifted here by December, will be shifted."

Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah and Legislative Council Chairman Basavaraj Horatti had urged the government to hold the monsoon session of the legislature in Belagavi, but it was held in state capital Bengaluru from September 13 to 24.

If held in December as planned, this will be the first legislature session in Belagavi, after the BJP came to power in 2019. Sessions have not been held in Belagavi in the last two years due to floods and Covid-19 pandemic.

Belagavi in north Karnataka, bordering Maharashtra, has been hosting legislature sessions once a year since 2006. Karnataka has constructed the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha, modelled on the Vidhana Soudha, the seat of state secretariat and legislature in Bengaluru, for this purpose, and it is also seen as an assertion that Belagavi is an integral part of Karnataka.

Maharashtra claims that Belagavi belongs to it. Other than the session held once a year for about two weeks, the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha building remains mostly unutilised. It has been a long-standing demand of the people of north Karnataka to shift some government offices to Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belagavi, aimed at addressing regional imbalance, and for the benefit of citizens of the regions, who otherwise have to travel to Bengaluru.

In 2018, then Congress-JDS coalition government in the state had given in principle approval to shift some government departments, boards and commissions to the north Karnataka region to address the alleged discrimination.

Last year, the then Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa had directed authorities to identify state level government offices to be shifted to Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belagavi within a month and execute it.

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''We need action, not just words" if we are to avoid empty shelves in our shops a Derry truck driver has said.

Philip McKinney, an Alliance councillor on Derry City and Strabane District Council, said government intervention was needed 'quickly' if we are not to have permanent empty shelves.

He said: "We need action, not just words. I'm an Alliance councillor, but I'm saying this as a truck driver of 40 years experience.

I don't have all the answers. We need government intervention - and quickly - if we are not to have empty shelves permanently.

He said there were four main reasons for a shortage of drivers.

Brexit: a lot of our drivers from countries like Romania went back to the EU.

Training - If you're 18, you can apply for a LGV+C provisional licence. But to get a full LGV C+E licence, can cost between 1,600 and 2,000. What young person has that sort of money available? But many training companies try to help with payment plans.

There are very few government incentives for young people. But there are ways to bring people into the industry without fees.

Truck driver, Alliiance Councillor Philip McKinney.

At the English depot of one Northern Ireland hauler, an apprenticeship scheme was introduced - run in conjunction with a training company with government grants. And successful apprentices walked straight into full-time jobs.

As well as being responsible for a 50,000 truck and high value cargo, a driver needs to know the traffic laws of the country they're driving in, EU driver hour regulations, road transport regulations, hazardous goods legislation and licences, working time directive; health and safety regulations; and the driver Certificate of Professional Competence.

Cllr McKinney said wages were 'obviously important.'

He added: The average is around 10 per hour, unless you have specialist freight.

"The hauliers aren't totally to blame for this because in the past the client dictated the haulage rate and to a small haulier every penny counted. It was 'sink or swim.' If we want to keep goods moving, haulage and drivers' rates are going to rise - unfortunately for the consumer.

Describing infrastructure in this part of the world as 'abysmal,' Councillor McKinney added: It's an embarrassment that we still don't have a motorway/dual carriageway between Belfast and the North West.

For example, if I have to take a load from Birmingham to Gweedore Industrial Estate in Donegal, I join the M6 motorway to Scotland. I take my breaks in motorway services with proper facilities. I get the ferry from Cairnryan to Belfast and continue to Gweedore.

I have to have a full daily rest of minimum nine hours. So, where are the facilities between Belfast and Gweedore? Its scandalous that drivers must put up with the lack of facilities in Northern Ireland.

Where are the proper facilities where a driver can sit down, eat a meal in comfort, with proper shower and toilets, and park my truck in a secure area.

And facilities are even worse for female drivers.

Concluding, Counillor McKinney said: Actions, please - not just words."
Tiger 3: Salman Khan became fond of his on-screen rival Emraan Hashmi while shooting in Turkey, Austria

Back in August this year, Katrina Kaif and Salman Khan headed to Russia to kick off the international leg of their much awaited action thriller Tiger 3. Well, they were later joined by their co-star Emraan Hashmi for the shooting schedules in Turkey and Austria. While Salman and Kat will reprise their beloved characters Tiger and Zoya, Emraan will reportedly be seen as a sophisticated villain who will sport multiple looks for the film. He has also been described as Pakistans Tiger in a few reports.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Emraan Hashmi (@therealemraan)

While Salman and Emraan will be seen as rivals on-screen, the latest report shared by ETimes has revealed that their on-set relationship is the exact opposite! The two apparently became good friends while shooting in Turkey and Austria. A source was quoted saying, Salman is very fond of Emraan Hashmi and it was obvious on the sets and after each shot, the actor would go up to Emraan and at times even pat him on his back. They had become buddies on set.

The source also revealed that 65 percent of Tiger 3 has been completed. A set is now being built at YRF studio in Mumbai. The team will be returning to the city in the next couple of days. Other than Tiger 3, another project that will keep Salman really busy is Bigg Boss season 15.
Tisca Chopra's Instagram account hacked, actress files case

Actor Tisca Chopra on Sunday said her Instagram account has been hacked and asked her followers to not respond to any suspicious links sent from her page. The 47-year-old actor took to Instagram and posted a note informing that many of her pictures and videos have been "deleted". Chopra said she has filed a case with the cybercrime cell and the officials are looking into the matter.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ellipstore Jewellery (@ellipstore)

"You guys must know how much I love interacting with you all here on the gram. I love sharing my life, work and fun content with you. Sadly my account has been hacked, a lot of posts deleted and my account messed with. The lovely peeps at @instagram along with the cybercrime cell assure me that this will be dealt with very fast.. and with strong consequences for the hacker(s)," she wrote.

Hi .. my @instagram account has been hacked .. request anyone getting a link from my account to not respond.. the case is with Cyber Crime now .. should catch the culprits soon. Meanwhile@do enable two factor authentication in all apps please   Tisca Chopra (@tiscatime) September 25, 2021

The actor, who has more than a million followers on the social media platform, asked her fans to "not click on any links or DMs" from her account. "Commenting on posts and liking them is safe," she added. We hope that the matter is solved soon and the cybercrime cell is able to nab the offenders.

Chopra was last seen on the Disney+Hotstar series "Hostages" and the 2019 feature "Good Newwz".
Eijaz Khan meets Pavitra Punia's parents: "I had sweaty palms and was a little awkward"

Eijaz Khan and Pavitra Punia have been painting the town red ever since the duo expressed their love for each other on Bigg Boss 14. Just like Eijaz had promised his lady love, he had taken her to meet his father some months back. And now it was Pavitra's turn to make him meet her parents. And well, that has happened.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Eijaz Khan (@eijazkhan)

Talking to a leading daily, Eijaz revealed how his experience was meeting Pavitra's parents. He said, I had already met her brother in Mumbai. So this time, I met her mom and her dad. We spent some time together, and they were very welcoming. I didnt feel that I was meeting them for the first time, probably because they have seen too much of me in Bigg Boss."

So did he feel nervous? He added, "It was nice, but next time I will open up a bit more. I had sweaty palms and was a little awkward. But I had already told Pavitra that if there are awkward silences, jump in and start talking.

Pavitra and Eijaz recently spent some time in the Corbett National Park. They were also spotted together at an award function.
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PORTALES  With Coming Back to Life as the homecoming theme at Eastern New Mexico University, the universitys Department of Theatre and Digital Filmmaking is presenting a comedy about a ghost who returns to haunt her novelist husband.

The play is Blithe Spirit, written in 1941 by Noel Coward.

It will be the first live production at ENMU since February 2020, according to Anne Beck, professor of theater and the plays director.

Shows are 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, with a 2 p.m. Sunday matinee, at the ENMU Theatre Center at West Second Street and West University Drive. Tickets are $10 for general admission, $7 for seniors 60 and older and active military and free to ENMU students with a current ID. While face masks will not by worn by the performers, they will be required for audience members.

Beck said there are some parallels between 1941, when the play was written, and today. Coward wrote the play in five days during the Nazi bombing of London in World War II, Beck said, adding that there is a lot of trepidation in the air today due to COVID-19.

The ENMU production will reproduce conditions in Kent, England in 1941, Beck said.

A new faculty member, Josh Blackwood, instructor of technical theater, is in charge of sets, costumes and lights, she said.

Student cast members include Kieran Verduzco, Samantha Bartl, Liam Hurley, Aric Saiz, Alexis Whitteker, Israel Stacy and Nevaeh Jones.

The comedy concerns a novelist who hosts a seance at his home to acquire material for a novel. The seance conjures up the novelists first wife, which results in trouble for the writer, a school release said.
PORTALES  Following a brief executive session, Portales city councilors voted Tuesday night to accept a settlement with the state that will put just over $75,000 in the city coffers.

By a 6-0 vote, councilors followed their 10-minute closed session with approval of the settlement with the New Mexico Tax and Revenue Department. The city was one of 44 municipalities that sued the department over underreported gross receipts taxes between 2010 and 2017. City Attorney Steve Doerr told The News following the meeting the total settlement was $85,982.76 for the city, and a net of $76,659 after attorneys fees and other costs.

In other business during the 30-minute meeting:

 Public Works Director John DeSha told councilors there were no impacts on the citys water supply from the prior weekends incident at the Super 8 hotel where methamphetamine was believed to be discovered in the water supply. Law enforcement later reported the substance in question was salt as the test turned in a false positive.

The News filed a public records request for the incident report, and has been told by the Portales Police Department to expect the report early this week.

 The council approved a donation from Faith Christian Family Church of two thermal cameras for the Portales Fire Department. Fire Chief T.J. Cathey showed councilors the pocket-sized cameras, and demonstrated their accuracy by showing the slight heat signature left from putting his hand on the dais.

Tyler Cockrell of the church said the gesture was a way for the church to be part of the community, and that it has three more cameras coming for the PFD. Cockrell said the church is working on five cameras for the Clovis Fire Department as well.

 Councilors approved a communication to the state requesting changes to the Public Employees Retirement Association of New Mexico. City Manager Sarah Austin said the current rules require a retired municipal employee to give up any pension payments should they decide to work in another municipal position, and any money they pay into PERA during that period doesnt benefit them when they resume retirement.

Austin said the rules disincentivize an experienced employee from coming in to help a short-staffed municipality.

 Councilors introduced an amendment to their recently-passed ordinance on cannabis consumption and sales. Doerr said he was contacted by an attorney who said the existing ordinance could be misconstrued to define city streets as public places. Doerr said that misreading, plus the requirement cannabis establishments be at least 300 feet from public places, would render the entire city off limits, and that was clearly not the councils intent.

 Randy Dunson of American Legion Post 31 said the first day of a veteran gravesite restoration project was postponed to 8 a.m. Nov. 6 following a concern that has since been assuaged. Dunson said one relative of a veteran buried there

The work will take sunken headstones from veteran graves, raise them back to ground level and install pavers as reinforcement.

Dunson said the goal is to do a workday every month. Public Works Director John DeSha said city staff will allow volunteers to store their equipment in a secure shed at the cemetery so they dont have to worry about hauling it in and out every workday.

 The next meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Sept. 5.
The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, the New Mexico State Game Commission and NGL Energy Partners on Thursday held a ribbon cutting ceremony for the expansion of the Prairie Chicken Wildlife Management Areas.

At one time, half of the prairie chicken population lived in western Kansas, Colorado and eastern New Mexico. But due to gas and oil developments, their population has gone down 97% in the last century. They received an endangered status in 2017.

At the end of June 2021, the State Game Commission purchased the Pipkin Ranch Management Area consisting of 7,500 acres of land and combined it with two other existing state game commission properties making it 10,000 acres now. This was part of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grishams 30 by 30 plan, which is an executive order vowing to conserve 30% of all lands in New Mexico by 2030. It also will provide opportunities to broaden and ensure movement across the landscape. This will help the WMA to be able expand recreational freedom for the public, such as wildlife viewing and hunting.

Thursdays ceremony was held about 40 miles southeast of Fort Sumner.
A CORK TD has urged the Minister for Justice to look at Garda resources in urban areas experiencing rapid growth amid concerns about Carrigaline Garda station.

Speaking in the Dail on the Garda Siochana (Functions and Operational Areas) Bill 2021, Sinn Fein TD Donnchadh O Laoghaire stated that areas experiencing rapid growth are very often profoundly under-resourced in Garda numbers.

Huge growth in population

He flagged concerns over Carrigaline garda station.

Within living memory, there were fewer than 1,000 people in Carrigaline and now there are almost 20,000 people, which is up by some 8,000 people in the past six or seven years, he said.

This presents a number of issues.

The Cork South-Central TD stated that the station does not have a computer-aided dispatch, CAD, system.

It is absurd for a town of that size to not have a Garda station that is properly equipped.

He urged the Minister to consider the need to monitor areas that are growing rapidly, where garda numbers are not keeping pace with that, and where the number of incidents in those locations are not keeping pace with that.

Speaking to The Echo, he said there are resource issues at the station.

Myself and others have been pushing this for four or five years. Whatever about a few years ago, the town keeps on growing and theres a big young population in the town and its going to keep growing.

The garda resources available to a town that size.... needs to be proportionate to the size of the town and the outlying area.

24 hour cover needed

He said the station should be effectively open 24 hours.

Probably the more important thing in the shorter term is ensuring that they have the vehicles that are necessary and that there are two cars out at night.

That would make a huge difference because it means that all the gardai arent tied up with something if something emerges at night or if something emerges in one of the outlying areas.

He added that there is frustration in the area over the matter.

While An Garda Siochana do not comment on operational matters, a spokesperson recently told The Echo that a number of proactive policing patrols have been put in place to combat anti-social behaviour in the Carrigaline and Crosshaven areas with additional members deployed to the areas at weekends.
TRANSITION Year students from Midleton College were presented with JCPA certificates in recognition of completing their first three years in the school on Friday, September 24.

The presentation of the Junior Cycle Profile of Achievement to 80 TY students took place yesterday on their school grounds during an informal ceremony that featured the students and their teachers.

Millie Bowles (left) and Grainne Finn at the presentation of the Junior Cycle Profile of Achievement at Midleton College.

Chris Baker who teaches history at Midleton College said the idea for the presentation of the certificates was created internally to recognise the efforts of the students during their first three years in secondary school.

It is our own internal awards for achievements throughout their first three years of school. These certificates were a good incentive for the students to work hard in school to achieve their goals. It is important to recognise their achievements, not just in exams but in their extracurricular activities and other assignments. It is nice to acknowledge their hard work during their first three years in the school, he said.

Dylan Sandes, (left) Maedbh McGuckin, and Andrew Taylor at the presentation of the Junior Cycle Profile of Achievement at Midleton College.

Mr Baker said the ceremony was very informal, with the presence of an ice-cream van following the presentations proving most popular with the students.

It was a small and informal ceremony. The ice cream van always goes down a treat with everyone.

The presentation of the Junior Cycle Profile of Achievement to last years Form III students is probably quite a unique event among Cork schools."

"The Junior Cycle exams were cancelled once again last summer and we presented these internal certificates in lieu of the Junior Certificate. They are personal certificates of achievement. They take in the entirety of their schooling, not just exams. It is a better reflection of their real abilities.

"They have missed out on a lot of stuff over the last two years. They have been denied the opportunity to sit the State exams and this presentation is a tribute to them. We feel their achievements over the first three years should be acknowledged, he added.

Trudi Kearney (left) and Charlotte O'Brien enjoying ice cream at the presentation of the Junior Cycle Profile of Achievement at Midleton College. Picture Denis Minihane.

The teacher said Midleton College which is a co-educational secondary school is thriving at present.

Aisling Curtin and Frank Dong at the presentation of the Junior Cycle Profile of Achievement at Midleton College. Picture Denis Minihane.

We are a very progressive school and we are thriving. We have a hard-working and dynamic staff. We are growing all the time.

"We have a few new prefab buildings and we are always expanding. We also have a nice international mix of students in the school from Japan, Spain, Germany, America, and France which creates a nice atmosphere.
Born into a family of farmers, agriculture has always been a passion for Kattappana native Jobis Joseph, who migrated to Ireland in search of a job around 10 years ago. Now, in the North Atlantic Island of Ireland, in a county overlooking Mount Seskin, Jobis has joined hands with Shabu Paul and Brijoy John to cultivate vegetables and fruits in the farmland allotted to them by Bohernabreena Allotments. The Bohernabreena Allotments with 40 plots was established by Paddy Phibbs, a local farmer, in 2012.

Shabu is a native of Kolenchery in Ernakulam, while Brijoy is from Taliparamba in Kannur. The duo arrived in Ireland in search of a job five years ago. While Jobis has been working as a manager with the MHL group in Dublin, Shabu and Brijoy are employed in the food industry.

The Malayali trio has been cultivating 16 varieties of vegetables and fruits  strawberry, blueberry, balloon berry and gooseberry, in addition to vegetables like carrot, cauliflower, potato and broccoli  in the the farmland for the past two years. Their hard labour has yielded fruit, as they bagged the best organic vegetable and fruit grower prize 2021 in a county-level farm exhibition held at Tallaght in South Dublin on September 4.

As many as 74 allotment holders had participated in the exhibition.County councillor Brian Lawler presented the trophy for best organic vegetable and fruit grower to the trio at the valedictory function. Tending to our plants gives us satisfaction and provides some relief from all the stress. We are now experimenting with some Kerala vegetables in our farm. Though we are staying around 10km away, we spend our free hours here. There are many Indians in our locality and we distribute the farm produce to them, said Jobis.
Mandatory school mask requirements lowered COVID-19 infection outbreaks among children, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The CDC analysed 520 US counties and found that paediatric cases rose sharply in places where school mask requirements were not made mandatory, The Washington Post reported.

Schools without mask requirements were 3.5 times more likely to experience an outbreak than schools with them, revealed a separate report on Arizona's two most populous counties.

Opening of school, for the new academic year, has already shown a surge in infections among children.

More than 900,000 students in 44 states had been affected by closures between August 1 and mid-September, the CDC report revealed.

For about 17 per cent of US counties, pediatric cases rose after schools reopened. And counties without mask requirements saw larger increases - about 18 cases per 100,000 more - than those with them. Among the counties the CDC studied, a majority - about 62 per cent - did not have school mask mandates, the report said.

While "the results may not be generalisable" yet, "school mask requirements, along with other prevention strategies, including COVID-19 vaccination, are critical to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in schools," the CDC said.

Although polls show that a majority of parents support mask requirements - and despite recommendations from paediatricians and the CDC - schools remain bitterly divided over whether to implement them. Opponents of mask mandates say parents should get to decide whether their children wear them, the report said.

Various studies have shown evidence supporting the efficacy of masks in reducing the spread of the coronavirus, including with children and within schools. In July, the CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended universal masking in schools to ward off the more contagious delta variant. In North Carolina, researchers closely tracking 100 school districts with mask mandates from March to June found very little transmission in schools.

The new CDC report, despite its limitations, represents "a meaningful contribution" to the existing body of research, Danny Benjamin is a pediatrics professor at Duke University was quoted as saying.

"It's the first publication that studies the delta variant in American schools that compares schools with and without a mask policy," Benjamin said.
The FBI covertly ran an encrypted communications platform for years that allowed it to intercept 20 million messages from international criminal organizations. Hundreds of arrests have been made across 18 countries as part of the investigation known as Operation Trojan Shield. Suspects, including members of the Italian Mafia and outlaw motorcycle gangs, are among those that have been charged. Australian Police, who helped conceive the sting, have arrested 224 offenders and seized 3.7 tonnes of drugs and $44.9 million in cash and assets.

The crackdown was essentially borne out of the demise of a popular encrypted phone service, known as Phantom Secure, according to newly unsealed court documents. After that enterprise was shut down and its CEO arrested in 2018, the FBI used a "source" to peddle a new app, dubbed "Anom," to criminal networks. Unknown to those who used the devices featuring the platform, the FBI had built a master key into its encryption system. This allowed agents to surreptitiously monitor each message and enabled them to decrypt and store messages as they were transmitted.

Over the following months, the app organically grew on the back of a "beta test" in Australia and the dismantling of two additional encryption phone enterprises, Encrochat and Sky Global. The FBI's supply-side "source" used this window to distribute Anom devices to criminals who had used those now-defunct messaging channels. The phones grew in popularity within the underworld after high-profile criminals vouched for the app's integrity, Australian Police noted.

"These criminal influencers put [law enforcement] in the back pocket of hundreds of alleged offenders," Australian Federal Police commissioner Reece Kershaw said in a statement. "Essentially, they have handcuffed each other by endorsing and trusting AN0M and openly communicating on it  not knowing we were watching the entire time."

Overall, law enforcement have catalogued the aforementioned 20 million messages from a total of 11,800 devices located in over 90 countries. Breaking down the surveillance process, the FBI said that phones outside of the US routed an encrypted BCC of the message to an iBot server. From there, it was decrypted from the encryption code and then immediately re-encrypted with FBI encryption code. The message was then routed to a second FBI-owned iBot server, where it was decrypted and its content made available for viewing.

Each Anom user was also assigned to a particular Jabber Identification (JID) by the FBI's supply-side source or an Anom administrator. A JID is akin to a PIN in Blackberry Messenger, according to the documents, which describe it "as either a fixed, unique alphanumeric identification or, in the case of more recent devices, a combination of two English words." Anom users were also able to select their own usernames and could change their list of usernames over time. As part of the operation, the FBI maintained a list of JIDs and corresponding screen names of Anom users.

In all, roughly 9,000 Anom devices are currently active in the wild. According to the FBI, it has identified over 300 transnational criminal organizations using the chat platform. The Australian Police, which helped intercept local messages, said the communications included alleged plots to kill, mass drug trafficking and gun distribution. Additional offenders include those linked to an Asian crime syndicate and Albanian organised crime. Meanwhile, New Zealand Police have made 35 arrests and seized $3.7 million in assets as part of their interlinked operation.
Your current phone might get security patches for several years to come, at least if Germany has its way. C't reports the German federal government is pushing the European Union to require seven years of security updates and spare parts for smartphones as part of negotiations with the European Commission. That's two years longer than a recent Commission proposal, and would effectively give phones a more computer-like support cycle.

Both proposals are unsurprisingly facing pushback from manufacturers. The industry advocacy group DigitalEurope (which counts Apple, Google and Samsung as some of its members) wants a requirement for just three years of security updates, and wants to limit spare parts to screens and batteries rather than cameras, speakers and other components that are supposedly more reliable.

DigitalEurope is effectively arguing for the status quo, in other words. While Apple typically delivers five years of regular feature and security updates, many Android vendors stop at three or less. Samsung only committed to four years of security fixes in 2021. Some of this has been dictated by Qualcomm's update policy, but it's clear the brands themselves are sometimes reluctant to change.

This extended support might become crucial. The EU's proposal, potentially in effect by 2023, is meant to help the environment by letting you keep phones for longer. They'd stay protected and functional for roughly twice the 2.5 to 3.5 years you see today.

However, this could also be vital for bolstering mobile security as a whole. Just over 40 percent of Android users are running 9.0 Pie or earlier, according to StatCounter's August 2021 usage share data  a large portion of mobile users have devices that either stopped receiving security updates or are close to losing them. Longer support periods could prevent attackers from targeting old phones that, at present, have been left permanently vulnerable to exploits patched in newer software.
HBO Max is heading to Europe. Back in June, the streaming service finally became available outside the US when it expanded to 39 territories across Latin America and the Caribbean. Now, the WarnerMedia-owned platform is making its debut in Europe on October 26th, starting with six countries in particular: Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Spain and Andorra.

As part of the service's phased rollout, 14 other European regions will get access to it next year, namely Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia and Slovenia. WarnerMedia is also planning more territory launches for 2022, though it didn't say whether it's making the streaming service available in more continents.

Johannes Larcher, Head of HBO Max International, said in a statement:

"This is a historic moment as HBO Max lands in Europe. WarnerMedia movies and series like Harry Potter, Game of Thrones and The Big Bang Theory are passionately consumed by fans all across Europe, and HBO Max has been created to provide them with the most intuitive and convenient viewing experience to watch these and a diverse range of other amazing titles."

HBO Max typically offers two types of plans: Standard and Mobile. In the US, there's also an ad-supported tier that costs $10 a month instead of $15. As always, its subscription prices in Europe will vary per region, though it will likely be around that much, as well. WarnerMedia will reveal more details, including the service's prices and content offering in Europe, at a virtual launch event in October.
Samsung thinks it has a better way to develop brain-like chips: borrow existing brain structures. The tech firm has proposed a method that would "copy and paste" a brain's neuron wiring map to 3D neuromorphic chips. The approach would rely on a nanoelectrode array that enters a large volumes of neurons to record both where the neurons connect and the strength of those connections. You could copy that data and 'paste' it to a 3D network of solid-state memory, whether it's off-the-shelf flash storage or cutting-edge memory like resistive RAM.

Each memory unit would have a conductance that reflects the strength of each neuron connection in the map. The result would be an effective return to "reverse engineering the brain" like scientists originally wanted, Samsung said.

The move could serve as a 'shortcut' to artificial intelligence systems that behave like real brains, including the flexibility to learn new concepts and adapt to changing conditions. You might even see fully autonomous machines with true cognition, according to the researchers.

There's a glaring problem with complexity, however. As a human brain has roughly 100 billion neurons with a thousand times more synaptic links, an ideal neuromorphic chip would need about 100 trillion memory units. That's clearly a difficult challenge for any company, and that doesn't include the code needed to make this virtual brain work. Samsung may have opened a door to human-like AI, but it could take a long time before anyone reaches that goal.
Israeli troops killed four Hamas militants in gun battles during raids against one of the group's cells in the occupied West Bank, an Israeli military spokesperson said.
AUDUSD is approaching the 2021 low at the end of aa challenging week.

Risk off and falls in China and commodities are weighing on the Aussie.

Minutes from the RBA dont help the bullish case either and Lowe insists hikes are likely in 2024, considerably later than other central bank projections.

Fridays session ends a very eventful week of heightened market volatility. Indices and the majority of risk markets made large declines on Monday as the Evergrande crisis triggered brief panic. This move set the low for the rest of the week and an even larger recovery developed over the next three sessions to exceed the previous weeks close despite the situation being far from resolved. Wednesdays FOMC gave a respite from the Evergrande headlines and delivered a short-term dovish message softening a more hawkish longer-term one. Any official taper announcement was pushed back until at least November, but the shift in the dot plot suggests rate hikes are more probable next year. This sparked a rally in yields with the 10Y hitting highs last seen in mid-July.

Currencies were generally uneventful throughout. While the US dollar initially threatened to break to new 2021 highs, the move faded back inside last weeks range. EURUSD remains anchored around the 1.17 level and the Aussie and Kiwi were mildly weaker. So far, AUDUSD has held higher lows with the August low despite a number of negative drivers. This could bode well for the coming months as the economy is expected to bounce back on the easing of restrictions, but the outlook for the near-term is challenging.

AUD Holding on Despite the RBA

The hawkish leanings by both the Fed and the BoE got all the attention this week, but we also heard from the RBA as the minutes from the September meeting were released. These provided some valuable insights on the banks decision to continue with its asset purchases tapering despite the strains on the economy from the lockdowns.

With the economy expected to return to its pre-Delta path by mid-2022, members assessed that, on balance, tapering remained appropriate, was one of the reasons given. Heres Westpac to explain:

Pre-Delta path appears to mean level so the forecast on which the tapering decision were based must embed a very strong and early recovery to return to the level of activity that was projected before Delta by mid-2022 or even second half of 2022  even though some output will have been lost along the way.

The other reason, perhaps unexpectedly, was that a number of other central banks are tapering.

While it is somewhat obvious that central bank policies influence each other, it doesnt seem a good justification for tapering during an extended lockdown. Does this mean the RBA will hike rates in line with other banks? This would be a surprise, because at the moment, its projections are for a much later hike than the likes of the RBNZ, the BoC and even the Fed, which all look set to raise next year. Indeed, last week RBA governor Lowe made a speech in where he questioned why markets were pricing in a hike in 2023 and re-iterated his view that it would come in 2024. Lowe noted: I find it difficult to understand why rate rises are being priced in next year or early 2023- referring to market pricing. Our judgement is that this condition for a lift in the cash rate will not be met before 2024. This cant be good news for the Aussie, even if markets dont seem to heed Lowers words too closely.

The pace of taper is also very slow and asset purchases wont be cut again before February 2022. AUD bulls clearly cant expect any help from the RBA.

Other news is hardly encouraging either, with domestic data understandably poor. However, the biggest worry, perhaps, comes from related markets. China is struggling with the Evergrande crisis and commodity prices are under pressure. Iron ore prices fell further this week and appears to be unwinding the entire previous rally. This will be a further weight on AUDUSD which is trading at 00.724 and nearing the August lows.
Sunday, September 26, 2021

Were pleased to inform you that the Centre for Intellectual Property Rights (CIPR), NUALS is organising a webinar series on Evolving Facets of IPR on September 23, 2021. For further details, please see the announcement below: CIPR Webinar Series  Evolving Facets of IPR

About the Organisers:

The National University of Advanced Legal Studies (NUALS) is a National Law University located in Kochi, Kerala, India. The university was established by Act 27 of 2005 of the Kerala State Legislature as a public university dedicated to the development and advancement of legal education.

The Centre for Intellectual Property Rights (CIPR) is one of the 16 Centres of excellence established at NUALS. The objective of the Centre is to promote Intellectual Property awareness among students, and to encourage research in the emerging arena of Intellectual property. The Centre fosters R&D activities that blend with its central mission of intellectual pursuit as well as link related interdisciplinary involvement to develop an intellectual law-database which would benefit the nation at large.

Speakers:

Prof. (Dr.) V.C. Vivekanandan, Vice Chancellor, Hidayatullah National Law

University.

Dr. Arul George Scaria, Associate Professor of Law, NationalLaw University, Delhi.

How to Attend:

Registration is free and open to all. Prior registration and attending the event is required for issuing the Certificate of Participation.

Date : 23 September, 2021 Time : 9:30AM  11:30AM

Platform: Google Meet Deadline for Registration : 20 September, 2021

Contact Information:
Sunday, September 26, 2021

There has been a lot of talk about the new Paul Schrader movie, The Card Counter. Here is a review by our guest reviewer, Jake Jacobs.

A fair proportion of you are no doubt as interested in the verisimilitude of The Card Counter as in its merits qua cinematic experience. From a professional gamblers viewpoint, how accurate, or how risible, is it? Let me start with some minor inaccuracies, to get them out of the way.

If you are playing at a table where the house edge on blackjack is 1.5%, move to a different table! I dont care if you are paying cash, even dives hotels will make you show ID, and put up a credit card as deposit against damages. So far as I know, when one civilian murders another, they dont send you to Leavenworth. I think I know what Paul Schraders expert consultant told him about roulette, which caused him to claim that amateur gamblers should make one bet on Red/Black, then walk away, win or lose. Rather than translate what was probably said, Ill offer better advice: Dont bet at all! And if you are a pro like William Tell (Oscar Isaacson), you truly have no business betting at all. (Yes, I know about that. And that. And I read that, and that. If you are a genuine AP or a cheat, you dont need my advice. Nor do I need you trying to teach me how to suck eggs.) Lets see  Do casinos not mind card counters, as long as you dont win too much? No. They mind. I have seen rare exceptions, but I have also had friends barred for spreading in silver. Its possible at Tells betting level to fly under the radar by moving around a lot; to get in the hours he supposedly plays he would have a lot of dead time while table and casino hopping. As for the best hand of poker he ever saw, it was not all that great. Maybe I should move that to the Assets ledger, because it is a truth universally acknowledged that poker is a boring game. As is blackjack.

On the plus side, he nails the mind-numbing routine of gambling for a living. Poker is a dull, repetitive game, which requires spending time with not nice people. Blackjack is worse, though you arent really spending time with people. There are warm bodies occupying stools, or standing behind the table dealing, but you are not there to interact with them beyond assessing if they in some way pose a threat. Casinos are not fun places where people yell winner, winner, chicken dinner! They are noisy, the sounds of slots dropping coins numbing, and filled with zombies shuffling from game to game, mostly harmless, but often in your way. Having a drink at a casino bar is Nighthawks with alcohol. The movie captures the milieu very well, which is why some have found it boring. Its a movie about boredom.

Tell seeks boredom, or really, expiation. Thats been Schraders schtick ever since Taxi Driver. A flawed and lonely man finds himself in hell, and suffers until he arrives at a state of grace. Years ago he saw Robert Bressons Pickpocket, and has been paying homage ever since. The last shot of The Card Counter is a direct tribute.

In Tells case, the sin for which he must suffer is the time he spent as a guard at Abu Ghraib. It was there he learned enhanced interrogation techniques from Major Gordo (Willem Dafoe). He was among those in the infamous pictures, did time for it, and while in the joint, learned to count cards, among other useful gambling skills. By the way, most reviewers seem to think that Tell wraps all of his hotel furniture in white sheets to avoid contamination. I think it is the other way around, he is trying to avoid contaminating whatever he touches. My theory is reinforced because it turns out he is not the only character in the film with this eccentricity.

After years of aimless gambling, he has three encounters in a short span which will set him on a path to either death or redemption. One is with Gordo, now a security consultant. Another is with Cirk with a C (Tye Sheridan), a boy whose father was another guard whose life was ruined by his service at Abu Ghraib. Cirk wants to kill Gordo, and thinks Tell will help him do it. Finally, there is La Linda (Tiffany Hadish). She is a middleman between backers, and those they back. I have met backers, and I have met those they back, but I have never seen middle management. Color me skeptical. And if there is such a profession, Id expect they would stay put in Las Vegas, Atlantic City, or wherever the backers are, rather than following one horse from her stable to places like Biloxi. Never mind; a love interest was needed, and it is easier to have her follow the action, than the other way around.

It isnt a great film but if you like serious films, and dont require a lot of action to sooth your ADHD, it is a solid one. I suppose we can call Tell and La Linda the King and Queen of the story, Gordo is certainly a Knave, Schrader is an Ace screenwriter, and Cirk is the Joker in the deck. That gives us a high straight of a movie. Not a flush, or full house, but a high straight is more than enough for a call.
With four new entrants to downtowns hotel scene scheduled to open by the end of the year, the Hyatt Regency San Antonio Riverwalk is set for a $19.8 million makeover.

Plans call for renovating 629 guest rooms  including new flooring, paint, vanities, showers and tubs  according to a filing with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.

Construction at the hotel at 123 Losoya St. is expected to start in November and conclude in April, the filing shows. A Hyatt Hotels Corp. spokesperson did not immediately respond to an inquiry Monday.

The Hyatts renovation will join several other hotel projects in the works nearby. While downtown had not seen a new hotel since 2018, four are either open or scheduled to be welcoming guests by the end of this year.

VIEWS & VOICES: The newest newsletter you wont want to miss

The new Canopy by Hilton San Antonio Riverwalk and Thompson San Antonio-Riverwalk are already open. The Riverview Towers office building at 111 Soledad St. is being converted to an AC Hotel by Marriott and an Element Hotel by Westin, which are slated to open later this year.

Last month, the Historic and Design Review Commission gave conceptual approval to designs for an 11-room spa hotel, multiple restaurants and a rooftop bar at 112 Soledad St., next to the shuttered Mexican Manhattan restaurant.

And a group of investors recently bought the Wyndham San Antonio River Walk hotel and plan to plug $50 million into turning it into a luxury InterContinental Hotel, which is anticipated to open in early 2023.

On ExpressNews.com: New chief, more funding: Will it be enough for Visit San Antonio to boost city tourism, conventions?

The coronavirus pandemic decimated tourism, the citys third-largest industry, and downtown was hit particularly hard. Beyond the activity by hotel companies and investors, other signs suggest tourism in San Antonio is beginning to recover.

The number of leisure visitors has been rising since spring break in March and peaked in July. Overall hotel occupancy in July averaged 74 percent, the best month for hotels since the start of the pandemic and just shy of 76.6 percent overall occupancy in July 2019 before COVID-19, according to global hospitality data and analytics company STR.

In the citys central business district specifically, occupancy in July averaged 68.3 percent. That was down from 79.5 percent during the same month in 2019, STR noted.

Leisure tourism is slowing as usual this late summer as families wrap up their vacations and children return to school. And as the pandemic continues to rage, conventions and meetings have not returned en masse as is typical at this time of year.

Visitor levels year-round are not expected to return to pre-pandemic levels until 2024, Visit San Antonio president and CEO Marc Anderson recently told the City Council. He said he hopes San Antonio will be host to 43 citywide convention events by 2024.

Staff writer Randy Diamond contributed to this report.

madison.iszler@express-news.net
JOPLIN, Mont. (AP)  A team of investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board was at the site of an Amtrak derailment in north-central Montana that killed three people and left seven hospitalized Sunday, officials said.

The westbound Empire Builder was en route from Chicago to Seattle when it left the tracks about 4 p.m. Saturday near Joplin, a town of about 200.

Trevor Fossen was first on the scene. The Joplin resident was on a dirt road nearing the tracks Saturday when he saw a wall of dust" about 300 feet high.

"I started looking at that, wondering what it was and then I saw the train had tipped over and derailed, said Fossen, who called 911 and started trying to get people out. He called his brother to bring ladders for people who couldn't get down after exiting through the windows of cars resting on their sides.

The train was carrying about 141 passengers and 16 crew members and had two locomotives and 10 cars, eight of which derailed, Amtrak spokesman Jason Abrams said.

A 14-member team including investigators and specialists in railroad signals would look into the cause of the derailment on a BNSF Railway main track that involved no other trains or equipment, said NTSB spokesman Eric Weiss.

Law enforcement said the officials from the NTSB, Amtrak and BNSF had arrived at the accident scene just west of Joplin, where the tracks cut through vast, golden brown wheat fields that were recently harvested. Several large cranes were brought to the tracks that run roughly parallel to U.S. Highway 2, along with a truckload of gravel and new railroad ties.

Several rail cars could still be seen on their sides.

The accident scene is about 150 miles (241 kilometers) northeast of Helena and about 30 miles (48 kilometers) from the Canadian border.

Amtrak CEO Bill Flynn expressed condolences to those who lost loved ones and said the company is working with the NTSB, Federal Railroad Administration and local law enforcement, sharing their sense of urgency to determine what happened.

"The NTSB will identify the cause or causes of this accident, and Amtrak commits to taking appropriate actions to prevent a similar accident in the future, Flynn said in the statement.

Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte said BNSF was readying replacement track for when the NTSB gives the go-head. BNSF has assured me they can get the line up and running in short order, he said.

Railroad safety expert David Clarke, director of the Center for Transportation Research at the University of Tennessee, said accident scene photos show the derailment occurred at or near a switch, which is where the railway goes from a single track to a double track.

Clarke said the two locomotives and two cars at the front of the train reached the split and continued on the main track, but the remaining eight cars derailed. He said it was unclear if some of the last cars moved onto the second track.

Did the switch play some role? It might have been that the front of the train hit the switch and it started fish-tailing and that flipped the back part of the train, Clarke said.

Another possibility was a defect in the rail, Clarke said, noting that regular testing doesn't always catch such problems. He said speed was not a likely factor because trains on that line have systems that prevent excessive speeds and collisions.

Matt Jones, a BNSF Railway spokesman said at a news conference that the track where the accident occurred was last inspected Thursday.

Because of the derailment, Sundays westbound Empire Builder from Chicago will terminate in St. Paul, Minnesota, and the eastbound train will originate in Minnesota.

Most of those on the train were treated and released for their injuries, but five who were more seriously hurt remained at the Benefis Health System hospital in Great Falls, Montana, said Sarah Robbin, Liberty County emergency services coordinator. Two were in the intensive care unit, a hospital spokeswoman said.

Another two people were at Logan Health, a hospital in Kalispell, Montana, spokeswoman Melody Sharpton said.

Robbin said emergency crews struggled without success to cut open cars with special tools, "so they did have to manually carry out many of the passengers that could not walk.

Liberty County Sheriff Nick Erickson said the names of the dead would not be released until relatives are notified.

Robbin said nearby residents rushed to offer help when the derailment occurred.

We are so fortunate to live where we do, where neighbors help neighbors, she said.

The locals have been so amazing and accommodating, passenger Jacob Cordeiro said on Twitter. They provided us with food, drinks, and wonderful hospitality. Nothing like it when the best comes together after a tragedy.

Cordeiro, who is from Rhode Island, just graduated from college and was traveling with his father to Seattle to celebrate.

I was in one of the front cars and we got badly jostled, thrown from one side of the train to the other, he told MSNBC. He said the car left the tracks, but did not fall over.

I'm a pretty big guy and it picked me up from my chair and threw me into one wall and then threw me into the other wall, Cordeiro said.

Chester Councilwoman Rachel Ghekiere said she and others helped about 50 to 60 passengers who were brought to a school..

A grocery store in Chester, about 5 miles (8 kilometers) from the derailment, and a nearby religious community provided food, she said.

Allan Zarembski, director of the University of Delawares Railway Engineering and Safety Program, said he didnt want to speculate but suspected the derailment stemmed from an issue with the train track, equipment, or both.

Railways have virtually eliminated major derailments by human error after the implementation of positive train control nationwide, Zarembski said. He said NTSB findings could take months.

Bob Chipkevich, who oversaw railroad crash investigations for several years at the NTSB, said the agency wont rule out human error or any other potential causes for now.

There are still human performance issues examined by NTSB to be sure that people doing the work are qualified and rested and doing it properly, Chipkevich said.

Chipkevich said track conditions have historically been a significant cause of train accidents and noted most of the track Amtrak uses is owned by freight railroads and must depend on those companies for safety maintenance.

___

Bellisle reported from Seattle and Snow reported from Phoenix. Associated Press writers Tom Krisher in Detroit and Michelle Liu in Columbia, South Carolina, contributed reporting.

___

This story has been corrected to show that the train was traveling from Chicago to Seattle. Also corrects Minneapolis to St. Paul, Minnesota, where the Amtrak station is located.
Editors note: This story contains explicit language.

Beto ORourke says he is still very seriously thinking about running for governor  and that he is not surprised Matthew McConaughey, another potential candidate, is polling so well against Gov. Greg Abbott.

During an interview at the 2021 Texas Tribune Festival, the former Democratic U.S. representative from El Paso praised McConaughey for using his star power to help Texas, including after the 2019 mass shooting in ORourkes hometown of El Paso. Addressing a recent poll showing McConaughey with a lead over Abbott, though, ORourke suggested the actor is benefiting from being a blank slate to most Texans when it comes to his current politics.

Hes a really popular figure whose political views have not in any way been fixed, ORourke said. I dont know, for example, who he voted for in the most consequential election since 1864 in this country. I dont know how he feels about any of the issues that weve brought up.  So I think that might explain part of [the polling].

McConaughey, an Oscar-winning actor and Texas native, has said he is considering running for governor, though he has not said whether hed run as a Republican or Democrat or done much else to elaborate on how he would position himself politically. Despite that, a poll released over the weekend found McConaughey leading Abbott by 9 percentage points. The same survey, from The Dallas Morning News and the University of Texas at Tyler, showed McConaughey narrowly trailing Abbott two months earlier.

For months, ORourke has held open the possibility he could challenge Abbott next year for his third term. In the interview, ORourke acknowledged he has been considering a gubernatorial run but did not give any new details about his plans. Pressed on his decision-making timeline, ORourke only said, repeatedly, that he would make up his mind in the near future.

ORourke did offer a case against Abbott, while responding to a question about whether he could run for U.S. Senate again in 2024.

The fight in front of us right now is the one that were talking about today in Texas right now, given whats going on, ORourke said. Given the deep damage and chaos and incompetence that is connected to Greg Abbott  from the winter freeze, the abortion ban, the permitless carry, the anti-mask mandate, the terrible toll that COVID has taken on this state and where it has decimated populations along the border, like in my hometown of El Paso  this is what we need to be focused on right now.

A run for governor would be ORourkes third campaign in three years, following unsuccessful bids for U.S. Senate in 2018 and president in 2020. While Abbott would start as the favorite, he has looked increasingly vulnerable, with his approval rating falling in recent months and ORourke trailing him by 5 points in the most recent Dallas Morning News/UT-Tyler poll. The previous survey had ORourke down 12 points.

Texas Republicans are nonetheless bullish about their opportunities in 2022, including in South Texas, where President Joe Biden underperformed last year.

ORourke said Democrats underwhelming showing in the region was partly due to the Biden campaign not paying enough attention to the state overall.

That didnt help things, but it also had a lot to do with Democrats far too often talking to Hispanic or Latino voters on the border as though theyre somehow apart or separate from the rest of the state, and talking to them in the language of victimhood or grievance or, This bad shit is coming down on you, and arent you angry and arent you with us? instead of talking about the aspirational things that matter most to us, ORourke said. Am I going to be able to hang on to my job? Can I find a better one? Could I afford to buy this boat or send my kid to college?

ORourke said Republicans in 2020  including former President Donald Trump  had a really compelling message, even though it was predicated on a false choice. That false choice, as ORourke described it, was between keeping ones job and staying safe during the coronavirus pandemic, an apparent reference to the business shutdowns that played out in the months before the 2020 election.

From listening to folks in South Texas and along the border, ORourke said, that really resonated.

The Texas Tribune is a nonpartisan, nonprofit media organization that informs Texans  and engages with them  about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.
San Antonio police have identified the suspected drunken driver accused of running a red light early Sunday morning and causing a fatal crash on the far West Side as 17-year-old Elijah James Montalvo.

Police said three people were killed and a fourth was seriously injured after the crash. Among those who died was Ector County Hospital District Police Department Sgt. Daniel Valenzuela Jr., according to the West Texas law enforcement agency.

"Sgt. Valenzuela was a friend, colleague and an outstanding police officer that has served his community with the utmost integrity and professionalism," Chief Brad Timmons wrote in a Facebook post.

On ExpressNews.com: Woman killed after crash set off chain reaction in downtown San Antonio

A vehicle driven by Montalvo was traveling east on Culebra Road beneath the underpass when it hit a vehicle with four passengers traveling north on Loop 1604s access road.

According to police, Montalvo sped through the intersection despite not having the green light.

Daniel Valenzuela Sr., 69, and Valenzuela Jr., 37, were found dead at the scene. Valenzuela Jr. had been driving the vehicle on the access road with Valenzuela Sr. in the front passenger seat, according to police.

Andrea Uvalle, 84, who was sitting in the back, was transferred to the hospital but later died from her injuries, and a 41-year-old woman, also sitting in the back, is in stable condition with serious injuries at the hospital. Authorities have not identified the woman.

Montalvo was charged with three counts of intoxication manslaughter and one count of intoxication assault, San Antonio police said.

The investigation is ongoing, according to officials.
The Texas ban on most abortions had been in effect for a little more than a week when a staff email landed in Jeffrey Hons inbox.

Hons, CEO of Planned Parenthood South Texas, knew his staff was fielding calls from people seeking abortion care, even though the organizations clinics had immediately suspended those services when the law went into effect Sept. 1.

Providing any abortion care could invite a deluge of lawsuits from private citizens who had been empowered to enforce the new restrictions. The risk was simply too high.

The email said most callers expressed defeat and disappointment when they realized an abortion in Texas was no longer possible.

Many of them accepted referrals to out-of-state abortion providers. A few did not.

One mom called on behalf of her daughter and expressed outrage, stating that this was a horrible law, the email continued. And despite attempting to offer the mom information about where they could travel to and the financial resources that could help them, the mom gave up and said, No, its just too far, so never mind.

On ExpressNews.com: Gov. Greg Abbott said Texans have 'at least' six weeks to get an abortion. It's more like 10 days.

In a matter of weeks, Senate Bill 8  one of the most restrictive abortion laws in the country  has thrown reproductive health care services across Texas into disarray.

Like Planned Parenthood South Texas, which operates eight health clinics in San Antonio and the Rio Grande Valley, most providers are turning away all people seeking abortions for fear of costly litigation targeting anyone who aids or abets an inducement or procedure.

Those that are still providing abortions for women in the earliest weeks of pregnancy, including Alamo Womens Reproductive Services in San Antonio, can now treat only a limited number of patients. The law prohibits abortions past the point at which cardiac activity can be detected in an embryo, typically around six weeks gestation. Many women do not become aware of their pregnancy until later in the first trimester.

And unlike most legislation limiting abortion access, SB 8 allows no exceptions for fetal abnormalities, rape or incest, stating that pregnancies can be terminated only in cases where a doctor identifies a medical emergency.

The law also has placed doctors and other health care providers in a precarious position.

On ExpressNews.com: New Texas abortion law sparks jubilation and despair

Physicians who provide abortion care are unable to prescribe medications or perform procedures they know are safe  much safer than carrying a pregnancy to term  and that are endorsed as an essential component of womens health care by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

Other OB-GYNs, including those who do not perform abortions, are treading lightly during conversations with patients, wary that the laws opaque wording could allow their medical advice to be misconstrued as assisting someone who may later end their pregnancy.

We are in this window of uncertainty. All my colleagues are asking me, What are we allowed to say? said Dr. John Thoppil, president of the Texas Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and a practicing OB-GYN in Austin. And I dont think any of us really know.

SB 8 already has resulted in litigation against one provider. Dr. Alan Braid, a San Antonio physician, was sued by plaintiffs from other states after he disclosed in a Washington Post essay that he had provided an abortion Sept. 6, compelled by his duty of care to the patient.

On Friday, a federal judge in Austin will consider whether to grant the Justice Departments request to temporarily block the ban while it is being challenged in court.

But providers and advocates do not expect a quick resolution to the case, and they fear it is a harbinger of further curtailment of abortion access across the country.

On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio doctor says he violated Texas' six-week abortion ban, inviting a lawsuit

On Wednesday, a Florida legislator filed a bill modeled after SB 8, and lawmakers in other states are expected to follow suit. In December, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments over a Mississippi law that would ban most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy.

To protect abortion rights, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill Friday to legalize the procedure. But the legislation is expected to fail in the Senate.

In the meantime, Texans with the ability to travel are flooding abortion clinics in neighboring states. But far more people do not have such privileges, experts say, forcing them to find another way to obtain an abortion or continue with an unwanted pregnancy.

Restrictions impact those who have less means to circumvent them, said Amanda Stevenson, a University of Colorado at Boulder sociologist who studies the effect of policies for abortion and family planning.

For those individuals, Hons said, it just begins to feel insurmountable.

A frantic surge

In the 22 years that Hons has led Planned Parenthood South Texas, he has been in the thick of the protracted, decades-long battle over abortion.

During his tenure, state legislators have passed increasingly onerous regulations on abortion care, including medically unnecessary requirements such as mandatory ultrasounds and 24-hour waiting periods. The number of Texas abortion clinics dwindled to two dozen, half as many as there were in 2013.

The building where he goes to work every day is a living reminder of that history.

On ExpressNews.com: Despite legal victory, Whole Woman's Health shutters San Antonio abortion clinic

Completed in 2015, the organizations headquarters in the South Texas Medical Center meet the costly standards of a surgical center, in compliance with House Bill 2, which also required abortion centers to employ physicians with admitting privileges at a nearby hospital.

HB 2 was struck down by a landmark Supreme Court ruling the next year, rendering the need for the $6.5 million health center moot. But the damage was done  it had already triggered the permanent closure of about half the abortion clinics in Texas.

Despite all that, Hons was still taken by surprise when the justices allowed SB 8 to go into effect. Surely, he had thought, they would not allow enactment of a law that legal experts widely agree is unconstitutional.

But some women in San Antonio and South Texas saw the writing on the wall.

Top hits: Get San Antonio Express-News stories sent directly to your inbox

Before the introduction of SB 8, the volume of people seeking abortions was low enough that they were only performed a few days a week at the Planned Parenthood locations on Babcock and San Pedro, with 15 to 30 patients typically treated at a time.

During the last few days of August, Hons said, there was a frantic surge of abortion patients. His staff worked 12-hour shifts, sometimes providing more than 100 abortions on a single day.

When September arrived, the mad rush ended.

The calls for abortion services did not stop, but they decreased over time as the ban became international news and people encountered a message in bold font on the affiliates website: Due to Texas SB 8 law, we are unable to provide abortion procedures at this time.

Going out of state

While most abortions came to a halt in Texas, providers in Oklahoma, New Mexico, Colorado and Louisiana have been inundated with Texas patients. Some clinics are booked solid or are expanding their hours to meet the demand.

In its request to suspend SB 8, the Biden administration described the desperation fueling the patients. Clinics were receiving calls from sexual assault victims, minors and women who were carrying a fetus with abnormalities or experiencing medical problems themselves.

There was a mother who drove with her children for 15 hours to obtain a medication-induced abortion; a child who traveled from Galveston to Oklahoma after being raped by a family member; a woman who was trying to arrange out-of-state travel without her abusive husband finding out; patients who, by the time they arrived in another state, no longer qualified for a medication inducement and instead had to undergo a surgical procedure.

Texas Take: Get the latest news on Texas politics sent directly to your inbox every weekday

Even those in less dire circumstances had to contend with lengthy trips and logistical hurdles.

Women are being forced to travel hundreds  and sometimes thousands  of miles to obtain an abortion under harrowing circumstances in the middle of a COVID surge, the court filing said.

For many others seeking an abortion, going to such lengths is simply impossible.

For the millions of Texans who lived hundreds of miles from state borders, traveling to another state is costly and time-consuming. Even if their expenses were covered, a lack of child care or time off from work would still block many from leaving, said Stevenson, the Colorado researcher.

As a result, the restrictions deliver the biggest blow to the most vulnerable, including low-income women, those who already have children, people of color, immigrants and residents in rural areas.

Fear of lawsuits

Since abortion was legalized in the U.S., the strictest bans passed by states have been enforced only for a matter of weeks. If SB 8 is soon suspended, Stevenson said, it will still have affected an untold number of lives.

A single person who doesnt get the abortion that she seeks impacts the whole rest of that persons life, as well as their familys life, said Stevenson, who previously researched the effect of Texas family planning policies.

In addition to unwanted pregnancies, Stevensons research indicates that SB 8 will likely lead to more maternal deaths.

In a forthcoming paper, she projected that if abortion was banned in the U.S., which has one of the highest maternal mortality rates among developed nations, pregnancy-related fatalities among Americans would increase by 21 percent in two years and 33 percent for Black mothers.

On ExpressNews.com: Birth on demand: Whether a woman delivers by cesarean has less to do with her health than the hospital she goes to.

Patients with conditions such as diabetes and heart disease that increase the chance of pregnancy complications could have their lives compromised by the abortion ban, said Thoppil, the Austin OB-GYN. Such risks rise in the absence of prenatal care, which is already difficult to access for Texans on Medicaid, which many OB-GYNs do not accept, and those living in counties that do not have a single specialist for expectant mothers.

Physicians, meanwhile, are trying to navigate the confusion sparked by SB 8.

It is routine for OB-GYNs to offer screenings to their patients to identify inherited conditions or genetic abnormalities in a fetus, some of which may be fatal if the pregnancy continues to full term. In cases where a problem is identified, doctors would typically explain a patients options, including termination of the pregnancy. Similar conversations are customary in cases of unintended pregnancy, Thoppil said.

But some physicians are now reluctant to provide even basic medical information, he said, for fear of inviting frivolous lawsuits.

This is affecting patient care, even outside of abortion, Thoppil said.

Abortion alternatives

Along the Texas-Mexico border, many women were already living with the reality of no access to abortion services.

Kathleen Broussard, a sociology researcher pursuing her doctorate at the University of Texas at Austin, said that even before SB 8, Texas had one of the highest estimated rates of self-managed abortions, especially among Latinas in border cities.

For the greater part of the past two years, she has surveyed more than 150 of those people, whose reasons for operating outside the formal health care system varied. Some lived too far from a clinic. Others were undocumented and thus in limbo, prevented by immigration checkpoints from traveling north in Texas or south to Mexico.

So they took matters into their own hands.

The most reliable option was to receive mifepristone and misoprostol, medications that induce an abortion, by mail. The World Health Organization recognizes self-managed medical abortions in the first trimester as safe and effective.

On ExpressNews.com: More than a little snip: In 2019, two Texas hospitals performed episiotomies at rates four to six times the recommended level

Organizations such as Aid Access, a Europe-based nonprofit, mails pills to women around the world, including in the U.S. Its founder, Dr. Rebecca Gomperts, has said she will continue prescribing pills to Texans, regardless of the legality.

But Broussard found that people with the least access to resources turned to acquaintances or complete strangers, including connecting with people over social media to obtain pills. Others resorted to unproven methods  herbs, teas and supplements  as well as dangerous ones  abdominal trauma, starvation or insertion of items into the uterus.

When SB 8 came along, Broussard said, it felt like her work was almost terribly encapsulated in this bill.

There are a range of things people try when theyre in a desperate situation where they cant access abortion, she said.

lcaruba@express-news.net


The CEO of Croatia Airlines, Jasmin Bajic, has said the carrier is in talks with Slovenian authorities over improving connectivity between Zagreb and Ljubljana. He noted that the Slovenian capital has potential for flights such as Skopje - Ljubljana - Zagreb since over 40.000 passengers flew between Macedonias and Slovenias largest cities each year prior to the bankruptcy of Adria Airways in late September of 2019. The route has been unserved since. Ljubljana Airports operator Fraport Slovenija previously expressed interest in Croatia Airlines serving Vienna, Skopje, Prague and Copenhagen out of the Slovenian capital. Ljubljana Airports General Manager, Zmago Skobir, recently said talks were underway with a carrier from the European Union to set up a base in the Slovenian capital, without naming the airline. It is no secret that we are working on having at least one of the EU airlines set up a smaller base at the airport. We believe this would be the fastest and most effective way to improve our countrys air connectivity, he noted. The CEO of Croatia Airlines, Jasmin Bajic, has said the carrier is in talks with Slovenian authorities over improving connectivity between Zagreb and Ljubljana. He noted that the Slovenian capital has potential for flights such as Skopje - Ljubljana - Zagreb since over 40.000 passengers flew between Macedonias and Slovenias largest cities each year prior to the bankruptcy of Adria Airways in late September of 2019. The route has been unserved since. Ljubljana Airports operator Fraport Slovenija previously expressed interest in Croatia Airlines serving Vienna, Skopje, Prague and Copenhagen out of the Slovenian capital. Ljubljana Airports General Manager, Zmago Skobir, recently said talks were underway with a carrier from the European Union to set up a base in the Slovenian capital, without naming the airline. It is no secret that we are working on having at least one of the EU airlines set up a smaller base at the airport. We believe this would be the fastest and most effective way to improve our countrys air connectivity, he noted.





Croatia Airlines initially held talks with the Slovenian government over launching operations from Ljubljana last year. The airline proposed the stationing of a Dash 8 turboprop aircraft. Croatia Airlines is potentially interested in establishing flights from Ljubljana Airport in order to enable passengers from Slovenia to connect to European destinations, the carrier said at the time. However, no final deal was reached with the authorities. The head of Croatia Airlines Commercial Division, Slaven Zabo, said last year, We have had some gain on the Slovenian market since Adria Airways bankruptcy where we offered certain solutions in order to react to the demand that was there. However, we had not added any flights to Slovenia because our hubs are nearby and we were more focused on our sales and marketing activities in Ljubljana at the time, which helped us significantly increase our market share in Slovenia.





Croatia Airlines previously toyed with the idea of setting up bases outside of its home market. In 2017 the airline planned to station aircraft in Sarajevo, Pristina, Skopje and Tirana. At the time, it said, "Market research data has shown that there is a potential for the successful opening of additional bases in the south-eastern European region and Croatia Airlines, as a European Union community carrier, has recognised its business interest in this. The prerequisite for this is to purchase four to six new aircraft and extensive preparations are underway. However, the idea was abandoned upon the departure of the carriers CEO at the time, Kresimir Kucko, to Gulf Air.








FAIRFIELD  Lifes most persistent and urgent question is, What are you doing for others?

The words spoken during a speech in 1957 by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke to the sentiment that people should simply be willing to help others, whether they are in need or in a random act of kindness.

Waly Thiam, a cashier at The Pantry on Post Road in Fairfield, decided to put these words to action by helping to build a maternity ward in Senegal after being notified of a woman that died in childbirth. Thiam said the news was too sad and he needed to find a way to help.

When we went there and built the wing of the maternity ward they were so happy because we saved other lives, said Thiam, a Senegal native who now lives in Bridgeport. It was amazing.

Prior to Thiam heading to Senegal, he partnered with his friend, Susan Levine, a dentist that practices in Fairfield. Levine was familiar with the struggles of Centre De Sante De Joal  the health center in Joal, Senegal  because she had assisted a friends daughter in the region with dental help.

At 15, the daughter had three missing front teeth. The health center didnt have the capability to help her so Levine made the necessary impressions for her in the states and created a removable prosthesis to replace the missing teeth.

Subsequently, Levine was invited to the health center facility in December of 2016, where she had come across a medical facility that lacked money to provide the proper care.

Following a tour and meeting with health care providers and administrators, they clarified their biggest need are funds to complete an unfinished maternity ward, Levine said.

Levine added that at the time, women and infants cannot receive the care they desperately need.

Together, Levine and Thiam created a Gofundme and through the support of the Fairfield community, they raised more than $20,900, surpassing their goal of $20,000.

When I was there on TV, they asked me how I helped and I said that this money didnt just come from me, it came from good people, Thiam said The town could not believe how the United States and Fairfield helped to save lives.

When he got the money, he knew he wanted to help the Senegal community in person.

I didnt want to give it to politicians, I wanted to come and do it because we cannot wait, he said. To see a woman passing away like that, thats too much. It needed to get done.

Thiam, who returned from Senegal last month, said that the project was completed this year. The overall excitement from the Senegal residents even sparked a conversation about him becoming the mayor. While that conversation is still up in the air, he said that he just appreciates the help from all of the Fairfield residents that donated to the cause.

It was amazing that Fairfield residents helped, Thiam said. Everybody was so happy. Even some of them were asking me to please come back and be the mayor. It was amazing.
LONDON (AP)  Britons are encouraged these days  though in most cases not required  to wear face coverings in crowded indoor spaces. But Prime Minister Boris Johnson regularly appears in the packed, poorly ventilated House of Commons cheek-by-jowl with other maskless Conservative lawmakers.

For critics, that image encapsulates the flaw in the government's strategy, which has abandoned most pandemic restrictions and is banking on voluntary restraint and a high vaccination rate to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

As winter approaches, bringing the threat of a new COVID-19 surge, Britain's light touch is setting it apart from more cautious nations.

The story of this government in the pandemic is too little, too late, said Layla Moran, an opposition Liberal Democrat lawmaker who heads the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Coronavirus.

She said some U.K. hospitals are already seeing the number of virus patients in intensive care units that they would normally expect in the depths of winter, though overall daily hospital admissions are running at about a fifth of January's peak.

And while cases soared when restrictions were lifted this summer, deaths didn't follow at anywhere near the same pace. But the winter months, when respiratory diseases are usually at their highest, could bring an added challenge.

"Unless the government starts to do something differently, I dont think were going to be able to avert the worst this winter, Moran said.

The government argues that its plan is working so far  and it can change course if needed.

Britain has recorded more than 135,000 coronavirus deaths, the highest toll in Europe after Russia and about the same number per capita as the United States. Yet it also has organized a successful inoculation campaign that has seen 65% of the whole population fully vaccinated.

That relatively high rate led Johnson's government to decide in July that it was safe to scrap restrictions on business activity and daily life: no more social distancing, limits on gatherings or masks required anywhere in England. Businesses can impose their own measures, but otherwise Johnson has encouraged people to be sensible.

In contrast to many other European nations  even some with higher inoculation rates than the U.K.  proof of vaccination is not required in England to eat in restaurants, attend mass events or enter crowded venues such as nightclubs. Scotland, which is part of the U.K. but sets its own health rules, is being more cautious, introducing vaccine passports for nightclubs and keeping mandatory masks indoors.

Pupils and teachers in England's schools don't have to wear face coverings, despite the objections of unions and public health officials  a contrast to European countries including France, Italy and Spain that have kept mask requirements for schools.

While the U.S. has made vaccinations compulsory for millions of workers, Johnsons government requires proof of inoculation only for nursing home staff, and is considering it for health care workers.

Once the U.K. had some of Europe's strictest international travel rules, but it's easing quarantine and testing restrictions for many visitors starting next month.

The U.K. has often gone its own way during the pandemic. Health authorities gambled on a gap of two to three months between doses, rather than the three to four weeks recommended by vaccine makers, in order to speed the rollout. That paid off, with studies since suggesting the longer gap is at least as effective, and possibly more so.

Britain diverged from its peers again on the question of vaccinating kids. When the U.S., Canada and much of the European Union extended inoculations to children between 12 and 15, the U.K. held off, saying the health benefit to kids was marginal. Then Britain decided to vaccinate that age group after all  but initially with a single dose, rather than the usual two.

Britain has also gone further than most nations in giving vaccine booster shots, offering a third dose to everyone over 50. That puts it at odds with the World Health Organization, which has strongly objected to rich nations giving a third round of shots when poor countries dont have enough vaccines for their first. In the U.S., authorities endorsed booster shots for millions of older or otherwise vulnerable Americans.

Johnsons government is counting on vaccines to do the heavy lifting against the virus, supplemented by voluntary common sense behavior.

But after an exceptionally long and strict lockdown earlier this year, it's not clear Britons will freely choose any virus-prevention measures they're not forced to take. When restrictions were initially lifted, just under two-thirds of people said they planned to keep wearing masks in shops and on public transport. Now the number of people wearing coverings has declined sharply on the London Underground, which requires but barely enforces mask use.

Critics say the government has failed to learn from experience and seems to be fueled by optimism rather than evidence.

Stephen Reicher, a University of St. Andrews psychology professor who helps advise the government, recalled that a year ago, Johnson's team was slow to act when scientific advisers recommended a short circuit-breaker lockdown to curb fast-rising coronavirus cases.

As always happens if you wait and things get out of control, you have to impose greater restrictions, which is why we had a non-Christmas and such an awful winter and spring spent in lockdown, he told Sky News.

Moran, the opposition lawmaker, and other critics argue that moderate measures, such as better ventilation in schools and masks indoors, could avert the need for stringent restrictions this winter.

But the government notes that scientists most pessimistic predictions, which said cases could rise to 100,000 a day by the time schools reopened in September, haven't come true.

The U.K. is now averaging about 140 deaths daily  just over one-tenth of what it saw at the peak  and 30,000 new infections a day.

Johnson said restrictions such as mandatory masks and work-from-home orders could be reimposed if hospitalizations surge. But he hoped it wouldnt be needed.

The result of this vaccination campaign is that we have one of the most free societies and one of the most open economies in Europe, he said. And thats why we are now sticking with our strategy."

Standing beside him at a news conference, Chief Scientific Adviser Patrick Vallance applied the brakes. He said the lesson of the pandemic was that when you make a move, you have to go earlier than you think you want to, you need to go harder than you think you want to.

So if this goes in the wrong direction  its important that the measures are put in place early enough and theyre significant enough, he said.

___

Follow all AP stories on the coronavirus pandemic at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic
BILLINGS  A Yellowstone County District Court judge is considering whether to temporarily block three state laws that add new restrictions to abortions at various stages of pregnancy following Thursdays oral arguments in the case brought in August by Planned Parenthood of Montana.

Attorneys representing the plaintiffs told Judge Gregory Todd the bills passed by the Legislature this year would bring significant, real-world consequences to abortion providers and patients if allowed to take effect on Oct. 1, and should be blocked until the court can rule on the merits of the case.

Counsel from the state attorney generals office argued against delaying the bills effective date, disputed that the legislation would bring actual harm to providers or patients, and urged the court to further investigate those claims before issuing a preliminary injunction.

It is simply not enough to conclude superficially that if their allegations are all 100% true, legally correct, that theyre entitled to a preliminary injunction, said Solicitor General David Dewhirst. That cant be right.

If allowed to go into effect, the cumulative impact of the bills could dramatically change the landscape of abortion access in Montana, which has been legally affirmed in state court rulings since 1999. Attorneys for both sides acknowledged Thursday that the judges immediate decision will be only the first step in a long and hard-fought case.

House Bills 136, 140 and 171 would, respectively, bar most women from accessing abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy, require providers to offer a patient an ultrasound before a procedure, and prohibit a person from using telemedicine to access medication abortions within the first 10 weeks of pregnancy.

Various provisions in the laws would also require providers to collect new documentation from patients and share specific medical disclosures about abortions, information that would then be collected by the state. If providers are found to be out of compliance, the laws say they can be charged with various criminal and civil penalties, including felonies and prison time.

In court filings and Thursday arguments, attorneys for Planned Parenthood of Montana cited decades of case precedent in Montana that has determined abortion access to be a protected medical decision under the state Constitutions right to privacy. Those rulings, the lawyers said, make it clear that the state must define a compelling state interest to infringe on that right.

That legal test requires the state to demonstrate that these laws are necessary to preserve the safety, health and welfare of a particular class of patients or the general public from a medically acknowledged, bona fide health risk, said plaintiffs attorney Michelle Diamond. None of the laws here survive strict scrutiny.

Dewhirst, arguing for the state, said the bills are reasonable regulations that will result in higher safety standards for women seeking abortions in Montana. In the case of HB 136, Dewhirst said, the Legislature was also protecting fetuses from pain, a claim debated by medical professionals.

It is the unborn, pain-capable human beings that are the particular class the Legislature seeks to protect in HB 136, Dewhirst said.

In other arguments, Dewhirst likened the regulation of abortion to government restrictions on firearms. Even if the laws in question put limits on abortion providers, Dewhirst said, enacting those limits is within the Legislatures purview.

We dont prevent the state from regulating firearms simply because it may cause Springfield [Armory] or Glock to alter their operations in some way, he said, referencing gun manufacturers. States may regulate abortion providers to enhance the standard of care, even though it may cause Planned Parenthood to adjust its operations.

Attorneys for Planned Parenthood countered that the new laws do much more than add reasonable regulations on medical care. In addition to exposing abortion providers to wide-ranging lawsuits, attorneys said, the policies will enact burdensome restrictions on patients, including those who would have to drive several hours to access a medication abortion in person if HB 171 were to go into effect. Counsel said that bill, as well as HB 140, also intrude upon a providers free speech rights by requiring providers to share specific information even if they do not deem it medically accurate or necessary.

Judge Todd addressed several questions to both teams of attorneys, particularly probing the states arguments about how the laws would serve the public interest.

Todd, who has announced his retirement at the end of the year, also asked counsel to lay out their likely next steps in the case depending on how he rules on the preliminary injunction. Both legal teams said they would work to resolve the case as quickly as possible, but expressed a likelihood of appealing any decision that is not in their favor.

Todd told the parties he would rule on the preliminary injunction before the laws effective date of Friday, Oct. 1.
Farming groups have welcomed the government's decision to add 5,500 poultry workers to existing visa schemes, but warn that more solutions will be needed for wider labour needs.

As well as poultry workers, the government confirmed over the weekend that 5,000 fuel tanker and food lorry drivers will be eligible to work in the UK for three months.

The growing labour crisis has resulted in empty shelves in supermarkets and, in some cases, food left on farms unable to be picked up or processed.

It follows the food and farming industry's letter to Boris Johnson earlier this week, asking him to urgently implement a Covid Recovery Visa to alleviate labour shortages.

NFU vice president Tom Bradshaw said the union welcomed the government's new announcement, but said more solution would be needed for 'wider labour needs'.

He said: The NFU has worked with the wider industry to help evidence the needs of the sector and we look forward to working with government on applying the scheme for poultry and, in particular, access for smaller producers.

We will also continue to work with government to find solutions for the wider labour needs, including trained and able butchers for pork production to deal with the increasingly serious build-up of pigs on farm and the risk of welfare issues.

The Food and Drink Federation (FDF) added that it welcomed the government's 'pragmatic' measures, but it warned that the step was just 'a start'.

Chief executive Ian Wright CBE said "This is something UK food and drink manufacturers have asked for over the last few months  including in industrys Grant Thornton report  to alleviate some of the pressure labour shortages have placed on the food supply chain.

"This is a start but we need the government to continue to collaborate with industry and seek additional long term solutions."

The organisations behind this week's letter called for measures including a 12-month Covid Recovery Visa which they say would enable the supply chain to recruit critical roles as a short-term response to labour shortages.

Government commitment is also needed to a 'revised and expanded' Seasonal Worker Scheme for UK horticulture, to ensure it is flexible and large enough to meet workforce needs.

Finally, the groups urge the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to review the impact of ending free movement on the food and farming sector, in the same way it is doing for adult social care.
Welcome to our weekly round-up of community news and events.

If there is anything you would like to have included, please email us at fethyetimes2017@gmail.com.

The deadline is 12 noon every Friday for inclusion in the Sunday round-up.

Clean-up group tackle littering in Hisaronu

Sedge Seckin, owner of Legends Karaoke Bar in Hisaronu is a well known face in the area, but Sedge is more than just a local businessman, hes a lover of the environment and spends his time when hes not working, walking the many trails around Hisaronu.

Organiser Sedge with his wife, Gulnara

The ongoing issue with rubbish has been pushed onto the back burner with the event of the coronavirus pandemic, but with things starting to get back to the new normal, Sedge decided it was time to start to do something about it and, with the help of Mahmut Bayraktar, department manager from the Directorate of the Environment and Fethiye Municipality, organised a clean up to take place on Friday afternoon (19 June).

Around 30 people turned up at the Municipality building in Hisaronu to take part in the clean up. The group was split and tackled two areas, the road leading to the start of the Lycian way and the stretch of the Kayakoy road from Hisaronu.

The clean up was also attended by Mick Scarsbrook, aka Mick Amca, whose video about the rubbish problem went viral a few years ago. Mick did some filming and well be bringing you his video later in the week.

Sedge and Mick  easily spotted with his trademark cowboy hat

Music while you pick up

Mahmut managed to surprise organiser Sedge by arranging for members of Fethiye Municipality Band to come along and provide some music while the group picked up. Only in Turkey

A surprise performance from members of Fethiye Municipality band  in their civvies

The group collected a total of 150 bags of rubbish, including empty bottles and cans, plastic, discarded food packaging and masks!

A discarded mask!

One of three truckloads of bags amounting to a total of 150. Photo by Mahmut Bayraktar

Take a look at the rest of our photographs from the day.













Photo by Mahmut Bayraktar



























Mahmut Bayraktar, Lyn Ward and Mick Amca  the end of our part in a great afternoon.

Sedge would like to thank everyone who came along and supported the clean up. Watch out for details of the next one.

Turkiyeyi Temiz Tutalm!
Oludeniz is one of Turkeys most beautiful resorts. With its long, curved beach, crisp clear turquoise water (its not called the Turquoise Coast for nothing), mountainous scenery and famous blue lagoon it isnt surprising that holidaymakers of all types flock here in large numbers.

Some come for a lazy beach holiday, some are more adventurous and want to take advantage of the many hiking trails in the area, including the Lycian Way which starts in Oludeniz. Paragliders travel from all over the world for the experience of taking off from Babadag and can be seen soaring over the beach from early morning until dusk.

There are bars and restaurants to suit all types and budgets, shops selling an eclectic mix of goods and in the summer the resort is a hive of activity.

But what happens when the holidaymakers go home?

Following our theme of winter life, Fethiye Times went to have a look at what is happening in Oludeniz and what changes are taking place.

Here is what we found

Empty streets

Deserted beaches

Were closed for the winter

Were open!

There are a few cafes and bars that remain open throughout the winter serving drinks and a reduced menu, usually sandwiches and snacks

Paragliders still soar above

There are some things that will be different the future

Help Bar will be under new management in the 2017 season

But the biggest change of all

Buzz Bar has gone!

The old Buzz Bar has been completely demolished and will reopen as Ecclesia (date tbc)

If you want to know more youll have to keep coming back for updates!

That brings us to the end of our wander around Oludenizbut just look at the fabulous sight that we left behind us!
Winter is truly here in Fethiye. There is more snow on the mountains than there has been for many years. Talking to some of the local people they cant remember a winter that was so cold.

That doesnt stop the sun from shining though and there are days when you can spend the morning in a sunny Fethiye and have a BBQ in the snow in the afternoon.

Fethiye Times went out and about to capture some shots of sun and snow in Fethiye. (These photographs were all taken on 31st December 2016)

Sunny days

The sea turns an intense shade of blue at this time of year and makes a wonderful contrast to the snow capped mountains.

Stormy skies

Looking towards Babadag and Mendos the view is very different

Snow time!

A trip to the mountains is just too great a temptation so next stop Nif and Krkpnar.

Nif is blanketed in pure white snow

A winter wonderland

As you go higher the landscape becomes a winter wonderland.

There were plenty of families enjoying a day out.

Building snow(men, women and children!)

Picnic time!

The Turkish people do love to picnic whatever the weather.

And you can even buy everything you need for your sucuk sandwich (sucuk ekmegi) by the roadside. Dont forget to take something to cook it on though!

On the way back down to Fethiye we were greeted by this stunning sighta perfect end to a perfect day!
Fethiye isnt just about beaches, bars and restaurants. Even after a short stay, its hard not to notice the mountains and forests which surround the town waiting to be explored and, for the adventurous, it probably seems as simple as slipping on a stout pair of shoes and heading out.

But, just like the Cumbrian fells or the glens of Scotland, if youre not properly prepared, there can be some unpleasant surprises in the woods.

STEVE PARSLEY has been walking dogs in the forests around Fethiye just about every day for over three years and offers his own advice on precautions which can be taken to keep both you and any furry companions out of trouble should you head for the hills.

Equipment

It may seem a little melodramatic but, if youre heading for the mountains and forests alone, its not a bad idea to let someone know where youre going and how long you expect to be.

Back in the UK, youve probably read dozens of times of a man walking his dog discovering all sorts of things but there are far fewer of them around in Turkey. Its a much bigger country and therefore by no means crowded.

Even just a short distance from Fethiye, you can find yourself in some wild countryside which is rarely visited. If you fall or have some other sort of medical emergency it could be some time before anyone stumbles across you so a fully-charged phone, a power pack if you have one, and a whistle to attract attention are probably not a bad idea. Plenty of water is also essential.

The weather

If youre used to the UK, obviously theres far more of it to worry about but, in Turkey, the heat of high summer is best avoided. Temperatures can exceed 50C in July and August and, when its that hot, you need to be drinking almost constantly to avoid dehydration.

Water is heavy so, on a long hike, its not easy to carry enough with you. If you have to go out as you have a dog to walk, its best to stick to the cool of the morning and evening. Even so, if you feel a headache coming on, feel a little nauseous or irritable, make sure you drink something as soon as you can.

Thunderstorms are the main concern in the winter months. They can arrive quite suddenly or be prolonged and pretty violent. A decent weather app on your phone which gives your real-time data on the location of nearby storm systems is a good idea.

Things that slither, bite and sting

Theres a season for most so theyre not necessarily a risk all year round but be aware that snakes are pretty common, particularly in May and June.

By far the majority will try to avoid you just as much as you them but, if you were to step on one, they can strike. Few are venomous enough to kill a human adult but thats unlikely to be much reassurance if youve just been bitten.

Hospital treatment is probably still a good idea  and as soon as possible  but, obviously, its even better to try to avoid being bitten in the first place.

Stout walking boots are a better bet than sandals or trainers without socks. Watch where you place your feet when crossing rocky hillsides exposed to the sun with shadowy crevices between them, although you can still find snakes in the sunnier patches of forest too.

If you do come across one, by far the best thing to do is stand still or, if you have to move, to do so slowly; if you dont appear to pose a threat, theres a good chance a snake will make good its escape and leave you alone.

Scorpions are also pretty common in Turkey, particularly in more open ground. Theyre fast-moving, often well-camouflaged, small  some no bigger than a 10p piece  and, if youre wearing boots and on the move, little real threat.

However, if you decide to sit somewhere for a breather or take a picnic, its not a bad idea to do a quick sweep of your intended perch first. A scorpion sting can be extremely painful, cause severe swelling and poses a far more serious risk to some.

The pine processionary caterpillar is also worth keeping an eye open for in late spring, particularly if youre accompanied by a dog.

They hatch in late spring from eggs laid by larvae wrapped in silken nests which resemble cotton wool hanging in the branches of pine trees. Most are on the march within a few weeks of each other, the caterpillars forming long chains which give them their name as they hunt a suitable place to burrow underground, emerging as moths in late summer.

They may appear harmless and, left alone, they pose no threat but they are adorned with tiny hairs which can be a significant irritant for humans and can even prove fatal to dogs. Should you come across them, its best to steer clear. In April and early May, its probably advisable to keep any canine companions on a lead.

Wild boar are also fairly widespread. By and large, if you spot them in the forest, they are less likely to be a threat; they are hunted so frequently they will probably run in the opposite direction as soon as theyre aware of you.

However, some also live close to human habitation, scavenging from bins and raiding crops and there have been reports of protective mothers with young showing aggression towards people, particularly if they feel cornered or threatened.

If you come across one and it hunches its shoulders and utters a growl or low grunt, its a warning so move away. Its not a good idea to run; try to appear confident  but keep an eye open for something you can climb up just in case.

Shepherds and their dogs 

Shepherds and shepherdesses have been herding sheep and goats on the Turkish mountains for countless generations and, sometimes when you come across them, its easy to believe little has changed.

You can often hear their distinctive calls and whistles to their animals well before you see them, some also carrying plastic bottles filled with stones and tied to sticks which they use as rattles to drive their herds.

Weve come across one shepherd who belts out folk songs at the top of his voice, one who insisted we share her meagre lunch, one old lady who regularly berates us like a demented witch every time our paths cross and others who simply scowl from beneath lowered brows.

But its worth remembering where theres a shepherd or shepherdess theres often a dog  or more than one  and theyre not always friendly.

Traditionally, they were used to deter things like bears or leopards from attacking the herd but, even though such big predators are now rare, the dogs remain  and some will still attack anything they perceive as a threat. They often range a fair distance from the herd, so you may come across them before youve even seen sheep or goats and, if you have your own a dog with you, its wise to be ready for the eventuality.

Kangal mastiffs are a popular breed among the shepherds; theyre both fearless and often huge. However, you can also encounter herds protected by a screen of ragtag mongrels who quickly converge to become a pack as soon as any individual barks a warning.

Extricating your own dog from a seething pile of fur and teeth is both risky and stressful so wed recommend carrying pepper spray. Using a stick as a weapon isnt a good idea; it antagonises an aggressive dog and would be no good against a fully-grown kangal anyway. Its true that pepper spray can also be difficult to deploy if youre trying to restrain your own dog on a lead at the same time  but at least it seems to work, even from a little distance.

If you dont have a dog with you, the chances of being attacked by one owned by a shepherd are reduced significantly. Its still probably a good idea to be cautious if you come across one but, like the boar, if you appear confident and dont seem to pose a direct threat, its less likely that they will show any aggression. If they do, you can keep them at bay with the pepper spray and, if they persist, look for something you can climb.

Poison

Poison is a negligible threat to humans but, if youre walking with a dog, its a different story. Sadly, it is used by shepherds and farmers, sometimes to control boar which have been raiding crops, sometimes against other predators which are deemed to be a risk to lambs or kids and sometimes specifically to kill dogs seen walking in the areas where shepherds drive their herds.

It is illegal and, as a result of laws going through government at the moment, could soon carry a maximum prison sentence of four years should it result in the death of an animal. But, in the more far-flung rural areas, the reality is that it would be almost impossible to prove who was responsible.

As a result, when we walk our own dog, we always carry a needle, syringe and a supply of atropine  an antidote that, in an emergency, can buy you enough time to get your animal to a vet for treatment. Its available over the counter from most surgeries along with information on how to administer it and the correct dosage for your pet.

Poison is a nasty, insidious threat and, sadly, one which needs to be considered every time you walk your dog off a lead. It can kill quickly and can be left anywhere, even adjacent to roads or well-trodden paths.

Symptoms vary but are evident within minutes. A loss of control of the limbs is usually the first sign; your dog may appear dazed and unsteady on its feet. Rapid heartbeat, violent trembling and laboured breathing, retching and coughing may follow, before collapse. Frothing from the mouth and blue gums may occur in the latter stages and, if not treated quickly, death is almost inevitable.

We always keep our own dog on a lead  particularly in areas where we have come across sheep and goats before  and will demonstrate that to any shepherds we see. We will sit and wait patiently if a herd crosses our path and stay well clear if we can hear them along the route ahead.

We have trained our dog as best we can not to react or to bark if we come across livestock and do our best to show respect for the shepherds and shepherdesses and their lifestyle which, after all, has been unchanged for centuries.

In the eyes of some who make their living off the land or in the forests, recreational walkers are still the interlopers and, if they bring along dogs which can be a threat to their livestock, their instinct is to protect them.

It would be impossible for many to condone or countenance the indiscriminate use of poison but, if a shepherd has half a dozen animals unaccounted for and a stranger with a dog has been seen in the same area recently, it is easy to understand their reasoning, if not their solution.

People

The further you go from centres of population the less likely it is that youll see anyone else. You can sometimes walk for hours without hearing or seeing another human being and, for some, thats the attraction of the forests and mountains.

But, although even woods closer to habitation can still be deserted, there is more of a chance that youll encounter people. The noise of engines from a quad bike safari, the slow, plodding clip-clop of hooves from a pony trek or even a shouted conversation between other walkers will mean that sense of isolation vanishes.

But its also worth remembering the forests are also every Turks hunting ground and, sometimes, as evening falls or over the weekends, some will head into the woods with their guns. More than once, Ive felt the need to make my location obvious after hearing a shotgun blast which seemed dangerously close. For the hunters, your whistle is also a handy way of making your presence a bit more obvious; failing that, just make a lot of noise.

After listing so many hazards, some may wonder if its safe to leave the towns and villages at all but, of the hundreds of walks weve done, 90% have been uneventful. The views are incredible, the peace and tranquillity palpable and, even if you do encounter wildlife, you dont have to be Bear Grylls to survive.

It really is just a matter being aware of the potential pitfalls and taking sensible precautions to either deal with them or avoid them  just as you would anywhere else. By and large the benefits  both physical and mental  far outweigh the risks so, if you like to explore, strap on the boots and get out there.

Rebecca & Steve Parsley are both former journalists with experience in newspapers, magazines and on radio. Since 2006 they have run their own communications agency, specialising in social media and online content writing. They moved to Turkey just over three years ago and live in Kayakoy with their German Shepherd dog, Dillon  formerly a street dog  and two cats. When not slaving over their keyboards or walking in the local countryside, they enjoy watching motorsport  especially Formula 1  and are also salsa dance addicts.
If someone tells you theyre a belly dancer, youd be forgiven for picturing a slinky, dusky maiden in a scanty costume, a jewel in her navel and a provocative gleam in her eye as she wiggles her hips in tantalising fashion.

This, however, is belly dancing as portrayed in Hollywood movies  and it has nothing to do with its origins.

I would describe true belly dance as a dance by women, for other women, says Kate Topcu, who teaches a weekly class in Cals, on the outskirts of Fethiye.

It should be seductive, yes, but not overtly sexual. Its about feeling comfortable with what makes us women  we have curves and tummies and we should embrace them.

How did it begin?

There are several theories about the evolution of belly dancing. Some say it started as a fertility ritual, with a dance that focused on rotation of the hips and stomach. Theres also the belief that the name stems from the mis-hearing of the word beledi, an Arabic word meaning of the people. As Oriental and Middle Eastern dance has long been a family tradition at weddings, births and festivals, this is entirely possible.

The Hollywood stereotype evolved at a time when everyday dress was modest, and the exposure of bare flesh considered risque. The belly button itself was seen as an erogenous zone, and film censors in the 1920s insisted it be covered  hence the introduction of a jewel.

From London to Fethiye

Kate herself began dancing in the UK in 1988, becoming qualified to run her own classes in 1990. She moved to Turkey with her husband in 2007 and decided to revive her classes as part of the Fethiye Creative Womens Group, which she co-founded with Sharon Baltac towards the end of 2014.

Shes keen to stress that anyone who comes her classes will find real women happy to celebrate their femininity.

You dont have to be a size 8 to enjoy dancing. We come in all shapes and sizes and every woman should feel able to get up on a dance floor and do her thing. To any woman thinking of joining us, Id say do! Come and have a go. Were a friendly, supportive group who just enjoy dancing and spending that time together  not to mention that its great exercise and really tones your muscles.

Fethiyes Dancing Divas

The group has performed at several public events as the Fethiye Dancing Divas, including Fethiyes World Environment Day celebrations at the Kultur Merkezi and the Kayakoy Festival, as well as their own haflas  get-togethers where they enjoy food, music and dancing.

Dont worry, though  you can join the classes without taking part in any performances.

Its great to perform as a group but its certainly not compulsory and I wouldnt want anyone to feel under pressure. The main purpose is to have fun and enjoy spending time with other women in a non-threatening, empowering environment where we simply celebrate being who we are, says Kate.

Interested in joining?

Classes are held every Friday from 11.30am  1pm at Guvens Restaurant, Kocek Mustafa Caddesi, 1103 Sokak, Cals. You can catch a regular dolmus service from Fethiye centre and alight shortly before the terminus, or walk along the seafront.

Kate Topcu is happy to run an introductory taster session for women who would like to know a bit more about belly dancing before joining the regular class. To express an interest, or for more details, contact her on 0090 (0)534 666 9750 or email katetopcu@hotmail.co.uk.

Dont miss the Dancing Divas at Kayakoy Senligi

The Fethiye Dancing Divas will be part of the Kayakoy Festival this weekend, on Saturday, May 12, performing at Dukhas Snack Bar/Utopia Lodge Hotel between 1pm and 2pm, and again at Muzzys after 3pm. Check venues on the day for more precise times.

This article was written for Fethiye Times by Rebecca Parsley. Photographs by Steve Parsley.

Rebecca & Steve Parsley are both former journalists with experience in newspapers, magazines and on radio. Since 2006 they have run their own communications agency, specialising in social media and online content writing. They moved to Turkey just over four years ago and live in Kayakoy with their German Shepherd dog, Dillon  formerly a street dog  and two cats. When not slaving over their keyboards or walking in the local countryside, they enjoy watching motorsport  especially Formula 1  and are also salsa dance addicts.
Following the Fethiye Times recent feature on the Dancing Divas, we turn the spotlight onto the Fethiye Creative Womens Group art class and talk to co-founder Sharon Baltac.

Creative beginnings

Art has been part of Sharons life ever since she was a child, and she cant imagine it being any other way.

Ive just always done it, she says. My mum was very into crafts and its something I grew up with. I love painting  especially watercolours, I just adore the delicacy of using them. I have so many different projects on the go  theres always something new to learn and different styles to try.

Running an art class seemed a natural progression; Sharon already held a regular craft session at her home and people there told her theyd love to paint. So, when she and her friend, Kate Topcu, discussed setting up a creative womens group, it seemed an obvious addition.

From abstract to Picasso

Since it began towards the end of 2014, the class has covered a wide range of subjects  landscapes, city skylines, nature, animals and people, to name a few.

The members have produced works inspired by such famous names as Monet and Picasso, as well as more contemporary icons such as Sam Toft and Diane Salter, and Turkish artist Canan Berber.

A different subject is announced each week, with the women encouraged to find their own examples to inspire them. Acrylics, watercolours and mixed media have all played their part in the resulting artworks.

What delights Sharon is seeing her students discover their hidden talents, becoming less afraid to experiment and develop their own styles and skills.

It doesnt matter if someone is a beginner or has painted before  theres a place for them in this class, she explains.

I remind people that even the greatest artists didnt get it right first time  Monet did more than a thousand paintings of his water lilies compared to the three most people know. Everyone has their own style and should never say they are no good at art.

A child drawing the most basic stick person thinks its a masterpiece but sadly, as we get older, we become more critical of ourselves. I love seeing the ladies grow in confidence and ability, and hope my class helps them realise they are better than they think they are.

A welcoming environment and a safe space

Its not just about the art, either. The weekly sessions offer company and a great way to make new friends  something of which Sharon is proud.

There are a lot of women on their own in this area, for whatever reason  some are widowed or wanted a new life in a different country, for example. As a single woman it can be difficult to find a group where you feel comfortable, so I want our group to provide that environment. I know some of the ladies who come to class get together socially now, and thats great, she says.

And she urges anyone thinking of having a go to take the plunge: I promise, painting isnt as scary as you think it will be. At the very least youll find a lovely group of warm, friendly women who are always happy to welcome a new face.

Interested in joining?

Classes are held every Friday from 9.30am  11.30am at Guvens Restaurant, Kocek Mustafa Caddesi, 1103 Sokak, Cals. You can catch a regular dolmus service from Fethiye centre and alight shortly before the terminus, or walk along the seafront.

Sharon Baltac is also planning to run some more Saturday workshops covering different painting techniques.

To find out more, or if you have questions about the regular class, email her at sjbaltaci@yahoo.co.uk.

This article was written for Fethiye Times by Rebecca Parsley. Photographs by Steve Parsley.

Rebecca & Steve Parsley are both former journalists with experience in newspapers, magazines and on radio. Since 2006 they have run their own communications agency, specialising in social media and online content writing. They moved to Turkey just over four years ago and live in Kayakoy with their German Shepherd dog, Dillon  formerly a street dog  and two cats. When not slaving over their keyboards or walking in the local countryside, they enjoy watching motorsport  especially Formula 1  and are also salsa dance addicts.
Cancer Support Groups are meeting for people with cancer and those touched by the disease. They can have many benefits. Even though a lot of people receive support from friends and family, the number one reason they join a support group is to be with others with similar cancer experiences. Some research shows that joining a support group improves both quality of life and survival.

There are many support groups in the UK however, here in Fethiye, there isnt the same support network for sufferers and their family, those grieving for loved ones, and friends and carers.

HOPE (Helping Overcome Painful Emotions)

There are many support groups in the UK however, here in Fethiye, there isnt the same support network for sufferers and their family, those grieving for loved ones, and friends and carers.

HOPE is a new group set up in Fethiye to provide that network.

The group is open to people who are being treated for cancer (or any critical illness) and those who have completed treatment. Equally important members are family and carers (some who have lost loved ones) who can find it helpful to share thoughts and feelings with others. HOPE is also open to those who may be lucky enough to have never been affected by cancer or any other critical illness, but want to help others.

Macmillan supports more than 900 independent cancer support groups and organisations across the UK so it seemed logical to use their tried and tested guidelines to set up HOPE.

The first thing was to agree the aims of the group and set up a declaration of good practice.

The aim of the HOPE Support Group is:

To offer emotional and practical support to cancer sufferers and their families and friends. We will do this by understanding their needs and building a support network of people who understand, care and are prepared to listen and, help, provide grief counselling and practical solutions

Declaration of good practice

We share clear aims and objectives.

We run our activities according to our members needs, in a clear and accountable manner.

We welcome everyone equally, and we take steps to be open and accessible.

We support our helpers and volunteers.

We make sure that everyone understands and respects confidentiality.

We listen to each other and respond with sensitivity.

We provide accurate, practical information, but do not give advice or make recommendations.

We ensure that any complementary therapy we offer is carried out professionally.

We support each other through our losses, allowing time and space to talk about fears and grief.

We work in cooperation with professionals.

The first meeting took place in March and from there, the group has taken shape and is becoming established.

There are around 20 core members supporting the development of the group and cancer sufferers who contact them.

The group meets once a month and a number of professional speakers have attended. The Lokman Hekim Esnaf Hospital have also hosted meetings and given presentations.

Yasam Icin Yars (Race For Life Turkey) and HOPE

Yasam Icin Yars (Race For Life Turkey) takes place every year in Fethiye to raise money for cancer research and treatment. It seems only natural that HOPE should come under the Yasam Icin Yars umbrella, which is hosted by FETAV. The two groups now work in partnership, supporting each other in fundraising activities for this very worthy cause.

Further information

For more information and/or to receive or offer help and support, please apply to join the HOPE Facebook Group and come along to one of our meetings. Alternatively you can email HOPE on hopefethiye@gmail.com
The feast to celebrate Robert Burns has been an annual ritual for over 200 years. The ritual was started by close friends of Burns a few years after his death in 1796 as a tribute to his memory. The friends who gathered read a selection of his works and talked about the impact that Burns and his writing had on their lives. Since then Burns Night Suppers have traditionally been held on 25 January all over the world

The Fethiye event is now officially recognised by the Robert Burns World Federation, a literary society based in Ayrshire, Scotland. The organisation was founded in 1885 to educate the public about the life, poetry and works of the poet Robert Burns.

This years Burns Night celebration, organised by Sine and Colin Rous, Mustafa Skman and members of Fethiye Rotary Club, was held at the Glamour venue in Hisaronu where around 100 people gathered to celebrate the 261st anniversary of the birth of Robert Burns.

Amongst the guest were local Scots, many dressed in traditional kilts and tartan, together with guests from around the world.

The evening was also attended by Yavuz Topates (who works with the Fethiye Mayor in a consular role), his wife and Alasdair Hutton O.B.E who has been a journalist and broadcaster, Member of the European Parliament, and Councillor on Scottish Borders Council where he was Convener for nine years. He served in the Parachute Regiment TA and is a Member of the Royal Company of Archers.

Music was provided by Brian Forrest and Robin Waitt (The Fit Tappers Ceilidh Band), who travelled from Scotland to perform, and piper James Gray, now resident in Fethiye.

Piper James Gray is now resident in Fethiye.

Piping the haggis

The opening speeches and Selkirk Grace were followed by Piping in the haggis and Address to a Haggis by Ewen Rae after which the audience joined in the toast to the haggis

Selkirk Grace by the Pastor of FHK, David Teylor

Piping in the haggis

Ready to toast the haggis

The haggis was then returned to the kitchen for serving with traditional neeps and tatties (mashed turnips and potatoes).

Afterwards there were formal toasts to the Immortal Memory by Alasdair Hutton OBE, Toast to the Lassies by Caner Yldrm and reply by Fidan Ay.

Toasts to the Immortal Memory by Alasdair Hutton OBE

Certificates of appreciation were presented to those who had contributed to the success of the evening and a traditional Turkish kilim was presented to Mr Hutton by the President of the Rotary Club, Asl Faralyal.

Sine and Colin receiving their certificate from Yavuz Topates

a traditional Turkish kilim was presented to Mr Hutton by the Rotary Club

Scottish dancing was led by Fethiye Scottish Dance Group followed by The Sultans of the High Lands and a selection of stirring pipe tunes from James Gray.

Scottish dancing was led by Fethiye Scottish Dance Group

Scottish dancing was led by Fethiye Scottish Dance Group

The evening also included a raffle and auction, the proceeds of which will go to the victims of the recent earthquake Elazg.

Funding towards flight costs and provision of their world famous Teacakes were provided by Lord Tunnock and Tunnocks of Scotland, sponsors of this years event.

Excerpt from the speech by Alasdair Hutton

I think we also owe a great debt of thanks to Tunnocks for their financial help and for the teacakes which are famous throughout Scotland and far beyond and which we have been privileged to enjoy tonight in your dessert. If I may borrow from the Bard.

Fair fa yer honest sonsie face, / Great chieftain of the teacake race! / Abune them a ye tak yer place, / A rare Scots treat, / Weel are ye wordy o a grace / Thats honey sweet.

The tea plate there you more than fill. / Marshmallow like a little hill. / Plus chocolate, you can bet it will. / Taste truly grand. / So thank you Tunnocks for the thrill./ A treat from old Scotland.

A message from Alasdair Hutton O.B.E

Robert Burns did not visit Turkey but he was a man of broad international vision and of humanity. He would have been heartened by the international gathering to celebrate his birthday in Fethiye in 2020. He would have noted that it would have perfectly embodied his vision that man to man, the world oer, shall brothers be for a that.

The Fethiye gathering was a relaxed and relatively informal celebration of Burns life and the international appeal of his verses all these years after his death. The town and the Rotary Club can be proud that they have put both on the map of the international celebrations of Robert Burns life.

A word from Sine and Colin

Organising any event can be stressful and this Burns Night was no exception, however we have been humbled by the support from so many different sources. Glamour owner Selamattin Ylmaz and his team excelled in every area and met every challenge with a smile. The quality of the food and service ensured lots of happy guests. The bringing together of the two cultures was enhanced by the generosity of so many people and in particular, Lord Tunnock and Tunnocks of Scotland. It was their contribution that enabled us to provide the Scottish presence in the form of Mr Alasdair Hutton OBE and the Fit Tappers Ceilidh Band. The whole evening convinced us of the great bonding that Mustafa Kemal Ataturk first realised between the Turkish and Scottish nations and we hope that this continues. A huge thank you goes out to everyone who supported us and came along and enjoyed a fantastic evening. Particular thanks go to Norman Clark for stepping in at the last moment to ensure we had a wonderful pictorial memory of the event.

Thank you to Norman Clark for the photographs.
Written for Fethiye Times and with photos by Mike Vickers

Anyone visiting Turkey becomes very quickly aware that it is different to the UK. Very different. Sometimes gloriously, breathtakingly, gorgeously different, and sometimes hilariously different. In the latter case, it is a reminder, perhaps, of how formalized and hidebound life has become back home where the drive for health and safety has encouraged the mundane and extinguished some of the joy of witnessing the surprising or unexpected. Not so in Turkey.

Ive been carrying my little pocket camera around with me religiously for the many years Ive lived and worked here, and still continue to do so now Ive retired to Fethiye. Frankly, I have to because I just have no idea what little gem of eccentricity Ill see, often a fleeting gem as well. Experience has taught me to strike while the iron is hot or the moment is lost forever. For instance, last week I saw a mannequin in a lingerie shop in town wearing the skimpiest of alluring, semi-transparent, fiery red and very sexy underwear, the sort that begs to be teased off with your teeth whilst blindfolded (or is that just me?), but because were now now winter, she was also wearing a pair of warm and sensible scarlet socks. That image would definitely have been included in this album, but I was unable to take the photo at the time and on returning a few days later, discovered shed been re-dressed in a practical pair of wincyette teddy bear jim-jams. Ah, well

So, heres a selection of memorable images which Ive had the pleasure to witness over the years, each stopping me in my tracks with its beauty, or making me chuckle or warming me with that simple and joyous Turkish humour and eccentricity we all know and love so well. Once seen, never forgotten.

Feature photo above: Stunning Kaputas beach in winter.

Oi! Put your crown on straight. How many times have I told you  Caesar you may be, but I wont have my husband going out looking like a scruff bag! Some things never change. For me, this superb statue unintentionally captures a very human moment. It is one of many housed in the wonderful museum at Aphrodesias, a city renowned for its sculpting and statuary and one of the finest ancient sites in Turkey. If you ever get the chance, go visit. The place is just fabulous.

The best Loo With A View Ive ever seen. This barely functional and very draughty building was once the only facility at the summit of Babadag. Basic it may have been, but second to none when it came to location. Thankfully, the new restaurant complex now up there is much more pleasant, but back in the day, this was your only option. No wonder so many people jumped!

I dont know this man, what his name is or anything about him at all except that he had his shopping hanging from the handlebars of his bike, but when he saw me with my camera in central Fethiye he struck a pose and gave me the loveliest of smiles. The friendliness of Turks is natural and spontaneous. Cracking bobble hat, by the way.

Saklikent gorge. I was a fair way up the gorge by this time, splashing through the shallows, when I turned and found myself alone. Looking up, the walls were so close and uneven the sky was hidden. All I could hear was chattering water. There was something unnervingly primeval about the moment. The low level of the stream indicates this was taken in late summer. I would imagine it would be an entirely different scene after the winter storms.

On the ferry out of Kas and heading towards Meis. This was taken almost exactly a year ago on a beautifully sunny and calm day. Remember when it was actually possible to visit the island? What a topsy-turvey year its been. Yes, the sea was that blue.

And while were on the subject of December, heres one of Santas Little Helpers taking a well-earned tea break at last years Calis Xmas Market.

Koycegiz, years ago, and Jan is attempting to order lunch with Jane, our Kiwi friend. We decided to stop at one of the lakeside restaurants, but our Turkish wasnt up to much in those days. We always found gesticulating helped. The waiter kept saying, ylanbalg, which we finally figured out was snake fish when translated into English. I caught the moment Jan finally realised he was describing an eel, hence her finger sign. Janes expression says it all. She didnt go for the eel, you may be surprised to hear.

Winter in Fethiye can be really lovely. Orange trees and snow, what more do you want?

The Esrefoglu Mosque in Beysehir is famed for its truly wonderful interior. The roof is supported by 48 slender cedar columns, each individually carved in a different pattern and over 700 years old, yet showing no signs of deterioration. The reason for this is the karlk, or open well, located in the centre of the mosque. Snow fell into this deep stone pit through an opening in the roof and accumulated throughout winter, only to melt in the summer, humidifying the interior and preventing the timbers from drying out and cracking. Now, how clever is that. As you would expect with all that cedar timber, the scent inside is fantastic.

The half-submerged Lycian pillar tomb in Kekova, one small part of the city that sank beneath the sea after a major earthquake. You can still see some of the buildings down there if you take a day boat out from the village. Weve always found it a very tranquil and lovely place to visit.

Hey, the tree was there first

DNA inspired topiary at the Esnaf Hospital in Fethiye. You can tell this was taken in 2020!

Dont you just love a country where lettuces are bigger than heads! When I first saw this beauty down the market I thought it was a funky 70s disco wig!

High summer, and heres a shady view out to sea from Kalkan.

A delightful display of Icli kofte for sale in a pop-up market in Fethiye last year. Wed stopped by to stock up on cheese and came across these tasty torpedoes of deliciousness.

Why buy market leader Schweppes when you can have Turkish brand Weps

The spectacular Dalyan delta from Radar Hill. In a country noted for its fine views, this ones up there with the best.

Dont you just love a country where you can have your name baked into a loaf of bread!

Surprisingly erudite graffiti on a water bowser in Uzumlu. You can wait all you like

O Mighty Blue Prince, upon my honour I will ride my faithful steed Buscopan day and night across many perilous lands to deliver your message.Or I can send a text!Close Encounter Of The Weird Kind at the Kaya Festival last year.

And finally, on a seasonal note, you know those poinsettia potted plants that are given as Christmas gifts in the UK and struggle to survive until the end of January? Well, heres one of many stunning poinsettia trees that are scattered in abundance around Fethiye. This robust specimen is tall enough to reach the second storey eaves!
This blog was written by Judith Tekin for Fethiye Times. Photos by Judith Tekin.

Thank you for accepting me as a regular contributor to Fethiye Times. I look forward to writing with the hope that it is a positive experience for readers and helps to lift their spirits.

This is what life is all about.

Blessings are in our lives every day, but sometimes we simply lose sight of them.

When we do notice things previously overlooked, we begin to take more notice of ordinary, everyday things; rain, clouds, birds singing and the world outside. Then we appreciate rather than just notice.

Sometimes even the smallest gesture, a smile, a cup of tea or simple errand for someone can bring us as much pleasure as it brings joy to the recipient.

Appreciating each of our unique life situations enables life to become more vibrant and we learn to treasure the things in life that signify the best in us.

Being empathetic and compassionate is a must and its always good to share our views, acknowledging that we are all different and should be so.

The six senses

And this brings me to think about our six senses. For a minority of people with one or even two missing through no fault of their own, miracles would come in handy!

For the blind it would be a miracle to see. I myself am deaf, and for the deaf, it would be pure joy to be able to hear the sound of rain, birds singing or music and so much more.

Whichever sense is lost, the person will be living in an entirely different world and will cope the best they can.

First of all, its by no means the end of the world, but when deaf and in company, one may as well be on ones own as there is no shared communication.

Folk laugh and the deaf person is totally oblivious as to what everyone is laughing about.

Now, with everyone wearing masks, visual communication ceases as there is no ability to lip-read. Thankfully friends are kind and explain.

But all is not lost as I believe that, what we may lose in one sense, we gain in another. Sight, smell, intuition, feelings and touch enable the deaf to have increased alertness in the world around them. Text on TV is very useful and we acknowledge that more technological advances are being invented to help the deaf all the time.

Deafness is an invisible disability and deaf people develop their own communication skills and adapt typically well in a hearing world.

Have you noticed that deaf people use their hands more to communicate and they lip-read? It shouldnt be seen as a handicap but just a different way of living and means of communication.

Thankfully, hearing aids amplify hearing but by no means can the deaf hear normally. The deaf need to see a face in front of them to see and lip-read and sometimes the incorrect word can be seen to be heard which can be hilarious to others.

However friends totally understand and help where they can. Oh, for the delight of having understanding friends.

Its not so difficult learning to survive in a hearing world when deaf. Other senses compensate and often deaf people have advanced vision, feel vibrations acutely, react more quickly and can be very alert.

Often they are most artistic and have much more worldly insight and an awareness to appreciate attention to detail.

Reflecting on life as deaf is, in a nutshell, living a normal life as much as possible and possessing the gratitude of being alive.

A small thought written down can be of so much more value than a big thought that simply floats away.

Writing is an excellent means of expression and I enjoy writing about different aspects of life that come into my mind.

Its not only humans that can be deaf, three years ago we adopted a white blue-eyed angora rescue kitten. Realizing she was totally deaf, I taught her sign language. She reciprocates by using her paws to communicate with us too. Being vulnerable, shes a house cat but enjoys exploring the world outside with a harness and extending lead.

A happy Shakira

We have so much to be thankful for in life and we must all stay positive with shared hopes for a better future.

A world full of wonders

The world is full of wonders to be found in the strangest of places. Being deaf enables one to see the beauty of nature often in minute detail in front of our eyes, to notice the world around us, and the joy of being alive and seeing the world in an entirely different way.





How lucky we are to be in the Fethiye area, full of rich culture and history everywhere. Walking is pure joy and we have so many beautiful natural beaches to bring joy to our hearts.

At Yanklar, our local beach, I see small flowers emerging now from under the sand. Its so beautiful to be amongst nature, a place for relaxation during the time the allowed out with lockdown restrictions.

Walking on the beach allowing the sand and sea to drift over my feet and between my toes is just heavenly at any time of the year  and grounding.





Swimming when the water is warm is also a pure delight.

To see the first snows settling on our mountain tops brings joy to our hearts.







And although we look forward to normality to return to this world, we can still reflect at any time upon the changing and beautiful seas, observe the many sea birds, some diving into the water. We are privileged to see turtles and dolphins and have many incredible places to visit just on our doorstep, so to speak.

We welcome places to be inspired, it can be a small stream, waterfall, forest or even a field full of wildflowers. Nature is here to comfort and heal us.









And so we all need to venture out when we can in these changed times, to places of serenity to enjoy the fresh air, so healthy and for us all to share. We all need more tranquility and optimism than ever.

Remember that only humans know about this virus. Nature all around us acts as an antidote for any frustrations any of us may be feeling. We become inspired and at peace with ourselves when we understand the outside world.

None of us are experts in life and we all need to stay confident and positive whilst staying safe. I believe to be positive is a discipline and exciting too, as we dont know what tomorrow will bring  but we all live in hope.

At the end of the day, unless we truly believe that our lives will be better, we are unlikely to take that initial step to take responsibility for making it so.

As we are all in this together its important to remember Sweet is the day of contentment, enjoy life and stay safe. Happy days.

Judith Tekin

Judith is from North Yorkshire where she lived with her three children. Initially qualifying as a shorthand typist / book-keeper, she then attended art college for three years and had her own pottery and design studio. A further career change took her to university to where she qualified as a mental health professional, a career that spanned 30 years.

In 2009, Judith retired at 65 years of age and moved here permanently. She now lives in Ciftlik with her Turkish husband and fourteen rescued animals. Loving art of any description, the Turkish culture, travel and history prompted Judith to write her own blogs to lift to peoples spirits and keep them feeling positive. Turkey and living here is my dream and Im very happy to be a contributor to Fethiye Times.
Ronnie Higgins is a Fethiye resident of more than 18 years and owns a property business here, Coast2Coast Properties Turkey.

One of Ronnies pet hates is littering and Karatas beach in Kocacals is an ongoing problem area. Last week Ronnie decided to do something about it and, armed with photographs and videos of the rubbish on the beach, set out to find out who was responsible for keeping the beach clean.

Who is responsible for Karatas beach?

Karatas beach falls under the remit of the Orman Mudurlugu (Forestry Directorate) and Ronnie went along to meet with the managers in the Fethiye office.

The manager of the Forestry Directorate was very responsive and, as a result of the meeting, agreed to work with Ronnie and carry out a clean up of the beach, canals and surrounding areas on Thursday 26 July 2018.

The clean up

Thursday arrived and the forestry people turned up in two mini buses; around 30 workers all ready with masks, gloves and bags. They were also supported by a group British residents who went along to help.

Two truckloads of rubbish were collected and taken away to be disposed of.

The group also spent time talking to people on the beach about what they were doing and why. It is very important to educate people on the importance of disposing of their rubbish responsibly to protect our environment.

Keeping Karatas beach clean

Ronnie will also be working with the Forestry Directorate to get signs put up in strategic places.

Most importantly of all, Karatas beach has now gone on to the forestry weekly cleaning rota and will be cleaned every Thursday. Ronnie plans to monitor this over the next month or so to enable him to feedback to the Forestry Directorate.

What an incredibly successful day.
This article was written for Fethiye Times by Steve Parsley

Around 50 people gathered at Fethiyes Kose Kahve off Kaya Caddesi on Thursday evening to witness the launch of a new initiative which aims to encourage a more green approach to both purchasing habits and lifestyle choices across the Mugla region.

The Aware Co.

The Aware Co. is the brainchild of textile designer and screen printer Leyla Temiz, 35, already established in the Fethiye area as a screen printer at Ottostop Design in Yanklar.

However, her own determination to reduce waste by using more off-cuts in her own work was to prove the catalyst for a broader project which snowballed to become Aware Co. in a matter of weeks.

Minimal waste products

After discussing her ideas with friends and contacts, a small team has been busy since the beginning of January assembling a range of minimal-waste products  including items made from beeswax, natural soaps, oils, tote bags and reusable bread bags  while Leylas own branding ideas were to lead to the formation of The Aware Co.

The enthusiasm and momentum has been incredible, said Layla. Even my accountant contributed by putting me in touch with a few people he thought shared the same principles. The whole thing has happened so quickly.

The Fethiye launch on Thursday evening was followed by another in Kalkan yesterday (January 29) and Leyla has indicated her wish to take The Aware Co. message to the tea rooms, bakeries and schools in as many villages as possible throughout 2019.

Addressing those gathered at the Fethiye launch, she added: We have three main aims, the first of which is to give local makers who share a similar ethos a platform from which to promote their crafts.

Secondly, we want to source and design minimal-waste products considering sustainability of production and our carbon footprint and, lastly, we want to encourage community feedback by holding regular drop-in meetings to develop even more innovative projects.

More information about The Aware Co. is available on the groups Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/theawareco/ A separate website is also in development.

Turkeys green initiatives

The project is launched at a time when Turkeys own government has announced a number of green initiatives which it hopes will enhance the countrys performance on environmental issues.

Supermarkets are now obliged to sell plastic carrier bags for a minimal fee rather than giving them away while this month also saw the Environment and Urbanisation Minister Murat Kurum confirm a deposit for all plastic drink bottles will be introduced in 2023.

Turkeys First Lady, Emine Erdogan has also breathed new life into a push for more awareness with her Zero Waste initiative, which celebrated its first year at a special conference in November.

The Aware Co. will operate on a not-for-profit basis, meaning after business costs are covered, money will be spent on community projects to further enhance awareness across the Mugla region.

Pop-Up shopping

The Aware Co. will be holding a Pop-Up session at Kose Kahve this Saturday between 13:00-17:00. Go along, see the products and learn more about the mission to make Fethiye more aware.
This article was written for Fethiye Times by Sian Midgley,

As many of you are aware, fast fashion is now the third biggest pollutant in the world primarily due to its negative environmental impact, the use of toxic chemicals and the increasing amount of textile waste.

Prior to watching Stacey Dooleys BBC Documentary The Shocking Truth About Fashion I was one of the many who, during visits back to the UK, would hurtle around Primark stocking up on vest tops, t-shirts, shorts and the like, leaving just enough room in my suitcase to squeeze in a box of Yorkshire Tea.

But things needed to change so the team behind the Sustainable Living in Fethiye Facebook page (of which I am one) organised a Clothes Exchange in Cals in November 2018. What none of us could foresee was exactly how popular this would end up being. So much so that last Saturday we held our fifth event in as many months, again in Cals, after also holding similar events in Uzumlu, Fethiye and Hisaronu.

What is a clothes exchange?

The idea behind a Clothes Exchange is that you bring along good quality clothes, shoes, handbags etc, that you no longer want. You are given tokens in exchange for these which you can then spend on other items that catch your eye. You dont have to spend all your tokens at one event either  just put them somewhere safe and bring them along next time. A great way to help the environment, refresh your wardrobe and save money all at the same time.

This past weekends event at Cafe Soul saw record numbers of attendees with clothes flying in and out of the venue at such speed that the dedicated volunteers could barely keep up  it really did give a new meaning to the words Fast Fashion! Plus, thanks to peoples generosity, we were also able to donate some baby clothes to the Syrian Refugee group (RAF) and some adult clothes to Hayed who were holding their own Table Top just a few doors away. In previous months weve also donated to the 3Cs, FIG, ACU, Uzumlu Womens Group & Animal Aid Ovack, Hisaronu, Kayakoy and Oludeniz.

Our final Clothes Exchange before a summer break will be in Uzumlu. To make sure you dont miss out on the date announcement and to find out how else you can help the environment, both locally and globally, join our Sustainable Living in Fethiye Facebook page now.

Sian Midgley moved to Fethiye from the UK in 2013. Shes previously been involved with 3Cs, Animal Aid (now Hayed) and the Catalark Kedi Evi. Now she jointly runs the Sustainable Living in Fethiye Facebook page where people ask questions and give advice on how to live a more environmentally friendly lifestyle.Having discovered a love of the outdoors in recent years, more often than not, youll find her cycling or walking around the local villages or participating in various fitness classes. In her downtime, she likes nothing more than to be at home with her three pets, including her 4 year-old rescue dog who she openly admits is the love of her life.
"Conscience is the key to global peace and sustainability." ~ Dr. Hong, Tao-Tze

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 25, 2021.



As an avid peace advocate, the Federation of World Peace and Lovehosted a virtual forum in celebration of this meaningful day , and it marks the 36th webinar that FOWPALhas organized in support of various UN days to awaken the conscience in more people and foster world peace since the pandemic began. In this forum, Dr. Hong, Tao-Tze, president of FOWPAL, nine influential leaders, and other promoters of peace shared their thoughts on how to make the world a better and more peaceful place.

Dr. Hong, Tao-Tze emphasized , "Now is a critical time as the world needs to recover quickly and global solidarity and dialogue are urgently needed. Only by providing mutual support and care and uniting with love and conscience will we create a win-win situation to enhance our collective well-being and to usher in true peace."

Dr. Hong also stated , "The key to peace lies in promoting the purest form of human love and practicing it with perseverance. Actions based on love and conscience will be the strongest force for peaceful reform and the best way to maintain long-term peace in the world."

"There is no peace without love. Peace needs love, and love needs to be balanced," Dr. Hong further explained , adding, "Conscience is like a compass, guiding people onto the right path and unleashing their boundless potential. Conscience enables people to become compassionate and courageous and empowers them to use wisdom to resolve conflict. When people act in accordance with their conscience, they benefit both themselves and others. By handling people and things with conscience, we will know how to tolerate and forgive each other, love and care for others, shorten the distance between people and between nations, and promote an all-round stable and peaceful society."

Teburoro Tito, former President of Kiribati and current Ambassador of Kiribati to the UN , encouraged everyone to cultivate an abundance of love, peace, kindness, care, and happiness within. He said, "I firmly believe that an international cooperation involving the collaboration of national, regional, and international organizations headed by persons who are richly endowed with the aforementioned positive human attributes and who are powered and driven by human conscience as I have explained, and who will put people before profits and human values before dollar values, and the 'we' before the 'I,' we will surely have a good chance of winning the fight against the current COVID-19 pandemic and in liberating the world out of such crisis as soon as possible."

Rosy S. Akbar, Minister for Education, Heritage and Arts of Fiji , pointed out, "We must encourage and support one another, as well as push ourselves to act in good conscience all the time, for the benefit of everyone now, and for our future generations to come." "If we create a conviction within ourselves to do what we can to support our fellow humans, and work together as one, we will surely have a more equitable and sustainable world to look forward to," she added.

Rosalia Arteaga Serrano, former President of Ecuador , stated, "I value a lot the initiative of FOWPAL to celebrate 21 of September, the Day of Peace. And they are working through consciousness. I really support this initiative because I believe on peace and consciousness on the world."

Justice Anthony Thomas Aquinas Carmona, former President of Trinidad and Tobago , said, "I wish to propose once more, that world leaders and citizens advocate for and support the establishment of an environmental Court, that is, the International Environmental Court (IEC), without prejudice to the mandates of existing institutions. The International Environmental Court (IEC) will be telling violators of environmental impunity, you can run but you cannot hide."

Reema Harrysingh-Carmona, former First Lady of Trinidad and Tobago , emphasized women's role in fostering a peaceful, equitable, and sustainable world, quoting a UN statement: "Without women's participation, we will not achieve lasting peace; and without the stability of peace, we will not achieve sustainable development."

Stjepan Mesic, former President of Croatia , said, "All wars always end with peace, so why to wage them at all? This is a thought to be considered by everyone, especially those who are in position to lead and decide about war."

Filip Vujanovic, former President of Montenegro , said, "We need to recall the necessity for solidarity, understanding, consciousness, mutual respect, and humanity. We can only do that by powering our international community and strengthening our bilateral, regional, and multilateral relations. More than ever in our history, we need the strong and proactive UN to lead our global society in times of uncertainty. Failing in this joint goal shall not be an option whatsoever."

Dr. Akkan Suver, president of the Marmara Group Foundation in Turkey , said, "In order to reach peace and approach a culture of peace, we first need dialogue, then tolerance and then love." He also illustrated the difference between war and peace by quoting the words of Herodotus: "In peace, sons bury their fathers. In war, fathers bury their sons."

Dr. Kuiljeit Uppaal , the world's first image scientist and impact strategist and a recipient of the prestigious Karmaveer Chakra Award, instituted by the UN, encouraged everyone to have compassion and do good deeds, saying, "Let's stand in solidarity with the world's most vulnerable people in our environment and society, and as good human beings, to do whatever we can, no matter how big or small, to ensure that we all live in peace, good health and mutual respect as global citizens of the world."

Prior to the pandemic, FOWPAL would co-organize events with various Permanent Missions to the UN at the United Nations. Dr. Ada Okika, UN coordinator of the Africana Women Working Group at the UN, attended one of such events and was very impressed by the powerful and peaceful energy of the Bell of World Peace and Love. She invited Dr. Hong, Tao-Tze to deliver a speechand video presentation of the ceremony of ringing the Bell of World Peace and Love to calm people's hearts and pray for the world during the First Ladies International Day of Peace Forum hosted by the Africana Women Working Group on September 21, 2021. Injecting more energy of peace into the world by presenting FOWPAL's bell ringing ceremony at such an event was very meaningful as it is tradition for the UN Secretary-General to ring the UN Peace Bell on the International Day of Peace each year.

The webinar, moderated by Princess Tshepi Motloung, founder of the FutureLift Foundation, was joined by Dr. Hong and other distinguished guests, including Princess Siphokazi Simandla, managing director of Bolunga Systems & e-Waste Social Enterprise; Pauline Soberanis Tillett, a City Councilor in Belmopan, Belize; Dr. Samuel Jacobs, executive director of Jacobs-Abbey Global Institute for Leadership Studies; Suzanne Harvey, executive director of the Peacemaker Corps; Princess Gabo Moroka, founder of the Princess Gabo Foundation; Bea Baylor, author; Dr. Diana Kenoly, youth leadership mentor; and others.

"Every woman is their first lady," said Dr. Ada Okika, emphasizing the value of each woman. She also noted, "We cannot just be talking about world peace when the major aspects that are inclusive into the issue of peace are neglected and that is the issues about women." She reported that the event was celebrating both the International Day of Peace and the Independence Day of Belize.

Pauline Soberanis Tillett, a City Councilor in Belmopan, Belize, expressed her delight at her country's Independence Day and International Day of Peace being commemorated simultaneously. She spoke about how women in her city are empowered by providing opportunities for them to learn, grow, and gain confidence.

"Without action on our part, no success is going to be possible," said Dr. Diana Kenoly, youth leadership mentor, stressing the significance of personal efforts. She encouraged everyone to keep sharpening their skills and improving themselves to have a brighter future.

Dr. Samuel Jacobs, executive director of Jacobs-Abbey Global Institute for Leadership Studies, highlighted the importance of self-reflection and solidarity, saying, "The pandemic will also encourage us to have a serious assessment of how we have lived our lives as humans and how important it is to connect around the world and build synergies and efforts in order for us to overcome challenges and situations that we found ourselves in."

In the face of the world's various problems, Dr. Hong, Tao-Tze pointed outthat the heart is at the root of everything: "From the moment they are born, humans are confronted with the five poisons hidden in their hearts: greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance, and skepticism. The selfish pursuit of power, fame, and wealth has led to jealousy, suspicion, comparison, bullying, and even discrimination and hatred among people." He noted thatif people realize that they all belong to the same human family and that the source of happiness is one, more conflicts and tragedies can be avoided. He also highlighted the importance of consciencein achieving world peace: "Conscience is innate and guides us onto the bright path. Only when conscience is activated can global citizens respect and care for one another and realize a peaceful world as with conscience comes a peaceful world and with happiness comes a joyful family. Conscience is the key to global peace and sustainability."

Dr. Hong also sharedsome useful tips for the fight against COVID-19: "During the SARS outbreak in 2002 and during the COVID-19 pandemic, which started in the end of 2019, we produced disease prevention guidelines: three don'ts , five do's , and six tips , as well as a trilogy of videos on epidemic prevention , which we have presented to heads of state and the world, hoping that everyone will stay safe, healthy, and happy and that the pandemic will end soon. The pandemic is in fact a warning to the world: Who can be without flaws if they are not saints? There is no greater benefit than being able to correct one's errors. In the face of nature's backlash, only through sincere self-reflection, repentance, and atonement, and by doing more good deeds with conscience to make up for our mistakes, can we have a chance to turn the corner."

Following Dr. Hong's insightful speech, FOWPAL shared a ceremony of ringing the Bell of World Peace and Love . The clear sound of the Bell resonated in the hearts of the participants. Princess Tshepi Motloung said effusively, "Thank you for that peace bell. Let it keep on ringing in our lives, in our families, in our communities, in our societies, in our continents, globally, wherever we are. Thank you so much!"

"All that we are doing is working towards agenda 2030," she said at the end of the event, encouraging people to make meaningful contributions in their communities and continue to recover and rebuild better in the post-COVID era.

About the Federation of World Peace and Love: Established in 2000 in the United States by Dr. Hong, Tao-Tze, FOWPAL is an international love and peace organization, with members from around the world. Guided by the principle of "Changing the world for the better starting with one good thought," it aims to promote world peace and love through various activities such as world summits of love and peace, ceremonies of ringing the "Bell of World Peace and Love ," and cultural exchange performances . To date, 399 prominent figures from 122 countries have rung the Bell, made their wishes for love and peace, and pledged to work for the world's sustainable future. Among them are 43 heads of state and government, seven Nobel Peace Prize laureates, UN ambassadors, and other visionary leaders.

Media Contact:

Lily Chen

Representative

info@fowpal.org

626-202-5268

www.fowpal.org





A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/fad10562-4374-466f-9616-f5ec631b3cbf

The photo is also available at Newscom, www.newscom.com, and via AP PhotoExpress.
Wipro Limited (NYSE: WIT, BSE: 507685, NSE: WIPRO), a leading global information technology, consulting and business process services company, today organized the 16th annual 'Spirit of Wipro' (SOW) Run, drawing thousands of participants from over 35 countries to run together in spirit.

For the past sixteen years, Wiproites around the world have come together to celebrate Wipro's core values. The annual SOW run aims to inspire employees to be responsible citizens of the world.

This year's theme was "Together. To greatness," inspired by the resilience demonstrated by Wiproites in a year of unprecedented disruption. Along with outperforming across all business parameters, Wipro teams have remained committed to supporting their colleagues and creating a lasting social impact across communities.

Like last year, this year's race was also virtual, and runners strictly adhered to the local COVID-19 guidelines and safety protocols while participating in the event.

Even under these conditions, enthusiasm was high. Participants used the freely available Strava app to track their progress and keep connected with fellow runners around the world. Wipro also encouraged employees to share selfies and videos leading up to and throughout the day of the race, which the company curated and shared on internal channels and on social media.

Every year, all proceeds from the Spirit of Wipro Run are matched 100% by Wipro and is utilized by Wipro Cares, the community initiatives arm of Wipro Limited. In the past, these donations went primarily to support the education of disadvantaged children. In 2020, most of the proceeds were directed towards the pandemic relief efforts and will continue for this year as well. Through these contributions and the company's larger community impact, Wipro continues to work towards its vision of creating a more equitable and sustainable society for all.

After participating in the event, Thierry Delaporte, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Wipro Limited said, "Wipro's commitment to progress goes beyond digital innovation and business transformation. The Spirit of Wipro Run is a testament to that. We are a global family driven by a shared commitment that of supporting one another, of pursuing healthier futures, and giving back to our communities."

Saurabh Govil, President and Chief Human Resources Officer, Wipro Limited said, "After such a humbling year, it is moving to see Wiproites across the world coming together, albeit virtually. The Spirit of Wipro Run embodies the values and culture that make us a resilient, purpose-driven organization. We believe the contributions from the event will help create a positive impact on local communities across the countries where we operate."

About Wipro Limited

Wipro Limited (NYSE: WIT, BSE: 507685, NSE: WIPRO) is a leading global information technology, consulting and business process services company. We harness the power of cognitive computing, hyper-automation, robotics, cloud, analytics and emerging technologies to help our clients adapt to the digital world and make them successful. A company recognized globally for its comprehensive portfolio of services, strong commitment to sustainability and good corporate citizenship, we have over 200,000 dedicated employees serving clients across six continents. Together, we discover ideas and connect the dots to build a better and a bold new future.

Forward-Looking Statements

The forward-looking statements contained herein represent Wipro's beliefs regarding future events, many of which are by their nature, inherently uncertain and outside Wipro's control. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding Wipro's growth prospects, its future financial operating results, and its plans, expectations and intentions. Wipro cautions readers that the forward-looking statements contained herein are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results anticipated by such statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties regarding fluctuations in our earnings, revenue and profits, our ability to generate and manage growth, complete proposed corporate actions, intense competition in IT services, our ability to maintain our cost advantage, wage increases in India, our ability to attract and retain highly skilled professionals, time and cost overruns on fixed-price, fixed-time frame contracts, client concentration, restrictions on immigration, our ability to manage our international operations, reduced demand for technology in our key focus areas, disruptions in telecommunication networks, our ability to successfully complete and integrate potential acquisitions, liability for damages on our service contracts, the success of the companies in which we make strategic investments, withdrawal of fiscal governmental incentives, political instability, war, legal restrictions on raising capital or acquiring companies outside India, unauthorized use of our intellectual property and general economic conditions affecting our business and industry. The conditions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic could decrease technology spending, adversely affect demand for our products, affect the rate of customer spending and could adversely affect our customers' ability or willingness to purchase our offerings, delay prospective customers' purchasing decisions, adversely impact our ability to provide on-site consulting services and our inability to deliver our customers or delay the provisioning of our offerings, all of which could adversely affect our future sales, operating results and overall financial performance. Our operations may also be negatively affected by a range of external factors related to the COVID-19 pandemic that are not within our control. Additional risks that could affect our future operating results are more fully described in our filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, including, but not limited to, Annual Reports on Form 20-F. These filings are available at www.sec.gov. We may, from time to time, make additional written and oral forward-looking statements, including statements contained in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and our reports to shareholders. We do not undertake to update any forward-looking statement that may be made from time to time by us or on our behalf.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210926005038/en/

Contacts:

Nisha Chandrasekaran

Wipro Limited

nisha.chandrasekaran@wipro.com
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.
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Sydney, Sept. 06, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Just released, this edition of BuddeComm report outlines the latest developments and key trends in the telecoms markets. - https://www.budde.com.au/Research/United-Kingdom-Telecoms-Mobile-and-Broadband-Statistics-and-Analyses/?utm_source=GNW

9% year-on-year. This was despite gains in subscriber numbers in some of the key growth areas of the market, particularly broadband, as well as increases in voice and data traffic brought about by the long periods of lockdown that were in force throughout the country for much of the year. Those upswings were offset by sharp drops in ARPU resulting from an increased preference for bundling, more competitive pricing, and a reduction in roaming revenue due to Covid-19-related restrictions on overseas travel.



The telco markets gradual downward trend masks what has otherwise been a tumultuous period for UK industry in general. The full impact of the double-whammy that the country experienced with both Covid-19 and Brexit hitting at around the same time is still far from clear. The OECD found that the UK suffered far more than other G7 countries due to the combined effect of these two major events, however early economic indicators into 2021 suggest that the country has the resiliency and ability to fight back thanks, in part, to the relative success of the Covid-19 vaccination program that has allowed much of the UK population to return to work sooner than its neighbours.



The government is committed to maintaining a strong and competitive telecommunications environment. In policy and in pounds, the industry is receiving a high level of government support for rolling out broadband throughout the country. There is a particularly strong push to extend coverage into more rural and remote areas, with a national Full Fibre broadband access target in 2033. One of the additional downsides to the UKs withdrawal from the EU, however, is that the country no longer has access to the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), which previously provided much of the cash for the development of broadband. The UK government must instead fund its fibre-broadband initiatives using internal resources.



Key Developments:

International roaming charges to be reintroduced for travel to Europe.

By the end of 2020, 38% of UK homes were able to get gigabit-capable broadband. Ultrafast coverage (greater than 300Mb/s) reached 61% of premises.

Openreach will stop selling copper-based products to fibre-connected premises from September 2021.

Eutelsat launched a UK-wide satellite broadband service in December 2020 via its Konnect satellite, offering data rates up to 100Mb/s.

The government acquired a 45% stake in OneWeb, following the UKs exit from the EU and the country no longer being part of Europes Galileo satellite positioning system.

OneWeb launched its first set of satellites in December 2020, aiming for services to be made available across the country by the end of 2021.

Liberty Globals Virgin Media and Telefonicas O2 were merged in a JV to form Virgin Media O2, in the process creating a major competitor to BT.

Blocks of spectrum in the 700MHz and 3.6GHz bands were auctioned in March 2021, strengthening 5G deployment.

This report includes the regulators market data reports to Q1 2021, telcos financial and operating data updates to June 2021, Telecom Maturity Index charts and analyses, assessment of the global impact of Covid-19 on the telecoms sector, and other recent market developments.



Companies mentioned in this report:

British Telecom (BT), KCom, Virgin Media O2 (VMed O2), Hutchison Three (H3), EE, Vodafone, Liberty Global, Telefonica, Ericsson, Virgin Mobile, Openreach, Eutelsat, Cable & Wireless Communications (CWC), COLT, Dixons Carphone Group/Carphone Warehouse, TalkTalk, Sky, OneWeb.



Read the full report: https://www.budde.com.au/Research/United-Kingdom-Telecoms-Mobile-and-Broadband-Statistics-and-Analyses/?utm_source=GNW
MONTERREY, Mexico, Sept. 08, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Fomento Economico Mexicano, S.A.B. de C.V. (FEMSA or the Company) (NYSE: FMX; BMV: FEMSAUBD, FEMSAUB) announced today that Envoy Solutions, FEMSAs specialized distribution subsidiary in the United States, reached an agreement to acquire Penn Jersey Paper Co. (PJP), an independent specialized distribution company based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. PJP fits well with FEMSAs distribution footprint along the East Coast, expanding its coverage to include the Philadelphia metro area and New York City. This transaction represents another important step in FEMSAs strategic path to build a leading national distribution platform in the United States. Revenues of the acquired business for the last twelve months as of June 2021, were over US$ 200 million.



The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and approvals and is expected to close during the third quarter of 2021.

BDO USA LLP acted as financial and tax advisor, and Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP acted as external legal counsel for FEMSA in connection with this transaction. Stifel Financial Corp. acted as exclusive financial advisor to Penn Jersey Paper Co.

About FEMSA

FEMSA is a company that creates economic and social value through companies and institutions and strives to be the best employer and neighbor to the communities in which it operates. It participates in the retail industry through FEMSA Comercio, comprising a Proximity Division operating OXXO, a small-format store chain, a Health Division, which includes drugstores and related activities, and a Fuel Division, which operates the OXXO Gas chain of retail service stations. In the beverage industry, it participates through Coca-Cola FEMSA, the largest franchise bottler of Coca-Cola products in the world by volume; and in the beer industry, as the second largest shareholder of Heineken, one of the worlds leading brewers with operations in over 70 countries. FEMSA also participates in the logistics and distribution industry through its Strategic Business Unit, which additionally provides point-of-sale refrigeration and plastic solutions to its business units and third-party clients. Across its business units, FEMSA has more than 320,000 employees in 13 countries. FEMSA is a member of the Dow Jones Sustainability MILA Pacific Alliance, the FTSE4Good Emerging Index and the Mexican Stock Exchange Sustainability Index, among other indexes that evaluate its sustainability performance.
OSLO, Norway (14 September 2021) - TGS is commencing a new seismic survey in the MSGBC Basin, offshore Mauritania, adding to the successes of the North-West Africa Atlantic Margin (NWAAM) 2D campaign. The survey, NWAAM 2021, will comprise 7,500 kilometers of seismic data, with a modern broadband acquisition set-up. The project is being undertaken using the vessel BGP Pioneer  and has the full support of the Mauritanian Ministry of Hydrocarbons.

The survey is designed to illuminate the regional plays in the ultra-deep and deepwater areas with a new azimuth and to provide prospectivity insights of an oil-prone area in relation to recent key wells and the shallow water geology. This additional insight will enable explorers to build upon the success the basin has experienced with the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim complex and surrounding discoveries. The project has a 60-day acquisition timeline, with fast-track data available three months after acquisition. The full dataset will be available by Q2 2022.

Kristian Johansen, CEO at TGS, commented, "Our latest seismic survey offshore Mauritania will provide explorers with the subsurface intelligence needed to assess the hydrocarbon potential of the deep and ultra-deepwater. We see this project as the natural continuation of our successful NWAAM campaign, one of our flagship projects in Africa. The MSGBC Basin remains an important region for our clients, and TGS is well positioned with its unique combination of multibeam, seafloor sampling, seismic, interpretation, and imaging products to deliver the best subsurface knowledge in the industry."

This project is supported by industry funding.

About TGS

TGS provides scientific data and intelligence to companies active in the energy sector. In addition to a global, extensive and diverse energy data library, TGS offers specialized services such as advanced processing and analytics alongside cloud-based data applications and solutions.

Forward Looking Statement

All statements in this press release other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements, which are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict, and are based upon assumptions as to future events that may not prove accurate. These factors include TGS' reliance on a cyclical industry and principal customers, TGS' ability to continue to expand markets for licensing of data, and TGS' ability to acquire and process data product at costs commensurate with profitability, as well as volatile market conditions, which have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the severe drop in oil prices. Actual results may differ materially from those expected or projected in the forward-looking statements. TGS undertakes no responsibility or obligation to update or alter forward-looking statements for any reason.

For more information, visit TGS.com or contact:

Sven Brre Larsen

Chief Financial Officer

investor@tgs.com

Attachment
Arlington, Virginia, Sept. 14, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Atlas Networkthe nonprofit organization connecting 500 free-market organizations in almost 100 countries to advance the cause of libertyhas announced the six finalists for this years Templeton Freedom Award. Named for the late investor and philanthropist Sir John Templeton, the prestigious award annually honors his legacy by identifying and recognizing the most exceptional and innovative contributions to the understanding of free enterprise and the public policies that encourage prosperity, innovation, and human fulfillment via free competition. The winning organization receives a US$100,000 grand prize and the runners-up each receive US$20,000. The award is generously supported by Templeton Religion Trust and will be presented during Atlas Networks 2021 Liberty Forum & Freedom Dinner on December 14 in Miami, Florida.

The six finalists for the 2021 Templeton Freedom Award are:

Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy (Charleston, West Virginia)

Initiating Education Choice Reform

Quality education is key to breaking the cycle of poverty, but for decades, West Virginia students have been trapped in a system consistently ranked at the bottom of national rankings, with no alternatives available. Leaders of the Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy knew there was a better way, and in 2015 they began a journey to transform education in their state. As a result of their tireless efforts, West Virginia opened to charter schools in 2019, and this year the West Virginia legislature adopted the Hope Scholarship Program, a nation-leading education reform that provides funding directly to families and students rather than systems. Parents across West Virginia now have the agency they need to make the best decisions for their children, and by introducing competition into the education marketplace, Cardinal Institute has revolutionized educational choice, creating the gold standard for reform and bringing a West Virginia miracle closer to fruition.

Cato Institute (Washington, D.C.)

Working to Eliminate Qualified Immunity

Just a few years ago, qualified immunity was an obscure legal concept known only to a small handful of lawyers and legal scholars. Now, its a household term. Uniting advocacy groups and leaders from across the political spectrum, Cato Institute demonstrated how qualified immunity enables government officials to violate the civil rights of citizens with impunity. Their work to promote public awareness of the topic has been so successful that more than 60% of Americans now favor ending this abusive legal loophole, and legislative efforts to ban qualified immunity are picking up steam. Several jurisdictionsincluding Colorado, New Mexico, and New York Cityhave already banned the legal defense, clearing the way for citizens to bring lawsuits against officialsincluding police officerswho have violated their rights. Bills to that effect have also been introduced at the national level by members of Congress representing three political parties. Cato Institute's efforts aim to restore the civil rights of every American and give renewed energy to the creed liberty and justice for all.

Centre for Development and EnterprisesGreat Lakes (Bujumbura, Burundi)

Opening Borders to Increase Trade

In the landlocked Central African nation of Burundi, oppressive regulations, complicated bureaucracy and physical barriers at border posts force Burundians desperate for cross-border trade to enter the informal economy, condemning millions to lives marred by poverty and abuse by border officials. The Centre for Development and EnterprisesGreat Lakes, or CDE, is determined to reduce these barriers and create the conditions for formal, open tradeand, consequentlyfor a better life in Burundi. CDE launched their "Fungua Njia" or "Open Road" campaign in 2019, which has culminated in fewer required commercial documents, the elimination of 90% of non-tariff barriers; the establishment of a simple local travel document to replace costly passports; the reduction of regulatory agencies from 19 to 4; and, most importantly, the legal recognition of over 30,000 women traders, who have finally been extended protection against sexual harassment, illegal seizure of their goods, physical violence, and bribery at the border. These changes have cleared the way for explosive growth in trade that is not only more frequent, but also more affordable and secure. CDEs work demonstrates the power of free enterprise and trade to bring dignity and prosperity to millions of people across Africas Great Lakes region.

Centre for Civil Society (New Delhi, India)

Securing Legal Protections for Street Vendors

Street vendors are essential to Indias economy, accounting for over US$10 million in transactions each day. But these entrepreneurs often operate at the mercy of local authorities who arbitrarily extort, abuse, and threaten them, seizing their goods and charging them hefty fines. Centre for Civil Society, or CCS, has been a consistent champion for street vendors, securing the passage of the landmark Street Vendors Act in 2014. Sadly, implementation of the law has been fragmented and remains unfinished in states across the country. With sustained research and publicity campaigns on behalf of and in partnership with vendors, Centre for Civil Society has maintained pressure on government officials to protect street vendors economic rights. Moreover, CCS work to educate vendors about the law is enabling millions to stand up for their rights, ultimately allowing them to earn a livelihood free from the fines and fear that have prevented them from plying their trade in peace.

Institute of Economic Affairs (London, United Kingdom)

Revitalizing a Free Trade Champion

Just over forty years ago, the Institute of Economic Affairs, or IEA, laid the intellectual groundwork for sustained economic expansion across the United Kingdom, and today they have once again helped to lead the country out of crisis. Out of the uncertainty created by the Brexit referendum, the IEA worked to make the most of the opportunity to redefine economic policy in the United Kingdom. For four years they played a significant role in changing hearts, minds, and policy with a clear vision for advancing free trade. Their Plan A+ programme became a media sensation and was championed by a wide range of policymakers and UK leaders who have since implemented dozens of free trade deals worth over US$1 trillion. Overcoming immense opposition from think tanks, regulatory agencies, social media attacks, and even targeted burglaries, the IEA achieved their most monumental policy contribution in decades. Their steadfast commitment to open trade has helped to secure a more prosperous future for the people of the United Kingdom, rekindled Britains deep liberal tradition, and created a model to be emulated around the world.

Libertas Institute (Lehi, Utah)

Unleashing the Potential of Utahs Small Businesses

Red tape and bureaucracy often discourage aspiring entrepreneurs, overwhelm small businesses, and hinder established companies from reaching their full potential. Utahs Libertas Institute aims to change this stifling environment with the nations first comprehensive regulatory sandbox. This innovative system allows business owners to seek exemption from onerous regulations, giving entrepreneurs and enterprises time to innovate while providing lawmakers the opportunity to review and repeal outdated or restrictive policies. By decreasing unnecessary regulations, Libertas Institutes regulatory sandbox creates a welcoming environment for fresh business ideas. Sandbox programs in Utah have helped dozens of companies serve their customers more cost effectively and efficiently by reducing their regulatory burden. Libertas Institute is encouraging similar sandboxes across the country and hopes to see their policy proposals adopted on the national level. Libertas Institutes concerted deregulation efforts are allowing a new generation of entrepreneurs in Utah to achieve their dreams, making the state a beacon of innovation and opportunity in the United States.

To schedule an interview with any of the finalists, please contact AJ Skiera at Aj.Skiera@AtlasNetwork.org or (202) 449-8440. For more information, please visit AtlasNetwork.org.

###

About Atlas Network:

Atlas Network is a nonprofit organization that aims to secure for all individuals the rights to economic and personal freedom through its global network of strategic partners that operate independently in nearly 100 countries. Atlas Network does not receive funds from any government or quasi-government institutions. Its programs are entirely funded by voluntary gifts from those who cherish the principles of a free society and desire to help Atlas Network unleash individual ingenuity to enrich humanity.

About the Templeton Freedom Award:

Awarded since 2004, Atlas Networks Templeton Freedom Award is named for the late investor and philanthropist Sir John Templeton. The award annually honors his legacy by identifying and recognizing the most exceptional and innovative contributions to the understanding of free enterprise and the public policies that encourage prosperity, innovation, and human fulfillment via free competition. The award is generously supported by Templeton Religion Trust and will be presented during Atlas Networks Freedom Dinner on December 14 in Miami, Florida, at loanDepot (Miami Marlins) park. The winning organization will receive a $100,000 prize, and five additional finalists will each receive $20,000 prizes.

Attachments
LOS ANGELES, Sept. 25, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The International Day of Peace is celebrated on September 21. As a human family, we face a stark choice Peace or perpetual peril. We must choose peace, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres states in his message commemorating the day.



As an avid peace advocate, the Federation of World Peace and Love (FOWPAL) hosted a virtual forum in celebration of this meaningful day , and it marks the 36th webinar that FOWPAL has organized in support of various UN days to awaken the conscience in more people and foster world peace since the pandemic began. In this forum, Dr. Hong, Tao-Tze, president of FOWPAL, nine influential leaders, and other promoters of peace shared their thoughts on how to make the world a better and more peaceful place.

Dr. Hong, Tao-Tze emphasized , Now is a critical time as the world needs to recover quickly and global solidarity and dialogue are urgently needed. Only by providing mutual support and care and uniting with love and conscience will we create a win-win situation to enhance our collective well-being and to usher in true peace.

Dr. Hong also stated , The key to peace lies in promoting the purest form of human love and practicing it with perseverance. Actions based on love and conscience will be the strongest force for peaceful reform and the best way to maintain long-term peace in the world.

There is no peace without love. Peace needs love, and love needs to be balanced, Dr. Hong further explained , adding, Conscience is like a compass, guiding people onto the right path and unleashing their boundless potential. Conscience enables people to become compassionate and courageous and empowers them to use wisdom to resolve conflict. When people act in accordance with their conscience, they benefit both themselves and others. By handling people and things with conscience, we will know how to tolerate and forgive each other, love and care for others, shorten the distance between people and between nations, and promote an all-round stable and peaceful society.

Teburoro Tito, former President of Kiribati and current Ambassador of Kiribati to the UN , encouraged everyone to cultivate an abundance of love, peace, kindness, care, and happiness within. He said, I firmly believe that an international cooperation involving the collaboration of national, regional, and international organizations headed by persons who are richly endowed with the aforementioned positive human attributes and who are powered and driven by human conscience as I have explained, and who will put people before profits and human values before dollar values, and the 'we' before the 'I,' we will surely have a good chance of winning the fight against the current COVID-19 pandemic and in liberating the world out of such crisis as soon as possible.

Rosy S. Akbar, Minister for Education, Heritage and Arts of Fiji , pointed out, We must encourage and support one another, as well as push ourselves to act in good conscience all the time, for the benefit of everyone now, and for our future generations to come. If we create a conviction within ourselves to do what we can to support our fellow humans, and work together as one, we will surely have a more equitable and sustainable world to look forward to, she added.

Rosalia Arteaga Serrano, former President of Ecuador , stated, I value a lot the initiative of FOWPAL to celebrate 21 of September, the Day of Peace. And they are working through consciousness. I really support this initiative because I believe on peace and consciousness on the world.

Justice Anthony Thomas Aquinas Carmona, former President of Trinidad and Tobago , said, I wish to propose once more, that world leaders and citizens advocate for and support the establishment of an environmental Court, that is, the International Environmental Court (IEC), without prejudice to the mandates of existing institutions. The International Environmental Court (IEC) will be telling violators of environmental impunity, you can run but you cannot hide.

Reema Harrysingh-Carmona, former First Lady of Trinidad and Tobago , emphasized women's role in fostering a peaceful, equitable, and sustainable world, quoting a UN statement: Without womens participation, we will not achieve lasting peace; and without the stability of peace, we will not achieve sustainable development.

Stjepan Mesic, former President of Croatia , said, All wars always end with peace, so why to wage them at all? This is a thought to be considered by everyone, especially those who are in position to lead and decide about war.

Filip Vujanovic, former President of Montenegro , said, "We need to recall the necessity for solidarity, understanding, consciousness, mutual respect, and humanity. We can only do that by powering our international community and strengthening our bilateral, regional, and multilateral relations. More than ever in our history, we need the strong and proactive UN to lead our global society in times of uncertainty. Failing in this joint goal shall not be an option whatsoever.

Dr. Akkan Suver, president of the Marmara Group Foundation in Turkey , said, In order to reach peace and approach a culture of peace, we first need dialogue, then tolerance and then love. He also illustrated the difference between war and peace by quoting the words of Herodotus: In peace, sons bury their fathers. In war, fathers bury their sons.

Dr. Kuiljeit Uppaal , the world's first image scientist and impact strategist and a recipient of the prestigious Karmaveer Chakra Award, instituted by the UN, encouraged everyone to have compassion and do good deeds, saying, Lets stand in solidarity with the world's most vulnerable people in our environment and society, and as good human beings, to do whatever we can, no matter how big or small, to ensure that we all live in peace, good health and mutual respect as global citizens of the world.

Prior to the pandemic, FOWPAL would co-organize events with various Permanent Missions to the UN at the United Nations. Dr. Ada Okika, UN coordinator of the Africana Women Working Group at the UN, attended one of such events and was very impressed by the powerful and peaceful energy of the Bell of World Peace and Love. She invited Dr. Hong, Tao-Tze to deliver a speech and video presentation of the ceremony of ringing the Bell of World Peace and Love to calm peoples hearts and pray for the world during the First Ladies International Day of Peace Forum hosted by the Africana Women Working Group on September 21, 2021. Injecting more energy of peace into the world by presenting FOWPALs bell ringing ceremony at such an event was very meaningful as it is tradition for the UN Secretary-General to ring the UN Peace Bell on the International Day of Peace each year.

The webinar, moderated by Princess Tshepi Motloung, founder of the FutureLift Foundation, was joined by Dr. Hong and other distinguished guests, including Princess Siphokazi Simandla, managing director of Bolunga Systems & e-Waste Social Enterprise; Pauline Soberanis Tillett, a City Councilor in Belmopan, Belize; Dr. Samuel Jacobs, executive director of Jacobs-Abbey Global Institute for Leadership Studies; Suzanne Harvey, executive director of the Peacemaker Corps; Princess Gabo Moroka, founder of the Princess Gabo Foundation; Bea Baylor, author; Dr. Diana Kenoly, youth leadership mentor; and others.

"Every woman is their first lady," said Dr. Ada Okika, emphasizing the value of each woman. She also noted, "We cannot just be talking about world peace when the major aspects that are inclusive into the issue of peace are neglected and that is the issues about women. She reported that the event was celebrating both the International Day of Peace and the Independence Day of Belize.

Pauline Soberanis Tillett, a City Councilor in Belmopan, Belize, expressed her delight at her country's Independence Day and International Day of Peace being commemorated simultaneously. She spoke about how women in her city are empowered by providing opportunities for them to learn, grow, and gain confidence.

Without action on our part, no success is going to be possible, said Dr. Diana Kenoly, youth leadership mentor, stressing the significance of personal efforts. She encouraged everyone to keep sharpening their skills and improving themselves to have a brighter future.

Dr. Samuel Jacobs, executive director of Jacobs-Abbey Global Institute for Leadership Studies, highlighted the importance of self-reflection and solidarity, saying, The pandemic will also encourage us to have a serious assessment of how we have lived our lives as humans and how important it is to connect around the world and build synergies and efforts in order for us to overcome challenges and situations that we found ourselves in.

In the face of the worlds various problems, Dr. Hong, Tao-Tze pointed out that the heart is at the root of everything: From the moment they are born, humans are confronted with the five poisons hidden in their hearts: greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance, and skepticism. The selfish pursuit of power, fame, and wealth has led to jealousy, suspicion, comparison, bullying, and even discrimination and hatred among people. He noted that if people realize that they all belong to the same human family and that the source of happiness is one, more conflicts and tragedies can be avoided. He also highlighted the importance of conscience in achieving world peace: Conscience is innate and guides us onto the bright path. Only when conscience is activated can global citizens respect and care for one another and realize a peaceful world as with conscience comes a peaceful world and with happiness comes a joyful family. Conscience is the key to global peace and sustainability.

Dr. Hong also shared some useful tips for the fight against COVID-19: During the SARS outbreak in 2002 and during the COVID-19 pandemic, which started in the end of 2019, we produced disease prevention guidelines (videos) : three donts , five dos , and six tips , as well as a trilogy of videos on epidemic prevention , which we have presented to heads of state and the world, hoping that everyone will stay safe, healthy, and happy and that the pandemic will end soon. The pandemic is in fact a warning to the world: Who can be without flaws if they are not saints? There is no greater benefit than being able to correct one's errors. In the face of nature's backlash, only through sincere self-reflection, repentance, and atonement, and by doing more good deeds with conscience to make up for our mistakes, can we have a chance to turn the corner.

Following Dr. Hong's insightful speech, FOWPAL shared a ceremony of ringing the Bell of World Peace and Love . The clear sound of the Bell resonated in the hearts of the participants. Princess Tshepi Motloung said effusively, Thank you for that peace bell. Let it keep on ringing in our lives, in our families, in our communities, in our societies, in our continents, globally, wherever we are. Thank you so much!"

"All that we are doing is working towards agenda 2030," she said at the end of the event, encouraging people to make meaningful contributions in their communities and continue to recover and rebuild better in the post-COVID era.

About the Federation of World Peace and Love (FOWPAL) : Established in 2000 in the United States by Dr. Hong, Tao-Tze, FOWPAL is an international love and peace organization, with members from around the world. Guided by the principle of Changing the world for the better starting with one good thought, it aims to promote world peace and love through various activities such as world summits of love and peace, ceremonies of ringing the Bell of World Peace and Love , and cultural exchange performances . To date, 399 prominent figures from 122 countries have rung the Bell, made their wishes for love and peace, and pledged to work for the worlds sustainable future. Among them are 43 heads of state and government, seven Nobel Peace Prize laureates, UN ambassadors, and other visionary leaders.

Media Contact:

Lily Chen

Representative

info@fowpal.org

626-202-5268

www.fowpal.org





A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/fad10562-4374-466f-9616-f5ec631b3cbf

The photo is also available at Newscom, www.newscom.com, and via AP PhotoExpress.
Waukesha, WI (53187)

Today

Cloudy skies with a few showers after midnight. Low 58F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%..

Tonight

Cloudy skies with a few showers after midnight. Low 58F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%.
GREENWICH  At this weeks Greenwich Economic Forum, Gov. Ned Lamont pitched his state as an ideal place to live and work to some of the most prominent figures in financial services.

Another of the conferences speakers, Lawrence Calcano, was one of the executives who heard Lamonts speech at the waterfront Delamar hotel. But the CEO and chairman of financial-technology firm iCapital Network had been persuaded long ago. In June, iCapital announced that it would establish offices a few blocks from the Delamar, at 2 Greenwich Plaza, and bring hundreds of jobs to the state.

Those offices opened Monday, marking one of the most significant corporate arrivals in Connecticut in recent years. As the state recovers from the pandemic-sparked economic downturn, the addition of iCapital shows that the state has endured as a destination for major financial-services firms and that Lamonts corporate outreach is resonating with many executives.

This is one of the financial capitals, Calcano said in an interview at the Greenwich Economic Forum. Theres an incredible talent pool here that we think will help make us better.

Reasons to expand to Connecticut

Since its 2013 founding in New York City, iCapital has grown into a fintech force.

Asset managers and wealth managers use its technology platform to support the establishment and servicing of alternative investments such as hedge funds, private equity and private credit. Investor assets on the platform total about $86 billion.

Among new initiatives, iCapital announced this week an agreement to acquire Axio Financial, a service provider to the U.S. structured-notes market. The purchase price was not disclosed.

Last month, iCapital announced a partnership with Westport-based Bridgewater Associates, the worlds largest hedge fund manager. The pairing focuses on providing access to Bridgewaters strategies to registered investment advisers and family offices for ultra-high-net-worth clients in the U.S.

About 450 employees deliver iCapitals services. The headquarters stands about 30 miles from the Greenwich offices  at 60 E. 42nd Street in Manhattan, across the street from Grand Central Terminal. The company also has offices in Boston; Hong Kong; Lisbon; London; Princeton, N.J.; Toronto; and Zurich.

When the pandemic hit, it caused me to step back and think that putting more people in New York was risky and that we should try to diversify and add another significant location, said Calcano, who has served as iCapitals CEO since 2014.

More Information In one of the most significant corporate arrivals in recent years in Connecticut, financial-technology firm iCapital Network opened offices in Greenwich on Sept. 20. Office location: 2 Greenwich Plaza. Office footprint: Lease totaling 65,000 square feet. State support: Up to $2.94 million in grants, if company creates 200 full-time jobs. Other iCapital locations: 60 E. 42nd St., Manhattan (headquarters); Boston; Hong Kong; Lisbon; London; Princeton, N.J.; Toronto; and Zurich. CEO and chairman: Lawrence Calcano (Greenwich resident). Source: iCapital Network; state Department of Economic and Community Development. See More Collapse

Greenwich, where Calcano has lived since 1993, quickly emerged as a prime candidate for a new hub, he said. The company also considered Stamford.

From the perspective of attracting more employees, Greenwich would give us access to employees that we would (otherwise) struggle to access, Calcano said. We think having this location really expands our potential employee base.

We have to compete

After the company zeroed in on Connecticut, conversations between iCapital officials and members of Lamonts administration culminated in the firm securing earn-as-you-grow incentives to support the expansion. The company can earn up to $2.94 million in grants from the state if it creates 200 full-time jobs.

The incentives didnt catalyze the interest; they were one of a number of factors, Calcano said. Its terrific the state is being thoughtful about offering incentives. Its fiscally prudent that the state offers those incentives as companies achieve the stated objectives.

Lamont is not the first governor to provide funding to a major financial-services firm. Under his predecessor, Dannel P. Malloy, Bridgewater and Greenwich-based AQR Capital, respectively, qualified for up to $52 million and $35 million in subsidies tied to targets for retaining and creating jobs.

The prospect of the state losing more high-paying positions affected the Malloy administrations decision to approve the funds for Bridgewater and AQR. Banking giants UBS and RBS have cumulatively shed thousands of jobs in the state in the past decade  partly explaining why Connecticuts employment in financial activities trails by 19 percent its total at the start of the 2008-2010 recession.

Critics of Malloy complained, however, that Bridgewater and AQR were too wealthy to need taxpayer-funded support to stay in Connecticut.

Lamont, a Democrat who took office in January 2019, has deployed corporate subsidies on a much smaller scale than Malloy  but he has not renounced them. In the week after iCapital announced its expansion to Connecticut, his administration disclosed funding to support the new Stamford offices of Tomo Networks, a real estate fintech firm founded last year, and manufacturer and technology-services provider ITT.

We have to compete, but weve changed the nature of the incentives. In the old days, Connecticut would just throw money at you and hope you would come, Lamont said in an interview at the Greenwich Economic Forum. We lead by the merits and strengths of the reasons why you want to be in Connecticut. Then well sort of match what anybody else may be offering. But you have to earn it. So its not money up front.

Town officials are also enthusiastic about iCapitals arrival.

Were really fortunate to have them come here, Greenwich Selectwoman Lauren Rabin, a first-term Republican, said in an interview. Weve gotten interest from companies coming out of New York City because the folks who work there are experiencing Greenwich as residents and saying, This might be a good place to locate my business.

Opening in Greenwich

At 2 Greenwich Plaza, iCapital has taken space in a complex situated steps from the downtown Metro-North Railroad station and next to Interstate 95, with sweeping vistas of Long Island Sound.

The black-cube building at 2 Greenwich Plaza has long hosted financial-services powerhouses. Other tenants include AQR Capital, Lone Pine Capital and Silver Point Capital.

Its great to see the company establish this presence in Connecticut, said Alison Breward, a vice president and senior marketing program manager, who lives in Greenwich. Ive always enjoyed working at iCapital, and now I can do so right here at Greenwich Plaza.

In the three months since announcing its expansion to Greenwich, iCapitals hiring outlook has become even more bullish. While it originally planned to bring about 200 jobs to the state, company officials now project that the number of Greenwich-based employees could rise to approximately 300 during the next two years. The firm has said it is hiring for technology, client services, finance and legal positions.

In turn, its footprint is increasing at 2 Greenwich Plaza. It recently signed up for about 25,000 square feet in additional space, raising its eventual occupancy to approximately 65,000 square feet.

We took originally the fourth floor, which is about 40,000 square feet, Calcano said. Weve now taken roughly three-quarters of the third floor as well, which we believe will accommodate at least another 100 people, maybe more.

The company has customized its new hub through features such as concrete floors and exposed ceilings  deliberately replicating the design of its other offices, so they have a unified aesthetic.

Much of the fourth-floor space is still being built out. In the meantime, Breward and other employees who started working in the new offices this past week said that they have already settled in at 2 Greenwich Plaza.

Organizing and preparing for the new offices has been very exciting, said receptionist Julie Maimon, a Stamford resident. And with more people joining us, I think it will only get better.

pschott@stamfordadvocate.com; twitter: @paulschott
A s companies return to normal after the worst of the pandemic, some of Connecticuts large employers are finding creative ways to deal with new kinds of workplace stresses.

At Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices New England Properties, that means managing what was, for a time at least, the hottest real estate market in memory. Thats a good sort of stress but one that requires a balancing act  and help from a psychologist  as CEO Candace Adams describes it.

At Westport-based Bridgewater Associates, the worlds largest hedge fund, the challenge includes maintaining a famously intense, bluntly critical way of operating while most employees remained out of the office.

Because were such a close-knit community and we operate like a vibrant think tank, it was a big adjustment for us to bring that part of our culture to a remote environment, stated Nir Bar Dea, deputy CEO of Bridgewater, in emailed comments.

And at Gaylord Specialty Healthcare, the stress of COVID-19 has been direct, with many patients transferred from acute care hospitals and protocols changing rapidly.

The general pressure  you could feel it building within the organization. But we have great communication, we have great collaboration, were very team-oriented, and we actually became stronger, said Wally Harper, vice president of human resources at Gaylord.

The deft way those three companies managed pandemic stresses led them to rate as the best large employers in the Hearst Connecticut Media Top Workplaces awards for 2021.

There are five winners in the category with 500 or more employees and they cover a cross-section of the Connecticut economy in education, finance, health care and real estate.

For a fourth consecutive year, Wallingford-based Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices came out as No. 1, with Bridgewater at No. 2 and Gaylord in the No. 3 position. Middletown-based Liberty Bank and Post University in Waterbury rounded out the category.

These companies are still trying to figure out next steps, while staying alert to new developments such as President Joe Bidens mandate in early September that larger employers require employees to get vaccinated against the virus or submit to weekly testing.

A perk and a privilege

Bridgewater, the largest winning employer, returns after a five-year hiatus from the Top Workplaces list. Bar Dea, the deputy CEO, described the hedge funds efforts to create facilities, protocols and testing to hold outdoor meetings during the pandemic.

We set up semi-permanent tents on our campuses, complete with fully functional A/V systems, and even found software that would reduce the background noise from the birds chirping in the background, he said.

But the deeper stresses came from managing and shaping the culture at the business where founder Ray Dalio, Connecticuts wealthiest resident, created a system of radical transparency and what Bar Dea calls the relentless pursuit of truth and excellence.

For us, that applies to everything from understanding how the world works to understanding what individual people are like, he said  including a lot of conflict and self-examination, all the more difficult in a pandemic.

More Information Hearst Connecticut Media Top Workplaces 2021 large employers No. 1: Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices New England Properties Headquarters: Wallingford Number of employees: 790 Number of years ranked in Top Workplaces: 10 No. 2: Bridgewater Associates LP Headquarters location: Westport Number of employees: 1,268 Number of years ranked in Top Workplaces: 4 No. 3: Gaylord Specialty Healthcare Headquarters location: Wallingford Number of employees: 629 Number of years ranked in Top Workplaces: 1 See More Collapse

Today, were thinking about the next set of complex decisions, Bar Dea added. How do we make being on campus a perk and a privilege? How do we allow employees to benefit from the flexibility of working remotely while still creating the intangibles that happen when people are under the same roof? And how do we make sure that one persons flexibility doesnt impact others. Were in constant conversation with our employees and we are gearing up to go through an experimental process, collect feedback, and figure out what works.

Stress and strain

Gaylord Specialty Healthcare saw a handful of employees leave last year rather than submit to mandatory vaccines and testing under an executive order from Gov. Ned Lamont. That occurred despite the company offering exemptions on medical or religious grounds, according to Harper, the HR vice president.

With its main campus in Wallingford, Gaylord focuses on rehabilitation for patients transferred from the intensive care units of hospitals. At points during the pandemic, Gaylord has had about 30 patients at a time recovering from a severe bout of COVID-19.

Amid that stress, Harper said, the nonprofit pushed ahead with goals it had set before the pandemic such as establishing a residency program for physicians with niche expertise.

Then the influx of patients happened, Harper said, We didnt panic...we began to swell and grow and hit a highest census we ever had, and that puts a lot of stress and strain on the staff.

Harper said Gaylord plugged people into new roles as it was able, including from its satellite offices in Connecticut that focus on ambulatory care and physical therapy.

We found that some of the different clinical staff that dont typically interact with their kinds of patients were a great asset, and have found new camaraderie, new teamwork, new opportunities to work across lines, Harper said.

He added, We continually talk about how well that went, and how the staff that did it felt really good about learning other parts of the business...some of those staff who did it have become highly recognized because of their contributions.

We had to become psychologists

Fuses grew short and brokers and agents faced an overload at Berkshire Hathaway, as sellers looked to capitalize by putting their houses on the market and buyers found their bids beat out by better offers.

Berkshire Hathaway retained an industrial psychologist to help any brokers and employees feeling overwhelmed.

We had to become psychologists, counselors, just navigating through the hectic-ness of the market, said Candace Adams, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices New England Properties and a former Top Workplaces outstanding leadership award winner.

Theres definitely a heightened stress level for everyone, she said. I think we all have to understand that. We have to be more patient, we have to be more cognizant of emotional states of mind, not just physical well-being  how people are feeling.

With the boom having leveled off, Adams said Berkshire Hathaways shift to remote work arrangements has been welcomed by the large majority of its brokers and agents. She added the company will keep that operating practice in place, while reducing the size of its offices in some locations to reflect the move of real estate online.

Weve continued our automation of nearly everything our agents have to do with their clients, Adams said. Thats a real advantage with them because they dont have to be in the office if they dont want to be.

A Herculean effort

Liberty Bank was scrambling on another front during the pandemic  administering the Paycheck Protection Program that provided several weeks of funding for businesses as an alternative to laying off workers. It was one of the key provisions of the Coronavirus Aid, Recovery and Economic Security Act, with the U.S. Department of the Treasury releasing details of PPP just hours before the application window opened.

We had teammates from across the bank who supported our commercial bankers, stated Rob Parry, senior executive vice president and chief administrative officer. It was a herculean effort by our commercial teammates, branches and business banking offices as well as back office teammates seven days a week and late into the evenings and early mornings to assist customers and non-customers. And we did it by adapting to a very fluid process and frequently changing guidance.

Liberty Bank is already looking ahead to the next challenge  a vaccine mandate that takes effect for its employees in mid-November.

It was a painstaking decision but it was the right decision, Parry stated. By returning our teammates back to our offices fully vaccinated, it helps us drive our mission, vision and values and reinforce the culture we have that make Liberty a special place to work. Our mission is to improve the lives of our teammates, customers and communities for generations to come.

Clarified from an initial version to cite Parrys title of senior executive vice president and chief administrative officer.

Alex.Soule@scni.com; 203-842-2545; @casoulman




Haiti - USA : Department of State rejects criticism of Daniel Foote





Following the resignation of Daniel Foote, the Special Envoy to Haiti of the Biden Administration Wendy Sherman, Assistant Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, the second senior official of the State Department, rejected the criticisms of Foote who appears in his resignation letter https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34820-haiti-flash-us-special-envoy-to-haiti-daniel-foote-resigns.html



Sherman said Thursday, September 23 in an interview with "McClatchy" that political disagreements with Foote had persisted throughout his tenure and whether or not whether or not to send US military troops to Haiti was a central dispute.



Sherman rejected Foote's claim that his recommendations were ignored "There have been multiple senior-level policy conversations on Haiti where all proposals, including those led by Special Envoy Foote, were fully considered in a rigorous and transparent policy process. Quite frankly, some of those proposals were harmful to our commitment to the promotion of democracy in Haiti. For him to say the proposals were ignored were, I'm sad to say, simply false."



Adding "one of the ideas that Mr. Foote had was to send the U.S. military back to Haiti [...] I have followed Haiti since the Clinton administration, and I can tell you that sending the U.S. military into Haiti is not the answer that will solve the terrible situation that the Haitian people are currently facing. It just was a bad idea."



Meanwhile, the disagreements between Foote and US Ambassador to Haiti Michele Sison were well known in Port-au-Prince adding "We have tremendous faith in her [Sison] and in her leadership"



Recall that the Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs, Brian Nichols, will visit Haiti next week with Juan Gonzalez, Senior Director for Western Hemisphere Affairs at the National Security Council https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34820-haiti-flash-us-special-envoy-to-haiti-daniel-foote-resigns.html



""I think that Assistant Secretary Nichols will work with Ambassador Sison, and listening to civil society to see what we can do to help make the judgments to get to a free and fair election as soon as possible for the Haitian people," said Sherman "Sison and Nichols will assess in the coming weeks whether it is feasible for Haiti to hold free and fair elections this year."



For her part, Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, told reporters the same day that Foote had not expressed his concerns about the treatment of Haitian migrants at the border while he was on duty and that his criticisms were not specific.



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34820-haiti-flash-us-special-envoy-to-haiti-daniel-foote-resigns.html



S/ HaitiLibre


























Haiti - Culture : List of 10 beneficiaries of a grant from the AROCH 2021 Program





As part of the official launch of the 2nd year of the Action for the Strengthening of Haitian Cultural Organizations (AROCH) program funded by the European Union, those in charge of the program : the Haiti Jazz Foundation and Caracoli have unveiled grant recipients.



The members of the Selection Committee of the AROCH program (Bank of the Republic of Haiti, Embassy of Switzerland, Haiti Jazz and Caracoli Foundation) evaluated the projects received as part of a call for proposals launched in June 2021.



In total, 10 organizations working in several cultural sectors such as music, video, photography, theater, or in the preservation of the environment, have been selected to receive a grant and technical and financial support for the implementation of their project, as well as training in the organization of cultural events in Port-au-Prince, Jacmel and Cap-Haitien.



Between September and November 2021, 7 days of training will take place in Jacmel and Cap-Haitien and 6 half-days in Port-au-Prince, for around fifty beneficiaries. Workshops in event organization will be implemented by local experts including specialists in each sector of themes such as programming, logistics, security, communication, budgeting and partner search...



The projects for this 2nd edition will take place from September 2021 to February 2022.



Beneficiaries and projects :



Alliance francaise de Jacmel: Implementation of the "Jacmel Talents" competition.



Association 4 Chemins: Support and promote new dramaturgical writings in Haiti.



"Ayiti Mizik": Implementation of "Next Beat Export" and sound training for beginners.



"Ayiti Vet" (J/PHRO): Strengthen the capacity of Haitian cultural organizations to produce sustainable events through a participatory assessment of their environmental impact and the legal recognition of the program of



Theatrical Intervention Brigade (BIT Haiti): Organize the sixth edition of the "En Lisant" Theater Festival to build production capacities in the field of live performance



Mwem Foundation: Develop and strengthen the capacity of mwem.tv, by recruiting and training human resources and increasing the quality of production.



Jacmel Jazz festival: Undertake sustainable actions that can contribute to the development and reinforcement of artistic capacities of young people in the Sud-Est department



"Kolektif 2 dimensyon": Promote and strengthen the Haitian photography sector



"Les Rescapes": Forum theater training in four departments of the country for civic education



Theatre Toupatou: Implementation of the 6th edition of the International Handicap and Culture Fortnight.

.

HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - News : Zapping...





Kidnapping : Police crisscross the metropolitan area

Due to the multiple cases of kidnapping recorded in recent days, the Haitian National Police are crisscrossing the metropolitan area. Checks are carried out on vehicles at frequent checkpoints and patrols are increased in the most sensitive areas. For all information concerning the reporting of an act of kidnapping, the PNH asks citizens to call the number 122 in order to allow the police authorities to better articulate this grid plan aimed at fighting against kidnappings.



260 Haitians intercepted at sea

Friday, September 24, the American coast guard announced the repatriation of 260 Haitians intercepted during two separate operations at sea concerning a 35-foot sailing boat with 77 Haitians on board about 20 miles south of Cuba and a second boat from 55 feet with 183 Haitians on board approximately 36 miles off Cap du Mole, Haiti.



Serial kidnappings

Mackenley Mogene, an employee of the Directorate General of the Budget and his brother, were kidnapped on the evening of Thursday, September 23, at the Turgeau gas station by unidentified individuals. In the same evening, heavily armed individuals kidnapped at Avenue Christophe, Rue 3 near Pacot, journalist Frantzie Simeon from the National Television of Haiti.



3 alleged kindnappers arrested

Friday, September 24, following cases of kidnapping recorded in Gros-Morne, police operations were carried out in this region in concert with the Departmental Service of Judicial Police (SDPJ) Jovens Etienne (32), Julner Elisee (36), Jean Papy (19) and Etienne Wilfrid (26), all active members of the Hangman gang, were arrested.



Arrival of 245,000 barrels of fuel

Fils-Aime Ignace Saint Fleur, Director General of the Office for the Monetization of Development Assistance Programs (BMPAD) confirmed that the oil tanker "M/T ALPINE MISTERY" docked Thursday, September 23 at the Thor oil terminal with a cargo of 200,000 barrels of gasoline and 45,000 barrels of kerosene.



New President at CSC/CA

Fritz Robert Saint Paul was elected this week as the new President of the Superior Court of Accounts and Administrative Litigation (CSC/CA). He replaces Rogavil Boisguene, who has become the vice-chairman of the board.



HL/ HaitiLibre


















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Published on 2021/09/25 | Source

New stills added for the Korean drama "One the Woman" (2021).

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16 episodes - Fri, Sat 22:00

Synopsis

The drama depicts the story a chaebol daughter-in-law who and a corrupt female prosecutor who look the same, switching lives due to memory loss.

Broadcast starting date in Korea : 2021/09/17
Updated 7:45 a.m. Sunday, Sept, 26.

Liberty County Sheriff's office reported that three people died in a derailment of Amtrak's Empire Builder west of Joplin and an unknown number people were injured.

Jason C. Abrams of Amtrak said at about 10:30 p.m. Saturday that the Empire Builder derailed eight cars near Joplin at about 4 p.m. with approximately 141 passengers and 16 crew members on board.

Injuries were reported, Abrams said earlier, but details were not available. He said additional details would be provided as they become available.

He said Amtrak is working with the local authorities to transport those who were injured to medical care, and to safely evacuate everyone else at the scene.

"Our Incident Response Team has been initiated, and we are sending emergency personnel and Amtrak leadership to the scene to help support our passengers, our employees and their families with their needs," Abrams said in his emailed statement.

Abrams said people with questions about their friends and family aboard the train should call 800-523-9101.

The train comprised two engines and 10 cars.

The Liberty County Sheriff's Office at about 7:40 p.m. Saturday confirmed the three fatalities, but details were not available.

Montana Highway Patrol reported a derailment was reducing traffic lanes and causing delays.

The Empire Builder, one of Amtrak's long-distance passenger trains, runs along the Hi-Line on its route from Chicago to Seattle and Portland.

BNSF Railway owns and operates the tracks upon which the Empire Builder runs in north-central Montana.

Lena Kent, BNSF general director public affairs, said about 8:17 p.m. Saturday that BNSF has confirmed that an Amtrak train derailed on BNSF tracks near Joplin.

As a result of the derailment, Empire Builder trains 7/27 and 8/28 originating Saturday, Sept. 25, are canceled between Minot, North Dakota, and Shelby. Additionally, Sunday, Sept. 26, westbound Empire Builder train 7 will terminate in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and eastbound Empire Builder train 8 will originate in Minneapolis, Minnesota. No substitute transportation is available.

Amtrak customers can contact the passenger rail service at 800-872-7245 to obtain additional information about the status of services.

Amtrak customers can contact us at 800-872-7245 to obtain additional information about the status of services.

Watch here for updates.
ANHA correspondent indicated that the forces of the Damascus government stationed in the countryside of Tal Tamr are targeting, in the meantime, the points of the Turkish occupation and its mercenaries in the northern countryside of the district.

It is noteworthy that this is the first time that the Damascus government has targeted the points of the Turkish occupation army and its mercenaries in the countryside of Tal Tamr, which came hours after Turkish mercenaries targeted two helicopters of the Russian forces that were flying in the sky of the village of Dardara.

(A)

ANHA
WASHINGTON  Jim Walzel doesnt fit the profile of what most people would think of as a climate denier  a term he rejects.

A chemical engineer who made his money as a pipeline executive, Walzel lives in West University, a Houston enclave populated with academics from nearby Rice University. He points to his COVID-19 vaccination card as proof he trusts in science, and says he has little doubt that fossil fuels are warming the planet.

But hes not convinced that climate change will result in the cataclysmic future predicted by forecasters.

I wouldnt call myself a denier, but I am skeptical about the gravity of the thing, he said. Im trying to look at the facts and say whats the deal here. And from what Im seeing the consensus of scientists is not as pervasive as you describe.

Walzels views open a window on how and why climate skepticism persists, despite mounting evidence that global warming not only poses a serious threat to the planet but is already doing damage. In Houston, long the unofficial capital of the worlds oil and gas industry, such strains of thought are particularly persistent, often grounded in the work of a small cadre of scientists who fixate on legitimate uncertainties within climate science.

They do not question the fundamental notion that greenhouse gas emissions are raising global temperatures but rather that it will all end in catastrophe. Dismissed as kooks or contrarians, these scientists continue to find followings among those like Walzel who believe if the world is going to shift from fossil fuels in just a matter of decades, we better be certain on the science.

Go to NASAs website, and it states 97 percent of published climate scientists agree that manmade carbon emissions have caused the planet to warm over the past century. But once you get past the consensus that the planet is warming faster than it would naturally, agreement fractures over how fast polar ice caps are melting or whether climate change will cause more hurricanes and heat waves  hugely complex questions that require looking decades or centuries into the future.

Climate skeptics, or realists as they prefer to be called, fixate on the details under debate, even though the overwhelming the majority of climate scientists agree that global warming will go very badly unless mankind takes immediate action.

For instance, the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change recently released another terrifying report calling climate change a code red for humanity. But in the nearly 4,000-page study, skeptics note, the term low confidence  jargon for findings where there is conflicting evidence  occurs almost 1,400 times.

The term likely  which could mean a degree of certainty as low as 66 percent  appears thousands of times, including as to whether major hurricanes have increased in frequency since the 1980s.

When you add up that uncertainty, it amounts to a field of science that has a long way to go, said Steve Koonin, a physicist who worked at Caltech and MIT and served as undersecretary of science at the Department of Energy during the Obama administration.

Now the director of the Center for Urban Science and Progress at New York University, Koonin published a book earlier this year entitled, Unsettled: What Climate Science Tells Us, What It Doesn't, and Why It Matters, prompting a wave of criticism from other scientists, accusing him of cherry picking data to suit his thesis.

We should be making societal decisions in a fully informed way, and there are things in the (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) reports that contradict the narrative and nobody ever talks about them, Koonin said. Some of it is there are some scientists who really think theyre going to save the world. There's others and its peer pressure. Ive had scientists say to me, Youre right, but I wouldnt dare say it.

Marie D. De Jesus, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer

Code of silence

Climate scientists acknowledge the uncertainties, but stress there is plenty of well documented evidence showing that climate change and its dire consequences are not only real, but already happening, as wildfires and extreme flooding became regular events.

You dont need to agree with all the details to recognize there is a profound need to change the way we emit greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, said Chris Field, director of Stanford Universitys Woods Institute for the Environment .

But in Koonins mind, there are simply too many open questions to express that level of confidence, and scientists have entered into a dangerous code of silence.

Among them: the rate of ice melt in the Arctic. While polar ice is melting faster than it did in the 1990s, historical data indicates its occurring at the same pace as during the 1940s.

Another unsettled question is whether climate change is causing more intense hurricanes  a phenomenon commonly cited by politicians. The latest United Nations report said category 3 or higher storms have only likely increased in intensity since 1980.

In those and other cases, the uncertainty comes from the relatively short period in which climate data has been collected. Satellites werent put into orbit until the 1960s, leaving scientists who track climate over the centuries to rely on murky historical records from say, a ship captain who spotted a hurricane at sea or a scientist observing in person the loss of ice in the Arctic.

The motivation for downplaying these uncertainties, Koonin says, comes from belief that talking freely about the unknown would fuel public skepticism when the world needs political agreement to act on climate change.

What sounds like a conspiracy theory stems in part from a 1989 magazine interview with Stephen Schneider, the late Stanford University professor and pioneer in climate science. Schneider described a double ethical bind that required scientists to offer up scary scenarios, make simplified, dramatic statements, and make little mention of any doubts we might have to attract public attention.

As scientists we are ethically bound to the scientific method, in effect promising to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but, he said. On the other hand, we are not just scientists, but human beings, as well. And like most people we'd like to see the world a better place, which in this context translates into our working to reduce the risk of potentially disastrous climatic change.

That comment followed an infamous 1988 appearance before Congress by the climate scientist James Hansen, who traveled to Washington during a historic heat wave. Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he proclaimed, The greenhouse effect has been detected, and it is changing our climate now.

Climate modeling, however, wasnt nearly as developed as now, and other scientists took issue with what they viewed as a clever piece of stagecraft exaggerating their findings, said Deborah Coen, a science historian at Yale University.

They believed he had compromised his integrity and their integrity, she said. This is less common now, but if you go back to the earlier days, there were credentialed scientists who were skeptical of the models. At that point, it wasnt clear how bad the consequences were, and how much political opposition the science would face.

The year after Hansens appearance, oil companies, including Exxon Mobil, ConocoPhillips and Chevron, formed the Global Climate Coalition to challenge findings that human activity caused global warming and campaign against regulation of greenhouse gas emissions.

The oil companies lobbied Congress and blanketed the media with claims that greenhouse gas limits would wreck the economy. They even distributed a video claiming increased carbon dioxide was positive because it would likely increase crop yields since plants need carbon dioxide for photosynthesis.

They were not alone. A number of prominent scientists, including physicist Frederick Seitz, the former president of the National Academy of Sciences, and Freeman Dyson, the groundbreaking theoretical physicist from Princeton University, questioned whether global warming was the emergency that climate scientists portrayed.

The skeptics kind of forced a lot of climate scientists to back off, Coen said. Toe the line on facts (not computer simulations) or be labeled alarmists.

Changing tenor

Eventually, mounting evidence that climate change was not only real but already happening made outright denial unfeasible. To question the finer points of climate theory was no longer just scientific method but also a political statement. Disputing any aspect of accepted views of global warming risked scorn, ridicule and isolation.

Walzel, the retired president of the former pipeline company Houston Natural Gas, knows the feeling.

While not a household name, the 84-year-old Walzel is prominent in Houston business and philanthropic circles. He has given so much money to Southwestern University that the school put his and his wife Pats name on a building.

As a young graduate of Rice Universitys chemical engineering program, he advanced through Houston Natural Gas, working under the late Ken Lay before leaving the company in 1985 as it merged with Omaha-based Internorth to eventually form Enron. I narrowly escaped being an Enron guy, Walzel quipped.

Today, he serves on the boards of charities, and, in his spare time, reads frequently about climate change  his current stack is nine books tall. Earlier this summer, he wrote to this reporter, recommending Koonins book.

If enough people read it, he wrote, it might raise the level of discussion on climate to what it deserves.

But climate change is not a subject Walzel discusses with friends and neighbors. He is reluctant to raise the issue outside a small circle of like-minded friends  even his wife disagrees with him  because it would inevitably lead to an argument. There would be nothing to be gained from it, he said.

That sort of quiet division has emerged within science as well. Interview requests for this story were routinely declined or met with no response. Matthew Hersch, a science history professor at Harvard University, took umbrage with this reporters description of scientists like Koonin as seemingly well-reasoned skeptics.

Generally speaking, I would not call a person inclined to ignore known, catastrophic dangers because they are decades away to be well-reasoned, especially if those dangers are already manifest, he said in an email. That seems to be a simple case of wishing for something not to be true that is, or a kind of self-interested shortsightedness.

Jon Shapley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer

High stakes

Differing viewpoints are common in science. But unlike say, biochemistry or theoretical physics, climate change is not just about whos right, but also the future of the planet.

The differences over climate science often correlate to the particular field in which scientists work. Physicists, like Koonin, are particularly well represented among skeptics, said Matthew Stanley, a philosophy of science professor at NYU.

Much of physics relies on precise measurements of the natural world. But climate science is too complex for such an approach. Instead it relies on computer models, which assimilate countless variables to project how the earth might respond to increases in temperature.

In the early days, those models struggled, but over the past three decades, computer simulations have evolved to the point where scientists can quantify to which degree increases in flooding or wildfires were caused by climate change.

Particle physics is the classic exact science, Stanley said. You expect an exact answer down to 30 decimal places, and if you dont get that you failed. If thats your perspective, the models are incredibly messy.

Losing faith

Koonin came to the climate debate in 2014 when the American Physical Society asked him to lead an effort to review its statement on climate change, after a number of physicists objected to the description of the evidence of global warming as incontrovertible.

Until then, he said, he accepted climate science as dogma. But when he assembled a group of six climate scientists in Brooklyn, he realized they could agree that man was causing the planet to warm, but not much else.

Is it going to be catastrophic? Thats where the discussion broke down, he said. I had a committee member say we cant write about uncertainty because it will give ammunition to the deniers.

Koonin ended up resigning from the American Physical Society and writing an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal claiming climate science was not settled, making him a pariah within the scientific community.

Former energy secretary Ernest Moniz, with whom Koonin worked at MIT and described as a good friend and colleague for 30 years, declined through a spokesman to comment about Koonins work.

Asked about Koonins claims on ice melt and hurricanes, Field, the Stanford climate scientist, did not directly contradict him. On the question of why ice sheets are melting around the same rate as the 1940s, Field said it was incredibly complicated and diverse interpretations remain about how fast polar ice will melt and cause sea levels to rise.

But he expressed exasperation with those who suggest that uncertainty on ice caps or other details undermines the overall theory that climate change would be catastrophic.

You dont get featured in The New York Times for saying I agree with that guy, Field said. Thats not the culture of science. Science is based on finding flaws and new interpretations.

'Global cooling'

Sciences inclination to debate and reconsider itself has, in part, driven modern climate skepticism.

Walzel, the philanthropist and former executive, vividly recounts media coverage of a group of scientists warning in the 1970s that the world was headed for another ice age due to a perceived trend of global cooling, as well as forecasts of imminent global famines caused by overpopulation  predictions that didnt come to pass.

Those theories never came close to achieving the consensus among scientists that climate change has amassed, or accumulating the empirical evidence that expanded the climate consensus over the years. But Walzel remains skeptical of anyone claiming the world is coming to an end.

People like a crisis. he said. Its human nature.

james.osborne@chron.com
The latest on Germany's general election on Sunday:

The center-left Social Democrats have won the biggest share of the vote in Germanys national election, beating outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkels center-right Union bloc in a closely fought race.

Election officials said early Monday that a count of all 299 constituencies showed the Social Democrats won 25.9% of the vote, ahead of 24.1% for the Union bloc.

The environmentalist Greens came third with 14.8% followed by the pro-business Free Democrats with 11.5%. The two parties have already signaled that they are willing to discuss forging a three-way alliance with either of their two bigger rivals to form a government.

The far-right Alternative for Germany came fourth in Sundays vote with 10.3%, while the Left party took 4.9%.

For the first time since 1949, the Danish minority party SSW was set to win a seat in parliament, officials said.

___

BERLIN  Germany's Left party has scraped into parliament, despite failing to meet the required 5% threshold.

The Left, which is partly rooted in the communist party that ruled East Germany for decades, managed to win three constituencies outright in Sunday's election.

Had it failed to win those constituencies it would likely have been kicked out of the Bundestag, as it is currently projected to receive only 4.8% of the vote.

Another party, the South Schleswig Voters Association, looks set to win its first seat in parliament since 1949, German public broadcaster ARD reports.

Election officials said that the party is exempt from the 5% rule because it represents a national minority group, the Danes in northern Germany.

___

BERLIN  Voters in the German capital have backed a proposal for the Berlin regional government to take over nearly 250,000 apartments worth billions from corporate owners to curb rising rents.

A nearly complete count of Sunday's referendum showed 56.4% of voters in favor of the measure, and 39% opposed.

The non-binding referendum forces the Berlin government to consider consider expropriating big landlords in a radical move to cool one of Germanys hottest real estate markets, where rents have become unaffordable for many residents in recent years.

Also Sunday, the center-left Social Democrats appeared to have defended their hold of the mayoral post in the capital.

Initial projections indicated that the Greens had won, but subsequent counts showed them falling behind with 18.8% of the vote compared to the Social Democrats' 21.4%.

In a second regional election held in parallel to the national vote Sunday, the Social Democrats were set for a strong win in the northeastern state of Mecklenburg Western-Pomerania. The party was projected to get 39.6% of the vote, ahead of the far-right Alternative for Germany with 16.7%. Exit polls showed the Social Democrats current coalition partners, the Union bloc, coming third in the state with 13.3%.

___

BERLIN  Outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel's parliament seat has gone to a candidate from the rival Social Democrats for the first time since 1990.

Merkel won the country's most northeasterly constituency in the first free elections after German reunification, and then defended the seat in seven subsequent elections.

The long-time leader announced in 2018 that she would not run for office again.

Nationwide in Sunday's elections, Merkel's Union bloc saw its worst result since 1949, coming second behind the center-left Social Democrats. The latest projections give it 24.1% of the vote, a drop of almost 9 percentage points from 2017.

___

BERLIN  The far-right Alternative for Germany has come out top in the eastern states of Thuringia and Saxony.

The party, which is under scrutiny from Germany's domestic intelligence agency due to its extremist links, received 24.6% of the vote in Saxony and 24% in Thuringia.

It also won 17 constituencies in the two states and neighboring Saxony-Anhalt.

The party's nationwide share of the vote stood at 10.5%, down 2 percentage points compared to 2017, when it first entered parliament.

___

BERLIN  The candidate for German chancellor of the center-left Social Democratic party has defeated the Greens' chancellor candidate in the contest to represent Potsdam outside Berlin.

Social Democrat Olof Scholz won the seat with 34% of the votes Sunday, while Green candidate Annalena Baerbock got 18.8%, according the German news agency dpa. However, Baerbock will still make it into the German parliament via the Greens party list.

Both the Social Democrats and the Greens made gains in the parliamentary elections, but the Greens had hoped for better results.

Projections from public television, based on exit polls and early vote counting, put voters support at around 26% for the Social Democrats and about 14% for the Greens.

___

BERLIN  The mood was subdued at the headquarters of Chancellor Angela Merkels center-right Christian Democratic Union as the building began to empty following the party's poor showing in the election.

One of the few people remaining at the headquarters on Sunday was 34 year-old Salahdin Koban, a party member from Berlin.

Trying to explain the CDUs losses, Koban said too many mistakes had been made during the campaign by candidate Armin Laschet.

He also said that in general, it was hard for anyone to succeed Angela Merkel as chancellor.

Merkel announced in 2018, that she would not run again in this election. Koban called Merkel simply an icon" and for anyone to follow in her footsteps is difficult."

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BERLIN  The far-right Alternative for Germany party is projected to lose support in this years national election relative to the poll four years ago.

Projections based on exit polls and partial vote counts on Sunday showed the party getting less than 11%, down from 12.6% in 2017.

The party, known by its German acronym AfD, failed to get its core issue  migration  onto the campaign agenda this year.

Despite the projected outcome, party co-leader Tino Chrupalla said he was very satisfied by the result and welcomed the heavy losses for Chancellor Angela Merkels Union bloc.

AfD said four years ago that it would hunt Merkel who said in 2018 that she would not run for a fifth term. Other parties have ruled out any cooperation with AfD.

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BERLIN Social Democrats supporters waved the partys red flags, broke into chants and burst into long party candidate Olaf Scholz walked onto the stage at the partys headquarters in Berlin.

Scholz thanked the crowd, voters and campaigners across the country. saying on Sunday that the party managed to pick up vote in three separate elections - nationally, in Berlin and in the Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania state elections.

Michael Mueller, the outgoing mayor of Berlin who ran for a seat in the countrys national parliament, said as he stood in the crowd: I couldnt be happier tonight.

___

BERLIN - The candidate from outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkels Union bloc says the party will do everything we can to form a new government despite posting what's expected to be its worst election result in Germany's post-World War II era.

Armin Laschet said on Sunday that we cant be satisfied with the result of the exit polls. He said that the result puts Germany, the Union, all democratic parties before big challenges.

Laschet said Germany will likely have its first national government composed of three parties. He said that we will do everything we can to form a government under the Unions leadership, because Germany now needs a coalition for the future that modernizes our country.

Laschet was surrounded by his partys top brass, including Merkel, as he spoke at its headquarters in Berlin.

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BERLIN - The two parties that exit polls put in third and fourth place in Germanys general election now appear to play the role of kingmaker in determining the composition of the next ruling coalition and the countrys next chancellor.

The polls indicated the environmentalist Greens won about 15 percent, their strongest showing ever, but below expectations that had been fueled by a surge in popularity early in the campaign.

The Greens secretary general, Michael Kellner, said: We gained significantly, but I find it difficult to really enjoy it because expectations were clearly higher."

Kellner noted that the Greens have said they prefer a coalition with the center-left Social Democrats but added that we are ready to speak with all democratic parties to see whats possible.

Exit polls show the pro-business Free Democrats to be in fourth with 11%-12%. During the campaign, they had said they preferred a coalition with the center-right Union bloc which suffered a sharp decline in support. Free Democrats Secretary General Volker Wissing, said on Sunday that it was too soon to discuss possible coalition partners.

___

BERLIN - The general secretary of the center-left Social Democrats says he believes his party has been given a mandate to form a ruling coalition, based on exit polls in Germanys general election.

Lars Klingbeil was speaking moments after the exit polls were published by the two main television channels on Sunday.

In a poll by the ZDF channel, the SPD was slightly ahead of its main rival, the center-right Union bloc, 26% to 24%. In the poll published by the ARD channel, the parties pulled even at 25%.

The polls suggested significant gains for the Social Democrats, compared to its standing earlier this year, and a sharp drop for the Union bloc. Klingbeil says the party now has the mission to form a coalition, and for its top candidate, Olaf Scholz to become chancellor.

___

BERLIN - The general secretary of German Chancellor Angela Merkels Union bloc says that early exit polls hurt as the party looked at its worst result since 1949.

With different exit polls putting the Union bloc neck-and-neck or slightly below the center-left Social Democrats, Paul Ziemiak said on Sunday that his party nevertheless wants to serve this country and will consider a coalition with the environmentalist Greens and the pro-business Free Democrats.

Exit polls by public broadcasters ARD and ZDF show the Union bloc down 8-9% compared to 2017, after four elections in which the party won under Merkel. Her successor, Armin Laschet, had low personal approval ratings and some in the party had questioned whether he was the right candidate for chancellorship.

Ziemiak said that his party was looking at bitter losses that would need to be analyzed.

___

BERLIN - Hundreds of people burst out in spontaneous chants of Olaf, Olaf"- the first name of the Social Democrats candidate for chancellor Olaf Scholz - when exit poll results flashed acroos TV screens at the party's Berlin headquarters.

A cheering Renee Roske from Cologne said she had been telling everyone that Scholz was the best candidate" and that it's now reflected in the exit polls.

The 42 year-old Roske said she noticed over the summer that once people realized that Merkel isn't running again, they became more interested in politics and started to inform themselves about the three main candidates.

She said people noticed that Scholz did the right things" during the pandemic and thats why the SPD in now leading, because Scholz is good."

___

BERLIN - Germanys election authority is making clear that center-right chancellor candidate Armin Laschets votes will be valid although they could be seen Sunday as he put his ballot paper into the ballot box.

German election rules state that ballot papers should be folded in such a way that its not possible to see how the person voted. It wasnt immediately clear whether election officials in Laschets constituency in Aachen had noticed that his paper was folded wrongly, a moment that was caught by cameras.

Laschet is from outgoing German leader Angela Merkels Union bloc.

Without explicitly naming Laschet, the election authority tweeted that a nationally known politician voted for his own party, as expected. It said that couldnt be seen as an attempt to influence voters.

It said if the ballot paper is folded wrongly, election officials are supposed to issue a new ballot paper. But if the wrongly folded ballot gets into the ballot box, it can no longer be screened out and is valid. Laschets paper went into the ballot box.

___

BERLIN  The environmentalist Greens candidate to be the next German chancellor says shes hoping for a few more votes than pre-election polls showed her party getting.

Annalena Baerbock is the partys first candidate for chancellor. It led in polls after she was nominated in the spring but recent surveys have shown it in third place, several points behind the center-left Social Democrats and outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkels Union bloc.

Baerbock said as she voted Sunday in Potsdam, just outside Berlin, that we are of course hoping for a few more votes, with a view to the poll results, so that we can achieve a real new departure in this country.

Even if the Greens arent in a position to provide Germanys next leader, the party could be crucial to putting together a new coalition after the election. Polls point to a much better showing than the 8.9% of the vote it won in 2017.

___

BERLIN  Center-right candidate Armin Laschets votes were visible as he put his ballot paper into the ballot box -- something that is supposed to be a no-no under German election law.

Election rules state that ballot papers should be folded in such a way that its not possible to see how the person voted.

It wasnt immediately clear whether election officials in Laschets constituency in Aachen had noticed that his paper was folded wrongly on Sunday, a moment that was caught by cameras, or whether the faux pas would have any consequences.

Laschet is the candidate of outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkels Union bloc to succeed Germanys longtime leader. Polls show his party neck-and-neck with the center-left Social Democrats after a bumpy campaign.

Under Germanys complex electoral system, every voter gets two votes -- one for a directly elected lawmaker and the other for a party list.

___

BERLIN  Armin Laschet, the candidate of outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkels center-right Union bloc to become Germanys new leader, says the election result will come down to every vote.

Recent polls point to a very close race between Laschets center-right Union bloc and the center-left Social Democrats, with the Greens trailing in third.

Laschet said as he voted Sunday in Aachen, on Germanys western border, that the election will decide on Germanys direction in the coming years, and so it will come down to every vote.

His Social Democrat rival, Olaf Scholz, said after he voted in Potsdam, just outside Berlin, that he hopes voters will make possible ... a very strong result for the Social Democrats, and that citizens will give me the mandate to become the next chancellor of Germany.

Green candidate Annalena Baerbock is expected to vote in Potsdam later Sunday. Merkels spokesman has said that the outgoing leader was casting a postal ballot -- as many Germans are expected to in this election.

___

BERLIN  Voters are delivering a mixed verdict on the era of outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel as they choose a new German parliament, and some are struggling with the choice of potential new leaders.

Polls opened Sunday after a rollercoaster campaign. Recent surveys point to a very close race between Merkels center-right Union bloc and the center-left Social Democrats, with the Greens trailing in third.

In Berlins Kreuzberg district, a traditional leftwing stronghold, Jan Kemper, a 41-year-old manager at an online bank, said the climate crisis and Germanys slow pace of digitalization were among his main concerns.

He praised Merkels crisis management style but said that key issues were left unattended.

This election is extremely important, he said. Previously, elections set the course for the next two to four years. Now decisions have to be made that will affect the next generations.

In Berlins Mitte district, 48-year-old social worker Wiebke Bergmann said that this election is really special, I think, because Angela Merkel is not running again.

She said: I really thought hard about which candidate I want as next chancellor  until this morning I hadnt made up my mind. None of the three really convinced me.
WILMINGTON, N.C. (AP)  University of North Carolina Wilmington Chancellor Jose Sartarelli has announced that he plans to retire next year.

The university issued a news release Friday saying that Sartarelli's retirement will be effective June 30, 2022.
A Houston man has been arrested after allegedly shooting to death his ex-girlfriends boyfriend as the new couple took out the trash at a north Harris County apartment complex, deputies said.

Santos Melendez-Granados, 33, was arrested without incident and has been charged with murder, Sheriff Ed Gonzalez tweeted Sunday.

Officials from the Precinct 4 Constables Office were sent after 9 p.m. Thursday to 13100 Stonefield, near Kuykendahl and Rankin, for a shooting and found Carlos Mena Pineda with multiple gunshot wounds in the complexs parking lot, according to court charging documents. Mena was transported to a hospital and was pronounced dead with five gunshot wounds to the back, arm and chest.

Pinedas girlfriend told authorities it was her ex-boyfriend who fired at her new beau and then fled.

The couple was walking to the trash cans when Pineda pointed out a black truck that they believed belonged to Melendez-Granados, the girlfriend told deputies. She saw him in the drivers seat and told Pineda they should leave, but Melendez-Granados shot from inside the truck and drove off, deputies said. Evidence at the scene traced the bullets to a 12-gauge Winchester defender shotgun.

The ex-girlfriend had known Melendez-Granados for 10 months, and she recognized his black Toyota Tundra with paper tags, she told investigators. Just a month before, she told him she didnt want to be with him and wanted to date Pineda instead. Melendez-Granados had never been to her apartment complex, where she moved two months prior.
Houston police are searching for suspects in the shooting of a man outside of a Sunnyside convenience store Sunday morning.

Officers responded at 4 a.m. to 8200 Scott Street near Stassen, where a man was lying in the parking lot with gunshot wounds, Detective Adam Dudley said.
Jay Jordan

A man trying to get away after allegedly stealing a truck Saturday around the Heights was fatally shot by the truck owner's son on a dead-end street near White Oak bayou, KTRK reports.

Two men had allegedly driven off with the truck from a home on the 1300 block of Wichman, near Studemont and Interstate 10. The truck had in it an estimated $3,000 worth of auto parts.
Kanwal Irfan chatted with employees at the check-out counter of the Asian Market on Thursday morning as they loaded plastic bags with yogurt, tea and Indian snacks for her kids.

The mother is a regular customer at the Sugar Land grocery off Texas 6, where the aisles are stocked with items such as bulk basmati rice, medjool dates and masala-flavored Lays chips. She moved to a nearby subdivision seven years ago for its good schools and proximity to shops, restaurants and mosques where she can familiarize her children with Pakistani culture.

You find a lot of these Indian Pakistani stores, a lot of these restaurants, halal meat  all of this is convenient, Irfan said.

HOUSTON LEADERS: Meet 6 Asian American changemakers shaping the city's future

Such amenities and a sense of community are drawing throngs of Asian Americans to Houstons suburbs. Recent figures from the 2020 Census confirm that the region is continuing to become more diverse  and that Asian Americans are driving much of the population growth. They flock to the outskirts of the city for good schools, new housing developments and career opportunities, of course, but demographers say existing diversity is also a major attraction.

There's this networking process that occurs both in immigration but also in domestic migration, said Lloyd Potter, state demographer of Texas. If youre somebody who has a language and a culture, you probably want to be close to people that have similar language and culture.

In the last decade, the Asian American population grew faster than any other racial or ethnic group in the counties of Harris, Fort Bend, Montgomery, Galveston, Brazoria, Chambers and Waller, the Census Bureau reported. Though Harris County gained more Asian American residents in sheer numbers, the adjacent counties each reported a greater percentage change in the population.

Asian Americans account for a larger share of the population in Fort Bend than in any other county in Texas, cementing its status as one of the most ethnically diverse places in the United States. The population grew 83.7 percent from 2010 to 2020, with additional 83,167 people. Asian residents now comprise 22.2 percent of the county population, up from 17 percent in 2010.

Indian Americans account for nearly half of Fort Bends Asian population, according to 2019 population estimates from the American Community Survey. The second- and third-largest groups are Chinese and Vietnamese, respectively.

Meanwhile, the Black population grew 35.9 percent and the Hispanic population grew 42.9 percent over the same time period. The white population shrank by 4.8%.

The diverse county west of Houston has the opportunity to set the standard for the rest of the country, said Fort Bend County Judge KP George, an Indian American who became the first person of color to serve in the post after he was elected in 2018. Since then, he has been the target of racist messages and behavior, especially as he implemented pandemic restrictions.

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Diversity is something either you could embrace it, or you could resent it, said George, a Democrat. Change is going to happen  and the more you embrace, you will see theres a lot of commonality among people.

Fort Bends explosive growth  its population rose by more than 40 percent in a decade  comes with challenges, he said, including mobility, drainage and providing services to greater numbers of people. But despite the rapid demographic changes, the Sugar Land resident mostly sees people living in harmony.

RAPID GROWTH: These Houston-area cities grew the most over the last 10 years, Census data show

George believes newcomers have been attracted by strong schools, public safety, job opportunities and the local response to COVID-19. The county has successfully implemented strong public health measures to control the spread and boost vaccination rates.

The countys ethnic diversity is also a draw, said George, who grew up in the south Indian state of Kerala. Immigrants typically seek out familiar places and faces in order to feel comfortable, he said.

Theyre looking for people who look like them, George said. If a Muslim person comes, hes looking for a mosque. A Hindu (person) comes, hes looking for a temple.

For example, George said, nearly two dozen churches for his own community of Christians from South India are spread across the 875-square-mile county.

Diversity provides rich environment

In Fort Bend, the Asian population has grown in areas such as Sugar Land, Missouri City, Mission Bend, Cinco Ranch and Katy, said Jie Wu, director of research operations at Rice Universitys Kinder Institute for Urban Research.

There are also growing numbers of Asian Americans in The Woodlands, north of Houston, Wu said. Montgomery Countys Asian American population surged 128.7 percent in the last decade with an increase of 12,284 residents. The group now accounts for 3.5 percent of the countys population, which remains predominantly white.

In Harris County, the Asian American population grew 38 percent over the decade, with 96,236 more people, according to census data. The west and northwest sides of the county experienced the most growth, Wu said.

Wu said the region can no longer be called a melting pot  which implies that people lose their identity as they blends into a homogeneous culture  but instead a salad bowl. In the latter scenario, each group maintains its own culture and identity while living alongside others.

For example, there are more Chinese restaurants and Asian grocery stores in her Pearland neighborhood than when she moved there two decades ago, Wu said. Its convenient and lets her expose her daughter to her Chinese culture.

HOPES FOR THE FUTURE: Chain restaurants are closing in on Houston's Asiatown. How Shabu House is fighting to survive

Meanwhile, Wus neighbors are Vietnamese, Egyptian and Latino; her daughters school hosts international festivities. Wu said she enjoys making friends with people from different backgrounds and watching her daughter learn about other cultures.

It just feels (like a) very rich environment, she said. Im happy to have my kid living in this kind of community. Her friends, her classmates, they have different cultures, they celebrate different holidays. So we have the chance to talk through all of that.

In 2019, Alice Chen became the first Asian American woman elected to the Stafford City Council. Last year, Robin Elackatt become the first India native to be elected mayor of Missouri City. Both communities are mostly in Fort Bend with parts in Harris County.

Voters like to elect a representative who understands their culture, language, needs and wants, Chen said. As Fort Bends demographics shift, Chen said, she believes its political landscape will, too.

The councilwoman overcame language and cultural barriers when she moved to the U.S. to attend a masters program on a full scholarship, she said. Now, it is her passion to serve the community that she has watched grow and change into a hub of diversity.

We bring all the best from all over the world to be here together, to build Fort Bend County, to be an international city, Chen said. Thats the future of America.

Marketplace, new temple offer glimpse of home

There is ample evidence of the communitys diverse population in restaurants, shops and places of worship scattered across the suburbs.

Ramesh Chittur, owner of Asian Market in Sugar Land, bought the shop in 2009 when he moved from California to Texas for his sons education in petroleum engineering. Customers and neighbors have become like family to the longtime shop owner  they bring him sweets on holidays.

While the store has many regular customers, Chittur has noticed plenty of new shoppers, too.

I can feel that it is growing everyday, Chittur said. You see a lot of new faces  people moving from California, people moving from the East Coast, Midwest.

A few miles west of Chitturs shop, members of the Vadtal Dham Shree Swaminarayan Hindu Temple are building a new temple and community center to meet the needs of a congregation that has grown tenfold in the last decade, to roughly 500 people, said Madan Patel, a leader among the religious group.

The group purchased an 8-acre plot of land where it intends to construct a large temple, event space and medical clinic to serve as a community hub.

The land is adjacent to the master-planned subdivision of Aliana, home to many Indian Americans, and wedged between Sugar Land and Katy. The location is close enough to major roads and highways for easy access, Patel said, but far enough away that the temple will offer a peaceful environment for yoga classes and spiritual growth.

More from Anna Bauman: Beloved seamstress rides out Hurricane Nicholas in house built with Harvey funds

The first phase of the long-term project, a 12,000-square-foot community center, is expected to be finished early next year.

For now, the community gathers on Saturday nights for prayer, dinner and socializing at a small temporary temple on the property. On holidays, they host festivities with music, dancing and food under tents in the gravel parking lot.

The temple serves as a home for seniors from India who face challenges in the U.S. and miss their homeland, Patel said. During the early days of the pandemic, for example, younger members brought food to their doorsteps and made calls to check on their mental health.

Its also a community where Indian immigrants can expose their children to their beliefs, values and heritage, even as they raise them in America with Christmas and Halloween. Patel said kids learn about volunteering, nonviolence and respecting others.

We feel like were living near our own home country, said Meet Patel, a contractor who moved from India to Texas for business opportunities. We get that feeling when we come to temple.

anna.bauman@chron.com
For a state whose leaders seem to delight at constantly thumbing their noses at Washington bureaucrats, Texas certainly seems to be comfortable living off the federal dole.

The last time a recession hit in 2009, the state used billions of dollars in federal aid to maintain government services and pay down debts, allowing Texas to years later indulge its favorite pastime: cutting taxes.

With $16 billion in federal recovery funds sitting untouched in the states coffers  courtesy of the American Rescue Plan, which Congress passed in March  and a surplus in general revenue, the state has an opportunity to be far more ambitious in its recovery from the pandemic.

Gov. Greg Abbott has decided to use the third special legislative session to finally decide how that money will be allocated.

He hasnt asked ordinary Texans what theyd like the money spent on, but Dallas nonprofit Texas 2036 did in a recent poll. It found a vast majority of voters surveyed support targeting long-term, long overdue infrastructure solutions  from delivering cleaner drinking water to expanding broadband internet access to upgrading state parks.

Advocacy groups are also putting together ambitious goals for the federal aid, including housing assistance, increasing public education funding and early childhood education.

Unfortunately, anybody with lofty goals for the one-time bonanza of federal aid will likely be disappointed.

Judging by the bills that have already been filed this week, the Legislature appears to have far less ambitious plans, such as granting homeowners temporary property tax relief and using nearly half of the federal aid  $7.2 billion  to shore up the states depleted Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund.

Texans who blanche at any hint of federal overreach will be happy to know that this money comes with few strings attached. The American Rescue Plan specifically allows funds to be used for any expenditures incurred by the COVID-19 pandemic, including those involving medical treatment and public health, the economy and those reasonably necessary to the function of government.

Such broad leeway is the beauty of a federalist system where states rights are valued.

Yet history can be instructive. We dont have to look back too far to understand how irresponsible it would be to simply use a massive amount of free money to plug budget holes.

After the Great Recession hit in 2009, Texas received $17 billion in aid from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, a bill that was the pillar of President Barack Obamas effort to stimulate a flagging economy. The Legislature used those funds to plug a $3.3 billion budget hole and spread out the rest to supplant state spending on struggling programs such as Medicaid. While that injection of money tided Texas over through that period, when the Legislature reconvened in 2011 lawmakers were facing a $4 billion budget deficit and a projected shortfall between $15 billion and $30 billion in 2012-13. Rather than  gasp!  bump up taxes to maintain state services in this growing state, the Legislature passed a budget that dramatically slashed spending, including $4 billion from public education. The Legislature cut the franchise tax several years later, assuaging businesses, but further whittling away at much-needed revenue.

More Information Contact your representatives: wrm.capitol.texas.gov/home Contact governor: gov.texas.gov/contact See More Collapse

Supplanting state spending is a nice accounting gimmick when the funds are available. But when the well of federal money dries up, if theres no plan to add revenue  dont count on a tax hike with Republicans controlling the Legislature  the state will once again be left with a yawning shortfall.

Alas, old habits die hard. The Legislature is eager to, in the words of state Sen. Paul Bettencourt, give back to the taxpayers, even though such a gift would ultimately be fleeting.

Bettencourts bill would use at least $2 billion of the states general revenue to buy down school districts maintenance and operation tax rates over the next two years  meaning the owner of a $300,000 home, roughly the median price in Texas, would pay, on average, $200 less in property taxes. While the bill doesnt directly dip into the $16 billion, budget experts believe the Legislature wouldnt be considering cutting taxes without the federal funds as a backstop. The bill passed unanimously out of the Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday, though even some of Bettencourts Republican colleagues questioned the urgency and wisdom of a temporary tax cut that would have to be accounted for during the next budget cycle.

Ive been here when we (cut property taxes) at least twice, said state Sen. Larry Taylor, R-Friendswood, during the committee hearing. They dont appreciate when it goes back up.

Another bill filed Thursday by state Sen. Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound, would address the states Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund, depositing $7.2 billion of federal aid to replenish the fund after it was tapped dry when the pandemic hit. While it is critical that Texas keep the trust fund fully funded, a one-time injection of federal funds will simply enable the Legislature to continue underfunding it for years to come.

A 2020 analysis by the U.S. Department of Labor placed Texas 50th out of 53 states, districts and territories in terms of unemployment funding. The state intentionally keeps the fund at a bare minimum to avoid tough decisions on raising taxes. The Legislature even proceeded to  again  reduce the amount businesses would have had to pay in unemployment taxes this year. Using federal funds to cover for these missteps without a long-term plan to keep the fund solvent would be fiscal malpractice. Either way, the bill will come due eventually.

These misguided bills underscore how detached the conversations in the halls of the Capitol are from the needs of people whose tax dollars they are entrusted to spend. Huge majorities of voters, as detailed in the Texas 2036 poll, are far more eager to see the state use federal aid to finally invest in its crumbling infrastructure than to spend it on unemployment insurance.

If the Legislature insists on quick-hits, let it go to those who need it most while looking for long-term fixes. New York has put $100 million of federal aid toward offering loans to small businesses. Louisiana has set up a $50 million program to give one-time hazard pay bonuses to essential and front-line workers. Texas could use this money to fix its broken foster care system, where 23 children have died since 2019. The state could finally live up to its promise to repair and expand its state parks, a magnet for tourist activity. It could even bump up public education funding, as Texas is still well behind the national average for per-student funding and teacher pay.

Too often we are told by lawmakers that Texas doesnt have the money to do these things, only to see Abbott on a whim conjure up $2 billion for border security by simply moving money around and borrowing from other state agencies. Having this additional federal money is an opportunity for Texas to grow its economy beyond its pre-pandemic status, to allow more Texans to share in the prosperity, and to ensure that fewer families are living on the edge when the next recession hits. This kind of surplus is a precious opportunity to make a difference in Texas. We cant let the partisans in Austin squander it. Call or write the governor and your representatives and tell them how you want the money spent.
Regarding Gabby Petito story boosted by social media, true-crime craze, (Sept. 21): Gabby Petito was found dead in the wilderness. A white lady is murdered and the news media goes nuts! The coverage of this incident is endless, over the top and, as usual, painted as a great concern for America, national parks and for young white women with unstable boyfriends. Legions of minority women are abused and murdered across this land only to appear on page two of the newspapers  if at all.

Bill Klimko, Spring

Regarding Teen wounded in park shootout across from Kashmere High School, (Sept. 22): A lot of the shootings in our community  and in our country  are committed by young kids. Those kids cant legally buy guns. So where do they get them? Is it parental negligence? Are the guns supplied by gangs? Instead of spending your investigative reporting time worrying about law-abiding gun owners or the NRA, investigate and report where kids are getting guns.

Jim Hauri, Houston

Focus on discipline

Regarding Tennessee grocery store attack: 'He kept on shooting', (Sept. 23): On Thursday there was a mass shooting in Tennessee  13 shot, one killed; the shooter killed himself. Here in Houston, there was a park shootout between two teenagers. On Monday, the stepson of a HPD sergeant was killed. The same day, we lost one of our finest, on the force for 31 years, who was shot and killed by a man who had twice previously been convicted of a felony. His bond was reduced by a judge to $20,000 and he was back out on the street. He did not report for an ankle monitor.

OK, the first thing I think is, take away all of our weapons. But not one of these shootings was initiated by the weapon; it was the person who had his finger on the trigger.

We no longer have a father and mother in a home to monitor and discipline a child. No discipline in our schools or on the streets. A spanking in my days made us good citizens. So our youngsters need the same to learn what discipline is.

Contact all your elected representatives to make these laws happen.

James E. Muecke, Houston
It took a global calamity that forced the nation to stay indoors to remind us how much we need to be outside. From state parks to hike-and-bike trails, Texans have poured out of their homes in the last year to enjoy places of peace and beauty that they once assumed they were too busy to frequent.

Even as many of us return to some semblance of normalcy, parks remain packed to the brim.

From wide-open spaces beneath a starry sky at Big Bend Ranch to the cypress swamps of Caddo Lake, our parks make life better here in Texas. While parks provided a place of rest and recreation during troubling times over the course of the pandemic, demand for public lands has been rapidly increasing as the states population has grown tremendously over the past decades.

Last week the Legislature began the third special session this year to make some of the most significant budgetary decisions of this generation. While redistricting is getting most of the attention, the allocation of nearly $16 billion of flexible fiscal recovery federal funds, flying mostly under the radar, provides a once in a generation opportunity to invest in our future.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has proposed using about $240 million of the funds to acquire land for new and expanded parks, to construct and repair state park facilities and to help protect private land through the Farm and Ranch Lands Conservation Program. TPWD also requested funds for fishing piers, boat ramps, shooting ranges and Wi-Fi at state parks.

Today, it can be difficult to book a campsite without planning it months in advance. At Brazos Bend State Park near Pearland, almost no weekend campsites are available until next year. Even if you manage to secure a coveted campground, the park will be overcrowded.

Given COVID-19 and the ongoing difficulty of enjoying our existing parks, it should come as no surprise that 68 percent of Texans support allocating $1 billion from the federal government's emergency American Rescue Plan Act funds to expand our parks system.

At least seven states have used some of their ARPA funds for parks and conservation, including Florida, which appropriated $300 million to acquire land to protect wildlife.

Exposure to nature is just what the doctor ordered during the pandemic. Studies have shown that parks, by stimulating greater social cohesion, can enhance mental and physical wellness.

Children, especially, benefit from an investment in parks. Studies continue to demonstrate that kids with the opportunity to live and learn outdoors tend to be happier, healthier and perform better cognitively.

Twenty years ago, Texas Tech University published Texas Parks and Wildlife for the 21st Century. This seminal report estimated the state would need to add 1.4 million acres of parkland by 2030 in order to keep up with population growth.

While weve made some progress since then, including the acquisition of Palo Pinto Mountains State Park and Powderhorn Ranch, the state still needs to add more than 1 million acres of parks to ensure that every Texan has access to the great outdoors.

Achieving that goal could require an investment of $3 billion. The federal Great American Outdoors Act, private philanthropy and other sources will help, but the state must also be an active partner.

This is particularly key given that the Local Park Grant Program, which provides matching grants to local governments to build playgrounds, ball fields, and other parks and recreation facilities, and the Farm and Ranch Lands Conservation Program, which provides grants to private landowners to preserve rural lands from development, have been depleted as demand has outstripped supply.

The Legislature should augment the TPWDs request with an additional $60 million for these programs.

In 2019, the Legislature voted to guarantee that the sales tax on sporting goods go toward funding our state parks. Later, voters approved the measure through a constitutional amendment that passed with 88 percent support.

This was a historic step that finally guaranteed stable funding for our parks system, but the vast majority of the funds have been used for operations and maintenance. Maintenance does not open new parks.

Over the next two years, only $3.5 million was appropriated annually for land acquisition.

In 2023, our state parks system will celebrate its centennial. As we look ahead to the next 100 years, we must make sure we set aside enough space for Texans to hunt, fish, hike and camp.

Parks remain a high priority for Texans; they should be a priority of our government, too.

Billingsley is working to build a world class parks system for Texas as the conservation associate with Environment Texas. This op-ed echoes a Sept. 21 Environment Texas letter directed to the Legislature.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick referred to the Haitians massing at the Texas border as pawns in a Democratic plan to take over this country in a Thursday night interview on Fox News, making an argument that is part of a conspiracy theory known as The Great Replacement.

The theory  embraced by white supremacists and far-right nationalists in the U.S. and Europe for about the last 100 years  holds that minority ethnic groups are engaged in a plot to take power from whites, with the ultimate goal of domination or extermination of the white race.

Let me tell you something, Laura and everyone watching: The revolution has begun. A silent revolution by Joe Biden and the Democrat Party to take over this country, Patrick said, speaking on Laura Ingrahams Fox News show. (Democrats) are allowing this year probably 2 million  thats who we apprehended, maybe another million  into this country. At least in 18 years, even if they dont all become citizens before then and can vote, in 18 years if everyone of them has two or three children youre talking about millions and millions and millions of new voters. And they will thank the Democrats and Biden for bringing them here. Who do you think theyre going to vote for?

Patrick took it a step further.

We now will have illegals in this country denying citizens the right to run our government, Patrick said. This is trying to take over our country without firing a shot.

TEXAS TAKE: Get political headlines from across the state sent directly to your inbox

The Texan who has been charged with shooting and killing 23 people at an El Paso Walmart in 2019, Patrick Crusius, was linked to an online manifesto that made a similar argument.

This attack is a response to the Hispanic invasion of Texas, it said, adding that the Democratic Party intends to dominate the U.S. government by flooding the country with immigrants living in the country illegally and courting their votes, drowning out Republicans.

According to the Anti-Defamation League, The Great Replacement theory is embraced by white supremacists because it goes hand in hand with their beliefs about the impending destruction of the white race and because it echoes the 14 words of their rallying cry: We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children.

The Texas AFL-CIO, which has 235,000 members, condemned Patrick on Friday.

The El Paso shootings and other violent episodes point up how dangerous it is to mark new Latino and Black immigrants, who cannot vote, as partisan political enemies. The Haitian immigrants who triggered Patricks words are fleeing multiple disasters and taking a lawful road in search of asylum, not invasion, Texas AFL-CIO President Rick Levy wrote in a statement. Dan Patricks remarks are the essence of white supremacy, and we condemn them.

So did representatives of the Anti-Defamation League.

Hate must never become a political platform. We need leaders to speak out against this. It will be detrimental to our democracy, said Mark Toubin, the groups Southwest region director.

Patricks remarks also ignore recent election returns. Immigrant communities and voters of color, especially Latinos, are far from certain to vote for Democrats. While Latinos have historically leaned Democratic, in 2020 many moved toward the GOP  fueling larger-than-expected victories for the party in Texas and Florida.

Zapata County, on the Mexican border and with a vast majority of Latino residents, supported Donald Trumps reelection, the first time in more than 100 years that the county went red.

Depicting immigrants as an invading force, however, has been a common theme in Republican politics, both in Texas and at the national level. When Trump announced his candidacy for president, he took on anti-immigrant rhetoric as a core part of his platform, famously saying Theyre bringing crime. Theyre rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.

On Thursday night, U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, R-Austin, joined Patrick in referring to the Haitians gathering at the border as an invasion in a Fox News interview.

Since at least 2014, Patrick has used the term invasion to describe immigrants seeking entry to the U.S. at the border, many of whom are seeking asylum from their home countries because of unsafe conditions. In 2019, Patrick made a similar remark, framing the invasion as a Democratic plot to take over the country.

The reason the deceivers  the Democrats and the mainstream media  have this manufactured cover-up is because they want another 10, 15, 20 million to continue to pour in, to where they turn those into votes one day and they control the country and they move our country to the left, Patrick said in February 2019.

And in June, when Gov. Greg Abbott signed a bill into law to erect a wall along part of the Texas-Mexico border, Abbott joined Patrick in describing the immigration influx as an invasion, with Abbott remarking that homes are being invaded.

A spokesman for Patrick did not respond Friday to a request for comment.

edward.mckinley@chron.com
Stanley Kubrick changed the face of cinema over his 48-year career.

Renowned for his subversive and taboo-breaking subject matter, the directors extraordinary filmography includes such seminal works as 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Shining, Full Metal Jacket and Dr Strangelove.

A reclusive and often controversial figure, Kubrick started out as a photographer before transitioning to filmmaking, where his technical innovations and visionary movies made him an icon.

He served as his own editor, cinematographer and screenwriter for most of his films, developing a reputation for perfectionism and meticulous research.

Many of his challenging masterpieces did not receive their due praise upon initial release; some, in fact, were eviscerated by critics. By Kubricks own count, the first exhibitors screening of 2001 yielded 241 walkouts.

Kubrick remains one of the most beloved and influential filmmakers of all time. Here are his 10 best films, ranked.

10. The Killing (1956)

Filmed when Kubrick was just 27 years old, The Killing is a clever and visually deft heist noir starring Sterling Hayden. Because of union regulations, Kubrick had to hire a separate cinematographer for the film, and the Oscar-winning Lucien Ballard was chosen. The pair clashed on set. Yet, even this early in his career, Kubrick proved tough and refused to compromise on the lenses being used or shot selection. The Killing never quite hits the heights of Kubricks later films, but it was major influence on many modern heist movies, including Quentin Tarantinos Reservoir Dogs. Its memorable racetrack set-piece was echoed in 2017s Logan Lucky.

9. Lolita (1962)

The film which birthed Kubricks enduring reputation for controversy, Lolita  an adaptation of Vladimir Nabokovs equally scandalous novel written from the perspective of a child sexual predator  proved a tricky sell for distributors. Lolita is often seen as Kubricks first mature feature, and its uncomfortable premise has lost none of its edge when viewed today. James Mason is wonderfully creepy as Humbert Humbert, the academic who lusts after the teenaged Dolores Haze (Sue Lyon), but it is Peter Sellars who steals the show here, in a brilliant multi-faceted comic performance which anticipated his roles in Dr Strangelove.

8. Paths of Glory (1957)

Kirk Douglas in Paths of Glory (United Artists)

While Kubricks first run at an anti-war feature would later be overshadowed by Full Metal Jacket, Paths of Glory is still an extremely effective portrayal of bureaucracy and injustice in the First World War. Kubrick began to refine his distinctive visual style while filming, having the camera follow Kirk Douglass Colonel Dax around the trenches. His use of the battlefield tracking shot positions it as a distant ancestor to Saving Private Ryan.

7. A Clockwork Orange (1971)

Stanley Kubrick's 'A Clockwork Orange' also gained accusations of so-called obscenity, prompting the director to withdraw it from circulation (Warner Bros)

Adapted from Anthony Burgesss supposedly unadaptable novel, A Clockwork Orange was made by Kubrick at the height of his powers. Its many great qualities  innovative use of classical music, idiosyncratic production design and moral complexity  were ultimately eclipsed by its horrifying sexual violence. The film was initially a financial success  until reports of copycat violence were published by the media, leading to the director pulling the film from British cinemas partway through its run.

6. Barry Lyndon (1975)

Barry Lyndon is a superlative feat of filmmaking craft and is considered by many Kubrick purists to be the directors finest feature. Charting the rise and fall of an Irish social climber and fortunate duellist (Ryan ONeal), Kubricks foray into the world of period dramas was not a convincing commercial success, and its nearly three-hour runtime can be off-putting for casual viewers. Barry Lyndon does, however, look spectacular. Kubrick developed specialised camera technology to film by candlelight, and many of the shots were composed to look like classical paintings.

5. Full Metal Jacket (1987)

(Warner Bros.)

Kubricks shocking take on the Vietnam war arrived in the wake of several other classic Vietnam movies (Apocalypse Now; Platoon; The Deer Hunter) but found its own place in the public imagination thanks to its unusual diptych structure. Most of the films famous imagery comes from the first half, set in an American training camp. Full Metal Jackets second half, a descent into the hell of the Vietnamese warzone, is slick and appropriately harrowing but never quite fulfils the promise of the beginning. Kubrick showed his usual flair for casting when he chose former marine R Lee Ermey to play an abusive drill sergeant.

4. Eyes Wide Shut (1999)

Eyes Wide Shut, a sexual odyssey starring Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman, was Kubricks final film. Set against a dream-like Christmas backdrop, Eyes Wide Shut steers Cruises upper-crust doctor through a hazy mess of conspiracies and perversions, leading to a masked orgy in a private mansion; the most resounding and talked-about sequence in the film.

Eyes Wide Shut had an incredible 14-month shoot. Kubrick managed to complete the editing and witnessed the first (enthusiastic) responses to the film shortly before his death. Despite the prurience of its premise, Eyes Wide Shut ranks among the directors best for its thematic nuance and dense, unsettling ambience.

3. Dr Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)

After originally optioning Cold War novel Red Alert for adaptation as a political drama, Kubrick found the subject matter perversely suited for black comedy. Peter Sellars gives three stellar performances (as US president Merkin Muffley, toadying officer Group Captain Mandrake, and the deranged ex-Nazi scientist Dr Strangelove) and Strangeloves stream of quotable lines helps make it one of the most iconic satires of all time. Some of the behind-the-scenes stories have become notorious in their own right  such as Kubrick insisting on a bright green casino-style table-top for the film, which is shot entirely in black-and-white.

2. The Shining (1980)

Grin and bear it: Nicholson on set with the unpredictable Kubrick (Getty)

The Shining was met with mixed reviews and scorn from Stephen King (on whose novel it is based) when it was released, but in the years since, Kubricks adaptation has been recognised as a classic of the horror genre. The director was famously cruel in his treatment of Shelley Duvall (who played the terrified wife of Jack Nicholsons homicidal patriarch), with one scene requiring a staggering 127 takes. In Kubricks mind, the treatment was simply a means to an end; he once told Duvall that nothing great was ever accomplished without suffering. The Shining is a labyrinth of suffering, on-screen and off, but its greatness is plain to see.

1. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

(YouTube/Warner Bros. Pictures)

None of the Kubricks other films can quite match the the influence, ambition or visionary inspiration of his 1968 sci-fi opus. A transcendent epic that charts the evolution of humanity from prehistoric apes through to our unknowable interstellar future, 2001: A Space Odyssey redrew the limits of what science fiction could achieve. Co-writing the script with sci-fi legend Arthur C Clarke, the director employed revolutionary practical effects to depict the future of space travel, balletically juxtaposing images of moving spacecrafts with classical music. Kubricks reputation as a cold, mechanical director stems in large part from this film, but 2001 understands that humanity and technology are two sides of the same evolutional coin.
The farmhouse that inspired the 2013 horror film The Conjuring is on sale for $1.2m (878,000).

The property was listed by Rhode Island realtor Mott & Chace Sotheby, who claim it is one of the most haunted houses in the United States.

To this day, countless happenings have been reported, the listing states. The chilling stories, incidents, and recollections of residents and visitors of the property have been told in dozens of media productions including books, movies, and television shows.

Arguably the most famous story inspired by the farmhouse is director James Wans film The Conjuring.

While the movie was not filmed at the property, it was loosely inspired by real-life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren. It follows the couple as they come to the aid of the Perron family, who experienced increasingly terrifying events at their Rhode Island farmhouse in 1971.

Built in the 19th century, the farmhouse has three bedrooms and one-and-a-half bathrooms, plus eight acres of land.

The most recent owners, Cory and Jennifer Heinzen, claim to have experienced unusual goings-on themselves, including doors opening and closing on their own, footsteps, knocking [and] disembodied voices.

Last night, we had a black mist in one of the rooms, Mr Heinzen told NBC 10 WJAR. It looks like smoke. Itll gather in one area, and then itll move.

The property listing states that the Heinzens have managed to turn overnight guest bookings and group events at the house into a steady successful business.

A sequel to The Conjuring was released in 2016, which follows the Warrens to the UK as they investigate the case of the Enfield poltergeist, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It was released this year.
Steve Coogan will play paedophile TV presenter Jimmy Savile in a new BBC One drama titled The Reckoning.

The mini-series, which was written by Neil McKay, will explore how the late Top of the Pops host was able to commit his crimes unchecked for decades.

After his death in 2011, hundreds of survivors came forward with stories of abuse by Savile, who used his work at the BBC and at hospitals, prisons and charities to conceal his wrongdoings.

Producers are working with many people whose lives were affected by Savile to ensure their stories are told with sensitivity and respect.

To play Jimmy Savile was not a decision I took lightly, Coogan said in a statement. Neil McKay has written an intelligent script tackling sensitively a horrific story which, however harrowing, needs to be told.

Director Sandra Goldbacher said: The Reckoning is a unique opportunity to give Saviles survivors, the people who inspired this project, a voice.

I feel sure that Steve Coogans powerful performance as Savile will create a debate around how the cult of celebrity cloaked him from scrutiny.

Jimmy Savile on the roof of Broadcasting House in London to celebrate the BBC Radio stations fifth anniversary, 30 September 1972 (Getty Images)

McKay has developed a reputation for tackling difficult subjects, including in his Fred and Rose West drama Appropriate Adult; a mini-series about the Yorkshire Ripper murders of the late Seventies, and the two-part drama See No Evil, about Myra Hindley and Ian Brady.

A release date for The Reckoning has yet to be announced.
Asha* sits on a bench in one of the musty bylanes of Sonagachi, Asias largest red-light district in the state of West Bengal, awaiting clients past noon on a Friday.

Pre-Covid, she would have accepted two clients by 1pm, but some days now pass without a single man asking for her.

Malati*, who also makes her living through sex work, takes the morning train every day to travel 60km to Kolkata.
More than half of all non-motorway petrol stations have run dry after a weekend of panic-buying by spooked motorists, forcing ministers to consider putting the army on notice to drive tankers to forecourts.

The government has suspended competition laws to allow fuel companies to co-ordinate deliveries, and Boris Johnson is set to decide on Monday whether to send in soldiers to ease the crisis.

The Petrol Retailers Association reported alarming shortages among its independent members as oil giant BP warned that almost a third of its sites had no supplies.

Government pleas for drivers to stop filling their cars when they dont need it fell on deaf ears as long queues formed at forecourts, operators rationed supplies  and police were called to one scuffle in London.

With Christmas just three months away, shoppers were also warned of turkey shortages, while toy sellers report delays and higher prices shipping goods into Brexit Britain.

Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng announced at 9pm on Sunday that petrol firms are temporarily exempt from the Competition Act 1998. Officials said the Downstream Oil Protocol would make it easier for firms to share information and prioritise delivery of fuel to parts of the country most in need.

Brian Madderson, the PRAs chairman, revealed a survey of its members, who make up the majority of the UKs 8,000-odd petrol stations.

They serve the main roads, the rural areas, the urban roads, and anywhere between 50 per cent and 90 per cent of their forecourts are currently dry  and those that arent dry are partly dry and running out soon, he told the BBC.

One of them mentioned to me that yesterday they had a 500 per cent increase in demand compared to a week ago, which is quite extraordinary.

BP, which operates 1,200 petrol stations, said: With the intense demand seen over the past two days, we estimate that around 30 per cent of sites in this network do not currently have either of the main grades of fuel.

Earlier, Grant Shapps, the transport secretary, sparked anger when he claimed industy leaders were responsible for the chaos, despite the government having admitted to a lack of lorry drivers. He was accused of a disgraceful attack on hard-pressed hauliers and of shamefully passing the buck for the queues.

The row blew up after The Mail on Sunday quoted a government source claiming the Road Haulage Association (RHA) is entirely responsible for this panic and chaos.

The transport secretary backed the claim, saying: There was a meeting which took place about 10 days ago, a private meeting, in which one of the haulage associations decided to leak the details to media.

And that has created, as we have seen, quite a large degree of concern as people naturally react to those things.

Calling the leak irresponsible, Mr Shapps told the BBCs Andrew Marr Show: The good news is there is plenty of fuel. The bad news is, if everyone carries on buying it when they dont need it, then we will continue to have queues.

But the RHA hit back quickly, pointing out its managing director Rod McKenzie had not even been at the meeting where a BP executive had discussed stock levels.

He was not, as the government source claimed, aware of the comments and certainly did not weaponise them in subsequent TV interviews, a statement said.

Indeed he repeatedly stressed the need not to panic buy and that there were adequate fuel stocks.

The RHA believes this disgraceful attack on a member of its staff is an attempt to divert attention away from their recent handling of the driver shortage crisis.

Sarah Olney, the Liberal Democrat business spokesperson, said: Grant Shapps is shamefully passing the buck for the governments own failures.

The Conservatives have repeatedly ignored calls from businesses to address the shortage of drivers. It is a bit rich for ministers to now blame the public and the road haulage industry for the mess we find ourselves in.

Mr Shappss comments came after the announcement of emergency visas for foreign lorry drivers to come to the UK to ease the crisis was dismissed as a damp squib.

As expected, the offer will be made to 5,000 HGV drivers  plus 5,500 poultry workers  but the visas will run out on Christmas Eve, triggering criticism they are too little, too late.

Keir Starmer suggested 100,000 foreign drivers are needed  the RHA estimate of the shortfall  saying: We are going to have to do that. We have to issue enough visas to cover the number of drivers that we need.

The Labour leader said: Im astonished the government, knowing the situation, is not acting today. The prime minister needs to say today what he is going to do.

Meanwhile, a poultry association said big firms have already scaled back production of turkeys for the festive season, because they would not have enough staff to for more orders.

Kate Martin, chairwoman of the Traditional Farm Fresh Turkey Association, said: Its looking like there is a national shortage of turkeys when were talking about supermarket shelves, rather than buying direct from your farm.

Footage circulated on social media showed two men in helmets tussling with each other at a petrol station in north London, before the police were called to the scene.

A man was arrested on suspicion of assault and taken into custody, but no injuries were reported.
 Close Military tankers begin delivering fuel in bid to ease crisis

No 10 said it is hard to put a specific date on when fuel supplies would return to normal - but insisted the situation was improving.

Weve seen demand return back towards normal levels, the prime ministers official spokesperson said on Monday.

It came as army tanker drivers started delivering fuel to petrol stations in a bid to ease shortages as Operation Escalin got underway.

The troops were set to be concentrated in London and the Southeast, where the worst fuel shortages remained.

Petrol stations have run dry and long queues have formed at forecourts as the UK grappled with the fuel crisis caused by a shortage of heavy goods vehicle (HGV) drivers and panic buying.
It took just a few days for Monica Muquinche to reach New York after leaving Ecuadors Andean highlands with her 10-year-old son.

She flew to Mexico City took a bus to the U.S. border, boated across and was detained by the Border Patrol. After one night in custody in Texas she was released and then headed to the Big Apple.

I think God protected us, said the 35-year-old, whose husband disappeared last year while trying to make the same journey.

Muquinche is part of an extraordinary wave of Ecuadorians coming in the United States. The South American nation became, at least briefly, the fourth-largest source of unauthorized migration to the U.S. via the southern border in July, surpassing much-closer El Salvador a more usual source of immigrants.

Other nontraditional nationalities have also shown large increases in unauthorized arrivals to the U.S., including Brazilians and Venezuelans. But Ecuador stands out because of its small population  fewer than 18 million people.

It also has put increasing numbers of Ecuadorians among those who vanished on the way.

The rise appears to be rooted partly in the pandemic and partly in a bureaucratic policy.

Ecuador's economy had been struggling for several years before it was devastated by COVID-19. Hundreds of thousands lost full-time jobs and officials said 70% of businesses closed at least temporarily.

The virus hit early and hard. It so overwhelmed health services that people in Guayaquil were leaving bodies in the streets early last year. The small country now has surpassed 32,000 COVID-19 deaths.

Meanwhile, Mexico's government had announced in 2018 that Ecuadorians were welcome to visit without a visa. That gave those with a passport and a plane ticket a huge leap toward the U.S. border  a completely legal trip as far as the Rio Grande  at least once pandemic-prompted travel restrictions were lifted .

More than 88,000 Ecuadorians left their homeland for Mexico in the first half of 2021, and more than 54,000 of them havent returned, according to Ecuadorian government data. More than 22,000 of those trips occurred in July alone.

At the border itself, U.S. authorities stopped Ecuadorians 17,314 times in July, compared to 3,598 times in January.

Since 2018, we have seen a big increase in Ecuadorians taking the Mexican route" rather than trying the more complicated and dangerous path through Central America, said William Murillo, co-founder of the law firm 1800migrante.com that handles immigration cases.

While Ecuadorians no longer needed smugglers for the southern part of the journey northward, they were turning in greater number to smugglers who could get them across the U.S. border itself.

Murillo said the smugglers lie, trick people. We predicted we would have many deaths and disappeared migrants.

Ecuador's Foreign Ministry said this month that 54 Ecuadorians have been reported missing since the start of 2019 while trying to cross the U.S. border. Nineteen have disappeared so far this year.

The sudden leap in migration led Mexico to close that option. As of Saturday, Ecuadorians will once again need a visa. Mexican officials said the requirement is a provisional measure that will help ensure that Ecuadorians do not fall prey to human trafficking networks."

Murillo said that President Joe Bidens arrival at the White House also increased hope among would-be migrants because they perceived he would be friendlier than his predecessor, Donald Trump. False rumors spread about U.S. authorities allowing migrants to cross the border, the attorney said.

Carlos Lopez, Muquinche's husband, was a cobbler who lost his job at the end of 2019, even before the pandemic hit but as political unrest rolled across Ecuador.

In search of better opportunities, he went north.

He was stopped and returned to Mexico on his first try to cross the U.S. border. Muquinche said he called and told her that partners of the smuggler he had hired in Ecuador had pointed guns at him and accused him of giving information to U.S. border officials about them.

Muquinche stopped receiving her husband's calls in April last year. She filed a complaint against the smuggler, who was arrested in Ecuador but later released. Muquinche said he started threatening her, demanding she withdraw the complaint.

The 35-year-old mother, who was making $180 every two weeks as a cobbler, felt overwhelmed by the threats and by the debt incurred to pay for Lopez's trip to the U.S.

I was scared of coming she said. Now, I think the worst is behind me. I have learned to live with this pain.

Muquinche flew to Mexico City with her son, then took buses halfway across Mexico to reach Ciudad Miguel Aleman, across the Rio Grande from Roma, Texas. They crossed the river in a small boat with other migrants and were detained by U.S. border agents on the other side, she said.

She was released but ordered to check in with immigration authorities. She did on reaching Manhattan, where agents took her passport.

Many of the Ecuadorians coming to New York are from the Andean highlands, a land of volcanic peaks where most of Ecuadors national parks are located. Many there are poor farmers, with little opportunity for other employment.

Those who try to reach the U.S. often go into debt to pay the $15,000 or so per person smugglers charge to take them over the border. Some are kidnapped for ransom by criminal cartels en route, putting an even greater cost on their families.

Cristian Lupercio, 21, had been an unlicensed taxi driver in the Ecuadorian city of Cuenca when the pandemic left him with few clients. He headed to Mexico in hopes of crossing the U.S. border.

He last spoke to his father Claudio Lupercio on Thanksgiving Day and then set out to cross. But Lupercio said he learned from others on the journey that his son's guide got lost in the desert and Cristian grew tired and was left behind.

Claudio, a carpenter on Long Island, called the Ecuadorian consulate in Texas, attorneys, hospitals in the border area and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, asking about this son.

When news of the disappearance came out, people in Ecuador contacted him saying they knew where Cristian was. But it was a scam, he said.

I paid them $2,500. I was so desperate I believed them, he said.

New York is by far the most popular U.S. destination for Ecuadorians, with more than 241,000 living in the state, according to the Migration Policy Institute. Ecuadorian restaurants with names like El Sol de Quito or El Encebollado de Rossy are common along avenues in Queens and Brooklyn.

Many had migrated following an economic crisis in their homeland in the late 1990s.

Walther Sinche, director of a community center in Queens called Alianza Ecuatoriana Internacional, said that about 10 to 15 Ecuadorians used to show up in past years at his classes on safety regulations in the construction industry. Now, about 50 attend, he said.

They have been here just three days, a week, a month, he said. There is an exodus happening.

For Muquinche, frying green plantain dumplings and chopping onion for a fish stew called encebollado" at the restaurant where she works helps distract her from the memory of her husband's disappearance.

I have my son who needs me. she said, her eyes red from crying. "I have to move forward.

__________

Associated Press writer Gonzalo Solano contributed to this report from Quito.
When Deborah Gonzalez took office in January as the district attorney for the Western Judicial District of Georgia she noticed that too few defendants, especially Black defendants, qualified for a program that promised treatment for addiction or mental health and not jail.

Like many court diversion programs elsewhere, potential participants in the Athens-Clarke and Oconee counties programs were being disqualified for certain previous charges or police contact. People living in poverty also had a hard time qualifying because of weekly program fees.

My philosophy is there is racial injustice and disparities of how people are treated in this system. And we have to be intentional in how we address it," Gonzalez said.

Through a grant from a national nonprofit criminal justice advocacy group, Vera Institute of Justice, and a local organization, People Living in Recovery, Gonzalez is redesigning the program to make it more accessible.

Many of the changes enacted by states following George Floyds death have centered on policing tactics and not on racial disparities in the criminal justice system. On a national level, bipartisan congressional talks on overhauling policing practices have ended without an agreement, bargainers from both parties said this past week, despite promises from the Biden administration for change.

And now, groups such as Vera are targeting suburban communities to push through policing changes without new laws.

Vera awarded 10 prosecutors about $550,000 to help reduce racial disparities in prosecution. The prosecutors in Georgia, Virginia, Michigan Hawaii, Pennsylvania, Missouri, New York and Indiana  most of whom were elected in the past two years on progressive platforms  are looking at programs or policies in their offices that disproportionately affect defendants of color.

Some prosecutors are addressing prosecution of specific crimes or making diversion programs more inclusive. Others are looking at ways to keep juveniles out of the criminal justice system all together.

There was a desire to do more in this moment, to address the system that continues to allow this to happen. So we started asking if there is something more we can do with this unique moment to reimagine what a just system looks like," said Jamila Hodge, the former director of the Reshaping Prosecution Program with Vera.

In Gonzalez's district, for example, about 22% of the districts overall population is Black. Of the more than 6,800 people charged during 2019 and 2020, the majority were Black. Fewer than 150 were referred to the pretrial program, and most came from a county that is only 5 % percent Black.

She hopes to double participation in her program by 2022, and will put in checks to monitor that the diversity is increasing.

Vera will provide support for 12 months. The hope is to reduce the disproportionately high number of Black and brown people prosecuted and incarcerated by 20% in the pilot areas. The grants require the prosecutors to partner with local community-based organizations.

In Washtenaw County, Michigan, home to Ann Arbor and just west of Detroit, prosecutor Eli Savit is working with a group called My Brothers Keeper to divert young people of color accused of nonviolent crimes into an intensive mentoring program. Savit, who took office in January, said he wants to focus on interventions that happen with kids who are acting out or committing minor crimes.

What were trying to do is intervene early without the criminal justice system's involvement, without creating a record that can hold them back. It can have this cascading effect on their lives. Job applications ask if you've ever been charged, not whether you've been convicted," Savit said.

In Chatham County, Georgia, home to Savannah in the state's northeast corner, chief assistant district attorney Michael Edwards said an analysis of Black men and boys in criminal justice system found they made up disproportionate number of the people being charged with gun possession.

The office, in partnership with Savannah Feed the Hungry, developed a program called Show Us Your Guns that focuses on people between age 16 and 25 who are found to be in possession of a gun during an interaction with police. As long as those young men didn't use those weapons in commission of a crime, they are eligible for the program instead of arrest or jail. It requires they turn in the gun in exchange for participation.

We are doing this, knowing that firearms are a third-rail in conversations in the community. But we know this is a significant way we can have an effect on public safety as well as on the lives of these juveniles and young men, Edwards said.

Edwards said the program will be tailored to the individuals, looking needs like job training, education, mental health and addiction treatment and even a partnership with the local YMCA so the young men can take care of themselves physically.

Too often prosecution is case based, but we want this to be cause based looking at the underlying causes, Edwards said.

For Shane Sims, the idea that prosecutors in all these places are creating plans to consider the whole person standing before them, not just the crime they committed, brings him overwhelming joy. Sims is the executive director of People Living in Recovery, which is working with Gonzalez in Athens, Georgia, to redesign its mental health and addiction diversion program.

He was sentenced to life plus 15 years for his accomplice role in a robbery that ended in the death of a store clerk. He was 18 years old, and it seemed like no one considered who he was or how he got there  that his parents were addicted to crack cocaine and he was taking care of his younger brother on his own from a young age.

When he got out, after three wardens petitioned for his release, he started working in the community.

What we are doing together is coming to the realization that substance abuse lies at the heart of so many who enter the criminal justice system. Minorities historically have the least consideration when deciding how to deal with that, Sims said.
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.

___

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

___

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.

___

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.

___

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.

___

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.

___

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.

___

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.

___

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.
A fight broke out between a group of men at petrol station on Saturday, as tempers flared on some UK forecourts over fuel shortage concerns.

The brawl, reportedly between two families, took place at an Esso station in Chichester, West Sussex.

In a video of the fight recorded by onlookers, four men can be seen yelling at each other before a punch is thrown.

Two of the men then begin to fight, prompting others to join in. The altercation lasts for nearly a minute.

The exact cause of the fight is unknown.

Since BP announced that it was rationing some fuel deliveries due to a shortage of HGV drivers on Thursday, petrol stations have been swamped with customers trying to fill up. The chaotic scenes have led to reports of altercations on a number of forecourts across the country.

Authorities have urged people to fill up as usual and avoid panic-buying behaviour, but long queues have developed at many stations and a handful of forecourts have been forced to close due to their inability to keep up with the unprecedented demand. BP has estimated that between 10 and 15 per cent of its some 1,200 filling stations in the UK have run out of one or more grades of fuel with a small number of them closed altogether.

Many people have rushed to the pumps to fill not only their tanks but also filling jerry cans, while long lines of drivers wait in queues, often honking their horns.

In an effort to avoid altercations like the one in Chichester on Saturday, some petrol stations have introduced 30 limits on all fuel purchases to avoid shortages.

The UK Petroleum Industry Association, the trade association responsible for the UKs downstream oil sector, has said that distributors have been working tirelessly to replenish stocks, adding that there were no issues with production, storage or import of fuels.

A spokesperson said: There has been an increase in demand for fuels this week which is above and beyond what is usual.

There are no reported issues with the production, storage or import of fuels while distributors are working hard to replenish stocks at forecourts.

They added that customers should continue to buy fuel as they would normally.

Edward King, the head of the AA also reassured the public that issues surrounding fuel should pass in a matter of days, so long as drivers behave as normal.

Speaking on the BBC, Mr King said that the shortage of lorry drivers had only been a localised problem earlier in the week and added that the shortage had been exacerbated by people going out and filling up when they really dont need to.

If you think about it, 30 million cars out there, if theyve all got a half a tank, if they all rush out to fill up the rest of the tank and the tank is about 60 litres, that will put a strain on the system, he said.

On Saturday evening, the government announced it will extend temporary visas to 5,000 HGV drivers over the next three months, in order to limit disruption in the run-up to Christmas.

But the British Chambers of Commerce and the Road Haulage Association have criticised the plans as insufficient to alleviate the current shortfall which is estimated to be between between 90,000 and 100,000 HGV drivers.
In less than a week, nearly 6 million people across the UK are set to lose 86 a month from their welfare support, as the government prepares to cut the amount people on universal credit are receiving.

A 20 weekly rise in the benefit was brought in during the Covid-19 pandemic to help struggling families, but ministers plan to remove it on 1 October, as they say it was always intended to be a temporary measure.

The government has come under pressure, including from Conservatives on its own back benches, to keep the top-up payment after being warned that soaring energy prices and increased living costs mean it is the worst possible time to pull the uplift.

But the cut is set to go ahead. A government spokesperson told The Independent the uplift was designed to help claimants through the economic shock and financial disruption of the toughest stages of the pandemic, and it has done so.

As they prepare for the lower support provision from next month, universal credit claimants have told The Independent how they are feeling.

Kerry Purvis, 39, Middlesbrough, carer for disabled son

Kerry Purvis, pictured with her son, says the universal credit cut fills [her] with dread (Kerry Purvis)

I lost my partner in 2015. He died two weeks before we were due to get married. It was very sudden. Because we werent married I didnt get bereavement benefit. I have three kids and my teenage son is disabled.

My partner was the full-time earner. He was paid weekly. Getting universal credit once a month is a reality check. It lasts about two and a half weeks. I often have to rely on my mum for the rest of the month.

The 20 uplift massively helped. I could buy my kids school uniforms and I could get a broadband connection in my house for homeschooling. It felt like a tonne of bricks lifted off me.

Ive been trying not to think about the cut. It fills me with utter dread. I dont know what Im going to do. Gas and electricity prices are going up and food prices have gone up, but theyre taking 86 off us  its horrific.

Anthony Lyman, 35, Northampton, unable to work due to illness

Anthony Lyman, pictured with his two children, aged nine and four, has already has to rely on support from charity Christians Against Poverty (Anthony Lyman)

Ive been on universal credit since 2019, when I hit a crisis with my mental health and I had to give up my job in special needs support. I loved my job, but unfortunately life hits you. I became ill.

Ive recently gone through custody proceedings for my daughter, whom I look after half of the time, and am in the process of trying to get the same with my son. But as a single father, its very difficult to get the support that you need to run your family.

Were already relying on the local food bank. I use my sickness benefits for the daily running of the household. Were already on a knife-edge.

These hardships being forced on us are just going to prolong the recovery rate of people like me. Im just trying to put a brave face on for my kids.

Sonja Ferguson, 47, south London, working part-time

Sonja Ferguson, who has been supported by charity Working Chance and now campaigns for them, says she was shocked when she heard that the uplift was to be removed (Sonja Ferguson)

My job as a palliative carer in a private home ended in June. My partner is self-employed but hasnt been earning anything during lockdown. We had to go on to universal credit.

I wasnt aware of this uplift. I was shocked when I found out it was being removed. We will get 390 a month. Its not going to cover everything for the two of us. Somethings got to give.

Im studying a criminology and psychology course. It will give me a better chance of progressing in my career. Im also working part-time. I work a night shift and go to university from there. Its exhausting, but you do what you need to do.

Im hoping to soon be able to come off universal credit. But Ive worked all my life, and paid taxes, and I need it now  and its just not enough.

Brookemorgan Henry-Rennie, 23, south London, founder of social enterprise She Oath

Brookemorgan Henry-Rennie, who was supported by charity Centrepoint when she became homeless aged 16, says the universal credit cut will put her new business at risk (Brookemorgan Henry-Rennie)

I became homeless aged 16 and had to move into a hostel. I got a new job at a music management company in February last year, but I was furloughed in November. I found another job but that ended in June. Thats when I started claiming universal credit.

During the first lockdown I started my own social enterprise, and Ive decided to put all my eggs in this basket. So its not like Im doing nothing  Im actually working full-time to make my business work.

There are government grants for self-employed people, but Im dyslexic, so writing applications for them is a challenge. Thats a journey I need to go on, but the cut to universal credit will make this process harder.

You cant take something off what is already a very small amount. 80 a month is a lot of money. We should stop bothering people who are on benefits. I didnt think I would ever be on universal credit, but here I am.

Kim, 35, Wales, unable to work due to disability

My husband lost his construction job due to Covid in October last year. We applied for universal credit and waited nine weeks to start receiving it. Hes been looking for work but has had no luck yet.

Its extremely stressful. Ive got a disability and Id prefer my partner to be at home because it helps, but financially and for the children, he needs to be working. Staying on universal credit long-term isnt an option.

As a parent you eat less. I suppose its a sacrifice you make for your kids. And its going to be far, far worse once the uplift is taken away. Theres nothing that can be cut back on that I havent already cut back on. So it will literally be a choice of heating or eating.

Maybe 86 a month doesnt sound like a lot to people, but when youre having to count the pennies, its a lot of money to lose.
Angela Rayner has defended calling Boris Johnson and Conservative ministers scum, insisting that she will only apologise when the prime minister retracts his past homophobic and racist remarks.

Doubling down on her comments made on the first day of Labours annual conference in Brighton, the partys deputy leader said on Sunday that leaving children hungry in the midst of a pandemic was pretty scummy.

However, her remarks have provoked anger from Conservative cabinet ministers, including the transport secretary, Grant Shapps, who described them as appalling.

In comments reported by the Daily Mirror, Ms Rayner told Labour activists she was sick of shouting from the sidelines, adding: We cannot get any worse than a bunch of scum, homophobic, misogynistic, absolute vile [inaudible] banana-republic, vile, nasty, Etonian [inaudible] piece of scum.

Conservative minister Amanda Milling said Ms Rayners comments were completely unacceptable and demanded she apologise. As elected representatives we have a duty to lead by example, added Ms Milling.

Oliver Dowden, Conservative Party chair, added: We need to make politics better, not drag it into the gutter. Lets see if we get an apology.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer sidestepped calls for Ms Rayner to apologise.

He told the BBCs Andrew Marr Show that he would speak with his deputy, adding: Angela and I take different approaches, and that is not the language that I would use.

But there were signs of annoyance within the partys upper echelons at the impact of the comments.

One shadow cabinet minister told The Independent: Being rude about Boris doesnt work because there are a lot of people who voted for him who we want to vote for us.

Ms Rayner defended the attack, which was delivered during a reception at the conference, stressing that it was levelled at senior ministers and Mr Johnson rather than at Conservatives in general.

That was post-watershed with a group of activists at an event last night, she told Sky News, adding that the prime minister had failed to apologise for his own previous remarks that are homophobic, that are racist, that are misogynistic.

When the prime minister uses language like calling Muslim women letter boxes, that has an effect, she said. The fact he hasnt apologised for that ... I dont think hes fit to govern.

Ms Rayner added: Anyone who leaves children hungry during a pandemic and can give billions of pounds to their mates on WhatsApp, I think that was pretty scummy.

Let me contextualise it  its a phrase that you would hear very often in northern, working-class towns, that wed even say jovially to other people  wed say its a scummy thing to do. That to me is my street language ... [meaning that] actually its pretty appalling that people think thats OK to do.

In an apparent reference to Mr Johnsons history of offensive comments in past newspaper columns  including comparing burqa-wearing Muslim women to letter boxes and describing gay men as tank-topped bum boys  Ms Rayner stated that she would only apologise if the prime minister also said sorry.

If the prime minister wants to apologise and remove himself from those comments that hes made  then I will apologise for calling him scummy, she said.

Former Labour cabinet minister Andrew Adonis said that if Ms Rayner refuses to apologise, Starmer should say he no longer has confidence in her as deputy.

Lord Adonis suggested that the incendiary comments were intended to get the ball rolling on a leadership election campaign.

The Labour Partys leadership, at the moment, is very seriously divided and extremely weak, the peer told Times Radio.

The fact that the deputy leader can descend into a gutter of name-calling - and the only reason I can see that she did it was in order to get going a leadership election campaign against Keir Starmer - is Im afraid a pretty depressing commentary on where things are in what ought to be an alternative government.

The moment that Labour starts descending into the gutter like this, it will become unelectable. Its as simple as that.
Grant Shapps has sparked an angry row after claiming hauliers have created the fuel shortage crisis, despite the government admitting to a lack of lorry drivers.

The transport secretary was accused of a disgraceful attack and of shamefully passing the buck for the queues at filling station forecourts, as the worsening situation threatened to engulf the government.

Mr Shapps also appeared to blame the public for the problems by panic-buying petrol and diesel when they dont need it, insisting there are adequate stocks.

The controversy blew up afterThe Mail on Sunday newspaper quoted a government source arguing the Road Haulage Association (RHA) is entirely responsible for this panic and chaos.

The transport secretary backed the claim, saying: There was a meeting which took place about 10 days ago, a private meeting, in which one of the haulage associations decided to leak the details to media.

And that has created ... quite a large degree of concern as people naturally react to those things.

Calling the leak irresponsible, Mr Shapps told the BBCs Andrew Marr programme: The good news is there is plenty of fuel. The bad news is, if everyone carries on buying it when they dont need it, then we will continue to have queues.

But the RHA hit back quickly, pointing out its managing director Rod McKenzie had not even been at the meeting where a BP executive had discussed stock levels.

He was not, as the government source claimed, aware of the comments and certainly did not weaponise them in subsequent TV interviews, a statement said.

Indeed he repeatedly stressed the need not to panic buy and that there were adequate fuel stocks.

The RHA believes this disgraceful attack on a member of its staff is an attempt to divert attention away from their recent handling of the driver shortage crisis.

Sarah Olney, the Liberal Democrat business spokesperson, said: Grant Shapps is shamefully passing the buck for the governments own failures.

The Conservatives have repeatedly ignored calls from businesses to address the shortage of drivers. It is a bit rich for ministers to now blame the public and the road haulage industry for the mess we find ourselves in.

Jim McMahon, Labours shadow transport secretary, said: It beggars belief that the transport secretary is seeking to blame others for a crisis entirely of the governments own making. These problems have been growing for years and the Conservatives have done nothing to address them.

Mr Shapps comments came after the announcement of emergency visas for foreign lorry drivers to come to the UK to ease the crisis was dismissed as a damp squib.

As expected, the offer will be made to 5,000 HGV drivers  plus 5,500 poultry workers  but the visas will run out Christmas Eve, triggering criticism they are too little, too late.

Keir Starmer suggested 100,000 foreign drivers are needed  the RHA estimate of the shortfall  saying: We are going to have to do that. We have to issue enough visas to cover the number of drivers that we need.

The Labour leader said: Im astonished the government, knowing the situation, is not acting today. The prime minister needs to say today what he is going to do.
Keir Starmer has accused the government of a total lack of planning over worker shortages caused by Brexit, as a minister attempted to shift blame on to consumers and industry leaders for the panic-buying of fuel.

The Labour leader also criticised the governments annoucememnt last night to grant temporary visas to 5,000 HGV drivers to tackle the crisis as far, far too small amid shortages estimated to be around 100,000.

This is a complete lack of planning, Sir Keir told the BBCs Andrew Marr programme. When we exited the EU, one consequence was there was going to be a shortage of HGV drivers. That was predictable.

He added: We took the decision to leave the EU in 2016, so weve had five years for the government to work through the consequences.

And here we are on Sunday morning with petrol stations closed or massive queues, supermarkets with shelves that are empty  a total lack of planning and a prime minister cannot take any decision.

His remarks on the second day of Labours annual conference in Brighton came after industry experts criticised the emergency visas for foreign lorry drivers scheme, as it emerged they will be expire before Christmas.

As expected, 5,000 HGV drivers  together with 5,500 poultry workers  will be offered the right to work in the UK, but Sir Sir Keir insisted: We have to issue enough visas to cover the number of drivers that we need.

If there are 100,000 vacancies for drivers in this country and the government is saying were going to bring in 5,000 visas, theres an obvious problem. The government response is far, far too small, he said.

The Labour leaders comments followed an extraordinary intervention from the transport secretary, Grant Shapps, who claimed that queues and closures at fuel stations were a manufactured situation created by a road haulage company leaking comments from a meeting with BP bosses about supply concerns.

Speaking to Sky News, Mr Shapps said: We need to ensure that people are reassured now that this rather manufactured situation has been created, because theres enough petrol in the country.

Asked who manufactured the situation, he said: There was a meeting which took place about 10 days ago, a private meeting in which one of the haulage associations decided to leak the details to media, and that has created, as we have seen, quite a large degree of concern as people naturally react to those things.

He later told BBCs Andrew Marr programme that the briefings were irresponsible, as he urged the public to only fill up their cars when needed, insisting there was plenty of fuel available.

The good news is there is plenty of fuel, the bad news is if everyone carries on buying it when they dont need it then we will continue to have queues, he added.

Sooner or later everyones cars will be more or less filled up, there wont be anywhere else to put fuel. Its not like the toilet roll crisis at the beginning of the pandemic where people could stockpile it, therefore it will come to an end.

We just appeal to people to be sensible, fill up when you normally would. Weve got this big package in place today in order to help alleviate the pressure and we ask people to do their part.

Although Mr Shapps did not name the Road Haulage Association in his broadcast round on Sunday, the Mail on Sunday quoted a government source stating the RHA was entirely responsible for this panic and chaos.

However, Rod McKenzie, of the Road Haulage Association, categorically denied leaking details of a meeting between fuel industry executives and the Cabinet Office, describing the allegation as nonsense.

I was not in the meeting, he said. I was not briefed about the meeting afterwards. I certainly didnt brief any journalists about the meeting which I knew nothing. It is entirely without foundation.

Asked whether it was fair to scold motorists for panic buying, Mr Shapps again stressed there was plenty of fuel and no shortage within the country, as he urged people to carry on as they normally would.

Its not like we dont have fuel in the country, we do need to just ensure people are just ensure people are filling up when they need to fill up, rather than thinking I better go and fill up now just in case I need it next week.
Keir Starmer has said that Labour MP Rosie Duffield was wrong to say that only women have a cervix.

Ms Duffield has stayed away from Labours annual conference this week after receiving threats online from people who regard her comment as discriminatory.

Today Sir Keir called for the debate to be conducted in a respectful way, while deputy leader Angela Rayner said she was concerned about the level of abuse directed at female MPs.

But the party leader did not offer backing for Ms Duffields comments, which have angered trans rights campaigners who believe that people should be able to self-identify their gender.

Asked whether it was transphobic to say that only women had a cervix, Sir Keir told BBC1s Andrew Marr Show: It is something that shouldnt be said. Its not right.

He was blasted by health secretary Sajid Javid, who described his comment as a total denial of scientific fact, adding: And he wants to run the NHS.

Sir Keir said: I spoke to Rosie earlier this week and told her conference is a safe place for her to come.

We do everybody a disservice when we reduce what is a really important issue to these exchanges on particular things that are said.

The trans community are the most marginalised and abused of many, many communities and we need to make progress on the Gender Recognition Act.

Im very concerned that this debate must be conducted in a proper way where proper views are expressed in a way that is respectful.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 3 October 2021 Margaret Thatcher-themed mugs for sale at the annual Conservative Party conference in Manchester EPA UK news in pictures 2 October 2021 A couple make their way through a flooded underpass in Bristol as a yellow weather warning for rain and wind is issued for parts of the UK Tom Wren/SWNS UK news in pictures 1 October 2021 A driver talks to members of the media after passing his HGV (Heavy Goods Vehicle) driving test at National Driving Centre in Croydon, south London AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 30 September 2021 The centrepiece One Thousand Springs by Japanese artist Chiharu Shiota is seen ahead of the beginning of the Japan Festival, a celebration of the countrys plants, art and culture running from 2-31 October, at Kew Gardens in London PA UK news in pictures 29 September 2021 The family of Betty Campbell unveil the bronze sculpture of her during the unveiling of the statue in Central Square, Cardiff, of Betty Campbell, Wales' first black headteacher PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2021 A sign referring to the lack of fuel is placed at the entrance to a petrol station in London AP UK news in pictures 27 September 2021 Police officers detain a protester from Insulate Britain occupying a roundabout leading from the M25 motorway to Heathrow Airport in London PA UK news in pictures 26 September 2021 Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer watches the Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur match at The Font pub in Brighton PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2021 Scottish pro-independence supporters hold a march and rally outside the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh, Scotland Getty Images UK news in pictures 24 September 2021 Police officers remove two protesters from the top of a tanker, as Insulate Britain block the A20 in Kent, which provides access to the Port of Dover in Kent. 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Ms Rayner said she was shocked by the level of abuse aimed at female politicians and it was a concern that the Canterbury MP felt unable to attend conference.

That is a concern of mine, that Rosie didnt feel safe to attend conference, Ms Rayner told Sky News.

The deputy leader said she had personally received many death threats, adding: What I have been shocked by, especially my female colleagues  and thats Conservative female MPs as well  is the level of misogynist abuse they get.

She promised robust action against any Labour member who targets Ms Duffield.

Rosie deserves our full support and protection against that and she would get that. If she had come to conference we would have risk-assessed and made sure that she had every bit of support that she needed to be here.

Anybody who abuses Rosie Duffield who is a member of the Labour Party would go through our formal complaints procedure and I would expect a robust response on it.
Andy Burnham has taken a swipe at Keir Starmer for focusing on internal battles over Labours party rulebook rather than taking the fight to the Conservatives at this weeks annual conference in Brighton.

The Greater Manchester mayor said he was impatient to hear a convincing vision from Labour about how it would improve the lives of people in the north, warning that voters will stop listening if the party fails to put forward clear plans soon.

Sir Keir avoided defeat in a series of votes at the Brighton gathering, where a substantial majority of delegates backed plans to make it harder for fringe candidates to get onto the ballot paper in a leadership election and to implement in full the recommendations of a report into the handling of antisemitism under his predecessor Jeremy Corbyn.

But broader proposals to end one member, one vote selection of the Labour leader, in favour of a return to an old-style electoral college giving more weight to MPs, were never put to conference after failing to win support at the partys ruling National Executive Committee.

Mr Burnhams comments come after Labour voters named him over Mr Starmer as their preferred choice for party leader, in a poll for The Independent.

Speaking to the BBC, he insisted that he supports Sir Keir and is not in the fray for leadership speculation because he is not currently an MP.

But he warned that the party leader risked missing a very big opportunity to capture voters attention if he fails to set out a clear set of policies this week.

Mr Burnham said that now was not the right time for Labour to be focusing on changes to the way its own internal procedures work.

I think out of a pandemic, people are not interested in the minutiae of rule changes within political parties, said Burnham, whose former seat of Leigh in Greater Manchester was one of the red wall constituencies to fall to Tories in the 2019 election.

I dont think they ever have been, but theyre particularly not interested in that now. This conference should be all about turning outwards and putting on the table a big alternative.

He added: It would be a mistake to leave this week still fighting the internal battles, with all of the focus there, and not setting something out that can lift people.

Mr Burnham said that voters, particularly in the north, were becoming less and less convinced by the government and by Boris Johnsons promises to level up disadvantaged areas.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 4 October 2021 A delegate passes a street cleaner on the second day of the annual Conservative Party Conference being held at the Manchester Central convention centre AFP via Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2021 Margaret Thatcher-themed mugs for sale at the annual Conservative Party conference in Manchester EPA UK news in pictures 2 October 2021 A couple make their way through a flooded underpass in Bristol as a yellow weather warning for rain and wind is issued for parts of the UK Tom Wren/SWNS UK news in pictures 1 October 2021 A driver talks to members of the media after passing his HGV (Heavy Goods Vehicle) driving test at National Driving Centre in Croydon, south London AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 30 September 2021 The centrepiece One Thousand Springs by Japanese artist Chiharu Shiota is seen ahead of the beginning of the Japan Festival, a celebration of the countrys plants, art and culture running from 2-31 October, at Kew Gardens in London PA UK news in pictures 29 September 2021 The family of Betty Campbell unveil the bronze sculpture of her during the unveiling of the statue in Central Square, Cardiff, of Betty Campbell, Wales' first black headteacher PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2021 A sign referring to the lack of fuel is placed at the entrance to a petrol station in London AP UK news in pictures 27 September 2021 Police officers detain a protester from Insulate Britain occupying a roundabout leading from the M25 motorway to Heathrow Airport in London PA UK news in pictures 26 September 2021 Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer watches the Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur match at The Font pub in Brighton PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2021 Scottish pro-independence supporters hold a march and rally outside the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh, Scotland Getty Images UK news in pictures 24 September 2021 Police officers remove two protesters from the top of a tanker, as Insulate Britain block the A20 in Kent, which provides access to the Port of Dover in Kent. The environmental activists have moved location after been banned from campaigning on the M25 motorway in London PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2021 Gabriella, the seven year old daughter of imprisoned British-Iranian Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, joins in a game on a giant snakes and ladders board in Parliament Square, to show the ups and downs of her mothers case to mark the 2,000 days she has been detained in Iran AP UK news in pictures 22 September 2021 A new sign hangs on the Millicent Fawcett statue after it was altered by CrackTheCrises coalition activists to highlight the climate crisis as a feminist struggle in Parliament Square in London EPA UK news in pictures 21 September 2021 Gabriella Diment prepares a monumental bronze patinated fibreglass wall sculpture depicting household cavalry soldiers on horseback which is expected to be sold for 12,000-18,000 when it goes up for auction at Summers Place Auctions in Billinghurst, Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2021 Florist Judith Blacklock puts the finishing touches to a floral carousel installation in Halkin Arcade, which she has designed with Neill Strain for the Belgravia in Bloom festival, running from September 20-26, in London PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2021 Bubbles surround Manchester Uniteds Cristiano Ronaldo before the match against West Ham at London Stadium Action Images/Reuters UK news in pictures 18 September 2021 Children take part in the Settrington Cup Pedal Car Race as motoring enthusiasts attend the Goodwood Revival, a three-day historic car racing festival in Goodwood, Chichester, Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2021 Hugo, 7, from London rides past a 4x7 metre rainbow arch, made entirely of recycled aluminium cans, which has been installed by recycling initiative 'Every Can Counts', in partnership with The City of London Corporation in front of St Paul's Cathedral in London, to encourage members of the public to recycle their drinks cans ahead of recycling week, which starts on 20 September PA UK news in pictures 16 September 2021 Sheikeh MOhammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, leader of Abu Dhabi, leaves Downing Street after meeting with Boris Johnson PA UK news in pictures 15 September 2021 Children pose by ice sculptures depicting people collecting water by charity Water Aid to show the fragility of water and the threat posed by climate change in London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 14 September 2021 Heavy rain covers the A149 near Kings Lynn in Norfolk PA UK news in pictures 13 September 2021 Luke Jerram's 'Museum of the Moon' at Durham Cathedral PA UK news in pictures 12 September 2021 Inspirational young fundraiser Tobias Weller crosses the finish line, near his home in Sheffield, as he completes his latest epic feat where he swam and triked his way to the end of his awesome year-long Ironman Challenge. This is the third challenge Tobias, who has cerebral palsy and autism, has completed, raising more than 150,000 for his school and Sheffield Children Hospitals charity PA UK news in pictures 11 September 2021 British player Emma Raducanu, holds up the US Open championship trophy winning the women's singles final of the US Open in New York AP UK news in pictures 10 September 2021 People paddle board during a misty morning in Ullswater, the second largest lake in the Lake District, Cumbria PA UK news in pictures 9 September 2021 Troops from Wiltshire based 4 Armoured Close Support Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers during final inspection at Wellington Barracks in London, ahead of providing troops for the Queens Guard PA UK news in pictures 8 September 2021 Workers cross London Bridge during the morning rush hour in London Reuters UK news in pictures Mixing it up: Painting it up press view in London A gallery employee poses for photographers next to a painting entitled Prairie by British artist, Louise Giovanelli during the exhibition 'Mixing it up: Painting it up' at the Hayward Gallery in London EPA UK news in pictures 6 September 2021 Traders in the Ring at the London Metal Exchange, in the City of London, after open-outcry trading returned for the first time since March 2020, when the Ring was temporarily closed due to the pandemic PA UK news in pictures 5 September 2021 People enjoy the warm weather on Sandbanks beach, Poole PA UK news in pictures 4 September 2021 Demonstrators from Animal Rebellion and Nature Rebellion protest in Trafalgar Square in London. PA UK news in pictures 3 September 2021 South Africa's Ntando Mahlangu (centre) wins the Men's 200 metres T61 Final ahead of second placed Great Britain's Richard Whitehead at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games PA UK news in pictures 2 September 2021 A young common seal on the beach at Horsey Gap in Norfolk, as hundreds of pregnant grey seals come ashore ready for the start of the pupping season. PA UK news in pictures 1 September 2021 Goldfinches fighting over food in a garden in Strensham, Worcestershire PA UK news in pictures 31 August 2021 Gold Medallist Sarah Storey of Britain celebrates on the podium Reuters UK news in pictures 30 August 2021 Extinction Rebellion protesters hold a a tea party on Tower Bridge in London EPA UK news in pictures 29 August 2021 A police office tussles with a demonstrator on Cromwell Road outside the Natural History Museum during a protest by members of Extinction Rebellion in London PA UK news in pictures 28 August 2021 Members of the British armed forces 16 Air Assault Brigade walk to the air terminal after disembarking a Royal Airforce Voyager aircraft at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire POOL/AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 27 August 2021 Fabio Quartararo crashes during a MotoGP practice session at the British Grand Prix, Silverstone Circuit Action Images via Reuters UK news in pictures 26 August 2021 An Extinction Rebellion activist holds a placard in a fountain surrounded by police officers, during a protest next to Buckingham Palace in London Reuters UK news in pictures 25 August 2021 Gold Medallist Great Britains cyclist, Sarah Storey, celebrates after winning the Womens C5 3000m Individual Pursuit Final at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. It was her 15th Paralympic gold Reuters UK news in pictures 24 August 2021 A demonstrator dressed as bee during a protest by members of Extinction Rebellion on Whitehall, in central London PA UK news in pictures 23 August 2021 Former interpreters for the British forces in Afghanistan demonstrate outside the Home Office in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 22 August 2021 Police officers form a line in front of the entrance to the Guildhall, London, where protesters have climbed onto a ledge above the entrance during an Extinction Rebellion stage a protest PA UK news in pictures 21 August 2021 People take part in a demonstration in solidarity with people of Afghanistan, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 20 August 2021 People zip wire across the sea from Bournemouth pier towards the beach. PA UK news in pictures 19 August 2021 Supporters of Geronimo the alpaca gather outside Shepherds Close Farm in Wooton Under Edge, Gloucestershire PA UK news in pictures 18 August 2021 Former Afghan interpreters and veterans hold a demonstration outside Downing Street, calling for support and protection for Afghan interpreters and their families PA UK news in pictures 17 August 2021 Military personnel board the RAF Airbus A400M at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, where evacuation flights from Afghanistan have been landing Reuters UK news in pictures 16 August 2021 Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer takes part in a minute's silence at Wolverhampton police station for the victims of the Plymouth mass shooting last week PA

But he warned: Theres an opportunity there in front of Labour, but it really, really needs to take it. It needs to set out on in specific terms on important issues, what it would do. Obviously, the leader and the shadow cabinet need to connect with the public in this through their speeches. And we cant afford to leave Brighton not having done that.

All eyes are on Labour this week. And its not a week to say Well set our plans at the election, it is a week to say Heres what were going to do to give you a better alternative to this Conservative government.

If Mr Starmer fails to do this, he warned, I dont think the voters give you repeated chances to capture their attention  If we dont get into that space this week, we will have lost a very big opportunity.

Sir Keir welcomed Sunday nights votes in Brighton, which will increase the nomination threshold for future candidates for the leadership from 10 to 20 per cent of MPs, making it far more difficult for a left-winger like Mr Corbyn to get onto the ballot paper.

The threshold for triggering a reselection battle for Labour MPs will also be raised to 50 per cent of local membership, making it harder for them to be removed by activists as election candidates.

The moves were backed by a margin of 54-46 per cent of delegates, while the implementation of the Equality and Human Rights Commission recommendations was backed by 74-26 per cent.

Starmer said: Im delighted that these vital reforms have passed. They represent a major step forward in our efforts to face the public and win the next general election.

This is a decisive and important day in the history of the Labour Party. I promised to tackle antisemitism in our party. Weve now closed the door on a shameful chapter in our history. I want to acknowledge the courage of all the people who spoke up against it.

As I promised when elected as leader, the Labour Party is now relentlessly focused on the concerns of the British people and offering them a credible, ambitious alternative to this government.

This is a crucial step forward for party I lead and am determined to see in government. And in the coming days youll hear us set out ideas on how we win the next election.
Former shadow chancellor John McDonnell has accused Keir Starmer of behaving like Stalin, after a number of delegates arriving at the Labour conference in Brighton were turned away at the door and told they had been expelled.

Mr McDonnell, a close ally of former leader Jeremy Corbyn, was scathing about the vision for Labour set out by Starmer in a pamphlet this week, describing it as banality after banality.

And he said the impact of major pre-conference announcements on workers rights and housing had been undermined by Sir Keirs botched attempt to rewrite the party rulebook to make it more difficult for left-wingers to win the leadership in future.

Speaking to a meeting on the fringe of the Brighton conference, Mr McDonnell hit out at the suspension of delegates over disciplinary issues.

What I cant stand is delegates turning up to represent their constituencies and being told that they cant be allowed in because they hadnt got the email saying they have been suspended, he said.

This is insane. Joe Stalin would be over the moon about the way we are behaving at the moment.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 4 October 2021 A delegate passes a street cleaner on the second day of the annual Conservative Party Conference being held at the Manchester Central convention centre AFP via Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2021 Margaret Thatcher-themed mugs for sale at the annual Conservative Party conference in Manchester EPA UK news in pictures 2 October 2021 A couple make their way through a flooded underpass in Bristol as a yellow weather warning for rain and wind is issued for parts of the UK Tom Wren/SWNS UK news in pictures 1 October 2021 A driver talks to members of the media after passing his HGV (Heavy Goods Vehicle) driving test at National Driving Centre in Croydon, south London AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 30 September 2021 The centrepiece One Thousand Springs by Japanese artist Chiharu Shiota is seen ahead of the beginning of the Japan Festival, a celebration of the countrys plants, art and culture running from 2-31 October, at Kew Gardens in London PA UK news in pictures 29 September 2021 The family of Betty Campbell unveil the bronze sculpture of her during the unveiling of the statue in Central Square, Cardiff, of Betty Campbell, Wales' first black headteacher PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2021 A sign referring to the lack of fuel is placed at the entrance to a petrol station in London AP UK news in pictures 27 September 2021 Police officers detain a protester from Insulate Britain occupying a roundabout leading from the M25 motorway to Heathrow Airport in London PA UK news in pictures 26 September 2021 Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer watches the Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur match at The Font pub in Brighton PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2021 Scottish pro-independence supporters hold a march and rally outside the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh, Scotland Getty Images UK news in pictures 24 September 2021 Police officers remove two protesters from the top of a tanker, as Insulate Britain block the A20 in Kent, which provides access to the Port of Dover in Kent. The environmental activists have moved location after been banned from campaigning on the M25 motorway in London PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2021 Gabriella, the seven year old daughter of imprisoned British-Iranian Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, joins in a game on a giant snakes and ladders board in Parliament Square, to show the ups and downs of her mothers case to mark the 2,000 days she has been detained in Iran AP UK news in pictures 22 September 2021 A new sign hangs on the Millicent Fawcett statue after it was altered by CrackTheCrises coalition activists to highlight the climate crisis as a feminist struggle in Parliament Square in London EPA UK news in pictures 21 September 2021 Gabriella Diment prepares a monumental bronze patinated fibreglass wall sculpture depicting household cavalry soldiers on horseback which is expected to be sold for 12,000-18,000 when it goes up for auction at Summers Place Auctions in Billinghurst, Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2021 Florist Judith Blacklock puts the finishing touches to a floral carousel installation in Halkin Arcade, which she has designed with Neill Strain for the Belgravia in Bloom festival, running from September 20-26, in London PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2021 Bubbles surround Manchester Uniteds Cristiano Ronaldo before the match against West Ham at London Stadium Action Images/Reuters UK news in pictures 18 September 2021 Children take part in the Settrington Cup Pedal Car Race as motoring enthusiasts attend the Goodwood Revival, a three-day historic car racing festival in Goodwood, Chichester, Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2021 Hugo, 7, from London rides past a 4x7 metre rainbow arch, made entirely of recycled aluminium cans, which has been installed by recycling initiative 'Every Can Counts', in partnership with The City of London Corporation in front of St Paul's Cathedral in London, to encourage members of the public to recycle their drinks cans ahead of recycling week, which starts on 20 September PA UK news in pictures 16 September 2021 Sheikeh MOhammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, leader of Abu Dhabi, leaves Downing Street after meeting with Boris Johnson PA UK news in pictures 15 September 2021 Children pose by ice sculptures depicting people collecting water by charity Water Aid to show the fragility of water and the threat posed by climate change in London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 14 September 2021 Heavy rain covers the A149 near Kings Lynn in Norfolk PA UK news in pictures 13 September 2021 Luke Jerram's 'Museum of the Moon' at Durham Cathedral PA UK news in pictures 12 September 2021 Inspirational young fundraiser Tobias Weller crosses the finish line, near his home in Sheffield, as he completes his latest epic feat where he swam and triked his way to the end of his awesome year-long Ironman Challenge. This is the third challenge Tobias, who has cerebral palsy and autism, has completed, raising more than 150,000 for his school and Sheffield Children Hospitals charity PA UK news in pictures 11 September 2021 British player Emma Raducanu, holds up the US Open championship trophy winning the women's singles final of the US Open in New York AP UK news in pictures 10 September 2021 People paddle board during a misty morning in Ullswater, the second largest lake in the Lake District, Cumbria PA UK news in pictures 9 September 2021 Troops from Wiltshire based 4 Armoured Close Support Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers during final inspection at Wellington Barracks in London, ahead of providing troops for the Queens Guard PA UK news in pictures 8 September 2021 Workers cross London Bridge during the morning rush hour in London Reuters UK news in pictures Mixing it up: Painting it up press view in London A gallery employee poses for photographers next to a painting entitled Prairie by British artist, Louise Giovanelli during the exhibition 'Mixing it up: Painting it up' at the Hayward Gallery in London EPA UK news in pictures 6 September 2021 Traders in the Ring at the London Metal Exchange, in the City of London, after open-outcry trading returned for the first time since March 2020, when the Ring was temporarily closed due to the pandemic PA UK news in pictures 5 September 2021 People enjoy the warm weather on Sandbanks beach, Poole PA UK news in pictures 4 September 2021 Demonstrators from Animal Rebellion and Nature Rebellion protest in Trafalgar Square in London. PA UK news in pictures 3 September 2021 South Africa's Ntando Mahlangu (centre) wins the Men's 200 metres T61 Final ahead of second placed Great Britain's Richard Whitehead at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games PA UK news in pictures 2 September 2021 A young common seal on the beach at Horsey Gap in Norfolk, as hundreds of pregnant grey seals come ashore ready for the start of the pupping season. PA UK news in pictures 1 September 2021 Goldfinches fighting over food in a garden in Strensham, Worcestershire PA UK news in pictures 31 August 2021 Gold Medallist Sarah Storey of Britain celebrates on the podium Reuters UK news in pictures 30 August 2021 Extinction Rebellion protesters hold a a tea party on Tower Bridge in London EPA UK news in pictures 29 August 2021 A police office tussles with a demonstrator on Cromwell Road outside the Natural History Museum during a protest by members of Extinction Rebellion in London PA UK news in pictures 28 August 2021 Members of the British armed forces 16 Air Assault Brigade walk to the air terminal after disembarking a Royal Airforce Voyager aircraft at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire POOL/AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 27 August 2021 Fabio Quartararo crashes during a MotoGP practice session at the British Grand Prix, Silverstone Circuit Action Images via Reuters UK news in pictures 26 August 2021 An Extinction Rebellion activist holds a placard in a fountain surrounded by police officers, during a protest next to Buckingham Palace in London Reuters UK news in pictures 25 August 2021 Gold Medallist Great Britains cyclist, Sarah Storey, celebrates after winning the Womens C5 3000m Individual Pursuit Final at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. It was her 15th Paralympic gold Reuters UK news in pictures 24 August 2021 A demonstrator dressed as bee during a protest by members of Extinction Rebellion on Whitehall, in central London PA UK news in pictures 23 August 2021 Former interpreters for the British forces in Afghanistan demonstrate outside the Home Office in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 22 August 2021 Police officers form a line in front of the entrance to the Guildhall, London, where protesters have climbed onto a ledge above the entrance during an Extinction Rebellion stage a protest PA UK news in pictures 21 August 2021 People take part in a demonstration in solidarity with people of Afghanistan, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 20 August 2021 People zip wire across the sea from Bournemouth pier towards the beach. PA UK news in pictures 19 August 2021 Supporters of Geronimo the alpaca gather outside Shepherds Close Farm in Wooton Under Edge, Gloucestershire PA UK news in pictures 18 August 2021 Former Afghan interpreters and veterans hold a demonstration outside Downing Street, calling for support and protection for Afghan interpreters and their families PA UK news in pictures 17 August 2021 Military personnel board the RAF Airbus A400M at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, where evacuation flights from Afghanistan have been landing Reuters UK news in pictures 16 August 2021 Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer takes part in a minute's silence at Wolverhampton police station for the victims of the Plymouth mass shooting last week PA

He welcomed the package of reforms set out in Labours Green Paper on Employment Rights on the eve of conference, including fair pay agreements for different sectors of the economy and rights to sick pay, holiday pay, parental leave and protection against unfair dismissal from day one on the job.

But he said: Im absolutely brassed off that we have spent the last five days talking about the constitution of the Labour Party. We have lost 150,000 members and we are doing this in a way which will lose us more.

(Deputy leader) Angela Rayner went out to present this yesterday and to go big on the employment rights issue, which will transform peoples lives, and the first 10 minutes of every interview was talking about constitutional reform of the Labour Party. It is almost impossible to cut through and it undermines the whole process.

McDonnell called for the urgent delivery of a radical agenda including guarantees of high-quality jobs with union rights, rent controls, the abolition of university tuition fees, bringing private schools into the public sector and a welcome for asylum seekers.

And he won loud applause at the meeting hosted by the Unite union and LabourList website as he poured scorn on Starmers The Road Ahead pamphlet for the Fabian Society, setting out the principles behind his vision for Labour and the country.

Ive read the 11,500 words, said McDonnell. We were told there would be 14,000 words. Theres two and a half thousand missing - that must be where the politics was.

The rest of it is banality after banality, it really is.

Labour declined to comment on the suspension of a number of conference delegates on the grounds that disciplinary processes are confidential.
Labour will not nationalise the big six energy companies, leader Sir Keir Starmer has said.

And Starmer said that he would not rule out increases to income tax under a Labour government, saying only that he would aim to ensure those with the broadest shoulders bear the greatest burden.

Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves today said she does not have any plans to increase the rates of income tax, indicating that she would instead target earnings from stocks and shares and buy-to-let properties to boost government finances.

But Sir Keir told BBC1s Andrew Marr Show that, while Labour is not currently considering increasing income tax, nothing is off the table.

The Labour leaders rejection of the nationalisation of energy sparked fury on the left at the partys annual conference in Brighton, after he pledged during last years leadership campaign to support common ownership of rail, mail, energy and water.

Asked directly by Marr whether he would nationalise the big energy companies if Labour wins the next election, Starmer replied: No.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 3 October 2021 Margaret Thatcher-themed mugs for sale at the annual Conservative Party conference in Manchester EPA UK news in pictures 2 October 2021 A couple make their way through a flooded underpass in Bristol as a yellow weather warning for rain and wind is issued for parts of the UK Tom Wren/SWNS UK news in pictures 1 October 2021 A driver talks to members of the media after passing his HGV (Heavy Goods Vehicle) driving test at National Driving Centre in Croydon, south London AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 30 September 2021 The centrepiece One Thousand Springs by Japanese artist Chiharu Shiota is seen ahead of the beginning of the Japan Festival, a celebration of the countrys plants, art and culture running from 2-31 October, at Kew Gardens in London PA UK news in pictures 29 September 2021 The family of Betty Campbell unveil the bronze sculpture of her during the unveiling of the statue in Central Square, Cardiff, of Betty Campbell, Wales' first black headteacher PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2021 A sign referring to the lack of fuel is placed at the entrance to a petrol station in London AP UK news in pictures 27 September 2021 Police officers detain a protester from Insulate Britain occupying a roundabout leading from the M25 motorway to Heathrow Airport in London PA UK news in pictures 26 September 2021 Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer watches the Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur match at The Font pub in Brighton PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2021 Scottish pro-independence supporters hold a march and rally outside the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh, Scotland Getty Images UK news in pictures 24 September 2021 Police officers remove two protesters from the top of a tanker, as Insulate Britain block the A20 in Kent, which provides access to the Port of Dover in Kent. The environmental activists have moved location after been banned from campaigning on the M25 motorway in London PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2021 Gabriella, the seven year old daughter of imprisoned British-Iranian Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, joins in a game on a giant snakes and ladders board in Parliament Square, to show the ups and downs of her mothers case to mark the 2,000 days she has been detained in Iran AP UK news in pictures 22 September 2021 A new sign hangs on the Millicent Fawcett statue after it was altered by CrackTheCrises coalition activists to highlight the climate crisis as a feminist struggle in Parliament Square in London EPA UK news in pictures 21 September 2021 Gabriella Diment prepares a monumental bronze patinated fibreglass wall sculpture depicting household cavalry soldiers on horseback which is expected to be sold for 12,000-18,000 when it goes up for auction at Summers Place Auctions in Billinghurst, Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2021 Florist Judith Blacklock puts the finishing touches to a floral carousel installation in Halkin Arcade, which she has designed with Neill Strain for the Belgravia in Bloom festival, running from September 20-26, in London PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2021 Bubbles surround Manchester Uniteds Cristiano Ronaldo before the match against West Ham at London Stadium Action Images/Reuters UK news in pictures 18 September 2021 Children take part in the Settrington Cup Pedal Car Race as motoring enthusiasts attend the Goodwood Revival, a three-day historic car racing festival in Goodwood, Chichester, Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2021 Hugo, 7, from London rides past a 4x7 metre rainbow arch, made entirely of recycled aluminium cans, which has been installed by recycling initiative 'Every Can Counts', in partnership with The City of London Corporation in front of St Paul's Cathedral in London, to encourage members of the public to recycle their drinks cans ahead of recycling week, which starts on 20 September PA UK news in pictures 16 September 2021 Sheikeh MOhammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, leader of Abu Dhabi, leaves Downing Street after meeting with Boris Johnson PA UK news in pictures 15 September 2021 Children pose by ice sculptures depicting people collecting water by charity Water Aid to show the fragility of water and the threat posed by climate change in London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 14 September 2021 Heavy rain covers the A149 near Kings Lynn in Norfolk PA UK news in pictures 13 September 2021 Luke Jerram's 'Museum of the Moon' at Durham Cathedral PA UK news in pictures 12 September 2021 Inspirational young fundraiser Tobias Weller crosses the finish line, near his home in Sheffield, as he completes his latest epic feat where he swam and triked his way to the end of his awesome year-long Ironman Challenge. This is the third challenge Tobias, who has cerebral palsy and autism, has completed, raising more than 150,000 for his school and Sheffield Children Hospitals charity PA UK news in pictures 11 September 2021 British player Emma Raducanu, holds up the US Open championship trophy winning the women's singles final of the US Open in New York AP UK news in pictures 10 September 2021 People paddle board during a misty morning in Ullswater, the second largest lake in the Lake District, Cumbria PA UK news in pictures 9 September 2021 Troops from Wiltshire based 4 Armoured Close Support Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers during final inspection at Wellington Barracks in London, ahead of providing troops for the Queens Guard PA UK news in pictures 8 September 2021 Workers cross London Bridge during the morning rush hour in London Reuters UK news in pictures Mixing it up: Painting it up press view in London A gallery employee poses for photographers next to a painting entitled Prairie by British artist, Louise Giovanelli during the exhibition 'Mixing it up: Painting it up' at the Hayward Gallery in London EPA UK news in pictures 6 September 2021 Traders in the Ring at the London Metal Exchange, in the City of London, after open-outcry trading returned for the first time since March 2020, when the Ring was temporarily closed due to the pandemic PA UK news in pictures 5 September 2021 People enjoy the warm weather on Sandbanks beach, Poole PA UK news in pictures 4 September 2021 Demonstrators from Animal Rebellion and Nature Rebellion protest in Trafalgar Square in London. PA UK news in pictures 3 September 2021 South Africa's Ntando Mahlangu (centre) wins the Men's 200 metres T61 Final ahead of second placed Great Britain's Richard Whitehead at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games PA UK news in pictures 2 September 2021 A young common seal on the beach at Horsey Gap in Norfolk, as hundreds of pregnant grey seals come ashore ready for the start of the pupping season. PA UK news in pictures 1 September 2021 Goldfinches fighting over food in a garden in Strensham, Worcestershire PA UK news in pictures 31 August 2021 Gold Medallist Sarah Storey of Britain celebrates on the podium Reuters UK news in pictures 30 August 2021 Extinction Rebellion protesters hold a a tea party on Tower Bridge in London EPA UK news in pictures 29 August 2021 A police office tussles with a demonstrator on Cromwell Road outside the Natural History Museum during a protest by members of Extinction Rebellion in London PA UK news in pictures 28 August 2021 Members of the British armed forces 16 Air Assault Brigade walk to the air terminal after disembarking a Royal Airforce Voyager aircraft at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire POOL/AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 27 August 2021 Fabio Quartararo crashes during a MotoGP practice session at the British Grand Prix, Silverstone Circuit Action Images via Reuters UK news in pictures 26 August 2021 An Extinction Rebellion activist holds a placard in a fountain surrounded by police officers, during a protest next to Buckingham Palace in London Reuters UK news in pictures 25 August 2021 Gold Medallist Great Britains cyclist, Sarah Storey, celebrates after winning the Womens C5 3000m Individual Pursuit Final at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. It was her 15th Paralympic gold Reuters UK news in pictures 24 August 2021 A demonstrator dressed as bee during a protest by members of Extinction Rebellion on Whitehall, in central London PA UK news in pictures 23 August 2021 Former interpreters for the British forces in Afghanistan demonstrate outside the Home Office in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 22 August 2021 Police officers form a line in front of the entrance to the Guildhall, London, where protesters have climbed onto a ledge above the entrance during an Extinction Rebellion stage a protest PA UK news in pictures 21 August 2021 People take part in a demonstration in solidarity with people of Afghanistan, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 20 August 2021 People zip wire across the sea from Bournemouth pier towards the beach. PA UK news in pictures 19 August 2021 Supporters of Geronimo the alpaca gather outside Shepherds Close Farm in Wooton Under Edge, Gloucestershire PA UK news in pictures 18 August 2021 Former Afghan interpreters and veterans hold a demonstration outside Downing Street, calling for support and protection for Afghan interpreters and their families PA UK news in pictures 17 August 2021 Military personnel board the RAF Airbus A400M at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, where evacuation flights from Afghanistan have been landing Reuters UK news in pictures 16 August 2021 Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer takes part in a minute's silence at Wolverhampton police station for the victims of the Plymouth mass shooting last week PA UK news in pictures 15 August 2021 2Storm, a ten-metre tall puppet of a mythical goddess of the sea created by Edinburgh-based visual theatre company Vision Mechanics, makes its way alongside the seafront at North Berwick, East Lothian, during a performance at the Fringe By The Sea festival PA

Confronted with his 18 month-old promise, Starmer said that it did not include the word nationalisation.

When it comes to common ownership, Im pragmatic about this, he said. I do not agree with the argument that says we must be ideological.

Where common ownership is value for money for the taxpayer and delivers better services, then there should be common ownership.

He pointed to the 37bn NHS Track and Trace system as an example of the kind of service Labour would keep in public hands, rather than leaving it to the private sector as the government did.

Diane Abbott, the shadow home secretary under Jeremy Corbyn, accused Starmer of abandoning previous pledges by ruling out nationalisation. Campaigning for the leadership, Keir Starmer said he was in favour of common ownership. It was one of his ten pledges.

Labour delegates voted in favour of a socialist green new deal motion on the conference floor on Sunday which explicitly backed public ownership of energy companies.

Gaya Sriskanthan, co-chair of the Momentum, welcomed the result: This is a turning point. The grassroots have had enough of timid centrism and have overwhelmingly endorsed transformative socialist policy that meets the crises of the 21st century head on.

Ed Miliband, shadow energy secretary, said in his conference speech on Sunday that Labour wanted to see a green Britain where public and alternative models of ownership play their proper role in the energy sector.

On Saturday, Mr Miliband had been more explicit, telling The Independent: We do believe there is an important role for public ownership.

Ms Reeves will set out plans for a fair tax system in her speech to conference on Monday.

Speaking to the Sunday Times, she indicated that this would see increased levies on the wealth of the richest rather than hikes to income tax paid by most workers.

I dont have any plans to increase the rates of income tax, said Ms Reeves.

I do think that people who get their income through wealth should have to pay more.

She identified people who get their incomes through stocks and shares and buy-to-let properties as targets for tax rises.

But Starmer insisted that his shadow chancellor was not making a commitment to no income tax rises under a Labour government.

He told Marr: One of our tax principles is that we will not, when we tax, unfairly burden working people.

But he added: We are looking at tax. Nothing is off the table. But we dont know what the state of the national finances will be when we go into the next election.

What Rachel Reeves has said is that she is not currently considering income tax. That is fine.

What I am saying is that as we go into the election we will apply the principles that we have set out to the situation as it arises.

Starmer refused to say whether Labour would reverse Rishi Sunaks 1.25 per cent percentage point increase in National Insurance to pay for the NHS and social care, despite opposing it in parliament.
 Close Boris Johnson jokes about number of children Jacob Rees-Mogg has during Tory conference

Public opinion of Boris Johnsons governments handling of taxes, inflation and the UK economy has nosedived, according to YouGov polling.

As think-tanks and trade organisations condemned the prime ministers Tory conference speech touting a high wage economic revival as vacuous and economically illiterate, the pollsters found his party were now neck-and-neck with Labour on the issue of taxation.

In his Manchester address, amid a severe supply chain crisis widely blamed on Brexit and staff shortages, Mr Johnson had rebuked businesses for reaching for the same old lever of uncontrolled immigration and suggested British workers should be prioritised instead.

With somewhat vague talk of levelling up dominating the conference, one cabinet minister told The Independent that the programme will take 10 years and there will be some pain along the way, particularly in the early part.

Meanwhile, the EU is preparing to table far-reaching new proposals on the Northern Ireland Protocol by the middle of next week, in a move welcomed by the DUP, which had threatened to collapse power-sharing at Stormont over the contentious part of the Brexit deal affecting trade in Northern Ireland.

Announcing the new proposals, the European Commissions vice-president Maros Sefcovic urged the UK to dial down the political rhetoric, after Brexit minister Lord Frost threatened this week that unilaterally suspending parts of the Brexit deal by triggering Article 16 may end up as the only way forward.
Sir Keir Starmer has faced a furious backlash from the Labour left after he ruled out nationalising Britains biggest energy companies, a major departure from the partys position under Jeremy Corbyn.

Defying Starmers leadership, Labour delegates voted in favour of energy firms being taken into public ownership at the party conference in Brighton on Sunday.

It marks a second conference defeat for the Labour leader, who was forced to water down his planned shake-up of leadership election rules.

Labour activists and left-wing MPs accused Starmer of breaking his own promises after he pledged during last years leadership campaign to support common ownership of rail, mail, energy and water.

Diane Abbott, shadow home secretary under Corbyn, said: Campaigning for the leadership, Keir Starmer said he was in favour of common ownership. It was one of his ten pledges.

Owen Jones accused Starmer of saying things to get elected he doesnt really mean, adding: Hes violated the explicit promises he made to get elected leader. This is dishonesty  and it destroys faith in democracy.

Asked on BBCs Andrew Marr Show whether he would nationalise the big six energy companies if Labour wins power, Starmer replied: No.

Claiming he had not given up on his previous commitment to common ownership of energy, the Labour leader said: When it comes to common ownership, Im pragmatic about this. I do not agree with the argument that says we must be ideological.

Where common ownership is value for money for the taxpayer and delivers better services, then there should be common ownership, Starmer added  before pointing to the NHS Track and Trace system as an example of the kind of service Labour would keep in public hands.

But Labour delegates on the conference floor voted overwhelming in favour of a socialist green new deal motion  explicitly backing public ownership of energy companies. The motion also called for the creation of millions of green jobs and publicly-owned green investment banks.

Gaya Sriskanthan, co-chair of the Momentum, welcomed the result: This is a turning point. The grassroots have had enough of timid centrism and have overwhelmingly endorsed transformative socialist policy that meets the crises of the 21st century head on.

Starmer has spent long enough running away from his ten pledges, its time to support transformative policy. Labour members back bold solutions, the leadership needs to follow suit.

Chris Saltmarsh, the co-founder of the Labour for a Green New Deal campaign, also hailed the result. Despite efforts to block this motion and stifle party democracy, members have demonstrated the strength of support for a transformative climate agenda.

Urging the leadership to heed members wishes in the next manifesto, the activist added: [Starmer] should re-state the ambitious pledges of his leadership campaign, and put the green new deal at the heart of his agenda.

Labour MP Jon Trickett also urged Starmer and his team to listen to the conference vote. Democracy must prevail, he tweeted.

Although the votes of delegates are supposed to shape party policies, the leadership does not always follow conference motions when it comes to writing the manifesto.

Ed Miliband, the shadow energy secretary, told the conference on Sunday that Labour wanted to see a green Britain where public and alternative models of ownership play a role in the energy sector.

On Saturday Mr Miliband had been more explicit, telling The Independent: We do believe there is an important role for public ownership.

A video shared by the Green New Deal Rising group showed Starmer ignoring a young climate activist who asked whether he backed the TUCs proposal to invest 85bn to create more than one million green jobs.

Recent Opinium polling shows that the majority of the public support the idea of bringing energy companies into public ownership: 53 per cent of people support the measure, with just 15% per cent opposing.

Business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng indicated earlier this week that he would be prepared to appoint a special administrator that would see some firms taken under the governments wing  effectively nationalising them on a temporary basis.

The government is reportedly considering ways to step in to save some of biggest Britains energy companies if they struggle to cope with surging gas prices.

A separate motion for the Royal Mail to be returned to public ownership also passed at the conference on Sunday. Dave Ward, general secretary of the Communication Workers Union (CWU), said the motion reasserts Labours commitment to public ownership.

Unites Tom Murphy said problems in the country will not be solved with belief in the market alone, adding: Its vital that as we face the recovery and the long-term transition of a green future that this party does not turn its back on the democratic public ownership.
The UK could experience a national shortage of turkeys in the run-up to Christmas due to the impact of Brexit, an industry leader has said.

The chair of the Traditional Farm Fresh Turkey Association (TFTA) said a labour shortage following the UKs exit from the EU could lead to fewer turkeys on supermarket shelves.

Her comments echo warnings from poultry farmers, who have previously said serious staff shortages could affect how many turkeys are available at Christmas.

It was estimated last month there were nearly 7,000 job vacancies in the poultry industry.

Kate Martin from the TFTA said: This year its looking like there is a national shortage of turkeys when were talking about supermarket shelves, rather than buying direct from your farm.

She added: It is the supermarket shelves that will be emptier on turkeys this year than they have been before, only because there have been less turkeys placed on the ground, only because the big processers know that they will not get them processed.

The chair of the TFTA, which represents producers of high-end free range turkeys, also said there had been an absolutely unprecedented number of orders coming in this year.

Come Christmas, if you leave ordering your turkey from your local farm supplier, you are going to be out of luck, she added.

On whether Brexit is to blame, Ms Martin said: Were small producers, we use local labour, but for the big processors it is 100 per cent caused by a labour shortage.

This situation with turkeys is caused by the fact that European labour is no longer available to us, and they are skilled workers who have been coming to us for years.

People are now missing a whole host of their workforce that they have been training and investing in over the last however many years, and those workers are no longer available for us to use on a seasonal basis  they will go find work on mainland Europe instead.

Last month, the British Poultry Council (BPC) said its members had reported one in six jobs were unfilled because of EU workers leaving the UK due to Brexit.

Paul Kelly, the managing director of KellyBronze, which produces free-range turkeys, told The Guardian: There will be a massive shortage because companies cannot risk hatching turkeys and pushing them on the farm if they cant get the workers to do the job.

He added: It would be financial suicide. Turkey after Christmas Day is worth nothing.

Supermarkets and restaurants have recently been hit with food shortages linked to staff shortages and supply chain issues, including McDonalds and Nandos.

Industry leaders have also warned the UKs post-Brexit supply chain crisis risks causing problems at Christmas and lead to food shortages going into the next week.

George Eustice, the environment secretary, said: It is a top priority to ensure that there are enough workers across the countrys supply chains to make sure they remain strong and resilient.

We have listened to concerns from the sector and we are acting to alleviate what is a very tight labour market.

Additional reporting by Press Association
A number of 9/11 survivors and relatives say the US government is still covering up for Saudi Arabia, two decades after Al-Qaeda hijackers killed almost 3,000 people.

As the world prepares to mark the 20th anniversary of the attacks in New York and Washington DC, both survivors of the carnage, as well as relatives of those who died, say it astonishing the authorities have still not revealed all the information they have about the attacks.

Right now, our government is failing us in the way they failed us 20 years ago when they did not keep my dad safe, Brett Eagleson, whose father, Bruce, died at the World Trade Center, told The Independent.

He added: Theyre adding insult to injury.

In the aftermath of the attacks, allegedly plotted by Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and given a green light by Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, a series of investigations were carried out.

One of the most comprehensive undertaken was the bipartisan 9/11 Commission Report, formally named Final Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States. While 15 of the 19 hijackers were from Saudi Arabia, the report did not point to any role by the Saudi state itself.

Indeed, it said it found no evidence that the Saudi government as an institution or senior Saudi officials individually funded [Al-Qaeda] to conspire in the attacks, or that it funded the attackers.

 Motorcycle ride to honor 9/11 firefighters

In the years since, family members and other campaigners have continued to push for the release of any other information the government had. Recently, it was revealed that even after the 9/11 Commission completed its probe, the FBI continued to investigate Saudi Arabias possible role, at least up until 2016, as part of what was called Operation Encore.

That year, the government released the final, previously classified chapter of the report. It showed that the first hijackers to arrive in the US, Nawaf al-Hazmi and Khalid al-Mihdhar, were met and assisted by a Saudi national in 2000.

That man, Omar al-Bayoumi, who helped them find and lease an apartment in San Diego, had ties to the Saudi government and had attracted FBI scrutiny, investigators have said.

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, yet have always denied any wrongdoing.

There has been intense pressure on President Joe Biden to release whatever information the government or the FBI may have.

Last month, around 1,600 relatives of those who died, issued a public letter, calling on the president to stay away from any memorial events, if he does not make public such information.

We cannot in good faith, and with veneration to those lost, sick, and injured, welcome the president to our hallowed grounds until he fulfills his commitment, they wrote.

The 9/11 families have been helped by a series of lawyers, among them Jim Kreindler, and Robert Haefele, who works for the Motley Rice law firm, who have pursued lawsuits against both the Saudi government and individuals, as filed subpoenas against the US government, demanding it make documents available.

In what a considerable breakthrough, lawyers were able to question under oath of former Saudi officials, even though those depositions remain under court seal.

Relatives and survivors have demanded transparency for 20 years (Getty Images NA)

Last week, in what some campaigners believe could be a break through, Mr Biden issued an executive order ordering a review of such materials, and its release.

As the 20th anniversary of 9/11 approaches, the American people deserve to have a fuller picture of what their government knows about those attacks, he said.

The order said the information would be made public over the next six months except when the strongest possible reasons counsel otherwise. Of intense interest to campaigners, was an undertaking to make public by September 11 2021, an electronic communication dating to April 2016.

Some believe it is the summary of the Operation Encore probe.

This move will finally free up critical relevant factual evidence about September 11th, 2001 attacks and those sponsoring Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda in the days, months and years leading up to the hijackings and terror attacks, saidJodi Westbrook Flowers, a Motley Rice lawyer, who represents more than 6,600 family members and survivors.

In a statement, 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.

Mr Eagleson said he would wait to see what Mr Biden delivered and would judge him by his word.

Another of the group, Sharon Premoli, who was on the 80th Floor of the North Tower when it was struck and who managed to walk out with other survivors, said she was heartened by Mr Bidens actions.

Its a really positive departure from the two decades and the three administrations of stonewalling that weve experienced, she said.

She said it the documents were heavily redacted, they would not serve the purpose for which they were intended purpose.

Hopefully, they wont be, she added. Three administrations did care more about Saudi Arabia. Our own government subordinated the best interests of victims of terrorism and the American public, to the best interests of Saudi Arabia. And that is unconscionable.

Additional reporting by Associated Press
Amtrak needs to do more planning before it is fully compliant with disability legislation, a new report says.

The US rail operator has outlined plans to spend roughly $1.2 billion to enable bring 312 stations in line with the Americans With Disabilities Act, which was enacted in 1990. Amtrak was given until 2010 to accommodate those living with disabilities, a deadline the company missed.

According to the companys website: Most Amtrak stations in major cities, and many other stations across the country, are accessible to passengers with a disability. Amtrak is committed to ensuring that its facilities are fully accessible and is continually working on accessibility improvements.

However, a report from the Amtrak Office of Inspector General released on Tuesday has found the company needs to do more. Late last year, Amtrak paid out more than $2 million in civil cases related to ADA violations over their inability to serve wheelchair users and those with mobility restrictions, according to documents.

Eric Dreiband, an assistant attorney general at the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department, at the time said in a statement after the ruling earlier this year: Passengers with disabilities have waited long enough.

The Justice Department outlined poor-performing stations as Newark, North Philadelphia and Ashland, Virginia.

Amtrak has said it is currently planning to make 300 stations compliant with the law, and the Inspector General praised the network for its ambition. The report cited the companys intention to comply with disability legislation, along with taking on broad recommendations from a 2014 report.

The latest report stated: Managers from the Planning and Strategy department and the Procurement department told us they do not have enough staff to implement the additional planned projects and already face difficulties managing current projects.

Currently, the ADA Stations team at Amtrak is made up of eight full-time staff and 46 contractors.

Amtrak responded to the report, seen by The Washington Post, by broadly agreeing with its conclusions.

The report also found charges for five fiscal years, between 2015 and 2020 fiscal years, totalling $81 million, were questioned in light of not having sufficient accompanying documents.
Eight days after he was reported missing, authorities appear no closer to locating Brian Laundrie.

A scaled-back police search team returned to the Carlton Reserve in Sarasota County, Florida, on Saturday where the missing man told family he was going for a hike last Tuesday.

He left home without his cellphone or wallet, family attorney Steve Bertolino said, and rumours of possible sightings have been flooding social media. So far, none of the sightings have been confirmed.

The lack of progress in the manhunt comes as Ms Petitos family members are gathering in her home town of Blue Point, on New Yorks Long Island, ahead of a memorial service there on Sunday.

Members of the public are being invited to attend a memorial visitation between 12pm and 5pm at the Moloney Funeral Home in Holbrook.

The family have asked that mourners donate to the Future Gabby Petito Foundation in lieu of donations or flowers.

Several media outlets reported that Ms Petitos remains had been cremated prior to her being brought back from Wyoming to New York.The Independent has sought confirmation from the familys attorney Richard Stafford.

The search for Mr Laundrie received a boost on Saturday in the form of reality TV star Duane Dog the Bounty Hunter Chapman.

Mr Chapman showed up at the North Port home of Christopher and Roberta Laundrie on Saturday afternoon.

Arriving in a 4WD vehicle shortly before 4.30pm, he knocked on the front door of the house and when no one answered, spent a few minutes at the property before getting back in his vehicle.

He earlier released a statement to say he and wife Francie Frane were throwing themselves into the investigation.

Dog and Francie have experienced extreme loss themselves, the statement read.

Their hearts go out to Gabbys family for what theyre going through and want to help bring justice for her death.

Mr Chapman called for anyone with tips on Mr Laundries whereabouts to contact him and said that all information will be kept confidential.

Its unclear whether Mr Chapmans involvement is welcomed by the FBI and other law enforcement agencies directly involved in the search for Mr Laundrie.

A massive manhunt is underway across several states after Mr Laundrie was formally charged with fraudulently using a debit card in the days after Ms Petito went missing. The indictment allowed an arrest warrant to be issued against Mr Laundrie, the FBI said.

Meanwhile, staff at a Utah motel where Mr Laundrie stayed after a domestic violent incident involving Ms Petito on 12 August are reportedly assisting the authorities with their investigation into the missing man.

The Sun reported that Mr Laundrie spent the night at the Bowen Motel in Moab after police separated he and Ms Petito.

Staff at the $78-a-night motel said they had been co-operating with police, who are conducting a nationwide search for Mr Laundrie after he disappeared from his Florida home last week.

Bodycam footage captured Mr Laundrie telling officers he could not afford a hotel room for the night, and he was assisted by a local domestic violence charity.
The focus of the Brian Laundrie manhunt shifted back to the Carlton Reserve on Thursday after the family attorney said he believes the missing fugitive is still in the 25,000-acre park.

Steve Bertolino said Mr Laundrie may be unaware of the nationwide manhunt for him.

I believe Brian is still in the preserve. And as such I dont think he has access to the news, Mr Bertolino told Fox News.

As law enforcement ramped up their search of the park on Wednesday, Mr Bertolino revealed that Brians father Chris Laundrie had been asked to join the search.

Since the preserve has been closed to the public, Chris has not been able to look for Brian in the only place Chris and Roberta believe Brian may be, Mr Bertolino said.

A source close to the Laundrie family revealed traces of a campsite had been located in the reserve, CNN reported on Wednesday.

Agencies have been scouring the 25-000 acre alligator-infested reserve for several weeks with helicopters, drones, all-terrain vehicles and canine units.

 Brian Laundrie: Father was asked to help in search

This week, the timeline of Brian Laundries movements both before and after his girlfriend Gabby Petito went missing has altered dramatically.

Its now known that Mr Laundrie flew from Salt Lake City, Utah, to Florida on 17 August for six days before returning to join Ms Petito on their road trip.

His parents attorney Steve Bertolino claims Mr Laundrie made the trip to take personal items and close a storage unit he and Ms Petito had rented, as they were planning to extend their cross-country van-life tour.

The timing of the trip, which came just days after a 12 August bust-up between the couple, and only a few days before the last confirmed sighting of Ms Petito alive, will be of interest to the FBI who are leading a nationwide manhunt for the missing 23-year-old.

Gabby Petito describes to police how Brian Laundrie grabbed her face on 12 August (Moab City Police Department)

Also under renewed focus is the date that Mr Laundrie left his parents home in North Port Florida.

Chris and Roberta Laundrie originally told authorities that Mr Laundrie had left their home on 14 September when they filed a missing person report three days later.

But that crucial detail was wrong. On 5 October, Mr Bertolino revealed Mr Laundrie had actually last been at the home on 13 September, giving him an extra days head start on authorities.

Ms Petito, 22, went missing in late August, having embarked on a cross-country road trip with her fiance Brian Laundrie, 23, that she was documenting on social media.

Ms Petitos remains were discovered at a remote campsite in Wyoming on 19 September and a coroner announced she had died by homicide several days later.

The FBI announced on 23 September that a federal arrest warrant had been issued for Mr Laundrie, who remains missing.

Heres a timeline of everything we know about Gabby Petitos death so far:

2 July - Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie set out from New York in her converted white 2012 Ford Transit van. She uploads regular social media posts over the course of the next six weeks on Instagram and YouTube from such beauty spots as Kansass Monument Rocks, Colorado Springs, Great Sand Dunes National Park, Zion National Park and Bryce National Park in Utah and Canyonlands National Park.

12 August - The pair are seen bitterly arguing in Moab City, Utah. Concerned bystanders eventually call 911 to intervene. Attending officer Daniel Robbins notes the pair appeared to be in midst of a mental health crisis and that Mr Laundrie had locked Ms Petito out of the van but she had climbed back in through a window to continue remonstrating with him.

13 August - In a second missing persons incident in the same Utah city, Kylen Schulte and wife Crystal Turner are last seen at Woodys Tavern. Ms Schulte worked at the Moonflower Co-op, near where Ms Petito and Mr Laundrie had their public fight. She was at work on the day of their fight but finished her shift an hour-and-a-half before it is reported to have occurred.

Gabby Petito (Facebook.com/FindGabby)

17 August - Brian Laundrie flies back to Florida from Salt Lake City and stayed there until 23 August. Laundrie attorney Steven Bertolino would later say purpose of the visit was to pick up some items and close a storage unit the couple had rented because they were thinking of extending their road trip, which had been due to end in Oregon in October. Details of this flight were revealed on 6 October.

18 August - The bodies of Ms Schulte and Ms Turner are found by authorities at a campsite in the mountains near Moab City. The women told other campers a creeper dude had been near their campsite. No suspect has been identified in their murders.

23 August - Mr Laundrie returns to Salt Lake City.

24 August - Ms Petito spotted with Mr Laundrie checking out of a hotel in Salt Lake City, Utah.

25 August - Ms Petito makes her last video call to her mother. This is the last time she is known to have been seen.

26-27 August - Last text messages sent from Ms Petitos phone, reporting poor mobile signal, which family have since expressed doubt were actually sent by her.

29 August - Tourist Miranda Baker subsequently says on TikTok she and her boyfriend had picked up Mr Laundrie on this date, after finding him hitchhiking by himself at Colter Bay near Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. North Port police in Florida confirm to The Independent they have spoken to Ms Baker but decline to provide further details.

1 September - Mr Laundrie returns to North Port in Ms Petitos van without her, according to police reports.

10 September - Ms Schmidt and Mr Petito text and call the Laundries begging for information about their daughter. In one of the text messages, Mr Petito told the Laundries: Im going to call the police, just letting you know, because we have no idea. The Laundries do not respond.

11 September - Missing persons investigation opened after Ms Schmidt reports Ms Petitos disappearance to Suffolk County Police in New York. Search begins near Grand Teton, her last known intended destination. North Port Police seize the couples van, but when they visit the house, they do not see Mr Laundrie.

Nichole Schmidt at a press conference calling for information about her daughters disappearance on 13 September (The Associated Press)

13 September - Brian Laundrie leaves the family home, and according to his parents claims he is going for a hike in the Carlton Reserve. The Laundrie family refuses to allow North Port police to speak to their son and issues statement via their lawyer, Steve Bertolino, saying they will be remaining in the background. Ms Petitos parents Nicole Schmidt and Joe Petito host a press conference, appealing for information.

14 September - Police declare Brian Laundrie person of interest. James Schmidt, Ms Petitos stepfather, flies out to join search in Wyoming. Mr Petito appears on Fox News to berate the Laundries for declining to cooperate with detectives.

15 September - Police release body camera footage of Moab City encounter with officer, in which a tearful Ms Petito takes the blame for the argument.

16 September - Petito family issues statement through their lawyer, Richard Stafford, begging the Laundrie family to help them with the search for Ms Petito.

17 September - Laundrie family call investigators to their home and admit that their son has been missing since 14 September. They would later recant this and say he actually left on 13 September.

 Search for Brian Laundrie widens

18 September - FBI and Florida police launch a major manhunt to find Brian Laundrie, focusing their search on Floridas 25,000-acre Carlton Reserve.

19 September - Ms Petitos stepfather Jim Schmidt is shown a favourite sweatshirt belonging to Ms Petito and identifies her from it. FBI later announce that a body has been found in a forest that they believe to be Gabby Petitos.

20 September - Condolences pour in for the family of Ms Petito, as her father posts a moving tribute to his daughter on Twitter. The North Port Police announce they are suspending the search for Mr Laundrie in the Carlton Reserve as the FBI swarms the Laundrie home to execute a search warrant. The Laundrie home is now considered a crime scene.

21 September - Petito family attorney Mr Stafford confirms to The Independent that the body found in Wyoming is Gabbys. The FBI announce preliminary results of an autopsy conducted by Teton County coroner Dr Brent Blue confirms her death is a homicide. The exact cause of death has not yet been released.

FBI special agent in charge Michael Schneider asked for help from the public in finding Mr Laundrie: The FBI and our partners remain dedicated to ensuring anyone responsible for or complicit in Ms Petitos death is held accountable for their actions.

The police search for Mr Laundrie resumes at the Carlton Reserve near his house, as law enforcement investigate a possible sighting captured on a deer camera in the Florida Panhandle.

22 September - Law enforcement searching the reserve call in a specialist dive unit from the Sarasota County Sheriffs Office at the request of North Port Police. The police department say they have not located anything of interest in the water but had to rule out every possible location where Mr Laundrie might be.

Ms Petitos parents accuse the Laundrie family attorney Steve Bertolino of attempting to drum up business from the case. In a letter from their lawyer, they demand Mr Bertolino remove a picture of their daughter from his Yelp page and that he cease and desist from posting pictures of her to his social media accounts.

Mr Bertolino responded to say : I have never used social media or any other electronic platform for advertising other than maintaining a website.

 Authorities search Brian Laundrie's home as part of Gabby Petito investigation

23 September - The FBI announced that a federal arrest warrant had been issued for Mr Laundrie. According to the bureaus division in Denver, Colorado, the warrant was issued on 22 September.

On September 22, 2021, the US District Court of Wyoming issued a federal arrest warrant for Brian Christopher Laundrie pursuant to a Federal Grand Jury indictment related to Mr Laundries activities following the death of Gabrielle Petito, FBI Denver said in a tweet.

Laundrie family lawyer Mr Bertolino reacted to the arrest warrant by saying that it is related to activities occurring after the death of Gabby Petito and not related to her actual demise.

Officials in Utah also announce that the Moab City Police Department would be investigated for its handling of an interaction with the couple following a 911 call on 12 August. Officers did not file any charges after interviewing the couple and only told them to split up for the night.

24 September - The North Port Police Department and FBI continue their search of the Carlston Reserve for Brian Laundrie.

People in Utah, New York and Florida engage in memorials for Ms Petito, including candlelight vigils and donation drives to assist the Petito and Schmidt families.

Ms Petitos family also announced that her memorial visitation would be held on Sunday 26 September in Holbrook, New York, and will be open to the public between 12pm and 5pm. Ms Petitos father requested that in lieu of flowers, people should donate to a GoFundMe meant to establish a foundation in the womans name.

In the afternoon, North Port police provided an update on their search, saying they had not found any trace of Mr Laundrie in the reserve but said they were not wasting their time looking for the man in the swamp.

25 September - Dog The Bounty Hunter joins the search for Mr Laundrie in a well-publicised arrival at the Laundrie home. He knocked on the Laundries door to attempt to speak with the family but was denied access. Police continued their search for Mr Laundrie in the Carlton Reserve.

Later that evening, Ms Schmidt posted publicly for the first time in over a week, thanking the public for their support in a Facebook post.

(Bevan Hurley/The Independent)

26 September - Memorial services are held for Ms Petito in her hometown of Blue Point, New York. The services were open to the public. Joe Petito spoke during the service, asking people to be inspired by Ms Petitos life and to pursue their dreams. He also called on people in toxic relationships to leave them.

The North Port police continued their search for Mr Laundrie in the Carlton Reserve. At the same time, the FBI visited the Laundrie house and collected items for use in DNA matching. Mr Bertolino described the collection as routine.

30 September - Moab police release a second officers bodycam footage from the 12 August encounter, which shows Ms Petito describe being scratched and grabbed by her boyfriend. The delay in releasing the footage leads to accusations of a cover-up, which the Moab acting police chief denies.

 'Turn yourself in': Gabby Petito's parents call for Brian Laundrie to come forward

5 October - Ms Petitos parents and stepparents appear on Dr Phil where Joe Petito labels the Laundrie family cowards. Ms Schmidt says she first knew her daughter was dead when she learned the couples van was back in Florida. They reveal Mr Laundrie had used his girlfriends credit card after her death.

Mr Laundries sister Cassie says in an interview with ABC News her parents attorney has thrown her under the bus, and says she doesnt know if they are involved.

6 October - A source close to the Laundrie tells CNN that a makeshift campsite has been spotted in the Carlton Reserve. Detectives from the North Port Police Department ask Chris Laundrie to help them with the search for their fugitive son in the Carlton Reserve.

7 October - Family attorney Steve Bertolino says he believes the fugitive is still in the Carlton Reserve and may be unaware of the massive manhunt going on for him.
Del Rio Port of Entry at the southern US border has reopened for passenger traffic and will reopen for cargo on Monday, Customs and Border Protection announced.

The CBP statement on Saturday came just days after the crossing point made international headlines for controversial treatment of thousands of Haitians encamped there.

Following efforts this week by U.S. Border Patrol, Office of Field Operations and DHS partners to expedite processing of the migrant flow to manageable levels and with public safety restored, CBP reopened trade and travel operations at Del Rio Port of Entry, the agency said in a release.

The makeshift camp of migrants  mostly Haitian  came under fire as images emerged of squalid conditions and aggressive tactics by border patrol officers on horseback.

An estimated 10,000 people hoping to get into the US descended on the area following the spread of false information  and authorities struggled to process the throngs either for entry or deportation.

Outrage followed images and videos of mounted officers pushing back migrants attempting to ford the Rio Grande, and the use of horses in such situations has since been suspended.

To see people treated like they did  horses running them over, people being strapped. Its outrageous, President Joe Biden said this week. I promise you, those people will pay.

Its an embarrassment ... its dangerous, its wrong. It sends the wrong message around the world; it sends the wrong message at home.

On Thursday, US special envoy for Haiti Daniel Foote resigned, saying he will not be associated with the United States inhumane, counterproductive decision to deport thousands of Haitian refugees and illegal immigrants to Haiti.

The camp had been mostly cleared a day before Saturdays reopening announcement.
Carrying signs emblazoned with messages like Stop racist attacks on Haitians and Refugees make America Great, a small group of Salt Lake City residents came together at the state Capitol on Friday to decry potential abuse and demand better treatment of Haitian migrants seeking asylum along the US-Mexico border.

The gathering came in response to images out of Del Rio, Texas, that appeared to show mounted US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents twirling their reins in a whipping motion while chasing down mostly Black migrants.

On Monday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki called the actions depicted in the stills horrific  the same word she used that day to describe the botched 29 August Kabul airstrike that left 10 civilians dead, including seven children. The following day, the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees CBP, labeled the photographs as extremely troubling. By midweek, National Border Patrol Council vice president Art Del Cueto said agents acted within policy by using techniques designed to protect horses during a Fox News appearance . The whirlwind week was bookended by US officials clearing the Del Rio encampment, estimated to have been upwards of 10,000 strong.

Still, for people like community organiser Natasha Cadet, the effect of the pictures lingers.

Its not a Haitian issue, its not a Black issue, its a human rights issue, Ms Cadet told The Independent.

Calling on the July assasination of Haiti President Jovenel Moise, and the ensuing 7.2-magnitude earthquake that rocked the caribbean nation  leaving at least 2,207 people dead and 344 still missing  Ms Cadet said it was inevitable that people would be seeking asylum.

She chose the statehouse setting as a way of sending a message to Utah senators Mike Lee and Mitt Romney that comprehensive immigration reform, including the revocation of the controversial Title 42 , is past due. Its wrong, she said. The US was built on immigrants. The US was built on asylum seekers. And now we turn around and deny other people that? Its not right.

Ms Cadet, who is of Haitian descent, said she noticed a lack of empathy and overall interest in the story. I wasnt seeing people on social media outraged, so I was, like, OK, no. If we let it, they will sweep this under the rug, they will just keep going, so we have to make noise.

Latinx activist Martha Black was there to do just that. Im going to get f***ing loud because Im f***ing pissed, Ms Black, who called the Del Rio images beyond unacceptable, said, bullhorn in hand. This is not a Trump issue, a Biden issue, a Clinton issue. This is an issue that has been going on for decades, she continued. It was our turn the last term, Mexicans. We experienced the oppression; we experienced our children and our families being separated and treated worse than animals. Now its our brothers from Haiti.

Activist Ma Black helps rally organizer Natasha Cadet put up a banner emblazoned with the message No human being is illegal at the Utah Capitol grounds. (Enrique Limon)

Ms Black highlighted the number of people at the rally, around 15, and decried: Where is our anger from a year ago when they were sterilizing immigrant women in the detention centers? We were all f***ing mad about that.

Fridays turnout stood in stark contrast to a candlelight vigil in honor of Gabby Petito held a couple of days prior in the citys tony Sugar House neighborhood, which managed to draw 10 different media outlets.

What happened today? Wheres everybody? Ms Black enquired. Wheres Black Lives Matter? Wheres Mormon Women for Ethical Government ?

Ms Black also called out local fair-weather demonstrators who came out in droves following the murder of George Floyd, but were nowhere to be found that day.

We need to stand up and we need to call out our activist community, she said. Im truly disappointed that a lot of people who claim to care about human rights are not here. So are we just doing this for show? Are we just doing this when its popular? When the media is here and we want our faces in the newspaper?

I know this is not America

For at least one attendee, the turnout was just right.

Rony Charles happened to be driving past the Capitol building when he noticed a Haitian flag waving in the air. Immediately, he parked his car, reached for a hat displaying the colours of his home countrys sigil and curiously approached the compact assembly.

Thank you so much, Mr Charles, who arrived in Utah from Haiti to attend Brigham Young University and later came back to build a life here, said during an improvised speech. The great thing about America , I can tell you, is that you see people from all over. I think thats what makes it beautiful. It doesnt matter your race or where youre from. Were all here looking for the same thing were all looking for a better life for ourselves.

Mr Charles struggled to find the right words to describe his reaction upon seeing the infamous stills.

Its kind of, like, really sad. Its really messed-up to see the way theyre treating humans, he said. The way we see theyre treating people, I wonder if really they see us as human beings? I know this is not America.

Haitian national Rony Charles addresses the small crowd gathered at the event. Its really messed-up to see the way theyre treating humans, he said of the images out of Del Rio, Texas. (Enrique Limon)

Mr Charles called his stateside life a blessing. He said average wages are under $2 a day and that his neighbourhood back home has become a wasteland run by gang members carrying trafficked US-made guns. People are not just fleeing Haiti because they think the US is better; theyre fleeing because of the conditions over there.

He said that in the wake of the presidential assasination the situation has gotten so bad that people cant even walk to the supermarket without getting accosted and that US embassy staff are literally living in a bunker and having their meals flown in. If the president  the most secure person  can get assassinated with no justice at all, what about ordinary people? [If] people cant feed themselves, of course what theyll be doing is migrating [to] other places.

One of the people recently displaced from the makeshift bridge encampment in Texas, he said, is a close friend. A former business owner, she fled the country because of the gangs and growing kidnapping problem. After a stint in Chile, she headed north seeking a piece of the American dream.

Thats what theyre looking for, those Haitian people, Mr Charles said. Were not bad people, were decent people. All we want is to take care of ourselves, take care of our kids and make a better life for ourselves.

Mr Charles dreams of one day being able to go back to the island to visit his mom, who he hasnt seen in three years. Were not going back the way it is now. Is it because we dont love Haiti? No. Whatever it is, you want to be home. Lakay se lakay  home is home.
Donald Trump heaped praise on Border Patrol agents on horseback who charged a group of Haitian migrants at the US border with Mexico.

The former president claimed that the agents were doing one hell of a job after footage emerged showing riders swinging long reins towards migrants on the ground and grabbing hold of others in Del Rio, Texas.

Alejandro Mayorkas, the secretary of homeland security, on Friday said he was horrified by the photographs and said the incident would be investigated at the highest levels. President Joe Biden said the agents behaviour was outrageous and that they will face consequences.

Addressing supporters at a rally in the town of Perry in Georgia, Mr Trump referenced the incident and suggested an investigation into the riders behaviour was unfair.

During his speech, Mr Trump made the baseless claim that migrants had overrun our borders in recent days while laughing in the faces of our border patrol agents.

Referencing the Biden administrations investigation into the agents behaviour, he continued: Theyre going after the riders of the horses rather than the people that came in illegally isnt that incredible?

Theyve just put them under watch and theyre in big trouble. Most people would say theyre doing one hell of a job.

Mr Trump added: This would never be happening if I were the president.

Elsewhere in his speech, Mr Trump claimed that the recent increase in migrants at the border represented an invasion - prompting build the wall chants from the crowd. Mr Trump said that Mr Biden could finish that wall in one month if he wanted.

Thousands of Haitian migrants have converged at the Del Rio Port of Entry in recent weeks. A makeshift camp set up at the border crossing was cleared on Saturday, US Customs and Border Protection said.

A large number of migrants trying to enter the country are being removed under Title 42 - a policy that began under the Trump administration. It allows the US to expel migrants without allowing them to apply for asylum if they pose a public health risk.

Many migrants face expulsion because they are not covered by protections recently extended by the Biden administration to the more than 100,000 Haitian migrants already in the US. A devastating 2010 earthquake forced many from their homeland.

The US government expelled 2,324 Haitians on 21 flights to Haiti from Sunday through Friday, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Meanwhile, the DHS last week confirmed it would suspend the use of horse patrols in response to the incident in Del Rio.

US Customs and Border Protections Office of Professional Responsibility is leading an investigation into the incident, which is expected to conclude this coming week.

Democratic California representative Maxine Waters said during a press briefing on Wednesday: What we witnessed takes us back hundreds of years. What we witnessed was worse than what we witnessed in slavery.
Former President Donald Trump discussed the potential of a 2024 bid for a second term in the White House, telling a right-wing network one factor that would deter him for running

Speaking with Real Americas Voice on Friday evening, Mr Trump suggested that a bad call from a doctor or something could halt his plans to retake the presidency.

Mr Trump has not said specifically that he will run in 2024, but has indicated a clear interest in returning to the White House. The New York Times Maggie Haberman has reported that the former president has even flirted with conspiracies claiming that he could be reinstated as president as soon before the end of the year.

The air of will-he-or-wont-he speculation that has descended upon the potential 2024 GOP primary field as a result has dampened the excitement for GOP voters around the potential runs of any other top Republican figures, such as Mike Pompeo, Mr Trumps former secretary of state, and former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, among others.

Complicating the issue is Mr Trumps very public false claims of widespread fraud in the 2020 election which he has wrongly said was responsible for his defeat to President Joe Biden. Some experts have worried that such comments will turn off hardcore supporters of the president from participating in the electoral system due to baseless fears that their votes will not count.

While only a few months into Mr Bidens presidency, the GOP has yet to produce many prominent opposition figures and has seen its message garbled, with some members indicating a willingness to work with the White House on policy issues and others vowing total defiance to the Biden agenda.

Polls have consistently indicated that Mr Trump is the top choice of GOP primary voters for a 2024 candidate. A survey released last week by the Harvard Center for American Political Studies and Harris Poll found that the former president is supported by 58 per cent of Republican voters as their 2024 candidate of choice, while Vice President Mike Pence held a distant second place at 13 per cent.

Some Republicans who broke publicly with the former president in the days after the 6 January attack on the US Capitol have even come around to the former presidents side once more, including South Carolina Sen Lindsey Graham, who said on Saturday to a crowd of Republicans in Michigan: "I hope President Trump runs again."
Authorities closed La Palmas airport on Saturday after a new vent opened in the Cumbre Vieja volcano, causing more ash to spread across the island.

Flights to and from the Spanish island were cancelled in the week as a result of the volcanic eruption, which began last Sunday, but this is the first time the airfield has been forced to close altogether.

Experts said the volcano is entering a new explosive phase after tons of of lava poured down the slopes and flew high into the air over the weekend.

The Canary Islands Volcanology Institute, Involcan, added the newly opened emission vent was to the west of the initial vent.

La Palma airport operator Aena said on Twitter the site was inoperative due to ash accumulation. Other airports in the Canary Islands were still operating Saturday but some airlines were suspending flights, it said.

Cleaning tasks have started, but the situation may change at any time, Aena told worried travellers and residents.

Workers wearing PPE cleared up the ash as travellers attempted to change their tickets to get on the next available flights.

However, the closure meant those attempting to flee the island were delayed, forcing some to attempt to book ferries to a nearby Canary Island where they could instead fly from.

We were due to leave today but the flight has been cancelled. There are no flights to Tenerife tomorrow, the next one is on Monday so we have to stay two more nights, Laura, 46, from Madrid, told Reuters.

She had been due to fly back to the Spanish capital via Tenerife for work.

Volcanic surveillance measurements carried out since the beginning of the eruption recorded the highest-energy activity so far during Friday afternoon, emergency services said.

On Friday, authorities evacuated the towns of Tajuya, Tacande de Abajo and the part of Tacande de Arriba that had not already been vacated.

Those evacuated were told earlier they would not be able to return to their homes to retrieve their belongings because of the evolution of the volcanic emergency.

Since it began erupting a week ago, the Cumbre Vieja volcano has spewed out thousands of tons of lava, destroyed hundreds of houses and forced the evacuation of more than 6,000 people.

No fatalities have been recorded yet.

La Palma, with a population of more than 83,000, is one of an archipelago making up the Canary Islands.

Additional reporting by agencies
A nature documentary has won acclaim for shedding light on the existential battle to combat timber smuggling in Gabon.

The documentary, produced by TF1 subsidiary Ushuaia TV, follows the Gabonese authorities in their attempt to crack down on local mafias and big business engaged in illegal logging of forests.

Gabon is one of the most heavily forested countries in the world, with 85 per cent of its landmass covered by trees. The West African state forms part of the Congo basin, known as the earths second lung after the Amazon.

Timber smuggling, especially of the red wood referred to as Rosewood, is the single most lucrative good sold as part of the illegal wildlife trade, itself the fourth biggest illegal trade after humans, weapons and drugs.

It is estimated that a third of the global timber market comes from illicit sources, the trade of which is run by sophisticated criminal gangs. West and Central Africa are responsible for over 85 per cent of the trade, according to the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA).

David Ingueza, the chief of Gabons forestry police, told The Independent that the essential issue is forestry companies that are legally allowed to fell and process timber are cutting down more than their quotas permit and bribing officials to turn a blind eye.

Its a mafia-like business. We are certain, thanks to prior investigations, that it steals a tremendous amount of wood from the state, he is filmed explaining in the video.

Stop the Illegal Wildlife Trade We are working with conservation charities Space for Giants and Freeland to protect wildlife at risk from poachers due to the conservation funding crisis caused by Covid-19. Help is desperately needed to support wildlife rangers, local communities and law enforcement personnel to prevent wildlife crime. Donate to help Stop the Illegal Wildlife Trade HERE.

The forestry industry is the second largest employer in Gabon, offering jobs and income to rural communities where it is often the only employer. A 2019 investigation by the EIA found that multinational conglomerates operating in Gabon and the Republic of Congo (Brazzaville) routinely overharvested timber for export to Europe, North America and East Asia.

The video shows an investigation led by the police and environmental authorities into one international company that harvested and exported timber to both East Asia and the West. It was found to have harvested 13 times its quota of trees in just one year.

It is estimated that a third of the global timber market comes from illicit sources ( )

A further investigation found that trees were felled before maturity and surrounding trees and ecosystems damaged beyond natural repair. The video also suggested that the tracks dug by traffickers into Gabons thick forests would allow poachers easier access.

Over 200 animal and plant species are considered threatened in Gabon, including the African Forest Elephant, which across Africa has seen 70 per cent of its population wiped out in the last 15 years, leaving Gabon as a crucial sanctuary for the remaining population.

(The Independent )

Professor Lee White CBE, the British-born conservationist and Gabons Minister of the Forests, of the Seas and of the Environment, said in the video that this illegal logging was an existential threat to the West African country.

We are at war, it's about defending our country, the future security of Gabon, the future of the country. The natural resources of Gabon must be used for the development of the country, not for the development of organised crime, whatever its origin. We are really fighting for the future of our country.
Costa Rica and Gabon are 10,000 kilometres apart, separated by the wide expanses of the Atlantic Ocean, but both nations are standing side by side in calling for a new international agreement to prevent and combat the scourge of wildlife crime.

Wildlife crimes pose a threat to human and animal health, driving many species towards extinction, degrading entire ecosystems and their ability to sequester carbon, depriving governments of revenue, exacerbating corruption, insecurity, and poverty.

If we include the impacts of these crimes on ecosystems, then The World Bank estimates their value at a staggering US $1-2 trillion a year, said His Excellency Ali Bongo Ondimba President of the Gabonese Republic.

The world is still feeling the full brunt of a pandemic, which most likely had its origins in wildlife, we are advised that there are hundreds of thousands of new viruses that could spill over from wildlife to humans, we are struggling to combat climate change, and staring down the loss of a million species. The illicit trafficking in wildlife is exacerbating all of these interrelated global crises, said His Excellency Carlos Alvarado Quesada President Republic of Costa Rica.

Given the scale of the risks to people and the planet, we simply cannot stand by and watch wildlife continue to disappear without strengthening our collective response, including international laws for combating and preventing wildlife crime.

Its time to treat wildlife crimes as the serious and highly destructive crimes that they are. We owe it to the worlds youth to act boldly and swiftly to ensure we pass on a healthy and prosperous planet, said President Ali Bongo Ondimba and President Carlos Alvarado Quesada.

(Paul Hilton _ Earth Tree Images)

Both Costa Rica and Gabon are calling for preventing and combating wildlife crime to be embedded into the international criminal law framework by developing a new global agreement, namely a new agreement on wildlife crime, taking the form of a Fourth Protocol under the UN Convention Against Transnational Organised Crime (UNTOC) against the illicit trafficking in wild fauna and flora. The three existing Protocols are on trafficking in persons, smuggling of migrants, and the illicit manufacturing of and trafficking in firearms.

Costa Rica and Gabon are global leaders in promoting nature conservation and recognising its centrality to protecting biodiversity, combating climate change, preventing future wildlife-related pandemics, ensuring security and for generating decent jobs.

Gabon and Costa Rica have some of the most unique biodiversity on the planet and are recognised internationally for their leadership and efforts in setting aside marine and terrestrial protected areas, as well as for their leadership role in seeking to combat illicit trafficking of wild fauna and flora, and Gabon has co-chaired of the UN Group of Friends on Poaching and Illicit Wildlife Trafficking, established in New York in December 2013.

Gabon and Costa Rica are both members of the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People, a coalition of over 60 interregional countries championing the protection of 30% of planets land and 30% of the planets ocean by 2030.
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

Unsplash

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

Unsplash

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.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set forth a policy of '5Ts' in his meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden. One of the 5Ts, Talent, signifies the people to people link between the "two countries, which is manifested by the contributions made by the Indian American community. (photo via IANS/ twitter.com/PMOIndia)
Groves, John & Westrup Ltd. has been a coverholder for Munich Res Lloyds syndicate for decades, writing marine, pleasure boat and private yacht insurance. This year, the company branched out into the high net worth (HNW) sector, trading under the brand GrovesJohnWestrup Private Clients. Its a new offering with a technological twist that aims to make life easier for brokers and their clients by providing speedy turnaround times for quotes and claims.

A high net worth offering seemed like a natural fit for GrovesJohnWestrup, a Liverpool, England-based managing general agent and fully owned company of Munich Re.

With its existing private yacht business, GrovesJohnWestrup already had a high degree of affinity to the high net worth sector, explained Alex Lay, managing director. In terms of its licenses and set-up, it was an environment that we could slot into fairly effortlessly.

But Lay wanted to bring something new to the market  and not just wrap itself around a legacy environment. So, he spent about a year conceptualizing the product, the proposition, and, most importantly, its delivery.

During this year he deconstructed the underwriting pricing and portfolio management process. We needed to basically come up with a concept that allows us to create bespoke coverages out of a set of underlying coverages.

The aim was to create a platform where new product lines can be added and multiple assets can be insured under each cover. So you can easily conduct a transaction with us that would involve five properties, three cars, two art collections  all that would carry specific terms out of one seamless quote-and-bind journey.

Lay and his team were absolutely clear that they wanted to avoid copying their incumbent competitors. We didnt want to go into a broker-driven market with a product that is static and monolithic, which would require a lot of manual intervention.

They wanted to deliver something new  that stood out from a technological perspective, he said in an interview with Insurance Journal.

Lay explained that GrovesJohnWestrup has been able to remove trading complexity by giving brokers access to a portal that allows them to configure the product themselves at the point of sale.

The degree of freedom that theyve got is pretty unprecedented in this market, Lay said. This means that we can now complete fairly large and complex individual risk quotes in a time that is comparable to a retail proposition. And that is absolutely astonishing in terms of speed, delivery, turnaround times.

This applies to the entire life cycle of a policy  from new business to renewals, to midterm adjustments (MTAs) and claims notifications.

End-to-End Portfolio Management

In other words, this is not just a placement capability, but ultimately it is an end-to-end portfolio management tool for a broker, he affirmed. We felt this was a need that was really in high demand at the point when we went to market.

The company had its hard launch in the high net worth sector on March 15, but it previously had offered HNW products for several months prior to that date in order to get its portal up and running smoothly.

Once brokers log onto the portal and answer risk information about their clients buildings, contents, art and/or jewelry, they will either get a binding quote with premiums and terms, or they will receive a referral that goes to GrovesJohnWestrups underwriters, explained Emma Bennett, strategic relationship manager.

In simple terms, you often can go in and get a quote within three and a half minutes, which Bennett describes as a game changer in this market.

What were trying to do is speed up the delivery to the broker and ultimately to the client, she affirmed.

Bennett said the more traditional route for HNW business, written by competitors in the sector, is for the broker to send a submission by email, which is then entered into an underwriting system. An underwriter looks at the risk, underwrites it and sends it back with a quote, in a process that could take anything from a day to a week to two weeks in some circumstances, she added.

Munich Re Ownership

Lay counts GrovesJohnWestrups ownership by Munich Re as a competitive advantage. Thus far, all the capacity the MGA uses comes from Munich Res primary companies  including Munich Re Syndicate 457 at Lloyds and DAS International. The capacity levels provided vary according to their individual risk appetites, Lay confirmed. This means that it can provide an intermediated solution with brokers that is not dependent on the delegation of authority from other carriers, he explained.

GrovesJohnWestrup has completely automated the entire accounting finance, billing and bordereaux process, which means our business partners on the Munich Re side can focus primarily on risk transfer and the oversight and control over our business, he added.

The GrovesJohnWestrup HNW platform is designed to be scalable and could lend itself to other exciting business opportunities for Munich Re outside the private client space  essentially anything that requires a multi-line, multi-asset capability could be served from this technology platform, he affirmed.

The MGAs initial product offerings include buildings, contents, valuables, antiques and works of art, legal liability to the public, accidents to domestic employees, legal expenses, home emergency, home cyber cover and travel.

We started with a very strong property led proposition, but that already includes specie, liability and a number of services like home emergency, legal expense and the like. We can now incrementally add new lines of business.

Outside the private client space, the company is exploring other opportunities in light commercial or the small and medium sized enterprise space.

Healthy Response

With a chuckle, Lay admitted that the name GrovesJohnWestrup may not easily roll off the tongue at first, but this British-branded proposition already has received a lot of traction.

The companys distinctive name has actually delivered its purpose, he said, noting that in a very short period of time, it has become a recognizable brand and overseas markets are taking a great interest in the proposition.

Personal Touch

Despite the companys focus on technology, Bennett emphasized that the personal touch is still vitally important to its business proposition. Ultimately this is a relationship business.

Over her 20-year career in the HNW business, Bennett said she has worked for a direct insurer, a broker and now an MGA. During that time, she has noticed that brokers dont get enough access to decision makers.

As a result, she said brokers are encouraged to talk to GrovesJohnWestrups underwriters, whether by phone or in face-to-face meetings. Thats really a core part of what were doing, Bennett continued.

When we onboard a broker, we give the brokers that access. We provide product training. We get everyone into virtual room together and we meet people within their business, and they meet people within our business. We give them access to people who are actually empowered to make decisions.
The COVID-19 pandemic is expected to reduce global macroeconomic resilience by about 20% in 2020 from 2019 levels as stimulus packages deplete countries fiscal and monetary buffers around the world.

At the same time, the combined global protection gap for key perils is reaching a new high.

According to the latest annual Swiss Re Institute resilience indices, the UK, Japan and the U.S. will experience the greatest falls in resilience among major economies. Switzerland, Finland and Canada remain the worlds three most resilient countries, reflecting their comprehensive economic strength against future crises.

Global economic resilience held up in 2019 compared with 2018, but the world entered the COVID-19 crisis with less shock-absorbing capacity than before the global financial crisis of 2008-09, the last major economic downturn. The Swiss Re Institute Macroeconomic Resilience Index (E-RI) for the world stood at 0.62 in 2019, against 0.61 in 2018.

Key findings: COVID-19 is expected to weaken world economic resilience by nearly 20% in 2020 as countries fiscal and monetary headroom is depleted

Chinas economic resilience score is relatively unchanged, primarily because a swift response enabled it to reopen its economy earlier than many others

Switzerland, Finland and Canada remain the worlds three most resilient economies, reflecting their comprehensive economic strength against future crises

Among major economies, resilience in the UK, Japan and the U.S. may be hardest hit, but they should still rank higher than many European countries

The combined insurance protection gap for mortality, health and natural disaster risks is calculated as reaching a new high of USD 1.24 trillion

Swiss Re expects COVID-19 to put health resilience in the spotlight in 2020

Government responses to COVID-19 are expected to significantly lower global economic resilience this year. The world index value drops to 0.5 in the initial estimate for 2020, which aims to capture the impact of the fiscal and monetary stimulus in response to COVID-19 on economic resilience.

While such stimulus packages have cushioned the blow to the global economy, they have run down many countries fiscal and monetary reserves, causing their resilience scores to fall, including drops of more than half in some economies, the E-RI found. The research finds that monetary policy buffers will be largely exhausted in most advanced economies, leaving fiscal headroom as the major determinant of resilience.

Of the countries in the top half of the 2019 resilience rankings, the UK, Japan and the U.S. are expected to see their fiscal buffers depleted most and their index scores decline furthest. Chinas resilience will likely remain relatively unchanged, primarily because a swift response enabled it to reopen its economy earlier than many others. In contrast, Switzerland, Finland and Canada are anticipated to remain the worlds three most resilient economies.

The fiscal and monetary stimulus response to COVID-19 was key to cushioning the economic impact of government-ordered lockdowns, Jerome Jean Haegeli, group chief economist at Swiss Re, said. However, the reality of wartime-like spending is that it leaves much less room for future policy manoeuvre.

He said the key economic policy risk is that these temporary government measures become permanent, leaving economies dependent on ongoing stimulus. A focus on replenishing resilience by reinstating fiscal and monetary buffers, through structural reforms to improve long-term growth prospects, will be critical, he added.

Insurance Resilience

Insurance resilience against three major risks  mortality, health spending and natural catastrophes  weakened in 2019, the indices show. The combined global protection gap for the three perils is calculated as reaching a new high of USD 1.24 trillion. Globally, mortality resilience declined the most, driven by a widening of the mortality protection gap in the Asia-Pacific region, where Chinas protection gap expanded due to rapidly growing household debt.

Health resilience was stable despite some deterioration in emerging markets. The global health protection gap widened by more than 5% to USD 588 billion. Natural catastrophe resilience was lowest of the three risk areas. Swiss Re Institute expects that health and mortality protection gaps will widen as households grapple with lower incomes, higher healthcare costs and the financial consequences of losing a breadwinner as a result of the pandemic.

The widening global protection gap is a huge opportunity for insurers to fulfill their mandate as risk absorbers and improve societal resilience, Haegeli said. In times of crisis, households need risk protection. Insurance is a key tool to help households reduce their financial vulnerability in disruptive environments.

Swiss Re Institute launched its Macroeconomic Resilience Index last year, ranking countries with respect to a broad spectrum of variables to offer a much more holistic assessment of economic health than gross domestic product alone.

The institute also developed Insurance Resilience Indices to assess how insurance helps individuals, households and organisations to withstand shock scenarios in three key areas: natural catastrophes, mortality and healthcare.

Download the electronic version of the sigma resilience index 2020 report. View an interactive table of the macroeconomic resilience index scores at Swiss Res sigma explorer site.

Topics COVID-19 USA China Canada Swiss Re
Construction insurance specialists say their insurance market is strong with plenty of capacity and underwriters competing for the best accounts.

According to specialists interviewed by Insurance Journal for their assessment of the market, the boom in the construction business has allowed underwriters to refine their appetites and be more selective and focus on profitable accounts.

At the same time that the overall market is healthy, conditions can be tough in certain geographic regions and for riskier projects with large fleets, wildfire or difficult builders risk exposures.

Some believe the soft market cycle in construction insurance is over. They see more business making its way to the surplus lines market.

While overall total construction starts fell 8% from January-April 2019, the 12-month moving total for construction starts from April 2018 to April 2019 remained the same, according to Dodge Data & Analytics most recent report on U.S. construction activity.

Also, Dodge Data & Analytics reporting in May on major sectors said that nonresidential building rose 4%, commercial building 9%, and manufacturing building 7%, while institutional building remained unchanged, the report revealed in May. Residential building held steady with the previous period, with single family housing unchanged and multifamily housing up 1%.

The insurance market overall for construction has had only slight rate increases, says Brian McDonnell, managing principal, national construction specialty practice for EPIC Insurance Brokers & Consultants based in San Francisco. Thats been the case except in certain geographic areas including New York, where the labor market is a nightmare, and in states with high wildfire risks such as California. But in general, its only problematic areas seeing rate increases, he said.

Contractors appear to be keeping busy. Were still seeing a number of projects in the planning stages, big projects and other projects in general across the board, said McDonnell.

Katie Davies, president and CEO of Technical Risk Underwriters (TRU), confirms that construction activity has been brisk, with the number of building permits issued in 2018 and 2019 trending toward a five-year high. We are seeing the majority of our risks in the southeast and southwest of the country, though we expect more 2019 projects to start in the northern states as summer begins, Davies said.

Insurance carriers are paying more attention to underwriting and selecting accounts they want to do business with and being very competitive on those.

Not every coverage area is stable, however. Auto continues to be a huge underperforming line for carriers, he said. The rise in building activity over the past five years has added to the difficulty in construction auto as contractors have been bringing on more inexperienced workers and drivers. Heavy, large fleets are extremely challenging for contractors today, McDonnell said.

Some construction underwriters are feeling the effects of inexperienced workers and a shortage of construction labor in general. Rate pressure is being felt in general liability and excess liability.

Here are five trends to watch in construction, according to insurance specialists.

More Selective

The growth in the construction sector is leading to new opportunities for insurance underwriters. Those opportunities are also making it possible for carriers to have their pick of accounts and be more selective on best-of-class business, said Brian F. Cooper, managing director, National Construction Practice, for Gallagher Construction Services in San Francisco.

Insurance carriers are paying more attention to underwriting and selecting accounts they want to do business with and being very competitive on those, he said. Other accounts with riskier profiles might get passed by. Theyre either not providing quotes on those, or the quotes are reflective of higher rates, Cooper said. Theyre really paying more attention to the actual underwriting of premiere accounts rather than chasing premium dollars like has been the case the past several years.

For insurance agents and brokers, that means being prepared for heightened scrutiny when it comes to new business and renewals, says Bill Creedon, North America Industry Leader, Construction, for Willis Towers Watson in Denver. Its taking a lot more strategy going in from brokers, clients, everybody, and looking at things far earlier, Creedon said.

For higher risk accounts, such as construction firms with large fleets, unique general liability exposures, wildfire exposures, or those risks in catastrophe prone regions, underwriting may take more creativity, he said.

Contractors are facing broadening contractual requirements and an increasingly discerning underwriting community, Creedon added. Standard market construction carriers have their pick of preferred business today and hes seeing more business make its way to the surplus lines market. Theyre starting to drive more business into the wholesale market, which is seeing quite an influx, he said. Its an incredibly fast-changing environment.

As with any market cycle, when the transition begins from soft to hard market, underwriters dig deeper as pressures from management and reinsurers increase, Erik Davis, managing director, Construction Specialty Practice, for RT Specialty, told Insurance Journal. Davis said its no longer a construction insurance market where carriers are taking anything and everything. The focus now is on profitable underwriting across the board, he said.

In general, the insurance industry has been writing construction business at a loss for the past decade or even longer, Davis said. But with the uptick in construction business, underwriters have been inundated with submissions. They are looking for better information to sell the account and requiring thorough underwriting information to underwrite the tougher classes and risks.

Its important to provide thorough submissions and think about ways you can help your underwriters do their jobs effectively and efficiently, Davis added. Like it or not, brokers are ranked by underwriters, and as they become busier and busier, its imperative you do all you can to get your deal to the top of their stack to get looked at.

Davis concurs that more construction business is being pushed out of the standard lines market into surplus lines this year. Year-to-date submission flow of construction business is up 32% for RT Specialty over the same period in 2019, Davis said. This uptick is driven by certain pockets of the standard lines market exiting the construction business, or by handing out large increases in premium on renewals. That is pushing contractors to shop more than in prior years.

Also, there continues to be growth in new construction starts in geographies that are primarily surplus lines-focused areas such as New York, West Coast residential, energy business, airports, and others typically served by excess and surplus lines writers, Davis said.

TRUs Davies is also seeing an increase in submissions. As an E&S MGU with a wholesale only distribution, we are seeing increases in submissions and bound business, Davies said. This is due to contraction in capacity in the construction insurance market coupled with a continued increase in new projects that need insurance.

Like it or not, brokers are ranked by underwriters, and as they become busier and busier, its imperative you do all you can to get your deal to the top of their stack to get looked at.

Builders Risk

In some sectors of construction, builders risk is experiencing volatility.

We are seeing this increase in the frame builders risk space specifically, TRUs Davies said.

Due to the cost benefits of frame construction, developers continue to look at this method of building as a cost-effective solution to multifamily living projects where the site allows for this type of construction, Davies told Insurance Journal.

While fires can occur on any construction project, wood frame projects are particularly vulnerable. With more wood frame structures being built, we have noticed an increase in fire losses during the course of construction, said Jay Hurin, Technical Director for Travelers Inland Marine Risk Control. These structures are particularly susceptible to fires.

Insurance rates have gone through the roof and the capacity has shrunk dramatically for projects with wood frame construction, according to Gallaghers Cooper. Wildfire risk and arson are leading that trend. The cost of insuring frame construction is so expensive that its pushing some contractors to consider different building materials, he said.

The property area is probably the most challenging right now, he said. When people are designing new projects or retrofitting, they really are looking at what would impact the sustainability [of the building] and also impact resiliency to whatever that environment is, geographically.

Contractors are also putting more consideration into the cost of insuring the materials. Cooper thinks they were thinking of building with wood because its cheaper than concrete. But now, theyre having second thoughts, saying, Well, the difference in cost after taking insurance into consideration and sustainability into consideration maybe isnt cost-effective, he said. Even though the actual hard costs of wood versus steel might save money, the soft costs such as the cost of insurance might end up making the project more expensive. So might as well build it with steel.

The London market has picked up some of the slack in the wood frame builders risk market but that is starting to change, according to Cooper. Theyre starting to tighten up quite a bit in that area, he said. I would suspect that over the next several years, the type of construction and the different types of wood products, laminates, etc. will become more of a hurdle in the underwriting community. They are looking at that more and taking that into consideration when providing capacity or pricing on the property side of the risk.

Willis Towers Watsons Insurance Marketplace Realities 2019 Spring Update reported that the North American builders risk market is starting to see a firming price trend. The shift can be attributed to poor loss experience globally, coupled with a fixed/operational property market that is quickly hardening, the report said. This loss experience, in concert with a decade of eroding marketing conditions, has reduced builders risk capacity in the London marketplace.

Creedon says while overall builders risk is experiencing an increase in rate in some areas, most changes to the line have come in terms and conditions, not price.

Security and monitoring technology are helping to manage the risks for some projects.

Carriers are placing a lot of emphasis on security at the job site, when the workers arent working, Creedon said. They want to know what the security is on the job site? Does the project have cameras? Do you have 24-7 surveillance, live people on the site? he said. Security is a huge factor in the underwriting process on projects for the builders risk, particularly if theyre in an urban area that is susceptible to arson.

Continuing Labor Woes

A shortage of construction workers is the most challenging issue for contractors, the experts say.

Some 80% of construction firms report they are having a hard time filling hourly positions that represent the bulk of the construction workforce, according to the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC). Labor shortages in the construction industry remain significant and widespread, said Ken Simonson, AGCs chief economist, in May.

William Blanchard, managing director at Fort Worth-based insurance agency Higginbotham, says the lack of skilled labor has put tremendous pressure on some of his construction clients. I hear from a lot of contractors that they cant find qualified people, he said. That just leads to inexperienced workers, and that can lead to workers comp claims, auto claims, because theres just a lot new folks out there doing tasks they havent done in the past.

That also leads to potentially faulty workmanship claims, according to Matt Hammer, partner at Baldwin Krystyn Sherman Partners in Tampa, Fla.

Hammer says hes seeing a number of general liability carriers pull out of the market in the residential construction space as a result of claims caused by untrained and unskilled workers being thrust into construction jobs. There is such a demand for labor that you might have the entry level person thats taking on more responsibility, doesnt do quality work on a project, and then a claim surfaces in a year or two, or even right on the job site, he said.

Were seeing a number of changes with regards to general liability and excess liability because of that, he said. The number of carriers is dwindling, and the rates are increasing, he said. Some of the more specialized programs, project specific and wrap ups, the number of carriers that have historically offered those programs, especially those that are coming off multiple year rolling programs, the renewals have been difficult because the carrier capacity is drying up.

Creedon agrees that labor is the number one issue for construction firms. The construction industry  its an intersection of a generation that is timing out, getting close to retirement in the very near future, and its difficult to bring young people into the industry.

Changing Appetites

More construction business also means a changing carrier appetite for certain classes of business.

Theres not a whole lot of options, so auto is by far in the most disarray out of all of the coverage lines for both the general contractors and the subcontractors.

While multi-family construction, apartments and condos, has been a popular real estate development focus for many years, the recent construction boom is leading carriers to change their perspective on the desirability of multi-family, according to Hammer. So, theres some carriers that will now classify multi-family more as residential and less as commercial, and therefore restricting their appetite for such developments, he said. Plus, I think carriers are being more sensitive to the jack of all trades contractor, too, he said.

Hammer still sees competitive options for the general contractors that are doing primarily commercial construction, but the environment is less robust for multi-family and/or residential. The good news, Were seeing companies like Zurich pick up the pieces where some regional players like Westfield have changed their perspective in Florida, he said. You see the business going towards those carriers that are stable and committed to the business.

But he agrees with others that carriers are more selective when it comes to underwriting.

So while a company like Zurich may be more willing to take on a particular risk like multi-family with a contractor thats been in the business of developing multi-family and has a long track record of successful performance, they are less likely to take on someone who has no track record with multi-family and now has five projects planned in the coming year, he explained.

Todays environment is more selective, underwriting is coming into play, contractor expertise definitely is being evaluated more, and restrictions on multi-family have surfaced, he added.

Auto Again

Hammer and others agree the most difficult insurance line for construction today is commercial auto.

Hands down, across the board, for organizations that have large fleets, especially in the subcontract world, auto is difficult, Hammer said. Auto rates are increasing pretty much at a minimum of 20% in most of our southeast renewals, he said, even on accounts with no claims.

Theres not a whole lot of options, so auto is by far in the most disarray out of all of the coverage lines for both the general contractors and the subcontractors.

Auto liability remains the most challenging line in primary casualty for construction, says Creedon. Underwriting results have been sharply deteriorating since 2015, and while there is indication that repeated auto rate increases year after year are having an impact on carrier profitability and rate strategy, he doesnt expect underwriters to scale back on rate any time soon.

Construction firms with the scale and ability to take on larger retentions are making changes, according to McDonnell. Some are maybe putting the first $5 million of their auto exposure into a captive, hoping that they can manage that as opposed to paying market rates, he said.

Hammer says many of his larger clients are turning to alternative risk financing as well, such to weather the storm of difficult auto market conditions. Were seeing a number of different insureds going to the alternative risk financing route to better finance the risk associated with auto and also theyre incorporating the general liability, and workers comp, and property in certain cases.

Despite the challenges, construction business is good, Blanchard said. The forecast is saying its going to be robust for some time, he said. Were in a good spot.

Topics Carriers Agencies Trends Auto Excess Surplus Wildfire Underwriting Market Construction Contractors Human Resources
Insurtech was once the Wild West of the insurance industry. Many of insurtechs early players came from outside insurance after observing the industry struggle to deliver what was, in their view, a competitive customer experience.

Led by ambitious entrepreneurs from outside insurance, backed by Silicon Valley and focused on industry disruption, early insurtech initially promised to displace incumbents and usher in a new era of insurance offerings and tech-driven solutions.

Nearly 10 years since its inception, the reality of insurtech has evolved.

The messaging about supplanting industry giants is gone. In its place is a more collaborative environment led by insurance industry leaders partnering with tech solution providers. The simple reality is technology cannot do everything. The integration of experienced insurance professionals and tech is needed to manage across the insurance value chain.

Insurtech is creating buzz through mergers and acquisitions, further integrating innovative technologies with insurance industry leaders.

There are powerful drivers of change toward greater automation: insurance professionals aging out of the industry, consumer expectations changing, the transformation of risk itself through the Internet of Things, the continued fragmentation of the industry and legacy systems that dont talk to each other. Startups and incumbents alike are embracing these challenges through innovative methods designed to drive change across the value chain. Customer journey mapping, design thinking, lean process mapping and intelligent automation all have become increasingly part of the industrys response to evolving customer service needs.

The new promise  the modern concept of insurtech  is the embrace of a strategy driven by collaboration and innovation rather than disruption.

The Era of M&A Is Here

Currently, insurtech is creating buzz through mergers and acquisitions, further integrating innovative technologies with insurance industry leaders.

Last years acquisition of Indio Technologies by Applied Systems is one such example. Applied saw the acquisition as an opportunity to bring Indios digitized commercial insurance application and renewal process to Applieds agency management system, Epic, which serves thousands of agency and brokerage customers.

According to Applied CEO Taylor Rhodes, the integration of Indio reduced double entry for customers at the point of renewal or application within the companys Epic system. It also allowed for a more productive application of Applied personnel elsewhere in the renewal and application process while improving customer experience.

Another example of this M&A era is the 2017 deal between Vertafore and RiskMatch. The latter is a business intelligence and analytics company serving insurance brokers and carriers. The deal allowed Vertafore, an insurance technology firm, to better compete with competitors like Applied Systems for analytics and risk placement services by substantially enhancing Vertafores data and market insights to improve efficiency and profitability.

In both examples, as seen elsewhere across the industry, standalone technology solution companies are either being acquired or are partnering with industry leaders to apply those tech solutions to operational capabilities with existing reach into the insurance space in an effort to reduce complexity, create efficiencies and maximize the productivity of insurance professionals. And the numbers back up this assertion.

Deloitte Center for Financial Services reported in September that insurtech investments for the first half of 2019 were on the rise at $2.2 billion at the mid-year mark, while the number of insurtech startups had declined. (Editors Note: In a recent update, Deloitte reported an increased figure of $3.3 billion.) Additional examples of big carriers investing in digital platforms that support their core and ancillary business markets are ample, such as Chubbs 2018 investment in Bunker, Munich Res 2016 partnership with Slice Labs, Prudentials $2.35 billion acquisition of Assurance IQ. There is a veritable laundry list of insurance leaders investing in or partnering with technology startups to apply digital solutions to their established processes to maximize the customer experience.

The Challenge

The reality is simple: Technology alone will not fully eliminate the challenges that surround key processes like claims, which is the foremost area the insurance industry is moving to address.

The combination of innovative technology solutions and startups with more established industry players offers exciting promise for the industry  assuming we dont lose sight of the need to ensure a solution that serves humans must also be driven and populated by humans.

Put simply, there is no general artificial intelligence (AI).

Algorithms, bots and other technologies are not end-to-end solutions. These tools are highly localized and offer a narrow focus.

As part of a process, they offer greater efficiency and a streamlined manner to consumer data analytics. However, as technology in the insurance industrys past has proven, technology alone is not a solution. In fact, adoption of technology without an underlying strategy can create tremendous inefficiency to insurance processes, adding complexity and creating more costly issues for companies in terms of time, personnel and customer service.

Algorithms, bots and other technologies are not end-to-end solutions. These tools are highly localized and offer a narrow focus.

There is tremendous emotion around claims and losses. Technology can help in managing the claims process, but humans with customer service skills will remain a critical part of the process, allowing for insight, empathy and creative thinking that no algorithm can yet replicate.

With a hard market on the horizon, the complexity of applications and claims will grow. As this more complex situation evolves, standalone AI solutions will likely fail to adapt, while integrated technology solutions driven and overseen by insurance professionals who have lived through prior hard markets and know what to expect can help best guide their companies and their customer service experiences.

Advice for the Future

Companies that will succeed in this new industry landscape will be those whose leaders think big but start small. The temptation is to chase the big, shiny objects. This was an early mistake of many insurtech startups. The reality is that so much can be gained from small, incremental improvements.

Start by taking a close look at existing processes through the eyes of the customer. Design thinking and customer journey mapping ought to be part of the daily conversation of management looking to insurtech for solutions. Insurtech is the culmination of a lot of these things. Look outside of the insurance industry for inspiration.

Look for companies that can help alleviate some of the more complex pieces of digital transformation. Some of the most successful advances in insurtech to date have come from organizations that took an honest look at their tech and innovation deficits and identified an effective partner to maximize what they do best with new thinking and processes. By freeing up time to focus on the core business pieces, they seek to drive growth and success.

As we move into a harder market, additional burdens will be placed on agents and carriers to manage submission flow, markets will become more restrictive, submission volume will go up along with exceptions and exclusions. Insurtech alone cannot solve for these realities.

In the hard market to come, there will be a premium on customer service and customer satisfaction. Technology can certainly help mitigate some of the burden agents and carriers will face. Addressing coverage needs and solving claims challenges, however, is a big part of what will be needed.

This will require both a tech-based and a human-centric solution.

This article first appeared in Carrier Management magazine, Insurance Journals sister publication.

Topics Agencies Trends InsurTech Tech Market Startups
Zurich Insurance and Farmers Exchanges have agreed to buy MetLifes U.S. property and casualty business for $3.94 billion, the insurers said on Friday, after the COVID-19 pandemic made motor and home insurers more profitable.

Motor and home insurers have had a windfall as government lockdowns to curb the spread of infection have reduced the number of claims for road accidents and burglaries.

Insurers, such as Zurich, by contrast have faced hefty claims from event cancellation and business interruption and premium rates are rising.

It is an acquisition that complements very wellwhat we see on the commercial side where the market is hardening, Zurich Chief Executive Officer Mario Greco told a media call.

The Swiss insurer will contribute $2.43 billion to the deal through its Farmers Group Inc (FGI) unit, while the Farmers Exchanges will contribute $1.51 billion, Zurich said.

Reuters was the first to report on Nov. 20 that Zurich was in talks to buy the MetLife business.

The deal will give Farmers Exchanges, to which FGI provides certain administrative and management services, a nationwide presence in the United States and access to new distribution channels, Zurich said.

It will also help Zurich deliver its growth targets for 2022. Chief financial officer George Quinn told the call that the insurers targets did not depend on acquisitions, but they can accelerate what we are looking to achieve.

MetLife President and CEO Michel Khalaf said the sale would allow the life insurer to focus on our core strengths.

The deal is the latest in the sector.

Denmarks Tryg and Canadas Intact Financial are buying British home and motor insurer RSA, and Finlands Sampo and South Africas Rand Merchant Investment is buying Britains Hastings.

Shares in Zurich were down 1.3% at 0825 GMT in a 0.8% lower European insurance market. KBW analysts called the transaction a great strategic deal, but reiterated their underperform rating on the stock.

The MetLife business to be acquired includes 2.4 million policies, $3.6 billion of net written premiums in 2019 and 3,500 employees, Zurich said.

Zurich said it wanted to fund FGIs portion of the deal through a roughly equal combination of internal resources and hybrid debt.

Completion of the transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and is anticipated to occur in the second quarter of 2021.

(Reporting by Silke Koltrowitz in Zurich and Carolyn Cohn in London; editing by Aditya Soni, Mark Potter and Barbara Lewis)

Topics Mergers USA Agribusiness Property Casualty
If anyone should be attuned to the real-world impacts of global warming, its the policy makers and business heads that have to deal with the fallout. But even the most well-intentioned can fail to grasp just how bad things could get if climate goals arent met.

At least thats the impression I get. Thats why I reached out to Andy Pitman and Sonia Seneviratne, two of the worlds top experts on the most catastrophic effects of climate change. Their fields of study focus on extremes and compound events. Both worry that institutions are too focused on outcomes we can predict with high confidence. There isnt enough appreciation of the risks associated with new weather patterns we dont yet understand.

Warming of about 1.2 degrees Celsius from pre-industrial levels has already had devastating consequences. Once we get around 2C we are getting to a climate regime which hasnt been seen for as long as the human species has been at work, said Seneviratne, a professor at ETH Zurich who oversaw the chapter on extremes in the most recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report. The document, published every six to seven years, is the pinnacle of scientific knowledge about global warming.

Decision makers dont fully comprehend the second-order effects, after physical destruction, that increasingly extreme weather events will have on our social and economic systems. Some of these outcomes are hard to predict and that uncertainty will only grow the more fossil fuels we burn.

Thats one of the reasons why economic policy makers focus their analysis around what is best known, such as mean temperature changes and historical correlations between gross domestic product and climate.

A seminal paper published by the Bank for International Settlements warned that the Knightian uncertainty and epistemic break created by climate change present a deep challenge to monetary policy. But in practice the unknowns are still being overlooked. New scenarios produced for the central banks climate network in June, for example, only consider the effects of increases in temperature, excluding other factors such as extreme weather and sea-level rise.

Pitman, director of a multi-university center on climate extremes in Australia who has also contributed to previous IPCC reports, points to financial stress tests and macroeconomic modeling as one example of where this kind of thinking goes wrong.

The instruments are meant to estimate the effects of higher levels of warming, but if it tells you you are resilient at 4C, that doesnt mean youll be okay. It means your analysis is crap, he said. Its like asking what would happen if you jumped off a 50-meter cliff and then finding youd land at the bottom and youd be fine.

Economists might disagree, he says, but their modeling systems, the way they utilize information, only gives them a bit of the picture about what 4C means.

Seneviratne, meanwhile, says industry and economic analysts might be missing how different climate change impacts will interact with each other. Different regions risks are interconnected and this means much more risk altogether to society, she said.

For example, consider the face mask shortage early on in the pandemic or the delays still plaguing the global shipping industry. We dont perceive that a few critical areas are responsible for economic supplies, Seneviratne said. I see it in Switzerland. We are a rich country but we are quite dependent on supply chains because we rely on imports.

Compound events, she says, are still not well understood by the public, either. On top of sea-level rise you have more heavy precipitation and tropical cyclones, said Seneviratne. So many coastal communities maybe dont understand that the risk will be much higher.

To make matters worse, that narrow understanding of climate risks is often accompanied by an overconfidence in the ability of modeling to produce very granular forecasts. Pitman says central banks that are beginning to test financial institutions on climate risk assume degrees of precision that simply arent yet possible. The argument I hear is that its better than nothing, he said. That is profoundly false, it is just plain wrong.

Rainfall is a case in point. Heavy rainfall events are becoming more frequent globally, and will get worse. But this doesnt mean that every place will experience more flooding. The effect of background warming on local phenomena resulting from changes in storm tracks mean some areas will likely experience much less rainfall, which can be disastrous in a very different way to flooding.

It is better than nothing to be told we think rainfall will intensify, where it might intensify 10%, 15% or 20% and were not sure exactly how much, said Pitman. But if we say rainfall will intensify 15% to 30% and instead it stops happening over a region, that could be catastrophic. You havent adapted and youve wasted money.

Talking about that uncertainty and the limits of what modeling can currently show has long been a double-edged sword. Climate deniers have pounced on it as a way to discredit climate science.

In fact, the opposite is true. For me, the remaining uncertainties should be used as an argument for acting as fast as we can, said Seneviratne.

Photo: Offshore oil supply containers are strewn about after Hurricane Idas storm surge swept through Port Fourchon, Louisiana, U.S., on Tuesday, Aug. 31, 2021. More than a million customers in New Orleans and beyond face days or even weeks without electricity during the summer heat after Hurricane Ida devastated the power infrastructure.

Copyright 2021 Bloomberg.

Topics Climate Change
Concerns have been raised that new regulations may make it impossible to export cattle to Europe.

A European Parliament Committee of Inquiry tasked with investigating alleged breaches in the application of animal welfare rules during transport is currently drafting new regulations.

MEP Billy Kelleher has warned that Ireland could be severely impacted by these new guidelines if special exemptions are not provided to take our position as an island nation into account.

More than 118,000 cattle were exported in the first 15 weeks of this year alone, with Spain and the Netherlands the two top destinations.

Mr Kelleher said there are concerns that the recommendations may be "so restrictive in terms of duration of transport" that it could mean essential European markets are cut off to Irish farmers.

Animal welfare

"There's a lot of pressure on to tighten up the duration of transportation for unweaned animals. We're trying to defend the Irish position, explain our position, and at the same time come up with innovative ways of ensuring that animal welfare is protected to the highest standards.

"To get an animal from Ireland to France is a sea journey, so no matter what way it's going to work they will be at sea for a certain duration," said Mr Kelleher.

He warned that not being able to easily access the European market would have a massive impact on the dairy sector, which relies heavily on exporting calves to veal farms on the continent.

The committee will complete its findings before the end of the year and the regulation recommendations would then have to be ratified by the European Parliament.

"We are willing to look at other ways of improving it, maybe the addition of a veterinary surgeon on the ship when they are taking animals across to Europe, enhancing the actual trucks and shortening transport times on the continent when they get there. But we still have a situation whereby we have to accept that we can't shorten the sea journey, that is a geographical fact," the Fianna Fail MEP said.
Last February, the Gardas top gangland chief was put under sustained questioning by the media as to why  some five years on  no one had been convicted from the infamous murderous attack on the Regency Hotel in Dublin.

This seeming failure sparked commentary, and some sharp criticism, of the gardai, and came two years after the only prosecution to date  that of Patrick Hutch  suddenly collapsed in the Special Criminal Court in the wake of the tragic death through suicide of the lead garda investigator.

There were concerns that no one might face justice for one of the most outrageous murders in Irelands gangland history, which catapulted the feud between the Kinahan crime cartel and the Hutch gang into unprecedented levels of violence.

But answering questions from the media at Garda HQ last February, Assistant Commissioner (AC) Serious and Organised Crime John ODriscoll knew then that there would be prosecutions, and, while it would have deflected the glare of publicity on the lack of Regency charges, he could not reveal it.

Read More Irish drug gangs linked to Italian mafia in EU cocaine boom

Ive sat in front of the media and have given very careful answers, he said. If I'd have given different answer,s we may never have achieved the success we achieved.

"At my last one at Garda HQ, people were asking me about Regency Are there going to be prosecutions? Of course, I knew where we stood, but I could hardly say, before anyone was charged - the damage we would do if we declared what we were doing.

Since that briefing, four people have been charged before the Special Criminal Court (SCC) in relation to the murder of David Byrne at the Regency Hotel, Whitehall, north Dublin, on February 5, 2016. The trial is scheduled for next year.

NABBING THE MONK

And then there came the disclosure last April that a European Arrest Warrant (EAW) had been issued for Gerry Hutch, better known as 'The Monk', the head of the Hutch Organised Crime Group.

That followed the landmark decision by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to charge the veteran armed robber with murder in relation to the Regency attack.

Last month came the dramatic arrest of The Monk as he sat down in a restaurant in the Malaga area of Spain.

It followed a lengthy surveillance operation by Spanish police. The arrest was captured on police video, with the long clip showing the presence of a garda.

After Regency, we knew this was going to take time and that has proven to be the case, said AC ODriscoll. Here we are five years later we are now charging people.

He said that where gardai had suspicions, it has taken a number of years to gather information and to send the file to the DPP.

The police chief said: The files are so extensive, it takes the DPP some considerable time, and then they go to Special Criminal Court.

The moment Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch was arrested by Spanish police on the Costa del Sol. Picture: Guardia Civil

He added: If Gerry Hutch came home today on an extradition warrant, I suspect he wouldnt get a trial for two years, maybe less.

We are still putting together cases, and convictions only started in earnest a few years later.

The AC is not getting carried away with the arrest of The Monk: Gerry Hutch is arrested, hes subject of an extradition warrant - that is only because we have intent to lay a criminal charge. He may well prove to be an innocent person at the end of that process, its not to suggest he is guilty of what we may allege.

But surely his arrest, to face charges directed by the DPP for the Regency murder, is a major milestone?

I exercise considerable caution talking about a mere arrest," he said. "It is only a charge. We are accusing him, but he may be found innocent.

CATCHING THE CARTEL

And what about the wider impact  on the leaders of the Kinahan cartel, including Daniel Kinahan, holed up out in Dubai?

I cant talk about any specific investigation. Unfortunately, until such time as we are in a position to declare, to talk about where we are in relation to particular individuals, I cannot say anything.

He added: There may well be other people that we are pursuing before the courts, but we cannot go there  other than to say yes if they are members of those organised crime groups you can take it, we are targeting them. We are continuously gathering evidence to take out further people.

Does he not think The Monk's arrest will give Daniel Kinahan and others cause to think theyre next?

All these arrests have an impact. The allegation [against Hutch] relates to the Regency. Its a whole different ball game to prove, as may be suggested, [someone is] at the helm of an organised crime group (OCG)."

Assistant Commissioner, John O'Driscoll: "Of course, I knew where we stood, but I could hardly say, before anyone was charged." Picture: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin

This would appear to relate to what gardai  in particular the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (DOCB)  may be investigating in relation to Daniel Kinahan, including the possibility of securing charges of directing a criminal organisation.

Securing his extradition from the United Arab Emirates is also a whole different ballgame than using the EAW system, but gardai know that a major Dutch drug boss, Ridouan Taghi  an associate of the Kinahan cartel  was extradited in December 2019 by Dubai police to Dutch authorities with the assistance of Interpol.

The commissioner would not be drawn any further on the matter.

But he spoke at length at the success DOCB has had against the Kinahan cartel and organised crime groups, driven by resources which were denied the organisation during the last recession.

When you go through a recession and downsize your police force, without resources you cant be proactive, you are just providing fire brigade policing, which is what we said in relation the Regency  we were at a juncture having come through a recession, we werent as knowledgeable as we should be as how criminals were behaving.

Since the creation of DOCB [March 2015) and the task force to support it, we are constantly, every day of the week, targeting those who are the kingpins of organised crime.

Were not waiting for the next murder and [then trying to] solve it, we targeting those at the helm and people at all sort of levels in organised crime.

TAKING OUT HIT TEAMS

A key component of the new strategy, post-Regency, was the threat to life interventions- where the DOCB devoted extensive resources and time to gathering intelligence on gang associates, conducting surveillance and - when the time was right - swooping on them.

We might identify locations where firearms might be used and we might be aware they are planning to murder  but even if you catch people with firearms, they get a certain sentence, he said. Unless you can prove the purpose for which they had the firearm was to kill, you werent going to get the best results and take the hit teams out.

Thats why we had to put significant resources into monitoring these people to the extent we had sufficient proof firearms were for the purpose of killing.

Garda Assistant Commissioner John O'Driscoll: "We've taken out more than three to four hit teams and we also have hitmen." Photograph: Leon Farrell / RollingNews.ie

In the year the feud erupted in Ireland, in 2016, there were 20 interventions, growing to 26 in 2017. They halved to 13 in 2018 and stood at 14 in 2019 and collapsed since.

They really dwindled in 2020, when we had two cases and there has been one so far this year, in Tallaght in recent weeks, the AC said.

He said that in times of cutbacks this could be because of a lack of policing, but said this wasnt the case over the last two years.

We have taken a number of hit teams out, he said.

Asked, based on court reports, if three to four hit teams have been taken out, he said: Its probably more than three to four and we also have hitmen.

These hit teams have been successfully convicted before the SCC and include hitmen, such as Imre Arakas, brought in from Estonia.

The AC said: Regarding hit teams, I argued at the very beginning of putting resources into this, before we caught the first hit team, I said there are only so many people who will murder in these circumstances. I believe that has proven to be the case.

He said separate figures support this analysis.

Its reflected in another statistic, which are provisional figures, to the end of August show 36% less murders than this time last year, he said, noting murders have dropped from 25 to 16. This includes a fall off in gangland murders.

They just arent there to the extent we had, and our biggest problem now is the domestic-related murders, he said. There were no murders in May and no murder in July  a lot of countries would like to say that.

Read More Estonian Kinahan hitman will challenge extradition bid in October

While there are no official figures on gangland murders media reports would suggest there were one, maybe two, this year, with three in 2020 (including that of Robbie Lawlor in the North as part of the Drogheda-Coolock feud).

In comparison, there were 10 gangland murders in 2019, seven in 2018, seven in 2017, 13 in 2016 and eight in 2015. The figures were generally higher in the preceding years - 2014 (13), 2012 (15) and 2010 (18).

The drop in threat to life operations and gangland murders is also reflected in seizures of firearms by DOCB, although this is confined just to this year.

There were 25 firearms seized in 2015, 18 in 2016, 29 in 2017, 23 in 2018, 18 in 2019 and 23 in 2020. Four firearms have been seized this year.

AC ODriscoll said that some of the firearms are military grade with seven assault rifles and 17 machine guns seized by DOCB since 2015.

ON THE RIGHT ROAD

The DOCB have made use of special  some critics say draconian  powers contained in 2009 legislation, which created a new set of organised crime offences and referred them automatically to the non-jury Special Criminal Court, unless otherwise directed by the DPP.

These included offences of directing a criminal organisation, participating in such an organisation, benefiting or enhancing the activities of a criminal organisation.

The Irish Examiner has previously reported the sharp rise in organised crime cases, as well as money laundering cases, before the SCC, growing from three cases in 2015, to 49 cases in 2019 and to 116 cases in 2020.

Figures compiled by AC ODriscoll show that since January 1, 2019, DOCB has secured:

27 convictions in the SCC where the sentence has been more than five years, relating to organised crime offences and money laundering crimes;

46 convictions in the ordinary (jury) criminal courts with sentences over five years, mainly for drugs supply and some money laundering;

41 convictions in the ordinary courts where the sentences were less than five years

He pointed out these cases do not include the raft of convictions secured by local detectives for feud-related murders nor does it include DOCB convictions prior to January 2019. Neither do they include major convictions secured in Spain and Britain, where DOCB assisted.

With all the convictions of Kinahan lieutenants and foot soldiers, has the cartel not been partially dismantled?

One step in dismantling is disruption and, definitely, there is significant disruption, he said. When you seize money and drugs it introduces huge uncertainty in an organised crime group. There has to be internal inquiries as to how are we being so successful? Theres uncertainty who they are dealing with and they cannot be sure where we are going to come from next.

He added: Were clearly on the right road to achieving our aim which is to totally dismantle.

But he stitched on a caveat: You have a number of problems doing that.

No matter how much success you have, the organised crime group can grow bigger.

"You also have the problem that those you have taken out go back into the fold and we are very conscious it's great getting five years plus, and it deals with a problem at a given time, but in January 2019, if someone got five years, they are due out.

He said they also have to watch out for other existing feuds  in Drogheda, Coolock or Blanchardstown  flaring up again or new feuds erupting.

It needs constant monitoring, he said. You saw in Limerick, the resources gardai put into that, you had the ERU policing the streets. And the exercise the other week in Limerick, which was supported nationally, you are constantly watching Limerick to ensure it doesnt return to where it was in the past. You saw in Drogheda there was a significant presence while that was on the boil, a lot of resources were put in, but you cant afford to keep them there.

COCAINE AND CASH

AC ODriscoll pulls out more stats  on drugs and cash  to hammer home the work of DOCB.

The drugs trade hasnt abated, the seizures are as frequent and large as ever, he said, echoing numerous reports from EU and UN drug agencies.

To the end of August, DOCB (including operations with Customs) seized 48m worth of drugs. This compares to 36m worth in 2020 and 21m in 2019, with similar hauls since 2015, apart from 2017.

I never over focus on that [seizures], because you can get a year like 2017 when it was 75m, which you might have one large seizure [there was a 37.5m haul of cannabis that year], where we mightnt even have a prisoner.

Its not a huge result when you dont get prisoners. Seizures are significant in illustrating whats happening, but not the most significant outcome for law enforcement. I would prefer seizing a much smaller quantity of drugs in the possession of a target.

The 172kg cocaine haul, worth 12m, seized in Cork harbour last February. Up to 48m worth of drugs have been seized this year in Ireland up to August.

He said that 198kgs of cocaine has been seized so far this year  including the 172kg haul in Cork harbour last February. But it doesnt include the 2,000 bags of coal  suspected to contain 500kgs of cocaine  that was intercepted in Rotterdam in July bound for Ireland and returned to Ireland.

The AC said it is so expensive to extract the cocaine from the coal, they will most likely only extract enough to secure a prosecution, which could be as little as tens of thousands of euro.

You are not going to go to the expense to extract the full amount, but unfortunately you can never add that to your seizure data, he said.

Also reflecting the continuing wealth in gangland, the DOCB has seized more than 4.9m in cash by the end of August, continuing the bumper seizure of 7.8m in 2020. This marked a massive increase on 2019, when 2.5m in cash was seized.

Overall, he believes the Garda output since the Regency has been massive: I would suggest this is one of the most significant outcomes of an initiative anywhere in Europe  that level of output. If you look at the UK during those years and they were being decimated in numbers and crime rates were going up, theres a significant possibility reduced sizes contributed to the situation.

SPECIAL MEASURES

On the importance of the Special Crime Court in their efforts  and the high-level review, currently underway, into its future  AC ODriscoll points out that the DOCB must meet the same standards as in the ordinary courts.

He said evidence accepted in the SCC in relation to subversives  so-called opinion evidence of a chief superintendent that a defendant is a member of a paramilitary organisation  does not apply to crime.

He said most European countries operate a different system, with an investigating magistrate and far fewer witnesses called to trials.

He said murders in the Netherlands  this year of a journalist and two years ago of a lawyer  show the capacity of organised crime.

He pointed out Europol, the EU police agency, had said that at least one Irish organised crime group [Kinahan cartel] was in the middle of the upper tier of gangs capable of interfering with the criminal justice process through murder and other means.

Four people have been charged before the Special Criminal Court (SCC) in relation to the murder of David Byrne at the Regency Hotel in 2016. Photo: Gareth Chaney Collins

AC ODriscoll said the legislation underpinning the SCC is subject to the scrutiny of the Dail every year and said the very high level of guilty pleas in the SCC should be very reassuring to the public.

He added: The argument, if we are correct, that weve had a huge impact on reducing threat-to-life incidents, had we been dependent on the ordinary courts and not created a second SCC, some of the trials in these cases might not be taking place for another three years.

"Therefore, arguably the feud would have gone on longer, the deaths would have continued and we wouldnt have been able to bring these people to trial, let alone have convictions. It all adds to the argument of continuing the SCC  thats not to recognise it needs ongoing scrutiny.

He said that in the small number of cases that go wrong, there is a benefit to society where the SCC will give a written verdict.

The judgement will detail the defects in the case. Where theres a jury trial and a not guilty verdict, theres no judgement, thats the end of it. Arguably, theres a greater level of scrutiny in the Special Criminal Court.
Today

Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 71F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph.

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 71F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph.

Tomorrow

Cloudy and becoming windy. High 81F. Winds W at 20 to 30 mph.
Theoneste Bagosora, the Rwandan military leader dubbed the Colonel of the Apocalypse, has died in Mali where he was serving a life sentence for his role in the 1994 genocide that killed more than 800,000 people  mostly Tutsis.

Bagosoras death, aged 80, was announced by his son in a Facebook post on Saturday that read R.I.P. Papa. It was confirmed on Sunday.

Theoneste Bagosora died in a hospital in Mali yesterday (Saturday) late morning, said Abubacarr Tambadou, registrar for the Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals, which oversees prosecution of those responsible for the genocide.

Bagosora was jailed in 2008 for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, though his sentence was reduced to 35 years on appeal in 2011.

In April 1994, Colonel Bagasora was the most senior official under the minister of defence  and with a reported grudge against the then president Juvenal Habyarimana after being passed over for promotion to general.

French military intelligence concluded Bagasora was one of the prime sponsors behind the April 6 assassination of both president Habyarimana and his Burundian counterpart Cyprien Ntaryamira  both Hutus  as well as the Rwandan army chief of staff.

Their Falcon plane was shot down when preparing to land in the Rwandan capital Kigali, an event many blamed on Tutsi rebels and which triggered the massacres.

The assassination of moderate opposition ministers and Tutsis less than half an hour after the explosion of the presidential Falcon would confirm the high degree of preparation of this operation, according to the intelligence memo from September 1994, revealed in 2019.

 Most senior officer 

A few days later, the foreign minister and Hutu moderate was killed by soldiers. Bagasora and Boniface Ngurinzira had clashed constantly during 1993 peace talks in Tanzania.

Bagasora accused Ngurinzira of making too many concessions to the rebels and, on his return to Rwanda, reportedly said he was heading home to prepare the Apocalypse  something he denied in court hearings.

Bagasora denied any direct role in the genocide, though he was seen as part of a Hutu extremist faction in the country.

With the defence minister also out of the country on a mission, Bagasora was the most senior military official from April 6-9, the first days of the genocide  when extremists rounded on the Tutsi majority, Hutu moderates and those from mixed lineages in an orgy of bloodletting that shocked the world.

The appeal court in 2011 found that while there was no evidence he ordered the massacres, Bagasora knew they were planned and did nothing to stop them, even though he was in a position to do so.

Bagosora was serving his sentence in Koulikoro prison in Mali, but had been transferred to a clinic in the capital Bamako, an official in the Malian prison administration told AFP.

An official at the institution where he was admitted said he died of heart failure, without giving further details.

Bagosora had in April been refused an application for early release because of the extremely high gravity (of his) crimes.
Theoneste Bagosora, the Rwandan military leader dubbed the Colonel of the Apocalypse, has died in Mali where he was serving a sentence for his role in the 1994 genocide that killed more than 800,000 people  mostly Tutsis.

Bagosoras death, aged 80, was announced by his son in a Facebook post on Saturday that read R.I.P. Papa. It was confirmed on Sunday.

Theoneste Bagosora died in a hospital in Mali yesterday (Saturday) late morning, said Abubacarr Tambadou, registrar for the Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals, which oversees prosecution of those responsible for the genocide.

Bagosora was jailed for life in 2008 for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, though his sentence was reduced to 35 years on appeal in 2011.

In April 1994, Colonel Bagasora was the most senior official under the minister of defence  and with a reported grudge against the then president Juvenal Habyarimana after being passed over for promotion to general.

French military intelligence concluded Bagasora was one of the prime sponsors behind the April 6 assassination of both president Habyarimana and his Burundian counterpart Cyprien Ntaryamira  both Hutus  as well as the Rwandan army chief of staff.

Their Falcon plane was shot down when preparing to land in the Rwandan capital Kigali, an event many blamed on Tutsi rebels and which triggered the massacres.

The assassination of moderate opposition ministers and Tutsis less than half an hour after the explosion of the presidential Falcon would confirm the high degree of preparation of this operation, according to the intelligence memo from September 1994, revealed in 2019.

 Most senior officer 

A few days later, the foreign minister and Hutu moderate was killed by soldiers. Bagasora and Boniface Ngurinzira had clashed constantly during 1993 peace talks in Tanzania.

Bagasora accused Ngurinzira of making too many concessions to the rebels and, on his return to Rwanda, reportedly said he was heading home to prepare the Apocalypse  something he denied in court hearings.

Bagasora denied any direct role in the genocide, though he was seen as part of a Hutu extremist faction in the country.

With the defence minister also out of the country on a mission, Bagasora was the most senior military official from April 6-9, the first days of the genocide  when extremists rounded on the Tutsi majority, Hutu moderates and those from mixed lineages in an orgy of bloodletting that shocked the world.

The appeal court in 2011 found that while there was no evidence he ordered the massacres, Bagasora knew they were planned and did nothing to stop them, even though he was in a position to do so.

Bagosora was serving his sentence in Koulikoro prison in Mali, but had been transferred to a clinic in the capital Bamako, an official in the Malian prison administration told AFP.

An official at the institution where he was admitted said he died of heart failure, without giving further details.

Bagosora had in April been refused an application for early release because of the extremely high gravity (of his) crimes.
Lafayette,LA- Hurricanes Laura and Ida are among the most powerful storms to beat up the Louisiana coast these past two years, leaving many with no choice but to rebuild.

"I didn't have it before Katrina, and that taught me that you need some type of insurance", says New Orleans native Cassandra Turner.

Turner has been living in Lafayette since after Hurricane Hatrina. After losing everything, she learned how important it is to have home or renters insurance in her back pocket. "With the insurance now with the past storm, I felt better. I didn't feel like I was going to be without anything because I had the insurance."

I sat down with Shelter Insurance agent Josh Adams who says when that bad day happens, by having insurance, you can be at ease knowing that they will take care of what you lost. "They will take on that risk of if something bad happens, we're going to put everything back as close as possible that we can. The way it was before the actually hurricane happened."

Adams says to make sure you understand what's covered and what's not with any policy. Make sure the policy gives you exactly what you need. "It's very important to know what your policy is going to cover. When that bad time comes and if you think something is covered and it wasn't, and you didn't ask those question. That's going to be very frustrating.

Adams says that he strongly advises that people get flood insurance living here in Louisiana, and also that people should know that flood insurance is a separate policy. If you're ever in need of insurance or have questions, you can visit Shelter Insurance at 605 Silverstone Rd Ste 106, Lafayette, LA 70508.
Model and actor Nam Yoon Su returns to the small screen dressed in a royal servant's clothes in the new KBS drama "The King's Affection" alongside Park Eun Bin and SF9 Rowoon.

The drama follows the story of a crown prince born as a twin who was abandoned by her family for her gender, who aims to conquer the throne.

Nam Yoon Su To Portray the Role of a Royal Servant in 'The King's Affection'

"Beyond Evil" actor Nam Yoon Su returns to the small screen with his first historical drama as the royal servant Lee Hyun, who excels in both academics and martial arts.

The royal servant has a gentle personality, never was he rude and arrogant. He acts accordingly, with a sense of justice and rationality.

Nam Yoon Su described his new character as "someone who is as reliable as a big tree."

This hinted at Lee Hyun's strong and reliable personality that endured the hurricane-like fate that entwines him together with crown prince Lee Hwi and Jung Ji Woon, played by Park Eun Bin and SF9 Rowoon respectively.

When asked about his thoughts on the new drama, he shared, "This is my very first historical drama and I admit, I am challenged. But I think I can give justice to Lee Hyun's character. I can act as I learn new things."

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Nam Yoon Su, Choi Byung Chan, Bae Yoon Kyung, and Jung Chaeyeon Display Youthful Visuals in New Drama With Park Eun Bin and SF9 Rowoon

He encouraged potential viewers to anticipate the drama, saying, "The drama will serve the viewers a variety of elements packed in a narrative. Please look forward to seeing the drama."

With a gentle and sweet smile, he doubled Lee Hyun's charms, raising curiosity about his acting performance in the drama.

Nam Yoon Su's Previous Projects and Current Works

The 25-year-old model and actor started his career as a model.

He made his acting debut through music videos in 2015. Nam Yoon Su made his official acting debut through MBC's "4 Kinds of House" in 2018.

In the same year, he appeared in the web drama "Want More 19", followed by "I'm Not A Robot" in 2020.

He also appeared in "The Temperature of Language: Our Nineteen."

In 2020, he was nominated for the Best New Actor Award in the 57th Baeksang Awards for his acting performance in the Netflix series "Extracurricular."

Currently, he is hosting MNet's music show "M Countdown" together with (G)I-DLE's Miyeon.

'The King's Affection' Production and Further Details

KBS2's new historical romance series is helmed together by filmmaker Song Hyun Wook and screenwriter Han Hee Jung.

Choi Byung Chan, Bae Yoon Kyung, and DIA Chaeyeon will also participate in the drama, adding a fresh combination to the ensemble.

"The King's Affection" is slated to air on October 11 at 9:30 p.m. KST on KBS2. It will also be available on Netflix.

Follow KDramastars for more Kdrama, KMovie, and celebrity news updates!

KDramastars owns this article.

Written by Elijah Mully.
Jolinn Bracey slept in her Toyota Corolla for five years until she put homelessness in her rearview mirror by moving into a tiny home.

Bracey, 48, is one of 41 residents of The Chandler Boulevard Bridge Home Village in North Hollywood, California, which provides transitional housing for the homeless.

"This has given me a place to reconfigure myself and build up to my new home," Bracey told CNN. "It put me back into practice of being consistent in the normal things that you do. It grounds you."

Bracey moved into the 64-square-foot home in February. It features a bed, air conditioner, racks to hang her colorful clothes and, most importantly, a door that locks.

"It's the first time in a long time that I don't feel like someone is going to come up on me," said Bracey.

She said a fire in a house she once owned and an unfair eviction at a place she rented led her into homelessness.

There are more than 41,000 homeless people in the city of Los Angeles, according to the last count by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, an independent, joint powers authority created by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and the Los Angeles mayor and City Council.

Villages like Chandler aim to chip away at that number by placing formerly homeless people in protected, fenced-off communities.

Helping residents get back on their feet

At Chandler, case managers can offer residents help for anything from drug and alcohol abuse and mental health issues, to navigating the complexities of job applications, health insurance and more.

"We're dealing with people at the worst moment of their lives," said Rowan Vansleve, president of Hope of the Valley, the non-profit that operates Chandler and other tiny home villages in the Los Angeles area.

"It's really humbling to say, 'I can't feed myself. I can't house myself. I can't get a hot shower.'"

Vansleve says new residents revel in that first shower on site and calls hot water and great soap "magic" that helps residents feel like a better person.

The residents are also fed three meals a day.

"We do everything we can to make this site welcoming. We call it the 'Love Club,'" Vansleve added.

Despite the nickname, the village does have rules. At the top of the list is no weapons or drugs allowed on campus, and paraphernalia must be checked at a locker outside.

Hope of the Valley says residents live in the homes for free and can stay as long as they are on a pathway to permanent housing, which counselors estimate takes three to six months.

Vansleve said the strategy is to take people off the streets within just a few miles of the tiny home village, not from other parts of Southern California, such as Skid Row.

"That way, people in the neighborhood see less homeless, less trash, less crime, fewer drug users roaming around," he added. "I think these villages should spread across the country like Starbucks -- be in every community."

Vansleve says the tiny home villages are built on small parcels, many repurposed city properties. The Chandler complex sits on just half an acre.

An Everett, Washington, company called Pallet, which specializes in small shelter homes for homeless or temporary housing, built the homes for the Chandler village. The company estimates the minimum cost of each home to be $5,495.

Pallet reports it has helped build 44 tiny home villages, most on the West Coast, with 13 projects in the pipeline.

Hope of the Valley aims to house more than 900 people by November, Vansleve said.

'One of the lucky ones'

Completely out of view from any passersby, Chandler resident Todd Dumanski loaded his laundry at the row of stacked washers and dryers.

"I've been a heroin abuser and polysubstance abuser almost my entire life," Dumanski said.

Dumanski, 36, said he once amassed a net worth of well over a million dollars by founding a vitamin and supplement company in the Philadelphia area. But he said business misfortune and his drug use eventually put him on the streets after a move to Los Angeles.

"I'm one of the lucky ones," he said, "because a lot of people (addicts) died."

Dumanski described a dark homeless underworld filled with debilitating or lethal drug abuse, rampant theft, all forms of violence including sexual assault against women and men, and bullets flying.

"I got shot at six times, by a revolver, by three gang members," Dumanski said.

"They were young, maybe 18 to 24 years old. They shot at me because they wanted my spot for one of their friends who would soon become homeless."

Dumanski said he had built an elaborate shelter near the 170 Freeway, hidden from view, and he had rigged up a grill.

Now, Dumanski lives in a tiny home less than a mile away, with little more than his bed, toiletries and a huge water jug with a handle that he lifts to add to his workouts.

"I like to throw everything in one backpack," Dumanski said. "I don't attach emotions to material stuff. Technically from the outside I have nothing, but I feel I have everything. "

Dumanski once had a house and a BMW -- but also feelings of depression and suicide, he said.

"You give me tens of thousands of dollars, that isn't going to help me right now," Dumanski said. "I'm right where I want to be right now. I know what I have to do moving forward. This place has been a game changer, man."

Paying it forward

Each tiny home is different. The interior style ranges from Dumanski's minimalist white to Bracey's kaleidoscopic flickers of purples, reds, aqua and more.

"My decor is just me -- I'm colorful, funky," Bracey declared. "I think outside the box."

Inside her tiny home, Bracey dreamed out loud about getting a bachelor's degree and spinning all the good will she found at Chandler onto people who are currently homeless.

She says she's two classes away from finishing up an associate degree at Los Angeles Valley Community College.

"I just want to help everybody not go through what I went through," Bracey said.

At the end of the month, Bracey said, she plans to move into an apartment. It will be just down the street, not far from the parking garage where she used to sleep in her car.

The-CNN-Wire

 &  2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.
UPDATE: MEDFORD, Ore-- On Sunday, the Medford Police Department released more information regarding Saturday's homicide investigation on the 800 block of Royal Avenue in Medford.

Police are now stating that Brycen Scofield and Dylan and Austin McLeod have been arrested as the main suspects in the homicide of 24-year old Aaron Stitt.

While police officers conducted an investigation, investigators discovered that the suspects made an effort to conceal the victim and clean up the scene.

Medford Police also state that they believe that Stitt was killed earlier in the day on Saturday, after he was invited over to the apartment where Scofield, and the McLeod brother planned to rob him

Detectives believe the victim was murdered with blunt force objects and firearms were recovered from the scene.

An autopsy will be conducted in the near future.

All three suspects are currently facing the same charges including: - Murder 2nd Degree, Robbery 1st Degree, Abuse of a Corpse 2nd Degree, Unlawful Use of a Weapon and Tampering with Evidence. No bail has been set.

MEDFORD, Ore-- Today at about 11:30 a.m., Medford Police officers say that they responded to an assault inside an apartment in the 800 block of Royal Avenue, where the suspect was possibly armed with a firearm.

Medford Police Officers state that they arrived to the scene and found a male suspect outside the apartment.

Officers say that the suspect ran back inside to avoid contact with officers, but after officers phoned the suspect, he exited and was detained with out further incident.

Officers located a deceased male inside the apartment, who appears to have suffered homicidal violence.

The scene was turned over to Medford Police detectives who are being assisted by the Oregon State Police Crime Lab.

This is a developing story and we will continue to provide updates on the situation as soon as we learn more information.
Medford, Ore. - The Southern Oregon hybrid and electric vehicle association hosted a car show and drive event for locals that may be considering going green next time they visit the car dealership.

The event is aimed at educating the public about the simplicity and benefits of switching to electric cars for all or at least a portion of your day-to-day driving.

Throughout the event, green car representatives were available to discuss and answer questions about their experiences owning and driving electric cars.

"In the United States, the emissions created by personal transportation is the number one polluter of CO2 in the nation," says greencars.com representative Kevin Jennings. "So any effort we can all make to reduce the amount of gas that we're using on a daily day-to-day basis is for everyone's best interest."
Michael Kovrig, centre, embraces his wife Vina Nadjibulla, left, and sister Ariana Botha after arriving at Pearson International Airport in Toronto, Saturday, Sept. 25, 2021. Two Canadians who were imprisoned in China for nearly three years are home. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh
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The main reason we are seemingly so accepting of lockdowns and vaccine mandates is that we have been conditioned to view a pandemic or an epidemic as a war being waged on our society.

In wartime, we naturally expect civil liberties to be suspended. Likewise, the reasoning goes, during a pandemic we need to act in a unified way under some central command to fight this viral existential threat. Individual rights and freedoms must be curtailed for the sake of the greater good.

But thats a false analogy. A pandemic is not a war. Its a natural disaster. (Granted, SARS-CoV-2 may not be so natural but still, the virus is not an enemy waging a war on us.)

A natural disaster doesnt intend to subjugate cities and countryside, take natural resources and wealth, rape women, or enslave men. The virus doesnt intend any of this. It has no intentions whatsoever. Heck, it is not even alive.

The only similarity between a war and a pandemic, then, is that oftentimes many lives are lost in both cases. I say oftentimes because it is actually not the case that lives are always lost during war, even if the war itself is lost. The enemy may be so powerful as to take over the country without a shot being fired. In fact, war rarely aims to kill citizens for the sake of killing. Deaths are usually the consequence of one state trying to control another. Once control is achieved, the killing usually stops.

But not so with the virus. So far as we know, it just kills individuals mindlessly. It has neither the intention nor the capability of taking over the country or subjugating the people. Therefore, it is not a threat to the common good, only to many individual goods.

And thats a major difference. Its for the sake of the common good that, in wartime, we accept the sacrifice of the individual good. And, particularly if its a just war, the sacrifice is actually embraced by the individual. The hero may regret leaving behind wife and children but he is propelled to move to the front by the greater attraction of safeguarding the greater good.

Granted, human nature being what it is, wars are rarely just and individuals are rarely heroes, so the sacrifice often involves forced conscription. But still, we can have a sense of how things are supposed to be in time of a good war when all citizens are good and ready to enlist.

But a pandemic is clearly not like war. It does not bring forth the same motivations of heroic self-sacrifice and reactions of solidarity that a just war brings. If a heroic action takes place during a pandemic (and clearly such action does take place from the ranks of frontline workers) it is a self-sacrifice aimed at saving the lives of particular individuals and is therefore indistinguishable from peacetime heroic action, as when a person jumps into a torrent to save a drowning baby. It is motivated by the love of neighbor, not love of country (i.e., common good love), precisely because it is not the country nor its common good that is under threat.

This is particularly true of this COVID pandemic which attacks individuals with such discrimination, generally sparing the young and healthy while slamming the old or those with metabolic or immune vulnerabilities. But discriminate destruction is, in fact, typical of natural disasters: It is the Gulf Coast, Florida, and the Eastern seaboard that are the target of the hurricane while the earthquake shakes California; Vesuvius was fatal for Pompeii, but hardly for the rest of Campania or for Naples; the flood affects those living on the plain, not the mountain-dwellers; etc. It is not the common good that is undermined by the disaster, but only many individual material properties and many individual lives. War, on the other hand, aims at controlling the whole land.

Thats why lockdowns and vaccine mandates are so wrong. They are a kind of collective action that would be justified in wartime but is applied in actual peacetime.

And its easy to see the difference in effect: when the state mobilizes factories to build weapons to defend from the invasion, the good that results benefits everyone, since the threat itself is collective. But when the state shuts down restaurants and churches allegedly to save hospitals, while the Zoomocracy thrives, it has pitted one part of the nation against another, thus manufacturing winners and losers from within its own people.

And likewise with vaccine mandates that overtly do violence to the unvaccinated who are plainly innocent of any wrongdoing. By coercing vaccination on one group to protect another group from the virus, state mandates treat some people as human shields for the benefit of others. Yet all are within the same commonwealth!

Our pre-conditioned way of thinking about pandemics in martial terms may, unfortunately, turn into reality. The virus may eventually recede, but many common goods may not survive the response to the pandemic.

After it was announced that the administration would decree a nationwide vaccine mandate that could affect 100 million people, the Babylon Bee immediately put up a headline Joe Biden Announces Civil War.

It wasnt fake news. Unfortunately, it was not satire either.

Michel Accad is a cardiologist and founder, Athletic Heart of San Francisco. He blogs at Alert & Oriented.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
Over the summer, Gabby Petito set out with her fiance, Brian Laundrie, to travel across the country in her white Ford van, planning to hit national parks throughout the western United States.

For the past year, the young woman regularly posted pictures with Laundrie on her Instagram account, sharing last May she couldn't wait to start "traveling the world" with him and several weeks later, in July 2020, announcing he had asked her to marry him.

"I said yes!" Petito had written in an Instagram caption. "Everyday is such a dream with you."

She documented their trip this summer on social media, posting pictures of herself smiling in Kansas' Monument Rocks, posing on the Great Sand Dunes in Colorado and taking in the views of Utah's Bryce Canyon National Park.

But when the camera turned off, a different reality was unfolding. The trip seemed to be straining the relationship and the two were seen arguing by passersby -- at one point so intensely, at least one person called authorities to report it.

Petito called her mom regularly, and those conversations appeared to reveal there was "more and more tension" in Petito's relationship, according to a police affidavit for a search warrant of an external hard drive found in the couple's van.

In late August, Petito's calls to her mother stopped. The regular social media posts ceased. And on September 11, her family reported her missing.

"She would go off the grid, you know, while she was out there, doing her van-life stuff, exploring these different areas," Jim Schmidt, Petito's stepfather had said when she was missing. "It wasn't uncommon for her to go off for a few days at a time but she'd always make her way back to someplace where she could get on to a Wi-Fi connection, upload to her Instagram, make phone calls, FaceTime to come home."

The FBI announced on September 19 authorities had found human remains "consistent with the description of" Petito. The remains were later confirmed to be those of Petito. The FBI said the initial determination for Petito's manner of death is homicide.

A search for Laundrie, who returned to the couple's Florida home on September 1 without Petito and vanished two weeks later, is ongoing.

New, slowly emerging details help paint a picture of what the days before Petito's death may have looked like.

Why it's been so hard to find Brian Laundrie

The two were stopped by police

On August 12, nearly three weeks before Laundrie arrived back in Florida at the home he shared with Petito and his parents, someone drove by a couple with a white van with a Florida license plate and called 911 to report they saw "the gentleman was slapping the girl."

"Then we stopped," the caller told dispatchers, according to a 911 audio recording from that day that was provided by the Grand County Sheriff's Office. "They ran up and down the sidewalk. He proceeded to hit her, hopped in the car and they drove off."

A Moab, Utah, police officer who spotted the van later wrote in a police report he saw Petito sitting in the passenger seat and "crying uncontrollably."

In bodycam footage from the Moab Police Department that was obtained by CNN, an officer is heard asking the young woman, who was visibly shaken, to step out of the van and sit inside his vehicle in hopes of helping her calm down. Petito said the two had been fighting that morning and going through "some personal issues."

"I have OCD and sometimes I get really frustrated," Petito said, adding later, "He wouldn't let me in the car before."

When the officer asked why, the young woman responded, "He told me I needed to calm down, but I'm perfectly calm."

"At no point in my investigation did Gabrielle stop crying, breathing heavily, or compose a sentence without needing to wipe away tears, wipe her nose or rub her knees with her hands," officer Daniel Scott Robbins wrote in the report.

Robbins wrote he did not believe the "situation escalated to the level of a domestic assault as much as that of a mental health crisis." He suggested the two separate for the night, to which Petito and Laundrie agreed.

"I was able to contact Safe Haven and get Brian a hotel room for the night," Robbins wrote. "I instructed both Brian and Gabrielle to take advantage of this time apart to relax their emotions ... also asked them to avoid contacting each other until the next morning if at all possible."

Petito kept the van while Robbins took Laundrie to the hotel, the officer wrote, adding that they both had their cell phones on them in case of emergency.

A witness on site wrote in a sworn statement the two were "talking aggressively at each other and something seemed off."

Chris, the witness -- whose last name was redacted in the document provided to CNN by Moab police -- said it appeared the two were arguing over control of Petito's phone, and said he saw the young woman at one point "punching (Laundrie) in the arm and/or face and trying to get into the van."

"Why do you have to be so mean," Chris wrote he heard Petito say to Laundrie, although Chris added that he couldn't be sure whether the comment was meant to be taken seriously.

A National Park Service ranger who also responded to the call spent about an hour and a half with Petito and warned her that her relationship with Laundrie had markings of a "toxic" one, Melissa Hulls, the ranger, told the Deseret News of Utah.

"I was imploring with her to reevaluate the relationship, asking her if she was happy in the relationship with him, and basically saying this was an opportunity for her to find another path, to make a change in her life," Hulls told the Deseret News.

A post on Petito's Instagram account on the same day was tagged at the Arches National Park near Moab. A caption on that post says the couple had spent some time taking photos and "drawing and enjoying the nature," near the arches.

Petito FaceTimed with her mom

Petito called and texted her mother regularly throughout the trip, according to the search warrant which described an apparent growing tension between Petito and Laundrie.

On August 24, Petito FaceTimed with her mother and told her she was leaving Utah and heading to the Teton mountain range, in Wyoming, Petito family attorney Richard Stafford has said.

A day later, the mother and daughter texted again, during which time her family believed Petito was in the Tetons, Stafford said previously.

A timeline of Gabby Petito's case

'Commotion' inside a restaurant

On August 27, five days before Laundrie arrived in Florida, a Louisiana couple who was vacationing in Jackson, Wyoming, said they saw Petito and Laundrie involved in a "commotion" as they were leaving The Merry Piglets Tex-Mex restaurant.

Nina Angelo, who was at the restaurant with her boyfriend, said Petito was in tears and Laundrie was visibly angry, going in and out of the restaurant several times and showing anger toward the staff around the hostess stand. A restaurant manager told CNN she saw "an incident" at the restaurant on August 27 but declined to give her name or describe what happened and said the restaurant did not have surveillance video of the incident.

On the same day, Petito's mother received what she described as an "odd text" from her daughter, the search warrant said, and was concerned something was wrong.

"Can you help Stan, I just keep getting his voicemails and missed calls," the message read, according to the search warrant. Stan was a reference to Petito's grandfather, who her mother said Petito never referred to that way, according to the warrant.

Also on August 27, a pair of vloggers' GoPro video captured Petito's van in the Spread Creek Dispersed Camping Area, where Petito's body was later found, between 6 to 6:30 p.m. local time.

The vloggers, Kyle and Jenn Bethune, said when they saw the van's Florida license plates they considered stopping to say hello, since they were from Florida as well, but Jenn Bethune said nobody seemed to be around the vehicle.

"We figured maybe they were out hiking or they were just chilling inside," Kyle Bethune added. "There (were) no doors open."

The FBI has asked for information from anyone who was in the camping area between August 27 and August 30, who may have had contact with the couple or seen the vehicle.

According to the timeline Stafford previously provided, the last text from Petito came on August 30, but her family doubted it was her who wrote the message.

"No service in Yosemite," that message read, according to Stafford.

Where Petito was found

On September 19, officials announced the discovery of remains in the Spread Creek Dispersed Camping Area in the Bridger-Teton National Forest. A coroner later confirmed Petito's identity.

The restaurant where authorities have said Petito was last seen is about 25 miles from Spread Creek.

A federal arrest warrant issued last week for Laundrie for the use of unauthorized access devices "in the District of Wyoming and elsewhere" alleges that sometime between August 30 and September 1, Laundrie is suspected of using a debit card and PIN number for accounts that did not belong to him for charges of more than $1,000.

An attorney for Laundrie's family said Thursday the warrant is related "to activities occurring after the death of Gabby Petito and not related to her actual demise."

"The FBI is focusing on locating Brian and when that occurs the specifics of the charges covered under the indictment will be addressed in the proper forum," Attorney Steve Bertolino said.

The-CNN-Wire

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OREGON -- As an effort to improve the health of Oregon's waterways, SOLVE is encouraging community members to take part in their 38th annual Beach and Riverside Cleanup.

The event is in parternship with the Oregon Lottery with support from multiple other agencies. It kicked off on Sept. 18 and will run until Oct. 3

So far, over 2,000 volunteers have come together and collected 26,815 pounds of litter and marine debris from Oregons coast, rivers, waterways and neighborhoods -- all since the start of the event.

The goal is to create the improvement through litter pick-up and restoration work.

Officials say this comes as droughts have persisted in western states through the summer months -- sounding the alarm on the importance of taking care of our water as a precious natural resource.

CLICK HERE to find a cleanup opportunity near you.
PORTLAND, Ore.  A new Oregon bill goes into effect Saturday that requires guns to be securely stored when not in use.

Senate Bill 554 requires Oregonians to keep guns secured with a trigger or cable lock, in locked container or in a gun room except in specific circumstances. It also allows places like the state capitol, airports, schools and universities to prohibit firearms in buildings.

The bill goes into effect one day after yet another horrific scene of gun violence in Portland. One person was killed by the gunfire and other people were injured at Silver Dollar Pizza on Northwest 21st Avenue early Friday morning. Countless others in nearby bars ran away terrified.

"All we heard was bang, bang, bang, and you see the whole place just duck down," witness Sukhreet Cheema said. "It was pretty scary."

With more than three months to go in 2021, there have already been more than 920 shootings in the Rose City. That is up from 388 in all of 2019. The dramatic uptick has not gone unnoticed.

"My heart breaks and bleeds for the people of Portland," Oregon state senator James Manning Jr. said. "Portland is a great city but we've got to get a handle on this."

Sen. Manning is one of the chief sponsors of SB 554.

"It breaks my heart to know how many innocent lives we lost and continue to lose," Sen. Manning said.

Sen. Manning knows this bill will not necessarily solve the gun violence plaguing Portland, but he believes it is a step in the right direction.

"It's about accountability and hopefully we'll get to a place where we don't have all of this gun violence and innocent people being killed," Sen. Manning said. "We've got a lot of work to do and a long ways to go."

The hope is that the work does not take too long, at least that is the hope for people living near Silver Dollar Pizza on Northwest 21st. The neighborhood now understands all too well the devastating effects of gun violence.

"It's finally encroaching, the violence up here, and you never would think that," said neighbor Avery Lemons.
New research from NUI Galway has said every county in Ireland can expect an increased population of false widow spiders within the next 20 years.

Researchers studied the populations across the country and actually found 550 of the species in Lucan, Co Dublin, during the course of the study.

Their research is the first venom study of its kind in the world and comes 22 years after the first false widow spider was discovered in Ireland in 1999.

Were living in a time where weve got huge concerns about climate change, weve got insect decline and now it appears that we have this global invasive spider, said researcher Dr John Dunbar in the Irish Times.

He said it was important to monitor the growth of the false widow here to evaluate its impact on native species and other wildlife.

A bite from a false widow can be deadly to humans and there have been a number of cases of hospitalisation in Ireland. Other spiders, like the native European giant house spider and lace web spider, are impacted by the false widow venom and can be killed.

The fact that this spider has more highly potent venom and is more active throughout the year and can out-reproduce them as well, its really efficient in tackling other spiders, Dr Dunbar said.

There is no doubt that within the next 20 years we are going to have a significant population in every county in Ireland.
GOODHUE COUNTY, Minn. - A 29-year-old female died Saturday after an early-morning crash in Goodhue County.

The Minnesota State Patrol said Ashley Elizabeth Gomez, of Alvarado, Texas, was killed and two others were injured in the single-vehicle crash.

It happened at Highway 57 and 505th St. in Cherry Grove Township.

Two others in the vehicle, both from Texas, suffered non-life-threatening injuries. The fatal crash involved an unbelted occupant, authorities said. The crash was reported at 3:37 a.m.
Since being informed a week ago by Brian Laundrie's parents that they had not seen him for days, dozens of local and federal officers have searched high and low in a swampy Florida nature reserve for the 23-year-old following the disappearance and then the discovery of the body of his fiancee Gabby Petito in Wyoming.

The search of the Carlton Reserve will resume Saturday, officials said.

Laundrie, who his parents say departed their home with his backpack on September 14 and told them he was headed to reserve, left his cell phone and wallet behind, a source close to the family told CNN on Thursday. The police were told of Laundrie's departure by his parents on September 17, officials said.

A multitude of personnel scoured the area this week, using drones and bloodhounds as part of the search, North Port Police Department spokesperson Josh Taylor said.

An underwater dive team from the Sarasota Sheriff's Office who are "called upon to search for evidence of crimes and victims of drowning, water accidents and foul play" was also brought in midweek, according to the sheriff's office.

"We're looking through wooded areas, we're looking through bodies of water, we're looking through swampy areas," North Point Police Commander Joe Fussell said in a video shared online Friday. "And we're deploying the resources to be able to do that. We have air units, we have drones, we have the swamp buggies, air boats, multiple law enforcement agencies, we have ATVs, we have UTVs and we have officers on foot as well."

Petito, 22, and Laundrie embarked on a cross-country trip in June and were visiting national parks. They posted online regularly about their travels with the hashtag #VanLife, but those posts abruptly stopped in late August.

Laundrie returned home with their van on September 1. Petito was reported missing September 11 after her family had not been able to get in touch with her. She was found dead eight days later near a campground in Wyoming's Bridger-Teton National Forest.

According to an arrest warrant issued Thursday, Laundrie is wanted for the alleged use of "unauthorized devices" in the period following Petito's death.

The warrant "doesn't change anything for us," Fussell said. "We're working as hard to find him now as we did on day one."

The conditions are challenging with murky water, muddy roads and thick vegetation, according to videos shared by North Port police. "Rough is an understatement," Taylor said Thursday of the conditions in the reserve.

He said Saturday's and Sunday's efforts will be focusing on "areas of more likelihood."

Another person says she gave hitchhiking Laundrie a ride in August

With law enforcement combing through the reserve, more stories are emerging of interactions involving Laundrie before his return to Florida.

Norma Jean Jalovec, a seasonal Wyoming resident, told CNN that she picked up Laundrie not far from Jackson Lake Dam on August 29, around 6:15 p.m. and gave him a ride to the Spread Creek dispersed campground where Gabby Petito's remains were later found.

Laundrie was hitchhiking, Jalovec said, and got in the passenger seat of her Toyota SUV 4-Runner.

According to Jalovec, Laundrie told her he and his fiancee had a travel blog, that she was in their van at the camping area working on the blog, and that he had been hiking along the Snake River embankment for a few days.

Jalovec said when they arrived at Spread Creek, she dropped Laundrie off before the gate at the entrance of the camping area. She said she offered once or twice to take him farther, but he was insistent that he be dropped off at the entrance.

Laundrie then offered her gas money, but she declined, she said.

Jalovec said as soon as she saw a series of videos posted on TikTok by Miranda Baker, who said she picked up Laundrie hitchhiking and dropped him at Jackson Lake Dam, she called the FBI and shared all the information she had.

Baker had said she dropped Laundrie near the dam at 6:09 p.m. and Jalovec says she picked him up just a few minutes later.

"I'm glad I was able to help in the investigation that placed him at Spread Creek at a definite time on August 29," Jalovec told CNN.

CNN has not been able to independently verify Baker's claims. North Port police confirmed to CNN that Baker spoke with the department before posting the videos on TikTok.

$30,000 in rewards offered for tips

As the search for Laundrie stretches into its second week, two separate rewards totaling $30,000 have been offered to anyone who provides law enforcement officials with Laundrie's whereabouts.

Boohoff Law, a personal injury law firm, said in a release on its website it is offering a $20,000 reward to be "paid once the investigating law enforcement agency supplies" the firm with "written verification that a tip helped lead to locating" Laundrie.

The law firm, which has multiple offices across Florida, including North Port, said its reward "will remain open for two months starting from the receipt of the tip" by law enforcement.

Meanwhile, a second reward has been offered by Jerry Torres, who said in a tweet Wednesday he was a neighbor of the Petito family. Torres wrote that he and his daughter "offer our deepest condolences to the family of Gabby Petito," adding, "We are offering a reward of $5,000 for tips leading to an arrest."

Torres said Friday the reward he's offering had been raised to $10,000, thanks in part to help by people like Steve Moyer, the former deputy chief of police for Sarasota, Florida.

"Money gets people to talk," Moyer told CNN affiliate WZVN Friday.

Remembering Gabby

The disappearance of Petito, and subsequent search for Laundrie, has received a wave of national interest as well as brought heightened attention to others who have gone missing in the US.

Since the discovery of Petito, vigils have been held from Salt Lake City to the East Coast.

On Friday, residents of Blue Point, New York -- Petito's hometown on Long Island -- lit candles in a memorial to show support for her family.

The organizers of "Light the Night For Gabby Petito" hope that similar demonstrations would stretch beyond Long Island, according to CNN affiliate WABC.

Candles were provided along with a request for a $20 donation with proceeds going to the Petito family, WABC said.

A candle lighting and butterfly release memorial is slated for Saturday evening in North Port in front of its city hall, according to The Daily Sun.

A memorial visitation for Petito is planned for Sunday afternoon in Holbrook on Long Island, according to Moloney's Holbrook Funeral Home. It will be open to the public.

Richard Stafford, an attorney for Petito's family, confirmed in a statement Friday her funeral would be held Sunday, adding that the family has asked for donations to be made to the future Gabby Petito Foundation in lieu of flowers.

The-CNN-Wire

 &  2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.
MASON CITY, Iowa  A plea deal is reached over the punching of a child.

Joseph D. Nichols, 38 of Clear Lake, was charged with felony child endangerment for an incident on August 21 on South Short Drive in Clear Lake. The Cerro Gordo County Sheriffs Office says a minor child tried to remove Nichols from a home due to a no-contact order and Nichols hit the child in the face with a closed fist.

Nicholas has pleaded guilty to assault causing bodily injury, a serious misdemeanor.

Hes been sentenced to 14 days in jail, with credit for time served, and fined $430. In addition, Nichols must complete the Iowa Domestic Abuse Program and complete all recommended substance abuse and mental health treatment.
ROCHESTER, Minn.- It's one of the most iconic landmarks in Rochester. Since 1931, the Ear of Corn Tower has called The Med City home. On Saturday, community members came out to celebrate its history and revitalization.

The water tower is located right by Graham Park near the land where Reid, Murdoch & Co, Libby, McNeil &Libby, and Seneca Foods once stood. Allen Whipple is a former employee of Libby, McNeil,&Libby, and Seneca Foods. He has fond memories of the tower.

"The nightlight as it showed up of course, it was lit up with red lights to guide the planes into the airport across the street. I remember that vividly of coming home from North Korea and a little plane banking alongside the Ear Corn Water Tower."

Olmsted County Commissioner Jim Bier used to work for one of the plants and connects personally to the landmark.

"I was a former employee at Libby and Seneca so a little bit of me is in that water tower."

In recent years, there's been debate on whether the water tower should be torn down or removed. Thanks to the fondness of the community, Ear of Corn Tower is able to stay in its location. It even received some new paint recently.

According to Mat Miller, the county's director of facilities and building operations, the corn tower will be painted again in the future. Olmsted County is also deciding what to do with the land the water tower stands on.
WATERLOO, Iowa (AP)  At least 16 people in eastern Iowa have been charged with gun crimes after a two-day sweep by federal authorities.

Grand juries met Wednesday through Friday in the U.S. District Court for Northern Iowa and issued the indictments. Many of those indicted have already been charged in state courts for weapons offenses.

Most of the indictments were for felons in possession of a firearm or for having a firearm and using drugs.
ROCHESTER, Minn.  Leaving her children in the parking lot while she made a court appearance has put an Olmsted County woman on probation.

Dectrini Vershun Boldien, 30 of Rochester, pleaded guilty to neglect or endangerment of a child. She was arrested on April 28 after a hearing at the Olmsted County Courthouse. The Rochester Police Department says after a hearing just before 3 pm, a judge ordered Boldien jailed for an outstanding warrant out of Ramsey County.

Around 5:30 pm police were called to the parking lot at the Olmsted County Government Center for a car alarm going off. Officers found Boldiens three children, all under the age of five, sitting in a car with the windows up and the sun beating down on it. Police say the car was unlocked and they let the children out. Court documents state all three children were sweating and the oldest was lethargic.

Authorities say Boldien had repeatedly stated her children were being taken care of and never said she left them in the parking lot.

Shes now been sentenced to two years of supervised probation and must pay a $175 fine or do 17 hours of community work service.
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Carlos Victor Boungou, Gabonese ambassador to Korea, speaks during an interview with The Korea Times at the country's embassy in Itaewon, Seoul, Aug. 10. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk



Korea-Africa Forum to discuss post-COVID-19 strategy in December



By Kwon Mee-yoo



Gabon is a country in Central Africa, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and on the Equator. It was one of the first African countries to establish diplomatic relations with Korea back in 1962, while opening an embassy in Seoul in 1975.



The Central African country celebrates its Independence Day, Aug. 17, and Ambassador of Gabon to Korea Carlos Victor Boungou shared how the country commemorates this in an interview with The Korea Times, Aug. 10.



"Gabon got independence from the French on Aug. 17, 1960 and this year marks the 61st anniversary of Gabon's independence," Boungou said. "In terms of celebration, what we do at the highest point is the military parade, which attests the state of the nation, the solidity of the institutions and the stability of the country."



Gabon's president also seizes the opportunity to award honorary distinctions to citizens who have achieved high merits in various fields.



"Independence Day offers the opportunity for the president to award honorary distinctions to dignitaries, soldiers, politicians, civil servants and to all people in recognition of loyalty in serving the nation or for particular achievements," he said.



Some of the medals are awarded to foreigners who have played roles in the development of Gabon and in the reinforcement of bilateral relations between Gabon and the country of origin. They have included some Korean nationals in the past, including taekwondo master Park Sang-chul, who served as the head of presidential security of Gabon for over 30 years.



Gabon is a country rich in natural resources and the bilateral volume of trade between Gabon and Korea has increased significantly over the last decade from $41 million in 2010 to $571.2 million in 2018.



"When you take a closer look at the trade exchanges between Gabon and Korea, you will see that the largest part of the trade between the two countries is made of crude oil as Korea is one of the largest importers from Gabon. When it comes to Gabon's imports from Korea, it includes machinery, cars and electric appliances," the ambassador said.



"From an institutional standpoint, the Korean government provides significant support to Gabon in its path of development. Korea offers capacity building programs through KOICA (Korea International Cooperation Agency) and Gabon students benefit from the Korean government's scholarship programs."



The ambassador puts his effort into raising awareness of and promoting Gabon in Korea.



"The role of a diplomatic mission is very important in promotion of trade and business relations. So the Gabonese embassy here has been working hard in promoting Gabon as the destination in terms of raw materials," he said.



"When you look for a country to do business, there should be a reasonable degree of peace and stability in the country and Gabon is a very stable place in the African continent that has known some degree of instability in the past. Fortunately, the situation has been improving over the years, but for a long time Gabon has remained very stable."



Ambassador Boungou also emphasized the importance of political dialogue, especially at the highest level, as it signals progress in bilateral relations.



"When you see a political dialogue among the leaders, it tends to contribute to the choice of a business destination. Having said that, it is common knowledge in the minds of many Koreans that out of many African countries, Gabon is one of the countries that visited Korea the most  the former Gabonese President Omar Bongo visited Korea four times from 1970 to 2007. The current President Ali Bongo Ondimba also visited Korea two times (with his father and former president) and visited again as president in 2010 and 2012," he said.





Cityscape of Gabonese capital Libreville / gettyimagesbank



Leading ICT country in Africa



The ambassador sees a large potential in the future Gabon-Korea relations as Korea has been present in Gabon in the fields such as information and communication technology (ICT) for a long time now.



"Korea has contributed a lot to the development of ICT in Gabon. Even before the (COVID-19) pandemic, the Gabon government had sensed the importance of ICT and they looked around the globe to find the best partner to go with on the path of development in the ICT sector and Korea actually was the best partner," he said.



The ambassador said Korea is in a position of comparative advantage as the country went through rapid development and was in the same position as most African states are now just a few decades ago.



"Korea is best qualified to bring its own example of development to the Africans  if I was able to do it, you are able to do it too," he said.



Gabon and Korea have been cooperating in an e-government implementation project, conducted by Korean companies KT Network and Samsung C&T since 2008.



"Gabon initiated an e-government project to endow the public administration with its own secure, efficient and stable infrastructure and communications network, first in the capital city Libreville and then throughout the national territory, under the name of the Network of the Gabonese Administration (RAG)," Boungou said.



The efforts are bearing fruit amid the COVID-19 pandemic as the technology connects people despite social distancing measures and lockdowns.



"People were able to communicate and work from home because they had the internet. So, the e-government project by Samsung and KT has been very, very important. It has also helped to diversify the economy and create jobs in other areas. Those are the advantages of the e-government projects and it falls under the umbrella of the bilateral relations between Gabon and Korea because Korea is the main provider of internet solutions in Gabon."



Gabon invested in the field of ICT to become a hub in the central African region and Korea's contribution to the development has been crucial. In 2017, KT won a contract worth 9 million euros to build a fiber optic network connecting Gabon with neighboring countries.



"This Central African Backbone Project is in line with the overarching target to connect the Central African region in order to diversify the economies, create jobs and democratize the use of information and communication technologies."





A forest elephant in the Loango National Park in Gabon / gettyimagesbank
A total of 1.07 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines arrive at Incheon International Airport under the deal between the South Korean government and U.S. vaccine maker Moderna, Sept. 26. Yonhap



South Korea's daily coronavirus cases dropped below 3,000 on Sunday amid spiraling woes over the wide spread of the virus across the country due to the variants and the mass migration during the Chuseok holiday.



The country reported 2,771 new COVID-19 cases, including 2,735 local infections, bringing the total caseload to 301,172, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).



Still, the figure is the second largest since the outbreak of COVID-19 in January last year in the country despite fewer tests over the weekend.



The KDCA reported a fresh high of 3,273 on Saturday, including 3,245 local infections, as millions of South Koreans returned home after Chuseok, the Korean autumn harvest celebration, which ran from Monday to Wednesday.



Saturday's daily caseload jumped 842 from the previous day's record high of 2,431.



Daily cases have stayed over 1,000 for the last 82 days amid the fast spread of the more transmissible delta variant across the country.



The country added nine more deaths from COVID-19, raising the death toll to 2,450.



The greater Seoul area, the hotbed of South Korea's latest wave of the pandemic, has been under Level 4 distancing measures, the highest in the country's four-tier system, since July with most other areas being under Level 3.



Private gatherings are allowed to be a maximum of six on the condition that four of them are fully vaccinated.



Health authorities are weighing whether to further tighten social distancing rules, tracing the recent virus trends.



The Seoul metropolitan area, home to half of the nation's 52 million population, accounted for 72.7 percent of the total infections.



Seoul reported 923 cases and the surrounding Gyeonggi Province 922 cases, with the western port city of Incheon adding 169 cases.



A total of 38 million people, or 74.1 percent of the country's population, have received their first shots of COVID-19 vaccines, and 23.2 million people, or 45.2 percent, have been fully vaccinated, the KDCA said.



Under a goal to achieve herd immunity by November, the government plans to begin administering COVID-19 vaccines to pregnant women, and people aged between 12 and 17 next month.



Imported cases came to 36, including seven from the Philippines.



The number of patients with serious symptoms across the country reached 320, down nine from the previous day.



The total number of people released from quarantine after making full recoveries was 268,140, up 1,726 from a day earlier. (Yonhap)


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This article is the last in a three-part series to highlight growing anti-China sentiment in Korea and the current state of relations between the two countries.  ED



Clive Hamilton shares Australia's lessons from Chinese infiltration, advises South Korea to stand firm against assertive China



By Lee Gyu-lee



In a highly globalized world, cultural, economic and diplomatic interactions between countries are inevitable, especially when a certain country "pays well" with lucrative business opportunities.



But what if doing business with that country requires the counterpart to make considerable concessions in areas regarding key values such as freedom and sovereignty? What if the collision of money and freedom is seen as inevitable as a result of interaction with that country? These are the questions some nations, particularly those in the West, have been grappling with in recent years since they learned that China's rise as the world's second-largest economy has come at the cost of freedom. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has flexed its muscles in every key decision behind the scenes to redirect the global order.



As Australian author Clive Hamilton explains in his best-selling book "Silent Invasion," the CCP has taken multiple approaches to "infiltrate" foreign countries, utilizing party-backed institutions and the Chinese community overseas to spread Beijing's propaganda, lobbying politicians, and making generous donations and investments to get what the country wants.



The West has begun to take actions against this subterfuge.



In the United States, then-President Donald Trump blacklisted China's tech giant Huawei in 2019 and restricted its access to U.S. technologies such as processor chips and Google services, claiming the company was involved in espionage and had ties with the CCP.



Despite being the world's largest telecommunications equipment manufacturer, Huawei's 5G broadband network equipment was also banned in Australia in 2018 and the United Kingdom in 2020, for reasons of national security.





The partially obscured logo of Chinese tech giant Huawei whose 5G network equipment was banned in several countries. Yonhap



To cut the CCP's influence on U.S. campuses, the U.S passed a bill earlier this year that restricts universities hosting CCP-funded Confucius Institutes from receiving any federal funding, unless they agree to give the host university authority over the institute and provisions to grant academic freedom.



In Australia, which has been one of the biggest targets for China's infiltration tactics, the government imposed wide-ranging laws in 2018 to prevent foreign interference in politics and other domestic affairs. The laws required lobbyists working for foreign governments to publically register themselves and expanded the definition of espionage to include industrial espionage and theft of business trade secrets.



Another bill was passed that year to ban foreign donors from paying for political campaigns targeting Australians.



A string of counter-infiltration measures taken by Western countries has raised a key question for South Korea: Is it safe from infiltration by China?



Considering its past experiences and an ever-growing Chinese population in the country, the answer is maybe not.







Chinese nationals, including ethnic Korean Chinese citizens, represent the lion's share of the foreign population in South Korea. The number of Chinese citizens staying in Korea was on the rise before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Data compiled by state-run Statistics Korea showed that the number of Chinese nationals in Korea, including those without visas, was over 894,900 in 2020, roughly 44 percent of all foreign nationals residing in the country.



On South Korean university campuses, Chinese students dominate foreign student numbers, until last year when Vietnamese students took the lead with a slightly higher percentage. According to Statistics Korea, Chinese students accounted for about 76 percent of all foreign students in 2010, but the number slipped little by little to about 40 percent in 2019, then to 34 percent last year.





Professor Clive Hamilton, who is the author of "Silent Invasion" / Courtesy of Clive Hamilton

Based on Australia's experience, Hamilton, who is also a professor of public ethics at Charles Sturt University in Canberra, advised South Korea to keep a watchful eye on the Chinese community, noting it is a conduit for the spread of CCP propaganda.



"Beijing weaponizes Chinese students abroad. Universities become afraid of their Chinese students and allow them to undermine academic freedom," he stated in a recent email interview with The Korea Times.



In his book, he delves into several cases where universities in Australia were pressured to avoid teaching anything that defies the CCP's party line and faced a backlash for "upsetting" the Chinese  some even involved Chinese diplomatic officials. He also goes on to explain how the Australian government came to put in place a set of measures to counter China's infiltration.



"After Beijing had spent many years quietly building a network of influence in Australia, around 2018 the Australian government became alarmed and began to put in place measures to protect Australia's democracy and sovereignty," the professor said.



"(The public) were alerted to the problem mainly by media reports concerning donations by Chinese business people to our political parties, and the way certain politicians began kowtowing."









South Korea has experienced its own Chinese student-led collective action that pitted Chinese against locals.





Korean students and civic group members protest near the Chinese Embassy, located in central Seoul, in support for the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong, in this file photo from November 2019. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk



During the Hong Kong pro-democracy movement in 2019, tensions between Korean students, supporting the Hong Kong protest, and Chinese students led to scuffles at several universities. Chinese students also vandalized school bulletin boards and banners that were expressing solidarity with the movement, despite Koreans' arguing for freedom of speech.



The clash between South Koreans and Chinese students came nearly a decade after the nation was shocked by Chinese students violently assaulting a Korean human rights activists.



During the 2008 Olympic torch relay in Seoul, hundreds of jeering Chinese, mostly overseas students here, came out on the streets throughout the city and attacked small groups of pro-Tibet protesters who were voicing Tibet's right for independence from China's invasion and annexation of the bordering country.



Amid the conflict, the Chinese Embassy in Korea stepped in to express its regret over what was happening on local university campuses.



Anti-China sentiment has been growing here in recent years as South Koreans, particularly younger people, are infuriated with Chinese propaganda and its attempts at cultural appropriation, claiming to be the origin of traditional Korean clothing, hanbok, and the staple Korean fermented dish kimchi.



South Koreans simmering with discontent toward an assertive China took collective action against Gangwon Governor Choi Moon-soon's ambitious drive to create a Chinese cultural town in the province.



Gangwon Province's joint project with the CCP's official People's Daily newspaper and led by the local construction company Kolon Global met with an enormous backlash and a petition, which resulted in its shutdown.



"Kolon Global has internally decided to call off the project. We are aware that they are sorting out joint ventures and are waiting for them to officially announce the cancellation," an official for Gangwon Province told The Korea Times.



However, unlike in the West, incidents like Chinese students' collective actions and the scrapping of Gangwon Province's Chinese cultural town project have not resulted in a policy discourse to address or curb China's influence in South Korea.



Economic retaliation



The country's heavy trade reliance on China is most often mentioned as a key factor that keeps Korean politicians silent on delicate matters.




Restoring mutual trust key to restarting dialogue



North Korea has shown signs of a change in its hardline stance toward South Korea, raising hopes for the resumption of stalled inter-Korean dialogue. On Saturday, Kim Yo-jong, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's sister, gave a positive response to President Moon Jae-in's proposal to declare a formal end to the 1950-53 Korean War.



The sister, vice department director of the Central Committee of the ruling Workers' Party, issued a statement welcoming Moon's proposal as an "admirable idea." She said the North was willing to discuss improving inter-Korean relations if the South stopped being hostile toward it. She even said both sides could discuss holding an inter-Korean summit if mutual respect was attained.



Her statement came after President Moon once again stressed the need for an "end-of-war" declaration in his address to the 76th session of the U.N. General Assembly last Tuesday. Moon is confident that such a declaration would serve as a starting point in resuming deadlocked denuclearization talks between Pyongyang and Washington as well as inter-Korean dialogue.



However, Moon's proposal was criticized for being out of touch with reality as the North has continued to raise tensions on the Korean Peninsula by test-firing cruise missiles and short-range ballistic missiles. Also, the North appears to have resumed the operation of its main nuclear reactor in the Yongbyon nuclear complex, north of Pyongyang, according to a recent report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).



Now, Kim Yo-jong's remarks are likely to give a boost to Moon's push for peace. Park Soo-hyun, senior presidential secretary for public communication, described the North's comments as "very significant and weighty" although he said it was too early to give an official response. It is worth noting that Pyongyang has at least softened its stance toward the South. Yet it is still premature to expect the North to return to dialogue immediately.



The overall tone of Kim's response was positive. But her statement contained a set of preconditions, including a call on the South to abandon its "hostile policy and prejudice" against the North. She also tried to defend the North's missile launches as an act of self-defense, while accusing the South of building up its military to secure a deterrent to the North.



Against this backdrop, it is important for the two sides to restore mutual trust to ease tensions on the peninsula. Then they need to take meaningful steps toward peace by, for instance, operating cross-border hotlines and rebuilding the liaison office which was demolished by the North in June 2020.



We also recognize the need for President Moon and Kim Jong-un to hold another summit to promote reconciliation and cooperation between the two Koreas. Moon needs to play a more active role as a mediator between the U.S. and the North to restart negotiations. Most of all, the North should return to talks as soon as possible as U.S. President Joe Biden is ready to resolve the nuclear standoff through dialogue and diplomacy. But no progress will be made if the North keeps demanding sanctions relief before starting the process of denuclearization.


Kendallville, IN (46755)

Today

Rain showers in the morning will evolve into a more steady rain in the afternoon. Thunder possible. High 71F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%..

Tonight

Considerable cloudiness. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 58F. Winds light and variable.
Angola, IN (46703)

Today

Showers early, becoming a steady rain later in the day. Thunder possible. High 73F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%..

Tonight

Mainly cloudy. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 59F. Winds light and variable.
Auburn, IN (46706)

Today

Rain showers in the morning will evolve into a more steady rain in the afternoon. Thunder possible. High 73F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Mainly cloudy. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 58F. Winds light and variable.
Dodoma [Tanzania] September 26 (ANI/Xinhua): At least 40 employees of a steel factory in Tanzania's northern region of Mwanza were injured on Friday afternoon following an explosion, police said on Saturday.

Ramadhan Ng'anzi, the Mwanza regional police commander, said the 40 employees of Nyakato Steel Mill factory in the Mwanza city got injured after a metal exploded throwing galvanized steel into all directions.

Also Read | Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Meet With UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed Amid World Leaders' Meeting.

Ng'anzi said police in collaboration with members of the Tanzania Fire and Rescue Force arrived at the factory to supervise rescue operations.

The police official said the injured workers were rushed to the Sekou Toure regional referral Hospital for treatment, adding that some of the victims were in serious condition.

Also Read | PM Narendra Modi at UNGA: Four Separate Protests Took Place Outside UN Headquarters in New York During Prime Ministers Address.

He said the police have launched an investigation to establish the cause of the explosion.

Diana Anatory, a medical doctor at the Sekou Toure regional referral hospital, said seven of the 40 injured workers were in critical condition. (ANI/Xinhua)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
London [US], September 25 (ANI/Xinhua): Another 35,623 people in Britain have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 7,601,487, according to official figures released Friday.The country also recorded another 180 coronavirus-related deaths. The total number of coronavirus-related deaths in Britain now stands at 135,983. These figures only include the deaths of people who died within 28 days of their first positive test.The latest data came as the country's coronavirus reproduction number, also known as the R number, has fallen slightly to between 0.8 and one, the latest government figures show.Last week, the R value was between 0.9 and 1.1. The growth rate in England is now between minus 3 percent and minus 1 percent a day, meaning that the number of new infections is shrinking by between 1 percent and 3 percent each day.Earlier this month, British Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announced major relaxing of travel rules for people coming in and out of England.Under the government's plans for overhauling international travel, from the end of October, fully vaccinated passengers from non-red list countries will be able to replace day-two PCR tests with cheaper lateral flow tests.

The Scottish government has confirmed that fully vaccinated people arriving in Scotland from non-red list countries will no longer have to take pre-departure COVID tests from Oct. 4. Northern Ireland has followed suit with this decision.

Also Read | Quad Summit 2021: PM Narendra Modi Says 'Quad Vaccine Initiative Will Help People of Indo-Pacific Nations' (Watch Video).

More than 89 percent of people aged 16 and over in Britain have had their first dose of vaccine and more than 82 percent have received both doses, the latest figures showed.

To bring life back to normal, countries such as Britain, China, Germany, Russia and the United States have been racing against time to roll out coronavirus vaccines. (ANI/Xinhua)

Also Read | Quad Summit 2021: PM Narendra Modi Attends First QUAD Leaders Summit Hosted by US President Joe Biden.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
People should be able to walk the public streets, a woman was told at Portlaoise District Court last Thursday.

Before the court was Carol Maritz, 34, of 29 Carmody Way, Fairgreen, Portlaoise. She was charged with intoxication and using or engaging in threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour at Market Square, Portlaoise on September 8 this year; using or engaging in threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour at The Heath Portlaoise and assault of Garda Magee on September 27, 2020; and possession of a knife at the Mountmellick Road, Portlaoise on April 1, 2020.

Sgt JJ Kirby told the court that Gardai were on mobile patrol at Market Square, Portlaoise on September 8 when they observed Ms Maritz in a physical altercation with a male. She was highly intoxicated. There was another man intervening and trying to defuse the situation.

During the course of a search under Section 23 of the Misuse of Drugs Act on April 1, 2020 a knife was found on Ms Maritz. She said it was for her own personal protection. A picture of the knife was handed into court.

Judge Staines noted that on a previous occasion she had pleaded guilty to an assault on a Garda and the matter had been put back for a Restorative Justice report. She had not attended and made no contact with the Probation Services.

Appearing for Ms Maritz, solicitor Josephine Fitzpatrick said she had spoken to someone in Probation and she understood she could complete work with the Tidy Towns.

Judge Staines noted that since then there had been further offences, and the public order matter was a concern.

On the knife issue, Ms Fitzpatrick said Ms Maritz had had a precarious living situation and had been living in an old abandoned house. She had been housed since last Christmas.

On the Market Square matter, she had had an argument with her partner and a third party about who would carry a backpack. She had pleaded guilty at the first opportunity.

She had been drinking at a friends party and was on her way back home.

She had been a victim herself of domestic violence. She was seeking one more chance to engage with the Tidy Towns. She had family here in Laois and in South Africa. Her circumstances were not good.

Judge Staines agreed the circumstances were not good. She had been given an opportunity.

On the public order charge she sentenced her to one month in Mountjoy, suspended for one year.

She told Ms Maritz that if she committed further offences she would be going to jail.

This was her last chance. People should be able to walk the street, added the Judge.
Fine Gael County Councillor Mary Sweeney has expressed her gratitude to the people of Laois and Laois County Council as she announced her retirement from politics after 22 years of public service.

Mary Sweeney, a native of Ballyroan, has been a county councillor for the Portlaoise Municipal District since 1999 and is the current Chairperson of Portlaoise Municipal District. She was the first female Fine Gael Chairperson of Laois County Council (2013/2014) and a former Chairperson of Laois and Offaly Education and Training Board.

Announcing her decision today, Mary said it had been a huge privilege and a great honour to represent her community for the last 22 years.

Without the support of the people of Ballyroan, Abbeyleix, Spink, Ballinakill, Raheen and Portlaoise, I would not have been able to carry out my work for these brilliant communities. Covid 19 has been incredibly difficult for everyone but it did provide me with the opportunity to reflect on a number of things and I feel now is the right time for me and my family to retire from active politics.

I want to express my sincere gratitude to the Fine Gael branch in Ballyroan who first proposed me to go forward for election in 1999, the Fine Gael party and its members, my fellow Fine Gael county councillors, past and present, and our local TD Charlie Flanagan and his office, all of whom I have had a tremendous working relationship with and have been hugely supportive of my decision.

Ms Sweeney thanked her colleagues from all political parties and none on Laois County Council, who she said were excellent ambassadors for Laois when it comes to promoting economic and social prosperity for the county.

She continued: It is very important to me, having been a staff member of Laois County Library service, that I acknowledge the unwavering support and dedication from the staff of Laois County Council during my time in County Hall and Portlaoise Library. They are the true representation of public service and my only regret is that I didnt get to see them more often over the last 18 months due to the pandemic.

Anyone who knows me knows how proud I feel to have been able to represent my village in Ballyroan. We have witnessed incredible progress over the last 22 years in our village, most notably the building of a new primary school and increased housing infrastructure, a legacy to last a generation. I want to particularly thank the people of Ballyroan for continuously supporting me through the years.

Finally, we want to thank our family and our many close friends for all of their support during my time in political life. Conor, Aoife and I are blessed to have such wonderful and supportive people around us and we look forward to spending more time with them over the coming months and years.

Tanaiste Leo Varadkar paid tribute to Mary Sweeney upon her retirement and thanked her for her hard work and public service over more than two decades.

Cllr Sweeney is a kind and warm person. It was always nice to meet her whether in Dublin or in Laois. For over 20 years, she worked improving communities and services across Laois. On behalf of Fine Gael, I would like to thank her for the time, commitment, and energy she dedicated to the people of Laois.

As a former librarian and Chairperson of the Laois/Offaly ETB, I know that Mary placed a great emphasis on the role of education for people of all ages as part of her Council work. She was instrumental in securing a new library for Portlaoise in the heart of the town, encouraging life-long educational and economic activity in the area.

Mary will be missed greatly by the people of Laois, and I wish her all the very best in her retirement from public life.

Laois Offaly TD Deputy Charlie Flanagan said, I'm very sorry to learn that Cllr Mary Sweeney is stepping down. Mary has been a great friend and loyal colleague for decades.

As a member of Laois County Council since 1999, she has worked tirelessly prioritising many causes across Laois. Her outstanding work in the community was exemplified by her 'Ballyroan first' policy and her legacy is clear in the results she achieved across issues such as housing, education, water, services and village renewal.

I would like to acknowledge the great support and assistance of Marys children Conor and Aoife, as well as the wider Scully family, in Mary's many successful projects. I wish her every happiness and especially good health in the next phase of life.
The Irish Prison Service insists that it sets 'high standards' as it begins an investigation of potentially serious misconduct by prison officers based in Portlaoise who could face dismissal having consumed alcohol while escorting prison services.

The IPS issued a statement on foot of a report in the Irish Examiner which claims four Portlaoise Prison Officers are under investigation.

"The Irish Prison Service sets high standards in respect of its staff and requires that all staff carry out their duties with integrity, commitment and professionalism at all times.

"In circumstances where the conduct of a staff member falls below the high standards expected, this is treated with the utmost seriousness in accordance with the Civil Service Code of Discipline.

"The Irish Prison Service can confirm that it has commenced an investigation into allegations of a breach of escort protocol by a number of prison staff under the Civil Service Code of Discipline," concluded the brief statement.

The code says serious misconduct is misconduct which is sufficiently serious enough that it "may warrant dismissal" or other serious action. "Reporting to or attending at work while being under the influence of alcohol" is defined as one of the examples of serious misconduct in the code.

The investigation arises from claims that four prison officers faced investigation, three of whom went drinking, during the escort of a gangland criminal to and from court.

The Irish Examiner reported that the incident, which occurred in September, involved an escort from Portlaoise Prison to the Criminal Courts of Justice building in Dublin.

It is claimed that three of the officers spent part of the day in Dublin drinking alcohol and were unfit to drive the prison van back to Portlaoise that evening.

It is also claimed that the escort stopped against the rules at a motorway services on the way back to the high security Laois jail.

.
A NEW calendar will look through the looking glass and raise money for one of Limericks best-loved charities.

For the second year in a row, artist and designer Karen Ryan has put together the 061 calendar for 2022, which will take on themes from the popular Lewis Carrolls Alice in Wonderland.

Like the themes in the age-defining piece, what features on Karens calendar is considered out of the ordinary, the opposite of what is expected.

The Caherdavin woman said this came about as a result of the last tumultuous 18 months which has seen the world slip in and out of lockdown, something she said ravaged our society.

Shes used painted body art on people to represent the confusion brought about by the pandemic.

From the confusing grey to the grieving black and then the restrictions lifting in white to all the colours depicting everyone coming together and brighter times ahead. More fun, more colour, said Karen.

The calendar, she added, is inclusive of all bodies and genders, with the overall photograph seeing participants lined up in a rainbow, to suggest lockdown emergency is the aftermath of rain.

Asked why she wanted to support Limerick Suicide Watch, which patrols the riverside at night-time and supports people in distress, she said:

We have such a high rate of suicide in Ireland. Limerick has one of the highest rates in all of Ireland, and the Suicide Watch do absolutely Trojan work. Not enough money goes into mental health supports.

We dont have proper mental health supports that we can access that wont leave us on waiting lists for weeks on weeks and weeks at a time, she added.

The calendar, which is available here, retails for 15 with every cent going to Suicide Watch.
A CONVICTED drug dealer who admitted having 40 deals of cocaine at a flat in Kilmallock was sentenced to three months imprisonment.

Shane Ward, aged 47, of Orr Street in the town pleaded guilty to possession of the drugs for the purpose of sale or supply.

Garda David Higgins said the drugs were seized when gardai searched another property  at Lord Edward Street, Kilmallock - on December 19, 2019.

He told the local court the drugs were found in 40 individual deal bags in the kitchen and that Mr Ward immediately made admissions and took ownership.

Judge Patricia Harney was told Mr Ward has six previous convictions for possession of drugs and three for possession for sale or supply.

Barrister Liam Carroll said his client has had addiction problems in his life and that he had been compelled to hold the drugs for an unnamed individual.

Seeking leniency he asked the court to note Mr Wards cooperation and his acknowledgment that he needs to address his addiction issues.

Rejecting the submission, Judge Harney commented the defendant has not made any effort to date.

She said cocaine is a plague on every small town in Ireland and that a prison sentence had to be imposed in the circumstances.

An appeal against the severity of the sentence has been lodged.
A LIMERICK woman has proven she's a cut above the rest having been crowned the nations favourite hairdresser.

Reaching master colourist status and graduating with a Diploma in Management and Business Masters from UL wasnt enough for the salon owner, Mary Ryan took the national title after a career spanning 45 years.

Mary left school early in her teens to set up shop at the side of her parents home in Croom, where she first began to ply her trade.

Still cutting hair in her salon each day, now at the age of 60, Mary loves feeding her hairdressing addiction and cites lifelong education as the key element to her success.

Most of all I love education. My mission is to always surround myself with people better than myself. Next week I will be starting an apprenticeship. There has never been a nationally or internationally recognised apprenticeship until last year. Along with 10 others, we will be the first group of qualified hairdressers doing an apprenticeship. You have to constantly upskill in this industry, the Good Salon Guide National winner stated.

The importance of constant learning is a message Mary imparts daily to her Little work family of eight, which includes salon manager Brigid Lenihan and stylist Aisling Madigan, both master colourists. The award, which was presented at Mary Ryans Salon in Croom by the Good Salon Guide, recognised the rural business as the best in both the UK and Ireland.

Mary hopes that the win will be a huge boost after Covid will draw more customers in, and will put Limerick hairdressers back on the map.

Our footfall here is one local man with his dog. If you come here, its only to get your hair done and not to head to the bank or butcher. We are continuously working to get people here. The fact that we are local and small helped us in the voting. Its a bit less personal in big cities.

When I was presented with the bouquet of flowers and the award, I got a little emotional. I thought of my father Jimmy and mother Nora, who were both greatest pillars of support, the Ballygriffin business owner expressed.
LOCATED just off the Wild Atlantic Way, the Shannon Estuary Way is a new tourist route developed by Failte Ireland together with Clare and Limerick City & County Councils which is set to become a key tourist attraction for the Mid-West region. As part of our continuing series, the Limerick Leader is focusing on the people who populate the towns and villages along the route. This week, it's the turn of Shannon, a town of many firsts.

BUILT at the confluence of the Fergus and the Shannon Estuaries, Shannon, Clares second largest town, is home to just under 10,000 people.

Before the airport, industrial zone or town were conceived of, the Shannon and Fergus Estuaries were immensely significant waterways as an abundant food resource and means of travel into Irelands interior and there is evidence of habitation here for over 5,000 years.

In modern times, Shannon has the distinction of being a place of many firsts:

Irelands first trans-Atlantic airport, the worlds first Duty Free shop, and industrial Duty-Free zone and the republics first new town in modern times.

While Shannon is a new town, it is set within a historical and cultural context that connects it to its surrounding hinterland. Farming communities once lived and worked along what is known as the Sli na Mara boreen.

The boreen is now a pleasant walking route through the town that culminates close to the estuary at Hastings Farmhouse. The farmhouse survives as a conserved ruin but is set to be developed as a heritage centre by Duchas na Sionna, the towns heritage group. Visitors to the site will learn about its role as a War of Independence safe house, and its connection to the General Lucas kidnap story, and its happy outcome.

As the town has grown and matured it has sought to establish its identity as a modern, Irish town. Shannon owes its Irish identity in no small part to the efforts of Sean O Nuanain, a keen Irish speaker who arrived with his family in 1964 and is still one of Shannons most avid supporters.

When he recalls Irelands economic depression of the 1950s, he also remembers reading about the developments at Shannon and describes them as a sort of practical patriotism. Sean was instrumental in setting up many of the Irish language and cultural organisations within the town.

The town is now home to second and even third generations of the original residents. The community spirit which founded so many of Shannons sporting and cultural organisations is stronger than ever, and these days there is renewed excitement about living in Shannon. Gone is the bleak, windswept appearance.

Decades of landscaping and tree planting have given Shannon a green infrastructure that makes it a most pleasant place in which to live and work. Shannon recently acquired a newly developed Town Park; a community group is developing an area of the original marshland on which Shannon was built into the Shannon Town Community Wetlands and the recently upgraded riverbanks provide kilometres of beautiful walks along the estuary for visitors and residents alike.

Its location adjacent to the airport makes it an ideal base from which to explore all that the region has to offer, from the world-renowned attractions of the Wild Atlantic Way to the hidden gems and local attractions of the Shannon Estuary Way. Indeed, Shannon has some unique attractions of its own.

The Shannon Aviation Museum is a family friendly attraction that celebrates Shannons rich aviation heritage. Jane Magill of the Shannon Aviation Museum is justly proud of the new interactive displays that provide a fun and engaging way to explore Shannons unique contribution to global aviation.

The proposed heritage centre at Hastings Farmhouse will be an interesting landmark on the proposed greenway to Bunratty which will add a significant dimension to nature-based tourism in Shannon.

The Park Inn, Oakwood and Shannon Springs hotels provide ample accommodation and conference facilities at the airport and in the town. Guest houses and B&Bs in and around Shannon offer high quality accommodation with the bonus of meeting local people and hearing their stories.

So, whether your visit is business or pleasure you are sure of a very warm welcome in Shannon.

Between the Old World and new World

ONE group that can be thanked for the great efforts in conserving the unique heritage along the Shannon Estuary Way, is Duchas na Sionna.

Here, Olive Carey of Duchas na Sionna gives an insight into their work and the benefits resulting from the development of the Shannon Estuary Way. Duchas na Sionna was founded in 2005 to research, preserve and promote the heritage of Shannon and its environs, she explains.

It is an umbrella heritage organisation that includes representatives from several organisations within the town, namely the Shannon Archaeological & Historical Society, Club na Sionna, Comhaltas Ceolteori, Conradh na Gaeilge and other interested individuals.

Duchas na Sionna projects have included the conservation of the Hastings Farmhouse ruin, Olive points out.

The organisation has researched the social history of the early days of the town and published the results in a study called Shannon - Between Old World and New World. The group has been involved in the restoration of the Shannon Town Community Wetlands together with members of Shannon Tidy Towns, Shannon Mens Shed, GAA and others. It also published Bealoideas: Baile na Cloiche Contae an Chlair based on the Stonehall National School Folklore Records 1937.

Speaking about what is in store for Duchas na Sionna in the future, Olive discusses how The group is currently engaged in the early stages of a project to fully restore Hastings Farmhouse for use as a Heritage/Community Centre for Shannon.

Olive illustrates the evolution of the Shannon community over the years: I came to Shannon in the early days of the towns existence. I have seen it grow from a windswept collection of houses and flats at the side of the estuary, airport and industrial estate to a town where community spirit is as strong now as it was when all of the new, mostly young residents were forging their own traditions in this new place.

Describing life on the Shannon Estuary Olive tells us how it Ut has been hugely influential in shaping the lives and livelihoods of all those who lived close to it throughout millennia. It was an abundant food resource and means of travel into Irelands interior and there is evidence of habitation along its course for over 5000 years.

For me, personally, it provided me with hours of relaxation and enjoyment both as a child and an adult. Before Shannon had a swimming pool, the estuary was the place where we learned to swim. I enjoy walking the banks and getting to know the many moods the estuary can show, from calm and smooth under blue skies, to dark and brooding in inclement weather. It is a place to experience nature and together with many other Shannon residents I felt particularly fortunate during lockdown to have access to the estuary walks.

When talking about what Shannon offers its visitors, Olive adds: They are particularly interested in the natural and historical heritage of the area. Shannon is known for its green infrastructure that makes it a most pleasant place in which to live, work and to visit. We recently acquired a newly developed Town Park, the Shannon Town Community Wetlands is currently under development and the recently upgraded riverbanks provide kilometres of beautiful walks along the estuary for visitors and residents. There is the obvious history of the airport, industrial estate and town, but there is also the more hidden history that takes a little more effort to discover. The 19th century farming context can still be traced as can the story of some of its earliest inhabitants. The traditional townland names of Tullyvarraga, Tullyglass, Drumgeely, Smithstown and Ballycasey are still in use in the town and hint at a history that goes back before the town was built. Discovering that history and sharing it with others is important to me.

Olive affirms that with the development of The Shannon Estuary Way, Shannon and other estuary communities will prosper further through collaboration.

The Wild Atlantic Way brand has shown just how powerful the correct marketing and branding are in promoting a tourism destination. The route along the Shannon Estuary Way has many hidden gems that are worthy of promotion. By working together, I believe we can develop a tourism destination for the visitor that wishes to explore the locality in more detail and take the time to search out the hidden gems. The correct brand and marketing will ensure that all the communities along the Shannon Estuary Way will enjoy its benefits. It is exciting to be at the beginning of this project that will forge stronger ties among the communities of the Shannon Estuary Way.

If you would like to get involved or know more about the Shannon Estuary Way Destination Development Programme you can visit thetourismspace.com/sew or email info@thetourismspace.com.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today returned to New Delhi after concluding his three-day US visit. During his US visit, PM Modi was hosted by President Joe Biden at the White House with whom he held a bilateral meeting. This was the first in-person meeting between the two leaders after Biden took over as US President on January 20.

PM Modi also held bilateral meetings with Vice President Kamala Harris and CEOs of several American companies.

He also met and held bilateral meetings with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Japan Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on the sidelines of the first in-person Quad summit after the COVID-19 pandemic. During the summit, PM Modi proposed a common international travelling protocol involving mutual recognition of the COVID-19 vaccination certificate.

PM Modi also addressed the General Debate of the High-Level Segment of 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York during his US visit.

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Men and women living in West Central Africa 500 years ago dramatically changed their looks by removing their front teeth, ancient skulls reveal. Archaeologists found the centuries-old altered skulls deep underground in a cave that could be reached only by rope, through a hole in the cavern's roof.

The harrowing vertical drop of 82 feet (25 meters) led to thousands of bones from at least 24 adults (men and women age 15 or older) and four children that were deposited there on at least two occasions, researchers reported in a new study. Hundreds of metal artifacts  jewelry, weapons and hoes, made of local iron and imported copper  lay near the remains, hinting at the wealth and status of the people who were buried there.

Related: In photos: 'Alien' skulls reveal odd, ancient tradition

Richard Oslisly, an archaeologist with The French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) in Paris, discovered the Iroungou cave in Gabon's Ngounie province in 1992. Oslisly first investigated the cave in 2018, and accessing the subterranean space was so difficult that archaeologists have explored its depths on only four expeditions since then, according to the study.

"There are very few sites with archeological human remains for this region," lead study author and CNRS researcher Sebastien Villotte told Live Science in an email. "The fact that children, teenagers, adult males and females were buried here, with so many artifacts  more than 500!  was astonishing."

Scientists photographed and laser-scanned the cave interior and burial sites so that they could reconstruct the cave and its contents in 3D. They collected samples from leg bones for radiocarbon dating  determining an object's age by comparing ratios of radioactive carbon isotopes  but left all of the human remains where they were found.

The cave contained four levels, and all of them held bones dating to the 14th and 15th centuries. Though the bones were jumbled together, scientists noted that all of the skeletons were complete, "suggesting that cadavers, rather than dry bones, were either thrown from above or lowered into the cave," the study authors wrote.

Near the skeletons, there were also plenty of burial objects, such as bracelets and rings; axes and knives; more than 100 marine shells; and dozens of pierced carnivore teeth.

The Iroungou cave in Ngounie province, Gabon (a) and a 3D model (b) showing cave entrances, layouts and locations where archaeologists found the burials. (Image credit: C. Gerin and P. Mora /Antiquity Publications Ltd.)

Deliberate removal

Of the human remains, the skulls were of particular interest to the researchers, as all of the intact upper jaws were missing specific teeth: the central and lateral permanent incisors  four teeth in the very front of the mouth. All of the empty tooth sockets showed signs of healing after the extractions  known as alveolar resorption  indicating that the teeth were removed while their owners were still alive and the holes had enough time to heal before the people died.

In 2016, another team of archaeologists found similarly altered skulls, also missing their front teeth, in Brazil's Lapa do Santo cave. But in the case of the Brazilian remains, which date to about 9,000 years ago, the teeth were extracted after death in burial rituals, Live Science previously reported .

Dental modification is a custom that's well documented worldwide, "especially in Africa," Villotte said in the email. "Many various reasons are advocated for tooth removal by the people who practiced it," he added. Sometimes, those reasons include facial modification  extracting teeth in order to change the shape or appearance of the face. The Iroungou skulls clearly weren't modified as part of a burial rite, given that the gums had healed, Villotte said. Because the extractions in the Gabon cave were symmetrical and involved the same teeth in all of the skeletons' jaws, they were likely removed "in the context of some cultural practice" for this population, the scientists said in the study.

Some of the human remains and artifacts as they were found in the cave. (Image credit: P. Mora /Antiquity Publications Ltd.)

The extraction of so many front teeth would have affected pronunciation and changed the shape of the mouth and face in a way that was "highly visible," indicating that all such individuals belonged to a particular group, the researchers reported.

Tooth alterations such as extraction, chipping and filing into points have long been performed across Africa, though the removal of the top four incisors is unusual, according to the study. Most examples of this practice are in populations from West Central Africa, "suggesting a long history and possible continuity of body-modification customs in the area," the researchers wrote.

"As this site is exceptional, and as burial rites are virtually unknown for pre-colonial Gabon, one can consider this discovery as the first piece of the puzzle," Villotte said. "And it seems to be a very difficult one."

The findings were published July 8 in the journal Antiquity .

Originally published on Live Science.
Iceland may be the last exposed remnant of a nearly Texas-size continent  called Icelandia  that sank beneath the North Atlantic Ocean about 10 million years ago, according to a new theory proposed by an international team of geophysicists and geologists.

The theory goes against long-standing ideas about the formation of Iceland and the North Atlantic, but the researchers say the theory explains both the geological features of the ocean floor and why Earth 's crust beneath Iceland is so much thicker than it should be. Outside experts not affiliated with the research told Live Science they are skeptical that Icelandia exists based on the evidence collected so far.

Even so, if geological studies prove the theory, the radical new idea of a sunken continent could have implications for the ownership of any fuels found beneath the seafloor, which under international law belong to a country that can show their continental crust extends that far.

"The region that's got continental material underneath, it stretched from Greenland to Scandinavia," said Gillian Foulger, lead author of " Icelandia ," a chapter in the new book "In the Footsteps of Warren B. Hamilton: New Ideas in Earth Science" (Geological Society of America, 2021) that describes the new theory. "Some of it in the west and east has now sunk below the surface of the water, but it's still standing higher than it should.  If the sea level dropped 600 meters [2,000 feet], then we would see a lot more land above the surface of the ocean," Foulger, an emeritus professor of geophysics at Durham University in the United Kingdom, told Live Science.

The continent of "Icelandia" may have stretched between Greenland and Scandinavia until about 10 million years ago, while another now-submerged region west of Britain and Ireland formed part of "Greater Icelandia." (Image credit: Gillian Foulger/Google Maps)

Lost continent

The North Atlantic region was once entirely dry land that made up the supercontinent of Pangaea from about 335 million to 175 million years ago, Foulger said. Geologists have long thought that the basin of the North Atlantic Ocean formed as Pangaea began to break up 200 million years ago and that Iceland formed about 60 million years ago above a volcanic plume near the center of the ocean.

Related: Photo timeline: How Earth formed

But Foulger and her co-authors suggest a different theory: that oceans began to form roughly south and north  but not west and east  of Iceland as Pangaea broke up. Instead, the geologists wrote, the areas to the west and east remained connected to what are now Greenland and Scandinavia.

"People have this highly simplistic idea that a tectonic plate is kind of like a dinner plate: It just splits in two and moves apart," Foulger said. "But it's more like a pizza, or a piece of artwork made from different materials  some fabric here and some ceramic there, so that different parts have different strengths."

According to the new theory, Pangaea didn't split apart cleanly, and the lost continent of Icelandia remained as an unbroken strip of dry land at least 200 miles (300 kilometers) wide that stayed above the waves until about 10 million years ago, Foulger said. Eventually, the eastern and western ends of Icelandia also sank, and only Iceland remained, she said.

The theory would explain why the crustal rocks underneath modern Iceland are about 25 miles (40 km) thick instead of about 5 miles (8 km) thick, which would be expected if Iceland had formed over a volcanic plume, the geologists said.

"When we considered the possibility that this thick crust is continental, our data suddenly all made sense," Foulger said in a statement . "This led us immediately to realize that the continental region was much bigger than Iceland itself  there is a hidden continent right there under the sea."

Continental shelf

Foulger and her colleagues estimated that Icelandia once stretched over more than 230,000 square miles (600,000 square kilometers) of dry land between Greenland and Scandinavia  an area a bit smaller than Texas. (Today, Iceland measures about 40,000 square miles, or 103,000 square km.)

Related: Photos: The world's weirdest geological formations

They suggested that there was also a similarly sized adjoining region, making up "Greater Icelandia," to the west of what is now Britain and Ireland. But that region, too, has sunk beneath the waves, they said.

Fossil evidence showed that some plants that spread by dropping seeds are identical in both Greenland and Scandinavia. That finding reinforces the idea that a wide strip of dry land once connected the two regions, the authors said. However, the geologists are not aware of any fossil evidence of animals on the lost continent.

Geographer Philip Steinberg, director of Durham University's Centre for Borders Research, said the new theory of Icelandia could have implications for the ownership of fossil fuels beneath the seafloor; under international law, countries can claim those fossil fuels if the evidence proves the resources reside beneath that country's continental shelf  a relatively shallow region of the seafloor that can extend hundreds of miles beyond the coast.

Related: Canada makes a claim to the North Pole

Steinberg, who was not involved in the Icelandia research, noted that countries around the world are spending large amounts of money on geological research that could allow them to claim exclusive mineral rights beneath their continental shelves.

"Research like Professor Foulger's, which forces us to rethink the relationship between seabed and continental geology, can have far-reaching impact for countries trying to determine what area of the seabed are their exclusive preserve," Steinberg said in the statement.

The concept of Icelandia goes against prevailing theories for the formation of the North Atlantic region, and several prominent geologists and geophysicists are critical of the idea.

Ian Dalziel, a geologist at the University of Texas of Austin, who last month won the Penrose Medal for his work on ancient geography and past supercontinents, said he could see little to justify the proposal.

Unlike the sunken continent of Zealandia , for instance, which geologists have established was composed of continental crust that separated from Antarctica and then sank, there was not enough continental crust material in the North Atlantic region to have formed Icelandia, Dalziel told Live Science in an email.

Geophysicists Carmen Gaina, director of the Centre for Earth Evolution and Dynamics in Oslo, and Alexander Minakov of the University of Oslo told Live Science in an email that the proposal was a "bold claim" that had several problems, and that the existence of Icelandia was unlikely.

For instance, magnetic surveys of the seafloor in the region show "stripes" that indicate when successive layers of molten crust were laid down on the seafloor of the North Atlantic as the Earth's magnetic field changed polarity over millions of years  a clear sign of oceanic crust also seen in large oceanic plateaus in the Pacific Ocean, they said.

But "their conceptual view is a good starting point for discussions and more importantly, for more and relevant data collection,"Gaina and Minakov said  such as further geological drilling on the seafloor and seismic surveys that can measure the crust from its seismic echoes of calibrated explosions carried out by research ships.

Originally published on Live Science.
In one of the first galleries you enter at the new Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles, there's a large screen showing clips from "Citizen Kane."

Walk behind it, and there almost glowing in a spotlight is one of the film's most-famous props, the red sled, named Rosebud, one of three balsa wood models made for the picture. The other two were tossed in the furnace during the shooting of the critical last scene of the 1941 Orson Welles classic.

Hollywood always seems to do a particularly good job of portraying itself, and the new museum lives up to that standard. The space, which opens to the public on Sept. 30, aims to please die-hard cinephiles, as well as casual fans, with a stellar collection of props and exhibits celebrating moviemaking in the industry's capital.

Inside you'll find Dorothy's ruby slippers, believed to be the ones Judy Garland wore when she clicked her heels in 1939's "The Wizard of Oz," and a remote-controlled R2-D2 used throughout the "Star Wars" saga. There's also a bathrobe Jeff Bridges wore in 1998's "The Big Lebowski," one of six that costume designer Mary Zophres bought at clothing discounter Marshalls.

Indeed, the museum makes a great effort to highlight the work of many behind-the-scenes professions that are still so essential to moviemaking. You can see so-called Foley artists re-creating the sound of Harrison Ford running in "Raiders of the Lost Ark" by stomping on the floor of a studio.

The exhibit on costume design shows the life masks of stars Grace Kelly and Clark Gable, used for positioning wigs and facial hair, as well the prosthetic teeth Charlize Theron wore in 2003's "Monster."

And who but the most-serious cinema fans would know that Gale Sondergaard was originally cast to play the Wicked Witch in "The Wizard of Oz," but she dropped out when the part shifted from a glamorous witch to an ugly one. Not good for her career, she reasoned.

"The hope is that if we provide all of those layers, people can take as much of a deep dive as they want," said Dara Jaffe, an assistant curator, who worked on that gallery.

The museum will feature a rotating collection of exhibits. One devoted to director Spike Lee, for example, shows his many sources of inspiration, from a John Coltrane album cover to one of Prince's guitars. There's also the purple and yellow Kobe Bryant-themed tuxedo he wore to last year's Oscars.

The museum, housed in a remodeled May Company department store, was designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano, whose work includes the Broad and Resnick wings of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art next door. Its location, in the heart of the city's museum row, should make it a popular stop for tourists and locals. Among its most striking features is an orb behind the original building that serves as a 1,000-seat theater for screenings.

It was a long time coming. The museum's sponsor, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, home of the Oscars, has been looking to create such a museum almost since its founding in 1927. The ultimate result, like many a Hollywood blockbuster, ran late and over budget, with a final cost of $482 million. Bloomberg Philanthropies provided funding for the development of some of the museum's digital experiences.

Adult admission is $25. Children 17 and under are free.

There's also a special experience that comes for an extra $15 fee. Guests can walk past billowing red curtains to find themselves on a faux stage, with spotlights in their eyes, the projection of a clapping audience in front of them, as they deliver their own version of an Oscar acceptance speech. Video copies are available later as souvenirs; just don't go on too long.
Celebrity Kylie Jenner revealed she wouldn't mind living in Texas.

On Thursday, September 23, Vogue dropped its "73 Questions" with Kylie Jenner interview  a series where the magazine asks celebrities and personalities rapid-fire questions while in their home.

When interviewer Joe Sabia asked Jenner if she could live in any other city in the country, the reality TV star said Houston. Currently, Jenner lives in Los Angeles, California, but has visited the Texas city several times with Houston-native rapper Travis Scott.

Jenner and Scott welcomed their first child together, Stormi Webster, in 2018 and are expecting their second.

Last weekend, the 24-year-old makeup mogul and Scott took their 3-year-old daughter to the Houston Zoo on a VIP tour, forcing the zoo to close the carousel twice. According to the Houston Chronicle, some Houstonians said the family trip to the H-town attraction on Sunday, September 19 was a major inconvenience.

In the Vogue interview, Sabia also asked Jenner to choose between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Houston Rockets. She said it was a hard decision, but she ultimately picked the Lakers.

Will Jenner join the California exodus? Only time will tell.

Watch 73 questions with Kylie Jenner with Vogue below:
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Welcome to Siegheilkirchen not only honors Manfred Deix, one of Austrias most revered cartoonists and satirists, it also marks the countrys first ever animated feature film.

Unspooling in Gala Premieres at the Zurich Film Festival, the film follows a kid whose immense talent for drawing gives him an outlet for his discontent while growing up in a small conservative Austrian town, where Nazi sympathy is still very prevalent. Deix initially worked on the project as art director before his death in 2016.

For Marcus H. Rosenmuller, Welcome to Siegheilkirchen has been long in the making. It was the first animated film for the celebrated German filmmaker, who joined the project nearly a decade ago after producers Josef Aichholzer and Ernst Geyer convinced Deix of making a film based on his work and partly inspired by his life.

Development on the film took several years and the process became a learning experience for Rosenmuller, who oversaw pre-production and script. I was very green behind the ears, he quips, noting that getting the story right and financing the film took considerable time. I was impressed and surprised that it is always a very long journey to make an animation film.

Spanish animation supervisor Santiago Lopez Jover, whose credits include Tomm Moores Song of the Sea, Kahlil Gibrans The Prophet, by Roger Allers, and Tom Tykwers A Hologram for the King, boarded the project in 2016 as co-director. It was a necessary collaboration between animation filmmaking on my side and all the previous work on the story that Marcus was doing, Lopez says.

For Rosenmuller, working closely with Lopez proved a valuable educational experience. What I learned in making this animated film I can also take to fiction film, especially when youre focusing on what is really, really needed for the story. What Santi taught me was where we have to focus: on movement, on emotion. As co-director, it was really fantastic for me.

The collaboration resulted in a work that stays true to Deixs art and spirit. There are a lot of elements that are inspired by his life, says Lopez.

Its also evident in the satire and the look of the characters. The film captures the artists contempt for the prejudice and discrimination prevalent at the time, adds Rosenmuller.

The content of our story is the content that Manfred Deix always fought against with his cartoons: the Nazis that were still living in the villages, the scandals of the church and the bigotry of society.

The object of his satire, of his criticism, was more than anything hypocrisy, Lopez stresses. And thats what the film reflects.

While the characters are very much in Deixs caricature style, the film has an overall natural and realistic look. The reference I used for the animators was The Illusionist by Sylvain Chomet, Lopez explains. That 2010 film (based on a screenplay by Jacques Tati) similarly used caricatures in realistic settings.

The experience of making Welcome to Sieheilkirchen has given Rosenmuller great appreciation for the genre, especially for the creative freedom in realizing ideas and scenes that are not possible in live action. You can be free in your head. You can just paint it. You can just do it. Thats the big advantage in animation.

Sold internationally by Picture Tree International, Welcome to Siegheilkirchen (previously known as Snotty Boy) will be distributed by Pandora Filmverleih in Germany, Filmladen in Austria and Prasens Film in Switzerland.

For his next project, Lopez is planning to direct Hikari, an animated film set in 19th-century Nagasaki about Jinsaburo Moriyama, a Japanese Christian persecuted for his faith. Jonathan Clarkes Kilkenny-based Distillery Films is producing the film, which has already secured development funding from Screen Ireland. Welcome to Siegheilkirchen producer Aichholzer Filmproduktion and Manuel Cristobals Madrid-based Sygnatia are set to co-produce.

Lopez and Cristobal (Bunuel in the Labyrinth of the Turtles) are also collaborating on a couple of other as yet unannounced animated features for adult audiences.

Rosenmuller, meanwhile, will again be dabbling in animation on his next project, a modern remake of the classic 1980s TV series Meister Eder und sein Pumuckl, about a magical imp who lives with an old carpenter. Produced by Munich-based Neuesuper for RTL and its TVNow streaming platform, the new live-action animated show is scheduled to shoot next year.

Rosenmullers other current pic, Lifeguard Off Duty, about a grumpy lifeguard trying to save the local swimming pool from closure, recently hit German theaters to rave reviews.

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Portugals Sardinha em Lata and Latvias Atom Art have boarded two new projects  Saari 2 and Taste Buddies respectively  at Cartoon Forum, the biggest European animation event devoted to TV series.

Both series are lead-produced by Helsinki and Barcelona-based Pikkukala (Royals Next Door, The Stinky Dog), run by Pablo Jordi. Saari 2 marks a new installment of the first series produced by Pikkukala. It was sold to more than 20 territories and already counted Sardinha em Lata (Alices Diary, Nuno Beatos feature My Grandfather Used to Say He Saw Demons) as the associate animation studio. A preschool series, Saari 2 follows the adventures and world discovery of an octopus, a lady owl, a small girl and a bohemian bird on the Saari island over 52 episodes.

Saari is a magic universe full of nature, music, and positive values that has delighted children all around the world, Diogo Carvalho of Sardinha em Lata told Variety. As a co-producer, we are very excited to work with Pikkukala in bringing this new season to the new generations of kids.

Via this years Portugal spotlight, Sardinha presented two additional projects at Cartoon Forum. Pete & Berns, an adults-focused three minute show, and another project with Pikkukala: The Saskatoons, an eleven-minute adventure series for children.

Pikkukala has also signed a partnership deal for Taste Buddies with Atom Art, based in Riga. The project is a live action/2D animation hybrid, backed by support from pubcasters YLE (Finland) and TVC (Catalonia). An animated adventure for toddlers on taste and food discovery, it was presented at the 2020 Cartoon Forum. We loved the projects imaginative qualities and are really looking forward to working on it, said Sabine Andersone at Atom Art. Taste Buddies deals with a universal theme  food  in a playful and very singular way.

Atom Art introduced another project this year at event in Frances Toulouse: Hello Oscar!, a 10-episode show on the relationship between a seven year old child and his grandmother throughout a summer.

Cartoon Forum ran Sept. 20-23 in the beautiful city of Toulouse, in the lap of the Pyrenees in southwest of France.

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A block away from the bustle of Londons Carnaby Street, a new yellow storefront acts as a portal to Jack Whites vintage Americana. The red tin ceiling, the rows of vinyl and the 1950s recording booth evoke Whites Nashville home. But its the glimpse of a classic U.K. telephone box, which is nestled by the door and plays secretive recordings of Whites voice, that reveals Third Man Records is trying out a British accent. The intimate store, dubbed Third Man Records London, opened Saturday and was built out in the former site of a lazaretto, a historical flourish that plays deeply into Whites mythology.

The retail store and music venue is an addition to the brands Nashville and Detroit stores, marking Third Mans first location outside the U.S. It also sets the stage for Third Man to expand its record label in the U.K. and Europe.

London feels really personal to me and to Jack, Third Man co-founder and co-owner Ben Swank tells Rolling Stone. Its where the White Stripes really first were appreciated in a wider way. They broke over here first. I lived here for a little while and we just love this city Its always been kind of understood that if we did a third location, this would make the most sense. Its just felt very personal to [Jack] and I think he wanted to do something to show that respect to the city.

Third Man Records London, located on Marshall Street one block away from the iconic Carnaby Street, features two levels of retail alongside the Blue Basement, a 60-person venue that will be used for both ticketed concert and secret underplay shows. White personally designed the space, which brings touches of his American roots into the city, including a 1950s vinyl recording booth from Nashville. (White also personally refurbished the shops till, also shipped from Nashville.)

While the space is small, theres a strong emphasis on unique detail. Downstairs, fans will discover a Literarium, a book vending machine created by Toronto-based artist Craig Small. Its only the second of its kind in the world, dispensing small books at random with the insertion of Third Man tokens. Those tokens, also used to purchase time in the recording booth, feature the visage of actor Dick Van Dyke, the quintessential American trying to be British.

I love the possibilities of [the Literarium], says Swank, who also runs Third Man Books with editor Chet Weise. We could get excerpts from writers we like or ask them to do a unique essay. I love the utter chaos of the randomness of it, for readers to be surprised by something theyve never heard of before. Its always going to be restocked and revolved. Theres always going to be new things in there.

White and Swank first began pursuing the idea of a London shop last January, shortly before the pandemic hit. They hired Camille Augarde, previously of Rough Trade and Fat Possum, to oversee the shop and record label. While the store might have opened its doors in 2020 if not for lockdown delays, the team says that nows the right time for Third Man to welcome the London public, particularly as England currently has no coronavirus restrictions in place. (While London is fully open, with no present mandates on masks or vaccines, Third Man will require vaccination against Covid-19 to access shows in the Blue Basement.)

Sarah Stawski* Sarah Stawski*

Weve accidentally had a really long time to roll it all together because of the pandemic, Swank notes of the store. I think its fortunate because its just started to open up over here. The timing is actually really good.

Its been really interesting trying to set something like this up during the pandemic and not being able to travel, Augarde adds. The initial idea was for Ben and Jack and everyone who have all played a massive part in the design of it to come over and oversee a lot of it. And obviously they havent been to. Its 80 percent been done over video.

As a record label, Third Man is known for its limited edition vinyl releases and reissues alongside albums and EPs from the labels own signees. That vision will continue in London, but with more of an emphasis on up-and-coming artists from the U.K. and Europe.

We do well in the States with our artists, but I just dont think weve had enough broadband to take on that sort of expansion, Swank explains. Weve largely been relying on our distributor here, who are great. It felt like we needed somebody to be that point person [in London].

Augarde adds, As well as spreading the word about our U.S. artists were really keen to give a leg up to some U.K. and European ones as well. For it not to be just a U.S. label and to be a worldwide one as well.

For the opening of Third Man Records London, Third Man has tapped several U.K. artists to create vinyl offerings that will be available in black vinyl globally and on limited edition yellow vinyl in the Soho shop. These include previously unheard and new recordings from Paul Weller, David Ruffin, The Jesus & Mary Chain, Cornershop, The Raincoats Gina Birch, and The Magic Roundabout. The store will also sell exclusive collaborative merchandise, like a Bella Freud merino knit sweater and a Rockins scarf.

Sarah Stawski* Sarah Stawski*

Were actually small enough where if it turns people away then its fine, Swank adds. The attitude over here is different than in America, so its a hard talking point, but I dont mind offending non-vaccinated people.

Since Third Man Records opened its doors in Nashville in 2009, White and Swank had have numerous discussions about how the label and its retail spaces could continue to expand. Detroit opened in 2015, with its pressing plant added on in 2017, but there are no concrete plans beyond London. Swank says he imagines there will be more global retail spaces in the future (Tokyo is a bucket list possibility). Ultimately, Third Man Records wants to welcome every sort of music lover, especially those who might be otherwise too intimated to go into a record store.

The brands original mission feels especially relevant after 18 months spent with mostly virtual contact.

When we first started, like 12 years ago, the goal was really to get people off their butts and into a brick and mortar store, Swank says. To stop buying things online all the time. In-person conversations are how culture grows. I think record stores and bookstores are where culture is spread in a city. Theyre super valuable that way. When we first started off it was a lot of just Jack White fans and were now in a place where we dont know who all the fans are.

Its been really successful having these unique physical spaces and getting people interested in the idea of not only Third Man but records in general, he adds. Were trying to re-contextualize it so it doesnt just seem like a strange antique in your grandmothers house.
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Whenever a film begins with a disclaimer asserting that the story youre about to see is fictional  and furthermore, that what shall unfold on-screen should not be considered a reflection of a reality  its hard not to go in assuming the exact opposite. Why protest so much if theres no factual basis there? In the case of Undercover, our skepticism is precisely the filmmakers intent: That introductory, legally obligatory text could hardly make its irony any clearer with actual scare quotes. Names have been changed, but anyone familiar with the headlines can tell that Thierry de Perettis no-frills, teeth-gritted procedural thriller has been drawn from the real-life case of former French anti-narcotics chief Francois Thierry, charged in 2017 with complicity in large-scale drug smuggling using police resources. Its a sensational affair that de Peretti treats with sober practicality, emulating the patient investigative techniques of the journalist who emerges  in tandem with his chief informant  as the storys bone-weary hero.

Its from real-life mole and whistleblower Hubert Avoines book Linfiltre, co-written with Liberation journo Emmanuel Fansten, that de Peretti and Jeanne Aptekman have built their methodical screenplay  though its the two mens collaboration, rather than Avoines earlier, intrepid work in Thierrys bureau, that proves the focus of the film. That makes the English-language title Undercover somewhat ill-fitting, as well as forgettably generic: A variation of the French title, which translates as Investigation Into a State Scandal, might have been more evocative and enticing.

Thats something for international distributors to consider as this eminently accessible, sellable item  further buoyed by a cast of familiar French faces, including a slithery Vincent Lindon as the films Thierry proxy  travels the festival circuit following its San Sebastian competition premiere. For de Peretti, confidently stepping up to a more expansive project while retaining the unfussy human concerns of his smaller, Corsica-set features Apaches and A Violent Life, .

Hubert Avoine is none too subtly disguised here as Hubert Antoine (Roschdy Zem), introduced as a complicit observer to a massive, multi-ton cannabis drop in Marbella in the films taut, atmospheric opening sequence. Encroaching motorboats slash the dawn silence, cuing a frenzy of activity, with apparent cops among those fetching and carrying. Is it a bust or a handover? Claire Mathons camera is compellingly fluid but keeps a cagey distance from proceedings, mirroring Huberts own inside-outside stance. A longtime infiltrator of trafficking rings, he has been enlisted by OCRTIS (Frances anti-narcotics police department) to oversee the Marbella operation  though he gradually senses that he isnt working for the good guys. Years later, with OCRTIS chief Jacques Billard (Thierry) under scrutiny after customs seize seven tons of cannabis in Paris, Hubert turns to journalist Stephane Vilner (Pio Marmai) to tell all, accusing Billard of turning his department into the countrys biggest trafficker.

Im neither a cop nor a thug, he says, and Zems mournful, contained performance mines considerable tension from the characters liminal morality: It emerges that theres another, time-sensitive reason why hes so eager to come clean, but is he out to repair the whole system or just his conscience? The journalists role in all this may seem more straightforwardly heroic, but Marmai  his brutish charisma ideally deployed  plays Vilner as equal parts bully and sympathetically driven, earnest crusader. Theres a flinty fragility underpinning the mens friendship throughout: Theyre fighting the same cause, but also using each other to slightly different ends. Youll write another book after this, but my combat continues, Hubert tersely tells the journalist, not entirely unreasonably.

Around this core not-quite-buddy story, a large ensemble of dependable players enacts the human machinery at work in the Liberation investigation and protracted legal proceedings. If Alexis Manenti seems underused as one of Vilners colleagues, Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi, cast as a public prosecutor, makes her cameo count in a fraught, furious one-scene standoff with Lindons toxic official where he tries to explain away gross malpractice as unorthodox progress. The war on drugs finally moves forward, and you close your eyes, he fumes. Nobodys buying it, yet de Perettis systematic, detail-oriented, not fully resolved film demonstrates how long it nonetheless takes for corrupt, cornered bodies to course-correct.

Reviewed at San Sebastian Film Festival (Competition), Sept. 23, 2021. Running time: 122 MIN. (Original title: Enquete sur un Scandale dEtat)

Running Time: 2 hours 2 minutes

Production

(France) A Les Films Velvet production in co-production with Arte France Cinema, Les productions du Chtimi, Rectangle Prods., Srab Films. (World sales: Wild Bunch, Paris.) Producers: Frederic Jouve, Marie Lecoq.

Crew

Director: Thierry de Peretti. Screenplay: Thierry de Peretti, Jeanne Aptekman, adapted from the book Linfiltre by Hubert Avoine, Emmanuel Fansten. Camera: Claire Mathon. Editors: Marion Monnier, Lila Desiles.

With

Roschdy Zem, Pio Marmai, Vincent Lindon, Julie Moulier, Alexis Manenti, Mylene Jampanoi, Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi.

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Talk to the people behind the ZFF Academy, and it quickly becomes clear that this Zurich Film Festival talent program is close to their hearts.

Launched back in 2006, just a year after the festival itself, the aim of the ZFF Academy is to promote exchange between notable filmmakers and aspiring directors, writers and producers. Its there to help up and coming creatives and execs to learn from film industry experts, connect with each other and to exchange ideas.

In many ways, its like the well-known Berlinale Talents program  only more intimate. Just 19 talents  nine women and 10 men  have been selected from hundreds of applicants to take part in the five-day Zurich initiative.

Talent from all over the world traditionally apply to the ZFF Academy, but this year the cohort is largely European  reflecting the difficulties that many people are having travelling due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Head of ZFF Industry Reta Guetg says the strategy has long been to keep the Academy small and select so that the talents get the most out of it. Its like going on a school trip for a week, and then you are best friends when you come back.

Guetg says the Academy has fostered many film industry collaborations, citing a Spanish distribution exec who took on the film of a German filmmaker she met while in Zurich. Another two German filmmakers, both alumni of the Academy, have gone on to form a company together, while an Italian writer has collaborated with a Greek director she got to know on the program. Previous alumni include Lisa Bruhlmann (Blue My Mind), Pierre Monnard (Needle Park Baby) and Jonas Carpignano (A Ciambra).

The five-day program itself consists of masterclasses, industry talks, case-studies, and dinners, running from Wednesday.

To help build strong relationships during the Academy, each of the 19 filmmakers has to take part in the entire program, rather than dip in and out of sessions.

Lying at the heart of the program are the Masterclasses, says ZFF Academy project manager Daniela Engler. This year they are each being given by a number of the high-profile filmmakers attending the festival, including director Paolo Sorrentino, Eskil Vogt, Ninja Thyberg, Ada Solomon, Asif Kapadia, Paul Schrader, and Ulises Porra and Silvina Schnicer. Each of them is all in a small room together [with the talents], and it is a really intimate discussion, says Engler.

The Bits & Pieces section, meanwhile, allows the 19 talents to present excerpts from their current projects on the big screen in front of their peers and industry representatives, who then provide feedback and advice.

Then there is a session Finding Your Audience  Story Lab meets ZFF Academy, which focuses on how to draw attention to projects and films. A special masterclass on film marketing during the development phase will kick off the event, followed by the ZFF Elevator Pitch  where participants have to pitch their projects during an actual elevator ride.

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A recent surge of Haitian migrants converging on the Texas town of Del Rio captured the attention of many around the nation this week as the individuals made their way from the island of Haiti to the Texas-Mexico border despite the obvious challenges presented in making that happen.

And this week, Rep. Henry Cuellar (TX-28) did his best to bring greater clarity to the picture of why exactly that was happening.

Cuellar said as more is being learned about the group, many are finding most of the migrants are not coming from Haiti directly. Instead, they are coming to the United States after living for some time in countries throughout South America.

These were people from Haiti who were in Chile and Brazil and a couple of other countries that have lived there for a while that then they decided to come in, he said. They were coming to Mexico as tourists, and then once they got there, they asked for humanitarian relief or they as tourists just decided to rush into the U.S.

The congressman said various countries in South America are seeing a major influx of Haitian migrants crossing throughout the continent to reach Mexico and then the American border. Some figures provided by the congressman stated the country of Colombia has about 30,000 Haitians in transit inside the country, Peru has about 500 people crossing into Colombia each day via buses, Panama has 15,000 Haitians, and so on.

Cuellar said there are even reports of Haitian migrants trying to take taxis and other modes of transportation from Monterrey up north to the American border.

Cuellar said Haitians coming into the country should understand that many things they are hoping to state as reasons to be considered refugees under asylum law do not apply. Among them are the recent political assassination of the countrys president.

The asylum law doesnt cover that, Cuellar said. Also, they had an earthquake and asylum law doesnt cover that.

Cuellar said many of these Haitians who arrived to the country were deported to their home country as the U.S. continues working with Mexico trying to return more people coming to the border.

The government of Mexico has been working a little bit harder as they have turned away about 75 buses since Sept. 18, and in just about 2-3 days, they turned away some other buses that were transporting Haitians, Cuellar said. The government of Mexico has begun a returning Haitian (policy) of returning them to Mexico, so Mexico has been really working and pushing this hard on that. We are trying to work with the different organizations to provide assistance and flights are being returned to Port-au-Prince and Cap-Haitien Nord.

This was confirmed by an official from the Department of Homeland Security.

Moreover, the DHS said that since Sept. 19, repatriation flights have left the United States and 1,401 Haitian nationals have been returned to Haiti. More than 3,200 Haitian nationals have been moved from the Del Rio camp to CBP custody or to other sectors of the United States border to either be expelled via Title 42 if possible or placed into removal proceedings.

There remain less than 5,000 migrants in the Del Rio sector, the DHS official said.

Even though many Haitians have begun to be deported out of the country to Haiti, Cuellar said some of them are being processed to see if they would be returned to Haiti or countries like Chile or Brazil where they already had some residency status or were in those countries for some time. He does not believe it is fair for those people who may not have lived in Haiti for a long time to be deported back to that country if they do not remember anyone from there or have any ties there.

As for those that will be allowed to live in the United States, Cuellar said he does not know how many will eventually be allowed to stay under any asylum law.

We are trying to help these people with some assistance to make sure that the people have food and supplies or whatever for when they are returned back, Cuellar said. In two days, Mexico returned 75 buses filled with Haitians that were coming from the interior of Mexico to the U.S. border. The Mexicans are also trying to fly some of those people into their own countries as the Mexican government has done (inspections) of Haitians coming in, so we have Mexico helping us, we got medical personnel and DHS on site and FEMA supplying water. So we are trying to help the people that are there and set up air-controlled tents erected, because you know, it's hot down there and they are working with local NGOs.

Cuellar said the huge surge of migrants coming in is not normal, as it goes against typical numbers seen annually and that surge currently seen is something unprecedented.

March, April, May and June are the big months, and then it starts going down. But these numbers are not going down, and I know that people dont want to see people deported, Cuellar said. However, you can do it like President Obama and Secretary Johnson did by treating the migrants with respect, but when they said it is time to go back, they sent them back as you have to follow the law.

Cuellar said even migrant charities and activists are upset about these continued surges as they reflect people trying to come into the country illegally in large numbers, and the need for more widespread assistance continues to grow and there is a lack of resources at times because of these higher numbers.

I can tell you that some immigration activists that Ive talked to in Laredo and some other parts are saying that they are tired of this, as they state that this is not right as they dont like this chaos, Cuellar said. I get some very emotional texts from people that are just very tired of what is happening. Yes, we do believe in legal migration. Yes, we want to treat migrants with respect. But what is happening right now is not normal at all.

For Cuellar, he believes the huge surge of migrants is not just those coming but also blames the current presidential administration for not taking a more defensive approach to the surge of migrants and instead reacting to when the problems occur.

The president of Mexico and the president of Guatemala, they all said to the United States Hey, you are giving the impression that the border is open, Cuellar said. So if they feel that the border is opened, then certainly the criminal organizations are selling this idea to these Haitians and to these other people that the border is open.

Even though this past week there has been an alarming number of Haitian migrants trying to cross the border, the congressman believes this is only the beginning of the problem.

The bottom line is that the surge of Haitians is not going to subside any time soon, Cuellar said.

jorge.vela@lmtonline.com
Leaders from the state of Texas, the City of Laredo and the Mexican state of Tamaulipas gathered Saturday at the Gateway to the Americas Bridge to discuss the construction and expansion plans on the World Trade Bridge.

Shortly after the meeting, they were quick to provide the media with important news.

The moneys there, the commitments there and we want to move. At least on the U.S. side, put it on a fast track so we can move the expansion of the World Trade Bridge as fast as possible, Rep. Henry Cuellar (TX-28) said.

Cuellar met this weekend with Laredo Mayor Pete Saenz, Governor of Tamaulipas, Mexico Francisco Javier Garcia Cabeza de Vaca and Interim Nuevo Laredo Mayor Arturo San Miguel on Saturday. And there was a lot of optimism going around at the press conference following their gathering.

We had a thorough discussion of the border, more so the bridge plans that we have for the City of Laredo and, of course, Nuevo (Laredo) as well, Saenz said.

Expansion and construction on the World Trade Bridge and the Nuevo Laredo International Bridge 4/5 have been key points of discussion over the last year in Laredo. During a city council meeting in February, City Manager Robert Eads presented a study which detailed potential capacity limits coming in the next decade.

According to the study, if there is no expansion on the World Trade Bridge, it could reach capacity by 2030 which would negatively impact commercial truck wait times and trade flows.

The good thing is were doing things today, major projects that we know will extend that capacity, but were still going to end up at the same point; we will still always be building out, Eads told FreightWaves in a story released in March. Our true opportunity is going to be expansion of the World Trade Bridge and the greater use of the Colombia-Solidarity Bridge.

The city has discussed several things to mitigate flow at the World Trade Bridge including the possible expansion from four to eight lanes on each side as well as the introduction of Fast Lanes to expedite truck flow.

However, it appears there may be more than just one thing included in the expansion which could be coming up sooner rather than later.

We want to put an option where we put all of it together, Cuellar said. We expand (and) put Fast Lanes so we can get the best benefit of the work that we want to do here.

Cuellars focus though was the speed in which he wanted the project to get started. And he pointed to the example set by the agreement last year for an elevated train bridge.

We want to put it on a fast track, he said. Basically, if you remember, and this is something we talked about is the Kansas City Southern (situation). As you know, they got a permit very fast, and theyre going to building a rail train  one for north and one for south. We want to do the same thing for the World Trade Bridge.

There is more work to do for the city and Cuellar, but the congressman sounded encouraged by what his colleagues in Mexico told him during Saturdays meeting.

My understanding, they have the money already to do their side and the money on the U.S. side will be there to get it done. The money is there, he said. Second of all, my understanding is on the Mexican side  since the state has the concession then, they will notify the federal government they have the money, and they will do their part on their half of the bridge.

The World Trade Bridge originally opened for use on April 15, 2000. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration, the World Trade Crossing is the most important truck crossing on the United States/Mexican border. Texas border crossings account for most of the truck traffic, and the Laredo crossing alone represents over 60% of the truck traffic crossing the border between Texas and Mexico.

However, since its opening in the year 2000, congestion has started to become a problem, and it only appears to be getting worse. According to the citys February report, commercial traffic will increase by 3.3% from 2019 to 2030, and without improvements, wait times at the bridge could increase by 105% by that time.

As Cuellar said, the Mexican side appears to already have the money necessary to get the job done, now its his job and the job of his U.S. constituents to make sure it gets done.

On our U.S. side, its a little more complicated, he said. We have to go to the state department, and I know the city has already reached out to them and I have also reached out to them, and were going to set up a follow up so we can do work up here.

As you know, there is a more expedited process to move our side of the presidential permit because its not a new bridge. Really its modification to a presidential permit already, so we think that will move fast. We were talking about how fast we can move this so we can put this on a fast track.

The money is there. The will is there. And we have set up a task force between the Mexican side and the American side  basically of the city  so we can get moving and start moving what we need so we can do this as soon as possible.

There is also hope to improve the 4/5 bridge as well. That was also discussed in Saturdays meeting.

We discussed thoroughly what we need to do, what plans we have here in Laredo, Saenz said. We basically showed the governor and the Mayor of Nuevo Laredo our plans for the expansion of the World Trade Bridge, and also we discussed the location of the 4/5 bridge, but more so we focused on the expansion of the 4/5 bridge.

We also talked about 4/5, Cuellar added. We do. As I say always, Queremos puentes, no queremos muros. We certainly want bridges, we dont want walls. And we certainly want to make sure that we work on that. But the first thing is this.

Coming out of Saturdays meeting and press conference, there was a sense of optimism among those who spoke, and Cuellar was at the forefront of that.

Were looking at this fast track, but we know some of this will take a little bit of time, he said. So from my perspective, Im very, very excited that were finally saying that both sides have the money to get started, both sides are on the same page to get it started, and at least on the U.S. side, the permit is at least a little more expedited and we have set up a task force to make sure that we do this.

I talked to the federal government already to make sure that we have everybody together, so I feel very, very good. There will still be a lot of more work to do, but I think today was a very important day.

thomas.lott@lmtonline.com
LAGOS, Nigeria (AP)  Emmanuel Benson was planning to get his diploma in horticulture and landscaping from Nigerias Federal College of Forestry Mechanization next year. Now, hes not willing to risk the return to school, after he was kidnapped by bandits with dozens of others earlier this year.

Our lives are at risk  Nigerian students, especially in Kaduna state where we are, the 24-year-old said. As much as he wanted to complete his studies the kidnapping and everything that is going on havent stopped yet ... staying here anymore doesnt benefit anybody.

Benson is among a growing group of Nigerian students seeking alternative solutions to their education that wont further endanger them, as bandits in Nigerias northern states grow more ambitious, staging increased kidnappings of students for ransom.

At least 25 Nigerian students who spent nearly two months in the custody of gunmen in the countrys troubled northwest region are now putting resources together in the hopes of leaving the West African nation to study in another country, like the U.S., according to teachers and parents at the Federal College of Forestry Mechanization in the state of Kaduna.

Some of the students, as well as parents and teachers at the Kaduna college, told The Associated Press that after spending about seven weeks in captivity before regaining freedom in May, life hasn't remained the same. They fear pursuing an education in Nigeria, and they are now relying on the help of a school committee overseeing their application process for overseas education.

There are no clear plans yet on how that enrollment would work out, except that they are hoping for scholarship opportunities in the U.S. or elsewhere.

Nigeria is no longer an option for them because the country is not safe, according to Paul Yahaya, one of the 25 students.

Many families in Kaduna state say they now stay mostly indoors over fears of attacks. Ransoms are hefty, and in Nigeria, with a national poverty rate of 40%, parents are struggling.

Even the parents dont have money, because they have been struggling to pay their (abducted children's) ransom and they paid (so) much amount to the negotiators (who helped to secure the release of the children), said Abdullahi Usman, the chairman of the committee of parents and teachers who is overseeing the application process for interested students.

If the students left, that would mean starting tertiary education afresh and losing at least three years spent so far for some.

The 25 students hoping to leave are among 1,436 students who have been abducted in the last year in Africas most populous country, according to Peter Hawkins, the U.N. Childrens Agency Nigeria representative. The education of up to 1.3 million Nigerian children has been affected because of the school abductions, he said.

The Kaduna school and many other schools in at least four states remain closed because of insecurity. One of those schools is Bethel Baptist High School in Kaduna, where 10 students were freed Sunday, nearly three months after their abduction in July. A school official told AP that another ransom was paid to secure the release of the students, with 11 out of 121 that had been seized from the school still in the custody of their abductors.

Kauna Daniel of the Kaduna college wants to leave, despite not having the money to do so or a passport, but is still frightened.

I dont want to go anywhere again, her voice rang out angrily over the phone. She said she hasn't been able to sleep since she was released from captivity in May because of trauma and an eye problem.

The trauma we are passing through is getting out of hand and it is even now that everything is getting worse, the 19-year-old said, adding almost as if she is pleading that it is better for me to stay at home.

The United Nations estimates that the country of more than 200 million people already has 10 million children not attending school, one of the highest rates globally, with 1 million more afraid to return to classes as schools reopen in the coming weeks. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated those numbers, according to Save The Children Nigeria, which said 46 million Nigerian students have been affected by school closures as a result of the pandemic.

With the school abductions by groups of gunmen who often camp in abandoned forest reserves across the northwest and central parts of the country, some parents are caught in a dilemma. Should they brave the odds and send their children to schools, which are often located in remote areas, or keep them home, away from the prying eyes of the gunmen?

The Kaduna school committee chairman Usman said parents of affected students in Kaduna are eager for their admission to schools abroad because their children are still vulnerable  and can be kidnapped anytime.

Friday Sani is one such parent. He said his two daughters spent weeks in captivity along with other students of the Kaduna college, and they now await responses from places outside of Nigeria, mentally unable to return to school in the West African nation.

The government of Nigeria needs to have a plan to better prepare education systems to respond to crises, said Badar Musa of Save the Children International, Nigeria. There is need for increased investment in education systems from both government and international donors.
District Attorney Isidro Alaniz outlined a funds request regarding the jail intake program for the county this week.

Alaniz asked for over $535,000 to restart the program and saying it would produce results in one year. If it didnt, he said the court could shut down the program.

In 2017, the program began and saw rotating prosecutors at the county jail screening arrests before suspects were booked. This was to verify the quality of the arrest which resulted in fewer suspects being arrested.

According to Alaniz, the main goal is to divert cases from the jail, decrease its population and refer those with mental health issues or substance abuse issues to programs and experts. With the program focusing on real-time screening, it may also save time for prosecutors and law enforcement officers, he added.

It also helps the attorneys and law enforcement having attorneys there in real time in helping screen and make critical decisions that in the end help reduce the population of the jail and create savings, jail space, and also being able to divert people to probation, Alaniz said.

The program would have to produce results to see its continued support. However, it may need to be more successful than its 2017 run as LMT reported it had decreased inmate bookings at the county court by 25% during its first year.

Ultimately, the first runs end could be attributed to the overall cost of the program versus moving inmates to other facilities outside of the county.

David Sanchez, Chief Financial Officer for the Webb County District Attorneys Office, explained the jails cost driver, a variable that increases expenses, is its inmate population. Before the implementation of the program in 2016, the average of inmates booked a week was 200. Sanchez said 144 inmates were booked once the jail intake program was implemented.

Additionally, Sanchez explained that based on historical data, an average stay in jail is approximately 11 days, which costs the county $70 each day resulting in an annual personnel cost of $533,965. However, Commissioner John Galo believed there are still inmate referrals that cut those 11 days short.

He continued, saying according to the September 2021 county jail population report, there are 530 inmates as of Monday, close to the county jail max capacity. The jail intake program would help reduce that number.

Alaniz said the program would see currently employed staff work after hours during the screening, addressing there is a risk to his position on who is let go, but the DA office would oversee who warrants incarceration and who would be referred to a supporting agency.

cocampo@lmtonline.com
More than a dozen Texas Big City Mayors, including Laredo Mayor Pete Saenz, asked legislative leaders to dedicate a portion of the states American Rescue Plan Act funds to key municipal needs, including housing and utility assistance, on Sept. 21.

A letter was sent to Gov. Gregg Abbott, Lieutenant Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dade Phelan. The letter stated, the pandemic exposed clear areas for improvement to our infrastructure and public service provision, and with the third COVID-19 wave fueled by the delta variant, there are still challenges on the horizon.
Courtesy /LISD

Laredo Independent School District campuses will be closed Monday for staff development training. LISD administration, faculty and staff will report to work Monday morning for their required staff development.

However, there will be no classes for students on Monday due to the required trainings. Students will resume their regular schedule on Tuesday.
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At Greentrees Country Day School and Camp our programs are designed for toddlers through pre-Kindergarten. Since 1988, this family owned, and operated school and summer program has been welcoming the youngest members of our community.

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The following editorial was published in the Sept. 21 edition of the Detroit News:

(TNS) Assuring that everyone has a doctor to call their own is a key element in improving health care, particularly in vulnerable communities.

Yet 25% of Americans don't have a primary care physician who they see regularly, and the percentage could be much higher in some rural and urban areas like Hillsdale and Detroit, which are designated health professional shortage areas.

Inequities in access to health care are blamed in part for the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on minority communities. African Americans had a 40% greater incident rate of the virus compared to Whites last year, and have died at 2.0 times the rate, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

Closing the health care gap is a major focus this week of the Detroit Regional Chamber's Mackinac Policy Conference.

"When you have regular access to a health care professional who understands who you are as a person and your health care needs and the social and other factors that impact your health, it clearly improves the outlook for individual health and wellness," says Wright Lassiter III, conference chair and head of the Henry Ford Health System.

The benefit of having a family doctor  or a physician's assistant or nurse practitioner  a patient sees regularly is the trust and familiarity that develops over time.

Patients without a primary care physician tend to see a doctor only when they get sick, and if they're going to a walk-up clinic or emergency room it generally is a different doctor each time.

A family doctor provides ongoing health maintenance through regularly scheduled visits. And when a pandemic such as COVID hits, they are a vital resource for identifying symptoms and directing patients to appropriate care.

"It's always been known that when you don't have access to health care advice there are consequences," Lassiter says. "When we have an infectious disease outbreak, those who have health care professionals they can consult with fare better."

Just over 25% of medical students are choosing general practice, exacerbating a shortage of family doctors that has been building for decades.

"There's no silver bullet answer," Lassiter says.

Michigan is receiving nearly $11 billion in federal COVID relief funds. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is proposing to spend some of that money to improve health care in underserved communities.

She and lawmakers should focus on developing a stronger network of primary care physicians in both urban and rural communities.

Financial incentives to encourage more medical students to choose family practice might help. The state should also consider relaxing licensing rules to make it easier for foreign doctors from countries with acceptable medical schools to practice here.

Lassiter says it is also essential to get more minority high school students into the health care careers pipeline.

"When individuals connect with a health care professional they identify with, it often produces better outcomes," he says.

The 2020 federal COVID relief package provided more funding for medical education, including 1,000 new Medicare residencies nationwide. But the cap on medical residencies overall is still too low. Congress should raise the limits, particularly for residencies at urban health centers.

More family doctors embedded in communities such as Detroit where health needs are the greatest is an essential step in closing the health-equity gap.
A late Kortney Hause headed goal condemned Manchester United to their third defeat in their last four games, with Aston Villa taking all three points at Old Trafford.

The home side also missed a golden chance to salvage a point when Bruno Fernandes uncharacteristically blasted an injury-time penalty over the bar after Hause had handled the ball in the area.

The loss means that the Red Devils missed the chance to go top of the Premier League and now sit in fourth spot but level on points with Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool, with the latter having a game in hand.

It also continues Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's team's worrying run of form. West Ham knocked them out of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday, and they also fell to Young Boys in their Champions League group-stage opener.

Manchester United are keeping pace in the league for now, but the pattern will be a cause for concern as it becomes evident that signing Cristiano Ronaldo can't paper over all the cracks.

Next up are Villarreal in the Champions league on Wednesday at Old Trafford. For Aston Villa, who now have back-to-back Premier League wins, their next fixture is away to Tottenham Hotspur, who are one place below them in the league as things stand.
Valentina Shevchenko defended her flyweight belt with a fourth-round stoppage of Lauren Murphy at UFC 266 on Saturday night.

Shevchenko (22-3) cemented her status as one of MMA's most dominant champions with her eighth consecutive victory over the last four years, including six stoppages.

The champion from Kyrgyzstan steadily wore down Murphy (15-5) over the first three rounds before stunning Murphy with a right hook and then battering her across the cage and onto the canvas, where she finished with punches and elbows on the ground.

Shevchenko said she won't set goals for consecutive victories or title defenses, instead only seeking to learn "how far I can go. To discover what is my limit as a human. What is my limit as a martial artist."

The 38-year-old Murphy had won five straight bouts since July 2018 to earn the first UFC title shot of her late-blooming MMA career. Yet she was little more than a tough sparring match for Shevchenko, who hasn't lost to anyone in the past 11 years except two-belt champion Amanda Nunes.

Despite her divisional dominance, Shevchenko said she probably won't try to move up or down.

"I'm ready to fight anyone, and the flyweight division has so many strong fighters," she said.
How to do a Manicure at Home?

Follow the Following Steps for a Perfect Manicure at Home:

Remove all traces of chipped or old nail polish from your nails using a cotton ball dipped in nail polish remover. Minimize the contact duration of the nail polish remover with your nails and skin as it has a drying effect. Once you are done, wash your fingernails under running water. If you want to get rid of the residual powder left by the remover, you can use an old toothbrush to clean your nails.

Soak your hands in a bowl of warm water and if you like, you can add a few drops of an essential oil to the water. Jojoba oil, sweet almond oil and wheat germ oil are all excellent choices, as they will help to nourish and moisturize your skin.





Use an emery board to shape your nails  you can choose from a variety of shapes including oval, square, pointed, almond or square oval (generally known as squoval"). Avoid using a metal file to shape your nail as this can result in splintering. Use a slightly abrasive buffer over the tops of your nails as this will ensure an even but not unduly smooth surface. If the surface of your nails is very smooth, the nail polish will not adhere to the nail and will chip off more easily.

Soak your hands once more but keep them immersed for no more than 5-7 minutes. It is important to soak your hands at this point, as it will make your cuticles softer so that you can trim them easily. You can use a timer to make sure that you dont over-soak your hands as this could cause your nails and skin to dry out.

Dry your nails well with a towel and then carefully trim the thickened skin around your nails. You can also use the edge of a pumice stone or a stiff-bristled brush to gently exfoliate your skin after you have trimmed the thickened skin at the corners of your nails. Gently push your cuticle back and nip it if necessary with cuticle trimmers. Be very careful when removing cuticles, hangnails or callouses as you could damage your skin and hurt yourself in the process. If you have thickened skin on your palms, massage them thoroughly with a pumice stone.

Dip your hands in the warm water bowl for just a minute and then take them out and shake off the excess water. Apply a moisturizer liberally to your hands and work it into your skin to keep your hands smooth and moisturized. You can make your own moisturizer by mixing equal amounts of virgin coconut oil and aloe vera gel.

Use a cotton ball soaked in warm water to remove the moisturizer from your nails. Repeat this step a couple of times to make sure that you get rid of all traces of the moisturizer as this will ensure that the nail polish adheres to your nails.





Paint your nails with two coats of nail polish and allow the first coat to dry completely before applying the second coat.

Types of Manicures

French Manicure

Reverse French Manicure

Paraffin Manicure

Hot Stone Manicure

Gel Nail Polish Manicure

Manicure Tip and Tricks

When it comes to a do-it-yourself manicure, the trick is to apply several thin coats of polish rather than one thick coat. If you apply a single thick coat, only the top of the layer will dry which will make it easier for it to smudge.

Apply a little vaseline or lotion to your cuticles with a cotton swab before you apply your nail polish. This is one of the best home manicure tips for those who find it hard to apply nail polish perfectly. Even if a little polish goes onto your skin, the vaseline will prevent it from adhering to your skin so you will be able to simply wipe it off later.

The two important points to remember when it comes to polish is that regular nail polish takes more time to dry if the humidity level is high and when you are at home, gel manicure tips such as not exposing your nails to hot water will prevent cracking and peeling.

Some men might feel awkward going to a salon to get a manicure and so they can just do it at home. A manicure for men focuses on getting rid of rough callouses and dead skin. A manicure for men is pretty similar to a manicure for women with the obvious exception of nail painting. If you have never given yourself a manicure before, you can start by soaking your hands and then giving your hands a light scrub with a pumice stone. Dont bother with your cuticles, but instead concentrate on cutting your nails neatly before you file them lightly.

A regular manicure involves the cleaning and exfoliation of the hands and fingernails. The persons hands are exfoliated and moisturized while their cuticles are pushed back or trimmed and the finger nails are filed into the desired shape. Although salons and spas offer this treatment, it is easy to do your own manicure at home.There is more to a manicure than simply shaping and polishing your nails. There are different types of manicures that differ from each other in the treatment process, the type of nail polish used or even the design created using nail polish. Once you have learnt the basics of how to do a home manicure, you can experiment with various manicure types. Here are a few of the most popular types of manicures:It is the most common type of manicure as its chic and polished look is suitable for just about any occasion. With a French manicure, the base coat is a pale pink or peach colour. The tips of each fingernail are then painted with a white crescent strip. Once the polish has dried, a clear top coat of nail polish can be applied for a smooth and even finish. French manicure kits provide crescent-shaped nail guides to make sure that the white polish follows an even curve. If you do not have a nail guide you can make your own by cutting out a gentle curve in a strip of painter's tape using a sharp scissors.It is just what the name suggests  the entire nail is painted a peach or pink colour with tiny moons of white paint near the base of the nail. Some women prefer thin U-shaped bands of white near their nail bed instead of the regular moon shaped bands.Paraffin manicures have gained popularity despite being quite expensive as they are excellent at softening and moisturizing skin. Paraffin wax is heated to about 35 C before being applied generously to ones hands. When trying this method at home, make sure that the wax is not too hot or you may injure yourself. Apply a cream or a little essential oil to your hands before immersing them in paraffin wax as the heat will promote the absorption of creams and moisturizers. Wrap your hands in plastic wrap to help trap the heat for about 30 minutes before peeling off the wax.It uses large flat pebbles that have been heated to encourage muscle relaxation and help you unwind. Generally, warm basalt stones are used and this type of manicure is an excellent choice for those who suffer from aches and pains in their knuckles and hands. The warm stones are also used to massage the palms, forearms and fingers to soothe the muscles and joints.It is a rather recent entry into the market. Unlike regular nail polish that dries within a few minutes of contact with air, gel nail polishes do not dry automatically. Once the polish is applied on your nails, you will need to place your nails under a UV lamp so that the nail polish can cure and become dry. The plus side to using gel nail polish is that they generally last for two weeks while regular nail polish often chips in less than 5 days.
With newer gadgets and facilities come newer health challenges. The computer maybe the modern marvel that has increased the pace and productivity of work, but the human body is not designed to be sedentary. Reports from PC users all over the world, point to serious health issues posed by the monotony and stress of being tied to a computer for most part of the day.

"We pray with our hands and often communicate with them. We use them to eat, work, and make love. We employ them as marvelously sophisticated instruments of flexibility and strength, and when they are damaged, we anguish." - Keith L. Moore

A few of the health problems that the computer has brought in its wake include Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI), Work Related Upper Limb Disorder (WRULD), Musculoskeletal Disorder (MSD), fatigue, migraine headaches and eye strain. These symptoms could just be the beginning of serious health concerns because computer usage is relatively new and we are yet to understand the long- term health consequences of a lifetime of working at a computer desk.

Computer - related injuries are mainly a physical problem and not a psychosomatic one. Prolonged hours of sitting and working at a particular place can increase stiffness in joints and muscles. Stress may aggravate symptoms. It has been proved easier to prevent computer -related injuries than to cure them.

Ergonomics is the science that focuses on equipment design at workplaces with a view to reduce fatigue and discomfort in workers by improving working conditions. The overall aim of ergonomics is to increase workers efficiency and thereby maximize productivity.

Ergonomic furniture and ergonomic accessories are becoming increasingly popular in markets all over the world. For instance, ergonomic keyboards designed with a view to reduce muscle strain and repetitive stress injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome, are hitting the market offering different features. Some ergonomic keyboards are a single board with keys arranged in 2 or 3 groups at different angles rather than a straight keyboard. Some have the keyboard split into separate independent pieces with elevated sections at different angles. Some ergonomic keyboards have keys fixed at a vertical elevated level so that the users hands can be unbent and perpendicular to the ground.

Employers and workers need to be informed of the health hazards of constant computer use, successful prevention techniques and useful remedies if injuries do occur.

In India, CRI is not treated as an occupational hazard, unlike developed countries such as the US, Canada, Australia and UK where computer-related injuries are compensated.

Startling Facts

A 2007 cross- sectional study conducted on a sample of 136 users comprising of university students and office staff in Malaysia, where many were using standard keyboard and mouse without any ergonomic modification whatsoever, reported the following findings:

About 50% of those with some degree of low back pain did not use an adjustable backrest.

Many users had high incidence of Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA) of the wrist and neck that suggested an increased risk of developing occupational overuse syndrome (OOS).

As many as 64% were using refractive corrections and yet had showed high incidence of Computer Vision syndrome (CVS) that generally included eye fatigue, headache and burning sensation.

An increase in CVS scores corresponded with increased hours of computer usage.

A study conducted in India on a sample of 650 people in computer-dependent careers, (average age was 27 years and ratio of males to females was 4:1) revealed that:
Medindia Home Page for Doctors is a free service we provide to doctors and healthcare professionals to create a full-featured online presence and profile that they can fully control and maintain. If you are a doctor it allows you to list your practice details, locations, specialities and showcase your credentials, experience, expertise and skills to the world and to your patients. An online presence and profile is essential so visitors and patients can find you when they search for you. For example, you may have done work in certain area of medicine that may be useful for a patient's to understand, so that they can seek advice and guidance from you.

Medindia gives doctors and healthcare professionals tools to create a free home page, a full-featured online profile that can showcase their experience, expertise and skills, and a free listing in a searchable national directory visited by millions. In addition, doctors can provide better care to their patients with a wellness portal branded with their practice name to enhance patient education and engagement, and provide online appointments and teleconsultations. Doctors can also stay updated with abstracts from current medical journals and track upcoming conferences in their specialty.

Medindia's Doctors' Home Page and Wellness Portal are designed with a host of features for doctors and healthcare professionals to create and maintain an online presence, increase visibility in web searches, provide better care and education to their patients, and stay current in their specialty.

When you create a home page, we also include your name and practice details in our searchable doctors' directory, which contains over 260,000 records, categorized by state, city, pin code and specialty and is visited by millions of visitors each month. This listing is linked to your home page and enhances your online visibility in search engines. It can also provide you with a source of new patient leads and referrals, and allow visitors to book an appointment with you directly.

The selection of information that you can publish, has been done consistent with the ethical requirements of medical bodies such as Medical Council of India (MCI) and the recently published and notified guidelines for 'Practice of Telemedicine' in India. The homepage stores all your essential information and takes care of the needs of your patients in your practice. It has both areas that are visible to the world out there and the non-visible area just for you.

Benefits

Medindia is India's leading health website that is visited by several million visitors each month . Medindia is certified by the Health On Net Foundation (HONCode), for publishing authentic, validated content that follows and complies with their standards for ethical health information for consumers.

Medindia follows the highest standards for data security, privacy and confidentiality and all communication is encrypted and protected via TLS/SSL. Medindia's Privacy Policies ensures security and privacy of all your data and that it will not be shared or sold.

Medindia also has high domain authority and search rankings in Google, Bing and other search engines. As a result, a Home Page and online profile on Medindia, increases your visibility in search engines. You greatly increase your chances of being found on the first page of Google when people search for you by name, specialty in your city or state or for details in your bio, experience, expertise and any other information you provide on your Home Page.

Sections & Features

Once you register and create a Home Page on Medindia, your details are verified manually to ensure they match with MCI registration data and a "Verified" icon is added to your profile. All verified pages are then published.

Basic Information: This is displayed at the top of your Home Page and includes:

This is displayed at the top of your Home Page and includes: Photograph



Full Name



Primary Speciality



Secondary Speciality



Qualification



Location (City and State)

Biographical Sketch: You may enter about 100 words about yourself in this sketch

Locations: In this section, you can provide information about all your practice locations including address, phone number, and working hours for each location. You may enter your primary and any number of additional locations. Patients can book appointments by clicking on the 'Book Appointment' button.

The next section of the Home page allows you to showcase your credentials, professional experience and accomplishments.

Education: A list of all the colleges attended, year of graduation and degree obtained.

A list of all the colleges attended, year of graduation and degree obtained.

Experience: List all work and professional experience including description and duration.

List all work and professional experience including description and duration.

Areas of Special Interests and expertise: List here any areas of medicine that are of interest to you - for example preventive nephrology

List here any areas of medicine that are of interest to you - for example preventive nephrology

Accreditations: List of professional accreditations including the year and accreditation number.

List of professional accreditations including the year and accreditation number.

Awards and Recognition: List of all awards and recognitions obtained including description and year.

List of all awards and recognitions obtained including description and year.

Publications: List of all publications, paper, journal articles including description and year published.

List of all publications, paper, journal articles including description and year published.

Memberships: List all your affiliations and memberships of any medical societies

List all your affiliations and memberships of any medical societies

Certifications: List of all your certificates

List of all your certificates

Languages known: All languages you can speak

All languages you can speak

Social Networking: Links to all your social networking profiles Twitter, LinkedIn, Website, Blog and any other

Articles published on Medindia: An added benefit for doctors registered on Medindia is the ability to contribute to the site as an author or an editor. All articles written or edited by you will be linked to from your home page. Medindia gets millions of visitors from over 230 countries and publishing on Medindia is a great way to showcase your professional expertise and build your reputation and brand globally. Please contact our Editorial Director if you are interested in contributing to the site indicating your area of interest.

Dashboard

Medindia's Doctors' Home Page is loaded with many other features that are accessible and visible only after you login to your account securely with your username and password.

The dashboard provides one-click access to managing all aspects of your home page including updating any part of your profile, managing your appointments, communicating with patients, performing teleconsultations, staying current with medical journals, conferences and providing better care to your patients, by giving them access to a personalized wellness portal that is branded with your name.

The following describes each section of the Home Page Dashboard in greater detail:

1. Top Bar of the dashboard

The top bar has a login and log out buttons, along with your name. When you are finished, make sure you log out by clicking on the button. If you do not do so you will be logged out automatically after a few minutes as a security measure and protect your account.

2. Doctors Home Page Dashboard

Your name, picture and qualifications: This section has a picture of you that can be changed at any time by clicking on it and this change will be reflected on your homepage. Always use a professional, high resolution photo that is clear.

Sidebar: There is a side menu bar that essentially lets you control all the visible and non-visible features of your homepage and the backend of the website to help you with your practice. It goes even further than this and allows you to keep yourself abreast with your areas of interest in your speciality. These include access to abstracts of the top ten journal of your speciality and the upcoming medical conferences that you may wish to attend.

Manage your Information & Listing (left side): Control the top half of the dashboard on the left is about your information on Medindia, i.e. your homepage and your listing in Medindia's doctors' directory. The doctor's directory has over 260,000 doctors listed on Medindia. The right half allows you to control your patient information.

Wellness Portal As a registered doctor with Medindia you can offer a full-featured wellness portal to all your patients that are branded with your practice name. All your patients can login to this portal and get a private and personalized 'My Health Page' where they can manage their health. It also has the full library of Medinda health and wellness content, educational material and tutorials designed to increase engagement and educate patients on their health.

For more information on all the features in this wellness portal please view this page or watch the video here.

Appointments

This section allows you to manage all your patient appointments. Patients can book appointments with your practice for online or in-person visits based on available time slots and office locations. All appointments are subject to your confirmation and can be rescheduled if required. We provide automatic Email and SMS reminders to minimize missed patient appointments.

You can even Block your Dates if you are not available in one particular location.

Telemedicine Guidelines

Medindia promotes access and affordability of patients to achieve universal healthcare for all through the practice of telemedicine. We have included several telemedicine resources including a few articles and the notified guidelines by the Government of India. All doctors who wish to practice telemedicine practice are required to become familiar with these guidelines.

Teleconsultation Dashboard: This feature allows you to view and manage all teleconsultations with patients. Features include full secure text chat and communication with patients as well as secure audio / video teleconsultations via a web browser or using a mobile phone. Medindia follows all the legal requirements of the Telemedicine act of India and obtains the required consent form from patients prior to any teleconsultation to fully protect you. Online payment processing is built- in and patients can pay by bank transfer or credit card. Automatic SMS and email reminders are sent to the patient and a secure audio/video session is initiated at the scheduled time. All of the above features of the portal are available from a desktop, notebook or tablet browser as well as a mobile smartphone app.

Medindia helps its registered doctors by making them visible and informing our members about their availability for teleconsultations on our online consultation pages for free.

Journal Articles & Latest from Pubmed

This feature is designed to keep you updated with the latest in medical research and developments by providing you with abstracts of recent articles from top medical journals and the latest articles from PubMed.

You can also search by Title and Keyword: The abstracts are linked to the full article when available so you can stay abreast of the latest research in your specialization.

Conferences

The page provides you with information about the forthcoming medical conferences in your specialty.

Medindia truly believes in its Mission to Network doctors with Patients. Please do watch the short video that describes all the advantages and features of the Medindia Homepage.
REM sleep is characterized by quick uncontrolled eye movements along with a decline in muscle tone. Most people experience REM sleep on a nightly basis though the amount of REM sleep differs from one individual to another although age is a significant factor. An adults REM sleep would account for just 20% of his/her total sleep time but an infant would experience REM sleep for over half of his/her total sleep time.

Sleep is generally divided into two main categories: Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep and non-rapid eye movement (NREM or non-REM) sleep. It is easy to differentiate between these two types of sleep as each one is characterized by a distinct set of neurological and physiological features. An EEG (Electroencephalography) measures and records the electrical activity in an individuals brain through multiple electrodes that are placed on the persons scalp. This electrical activity can be divided into frequency ranges and this will determine whether the person is experiencing REM or NREM sleep.

NREM Sleep

In NREM sleep, there is very little or no eye movement and there is also no muscle paralysis as in REM sleep. NREM sleep constitutes 80% of a persons total sleep time and it is during the deep stages of this type of sleep that the body self-repairs and regrows tissue.

Sleep Cycles

When a person first settles down to go to sleep, they are still wide awake, alert and aware of their surroundings. At this point, the brain produces small and fast waves that are called beta waves but as the person starts to relax and drift off to sleep, the brain produces slower alpha waves. There are four stages of sleep and collectively they are known as a sleep cycle. Most people go through 6 to 8 sleep cycles every night with each cycle lasting anywhere from 60 to 110 minutes. These are the stages of a sleep cycle:

The First Stage (NREM)

Stage 1 of a sleep cycle is a transition period from wakefulness to sleep and it is a light stage of sleep. During this stage, a person gets very drowsy and their breathing slows down and their muscles relax.

The Second Stage (NREM)

In Stage 2 of a sleep cycle, eye movements stop and the individuals heart rate slows down. In this stage, brain waves become much slower with short bursts of rapid waves  these are known as sleep spindles. There are short periods of muscle tone interspersed with periods of muscle relaxation. In this stage of sleep, a person is no longer conscious of their surroundings.

The Third Stage (NREM)

Stage 3 of a sleep cycle is when you experience deep sleep. It is sometimes referred to as slow wave sleep or delta sleep as this stage is characterized by the occurrence of slow brain waves called delta waves. During this stage, there is no response to external noises in the persons environment. Bed-wetting, sleepwalking and other similar sleep problems are most likely to occur at the end of the third stage of the sleep cycle. The proportion of deep sleep decreases after the initial 3 to 4 sleep cycles.

The Fourth Stage (REM)

Most dreaming occurs during stage 4 of a sleep cycle when the respiration rate and brain activity increases. During this time, voluntary muscles are paralysed. The proportion of REM sleep will increase in the last 2 sleep cycles before the individual wakes up.

A single sleep cycle generally follows this pattern: Stage 1, stage 2, stage 3, stage 2 and then finally stage 4. While the full functions of REM sleep are not yet understood, research in the field of sleep deprivation shows that a lack of sufficient REM sleep impairs the ability to learn and remember complex tasks.

Power naps vs Long sleep

A power nap is a short sleep that does not last through all the stages of a sleep cycle. This short nap is generally used to revitalize a person as it supplements normal sleep time. According to a growing body of research, a midday nap will not only improve mood and temperament but can also improve performance. However, it is the duration of the nap that determines the health benefits of power naps and very long naps can have a negative effect. For instance, two independent research teams recently found that there was a relation between hypertension and regular long naps. Their evidence strongly suggests that people who nap for more than an hour on a daily basis are at an increased risk of high blood pressure problems. Similarly, a study into the effects of lengthy napping on diabetes showed that long naps are associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes.

Short power naps are effective and produce immediate improvements on cognitive performance and vigour. While a 5 minute nap has no noticeable effect, a 10 minute nap produces benefits that last for the next one and a half hours. A 20 minute nap does not have immediate benefits as these only kick in half an hour after the nap has ended. A 30 minute nap has a temporary negative effect as the individual experiences impaired alertness for a brief period but the positive effects after that can last for up to two and a half hours.

Power naps at work should be approximately 20 minutes long as this will promote alertness and improve typing skills and other motor abilities while power naps for studying should be no less than 30 to 60 minutes. A nap of 30 to 60 minutes allows the student to enter into slow-wave sleep and the occurrence of deep sleep will improve memory and recall abilities. It can take a while to get used to regular power naps  time your naps to make sure that you dont nap for over an hour or you will wake up groggy and sleepier than before. When it comes to naps vs coffee, although the caffeine in a cup of coffee can give you a boost, go for a short nap instead, as it will leave you more refreshed and alert.

While it may seem like power naps have an obvious advantage in the contest of power naps vs sleep, it is essential that an individual experiences a certain amount of deep sleep every night. It is during deep sleep that the human growth hormone is secreted which is responsible for cell repair which is why this type of sleep is also referred to as restorative sleep. Some people make the mistake of having short power naps through the night instead of long sleep but this goes against the basic biorhythms of our bodies and can cause sleeping problems. Inadequate deep sleep will leave you fighting drowsiness throughout your day and will drastically reduce your productivity.
The growing divide between the couple caused by the inability to sort out marital problems, forms the overriding reason for divorce. The couple simply drifts apart, unable to muster interest, strength and motivation to revive their dying marriage.

Marriages may be made in heaven, but when they break, they do so on earth. What might have begun like a fairy tale on the altar could end sourly as divorce, breaking marriage vows forever.

Sometimes there is just too much violence in the relationship or there are other associated problems like substance abuse. Saving a marriage is entirely in the couples hands. Even if one partner wants to save the marriage while the other is insistent on a divorce, the marriage can still be saved. The optimistic statistic is that up to 50% of all divorce cases have at least one partner who did not want it at all.

Ascertaining the cause of marital discord may be the first step in the marriage revival process. Rather than get overwhelmed with emotions at the thought of divorce, partners need to put on their thinking caps and intelligently work towards saving their marriage.

Patch-up Options

A brief look at some of the patch-up options.

Legal stalling

Marriage counseling

Personal action on the marriage front.

Legal Alternatives When Your Partner Wants a Divorce

A competent lawyer with a history of patching up rifts rather than a record of successful divorces could be a positive step to salvage a dwindling relationship. The distinguishing outcome may rest in the astute choice of a lawyer, especially if saving the marriage forms the immediate purpose in your life.

Despite your interest in saving the marriage, if the case manages to come to court, here is a chance to make intentions of saving the marriage clear. A lot depends on the prevailing laws concerning divorce, but one must never leave any stone unturned in saving the marriage.

For example, if cruelty or negligence is alleged, then evidence of this has to be produced. There have been cases when the case just collapsed due to lack of proof.

Another option is to ask for legal mediation or arbitration. A surprising number of couples who go through legal arbitration directed by the court decide to stay together.

Marriage Counseling

Often strife between couples for an extended period leads to a communication break down. Warring couples need an impersonal third party to just listen and offer solutions. Marriage therapists can get the couple talking to thrash out problematic issues and counsel them with appropriate ways of handling them.

The positive approach by a marriage counselor can steer the relationship in an appropriate direction with practical solutions to save the marriage. The intent of saving the marriage should be made clear in the beginning itself.

Many people go through marriage counseling only as a last resort to save a dying marriage. Marriage counselors are trained to help couples negotiate thorny issues like children, in-laws, money, and infidelity. The therapist may teach new ways to communicate, and non-accusatory ways of making needs known. But partners need to be absolutely truthful for marriage counseling to work

Personal Action on the Marriage Front

Saving a marriage is not just about preventing a divorce but about re-building a relationship of trust and joy.

Communication with ones partner is vital. Expressing affection, love and showing empathy may be qualities needed to prove sincerity and desire to get the relationship back on track.

Healing takes place with owning up of one's faults, and forgiveness. Partners must learn to forgive and move on rather than harbor ill feelings.

Build bridges and not burn them must be the motto of couples who want to save their marriage and build a lasting relationship.

References:

Author: Dr. Susan Vinodh Pandian

Editor: Savitha

Technically Checked by: Lingaraj
Prostitution or sexual gratification for money is perhaps the worlds oldest known trade. The changing face of the murky trade has now broadened to include street prostitution, massage brothels, escort services, gigolo outcall services, strip clubs, lap dancing, phone sex, child prostitution and sex tourism.

This high risk industry is fraught with violence and abuse but keeps growing by the day, raking in revenues for those who call the shots and with women and children as hapless victims of exploitation.

Consensual offence?

Prostitution is classified as victimless or consensual offence, because it is generally assumed that in such shady deals services are willingly offered and taken. But research done all over the world in developed, developing and under developed countries shows that may not be the true picture of prostitution.

Sexual and physical violence and pornography

Most prostitutes have been subject to sexual and physical violence at some point of time in the line of their job. A US survey among adults working in prostitution reported the following:

82% had been physically assaulted;

83% had been threatened with a weapon;

73% had been raped while working as a prostitute;

70% were victims of sexual assault by customers;

50% were reportedly kidnapped by pimps;

76% were beaten by pimps;

79% were beaten by customers;

In another study 38% of prostitutes stated that pimps regularly exposed them to pornography. 80% stated that customers used pornographic videos and photographs to demonstrate which activities they wanted the prostitutes to perform, most often for kinky sex.

Prostitution causes harm to women and children

Melissa Farley who conducted an extensive research on prostitution in the US, observes in her Prostitution: Fact sheet on Human Rights Violations, that prostitution involves sexual harassment, battering, rape, verbal abuse, childhood sexual abuse and a violation of human rights on the whole. Farley writes, "Whether it is being sold by one's family to a brothel, or whether it is being sexually abused in one's family, running away from home, and then being pimped by one's boyfriend, or whether one is in college and needs to pay for next semester's tuition and one works at a strip club behind glass where men never actually touch you  all these forms of prostitution hurt the women in it."

Statistics in the West

Given the clandestine nature of this trade and the social stigma attached to it, statistical data are extremely difficult to gather, but researches suggest that there are more than 1 million prostitutes in the US and 80, 000 in the UK.

One survey shows that nearly 50%of men in the US have been with a prostitute at least once in their lifetime. In a study among prostitutes in London, it was seen that 50% of clients were married or co-habiting. A 2004 survey shows that 95% of the street prostitutes or kerb crawlers as they are infamously called, are drug users and many are homeless.
Sex is totally natural, great fun and an interesting exercise as well. Having said this, it needs to be emphasized that sexual intercourse involves certain health risks because of the exchange of bodily fluids among partners.

Any kind of sexual activity penile-vaginal sex, genital-oral sex or anal sex can lead to sexually transmitted diseases (STD) if those involved have multiple partners, or have unprotected sex with people who may be infected with STDs such as genital herpes, genital warts, Chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis and many others. It also increases the risk of protracting deadly diseases such as AIDS, Hepatitis B and C.

STDs Can Ruin You Forever

Media reports suggest that there is gross ignorance among many young people who believe sexually transmitted diseases are easily curable. Truth is, only some STDs like Chlamydia can be cured. The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) can only be managed with medication and there is a serious danger that HIV will eventually lead to AIDS, the killer disease. According to a recent UNICEF survey, more than half of fresh HIV cases all over the world happen to be that of young people aged 15-25 yearswhich simply means, young and sexually active people are currently at a higher risk of becoming HIV positive.

Likewise, Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) causes genital warts and can lead to the fatal cervical cancer in women. British model and Reality TV star Jade Goodys swan song as she died a painful death from cervical cancer is a sad reminder that the clock cannot be set back once the damage is done.

Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) causing Genital Herpes can be managed but cannot be cured. Though HSV 2 is generally associated with Genital Herpes, HSV1 known to cause cold sores is also known to cause genital herpes. Since there is no known cure for genital herpes, the infected person has to suffer painful lesions in and around the genital area during each outbreak and also the possible transmission of the herpes virus to a partner for the rest of their life. Moreover Herpes infection outbreak makes a person more vulnerable to HIV infection because the virus can easily enter the body through the herpes lesions.

Those who have multiple sex partners and who indulge in unprotected vaginal, oral or anal sex can contract and transmit Hepatitis B and C, which are deadly viral diseases that cause hepatitis. Chronic infections can lead to cirrhosis and even liver cancer, which has a poor outcome. More recently it has been discovered that hepatitis C virus has serious implications on the lung too.

Condoms are not known to prevent Hepatitis viral infection, but their proper use can minimize infection.

Keep Condoms Handy

A condom prevents the intermingling of body fluids (saliva, blood, semen or vaginal fluids) from one person to another during sexual intercourse. These body fluids can contain disease-causing germs that can cause syphilis, gonorrhea, hepatitis, genital herpes, genital warts and even AIDS. If a condom is not used, an infected partner can pass on the disease to an unsuspecting, uninfected partner. Though condoms are not entirely dependable in their protection against all STDs, they still offer the best protection against most sexually transmitted diseases.

Safe Sex and Women

STDs can be dangerous for anyone, but women are known to suffer the consequences more than men. For instance, many STDs can seriously damage a womans reproductive organs rendering her infertile. Women are prone to cervical cancer caused by HPV. Worldwide statistics prove that women belong to the vulnerable group that is getting increasingly infected with HIV.

Additionally, if a woman has an STD while she is pregnant, she can pass on the infection to her baby. Women who have an outbreak of herpes virus while they are pregnant, risk entering premature labor and passing on the virus to the infant that can in turn lead to the babys nerve damage and death. So it is with AIDS, Hepatitis B and other sexually transmitted diseases.

Women who engage in prostitution are generally open to risks of sexually transmitted diseases. Though they are aware that condoms can prevent STDs to some extent, they are rarely in a position to dictate terms to a customer. Female condoms are expensive and often not user-friendly. Surveys done among sex workers, especially in under developed and developing countries, suggest that female sex workers would say No to condoms and Yes to customers, rather than insist on using condoms and risk losing customers who demand the natural feel.

Safe Sex Today is Abstinence

"There is no such thing as safe sex for someone contemplating sex with an HIV-positive person." Dr. Michael Gottlieb (his was the first original report to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) on gay-related immune deficiency (GRID). It was later renamed AIDS.)

With increasing health risks in sex, many people agree that abstaining from sexespecially of the casual, sexual play is the only sure way that can guarantee freedom from unwanted pregnancy and sexual disease infections. Sexual abstinence is practiced by many people all over the world who wait until marriage or until they have established a permanent relationship with another and then get sexually intimate with the partner.

Abstinence can fail on two counts. For many, sex is an uncontrollable basic instinct and when caught in a passionate moment, all vows of abstinence are forgotten. Secondly, abstaining from sex is not often a choice for women and girls in underdeveloped countries reeling under male domination.

The ABC Approach

The three key behaviors that can control sexually transmitted diseases summed up as the ABC approach are: Abstinence or delaying sexual initiation among youth, Being faithful to a single sexual partner (avoiding multiple partners) and correct and consistent use of condoms especially in high-risk groups.

The USAID reports a remarkable decline in HIV in countries like Uganda, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Thailand, Cambodia, India, by implementing the ABC approach and other preventive behaviors.

Safe Sex Tips

Postpone your sexual experimentation or sexual initiation till you are out of your teens or really mature enough to have safe sex

or sexual initiation till you are out of your teens or really mature enough to have safe sex Avoid reckless sexuality and take precautions before you become sexually intimate with a person

Refrain from wild partying that involves alcohol, drugs and risky sexual behavior

Beware of irresponsible partners who can lace your drink with ketamine drug and exploit you sexually when you are senseless

drug and exploit you sexually when you are senseless Talk with your partner about his/her sexual history and it is safer for both of you to get tested for STDs if you are frequently changing partners

and it is safer for both of you to get tested for STDs if you are frequently changing partners Never have any type of sexual intercourse without condoms

If using sex toys make sure you clean them always with disinfectant before and after use each time

Avoid anal sex because it involves a greater amount of friction and other stress that can induce the condom to tear. Even otherwise, anal intercourse is too risky because rectal tissues can tear and bleed and disease germs can be easily transmitted from one person to another through the wounds.

The only safe sex that is truly safe is lovemaking in a mutually faithful relationship where both partners are HIV negative and free from sexually transmitted diseases.

Sex is a great stress buster and a powerful expression of love. It is important that a man and a woman stay faithful to each other for life in a sexual relationship in order to ensure that the wonderful fun doesnt become the worst nightmare.
Yoga relieves pain and eases traumatic memories. It helps cope with pain by disassociating with the actual pain, focusing on positive thoughts and experiences.

Yoga is a traditional system that does not limit a persons existence to merely the body. According to the Upanishads, a person has 5 interconnected layers -

Annamaya kosha (made of food);

Pranamaya kosha (the prana);

Manomaya kosha (the mind and emotions);

Vijnanamaya kosha (intellect, wisdom);

Anandamaya kosha (bliss, happiness).

Every emotional disturbance manifests as diseases. However through prana, knowledge, and yoga one can release the emotional trauma and pain. According to yoga fraternity, hearts can be opened through backbends, and one can surrender through forward folds.

Pelvic area is associated with second or Sacral Chakra which is considered the storehouse of stuck emotions. The spine holds our emotional world and every cell radiates the energy of the mind, body and intellect matrix.

As per Dr. Candace B. Pert, author of Molecules of Emotion  the frequency of healthy body is 62-68 HZ. A cancerous body has energy of 42 Hz and less. Positive thoughts can increase energy by 10 Hz & negative thoughts by minus 12 Hz.

Pigeon Pose

Pigeon pose or Eka Pada Rajakapotasana is considered a hip opener which releases tension from muscles around the pelvic region. Stuck emotions find vent through hip openers.

Instructions

Come onto your hands and knees and start on all fours.

Bring right knee forward and outward.

Then take your left leg backwards and straight. The position of two legs will look similar to L shape.

You can come to this position from downward dog pose or from a lunge too.

Place your palms on the floor in front of you, lengthen your spine and glide the torso ahead, so that your straightened arms and head touch the floor or mat. Your torso will rest over your right thigh.

Your weight should be equally balanced on both hips, and the knee should feel no pain.

Continue for 5 breaths or as much as you are comfortable.

Slowly with the help of your arms raise the torso and come back on your fours or the downward dog pose.

Other popular hip openers are Bound Angle Pose (Baddha Konasana); Childs Pose (Balasana); Reclining Bound Angle Pose (Supta Baddha Konasana) and Padma Asana. They help to balance hormones as well.

Bow Pose

Bow Pose or Dhanurasana is a back bend. Back bends helps to open hearts and release pain. It releases stress and fatigue.

Instructions

Lie on your stomach with your arms resting by the side of your body. Keep the feet hip-width apart.

Fold the knees and try to hold on to your ankles.

As you breathe in raise your chest and simultaneously pull your legs up from the ground as much as you can.

Always look straight and take deep breaths for about 20 seconds.

As you exhale, gently bring back the legs and torso to the ground.

Release the ankles and relax in the starting position.

Other popular back bends are camel pose and cobra pose.

Seated Forward Bend

Forward bends help one to surrender to higher force or the unknown. It helps to disassociate with the experiencer.

Instructions

Sit with the legs stretched straight in front of you. The spine should be erect.

Raise your arms above your head as you breathe in.

Bend forward from the hip joints, bringing the arms down to touch your toes. The spine should remain erect.

Resting your hands on your legs, lengthen your spine and touch the toes. Bring the head towards the knees, trying to keep the knees as straight as possible.

After about 20 secs, straighten back to the sitting position and lower the arms.

Other forward bends are Standing Forward Fold Pose, Downward Facing Dog and Child Pose.

Sitting Half Spinal Twist

Spine is the nerve network and stores the memories. Spine twists whether sitting, lying or standing help to release experiences. It opens the heart as well.

Instructions

Sit with the legs stretched straight in front of you. The spine should be erect and the feet should be together.

Bend your left leg such that the left foot heel rests besides the right hip and the left knee rests on the ground. Alternatively you can keep your left leg straight.

Bend your right knee and take it over your left leg. The positions of your two legs will look similar to standing triangle.

Place the right hand behind you and the left hand on the right knee to balance yourself.

Twist from the waist up, the shoulders and the neck, to the direction in which the folded legs heel faces. In this case twist to your right.

Keep the spine straight and take gentle deep breaths.

Gently release the position and relax in the starting position.

Repeat on the other side.

Other spinal twists include Bharadvaja''s Twist, Revolved Triangle Pose, Revolved Side Angled Pose and Lying-down Body Twist.

Malasana

Garland pose is a wide-footed, deep squat which is also a hip opener.

Instruction

Come to the squat position with your feet as close together as possible. Kneels should rest on the ground.

Widen your thighs more than the torso width.

Lean ahead in anjali mudra and rest your elbows against your inner knees.

Shavasana

Corpse Pose helps to non-identify with the body, thoughts and pain emanating from loss, heartbreak, broken relationships and abuses. In this position attention is taken to different body parts one by one, and the entire body is relaxed.

Instructions

Lie flat on your back with legs slightly apart and arms along the body with palms facing the sky.

Take the awareness to right foot, then move to right knees and then the hips. DO the same with left leg.

Gradually move your awareness through each part of your body up to the head.

Relax and move your awareness from head to foot and vice versa.

After about 20 minutes, turn to your right side for about a minute.

Gently sit in the ease pose.

After few deep breaths become aware of your surroundings and body and open your eyes.

Yoga is not just about physical exercise. It includes art of living, wisdom, health of mind and elevated prana. Yoga activates the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) that helps one to dissociate from the event and the associated pain. It teaches us that we are much more than the mind-body complex.

Pain is inevitable; suffering is optional. You are Bliss, untouched by workings of world. Yoga poses help you to become aware of your body, breath and emotions.

With practice one learns not to identify with the body, thoughts or pain. During the practice of the poses, no matter how intense the pain, or rapid the thoughts are, do not resist or fight them. Dissociate and become aware of the pain and the thoughts, as they rise and vanish or diminish.

Also note that pregnant woman and people suffering from any kind of ailment have to take advice from their doctors before starting the practice. Those suffering from polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), fibroids or other hormonal imbalance may face heavy bleeding if the poses are practiced during menstruation. Thus expert advice should be taken to know whether these poses can be continued during periods.
A miscarriage or what is medically known as spontaneous abortion is the loss or death of a baby, which typically happens before the 20th week of pregnancy. Studies have shown that nearly 50% of all pregnancies end in a miscarriage and this happens most often before a woman misses her menstrual period or even knows she is pregnant. It is also estimated that more than 80% of miscarriages happen within the first three months of pregnancy.

Sometimes the smallest thing takes up the most place in your heart. As they say, The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen nor touched, but are felt in the heart. This is exactly what you feel when you are pregnant. However, sometimes the happiness you experience may only be short-lived and momentary. There may be many reasons for your inability to carry your pregnancy to full term, but each little life, no matter how brief it may be, changes your world forever.

During a period of physical or emotional stress, the brain releases several hormones in our body; one of the hormones is the corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH). Incidentally, CRH is also produced in the placenta and the uterus of pregnant women to trigger uterine contractions during labor and the delivery process. It has been observed in numerous studies that women who deliver prematurely or have low birth-weight babies were found to have high levels of the hormone CRH in them.

The majority of miscarriages are random, isolated events and the exact cause cannot be pinpointed. Henry Lerner, a clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Harvard Medical School says, Since you got pregnant once, the odds are 80 percent that you will go on to have a healthy baby and as many healthy babies after that, as you want. Women who go on to have two or three miscarriages (called recurrent miscarriage) may ultimately learn they have a medical problem that is causing their pregnancies to end spontaneously, but even with recurrent miscarriage, half the time there is no known cause.

Age of the mother plays an important role. It has been seen that in women who are over the age of 45 years, more than half of all pregnancies will end in a miscarriage and in women between the ages of 35 to 39, nearly 2 in 10 pregnancies will terminate in a miscarriage.

During the first trimester, it is believed that any major problems with the fetus could be the main cause of a miscarriage. It is estimated that three out of every four miscarriages happen during this period.

Any chromosomal problems or abnormalities occurring in the fetus at the time of conception could result in the abnormal development of the fetus leading to an eventual miscarriage. It is estimated that nearly 60 percent of miscarriages occur due to mismatched chromosomes.

Problem(s) with the development of the placenta, which basically links the mothers blood supply with her baby could potentially lead to a miscarriage.

Chronic health problems suffered by the mother, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, lupus, celiac disease, thyroid issues, or infections, such as German measles, gonorrhea, HIV, syphilis, malaria, bacterial vaginosis, among others, may be causes for a miscarriage.

Some medications, such as retinoids (used for the treatment of acne and eczema), methotrexate and misoprostol (used for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis), and certain nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are contraindicated during pregnancy.

Abnormalities in the womb structure and some abnormal growth in the womb, such as fibroids, lead to a situation where the resulting embryo either cannot implant or if it does implant then it does not get the nourishment it needs to grow.

Weakened cervix or what is medically termed as cervical incompetence, which could be due to a previous injury to the cervix leads to a condition where the cervix cannot hold the fetus and tends to open up too early during pregnancy, causing loss of the fetus or a miscarriage.

Polycystic ovarian syndrome or PCOS is a medical condition, where the ovaries are larger than usual can lead to hormonal imbalances in the womb.

Smoking during pregnancy can cause harm to the fetus.

Excessive use of alcohol or cigarettes could expose the growing fetus to large amounts of unwanted chemicals.

Drinking many cups of tea and/or coffee in a day (more than 200 mg of caffeine) could also affect the fetus.

Stress is part of everyday life. Every pregnant woman worries at least a little bit, whether it's about the pregnancy or about other life factors. This has been going on since time immemorial, and yet the majority of pregnant women give birth to healthy babies.

When you start talking about stress as a factor in pregnancy loss, it is easy to self-blame and think that you had a miscarriage because you were too stressed out. However, never let this happen since you are bound to be stressed out even more.

Being overly stressed during pregnancy could affect the fetus in more ways than one, so it is essential to make stress management a top priority.

New research now suggests that too much stress during early pregnancy could lead to a miscarriage, hence it is advisable to avoid stress during the early stage of pregnancy.

In this new study, researchers from the University of Michigan found that women who suffered from stress were three times more likely to have miscarriages during the first three weeks of pregnancy. The women who participated in the study did not know that they were pregnant due to the early stage of pregnancy.

Scientists stipulated that the stress hormone cortisol could have a role in this, however, they were not sure. Thus, the research suggests that it is vital for pregnant women to stay stress-free, especially during the early stages of pregnancy. They stated that excessive stress may be something like the loss of a job, the end of a relationship with a loved one, the end of a marriage, or the death of a close family person, among others.

The research team, led by Pablo Nepomnaschy of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences in America, measured cortisol levels three times a week, for a period of one year, in 61 women. The study is incidentally the first one to link increases in cortisol levels to very early-stage pregnancy loss.

Scientists believed that most miscarriages are known to occur during the first three weeks of pregnancy. They thought that the only way to capture the first three weeks of pregnancy was by collecting urine samples from these women before they became pregnant.

The researchers studied the cortisol levels in 22 pregnancies that occurred in 16 women, and they found that 90 percent of women, whose ages ranged from 18 to 34, had elevated levels of the cortisol and miscarried during the first three weeks of pregnancy as compared to 33 percent of those with normal levels.

In another series of studies conducted by researchers in Germany, it was shown that when pregnant mice were subjected to different forms of stress, such as loud noises, among others, they developed hormonal imbalances that could potentially turn the immune system against the fetus.

The researchers think cortisol, released during stress, suppresses the production of progesterone, which is a hormone responsible for a healthy pregnancy. This reportedly sets off a domino effect that eventually stops the immune system from tolerating the foreign cells of the fetus.

Lead researcher Petra Arck conducted a study to see the effect of stress on 864 pregnant women. They found that the 55 women, who miscarried, reported a higher level of stress and lower levels of progesterone as compared to the others. Arck also said that they were able to prevent the miscarriages of mice, who were under stress, by giving them an artificial version of progesterone and that she hoped to try out the same in pregnant women in the near future.

Relax and Focus on Your Health

One of the best ways to relax is by laughing, whether it is by watching a comedy movie, or a TV serial, or anything amusing that is happening around you. Laughter, incidentally, is known to improve your mood by releasing chemicals in your brain. Take good care of your health and do not exhaust yourself.

Take a Deep Breath

You could consider doing prenatal yoga and meditation under the supervision of your physician. Visualize good things about your baby. Meditation for just about 20 minutes in a day will calm you down and moreover, you could do it anywhere you wish.

When stress levels become overwhelming, take a break, sit down in a quiet place, and close your eyes. Take five full breaths and when doing so, notice the rising and falling of your chest muscles. This helps you calm down instantly.

Eat Well, Stay Hydrated, and Get Plenty of Sleep

There cannot be a better time than now to eat a good, balanced meal. Remember, your baby needs all the vital nutrients, whether it is omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins, or minerals.

Fishes, such as salmon, tuna, mackerel, sardines, among others, are not only good sources of omega-3 fatty acids, but also help in reducing depression as well.

Tryptophan, an essential amino acid, mainly found in nuts, seeds, fresh chicken, eggs, and yogurt not only helps you sleep well by raising the brain chemicals serotonin and melanin, but also boosts your feeling of well-being.

Drink plenty of water and juices to stay well hydrated throughout the day as dehydration is known to cause headaches and also affects your mood.

Rest and get plenty of sleep while you can.

Exercise

Gentle exercises are not only good to keep your body fit but is also good for the baby. Brisk walking for about 20 minutes in a day is a good way to start. Pregnancy yoga helps you control your anxieties by teaching you to breathe and relax. You could also consider swimming after taking approval from your physician; it keeps your body toned without being too hard on your joints. At work, make sure you get up and stretch once in a while, especially if your work calls for being bound to the desk most of the time.

Ask for Help

During pregnancy, even simple household chores can sometimes become overwhelming. Dont let this stress you out, take help from friends and family who could provide all the support you need to get through this not only during pregnancy but even after the baby is born. Ask your health care provider about other helpful resources within your community.

Take Childbirth Classes

Enrich your knowledge about labor and birth by taking child-birth classes. It will tell you what all you should expect during your pregnancy as well as when the baby is born. It will also teach you breathing and relaxation techniques.

So, to sum it up, if you are worried and concerned about early miscarriage, concentrate on taking good care of your health and your baby. Avoid the known risk factors and seek regular prenatal care. Remember, by taking good care and following your doctor advice, you will one day have the joy of holding your baby in your own arms!
Consuming food that is adulterated with melamine causes formation of kidney stones and kidney failure, which may even lead to death.

Melamine is an industrial chemical commonly used in the manufacture of a number of products like melamine crockery, plastic materials, gum, tiles, filters, dyes, fertilizers, fabrics and fire retardants.

In 2008, an outbreak of melamine toxicity occurred in China where it was found that infant formula and certain foods containing milk - biscuits, ice-cream and candy - were contaminated with melamine. Up to September 22, 2008, 52,857 cases of kidney stones with kidney failure, 12,900 hospitalizations and 4 deaths were reported in China, which were related to the consumption of products contaminated with melamine. Unfortunately, children under the age of 3 years were most affected. The number increased to 2,94,000 cases and 6 deaths by 1 December 2008.

Melamine is high in nitrogen content, giving a false impression that the food product is rich in protein. The addition of 1g of melamine to 1L of milk increases the apparent protein content by 0.4 percent. In China, milk was diluted with water to increase the volume but then it tested low for protein concentration when sold to infant feeds manufacturers. In order to avoid this, melamine was added to the diluted milk to mask the reduced protein content of the milk. The results of the adulteration were disastrous. Children younger than 3 years of age suffered from kidney stones, kidney failure and death.

Symptoms included pain and difficulty in urination, passage of stones in the urine, colic, and blood in urine ultimately leading to decreased urination, accumulation of fluid, high blood pressure and death in some cases.

Melamine had been earlier used in adulteration of pet food, leading to a number of deaths in cats and dogs due to acute kidney failure in the United States in 2007. In these cases, cyanuric acid was found to be present along with melamine. Cyanuric acid is normally used as a stabilizer in outdoor swimming pools and hot tubs. According to a study published in the journal Toxicological Sciences, a reaction between melamine and cyanuric acid results in the formation of a crystalline melamine-cyanuric acid complex which then forms an insoluble precipitate in kidney tubules that is of sufficient severity to cause renal failure via physical blockage. In other words, when this pair is ingested, it can form kidney stones and result in kidney failure.

Individuals prone to kidney stone formation with melamine appear to be those with smaller body size, those consuming higher dosage of melamine, and with low fluid intake.
Pregnancy significantly affects the overall daily functioning of women. Pregnancy is often a time filled with excitement and nervous anticipation. Most women think of names, plan nurseries and shop for the tiny dresses, toys and shoes to give a heartiest welcome to there tiny sweetheart . Few think of the vast physical changes that will soon take place. As the body structurally begins to accommodate the new life growing inside, the mother starts getting affected like never before.

The mother starts gaining weight and the shape of her body starts getting altered in order to provide a nurturing environment and nutrition to her child. Ligaments get relaxed to allow expansion of the pelvis. Thereby, the body prepares for delivery. It is always best to be aware of the very early signs of pregnancy and to take good care during this period.

The vital systems of the body namely, cardiac, pulmonary, renal and gastrointestinal start working overtime in order to house the new life. The mothers posture, energy level and overall sense of well-being start getting affected. A womans body goes through immense physical and hormonal changes before and after delivery. For years, discomforts associated with pregnancy has been accepted as a normal part of the process. But today, people are being more health conscious and they have started understanding the need of taking special care and nutrition during the time of pregnancy. Physical Therapy helps relieve discomfort experienced during pregnancy and also, prepares the body for delivery.

A carefully designed exercise program benefits a pregnant women and her baby by keeping her fit and active during her pregnancy and helps in easing and hastening the process of labor and delivery. Not only prenatal, it is also effective in improving postnatal well-being. Marjory, it helps a women fight the risk of postnatal depression (PND).

Some of the problems that may occur during pregnancy are postural low back ache, pelvic pressure, bowel/bladder stress incontinence, leg pain and numbness, leg cramps and carpal tunnel syndrome. Post delivery, discomfort in the sacroiliac and abdominal region may continue in the form of sacroiliac (SI) pain, weakened abdominal muscles, pain from an episiotomy or c-section scar, urinary/fecal stress incontinence or pain during sexual intercourse.

Physical therapy helps recover and train the musculoskeletal system. It is of extreme importance for pregnant women to do light physical activities and continue with her daily household works. Exercise helps the abdominal muscles to minimize strain and strengthen the pelvic floor muscles. Perineal massage prepares the pelvic floor muscles for the mega stretch that these muscles face when the babys head is exited out of the vaginal opening and improves the elasticity of these muscles. Kegels exercise helps in training the Physiological Pull phenomenon. A mother gets physical and emotional support to cope with childbirth by this physical training. After childbirth, the mother should undergo postpartum assessment to analyze the level of strength, elasticity and power of abdominal and pelvic muscle tissues after birth. This is very necessary in multiparous women as the more the children are delivered, the more weakened becomes the pelvic floor, no matter; the deliveries are vaginal or Caesarean. Physical therapy helps accelerates the normal muscular healing process.
There is a burgeoning need, in recent times, to impart sex education to our teenagers. During adolescence, not only do the hormones work overtime, but there are physical changes too that are taking place in the body structure; particularly so in the sex organs, making the teenager curious to explore these changes. Added to all this, there is often an impulsiveness to indulge in what is forbidden combined with the absence of adequate wisdom to control these impulses. The 'sexual arena' is in constant focus among the teens; in the absence of proper guidance, this can result in more harm than good.

Let us try to analyze the reasons that point towards sex education for the teens-

Adequate guidance would always help prevent teenage pregnancies.

It stresses on the role of abstinence and contraceptive methods, including the use of condoms.

Besides teenage pregnancies being a health hazard, adolescents are mentally unprepared to handle pregnancy, childbirth and parenthood.

With sex education, teenagers will be better equipped to understand the repercussions of teenage pregnancy on their health as well as that of the fetus. They will recognize the importance of pre- delivery care and the consequences of hiding a pregnancy.

Sex education will help teenagers appreciate the negative impact of teenage pregnancy on their education, and consequently on their future, so that they would take necessary steps to avoid it.

of teenage pregnancy on their education, and consequently on their future, so that they would take necessary steps to avoid it. Sex education would go a long way in helping to control AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases like gonorrhea, non-gonoccocal urethritis, pelvic inflammatory disease and syphilis, to name a few.

Sex education to the teens is the responsibility of every parent and teacher. It is better for them to get the right information from their peers rather than getting misinformation from other sources like friends, magazines or websites.

Enlightening a teenager is the best preventive policy to tackle the growing health problems in this age group. They need to understand very early that it is better to be safe than sorry.

When we look at all these facts together with the severe social stigma been attached to unwed teen pregnancies in India and else where, it is not difficult to understand why sex education programs for teenagers are so much required.

In the year 2002 the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) had asked the schools to incorporate the subject of sex education in schools across the country, but in reality there are more schools that are hesitant about educating their students about sex than the schools, which had gone ahead with the inclusion of the topic. Sex education as a subject is yet to be accepted as a normal part of the school curriculum, and the problem is not only in India alone.

The main debate for the subject had centers around the question about the benefits of teaching children about contraception. And yet research had shown that comprehensive sex education programs, which teach the children about the benefits of both abstinence and contraception, had been quite effective in making the young adults take better decisions about sex that had affected their health the least.
Almost all of us are aware of how Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan is one of the most charming and chivalrous gentlemen in the industry. Not only is he intellectually very sound, but his co-stars or the fans that he meets on a daily basis are very expressive of how the star actor has a particular talent of making the other person feel very, very comfortable.

However, if someone is usually very hospitable, patient, and nice, you know that you've really f**ked things up if they lose their s*it. Well, that's what happened with one journalist who ended up getting under the skin of Bollywood's Badshah.

This incident is said to have happened during Shah Rukh's early years in the industry while he was shooting for Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa in 1993.

 Netflix

Apparently, a journalist published a piece around false rumors of Shah Rukh having an extra-marital affair with a co-star, just two years after his marriage with Gauri Khan. Soon after the report came in the news, it was said that Gauri was suddenly concerned whether she did the right thing by marrying the actor. This clearly infuriated Shah Rukh, who ended up calling the journalist while hurling curse words.



Talking about the time, SRK said he then headed to the journalist's house with a sword in hand. I behaved very badly. I was jailed. My father-in-law had given me a sword, as they do in Punjabi weddings. I carried that sword to that journalist's house. My father-in-law, who is an army officer, said, Son, you have to protect my daughter. Nobody was saying anything to his daughter but I thought this is a good weapon, sanctioned by the Indian Army, he said.

He then met a young man, who he stabbed in the legs, after which he went on to return to shooting. Unsurprisingly, the next day, the police showed up at the shoot and arrested him. However, despite being arrested and given just one phone call, Shah Rukh instead of calling for help ended up ringing the same journalist again to threaten him further.

This is what he said, Saale ab toh jail bhi chala gaya hu. Ab toh nikal ke aauga aur tereko kaat ke jaauga (I've even been to jail for this. Now I will come out and cut you up)."

Wow! We could have never seen SRK channelizing his inner Dilli Ka Launda like that.

 Instagram/Nana Patekar Fans

The actor was later gotten out of jail by Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman co-star Nana Patekar.


Bollywood stars truly enjoy all the riches in the world due to the hefty sums of money that they get from doing films. We know that almost everyone dreams of a big bangla aur gaadi but it's the Bollywood actors that actually end up owning the fanciest ones.

And if you thought it was Tiger Shroff's private property worth Rs 31 crore that hogged all the attention, Bollywood actress Alia Bhatt is not really far behind either.

 Instagram/Alia Bhatt

The Raazi actress owns a Rs 13 crore apartment in the posh locality of Juhu in Mumbai that she shares with sister Shaheen Bhatt. Apparently, the sisters moved into their lavish home back in 2019 with the property located in an area that already is home to actors like Amitabh Bachchan, Hrithik Roshan, Akshay Kumar, and other stars.



Spread over an area of 2,300 square feet, the amazingly spacious apartment has been completely revamped by designer Richa Bahl, with Alia revealing that it took almost two years to get the interiors of the home finished. As per reports, the house has been reconfigured into three bedrooms.

 Twitter

The apartment possesses a separate dressing room along with a large lobby that separates the space from the living room.



Moreover, her home has large and comfy sofas for the two sisters and their friends to chill on, with the beauty element including perfectly tiled floors.

Not only that, but it also has a breathtaking view through the large windows in the house from which one can actually have a perfect view of the Mumbai cityscape, as well as quirky posters and brilliant photographs dotting the walls of the house.

The first thing that you might notice about Alia's apartment is the carved double doors in a beautiful shade of teal, leading to entrance ways that in turn lead to her residence.

Similarly, the living room of her apartment has been done in such a manner that it looks very classy.

 Twitter

It has white furniture running through the house along with white night lamps as well. A small section of the space has also been dedicated to books as the actor apparently likes to read a lot.



Well, it sure looks beautiful.
Sneha Dubey is a name that has suddenly cropped on the scene, not because she wasn't known before, but just because of the emphatic fashion in which she canceled Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan at the United Nations Assembly.

 Reuters

Mr. Imran Khan, like always, did not have any love lost for India when talking about the country on an international podium, and that is why he ended up levelling baseless accusations towards our country. We aren't surprised that he did, honestly.



However, the interesting thing was how India struck back, with the help of Sneha Dubey, its First Secretary at the United Nations.

 BCCL

Sneha Dubey absolutely tore into Pakistan PM Imran Khan to send him back to Islamabad with a speech that was lauded across social media. And that's how Sneha went on to become a sensation, and people are surely loving her for it.



Now, just at the back of the incident, unsurprisingly there was a lot of attention around her, and Aaj Tak's anchor Anjana Om Kashyap was one such person hell-bent on getting her on TV screens for her channel. Now, whoever said anything about giving celebrities or high-ranked officials, in general, some privacy, things, unfortunately, do not work like that when it comes to the media.

What happened then was that Kashyap entered a room where Sneha Dubey was seated or perhaps resting after annihilating Imran Khan. Naturally, she would have wanted some time alone, however, Kashyap had other plans, and barged into her room.

Only to then be shown the door.

Ouch!

It really doesn't matter if you are a popular TV anchor or just a normal person, when someone outrightly says no to you on live TV, it's definitely gotta be a little insulting. And the Aaj Tak anchor was at the receiving end of the same treatment.

The whole incident was captured on video, where Kashyap can be seen entering a room where the young Indian diplomat was seated.

Sneha Dubey, IFS, Representative of India at UN asked Anjana Om Kashyap to leave the room as she breaks the protocol by the entering the room without official permission. pic.twitter.com/Mp609slBsc  Divyaansh Mishra (@divyaanshwho) September 25, 2021

Despite being stopped, the anchor, in her natural element, just resorted to saying, 'Ek Minute' before rushing into the room.

Sneha Dubey is the same official who was heard by the country with immense pride. I know you dont want to speak on the record, but the whole of India wants to listen to you. It may be a routine job for you, but this is huge, she said.

But despite being a little tired, Sneha had something still left in her and was clearly having no nonsense from the TV anchor. She simply folded her hands and showed Kashyap the way out, by saying, Whatever I had to say, Ive already said.

Now, that would usually look like a normal reply to people, but we know that it's more of a polished way of saying, 'Get Out Of My Face'.
Smartphones have become boring in the past few years where companies have very little room left to innovate with their designs.

While companies like Samsung and Motorola are making foldable phones mainstream; were still not there yet. Having said that, we still love some of the older phone designs that invoke emotions and immense nostalgia. Some of these phones were so incredible that we would buy them in 2021 if they came with modern specifications.

Companies like Blackberry and classic Nokia lost the smartphone race as they refused to include modern specifications in their phones but that doesnt mean it cannot still happen. Weve already seen Nokia re-release some of their classic phones and theres no harm speculating which older phones we would still buy if they were released today with modern specifications.



1. Nokia 7710

 Wikipedia Commons

The Nokia 7710 was a smartphone before we coined the term for phones today. It was first developed in 2004 and had a whacky design that is still quite relatable. It came with a touchscreen, physical buttons in the corner and was meant to be used in landscape view. The phone supported expandable memory up to 2GB and offered multiple-format video recording thanks to the integrated camera. It also supported various audio formats like MP3, AAC, RealAudio 7 and 8, WAV, MIDI and AMR. If Nokia were to release this phone with modern specs; we are certain people would flock to buy the phone as soon as it is announced.



2. Sony Ericsson P900

 Youtube/Cortado

Sony Ericssons first true PDA was a masterpiece and we havent really seen anything like it by anybody else. Sure, we got to see newer models of the same phone but the P900 was by far the most advanced phone at its time. It had a touchscreen that worked with a stylus, a jog-wheel for navigation and a great email client. With modern specifications, the Sony Ericsson P900 can still give tough competition to smartphones today; specifically Samsungs Galaxy Note Series.



3. Nokia N-Gage QD

 Alophone

The N-Gage QD was a remarkable phone for its time and we wished something like this was still available today. Gaming smartphones do exist but many games dont feel right playing with a touch screen. Physical buttons have always been preferred by gamers and Nokia can launch something similar to N-Gage QD to capture the handheld gaming market. Its 2020 and I still play games on my Nintendo New 3DS XL simply because I love that form factor. I loved the N-Gage too and hopefully with modern specs it can become a great portable console/mobile phone.



4. Motorola Aura

 Motorola

This phone by Motorola was a piece of art that launched in 2008. The swivel design was a big thing in the late 2000s and Motorola showed the world what a premium phone could be using quality build materials. Even the swivel mechanism had 200 individual parts where 130 of them were ball bearings. There were steel gears made from tungsten carbon carbide that can also be found on racing car engines. If Motorola can manage to remake this phone with modern specs and maybe a larger display; we can see the world going crazy for it all over again.



5. Nokia 5800 XpressMusic

 Nokia

Nokia also dabbled with a touchscreen phone that worked with a stylus which didnt really work for the company back in the day. However, if this phone released sometime today with modern specifications, it could work well among Nokia fans. It came with a 3.2-megapixel Carl Zeiss lens at the back and a dedicated Media Bar key for accessing music, photo gallery and the web browser. The phone did not require a stylus to work and could be used as a touchscreen as well.



Thats our list of five phones we would buy even today if they come with modern specifications. Having said that, your list may look different from ours and we would love to know your list of old phones you would still buy today if they come with modern specifications.
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus V.Makei participates in the 76th session of the UN General Assembly (forth day)

On September 25, 2021 the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus, Vladimir Makei, met with the Secretary General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres.

V.Makei congratulated Antonio Guterres on his re-appointment for the second five-year term as the UN Secretary General.

The parties noted the traditionally high level and friendly nature of the relations between the Republic of Belarus and the UN. The Secretary-General confirmed his personal warm and respectful attitude towards Belarus. He expressed his readiness to continue productive and constructive cooperation with our country in all areas.

The interlocutors exchanged views on the international agenda. V.Makei informed A.Guterres about the development of the internal political situation in Belarus and the processes related to the constitutional reform in the country.

The Foreign Minister of Belarus commented in detail about the false accusations made by a number of countries against Belarus about provoking risks, including in the area of migration, spoke about the current situation on the western border of Belarus and about the close interaction of the Belarusian side with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

The parties noted the positive and constructive role of the initiatives of the Republic of Belarus in promoting stability in the world. Mutual readiness to continue close, friendly contacts of the Republic of Belarus with the UN was confirmed.

print version
ISTANBUL (AP)  Turkeys president has said he would consider buying a second Russian missile system in defiance of strong objections by the United States.

In an interview with American broadcaster CBS News, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey would have to decide its defense systems on its own.

Speaking to correspondent Margaret Brennan in New York this past week, Erdogan explained that Turkey wasn't given the option to buy American-made Patriot missiles and the U.S. hadn't delivered F-35 stealth jets despite a payment of $1.4 billion. Erdogan's comments came in excerpts released in advance of the full interview being broadcast Sunday.

NATO member Turkey was kicked out of the F-35 program and defense officials were sanctioned after it bought the Russian-made S-400 missile defense system. The U.S. strongly objects to the use of Russian systems within NATO and says it poses a threat to the F-35s. Turkey maintains the S-400s could be used independently without being integrated into NATO systems and therefore pose no risk.

The U.S. also sanctioned Turkey in 2020 for its purchase under a 2017 law aimed at pushing back Russian influence. The move was the first time that the law, known as CAATSA, was used to penalize a U.S. ally.

But Erdogan has remained defiant. Of course, of course, yes, Erdogan said after stating Turkey would make its own defense choices, in response to Brennans question on whether Turkey would buy more S-400s.

Before departing New York, Erdogan told journalists that relations with President Joe Biden hadn't started well despite what he called his good work with previous U.S. leaders during his 19-years at Turkey's helm.

I cannot honestly say that there is a healthy process in Turkish-American relations, state-run Anadolu news agency quoted Erdogan as saying Thursday.

The two leaders didn't meet for bilateral talks on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly. Since Biden's victory in the U.S. presidential election, they have met only in June at a NATO summit where they discussed the possibility of Turkey securing and operating the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul. But that has been shelved since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan.

Erdogan also told Turkish media that Turkey would buy new missile defense systems if needed and that it was already developing its own.

The issue is one of several sticking points in Turkish-American relations that also include Turkey's human rights record, U.S. support for Syrian Kurdish fighters who Turkey considers terrorists, and the continued U.S. residency of a Muslim cleric accused of plotting the failed coup attempt against Erdogans government in 2016.

Erdogan is scheduled to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sept. 29 in Sochi, Russia.
CHESTER, Vt. (AP)  A Michigan man has pleaded guilty to threatening to shoot up a Vermont high school in 2019.

Jason Graham, 24, of Holland, Michigan, pleaded guilty Friday, according to the U.S. attorney's office in Vermont. Prosecutors said Graham was involved in an online dispute with a group of students from Green Mountain Union High School in February 2019 when he made threats on Facebook to shoot up the school in Chester. Three days later, he had someone else call the school to say that he had placed a bomb in the school and had sharpshooters outside, prosecutors said.
NEW ORLEANS (AP)  There was brinksmanship with a whiff of ransom.

In the aftermath of a citywide blackout that lasted for days after Hurricane Ida hit on Aug. 29, dissatisfaction among residents and city leaders was growing with utility company Entergy New Orleans and its parent, utility giant Entergy Corp.

New Orleans City Council President Helena Moreno called for an investigation of the generation and transmission problems that led to a blackout related to Ida; a study on retail competition and utility ownership in New Orleans and a management audit of Entergy New Orleans. She also suggested there could be a suspension in any rate changes for the utility.

It is obvious that we have reached a critical juncture in our relationship with the City Council, Entergy Corp. executive Rod West said in a statement in response that said the corporation might give the city what it wants, whatever that might be.

There was the possible municipalization of New Orleans' power system, putting the city among approximately 20 other cities and towns in Louisiana that operate their own systems.

There was the possibility that Entergy might merge its New Orleans subsidiary with Entergy Louisiana, which serves much of the state  and which is regulated by the Louisiana Public Service Commission.

The sale of Entergy New Orleans to another entity or the spinoff of a non-Entergy utility were also broached.

Each of the options outlined by Entergy has its pros and cons. Should a city facing numerous infrastructure problems, including an aging street drainage system, take on the responsibility of running an electric and gas utility? Would elimination of the corporate need for profit hold down rates? Would a city face higher or lower costs than a company?

Entergy said a merger of its New Orleans and Louisiana subsidiaries would result in lower rates in New Orleans. But it also means regulation would shift from the City Council to the Louisiana Public Service Commission, political power the locals might not want to cede as they seek to check the power of a monopoly that provides a vital service.

The possibility of selling the utility or spinning off a separate company would keep the council's regulatory authority, but, as West's statement suggested, there are no guarantees that a buyer could be found or that another company would have lower costs.

Complicating the argument were talking points Moreno said she received from the company last week. Moreno said they appeared to have been sent accidentally and Entergy spokesman Jerry Nappi said, in response to an email query, that they were. Regardless, they made clear that Entergy was ready to raise the possibility that its headquarters might move from New Orleans if it doesn't operate a utility in the city any more.

The company says it employs 3,200 in the metropolitan New Orleans area. And the suggestion that Entergy could leave might stir uncomfortable memories of the migration of oil company headquarters out of the city beginning in the 1980s.

The latest criticism of Entergy comes after all eight transmission lines serving the city failed during Ida and the collapse of a high voltage tower by the Mississippi River; also, amid debate over whether a new gas-fired generation plant in eastern New Orleans, opposed by many who didn't want a fossil-fuel plant in their neighborhood, performed as it was supposed to during the hurricane.

And memories remain fresh for many that the council approved construction of that plant, despite strident opposition, after Entergy was fined $5 million over the use of secretly paid actors to show up at public hearings in support of the plant.

Anger at Entergy flared anew after Ida left hundreds of thousands in the city sweltering for days. Critics say the utility hasn't done enough to harden its system in preparation for major storms, or to move with sufficient speed to renewable energy sources, allegations the company denies.

After lengthy hearings Wednesday, New Orleans' council voted Thursday for a series of proposals, broad in scope, but none promising a quick resolution. Among them is a request for proposals for consultants who will study the options before the council.

This isn't a push to do any one of these things, Moreno said during Thursday's meeting. Not to bring in another company, not to municipalize, not to whatever. We just don't know. This is really a push for more information."

___

EDITORS NOTE: Kevin McGill is an Associated Press reporter based in New Orleans.
WASHINGTON (AP)  On alert for new terror attacks, the U.S. military has begun its final withdrawal from Afghanistan in the closing stages of a frantic airlift of Americans, Afghans and others desperate to escape Taliban rule before the evacuation shuts down.

The remains of 13 American troops killed in an airport attack Thursday by members of the Islamic State group's Afghanistan affiliate, known as ISIS-K, were on their way to the United States, the Pentagon said Saturday. Their voyage marked a painful moment in a nearly 20-year American war that cost more than 2,400 U.S. military lives and is ending with the return to power of a Taliban movement that was ousted when U.S. forces invaded in 2001.

The Pentagon released the names of the 13 killed  11 Marines, one Navy sailor and one Army soldier. Twelve of them were in the 20s; some were born in 2001, the year America's longest war began. The oldest was 31. They were the first U.S. service members killed in Afghanistan since February 2020, the month the Trump administration struck an agreement with the Taliban in which the militant group halted attacks on Americans in exchange for a U.S. agreement to remove all troops and contractors by May 2021. Biden announced in April that the 2,500 to 3,000 troops who remained would be out by September, ending what he has called America's forever war.

With Biden's approval, the Pentagon earlier this month sent thousands of additional troops to the Kabul airport to provide security and to facilitate the State Department's chaotic effort to evacuate thousands of Americans and tens of thousands of Afghans who had helped the United States during the war. The evacuation was marred by confusion and chaos as the U.S. government was caught by surprise when the Afghan army collapsed and the Taliban swept to power Aug. 15.

About 5,400 Americans have been evacuated from the country so far, including 300 in the last day. The State Department believes about 350 more want out; it said there are roughly 280 more people who have said they are Americans but who have not told the State Department of their plans to leave the country, or who have said they plan to remain.

The Pentagon said that about 6,800 people, mostly Afghans, were flown out in the 24 hours that ended Saturday morning, bringing to 117,00 the total number of people of all nationalities evacuated since the hurried exit was begun Aug. 14.

The U.S. military force at the Kabul airport, which peaked at about 5,800, was at or below 4,000 on Saturday, according to a U.S. official who discussed details not yet publicly released on condition of anonymity. The Pentagon has said that for security reasons it will not provide a day-by-day description of the final stages of the military's withdrawal, which includes flying home troops as well as equipment.

The Pentagon said an airstrike early Saturday in the eastern province of Nangarhar, which borders Pakistan, killed two ISIS-K planners and facilitators, but spokesman John Kirby said the killings had not ended the terror threat at Kabul airport.

They have lost some capability to plan and to conduct missions, but make no mistake, nobody's writing this off and saying, Well, we got them. We dont have to worry about ISIS-K anymore.' Not the case, Kirby told a news conference, adding, We aren't thinking for a minute that what happened (Saturday) gets us in the clear  not a minute.

Biden also faces the problem over the longer term of containing an array of potential extremist threats based in Afghanistan, which will be harder with fewer U.S. intelligence assets and no military presence in the nation. Critics say Biden's withdrawal from Afghanistan leaves the door open for al-Qaida, ISIS-K and other extremist groups to grow and potentially threaten the United States. It was al-Qaida's use of Afghanistan as a base, with the Taliban's acquiescence, that prompted the United States to invade the country in October 2001, beginning the longest war in U.S. history.

Saturday's drone mission was authorized by President Joe Biden and ordered by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin less than two days after the Kabul attack and a public pledge by Biden that he would make ISIS-K pay for their suicide bomb attack. Officials made no claim that the two individuals killed played a direct role in Thursday's Kabul airport attack.

Kirby declined to release the names and nationalities of the two killed. He said one other person was wounded in the strike. The speed with which the U.S. retaliated reflected its close monitoring of IS and years of experience in targeting extremists in remote parts of the world. But it also shows the limits of U.S. power to eliminate the threat from extremists, who some believe will have more freedom of movement in Afghanistan now that the Taliban is in power.

Saturday's drone mission seemed unlikely to be the last attempt by the Biden administration to degrade ISIS-K's leadership and attack capability.

We have the ability and the means to carry over-the-horizon counterterrorism capabilities and were going to defend ourselves, Kirby said, referring to the military's use of aircraft based in the Persian Gulf area and elsewhere to carry out strikes in Afghanistan.

___

Associated Press writers Aamer Madhani and Matthew Lee contributed to this report.
Marine Cpl. Whitney McHaffie refused to comply with a mask mandate and doesn't want to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

A month after the Defense Department's mask mandate for unvaccinated troops went into effect, she was booted from the military, possibly making her the first service member to be forced out of the service for violating COVID-related rules.

McHaffie, who served at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina, went viral on social media after appearing in a video with Josh Mandel, a former Ohio state treasurer who is currently in his second run for the Senate. The video, in which she tells her story of being swiftly booted from the Corps for disobeying the mask mandate, had more than 400,000 views as of Tuesday morning.

Vaccines are now mandatory for troops, but were not at the time of McHaffie's discharge. Despite that, the amateur MMA fighter and fifth-grade teacher in Ohio sought a religious exemption for the COVID-19 vaccine that had not been resolved by the time of her discharge.

An indoor mask mandate for unvaccinated troops was in effect at the time.

Read Next: Final Troops Withdraw from Afghanistan, Ending Evacuation -- and the War

More than 600,000 Americans have died from COVID-19, and another 100,000 are projected to die by the end of the year. The rampant spread of the more contagious Delta variant has been linked largely to parts of the U.S. with low vaccination rates.

Multiple studies have shown that masks help prevent the spread of the coronavirus, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continues to recommend the use of masks in areas with a high number of COVID-19 cases.

In an interview with Military.com, McHaffie said the mask mandate violated her religious liberties. She said that she doesn't believe masks are effective and wearing them would be to bear false witness, a violation of the ninth commandment in Judaism and Christianity.

The Journal of the American Medical Association concluded that wearing a cloth mask can reduce transmission of droplets from infected wearers into the air by 50% to 70%. Masks also were shown to help prevent uninfected wearers from inhaling large droplets.

McHaffie believes she was singled out and that officers sought to make an example of her. She estimates only about half the Marines in her unit were vaccinated and most did not comply with the mask mandate.

A spokesperson for the Corps said the policies related to mask wearing and vaccinations apply to all Marines, adding that "failure to adhere [to] policies, orders and regulations may result in corrective, disciplinary or administrative action, when appropriate."

Another area of concern raised by McHaffie is the use of fetal tissue in COVID-19 vaccine research. While researchers did use cell lines derived from elective abortion tissue originally created decades ago, that tissue was used to produce proteins and wasn't put directly into the vaccine.

McHaffie said that she cannot morally take a vaccine because they are derivatives of aborted fetal tissue.

"It's against my religion because it's associated with aborted fetal tissue, I'm catholic, she said. "I'm not against vaccines, for me it's about religious freedom, choice and health concerns."

"Aborted tissue" is a concern among some evangelical Christians, though most major religious leaders and institutions, including the Vatican, support vaccinations to save lives.

None of the COVID-19 vaccines approved for use in the U.S. are made with tissues taken directly from aborted fetuses.

The Defense Department allows troops to seek religious exemptions, and it also will excuse service members from getting the coronavirus vaccines, including potential booster shots, if they have legitimate health concerns or were a part of a tiny minority of those who suffered from rare vaccine side effects such as myocarditis. Military.com was the first American news outlet to report on the link between COVID-19 vaccines and heart inflammation.

McHaffie said that she objects to any mandates on health care. Yet troops must abide by a large roster of Defense Department health standards when they join the armed services, given mandates for other vaccines. Aside from COVID-19 shots, troops are mandated to receive more than a dozen vaccines against diseases such as smallpox and influenza.

McHaffie did not have an explanation as to why she accepted the other mandatory vaccines as part of her service, but rejected the COVID-19 vaccine, when asked by Military.com.

She described the events leading to her separation from the Marine Corps as being triggered by a coughing fit.

"I went into my [officer in charge's] office to talk about something else, and I was coughing and he asked me if I thought I had COVID," McHaffie said. "At that point, I told him I don't believe in the panic behind COVID and I'm entirely fine. From that point, he kept pushing the COVID topic and told me when it was mandated he was going to push paperwork if I don't comply."

That was exactly a month after the Pentagon issued an indoor mask mandate for unvaccinated troops on June 22. The policy has since been updated to include all troops in parts of the country where the virus is spreading quickly.

McHaffie added that a senior member of her chain of command even called her mother, asking her to urge her daughter to fall in line with the rules.

The next day, July 23, her chain of command issued a formal warning to McHaffie that they would move ahead with a discharge, according to documents reviewed by Military.com

Her commander said she "willfully" disobeyed two superior officers by "refusing to wear a face covering despite not meeting the requirement to be exempt."

The officers who acted to remove her from the Marine Corps did not reply to multiple requests for comment from Military.com when reached by text and phone calls.

Less than a week later, on July 29, McHaffie received a general discharge under honorable conditions, according to a copy of her DD-214, which summarizes a service member's time in the military. It was a lightning-fast dismissal; it is unusual for a service member to be kicked out in less than a week even for serious criminal offenses. But her chain of command acted within the realm of their power and followed guidance from the Pentagon.

Richard Mast, an attorney with Liberty Counsel, an evangelical religious organization, told Military.com that the speed of the discharge was shocking and that "she barely had time to seek counsel."

Six months after a discharge, troops are allowed to appeal for an upgrade. Mast says he is seeking to have McHaffie's discharge upgraded to honorable. While her current discharge status entitles her to most benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs, she isn't eligible for the Post-9/11 GI Bill.

-- Steve Beynon can be reached at Steve.Beynon@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @StevenBeynon.

Related: Bases Bring Back Mask Mandates as Coronavirus Variant Sweeps Through Unvaccinated Parts of America
CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea -- South Korea will spend nearly $125 million more this year to station American troops on the peninsula, according to a new cost-sharing deal that took effect Wednesday.

The Special Measures Agreement between South Korea and the United States determines the cost split for keeping roughly 28,500 U.S. troops in the country and employing South Korean civilians on U.S. military bases.

Seoul is expected to contribute $1.02 billion for 2021, a 13.9% increase to the $896.62 million it spent the previous year. The renewed agreement will retroactively apply to South Korea's contribution from last year, which was carried over from 2019 after negotiations for the agreement's renewal became deadlocked during President Donald Trump's administration.

Under the new six-year arrangement, Seoul's future contributions will be proportional to its overall defense budget, which has risen in recent years. In the past, South Korea's Special Measures Agreement contributions were determined separately.

The Ministry of Defense is expected to ask the National Assembly for a 4.5% increase to this year's overall defense budget of $43.7 billion, according to local news reports. That will also increase South Korea's contribution to the Special Measures Agreement.

Shin Beomchul, director of the Center for Diplomacy and Security at the Korea Research Institute for National Strategy, described the new agreement as "stable" and equitable for the time being.

"A majority of South Korean people support a strong alliance, so they agreed to increase the amount of budget," Shin told Stars and Stripes on Thursday.

However, the agreement may become inequitable due to the new provision that connects the Special Agreement to the overall defense budget, Shin said.

"It should not depend on the annual defense budget, but on the annual price increase," Shin said.

The ruling Democratic Party shared similar concerns, saying in a Tuesday statement that "synchronizing annual increase [rates] with the national defense budget could lead to excessive contributions."

The "South Korean government must negotiate annual increase rates of the agreement aside from national defense budgets in coming negotiations," the party's statement said.

South Korea's revised contribution is a modest increase from the estimated 13% hike Seoul initially offered the U.S. during negotiations last year, but far less than the amount sought by Trump. He described South Korea's past contribution levels as "peanuts" and demanded that it spend as much as $5 billion to keep U.S. troops on the peninsula.

The State Department during Trump's administration argued the U.S. "invests significant military resources" to maintain its presence in South Korea, namely, to deter threats from North Korea.

"Sustaining the costs of our global military presence is not a burden that should fall on the U.S. taxpayer alone but is a responsibility that should be shared fairly with allies and partners who benefit from our presence," the department said in 2019.

South Korean lawmakers from the National Assembly overwhelmingly supported the deal in a 133-11 vote Tuesday afternoon.

Following the vote, the ruling Democratic Party issued a statement saying the two countries are "now in a position to manage the alliance with more stable manner, without any necessity of yearly renegotiations."

"Unlike Trump administration's inequitable requests to demand sharp increases in the past, two countries came up with relatively reasonable results," the party's statement said Tuesday.

South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a separate statement Wednesday, said the new agreement "is expected to provide conditions for stable stationing of U.S. Forces Korea and greatly contribute to the enhancement of the ... alliance."

Some lawmakers, such as Justice Party leader Bae Jin Gyo, voiced their opposition to the agreement.

"The value of the [South Korea]-U.S. alliance would be damaged and only unequal ... relations would be left," Gyo said in a speech at the National Assembly on Tuesday. "We cannot, and must not, agree on the unreasonable demand that asks South Korea to raise its contribution, which is defense costs being used by the U.S. for the U.S.'s investments ..."
SAN DIEGO (AP)  The Marine Corps on Friday halted waterborne operations for its new amphibious vehicle that resembles an armored seafaring tank after identifying a problem with its towing mechanism.

Marine Corps spokesman Maj. Jim Stenger said the decision was made out of an abundance of caution.

The Amphibious Combat Vehicle was obtained by the Marine Corps last year to replace the Vietnam-era Amphibious Assault Vehicle, or AAV, which suffered problems. Last year, eight Marines and one sailor were killed off the coast of San Diego inside an AAV after becoming trapped inside the tank.

Marine Corps leaders after the July 2020 accident vowed to make safety a bigger priority.

The break in waterborne operations come a day after the families of the eight Marines and one sailor filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles against the manufacturer, BAE Systems.

Realistic training is a vital component of readiness, and the Marine Corps is committed to ensuring Marines train under the safest conditions possible; this includes ensuring the functionality of vehicles and equipment," Stenger said in a statement Friday.

Lawyer Eric Dubin, who is representing the families, has said BAE Systems knew for a decade or more about a design defect that makes it nearly impossible for troops to open the cargo hatches and escape the 26-ton amphibious vehicles when they sink.

The troops last summer were trapped inside for 45 minutes before the vehicle, known as an AAV, sank.

An investigation by the maritime branch found the accident off San Clemente Island was caused by inadequate training, shabby maintenance of the 35-year-old amphibious assault vehicles and poor judgment by commanders.

BAE Systems also was selected by the Marine Corps to make the new vehicles or ACVs, which the military started receiving last year.

BAE Systems has declined to comment on the lawsuit.

The vehicles have been at the heart of the Marine Corps amphibious operations, carrying troops from ship to shore for both combat and humanitarian operations since the early 1980s. It can traverse both land and sea.
CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea -- Leaders from defense institutes across the world converged in Seoul this week to raise the alarm on military threats posed by "irreversible and abrupt climate change."

Global temperatures are expected to reach or surpass a warming threshold of 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit in the next 20 years, United Nations climate change experts reported in August, "unless there are immediate, rapid and large-scale reductions in greenhouse emissions."

Without action, the planet is in store for increasing heat waves, longer warm seasons and continued sea-level rise, contributing to coastal flooding and erosion, according to the report.

Panelists from the United States, France, Switzerland, Netherlands, India and Bangladesh gave their assessment of these threats during a three-day seminar hosted by South Korea's Ministry of Defense.

Tom Middendorp, Netherlands' former chief of defense and chairman of the International Military Council on Climate and Security, warned Wednesday that nations had "a responsibility to prepare" for the implications of climate change.

"I cannot remember any other conflict in my military experience where we had this level of scientific foresight," he said during the virtual portion of the seminar. "We know what's coming to us."

The Netherlands, according to Middendorp, appropriates a significant amount of its defense budget for "protection against the sea," because much of its population lives below sea level.

"As sea level rises, it's a big issue in a country like the Netherlands," he said.

Severe heat patterns are also already having a direct impact on military equipment, according to Shafqat Munir, head of the Bangladesh Center for Terrorism Research.

Troops stationed in Mali as part of a United Nations' peacekeeping force have been unable to use their communication devices until the evening, when the temperature cools off, Munir told the panelists.

"Excessive heat is going to render military equipment useless," Munir said. "We're already seeing some of that in action."

The U.S. military recently described climate change as a top national security issue and incorporated it into its wargame simulations. A Defense Department assessment in 2019 found 79 installations impacted by climate change.

"Today, no nation can find lasting security without addressing the climate crisis," Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said during a climate change seminar in April. "We face all kinds of threats in our line of work, but few of them truly deserve to be called existential. The climate crisis does."

Climate change's biggest impact on national defense is the way it "undermines and destabilizes societies," said Sharon Burke, a former U.S. assistant secretary of defense for operational energy. She told the panel that while the military is unable to fight climate change through conventional means, it "may well result in military missions" ranging from humanitarian, disaster relief and combat.

"If the nations of this world are unable to cut greenhouse gas emissions ... if we fail, then militaries should be planning for profound insecurity and more military missions later in this century, or possibly sooner, if we hit certain tipping points," Burke said.
LIMASSOL, Cyprus (AP)  Members of the U.S. navys elite special forces SEAL unit joined Cypriot underwater demolition soldiers on Friday in a joint drill to hone skills in countering terrorist hijackings at sea.

The exercise involved teams of U.S. and Cypriot special forces re-taking a ship controlled by terrorists.

Cypriot Defense Minister Charalambos Petrides said after the drill that Cyprus and the U.S. are on the same strategic path to ensure security and stability in a turbulent region.

He said close cooperation between the two countries special forces in the past two years aims to achieve peak preparedness in order to deal with asymmetrical threats and emerging crises.

U.S. Ambassador to Cyprus Judith Garber said more joint drills will follow in the near future.

The U.S. decided for the first time last year to provide military education and training funding to Cyprus following Congressional approval as part of Washingtons push to enhance ties with countries in the region in order to boost security.

The funding is part of the Eastern Mediterranean Energy and Security Partnership Act that U.S. legislators approved in 2019. The legislation underscores U.S. support for a partnership between Greece, Cyprus and Israel founded on recently discovered offshore gas deposits in the region.

The Act also partially lifts a 1987 U.S. arms embargo on Cyprus that was imposed to prevent an arms race that could hamper efforts to reunify the ethnically divided island nation.
Max Beilke was in the Army for 20 years already by the time he deployed to Vietnam in 1972. His time there would be much shorter than the many others who did tours in the Vietnam War. His last day in Vietnam was the U.S. militarys last day in Vietnam. What made his last footstep on Vietnamese soil so unique was that it was captured on tape for the world to see.

On March 29, 1973, Master Sgt. Beilke was given a rattan mat before he boarded a C-130 bound for home. The giver of the gift was Bui Tin, a North Vietnamese observer, there to ensure the last hundred troops at Saigons Tan Son Nhut Airport left as agreed. Back home, his family watched live as the man they loved, drafted to fight in Korea in 1952, headed for home from the next American war.

His service didnt stop when he landed back in the United States. Beilke retired from the Army and, in the next phase of his life, he worked to support American veterans. Eventually, he became the deputy chief of the Retirement Services Division, with an office in Virginia. But it was part of his duties that brought him to the Pentagon on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001.

Beilke was meeting with Lt. Gen. Timothy Maude and retired Lt. Col. Gary Smith. Just as they were sitting down to begin talking, United Airlines flight 77 hit the outer ring of the Pentagon. The three men never knew what hit them. They were all killed instantly. Traces of their remains could only be found through DNA tests on the disaster site, according to the Beilke family.

Max Beilke was 69 years old. Three months later, his remains were interred at Arlington National Cemetery. The man who had survived the ends of two American wars was one of the first casualties of a new one, the longest one in American history. He left behind a legacy of gentleness and fondness for everyone who met him  including the North Vietnamese colonel sent to ensure he and the other Americans left Vietnam.

According to his biography on the Pentagons 9/11 Memorial site, he traveled extensively for his work and ended every presentation with the same Irish blessing,

May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face, the rain fall soft upon your fields and, until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of His hand.

More articles from We Are the Mighty:

This is how much troops were paid in every major American war

5 ways US military combat uniforms have changed since Vietnam

Five 9/11 Memorials from around the world

We Are The Mighty (WATM) celebrates service with stories that inspire. WATM is made in Hollywood by veterans. It's military life presented like never before. Check it out at We Are the Mighty.

Keep Up With the Best in Military Entertainment

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How to use the mindat.org media viewer

Click/touch this help panel to close it.

Welcome to the mindat.org media viewer. Here is a quick guide to some of the options available to you. Different controls are available depending on the type of media being shown (photo, video, animation, 3d image)

Controls - all media types

Zoom in and out of media using your mousewheel or with a two-finger 'resize' action on a touch device.

Use the mouse or your finger to drag the image or the view area of the image around the screen.

< and > at the left and right hand side of the screen move forwards and backwards for the other images associated with the media you selected. Usually this is used for previous/next photo in a gallery, in an article or in search results. Keyboard shortcuts: use shift + the left and right arrow keys.

< and > in the bottom center are used for switching between the photos of the same specimen. Keyboard shortcuts: use the left and right arrow keys.

> in the bottom center, raises the information box giving details and further options for the media, < at the top of this box then hides it. Keyboard shortcuts: use the up and down arrow keys.

? opens this help window. Keyboard shortcuts: use the H key or the ? key.

Other keyboard shortcuts:

1 Fit image to screen 2 Fill screen with image 5 Display at full resolution < Make background darker > Make background lighter space Hide/dim titles and buttons

Scalebar

If the field of view (FOV) is specified for the photo, the scalebar appears in the left bottom corner of the viewer. The scalebar is draggable and resizeable. Drag the right edge to resize it. Double click will reset the scalebar to it's default size and position. If the scalebar is in default position, double click will make it circular.

Controls - Video

Video files have a standard set of video controls: - Reset to start, - Skip back, - Play, - Pause, - Skip forwards. Keyboard shortcuts: You can stop/start video play with the P key.

Controls - Animation (Spin Rotation)

Animation (usually 360 degree spin rotations) have their own controls: - enable spin mode. Note that while images are loading this option will not be available but will be automatically activated when the animation has loaded. Once active you can spin the image/change the animation by moving your mouse or finger on the image left/right or by pressing the [ or ] keys.

The button switches to move mode so that you can use your mouse/fingers to move the image around the screen as with other media types.

The button, or the P key will start playing the animation directly, you can interrupt this by using the mouse or finger on the image to regain manual movement control.

Controls - 3D Stereoscopic images

If a stereoscopic 3D image is opened in the viewer, the 3D button appears in the bottom right corner giving access to "3D settings" menu. The 3D images can be viewed in several ways:

- without any special equipment using cross-eyed or parallel-eyed method

- with stereoscope

- with anaglyph glasses.

- on a suitable 3D TV or monitor (passive 3D system)

For details about 3D refer to: Mindat manuals: Mindat Media Viewer: 3D

To enable/disable 3D stereo display of a compatible stereo pair image press the 3 key. If the left/right images are reversed on your display (this often happens in full-screen mode) press the 4 key to reverse them.

Controls - photo comparison mode

If a photo with activated comparison mode is opened in the viewer, the button appears in the bottom right corner giving access to "Comparison mode settings" menu.

Several layouts are supported: slider and side by-side comparison with up to 6 photos shown synchronously on the screen. On each of the compared photos a view selector is placed, e.g.: Longwave UV . It shows the name of currently selected view and allows to select a view for each placeholder.

Summary of all keyboard shortcuts
Few days ago, the Indian government banned 59 mobile apps originating with developers from China and also asked internet service providers (ISPs) and telecom operators to block access to these apps from the country. The Indian government says it received complaints against these apps for stealing and surreptitiously transmitting users' data in an unauthorised manner to servers which have locations outside India.

The statement from the ministry of electronics and information technology (MeitY) states: "The compilation of these data, their mining and profiling by elements hostile to national security and defence of India, which ultimately impinges upon the sovereignty and integrity of India, is a matter of very deep and immediate concern which requires emergency measures."

The apps banned include TikTok, WeChat and UC Browser and Xiaomi's Mi Community, among others.

However, banning these 59 most prominent apps does not ensure that all your personal data is safe and that there is no invasion on your privacy. On the contrary, almost every app installed on the mobile device demands some or the other permission and access to personal data.

Some permissions are necessary, such as a bank's authentic app may need access to your personal information to ascertain that it is indeed you who is accessing the app. However, as security experts have been pointing out, most apps installed on the device try getting permission for some totally irrelevant function or feature of the handset.

As I had explained in one of my articles last year , that a simple app like a flashlight (not many uses it due to built-in torch feature of smartphones) was found seeking as many as 25 permissions, on an average.

Any mobile app seeking more permissions than it needs is not only dangerous, but has the potential to harm the user either financially or through misusing personal data, thus violating user privacy. However, not many users even think twice before granting blanket permissions while installing an app.

One of the common reasons I have come across from such users is "I have nothing to hide so why should I not grant these permissions?" Such 'lazy' reasoning shows the lack of understanding of the interconnected and greedy digital world that observes no boundaries.

Apps can request outlandish permissions, but that does not mean that they carry out malicious activities, per se. Unfortunately, permission sought by mobile apps and granted by users is a grey area. Some apps that the user wants will not be installed if even a single permission is denied or some app may not work properly without those permissions. For example, the recently banned SHAREit app does not work without the user granting permission to access location data or contact list on the device. If you are transferring data locally from one device to other, why would you need to access location information and contacts?

Here is a small clarification. The app developer may not even require all the permissions sought by the app. Sometimes, the app developers integrate ad software development kits (SDKs) into their code to earn money from advertisers. To allow these SDKs to target users with ads, the apps request countless permissions.

The Arrka Privacy Lab from Arrka Infosec Pvt Ltd has explained the relation between app developer, SDK, increasing number of permissions required for an app to function and the risks it pose to users privacy.

So far so good. However, in India, and anywhere across the world, people are not only using Chinese apps, they are using mobile devices too from brands with origin in that country. And many of these Chinese phones come bundled with pre-installed apps (known as bloatware) that cannot be uninstalled. At the most, the user can disable the app.

But do remember, this is the same case with almost all the mobile phones sold. So either you will have to live with these pre-installed apps or disable them, irrespective of the mobile brand.

Since the Indian government has banned 59 apps that come from developers in China, once these apps are removed from app stores, there will be no updates or upgrades. In addition, once ISPs and telcos block access to internet protocol (IP) addresses to these apps, the user will have no option but to stop using them.

The question now is, how about other apps installed on your mobile device, its security and permissions? If you are using iPhone, then under privacy in the settings, you can check and decide allowing an app to access any particular service or feature.

On Android phones, dangerous permissions sought by apps are categorised into nine groups. This includes, body sensors, calendar, camera, contacts, location, microphone, phone, SMS and storage. You need to go to privacy or permission from the settings. Do a thorough and proper check here and find out if that particular app indeed needs access to the group.

As I stated earlier, the flashlight app does not need access to your body sensors, calendar, contacts, location, microphone, phone, SMS or even storage. So, you can safely deny these permissions. If the app works without these permissions, well and good. If it does not, then simply uninstall it as it would be dangerous for you and your personal data.

Mainly, do check the phone access sought by all apps. Permission for phone gives an app access to your phone number, cell network information, call status, voicemail, VoIP, and allows it to read and edit calling logs, and even redirect calls to another number. Any malicious app, if given this permission, could spy on your phone usage behaviour and even make calls without your knowledge or approval.

So What Should You Do?

1. Before installing any mobile app, make it a habit to read about the app, and its reviews. Notice if reviewers comment on whether or not the app does what it says it will do.

2. Check permissions that the app needs. Granting incorrect permissions can send sensitive data to cybercriminals, including information such as contacts stored on the device, media files and insights into personal chats.

3. Do read the privacy policies and terms and conditions of the app, as mentioned by the developer.

4. Find out more details of the developer from the play store. Also visit the website of the developer and search for more information about the app and its developer.

5. Install a trustworthy anti-virus app, which acts as a safety net, and can identify apps that are infected with adware or malware.

6. Feel like a royal while using your mobile, but be extra alert while granting permission to any app.

7. Be alert and cautious every time you use your mobile devices. It will save your personal data and privacy.
A lot of us carry very little cash with us these days. Since we carry debit cards in our wallets, we rely on automated teller machines (ATMs) to withdraw cash as per our needs. Though this is so convenient, sometimes operating an ATM can be tricky. There are times when the ATM may run out of cash or may decline your transaction for some technical reasons.

Sometimes, even if your transaction has been declined, you could receive a text message from the bank saying the transaction was processed and the money has been deducted from your account. One starts hyperventilating in such scenarios, more so if the amount happens to be a big one. A failed transaction is when an account gets debited but the payment is not registered; a pain point faced by many customers, especially while transacting online.

Step 1: Call the Banks Customer Care Service Helpline:

The first thing you need to do is call the banks (card issuing bank) 24-hour customer service helpline. After noting down your issue and recording your transaction reference number, the bank customer care executive will register your complaint and give you the complaint tracking number. The matter will then be thoroughly investigated. As per the new 2019 rules from Reserve Bank of India (RBI), any amount so debited must be re-credited to the customers account within five working days of the complaint filing. Otherwise, the bank is eligible to pay Rs100 per day of delay.

Step 2: Visit Nearest Bank Branch and Submit Written Complaint

In case this step does not work, you should visit the nearest branch and submit a complaint at the helpdesk. The helpdesk will share a new complaint tracking number. You need to note down the contact number of the executive you met so that it becomes easier to follow up later.

Lets say you are withdrawing cash from X bank ATM and using Y bank debit card. File a written complaint with both banks: X and Y bank, since X bank is the bank you maintain your account in and Y is the bank from whose ATM you attempted to withdraw money. Make sure to carefully save all pieces of evidence, such as the transaction slips, so that you can produce them in your favour. The transaction slip contains the important information such as the issuing banks name (Y bank in this case), time of withdrawal, ATM code, and other additional details. The details on the transaction slip will help them detect the reason for the error.

Step 3: Reach Out to the Senior People/ Bank Manager:

If your complaint remains unresolved, you should speak to the manager of the branch where you hold your account. Often, contacting a senior person helps to resolve the complaint more quickly. One can also visit the banks website and register a complaint with the banks grievance cell which usually deals with complaints on top priority.

Step 4: Take Up the Matter with the Ombudsman

If, despite all these steps, your complaint remains unresolved, you should take up the matter with the RBI or the banking ombudsman. Such complaints may be submitted in writing either via post or online. However, you have to wait for 30 days from the date of complaint registration before taking this step.

The RBI has initiated a public awareness campaign through its twitter handle regarding this problem which is faced by many.

.@RBI Kehta Hai..

If the amount debited due to a failed transaction is not reverted to your account within a specified time, your bank would compensate you for the delay.#BeAware #BeSecure#rbikehtahai #StaySafehttps://t.co/mKPAIp5rA3 @SrBachchan pic.twitter.com/lYiM6GAUy6  RBI Says (@RBIsays) October 7, 2020

Some cases do require a bit more time, effort and follow-ups from the customers side. But, usually, these cases are resolved and do not require legal action. But if all this fails, you can approach the local consumer forum.
Promoters of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are the real entrepreneurs in India, because they put their personal assets on the line to build an enterprise that provides some value to society. Yet, when the chips are down, they end up making costly mistakes that often destroy their finances and their business. What are the various financial issues that a small or medium entrepreneur can expect to encounter in business and how can he give himself a fighting chance of survival and revival during bad times?

This is a situation that most entrepreneurs do not think about until it is too late. Advocate Manoj Harit, a multi-faceted personality who practises at the Bombay High Court and has specialised in helping businesses to deal with various recovery actions, offered some invaluable lessons to entrepreneurs at a unique seminar organised by Moneylife Foundation and Capital First on 30th March in Mumbai.

India has 49 million SMEs that employ 40% of our workforce and contribute 45% of our gross domestic product (GDP) and, yet, lenders use recovery laws with draconian efficiency against them, while large defaulters, like Vijay Mallya and Nirav Choksi, manage to flee the country. Advocate Harit says that the laws provide plenty of opportunity for entrepreneurs to successfully defend themselves without being dispossessed of their homes and other assets pledged with the bank. But it is up to the entrepreneurs to avoid traps that end up closing their legal options for a successful defence.

His first, and obvious, lesson was to tell entrepreneurs that every loan is sanctioned on the basis of the project report and an assessment of the projected ability of a business to generate revenue and profits and add value to society. So after the loan is sanctioned, there is no need for additional collateral like a personal guarantee or mortgage of home and other personal property. The fact that entrepreneurs are asked to pledge personal assets is only an additional security and not the basis of the bank loan. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) acknowledges this too and its master circulars provide clear guidance on how to deal with SMEs when there is a downturn. But this works only when SMEs themselves avoid dangerous mis-steps. Here are some tips from advocate Harit on how to avoid becoming sick and dealing with a downturn.

Under-financing: The seeds of sickness are sown right at the beginning when an SME under-finances the project to get it going. Often, this is based on the expectation that he will be able to get expanded credit limits once the business is operational. Sometimes, bankers themselves misguide SMEs to get started with less than essential funding and it, eventually, destroys the business. So never under-finance your business; this is the first lesson for successful entrepreneurship, says advocate Harit.

Do Not Avoid Your Lender: Often, entrepreneurs fail to understand the first signs of sickness. When they are unable to repay their lenders, SMEs begin to avoid the banker instead of discussing the situation with them and working at a resolution. Many entrepreneurs also fail to understand the gravity of recovery proceedings and fail to respond in time.

The debt recovery tribunal (DRT) has a set procedure to handle recovery cases. Advocate Harit said, When an account becomes non-performing, the lender issues notice under Section 13(2) of the Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Securities Interest (SARFAESI) Act. It is unfortunate that many borrowers fear responding to the 13(2) notice or, sometimes, indulge in prolonged discussions with the bank to resolve the matter by way of a onetime settlement.

Under the SARFAESI Act, the remedies provided to the borrower against the recovery measures invoked by the bank are within a clear timeframe; the bank is vested with unilateral powers under the statute to initiate action without the intervention of any court. Hence, when the borrower is occupied in negotiations, the bank officer has his eye on the calendar all the time and catches him/her off-guard by promising to enhance credit limit if he pays certain dues. The fate of the borrowers case depends on how swiftly he responds to every measure, else the bank will overpower him even before he is prepared for the contest, says advocate Harit.

Many borrowers fail to understand and respond to this notice and run to a lawyer only when recovery proceedings begin. Many are in such a sad financial condition at that time that they dont even have funds to pay a lawyer. The entrepreneurs failure to respond to the first notice also makes it difficult to defend him. And his lawyers end up pleading for time instead of arguing on merit to help the unit find its feet again.

Measures under Section 13(4) include symbolic possession, physical possession, takeover of management, appointment of an agent or manager, sale, and transfer of the asset after sale. The borrower can file appeal after 45 days before the DRT, but it should be accompanied with a written application giving sufficient cause to condone the delay. However, when an appeal is beyond the first chance of 45 days, the borrower loses a huge opportunity to contest with all valid grounds right from the inception of the recovery action.

Do Not Fudge Your Accounts: An all too common problem, which kills the defence of SMEs, is the tendency to fudge books to paint a rosy picture. Advocate Harit says, this is usually done at the instance of chartered accountants, who inflate earnings and reduce costs to fit into the formula that makes it eligible for SMEs to borrow more. This eventually goes against them during recovery proceedings and prevents them from taking advantage of RBIs circulars that protect them in bad times.

Avoid Borrowing from Private Lenders: Never borrow from private lenders to raise additional funds when in trouble and do not take personal loans to pump money in the business, because of mistaken notions about public appearances. This is a frequent mistake made by entrepreneurs that drags them further into debt. Avoid Borrowing from Private Lenders: Never borrow from private lenders to raise additional funds when in trouble and do not take personal loans to pump money in the business, because of mistaken notions about public appearances. This is a frequent mistake made by entrepreneurs that drags them further into debt.

Cut Costs, Keep the Business Going: When a business runs into trouble, many entrepreneurs are focused on getting the bank to extend more credit rather than on their business. That is the time to focus on the business. Cut all unnecessary costs and run a tight ship, advised advocate Harit. He said that many entrepreneurs stop paying employees and suppliers to pay the last rupee to a bank in the hope of raising more funds. If they desert the company, it eventually damages the business irrevocably, if the bank does not cough up additional funds.

RBI Circulars that Help SMEs: RBI is clear that banks must identify sickness at the incipient stage and must restructure the debt, or rehabilitate the unit with additional finance, or take measure to nurse it until it comes out of sickness (RBI Circular RPCD. No. PLNFS. BC. 88/ PS.72-91/92).

There are master circulars and guidelines issued by regulators; but banks do not follow them. For example, a debt is considered a non-performing asset (NPA) if there is no repayment over a 90-day period; it also specifies how the 90-day period is to be calculated. But this is often ignored. On 8 February 2018, RBI has extended the 90-day deadline to 180 days for MSMEs; but they are still being dubbed as NPAs after 90 days.

Advocate Harit mentioned three other important circulars issued by RBI that are relevant for MSMEs. 1) Prudential Norms on Income Recognition, Asset Classification and Provisioning pertaining to Advances dated 1 July 2015 ( https://goo.gl/fJzfkA ), 2) Lending to Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME) Sector dated 1 July 2014 ( https://goo.gl/NKN9eA ) and 3) Master Circular on Wilful Defaulters dated 1 July 2015 ( https://goo.gl/eDf1Sf ).

MSMEs are providing employment and generating revenues for everyone, including the government. Unfortunately, under-financing at each stage, besides unacceptable practices followed by banks, lead to failures of MSMEs, advocate Harit concluded.
Recently, Right to Information (RTI) activist Yashwant Shinde had submitted a complaint to the Mumbais Commissioner of Police, alleging that he was assaulted by the deputy commissioner of police (DCP) (zone III) inside the cabin when he went for hearing in his first appeal.

In his support, several activists, including former Central Information Commissioner (CIC) Shailesh Gandhi, activist Anil Galgali and Sucheta Dalal, founder trustee of Moneylife Foundation, Dolphy Dsouza, Convenor of. Police Reforms Watch presented a memorandum to CP Sanjay Barve, seeking action against the DCP.

Following up on this, Moneylife Foundation had organised a meeting with citizens and activists to discuss common misconceptions about the RTI Act and how we can work towards dispelling such rumours.

The activists present at the session were of differed opinions when it came to tackling abuse of RTI users. Anil Gagali said, "RTI applicants need to understand that rejection of your appplication does not mean you have to follow the same ardous process of going through the first or second appeals. There are other avenues one can approach to get the reply. File a complaint, send a letter, file a RTI on the progress of your complaint. A RTI application is only one of the ways to get your information." On the same lines, activist Bhaskar Prabhu also suggested RTI users to think outside the box and approach appellate authorities with patience and respect. "They may be rude, they may be abusive, but that does not mean you have to stoop to their level. Proceed with patience. If he refuses the first time, go a second time, then a third time. But change your approach. You have nothing to fear, you are only asking for what is rightfully yours," he explained. While discussing how this issue can be brought to the attention of the general public and concerned authorities, activist Dolphy D'souza said, "We need to organise a protest. A peacful protest perhaps in front of the police station. We don't need huge numbers, even a mere 50 people would do. We also need this to be further carried forward through the media."

After a vibrant discussion on the safety of RTI users, it was collectively decided to take a call after 10th January by which Mumbai CP Mr Barve has assured some action.

was deleted. The session was also important as railway activist Samir Zaveri was felicitated for his efforts in ensuring Sec (13)(a) for the Bombay High Court RTI rules (revised 2009) was deleted.

Speaking about his achievement, Mr Zaveri said, The point is to never give up. I had filed a RTI application with the High Court which was rejected incorrectly. I filed first appeal, which was also rejected. But I followed through with a second appeal as well.

Sec (13) in Bombay High Courts RTI rules states the exceptions under which the appellate authority or information officer will can refuse to divulge the information request. Specifically under (a) the rules states such information which is not in the public domain.

Mr Zaveri followed up his RTI application with letters to the appellate authority presenting his case as to why this particular rule is completely against the basic principles of the RTI Act and was able to convince the relevant authorities to have it deleted.

This session also saw the attendance of eminent RTI activists such as Mr Galgali, Bhaskar Prabhu, Mr Dsouza, DS Ranga Rao, among others.
When shopping for a smartphone, a majority of iPhone users say that default privacy settings are a significant factor in their purchase decision.

This is not a surprise, as much of Apples recent marketing has been around their commitment to privacy. However, half of iPhone users do not know that theres a unique ID on their phone, called identifier for advertisers (IDFA), that tracks their app activity and sends it to third-party advertisers by default, says Mozilla.

According to a recent Mozilla-Ipsos poll, conducted in October 2019, a majority (61%) of iPhone users, who are aware of IDFA, do not know how to disable it.

Given a choice, a majority (54%) of iPhone users would want IDFA to be reset automatically at regular, or at least a few times per year, intervals, the poll, conducted among 1,007 residents online in English across the US, says.

In a release, Mozilla says, A majority report being concerned with third parties tracking activity on downloaded apps and website visits (57% for each) and around 41% are concerned with third parties tracking content that is watched or streamed, such as videos.

The poll was conducted to know about iPhone and Android smartphone users' preferences and their awareness of online privacy.

The poll finds that more than half of Americans (about 57%), whether iPhone or Android users, are concerned that the apps they download and websites they visit on their smartphones are being tracked by third parties.

Mozilla says it first began thinking about the iPhone IDFA last April, when Apple launched its 'Privacy. Thats iPhone' marketing campaign. "In many ways, Apple is a champion of privacy  but we thought the new slogan misrepresented exactly what goes on with iPhones and IDFAs. Indeed, the IDFA is a lot like a salesperson following you from store to store while you shop, recording everything you look at," it says.

Mozilla then launched a petition urging Apple to automatically reset users IDFA every month. At present, iPhone users can disable IDFA, but have to do so manually; there is no option given to Android users to disable ad tracking.

Automatic resets would make it harder for companies to build profiles of users over time, says Mozilla and adds, "We hope todays poll findings will increase pressure on Apple to make this move  and put pressure on Android providers to provide strong privacy features, too."

How To Turn Off Your iPhones IDFA (ad tracking ID)

A. iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch

1. Go to Settings > Privacy > Advertising.

2. Turn on Limit Ad Tracking.

3. Also reset Advertising Identifier, periodically.

B. Apple TV

1. Go to Settings > General > Privacy.

2. Turn on Limit Ad Tracking.

3. Also reset Advertising Identifier, periodically.

C. Turn Off Location-based Ads

1. Go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services > System Services.

2. Turn off Location-Based Apple Ads.
"Social media is a good medium to bring about positive changes in the society. Using social media for public good is more than just reputation management - it is about relationship-building. However, we must remember that social media is just a 'medium' - an agency for communication. If crime takes place offline, it can only be 'reported' online - action will have to be taken offline," says Sunchika Pandey, a consultant for the Mumbai Police's social media team. She was speaking at a special seminar organized by Moneylife Foundation on "How to Use Social Media for Public Good".

Ms Pandey, who was crime reporter at NDTV, delivered a clear message that the most powerful source used to "spread the word" is the one that directly connects to a larger audience which social media does efficiently if utilised properly.

She is entrusted by Mumbai Police to keep their official Twitter account sensitive and politically correct. @MumbaiPolice handle on Twitter is quite well-known for its quick wit and smart handling of complaints that it receives.

From our 100 to yours! Its always a good start... the very best to you @PrithviShaw #Dial100 pic.twitter.com/G6BRVK0FAy  Mumbai Police (@MumbaiPolice) October 4, 2018

The twitter handle of Mumbai Police (@MumbaiPolice) has 4.64 million followers. The success of @MumbaiPolice has lead to a type of revolution with several government departments and police from various places joining Twitter and helping citizens. This also helped government to be more transparent and responsive while handling grievances.

Fighting misinformation is one of the biggest challenge on social media, Ms Pandey says adding, "A lie can travel halfway around the world before the truth can get its boots on. In this age of rampant misinformation, it is important to identify and stop it before it travels and causes harm. Misinformation can originate from anywhere - including the verified handles. However, this does not mean it cannot be addressed.

She shared an example of one tweet by writer Shobhaa De, who had posted a photo of a very fat person in khaki taking a nap on a chair. "A 'punny' tweet by Ms De needed some fixing - we did it for her," Ms Pandey said.

Ms Pandey began the session talking about her journey as a journalist and a field researcher to a content marketer and finally a social media strategist. She spoke about how challenging it was a transformation it was to go from Police "force" to Police "Service. As she leads the team that handles Mumbai Police's Twitter handle, she talked in depth about how it has become important tool in changing public perception of Mumbai Police.

Ms Pandey used 'Uttar Pradesh Twitter Seva' to illustrate the power of social media in increasing response time on complaints. She talked about how women in distress in UP have used twitter to highlight a case where women on a train were being abused. The twitter handle of UP police diligently responded to their complaints and immediately arrested the culprits. She also provided an example where UP police were able to reunite families by solving a missing persons' case.

After a slew of examples displaying how twitter has been used by the Police in Mumbai and UP to fight crime, Ms Pandey highlighted how information on twitter should be taken with a grain of salt. "Before blindly sharing the information presented on twitter, one should consider whether it is factual or just rampant misinformation. Rumours and misinformation are a serious problem as they are readily shared by the gullible public," she said.

Ms Pandey shared several examples of how the Mumbai Police twitter handle was fighting misinformation.

Sir,as citizen of India,you are privileged to express your view on a public platform. Be mindful,as of now, consumption, possession and transportation of marijuana, invites harsh punishment as per provisions of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act,1985. Spread the Word https://t.co/YlT3kuCdA2  Mumbai Police (@MumbaiPolice) September 15, 2018

Finally, she talked about how its important on social media to not consider the numbers - followers, and following - but by social outreach.

She insisted that twitter is a medium where just a tweet a day is not going to be help your cause. "To be effective, one should not leave their social cause mid-way but support it the whole way through by following it up with tweets," she added. She insisted that twitter is a medium where just a tweet a day is not going to be help your cause. "To be effective, one should not leave their social cause mid-way but support it the whole way through by following it up with tweets," she added.

The session helped the attendees gain a better understanding of social media and the nuances of utilising this platform for initiating social change. With the world around us getting digitised rapidly, social media in the future will inevitability become an important tool to decide the success or failure of an idea. With something as powerful as social media available to everyone in the 21st century, it becomes imperative that it is utilised responsibly.
REYKJAVIK, Iceland (AP)  Iceland briefly celebrated electing a female-majority parliament Sunday, before a recount produced a result just short of that landmark for gender parity in the North Atlantic island nation.

The initial vote count had female candidates winning 33 seats in Icelands 63-seat parliament, the Althing, in an election that saw centrist parties make the biggest gains.

Hours later, a recount in western Iceland changed the outcome, leaving female candidates with 30 seats, a tally previously reached at Iceland's second most recent election, in 2016. Still, at almost 48% of the total, that is the highest percentage for women lawmakers in Europe.

Only a handful of countries, none of them in Europe, have a majority of female lawmakers. According to the Inter-Parliamentary Union, Rwanda leads the world with women making up 61% of its Chamber of Deputies, with Cuba, Nicaragua and Mexico on or just over the 50% mark. Worldwide, the organization says just over a quarter of legislators are women.

The female victory remains the big story of these elections, politics professor Olafur Hardarson told broadcaster RUV after the recount.

Icelands voting system is divided into six regions and the recount in western Iceland was held after questions about the number of ballots cast. The mistakes have not been entirely explained but are thought to be due to human error.

The three parties in the outgoing coalition government led by Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdottir won a total of 37 seats in Saturdays vote, two more than in the last election, and appeared likely to continue in power.

Opinion polls had suggested a victory for left-leaning parties in the unpredictable election, which saw 10 parties competing for seats. But the center-right Independence Party took the largest share of votes, winning 16 seats, seven of them held by women. The centrist Progressive Party celebrated the biggest gain, winning 13 seats, five more than last time.

Before the election, the two parties formed Icelands three-party coalition government, together with Jakobsdottir's Left Green Party. Her party lost several seats, but kept eight, outscoring poll predictions.

The three ruling parties havent announced whether they will work together for another term, but given the strong support from voters it appears likely. It will take days, if not weeks, for a new government to be formed and announced.

Climate change had ranked high on the election agenda in Iceland, a glacier-studded volcanic island nation of about 350,000 people in the North Atlantic. An exceptionally warm summer by Icelandic standards  with 59 days of temperatures above 20 C (68 F)  and shrinking glaciers have helped drive global warming up the political agenda.

But that didnt appear to have translated into increased support for any of the four left-leaning parties that campaigned to cut carbon emissions by more than Iceland is committed to under the Paris Climate Agreement.

One candidate who saw her victory overturned by the recount was law student Lenya Run Karim, a 21-year-old daughter of Kurdish immigrants who ran for the anti-establishment Pirate Party.

These were a good nine hours, said Karim, who would have been Iceland's youngest-ever lawmaker.
Our cities infrastructure is fatiguing and failing, there is no way around that basic fact. It is disappointing that we have gotten to this point, and that our city leaders have ignored the problem for this long. Since 2014, our cities infrastructure has gone from a score of 74 of 100 when assessed to a 66 of 100 in 2020. Despite a large infusion of taxpayer money with the $100 million dollar bond measure us taxpayers agreed to, the cities infrastructure has gotten worse over that time.

Simply, we need more than a few road patches or upgrades. In large areas of the city, we need complete overhauls to our sewers, water systems and roads. This means a massive amount of work and time our city will have to undertake to get us back to even average.

Would you accept a contractor building your roof before they poured the foundation? Of course, you would not, it doesnt take a skilled craftsman to know that homes are built from the ground up, and thats what we should do with our city. It is time for us to demand city leaders who will commit to taking the steps necessary to repair our roads and infrastructure. We need upgraded flood drainage, new roads, new sewers and drastically upgraded water lines.

When you put off maintaining your vehicle, you can save some money in the short term but ultimately end up costing yourself a lot more later. Over the past 20 years that is exactly what our city has done with our infrastructure, completely ignoring the issues we have, refusing to do anything other than the absolute necessary maintenance, essentially placing duct tape over a leaking radiator line and hoping to get another 100,000 miles.

As your city councilman, I pledge to do what my predecessor has not. To focus on the foundation of our city first, ensuring our roads and infrastructure, as well as our police and fire departments are fully funded before we look to fund other projects. We cannot continue to build on a bad foundation, we must repair our city and get our city ready for the next generation to take over.

It is time for us to commit to doing what is necessary to getting these projects complete, and unfortunately that will mean forgoing some other projects for a time to ensure we have that funding necessary to do so. We must recognize that if we want to see a difference, we cannot continue to elect the same leaders who for decades have overseen our cities degradation, and instead bring in new leadership that will prioritize the projects our city so desperately needs.

As a project manager, I understand the need for our city to not only direct funds to these projects, but ensure they are managed correctly to be completed on time and on budget. It is not enough to simply throw more money at the problem, we must also ensure our money is being spent efficiently and effectively. We must make sure our engineering team has adequate personnel and supplies to complete their jobs, and city leaders willing to help manage these projects from start to finish.

When I served in the Army Corps of Engineers, our motto was Essayons. In French that translates as Let us try. This isnt a sympathetic, half-hearted try. Its a statement of confidence as almost if to say, where others failed, we will succeed. This is what I ask of you, to give me the opportunity to succeed where others have failed. To give a new voice a chance to present ideas, to innovate and commit to our success.

Our city is worthy of being the best in the nation, our citizens deserving to live in a city with great roads and parks, the best fire and police departments, and drainage systems that dont leave our main city streets impassable as we saw a few months ago. They deserve to know they will not face issues with their water or sewer systems causing damage to their homes or leaving them searching for clean drinking water.

Please, if you are ready to see your tax money go to improving conditions in your city, commit to voting for those who will ensure that finally occurs. Commit to asking those who have had decades to improve our city and its infrastructure but have not done so to allow new voices and ideas to come forward to solve the problem.

I humbly ask you to consider voting for Ross Schumann, Candidate for Midland City Council  District 1. Together we can work to improve our city, from the foundation up.
There was a time when Black farms prospered.

Just two generations out of slavery, by 1910 Black farmers had amassed more than 16 million acres of land and made up about 14% of farmers. The fruit of their labors fed much of America.

Now, they have fewer than 4.7 million acres. Black farms in the U.S. plummeted from 925,000 to fewer than 36,000, according to the U.S. Department of Agricultures latest farm census. And only about one in 100 farmers is Black.

What happened?

They were able to overcome the broken promise of 40 acres and a mule to the newly freed slaves  a military order, later rescinded. But again and again over the last century, they faced one obstacle after another because of their race.

Lenders  chief among them, the USDA  often refused to give them money, and often rushed to foreclose. Suppliers and customers undercut them. Laws of inheritance led to the breakup of homesteads.

Now the government wants to make amends by providing billions of dollars in debt forgiveness for farmers of color. But a judge has put the money on hold in the face of lawsuits filed by white farmers claiming that the program is unfair  reverse discrimination.

Todays Black farmers and the descendants of Black farmers who lost their stakes argue that they are the ones who have been the victims of injustice:

A farmer who barely was able to keep part of his farm when the USDA threatened to sell it at auction. A man who lost the land his grandparents once homesteaded. A 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.

Boyd was just 18 years old when he assumed an existing USDA loan when he bought his first farm in the early 1980s. He says walking into his local USDA office was like a return to the Jim Crow era. Black farmers had supervised accounts and could only get appointments with the local lending officer on a single day of the week, a practice that came to be known as Black Wednesday.

Boyd endured racial slurs. A loan officer once spat tobacco juice on him  he accidentally missed the spit can, the official would claim. Another time, Boyd saw an official tear up his application and throw it in the trash.

In 1996, USDA took just 30 days to foreclose on some of his farmland. Then the department moved to auction off the remaining 110 acres.

Boyd joined other Black farmers at a protest in Washington, tying a mule named 40 Acres to the White House gate. Less than a week later, then-Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman declared a farm foreclosure moratorium. Boyd had just enough time to save his farm.

Documents from a USDA internal review show investigators found his operating loan requests were not processed for years, despite explicit instructions from the agencys state director. It also found that his account was improperly referred to a credit bureau as delinquent when it should have been restructured, deepening his financial difficulties.

These kinds of practices prompted approval of the landmark settlement of the Pigford v. Glickman lawsuit filed by Black farmers in 1999. Though USDA paid more than $2.4 billion, state taxes eroded recoveries, debt relief was incomplete and the settlements did not cure the problems faced by minority farmers.

Government lawyers noted in a court filing that between 2006 and 2016, Black farmers were subject to 13% of USDA foreclosures  despite receiving fewer than 3% of direct loans.

Tucked amid vast plains are the remnants of what was once the bustling Black settlement of Nicodemus, Kansas. Just a couple of miles outside the town sit the 200 acres that the grandparents of Theodore Bernard Bates once homesteaded.

The Black farmer and his father bought the family homestead in 1970, taking a loan from what was then the Production Credit Association of Stockton, Kansas.

USDAs farm loan lending agency refused to even give them an application to fill out, said Bates, one of the original named plaintiffs in the Pigford lawsuit. He received, as he puts it, not a penny from that settlement.

Three years before the former president of the Production Credit Association died, he swore in a 2012 affidavit that there was a plan to get Bates out of farming. Elvin D. Keiswetter said that the lenders board decided it would rather foreclose, even if they lost money than take Bates money, regardless if it was paid on the notes.

After they took everything, Bates says the family was forced to go on food stamps to survive.

The USDA was not responsible for all the misfortunes of Black farmers. Other structural impediments also have taken their toll. One involves family land that is passed on to several surviving kin without a will, known as heirs property.

The result: a lack of access to money, because lenders are usually reluctant to extend credit without a clear title to the land. Congress authorized in the 2018 farm bill language that would ease loans to those farmers. But it was not until this year that USDA actually funded a $67 million heirs relending program to resolve land ownership and succession issues.

USDA spokeswoman Kate Waters says the agency is committed to rooting out systemic racism and reducing barriers to accessing services. She says the department plans to launch an Equity Commission later this year to identify problems and fix them.

Congress, meanwhile, approved $4 billion in debt relief for 16,000 farmers of color in March as part of the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 stimulus package.

White farmers have filed lawsuits in Illinois, Florida, Wisconsin, Tennessee, Texas, Wyoming and Minnesota. A nationwide, preliminary injunction halted the program in June.

Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, who is suing in his personal capacity as a farmer, contends the debt relief is unconstitutional because it excludes white farmers based on their race or ethnicity.

It is just flat wrong, Miller said.

But minority farmers still suffer disproportionately. As of May 31, 11% of white farmers were delinquent on a government farm loan, compared with 37.9% of Black borrowers, 14.6% of Asian borrowers, 17.4% of American Indian borrowers and 68% of Hispanic borrowers, according to court documents.

For Abraham Carpenter, a 59-year-old Black farmer whose family grows fruits and vegetables near Grady, Arkansas, the injunction means he has to wait and hope for help with about $200,000 in loans.

Ive seen some really, really tough times, you know, but Ive always been able to survive because of Gods blessing and his mercy and his grace.   Carpenter says. So I am not going to say I am going to go belly up. I am going to work a little harder and I am going to pray a little harder.
Few retirement decisions are as critical, or as easy to get wrong, as when and how to take your Social Security benefits. The rules can be so convoluted that many people rely on what theyre told by Social Security employees, but that could prove to be an expensive mistake.

Certified financial planner Kate Gregory uses sophisticated Social Security claiming software to recommend strategies that maximize clients lifetime benefits. Gregory advised one of her clients, a widow, to apply for her own small retirement benefit first so that her survivor benefit could grow, then switch to the larger benefit later. When the woman contacted Social Security, however, she was told she could get the survivor benefit only.

That left her really flustered, Gregory says.

The widow eventually was able to get the benefits shes entitled to in the correct order, but Gregory and other financial planners worry about people who dont get professional advice and who could be led astray.

Most people are going to say, Well, thats what the government told me and let it drop. And thats unfortunate, says CFP Mary Beth Franklin, author of Maximizing Social Security Retirement Benefits and a contributing editor for Investment News.

.

COST OF MISTAKES

A lot of money is potentially at stake. The difference between the best claiming strategies and the worst could add up to $100,000 over the lifetime of a single person and $250,000 for married couples, says William Meyer, CEO of Social Security Solutions, a claiming strategies website.

Even seemingly small decisions can have outsize consequences. People who apply for benefits may be told theyre eligible for six months of back payments and that claiming the lump sum reduces their monthly benefits only slightly. Over time, though, that reduction adds up, especially when cost-of-living increases are factored in.

The agents are saying, Hey, your monthly income only goes down $50, or whatever it is, Meyer says. They dont tell you, Hey, over your lifetime, that could be a reduction of $20,000.

A 2016 study by the U.S. Government Accountability Office found that applicants were not consistently provided key information that people may need to make well-informed decisions. A 2018 report from Social Securitys Office of the Inspector General estimated that 9,224 widows and widowers age 70 and older were underpaid by about $131.8 million because they werent properly informed of their options.

.

EDUCATION, NOT ADVICE

Social Security employees arent supposed to give advice, just education, Franklin says. But she and other financial planners can relate many stories of people being encouraged to sign up early when waiting was a better strategy, or receiving bad information such as being told they werent eligible for certain benefits or that they couldnt take actions that were in fact allowed.

William Reichenstein, Social Security Solutions head of research, was eligible for a since-discontinued strategy called a restricted application that allowed him to receive spousal benefits based on his wifes earnings record while his own benefit was left to grow. The Social Security agent who processed the application ignored Reichensteins directive and signed him up for retirement benefits instead. Reichenstein was able to withdraw the incorrect application and get the spousal benefits, but mistakes are often irreversible. He advises applicants to be informed and to respond quickly if Social Security makes a mistake.

Find out what youre eligible for and make sure you get that, Reichenstein says.

To be fair, many people have no idea how complicated the claiming decision can be and may not understand what theyre being told by Social Security representatives, Franklin says.

Social Security administers several different types of benefits  retirement benefits based on your own work record; spousal and survivor benefits based on the work record of a current or former spouse; child benefits for the minor children of people receiving Social Security and various kinds of disability benefits. Each benefit comes with its own regulations, and the best strategy may depend on your marital status, your longevity, your tax situation and many other factors.

.

GETTING INFORMATION

People can educate themselves by visiting Social Securitys recently redesigned site and learning how the various benefits work, Franklin says. AARP has a free Social Security claiming calculator that allows people to model different strategies. Or you can spend $20 to $40 and up to use paid software, such as Social Security Solutions or Maximize My Social Security, that allows you to model more complicated situations, including those involving a minor child or a pension from a job that didnt pay into Social Security. Consulting a financial planner who uses similar software also can be a smart move.

Franklin urges people to learn as much as they can before approaching Social Security, then keep a record of all interactions with the agency, including the names of representatives and their direct phone numbers, in case they need to appeal or correct a decision.

Im not here to bash Social Security representatives because most of them work very, very hard, Franklin says. But the rules are so complex.
The Biden administration has said it was banning use of chlorpyrifos, a widely used pesticide long targeted by environmentalists, on food crops because it poses risks to children and farm workers.

The Environmental Protection Agency acted after a federal appeals court ordered the government in April to determine quickly whether the pesticide is safe or should be prohibited.

During the Obama administration, the EPA had initiated a ban, but the agency reversed that decision shortly after President Donald Trump took office in 2017. President Joe Biden has pledged a review of more than 100 of his predecessors environmental regulatory actions.

EPA is taking an overdue step to protect public health, Administrator Michael Regan said. After the delays and denials of the prior administration, EPA will follow the science and put health and safety first.

Chlorpyrifos is applied on numerous crops, including soybeans, fruit and nut trees, broccoli and cauliflower. Studies have linked it to potential brain damage in children and fetuses that could lead to reduced IQ, memory loss and attention deficit disorders.

The Pesticide Action Network North America and the Natural Resources Defense Council petitioned the EPA in 2007 to revoke all approved levels of chlorpyrifos in food.

EPA said Wednesday it would do so, based on its findings that chlorpyrifos did not meet a legally required standard of reasonable certainty that exposure to the pesticide wouldnt be harmful.

It is gratifying to see the EPA once again adhere to the best available science when making critical regulatory decisions, said Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, chairwoman of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology.

The European Union, Canada and some states including California, Hawaii, New York, Maryland, and Oregon have restricted application of chlorpyrifos on foods. Those limits  and development of replacement pest controls  have led to a decline in farmers use of chlorpyrifos, EPA said.

The ban will safeguard farmworkers, their families, communities and the food supply, said Allison Johnson, an attorney with the NRDC. EPA is finally following its own findings on this poisonous pesticide.

Teresa Romero, president of United Farm Workers, said the group was relieved that farmworkers and their families will no longer have to worry about the myriad of ways this pesticide could impact their lives.

Corteva Inc. had been the worlds largest manufacturer of the pesticide but stopped producing it last year. The company, created after a merger of Dow Chemical and Dupont, said previously that declining sales drove its decision and that it considered chlorpyrifos safe.

EPAs decision effectively removes an important tool for farmers, the company said in a statement, adding that it appears that the rationale used by the agency is inconsistent with the complete and robust database of more than 4,000 studies and reports that have examined the product in terms of health, safety and the environment.

EPA said after taking public comments, it would continue reviewing whether to allow use of chlorpyrifos for purposes not directly tied to food production, such as cattle ear tags and mosquito control.

Bills seeking to prohibit use of chlorpyrifos and similar pesticides have been proposed in Congress.

Introduced by Dow Chemical in 1965, chlorpyrifos was banned for household use in 2001.

Lawsuits were filed last month in California seeking damages against Dow Chemical and Corteva, as well as companies that applied the chemical. They allege contamination of personal belongings inside farming community homes. Suits were filed last year on behalf of farm laborers in the nations largest agricultural state.

Stuart Calwell, an attorney representing the plaintiffs, said he was pleased with EPAs decision but that health risks remain in areas blanketed with chlorpyrifos for decades.

Todays action wont clean up that mess, and the danger wont go away until someone does, he said.
Overnight reports from Jacksonville police:

 A tent from stolen from a resident of the 600 block of East State Street between 1:30 and 6 a.m. Saturday.

 An unidentified Jacksonville Police officer was treated at Passavant Area Hospital and released after being bitten by a dog at 2:29 p.m. Saturday while investigating a report in the 1000 block of Doolin Avenue.

 Police are investigating a report that a person was robbed at 1:36 p.m. Saturday at Walnut Court and East Walnut Street.

 Cass County authorities were notified a man went to the emergency room of Passavant Area Hospital at 4:10 a.m. Saturday and said he had been shot two days ago in Arenzville.

 Sierra R. Hunt, 33, of 203 West Road, Franklin, was arrested on charges of driving under the influence and illegal possession or transportation of liquor after the car she was driving left the road at West Morton Avenue and South Main Street at 1:44 a.m. Saturday and hit a utility pole. She was also cited on a charge of improper lane use.

 A woman caused a disturbance in Jiffi Stop convenience store, 841 W. Morton Ave., at 12:54 a.m. Saturday by throwing a drink on another person.

 A person was taken to Passavant Area Hospital at 5:50 p.m. Friday after being bitten by a dog in the 500 block of Hardin Avenue.

 Stanley A. Lemmons, 51, of Chapin was cited on a charge of improper backing after the vehicle he was driving backed into a car parked in the 100 block of North Kosciusko Street at 7:36 p.m. Friday.
Tonys Latest: Moulin Rouge! wins best new musical crown View Photo

The Latest on the Tony Awards (all times local):

___

10:45 p.m.

Moulin Rouge! The Musical, a jukebox adaptation of Baz Luhrmanns hyperactive 2001 movie, has danced away with the best new musical Tony Award.

It beat Jagged Little Pill and Tina  The Tina Turner Musical for the coveted title during the pandemic-shortened Broadway season.

The show is about the goings-on in a turn-of-the-century Parisian nightclub, updated with tunes like Single Ladies and Firework alongside the big hit Lady Marmalade.

The show also earned wins for Aaron Tveit as best actor in a leading role, Danny Burstein as best actor in a featured role, scenic design, costume design, lighting design, sound design, orchestrations and best director Alex Timbers and Sonya Tayeh for choreography.

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MORE ON THE TONYS

 Moulin Rouge! leads Tonys haul, but 3 big trophies to come

 Select list of winners at Sundays Tony Awards

 Tonys: Broadway hopes to razzle-dazzle its way out pandemic

 Tonywatch: Aaron Tveit rides a roller coaster of a year

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HERES WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING:

9:50 p.m.

The Inheritance by Matthew Lopez has been named the best new play at the Tony Awards.

The two-part, seven-hour epic uses Howards End as a starting point for a play that looks at gay life in the early 21st century. It also yielded wins for Andrew Burnap as best actor in a play, Stephen Daldry as best director and Lois Smith as best performance by an actress in a featured role in a play.

A winner of multiple best play awards in London, where it premiered in 2018, the acclaimed work was directed by now-three-time Tony Award winner Daldry.

Lopez has argued that the closeted Forster in Howards End was telling a queer story using straight characters so he decided to retell it in a contemporary setting using gay male characters in place of the heterosexual characters in the book.

The Inheritance beat Grand Horizons, Sea Wall/A Life, Slave Play and The Sound Inside.

___

9:30 p.m.

Charles Fullers A Soldiers Play has won the Tony Award for best play revival.

A Soldiers Play dissects entrenched Black-white racism as well as internal divisions in the Black military community during World War II, wrapping it in a military murder mystery.

The play won the Pulitzer Prize for drama in 1982 and two years later was made into the Oscar-nominated best picture A Soldiers Story, for which Fuller wrote the screenplay and earned an Oscar nomination.

The work has attracted a whos-who of male African American acting talent. The film version starred a young Denzel Washington, who had appeared in its first stage incarnation in New York alongside Samuel L. Jackson. A 2005 revival off-Broadway lured Taye Diggs, Anthony Mackie and Steven Pasquale.

It made its Broadway debut in the pandemic shortened season of 2019-2020 with David Alan Grier and Blair Underwood and earned seven Tony nominations, yielding a win for Grier.

For best revival, it beat out Betrayal and Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune.

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9:10 p.m.

Leslie Odom Jr. has kicked off a nationally televised tribute to Broadway with a musical number that mingled Broadway stars with the strangeness of the pandemic conditions.

Broadway dancers performed behind Odom during the energetic number, which saw performers from The Lion King and Wicked make brief appearances. The song mixed tributes to live theater with pleas to the audience to keep their masks on and those watching at home to get vaccinated.

Odom walked into the audience, giving shoutouts to Broadway nominee Tom Hiddleston, legendary performer Chita Rivera and his Hamilton co-star Lin-Manuel Miranda.

The actor then tossed to David Byrne, who performed Burning Down the House with performers from his American Utopia stage production.

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8:50 p.m.

Adrienne Warren has won the Tony Award for best leading actress in a musical for her electric turn as Tina Turner.

Warren was considered the front-runner for the award thanks to becoming a one-woman fireball of energy and exhilaration. She beat out Karen Olivo of Moulin Rouge! The Musical and Elizabeth Stanley from Jagged Little Pill.

Warren, who was nominated for an Olivier Award for her turn as Turner in Tina: The Tina Turner Musical in the West End, wins her first Tony.

Her other credits include Bring It On  the loose stage adaptation of the hit cheerleading movie  and received a Tony nomination for featured actress in a musical for her role in Shuffle Along.

Warren, a co-founder of the Broadway Advocacy Coalition, recently wrapped filming of the ABC limited series Women of the Movement.

Mary-Louise Parker won best actress in a play for The Sound Inside.

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8:38 p.m.

In a surprise to no one, Aaron Tveit has won the Tony Award for best leading actor in a musical. Thats because he was the only person nominated in the category.

The win caps a remarkable year for the Broadway star. He was wowing fans in Moulin Rouge! The Musical when it was suddenly shuttered by the coronavirus. Then he contracted COVID-19 himself. He recovered to lend his voice to relief efforts, got a few high-profile acting gigs  including Schmigadoon!  and then landed his first Tony nomination. Now hes won, needing 60% of Tony voters voted for him in the category.

Tveits first big gig was in a Rent tour and he made his Broadway debut as a replacement in Hairspray and then Wicked.

He then had three starring roles in Next to Normal, Catch Me If You Can and now Moulin Rouge! His film work includes the adaptation of Les Miserables and on TV he was in Graceland, BrainDead and Grease Live!

___

8:35 p.m.

Andrew Burnap has won the Tony for best lead actor in a play on his Broadway debut.

Burnap starred in The Inheritance, Matthew Lopezs two-part, seven-hour epic that uses Howards End as a starting point for a play that looks at gay life in the early 21st century. Burnap played Toby Darling  a vivacious, talented, and deeply troubled playwright who unearths childhood demons.

Burnap grew up in Rhode Island, where during the summer he would work at his local ice cream shop. He graduated from Yale School of Drama, and acted in regional theaters and off-Broadway.

He and Lopez actually met each other before The Inheritance when Burnap did Lopezs play The Legend of George McBride in Los Angeles, a happier story about a straight man who learns how to be a drag queen.

For the Tony, Burnap beat out Blair Underwood from A Soldiers Play, Ian Barford from Linda Vista, Jake Gyllenhaal and Tom Sturridge both from Sea Wall/A Life and Tom Hiddleston of Betrayal.

___

8:20 p.m.

Alex Timbers has won the trophy for best direction of a musical for Moulin Rouge! The Musical.

It is Timbers first Tony. The show is about the goings-on in a turn-of-the-century Parisian nightclub, updated with tunes like Single Ladies and Firework alongside the big hit Lady Marmalade.

Timbers has been nominated twice before, for directing Peter and the Starcatcher in 2012 and directing and writing Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson. He has been a production consultant on David Byrnes American Utopia, directed Rocky and The Pee-wee Herman Show and is directing Beetlejuice for the second time next spring.

He picked up a Lucille Lortel Award for directing the off-Broadway production of Here Lies Love and went on to direct the show at Londons National Theatre. Other notable off-Broadway credits include the Loves Labours Lost in Central Park and the Roundabout Theatre Companys 2016 revival of The Robber Bridegroom.

For the Tony, he beat Phyllida Lloyd of Tina  The Tina Turner Musical and Diane Paulus of Jagged Little Pill.

8:15 p.m.

Stephen Daldry now has a trio of Tony Awards for directing.

He won Sunday for helming The Inheritance, playwright Matthew Lopezs two-part, seven-hour epic that uses Howards End as a starting point for a play that looks at gay life in the early 21st century.

Daldry had previously won for Billy Elliot: The Musical and An Inspector Calls. He also was a nominee in 2015 for Skylight and directed Helen Mirren as Queen Elizabeth II in The Audience.

Daldry directs and executive produces the Netflix series The Crown and was creative executive producer of the opening and closing ceremonies for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

For the Tony, he beat David Cromer from The Sound Inside, Kenny Leon from A Soldiers Play, Jamie Lloyd and Betrayal and Robert OHara with Slave Play.

___

7:20 p.m.

Lauren Patten has edged out her co-stars from Jagged Little Pill to win the award for best featured actress in a musical.

The show plumbs Alanis Morissettes 1995 breakthrough album to tell a fictional story of a family spiraling out of control. Patten plays teenage lesbian Jo in the show and gets to belt out the song You Oughta Know.

After opening in New York, Jagged Little Pill producers have apologized to fans for changing Jo from gender-nonconforming to cisgender female after the show moved from Boston to Broadway.

Growing up in Downers Grove, Illinois, Patten was drawn to the performing arts early on, and by age 4, had begun appearing in commercials and community theater productions. Patten, who has been on Broadway before in Fun Home, has a recurring role on the CBS crime drama Blue Bloods.

For the Tony, she beat out Kathryn Gallagher and Celia Rose Gooding from Jagged Little Pill, Robyn Hurder from Moulin Rouge! The Musical and Myra Lucretia Taylor of Tina  The Tina Turner Musical.

___

7:18 p.m.

Broadway favorite Danny Burstein has won his first Tony Award after seven nominations.

The actor won for best actor in a featured role in a musical for playing the ingratiating nightclub host Harold Zidler in Moulin Rouge! The Musical.

He said he shared the award with his fellow nominees and thanked his son. He also thanks the Broadway community for supporting him when his wife died. I love being an actor on Broadway.

Broadway audiences have cheered Burstein for his soulful showmanship in such musicals as South Pacific, Golden Boy, Follies, The Drowsy Chaperone, Cabaret and Fiddler on the Roof.

He made his Broadway debut in 1992 in A Little Hotel on the Side and went on to star in dramas like The Seagull to musical comedies like Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown.

Shortly after the Broadway shutdown in March 2020, he was hospitalized with a near-fatal case of COVID-19. And in that December, his wife of 20 years, Broadway leading lady Rebecca Luker, died from ALS.

___

7:15 p.m.

Theater veteran Lois Smith has won her first Tony for The Inheritance.

She won for best performance by an actress in a featured role in a play. Smith previously earned nominations for The Grapes of Wrath in 1990 and Buried Child in 1996.

In The Inheritance, Smith plays a major featured role that doesnt appear onstage until late in the plays two-show, seven-hour running time. Matthew Lopezs epic uses Howards End as a starting point for a play that looks at gay life in the early 21st century.

Smith has acted in such movies as East of Eden, Five Easy Pieces and Lady Bird. TV audiences will recognize her from appearances on Route 66, ER or True Blood. She made her Broadway debut in 1952 in Time Out for Ginger.

Other films credits include Black Widow, Falling Down, Fried Green Tomatoes, Twister, How to Make an American Quilt, Dead Man Walking, Minority Report, Marjorie Prime and Ladybird.

___

7:10 p.m.

David Alan Grier has won his first Tony for A Soldiers Play.

Grier played a stern Army sergeant in Charles Fullers play, set on an Army base in Louisiana during World War II. A Black investigator has been called to find out who murdered the black sergeant of an all-Black company.

He thanked his director, Kenny Leon. And to my other nominees: Tough bananas, I won.

One of Griers earliest roles was in a small part in the off-Broadway debut of A Soldiers Play when he was in his 20s. He revisited the work when it was turned into a 1984 movie. This is his third bite of the apple and it has yielded the Tony for best performance by an actor in a featured role in a play.

Grier studied acting at Yale and has had a career on stage (Dreamgirls), on TV (In Living Color and DAG) and film (Jumanji and Native Son). He previously earned Tony nominations for The Gershwins Porgy and Bess, The First and Race.

For the Tony, Grier beat Ato Blankson-Wood and James Cusati-Moyer from Slave Play and John Benjamin Hickey and Paul Hilton of The Inheritance.

___

7:05 p.m.

The pandemic-delayed Tony Awards kicked off Sunday with an energetic performance of You Cant Stop The Beat from the original Broadway cast of Hairspray!

The optimistic number was performed for masked and appreciative audience at a packed Winter Garden Theatre. Host Audra McDonald got a standing ovation. You cant stop the beat. The heart of New York City! she said.

She called it less than a prom and more like a homecoming and that it was wonderful to see half everyones faces. She said Broadway had been knocked out by COVID-19 for 560 nights. She also hoped to see actions that could make it a more equitable place.

David Alan Grier was the nights first winner, taking home the featured actor in a play Tony for A Soldiers Play.

___

6:35 p.m.

The red carpet for the Tony Awards is underway and stars are praising the return of live theater.

David Byrne, the Talking Heads frontman whose musical American Utopia is among Sundays honorees, says hes started going to shows as a spectator and its amazing feeling.

The audiences are overjoyed, Byrne says. Theyre happy to see the shows, but theyre happy to just see one another, to be in the same room with other people. Its really exciting.

Leslie Odom Jr., who became a household name playing Aaron Burr in the original Hamilton run, is hosting a special tribute to Broadway thats airing on CBS Sunday night. He says hes confident that people will appreciate theater and its performers more now that the theyve returned.

I think were going to return with a new sense of gratitude, Odom says.

___

5 p.m.

Jagged Little Pill goes into the Tony Awards telecast on the defensive, dogged by two controversies.

A former cast member, Nora Schell, a Black nonbinary actor who made their Broadway debut in the chorus in 2019, posted a statement this week on social media describing repeated instances early in the run of the show in which they were intimidated, coerced, and forced by multiple higher ups to put off critical and necessary surgery to remove growths from my vagina that were making me anemic.

Jagged Little Pill producers  saying they are deeply troubled by the claims  have hired an independent investigator and the union Actors Equity Association said Sunday it was also commissioning a thorough, independent investigation of the shows workplace.

In another controversy, the shows producers have apologized to fans for changing a character from gender-nonconforming to cisgender female after the show moved from Boston to Broadway.

___

3 a.m.

The Oscars, Grammys, Emmys and Golden Globes have all held their ceremonies during the pandemic. Now its time for the Tony Awards, celebrating an art form that really needs the boost  live theater.

Sundays show has been expanded from its typical three hours to four, with Audra McDonald handing out Tonys for the first two hours and Leslie Odom Jr. hosting a Broadways Back! celebration for the second half, including the awarding of the top three trophies  best play revival, best play and best musical.

The sobering musical Jagged Little Pill, which plumbs Alanis Morissettes 1995 breakthrough album to tell a story of an American family spiraling out of control, goes into the night with a leading 15 Tony nominations.

Nipping on its heels is Moulin Rouge!, a jukebox adaptation of Baz Luhrmanns hyperactive 2001 movie about the goings-on in a turn-of-the-century Parisian nightclub that has 14 nods.

Slave Play, Jeremy O. Harris ground-breaking, bracing work that mixes race, sex, taboo desires and class, earned a dozen nominations, making it the most nominated play in Tony history.

By The Associated Press
Justice elusive 7 years after students abducted in Mexico View Photo

MEXICO CITY (AP)  Several hundred students and political activists marched through downtown Mexico City on Sunday to demand authorities find out what happened to 43 teachers college students who disappeared in 2014.

Police in the southern city of Iguala handed the students over to drug gang members, who purportedly killed them and burned their bodies believing they were working for a rival crime group.

Marchers carrying photos of the youths chanted slogans like Where are they? They also held placards and banners reading Until We Find Them!

But seven years after the mass abduction on Sept. 26, 2014, real evidence of the students fate has been slow in coming.

Omar Gomez Trejo, the lead investigator in the case, said earlier this week that bone fragments found near a garbage dump near Iguala had been matched to three of the 43 students.

But unlike earlier investigations  now discredited because of allegations that suspects were tortured and evidence was mishandled  Gomez Trejo said the students remains were likely scattered in several places and not all had been burned at the dump.

Forensic experts have rejected conclusions reached under a previous administration that almost all the students were killed and burned at the dump. Experts said there was no evidence of any fire at the site large enough to have incinerated the 43.

Gomez Trejo said some bone fragments were found at a site almost a half mile (800 meters) away, and some had not been burned.

Many of them had not been exposed to fire, but rather were exposed to weathering, he said.

Instead of there being one single site and method of disposal, Gomez Trejo said cooperating witnesses  some of whom took part in getting rid of the bodies  have described various routes with various bags full of remains.

Over seven years of investigations into the case, Mexican authorities have found dozens of clandestine graves and 184 other bodies, but have recovered only the three fragments of the missing students.
Israeli troops kill 5 Palestinians in West Bank gunbattles View Photo

JERUSALEM (AP)  Israeli troops conducted a series of arrest raids against suspected Hamas militants across the occupied West Bank early Sunday, sparking a pair of gun battles in which five Palestinians were killed and two Israeli soldiers were seriously wounded.

It was the deadliest violence between Israeli forces and Palestinian militants in the West Bank in several weeks. The region has seen an increase in fighting in recent months, with tensions fueled by Israeli settlement construction, heightened militant activity in the northern West Bank and the aftermath of a bloody war between Israel and Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip last May.

The Israeli military said it had been tracking the Hamas militants for several weeks and that the raids were launched in response to immediate threats.

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said the militants were about to carry out attacks in real time. He praised the Israeli forces, saying they acted as expected. They engaged the enemy and we back them completely.

In a statement, the military said it launched five simultaneous raids and soldiers opened fire after being shot at in two locations. It said five militants were killed and several others were arrested.

It also said an officer and a soldier were seriously injured, possibly inadvertently by Israeli fire.

The Palestinian Health Ministry said two Palestinians were shot dead near the northern West Bank city of Jenin and three others were killed in Biddu, north of Jerusalem.

Hamas confirmed that four of the dead, including all three killed in Biddu, were members of the Islamic militant group. Palestinian officials said a 16-year-old boy was also among the dead, though it was not immediately known if he was a militant.

The Palestinian Authority, which administers semi-autonomous areas in the West Bank, condemned the killings and said the Israeli government was fully and directly responsible for this bloody morning and the crimes committed by the occupation forces.

But Hamas also criticized the Palestinian Authority, which maintains security coordination with Israel in a shared struggle against the Islamic group.

Hamas spokesman Abdulatif al-Qanou said that recent meetings between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli officials encouraged the occupation again to pursue the resistance.

Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip after seizing it from the Palestinian Authority in 2007, praised those killed as heroic martyrs. It called on its supporters to devise tactics and means that harm the enemy and drain it with all possible forms of resistance.

Also Sunday, Israel released Khalida Jarrar, a prominent Palestinian lawmaker, after nearly two years in prison. Jarrar, a senior figure in the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, has been in and out of Israeli prisons for years  often without being charged.

The PFLP has an armed wing and is considered a terrorist group by Israel and Western countries, but Jarrar has not been implicated in attacks. She was sentenced to two years in prison in March for membership in a banned group but given credit for time already served. She was freed several weeks before her sentence was to end.

Recent months have seen a rise in violence in the West Bank, with more than two dozen Palestinians killed in sporadic clashes with Israeli troops and during protests.

Many of the clashes have occurred near Beita, a Palestinian village where residents regularly demonstrate against an unauthorized settlement outpost, and near Jenin, which is known as a militant stronghold.

Last month, Israeli troops clashed with Palestinian gunmen during a late night raid in Jenin, killing four Palestinians. Sundays clashes came a week after Israel recaptured the last of six Palestinian fugitives who tunneled out of a maximum-security Israeli prison earlier this month. The escapees were from Jenin, and two were caught there after an extensive search.

Israel captured the West Bank in the 1967 Mideast war and has established dozens of settlements where nearly 500,000 settlers reside. The Palestinians seek the West Bank as part of their future state and view the settlements as a major obstacle to resolving the conflict.

Meanwhile in New York, Israels Prime Minister Naftali Bennett met Sunday evening with officials from the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain to mark this months first anniversary of Israels relations with the two Arab countries. The so-called Abraham Accords  signed under the Trump administration  have led to the opening of embassies, the launch of direct flights and a raft of agreements to boost economic ties.

Speaking to Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani and UAE Minister of State in the Foreign Ministry Khalifa Shaheen Almarar, Bennett said he wanted to assure them of continuity of the agreements since he replaced Benjamin Netanyahu.

We believe in this relationship and we want to expand it as much as possible, Bennett said.

The Israeli prime minister is to address the U.N. General Assemblys annual meeting of world leaders on Monday morning.

___

Associated Press writer Edith M. Lederer in New York contributed to this report.

By ILAN BEN ZION

Associated Press
CAL-NEV-ARI, Nev. (AP)  There isnt much in Cal-Nev-Ari besides a cluster of homes, some businesses and an unpaved airstrip.

But the towns new dominant property owner believes the desert outpost might have something else: an underground river of sorts that doesnt run dry.

Jerry Tyler, president of mining firm Heart of Nature, told the Las Vegas Review-Journal there appears to be something like a river flowing beneath the remote community south of Las Vegas, and that it replenishes when water is pumped out.

We could have an unlimited amount of water, he said during an interview in Cal-Nev-Aris casino and restaurant building. Its not like theres just one amount that once we take it all out, were out.

Tylers group controls a speck of a town off U.S. Highway 95 that many people in Las Vegas, some 70 miles (112 kilometers) away, have probably never heard of or stopped to see. But the buyers could be sitting on plenty of water in a region grappling with drought.

Tyler doesnt know how much water flows beneath Cal-Nev-Ari. But the quality is high, and the natural resource was a big draw for the buyers, he said during a recent telephone interview with the Review-Journal.

The quality of the water, and the potential abundance of it, was a key reason why we bought the town, he said.

Heart of Nature majority owner Universal Green Technology acquired the bulk of Cal-Nev-Ari in late July for $8 million from town co-founder Nancy Kidwell, buying just over 550 acres (220 hectares) of mostly vacant real estate.

The towns water provider, Kidwell-owned Spirit Mountain Utility Co., boasts 32.8 million gallons (124.2 million liters) of annual water rights. It uses far less, having sold nearly 9.5 million gallons (36 million liters) last year, state records show.

Fred Marik, a former listing broker for Kidwells holdings in Cal-Nev-Ari, said the water quality is phenomenal, and he indicated several prospective buyers had viewed it as something that could be sold.

Cal-Nev-Aris water system uses a 200,000-gallon (757,000-liter) main storage tank and a network of service lines. It supplies 123 customers, the vast majority of which are single-family homes, according to a 2019 filing with the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada.

Just 244 people lived in Cal-Nev-Ari as of 2010, the U.S. Census Bureau reported.

Kidwell, who is in her 80s, sold her holdings after years of trying. She told the Review-Journal she never assessed the volume of water underground.

But, she noted, she pumped plenty of water for Nevada Department of Transportation projects, and the wells never drew down.

Kidwell and late husband Everette Slim Kidwell founded Cal-Nev-Ari in the mid-1960s, having noticed its then-abandoned airstrip while flying by. They acquired 600-plus acres (243-plus hectares) from the federal government and named the town after its home state and the two nearby.

Kidwell is selling the water company to Tylers group, a deal that requires approval from the Public Utilities Commission, she said.

The buyers already acquired hundreds of acres of land in Cal-Nev-Ari, including its airstrip, RV park, mobile home park, motel, convenience store and casino and restaurant building.

Tyler, who sells products for the agricultural industry, plans to build a 100,000-square-foot (9,290-square-meter) processing facility in Cal-Nev-Ari and would use water for his business, including for liquid fertilizers.

He also envisions more restaurants, a larger hotel and homes for staffers who work at his plant. He wants to pave the airstrip to attract more pilots.

Water is a pressing issue in the fast-growing desert metropolis of Las Vegas, underscored by the visible bathtub ring at nearby Lake Mead, the countrys largest reservoir.

Lake Mead supplies about 90% of southern Nevadas water and is set to experience its first federally declared water shortage next year, triggered by water level projections that will force Nevada to slash its allocation of Colorado River water in 2022.

In Cal-Nev-Ari, however, Tyler said his group is pretty confident it wont run out of water anytime soon.

When you look at this dry desert, the last thing you think about is water, he said, but theres quite a bit of water under the ground.

By ELI SEGALL

Las Vegas Review-Journal
(Editors note: This project is a collaboration between the Plainview Herald and Saint Francis Ministries to showcase kids who are cleared for adoption.)

Korinthian is inquisitive by nature and enjoys engaging in a good conversation. He can be shy at first, but once he warms up, he is quite charming and personable.

When the 12-year-old isnt inside playing video games, he likes to roam around outside with his Hot Wheel cars; he can talk about cars for hours.

Korinthian spends his down time watching funny movies and cartoons or playing Pokemon cards. Some of his favorite foods include pizza, chicken, and hamburgers!

Korinthian is all about trust and consistency. He initiates conversation when he feels comfortable enough to express his wants and needs. Life is a race track with all sorts of twists and turns. Can your family be Korinthians pit crew?

---

Korinthian is among the children listed on the Texas Adoption Resource Exchange (TARE) website. Visit https://www.dfps.state.tx.us/Application/TARE/Home.aspx/Default for more details.

Saint Francis Ministries is a nonprofit organization and a community-based care provider for the Texas Department of Family Protective Services Region 1. This region includes 41 counties across the Panhandle and South Plains.

To learn more about fostering or adopting, those interested are encouraged to attend one of the monthly virtual meetings hosted by Saint Francis Ministries and other child placing agencies. The meetings provide information about how to get started, the basic qualifications and more, in addition to providing opportunity for attendees to ask questions.

Those interested can visit Saint Francis Texas on Facebook @SFMtexas to register for the online meetings, which can also be found below:

The meetings are scheduled for the second Thursday of the month (Lubbock area  https://lubbock-area-foster-care-adoption.eventbrite.com) and the third Thursday of the month (Amarillo area  https://amarillo-area-foster-care-adoption.eventbrite.com).

For more information, please contact Erin Baxter at (806) 317-5631 or email texasinfo@st-francis.org. Visit Saint Francis Ministries online at https://saintfrancisministries.org.
MEXICO CITY (AP)  Fourteen Mexican army soldiers were briefly detained and then returned to Mexico after they crossed into the U.S. at a border bridge in El Paso, Texas.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a statement that two Mexican military vehicles crossed the bridge that links El Paso to Ciudad Juarez, Mexico in the early hours of Saturday.
LONDON (AP)  British police said Sunday they have arrested a man on suspicion of murdering Sabina Nessa, a primary school teacher killed as she walked in a London park.

Nessas death  as she went to meet a friend just a few minutes from her home  has fueled concerns that women arent safe on the streets of Britains capital.

The Metropolitan Police force said a 36-year-old man was arrested overnight in southern England and was being held in custody. Two other men have previously been detained and then released under investigation, but police stressed the latest arrest was a significant development.

Police had earlier released closed-circuit TV footage of a man seen along Nessas route on the night she was killed, asking anyone who recognized him to contact them immediately. Police said the man is believed to have been carrying a reflective red object that he may have been trying to conceal up his sleeve.

Nessa, 28, was found dead in Kidbrooke, southeast London, on Sept. 17. Detectives believe she was attacked during what should have been a five-minute walk to meet a friend at a nearby pub.

Hundreds of people held a candlelight vigil for Nessa on Friday, demanding an end to violence against women.

This feels like we are stuck in a bad dream and cant get out of it. Our world is shattered, we are simply lost for words, Nessas sister, Jebina Yasmin Islam, told the crowd. No family should go through what we are going through.

Nessas death came six months after the abduction, rape and murder of 33-year-old Sarah Everard in south London by a serving police officer. The Everard case shocked the country and saw thousands take to the streets to denounce violence against women.
Peter Unger/Getty Images

One of Hawaiis most significant and sacred coastlines, the Pololu Valley, has been the focal point of debate this year. Now, a grassroots movement has emerged to protect the beloved valley.



A proposed development deal, between a local real estate corporation and the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources, planned to consolidate land on the valley floor in exchange for a 13-lot subdivision along the valley ridge and a 5-acre parking lot to accommodate the areas massive influx of visitors.



Residents, particularly from the Native Hawaiian community, were opposed to the project. The outcry led to a viral petition, online rallies, and protests from local students, who galvanized the community to step up.



The Kohala Kuleana movement aims to delegate power back to the community, return the kamaaina (children of the land) to the aina of their kupuna (land of their elders), and to spread understanding of responsibilities to their places. It arose after the descendant families in Pololu and neighboring villages gathered to discuss what to do about the development plans. It was then that community members decided they also needed to find better solutions to manage the valleys problems with overtourism.



When we saw [the youth] going out and being brave at their age, speaking up for the valley, we all just said, we got to back these guys up, we cannot let them hang out there on their own, said Lehua AhSam, who is part of the community protecting Pololu.



The valley has long lacked proper management from the state because of a lack of resources. Now, with funding from the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA), the group is working in collaboration with conservation organization Kupu and Na Ala Hele Trails and Access on a community-led stewardship pilot program operated by those whose families have been there for generations.



Any time we can move resources to empower community, I think that that's the way to go, said Kalani Kaanaana, HTAs new chief brand officer. He added that hiring people in the Pololu community to interpret and protect the place allows residents to feel some ownership. They know whats best; they know [the area] like the back of their hand, they understand the issues, they know the history and it puts them in the best position to manage these places.



After the state hit a record of more than 10 million tourists in 2019, HTA spent the last year pivoting from largely focusing on marketing to coming up with a sustainable and regenerative tourism plan, prioritizing Native Hawaiian culture, community and the environment. Pololu is one of five high-impact sites HTA is funding with this kind of program.



Prior to HTAs funding, AhSam said that the valleys families reached out to Jackson Bauer at Na Ala Hele, part of the state Division of Forestry and Wildlife, to voice their concerns about overtourism and to ask for better signage to promote education, along with the hiring of a steward to help manage the area.



Visitor numbers to Pololu have spiked in recent years, as its views and hiking trails are popular on social media. This popularity has had a detrimental impact; the valley has since suffered from trail erosion, visitors not packing out their garbage and safety hazards due to overcrowding, as well as lack of preparation for the rigors of the hikes or trail conditions. And when it rains, flash floods have been a persistent issue, leading to many rescue operations; the most recent involved nine hikers flown out by helicopter in January.



Pololu also contains significant cultural sites, including ancestral burial mounds protected by conservation zoning and located on private property. Visitors have consistently gone off trail in those areas, Kohala Kuleanas website notes, and even ventured to parts of the third valley, including to private property partly belonging to kuleana landowners. These are parcels granted to Native Hawaiian tenant farmers in the 19th century and passed down through generations.



After meeting with the families, Na Ala Hele's Bauer went to HTA, where he was granted both funding for the signs and the ability to partner with Kupu in hiring land stewards.



If you take the long view, this [program] isnt really new, said Kawika Riley, senior director of external affairs at Kupu. This is a renewal, because this is consistent with the mindset and the practices by which Hawaiis resources have been managed for the vast majority of our history.



Before occupation, when land ownership didnt exist, Hawaiians lived sustainably in land divisions called ahupuaa, which stretched from the highlands to the sea, each containing the resources the community needed.

In stewardship program, a community empowered
There are many parts to the #TexasLife experience, from floating the river to stay cool during brutal summers and defending Whataburger against other states burger chains to, well, literally pledging allegiance to the Lone Star State.

But one curious non-Texan is wondering why living in the state means owning Texas-themed products galore.

On Reddit, user u/FartInMyMouth365 (Im not even going to touch on that) took to the dedicated r/texas channel to ask a simple, but loaded question: Why is everything in Texas Texas themed?

As soon as I crossed the [border] a large number of businesses and billboards just screamed Texas, they shared on the platform earlier this week. Any insight as to why?

Courtesy Gruene Hall /

Plenty of Texans were quick to share their insight  and proudly.

Ill bet your state doesnt have its own pledge of allegiance for students to recite each morning, u/Easy-Adhesiveness337 gloats.

Because anything Oklahoma themed would just be stupid now wouldn't it? asks a sassy u/insertjjs.

The shape [of] our state is superior, states u/izabellizima. You can tell it apart from the others easily.

Dont forget the obligatory You know, Texas was its own country for nine years, reminds u/RampantTycho.

Go into a crowded area and loudly say THE STARS AT NIIIIGHT ARE BIG AND BRIIIIIGHT! If no one responds by clapping four times Ill eat my whole ten gallon hat, jokes u/carpenoctoon, referencing the iconic Deep in the Heart of Texas.

Honestly though, what self-respecting Texan isnt guilty of a little favoritism with the homeland?

As a born and bred Texan, I am guilty of all the Texas-themed mania, probably just like you. Ive owned a river tube, school supplies, and a whole lot of T-shirts just because they had the shape of Texas or the state flags design. Ive bought the Texas-shaped chips at H-E-B, and just about every snack with Texas in its name (because obviously that means its good). And yes, I previously considered getting a tattoo of the shape of Texas.

But also being someone who has lived outside of Texas, I can understand why those not fortunate enough to be native to the Lone Star State dont understand the appeal. Though New York City residents take great pride in their respective borough, I never once encountered someone repping upstate New York in any way, shape, or form when I lived there. And when I resided in Miami, I met folks who took pride in the country they had emigrated from or the U.S. state where they grew up, but never Florida (and for good reason). It seemed that whatever other state came up in conversation, I always got teased a bit more being from Texas given the reputation it gets.

Sure, Texans are deemed as fanatics obsessed with our home state, but thats something most natives will dismiss  and prove  without skipping a beat.

Perhaps u/Biker93 said the simple truth best.

Its just how it is here. Texans love being Texans.
TORONTO (AP)  China, the U.S. and Canada completed a high-stakes prisoner swap with joyous homecomings for two Canadians held by China and for an executive of Chinese global communications giant Huawei Technologies charged with fraud, potentially bringing closure to a 3-year feud that embroiled the three countries.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau hugged diplomat Michael Kovrig and entrepreneur Michael Spavor on the tarmac after they landed in Calgary, Alberta early Saturday. The men were detained in China in Dec. 2018, shortly after Canada arrested Meng Wanzhou, Huawei Technologies' chief financial officer and the daughter of the company's founder, on a U.S. extradition request.

Many countries labeled Chinas action hostage politics, while China has described the charges against Huawei and Meng as a politically motivated attempt to holdback Chinas economic and technological development.

Its fantastic to be back home in Canada and I am immensely grateful to everybody who worked hard to bring both of us back home, a noticeably thinner Kovrig said after a Canadian government plane landed in Toronto and he was greeted by his wife and sister.

Meng's return to China later Saturday was carried live on state TV, underscoring the degree to which Beijing has linked her case with Chinese nationalism and its rise as a global economic and political power.

Wearing a red dress matching the color of Chinas flag, Meng thanked the ruling Communist Party and its leader Xi Jinping for supporting her through more than 1,000 days in house arrest in Vancouver, where she owns two multimillion dollar mansions.

I have finally returned to the warm embrace of the motherland, Meng said. As an ordinary Chinese citizen going through this difficult time, I always felt the warmth and concern of the party, the nation and the people.

The chain of events involving the global powers brought an abrupt end to legal and geopolitical wrangling that has roiled relations between Washington, Beijing and Ottawa. The three-way deal enabled China and Canada to each bring home their own detained citizens while the U.S. wrapped up a criminal case against Meng that for months had been mired in an extradition fight.

These two men have been through an unbelievably difficult ordeal. For the past 1,000 days, they have shown strength, perseverance and grace and we are all inspired by that, Trudeau said of the two Canadians.

Mengs been out on bail living in a multimillion-dollar mansion in Vancouver since her arrest while the two Canadians were held in Chinese prison cells for over 1,000 days where the lights were kept on 24 hours a day.

The first activity came Friday afternoon when Meng, 49, reached an agreement with federal prosecutors that called for fraud charges against her to be dismissed next year and allowed for her to return to China immediately. As part of the deal, known as a deferred prosecution agreement, she accepted responsibility for misrepresenting the companys business dealings in Iran.

The deal was reached as President Joe Biden and Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping have sought to tamp down signs of public tension  even as the worlds two dominant economies are at odds on issues as diverse as cybersecurity, climate change, human rights and trade and tariffs. Biden said in an address before the U.N. General Assembly earlier this week that he had no intention of starting a new Cold War, while Xi told world leaders that disputes among countries need to be handled through dialogue and cooperation.

The U.S. Government stands with the international community in welcoming the decision by Peoples Republic of China authorities to release Canadian citizens Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig after more than two-and-a-half years of arbitrary detention. We are pleased that they are returning home to Canada, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.

As part of the deal with Meng, the Justice Department agreed to dismiss the fraud charges against her in December 2022  exactly four years after her arrest  provided that she complies with certain conditions, including not contesting any of the governments factual allegations. The Justice Department also agreed to drop its request that Meng be extradited to the U.S., which she had vigorously challenged.

After appearing via videoconference for her New York hearing, Meng made a brief court appearance in Vancouver.

Outside the courtroom, Meng thanked the Canadian government for upholding the rule of law, expressed gratitude to the Canadian people and apologized for the inconvenience I caused.

Over the last three years my life has been turned upside down, she said. It was a disruptive time for me as a mother, a wife and as a company executive. But I believe every cloud has a silver lining. It really was an invaluable experience in my life. I will never forget all the good wishes I received.

Shortly afterward, Meng left on an Air China flight for Shenzhen, China, the location of Huaweis headquarters.

Huawei is the biggest global supplier of network gear for phone and internet companies. It has been a symbol of Chinas progress in becoming a technological world power  and a subject of U.S. security and law enforcement concerns. Some analysts say Chinese companies have flouted international rules and norms and stolen technology.

The case against Meng stems from a January 2019 indictment from the Trump administration Justice Department that accused Huawei of stealing trade secrets and using a Hong Kong shell company called Skycom to sell equipment to Iran in violation of U.S. sanctions. The indictment also charged Meng herself with committing fraud by misleading the HSBC bank about the companys business dealings in Iran.

The indictment came amid a broader Trump administration crackdown against Huawei over U.S. government concerns that the companys products could facilitate Chinese spying. The administration cut off Huaweis access to U.S. components and technology, including Googles music and other smartphone services, and later barred vendors worldwide from using U.S. technology to produce components for Huawei.

The Biden White House, meanwhile, has kept up a hard line on Huawei and other Chinese corporations whose technology is thought to pose national security risks. Huawei has repeatedly denied the U.S. governments allegations and security concerns about its products.

Former Canadian ambassador to China, Guy Saint-Jacques, Kovrigs former boss, said he was elated the two Canadians are home.

Clearly, the Chinese were so eager to get Meng back that they jettisoned all pretensions that the two Michaels had been arrested for good reasons. They must acknowledge that their reputation has been severely tarnished, Saint-Jacques said. There is grumbling in the Communist party of China, people saying, In which direction are we going, Xi Jinping? We are creating too many enemies. Why are we enemies with countries like Canada and Australia?

Saint-Jacques said he thinks China will think twice before using hostage diplomacy again.

____

Eric Tucker in Washington, Jim Mustian in New York and Jim Morris in Vancouver, Canada, contributed to this report.
Billions more in profits are at stake for some vaccine makers as the U.S. moves toward dispensing COVID-19 booster shots to shore up Americans' protection against the virus.

How much the manufacturers stand to gain depends on how big the rollout proves to be.

U.S. health officials late on Thursday endorsed booster shots of the Pfizer vaccine for all Americans 65 and older  along with tens of millions of younger people who are at higher risk from the coronavirus because of health conditions or their jobs.

Officials described the move as a first step. Boosters will likely be offered even more broadly in the coming weeks or months, including boosters of vaccines made by Moderna and Johnson & Johnson. That, plus continued growth in initial vaccinations, could mean a huge gain in sales and profits for Pfizer and Moderna in particular.

The opportunity quite frankly is reflective of the billions of people around the world who would need a vaccination and a boost, Jefferies analyst Michael Yee said.

Wall Street is taking notice. The average forecast among analysts for Modernas 2022 revenue has jumped 35% since President Joe Biden laid out his booster plan in mid-August.

Most of the vaccinations so far in the U.S. have come from Pfizer, which developed its shot with Germanys BioNTech, and Moderna. They have inoculated about 99 million and 68 million people, respectively. Johnson & Johnson is third with about 14 million people.

No one knows yet how many people will get the extra shots. But Morningstar analyst Karen Andersen expects boosters alone to bring in about $26 billion in global sales next year for Pfizer and BioNTech and around $14 billion for Moderna if they are endorsed for nearly all Americans.

Those companies also may gain business from people who got other vaccines initially. In Britain, which plans to offer boosters to everyone over 50 and other vulnerable people, an expert panel has recommended that Pfizers shot be the primary choice, with Moderna as the alternative.

Andersen expects Moderna, which has no other products on the market, to generate a roughly $13 billion profit next year from all COVID-19 vaccine sales if boosters are broadly authorized.

Potential vaccine profits are harder to estimate for Pfizer, but company executives have said they expect their pre-tax adjusted profit margin from the vaccine to be in the high 20s as a percentage of revenue. That would translate to a profit of around $7 billion next year just from boosters, based on Andersens sales prediction.

J&J and Europes AstraZeneca have said they dont intend to profit from their COVID-19 vaccines during the pandemic.

For Pfizer and Moderna, the boosters could be more profitable than the original doses because they wont come with the research and development costs the companies incurred to get the vaccines on the market in the first place.

WBB Securities CEO Steve Brozak said the booster shots will represent almost pure profit compared with the initial doses.

Drugmakers arent the only businesses that could see a windfall from delivering boosters. Drugstore chains CVS Health and Walgreens could bring in more than $800 million each in revenue, according to Jeff Jonas, a portfolio manager with Gabelli Funds.

Jonas noted that the drugstores may not face competition from mass vaccination clinics this time around, and the chains are diligent about collecting customer contact information. That makes it easy to invite people back for boosters.

Drugmakers are also developing COVID-19 shots that target certain variants of the virus, and say people might need annual shots like the ones they receive for the flu. All of that could make the vaccines a major recurring source of revenue.

The COVID-19 vaccines have already done much better than their predecessors.

Pfizer said in July it expects revenue from its COVID-19 vaccine to reach $33.5 billion this year, an estimate that could change depending on the impact of boosters or the possible expansion of shots to elementary school children.

That would be more than five times the $5.8 billion racked up last year by the worlds most lucrative vaccine  Pfizers Prevnar13, which protects against pneumococcal disease.

It also would dwarf the $19.8 billion brought in last year by AbbVies rheumatoid arthritis treatment Humira, widely regarded as the worlds top-selling drug.

This bodes well for future vaccine development, noted Erik Gordon, a business professor at the University of Michigan.

Vaccines normally are nowhere near as profitable as treatments, Gordon said. But the success of the COVID-19 shots could draw more drugmakers and venture capitalists into the field.

The vaccine business is more attractive, which, for those of us who are going to need vaccines, is good," Gordon said.

___

Follow Tom Murphy on Twitter: https://twitter.com/thpmurphy

___

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.
San Antonio astronomers are in planning mode for an event still three years away. That's because it will be centuries until the city experiences this kind of astronomical event again.

The Alamo City will see two eclipse events  an annular eclipse on October 14, 2023 and a total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024. The six month succession makes it a rare occasion, but that's not what has both astronomers and astrologers looking to the future.

The Northwest Side of San Antonio and surrounding Hill Country towns such as Boerne and Fredericksburg are on the 115-mile wide total solar eclipse path crossing Mexico into Texas and up to Maine in three years. Other Texas cities, such as Austin and Dallas will also experience the event.

However, Angela Speck and Chris Packham, both professors of the University of Texas at San Antonio's astronomy department, tell MySA being closer to the U.S.-Mexico border will provide a more unobstructed view. They describe it as a "once-in-a-lifetime" event for the city.

San Antonians will experience a sky "as dark as a full moon night" for up to for four minutes and 24 seconds, Speck says. The time will be 1:32 p.m.

Speck was teaching at the University of Missouri and was co-chair of the National Total Solar Eclipse Task Force when the 2017 "Great American Eclipse" occurred. Her friends joke that her move to San Antonio two years ago has something to do with the upcoming eclipse. She denies it, but says it's time "to get serious" about planning for 2024.

She says the local science community and museums are in informal discussions about prepping for the eclipse. She hopes to embed the event in some of her UTSA teachings while suggesting local school districts make plans to highlight the eclipse in curriculum or work with other campuses to provide viewing areas in the northern parts of town.

Speck is sure the UTSA area will be blanketed in total darkness. Downtown San Antonio will miss the darkness "by a few blocks," she says.

Courtesy, GreatAmericanEclipse.com

In 2017, San Antonians secured special eclipse glasses and maybe ditched an hour of work to get to a location to witness the eclipse. Though interesting, it was only a partial experience that left residents with a feeling that they missed out on the videos and images that were blasted on social media from the maximum point in Missouri.

Speck says residents will finally get their time in the darkness in 2024. She describes it as an experience that activates all of your senses. Other living beings also respond.

"You can see stars, the planets. It also gets colder, because you just blocked out the sun," she adds. "Animals also react and plants too, so bees stop buzzing, cows will actually head home to the barn. It's a really interesting thing, it's something that you sense with not just your eyes. It's all sorts of sensors."

Speck says the happening converts the unfazed into enthusiasts.

"If you've never seen one, it's like, 'Oh, yeah, what's the big deal," she adds. "It's a completely amazing event and most people who have seen them once, see them again."

She says it will be centuries until something like this happens again in the city and is the first time in hundreds of years that the Alamo City has been on the path. According to TimeAndDate.com, which provides maps and times of total solar eclipses, the last time the city was near a total solar eclipse path was May 28, 1900 and even at that, it was a partial experience.

If locals become completely mystified by the 2024 event, they'll be able to witness it again two years later, but will need to hop a plane to Spain or Greenland in time for August 12, 2026.

Packham searched for the next U.S. total eclipse experience while Speck and I chatted. His search spanned a few minutes. Finally, he found the date: Aug 22, 2044. Viewers will have to be near Montana for that one.

While the UTSA team is working to add the eclipse event into their education moving forward, Catherine Urban, a Cleveland-based astrologer is examining how the alignment of these celestial objects will effect people and play a part in the history books.

She ties in historical events, like World War I and the abolishment of slavery, coinciding with the times of total solar eclipses in the past. She also notes the 2017 total solar eclipse happened during a "remarkably divisive time in this country."

Urban adds another layer: the eclipse is happening shortly after the planetary return of Pluto to the United States after 240 years (using July 4, 1776 as America's birth date).

"Considering that these eclipses fall in the wake of the United States' Pluto return, astrologers are suspecting that these eclipses too reflect a highly eventful period in American history," she adds.

The astronomers and astrologer are on the same page about the same thing  the San Antonio area is going to be a travel destination that April and it won't have anything to do with Fiesta.

"The total solar eclipse on April 8th, 2024, however, will be one of the most miraculous events one could ever witness," Urban says via email. "To witness a Total Solar Eclipse is sublimely profound. Definitely have your glasses ready for viewing! And consider staying the week with a friend and AirBnB-ing your place. Total Solar eclipses will attract visitors from nearby. Where will you be when the lights go out?"

Speck agrees. She says another added benefit of being in the San Antonio area is the weather. Folks up north might have their experience soured by cloud cover. As someone who has traveled as far as Argentina to witness a total solar eclipse, she knows a thing or two about eclipse tourism.

"The weather is going to be very iffy as you go further north along the path. So San Antonio and South Texas are going to be the best place from a cloud cover point of view," she says. "So we're going to get a lot of people coming to Texas, because we get the longest time in darkness in the U.S. and we also have the best chance of not having clouds."

Much like in 2017, websites and memorabilia are already popping up, adding to the hype surrounding the 2024 eclipse. There are T-shirts, binoculars, and of course, glasses, promoting the event of a lifetime.

Geographer Michael Zeiler, who provides the graphics for the Great American Eclipse website, sums up the attraction the rest of the world will have with to our part of the country.

"Texas will surely be a magnet for many from North America and around the world," he says.
National

Negating Rama & Krishna and fleeing to Italy : Yogi on Congress

Lucknow, Sep 18 (PTI) | Publish Date: 9/19/2021 1:36:30 PM IST

Negating Rama and Krishna and fleeing to Italy in times of calamity are the nature of the people of a particular party, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday in an apparent dig at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

The chief minister took the dig without naming Gandhi while addressing an enlightened class conference organised by the BJP.

People of one party flee to Italy in the times of calamity. UP helped their family members become prime ministers but they go abroad and criticise the state and the country, said Adityanath. They want everything from Uttar Pradesh but criticising and humiliating its people and making comments on gods and goddess are their tendency. Negating Ram and Krishna is part of their habit.

This is what happens if someone is a Hindu by accident, the chief minister said. Referring to the bulldozer jibe by Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, Adityanath said, There is only one remedy for those who illegally encroach upon the government land and the peoples property  bulldozers. Attacking the Samajwadi Party, the chief minister said during the previous government, people of eastern Uttar Pradesh used to be submerged in floods and children and citizens used to suffer from encephalitis and dengue.

At that time, the people responsible (to manage it) were busy enjoying dances of film personalities in Saifai. I do not understand how people forget the interests of the nation and society. If the country is strong, everyone will be strong together, he said.

In his address, the chief minister termed the countrys interest above all, including ones personal interests.

Personal desires, method of worship, freedom of faith and religion are secondary before the rashtra dharma. You all have to provide the right vision to the society and show the right path, it is for you to decide whether you want a government of riots and mafia or a Ram Rajya in Uttar Pradesh, he said.
By Lambert Strether of Corrente

And now for something completely different. Commenters to Yves post on rationing were discussing how to cook and store food under conditions of disruption and shortages, as alert reader Eclair put it, discussing the Amish. It occurred to me that the Jackpot would be the ultimate form of rationing, albeit imposed opportunistically. Reader Hotflash mentioned pressure canning, but thats too ambitious for me; Im nervous about the botulism the way others are nervous about exploding cookware. So I thought Id look to see if pressure cooking  from which pressure canning technology derives  would help with rationing; if it was Jackpot-compliant. As it turns out, its not; pressure-cooking will not help you comply with the rigors of collapse. However, pressure-cooking could be said to be Jackpot-ready: The values implicit in pressure cooking will help you to ready yourself for what is to come. Also, the topic is interesting in itself. Full disclosure: I dont cook food. I buy it. This is neither Jackpot-ready, since I am not sharpening skills, nor Jackpot-compliant, since Jackpot restaurants will surely very, very exclusive.

For those who want to cut to the chase, recipes, reviews, more reviews. And a particularly enthusiastic review:

Everyone in Spain has a Fagor pressure cooker. You can cook everything quicker and get deep, precise, perfect flavors and textures with one tool. Beans and greens come out super creamy  only this pressure cooker can collapse cell walls like that. The best risotto takes only seven minutes. You can cook the most succulent boiled chicken you have ever had, and get a chicken broth in just 40 minutes thats perfectly clarified because the pressure cooker automatically stratifies your stock. Even when I make chickpeas, Ill save the broth because the clarity of flavors in the pot liquor from the pressure cooker is the best.

And a key distinction:

A pressure cooker is not a slow cooker. Slow cookers encourage poor technique  youre not engaged, and you dont use your intuition. When youre using the Fagor, you have to pay attention the whole 40 to 50 minutes because its basically a pan with a pressurized top on it. Youre not just dumping a few ingredients into a pot and leaving. Its an easy way to put really healthy, tasty food on the table that has bold flavor and is immediately satisfying. Sometimes when you cook for your family youll make a loveless meal because youre in a hurry. Weve all done it. I think this pressure cooker is free love, even if youre rushed.

Chicken broth that doesnt take, like days? Im almost sold!

The pressure cooker opened the Age of Steam. French physician and scientist Denis Papin showed his Digester to the Royal Society in 1679. (The last Great Plague in London had ended only thirteen years before, so science was popping after the Jackpot of Papins own day.) He published his book on it in 1681. Heres the cover:

The whole book is at the Wellcome Collection in facsimile; it makes for fascinating reading. Pressure cooker manufacturer Presto says Papin was motivated by a desire to save cooking time; others say Papin sought to enable the poor to extract nutrition from bones; what is clear is that Papin was fascinated by his new addition to the art of cuisine; his book includes recipes for mutton, beef, rabbit, pigeons, fish, gelly, sweetmeats, wine, and glue. (In 1681, Papin prepared a well-received meal for the Royal Society using his digester.)

As a scientist, Papin had worked for both Christian Huygens and Robert Boyle, the inventor of Boyles Law, which drives the operation of the pressure cooker from Papins day to this:

According to David Wootton, author of The Invention of Science: A New History of the Scientific Revolution, the Digester was nothing short of a revelation. A breakthrough in steam technology, it relied on simple but impactful science. Making the Digester involved understanding that pressure relates to the temperature at which things boil, he says. And when things boil, the result is pressure from steam. Youve got a double process when you put something in a pressure cooker: Youre raising the temperature at which steam emerges, and youre also producing pressure from the steam. Papins initial device required a custom-built furnace, which rested directly beneath a series of hollow cylinderstwo made from brass, one from glass or pewter. Users placed food and water within the latter. The top of the device was sealed with a lid and kept taught with screws. Most notably, the device featured a safety valve with a weight on its end. When pressure reached unsafe levels, the weight lowered the valve and released excess steam, thereby preventing explosions. Though bigger than the devices it later inspired, the Digester was strikingly similar to modern pressure cookers both in its basic components and its efficiency. The principals are exactly the same, Wootton says. Youre cooking faster because youre cooking at a higher temperature, and because you are doing it in steam, youre not going to burn or dry things out. Youre also releasing marrow while cooking animal substances until you can produce various sorts of broths and jellies.

Papin went on to develop a piston-based engine where steam was the prime mover; it has been suggested that Thomas Newcomen, the English inventor of the first practical steam engine in 1712, saw the plans, which Papin published in 1688 and 1690. So when you use your pressure cooker, you are also using an important historical artifact!

We must fast forward to the 1930s to see the pressure cooker become an item of mass manufacture:

But it wasnt until the 1930s that the pressure cooker finally made its way into the home kitchen, with the introduction of Alfred Vischers Flex-Seal Speed Cooker in 1938, and later a model from the National Pressure Cooker Company (which is now named National Presto Industries and is still very much in the pressure cooker game) in 1939. Since then, not much has changed, and pressure cooker designs can be classified by generations. The first and simplest old type pressure cookers feature a weighted jiggler valve that releases and regulates pressure, causing a rattling noise as steam escapes. Today, most pressure cookers you can find are first-generation designs, with small safety improvements like pressure-sensitive locking mechanisms, as well as the ability to adjust pressure by changing the weight of the valve. Second-generation pressure cookers are quieter, have a hidden, spring-loaded valve, and allow you to choose at least two different pressure settings by adjusting a dial. Some cookers dont even release any steam while cooking; instead, they have an indicator that displays the pressure level. Overall, second-generation models offer more precision when cooking than do first-generation models. Third-generation models are a relatively recent innovation. Unlike models belonging to the first two generations, these models all have an electric heat source that maintains proper pressure while cooking. They typically have a timer, and more elaborate models include digital controllers, delayed cooking functionality, and smart programming for cooking certain foods.

Obviously, third-generation models are neither Jackpot-ready or -compliant, since they depend on electricity; first- and second-generation pressure cookers, such as you might find anywhere from estate sales to Amazon  or, in my case, in the confused mass of unused cookware in my mothers cupboards  are, since they can be heated with flame[1].

So much for the Age of Steam[2]. What about the cooking? The values of pressure cooking are, as it were, immanent in the techology; they all have to do with resource efficiency, including the ultimate resource, your time, and empowerment as a cook. Here is a description from one user:

Today, pressure cookers are very safe and are very easy to use; though I do admit I was a little worried using one for the first time. With a pressure cooker, a rich beef stock can be made in 2  hours rather than 12

The value of using time efficiently

 making stock-making suddenly economically-viable.

The value of being empowered as a cook

This fact convinced me to give it a go. After a quick rummage in the freezer, I found not beef bones but hogget bones, leftover

The value of using resources wisely (and indeed Papins original use case. Besides softening bones and tough meat, pressure cooking preserves nutrients).

 from the legs I roasted for the podcast and Grigson blog last year (see here and here). The resulting stock was magnificent  richer and more delicious than any meat stock I had cooked before. Then, I tested it out on some pigeons, cooking them pie-style just as John Evelyn had mentioned in his diary [of the dinner cooked for him by Papin at the Royal Society].

(Here is an article from a prepper that takes a more pragmatic view, and recommends using ones pressure cooker for, among other things, canning, water distillation, and as an autoclave. In addition, if you want to cook without detection, a pressure cooker is sealed.)

* * *

Values are immanent in technology. The values immanent in the pressure cooker are using time efficiently, becoming empowered, and using resources wisely. Those are not such bad values to become Jackpot-ready by practicing in the kitchen. You are what you repeatedly do, as Aristotle says.

NOTES

[1] One could argue that first- and second-generation pressure cookers are not Jackpot-Compliant because they are sealed with a rubber gasket between lid and cooker; its hard to imagine a collapsed supply chain disgorging rubber gaskets. Perhaps engineering-minded readers can suggest an alternative gasket material? Or a design for a new sort of pressure cooker that with a lid that does not require a gasket? This antique pressure canner is said to have no gasket:

But it looks a little sketchy to me. Opening seems rather like undoing the lug nuts for a flat tire, except with a blast of steam as the price of a mistake.
Lambert here: Meanwhile, Scott Gottlieb is swanning around, making TV appearances, writing a book, and making policy recommendations.

By Rachana Pradhan, KHN Correspondent, reports on a broad array of national health policy decisions and their effect on everyday Americans. Originally published at Kaiser Health News.

President Joe Bidens failure to name someone to lead the Food and Drug Administration, more than 10 months after the election, has flummoxed public health experts who say its baffling for the agency to be without a permanent leader during a national health crisis.

The pandemic has taxed the FDA, an 18,000-person agency whose chiefs have traditionally received bipartisan backing during the Senate confirmation process. Many leaders in public health, industry and consumer groups agree that Bidens foot-dragging on finding a new director has demoralized the staff and sent the wrong message about the agencys importance, even as the toll of covid-19 mounts, with an average of 130,000 new cases and 1,500 deaths daily, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Its a tough job in normal times, observers say, and at the moment may be the worst top job in Washington. At the heart of the tension is finding a nominee who balances the agencys dual responsibilities of protecting public health while also working with the drug, medical device and other industries to approve products and treatments for market. Meanwhile, the agency has been mired in controversies related to drug approvals and covid vaccines, and discord over decisions has spilled into public view.

FDA commissioner is a particularly rough job in wartime, said Steven Grossman, executive director of the Alliance for a Stronger FDA, an outside organization consisting of industry, research and other groups, which pushes for Congress to increase agency funding. It is a much more difficult post to fill than it appears to the eye.

Dr. Janet Woodcock, an agency veteran of three decades, has for months led as acting commissioner. She commands broad respect. But her perceived closeness to the drug industry, particularly with respect to the agencys role in the opioid crisis, led some Senate Democrats to come out against her official assumption of the role. Biden would need all Democrats on board or some Republican senators to back his choice to get the votes for confirmation.

In December, Biden announced other top health appointees who would helm his pandemic response, including Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy and CDC Director Rochelle Walensky. HHS oversees the FDA  as it does the office of the Surgeon General, the CDC and the National Institutes of Health.

But still no sign of an FDA nomination. Biden officials reportedly considered multiple potential candidates throughout the spring, including Woodcock; former top FDA official and Maryland health secretary Joshua Sharfstein; former FDA official Michelle McMurry-Heath; and Scripps Research Translational Institute director Dr. Eric Topol (who confirmed to KHN he wasnt interested). Then the process seemed to deadlock.

People are just flabbergasted, said Dr. John Whyte, chief medical officer of WebMD and former FDA official. We dont even have rumors of viable candidates.

Many of the agencys other critical responsibilities require sustained leadership even as the FDA urgently vets covid treatments, tests and vaccines, according to people in public health, the health care industry and consumer groups. The FDA oversees much of the nations food supply and the regulation of tobacco products, and reviews everything from stents and catheters to cancer drugs.

Long-term decisions on tobacco regulation cant wait, said Matthew Myers, president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, which has pushed the FDA to move quickly to implement a ban on menthol cigarettes  something it announced in April  and decide which e-cigarettes can stay on the market. This month the agency punted on whether it would ban the sale of e-cigarettes from several major companies, including Juul, the largest maker of such products.

What the FDA does over the next weeks or months with regard to e-cigarettes will determine whether we have a decades-long youth e-cigarette epidemic or whether we reverse it now, Myers said. Waiting for a new commissioner is not an option.

He and others conceded that, regardless of qualifications, an acting commissioners ability to set priorities is diminished. That adds to anxiety about a leadership vacuum, even though few doubt Woodcocks expertise.

One significant disadvantage to being acting is there is no time frame of how long that individual will be in that position, said Dr. Andrew von Eschenbach, FDA commissioner in the George W. Bush administration. As important work is executed, there is no certainty how long an acting leader is going to be there to see it through, he said. Thats an instability that is very, very difficult to deal with.

For agency staffers, it stings to see other physicians in the Biden administration speak publicly on issues squarely in the agencys purview, said Stacy Cline Amin, a partner at law firm Morrison & Foerster and former chief counsel of the agency.

Its been a morale hit for FDA, she said.

Under federal law, Woodcock can serve as acting commissioner until mid-November unless Biden nominates a permanent commissioner, in which case she can remain until that person is confirmed by the Senate.

People are anxious, said Ellen Sigal, founder of the influential nonprofit Friends of Cancer Research, which receives funding from the pharmaceutical industry and supported Woodcock for the job. Is it going to be someone that knows the agency? Is it going to be someone that people really respect and really want to work with?

The FDA is overwhelmingly run by career scientists whose jobs dont depend on who wins the White House. Any Senate-confirmed leader largely defers to the scientists who run FDA divisions to make decisions on products, according to former officials and experts with knowledge of the agencys inner workings. For example, an FDA spokesperson said Woodcock was not involved in the controversial decision to approve Aduhelm, a costly Alzheimers drug manufactured by Biogen that went to market even though experts say theres little evidence it works. But in July, the lingering controversy led Woodcock to ask the HHS Office of Inspector General to conduct an independent review and assessment of interactions between representatives of Biogen and FDA during the process that led to the approval of Aduhelm.

A leader appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate has clout in setting priorities, hiring staff and making long-term decisions.

The commissioner has obviously tremendous influence  not on a product-by-product basis but what the philosophy is, related to the regulatory process, said Scott Whitaker, president and CEO of AdvaMed, which lobbies for the medical device industry. The expressed paradigm can impact how you think about developing products.

Others said Bidens speed in announcing a nominee is less important than selecting the right one, a calculation thats especially fraught given the agencys recent controversies.

Chief among them was the criticism from several scientists after the Biden administration announced a plan for widespread covid booster shots beginning Sept. 20, well before agency scientists had finished necessary reviews. Woodcock had signed onto an HHS statement announcing the plan, but some experts said the proposal came too far ahead of the science and unfairly jammed her staff. Two veteran FDA officials who have announced their retirements were part of an international group of scientists that published an essay in The Lancet questioning whether the general public needed additional vaccine doses at this time.

The FDA was expected to authorize booster shots for high-risk patients and those 65 and older, following the recommendation Friday of an advisory panel that overwhelmingly rejected the administrations initial plan to offer extra shots for the general population, citing a need for additional research.

The White House didnt respond to questions about why Biden hasnt nominated someone as FDA commissioner or set a timeline for doing so.

If it takes a little longer to get the right person whos going to be more aligned in protecting public health and represent interests of the public, as opposed to the interest of industry, which is what the case has been for many years under Dr. Woodcock, then it may be worth the wait, said Dr. Michael Carome, director of the health research group at Public Citizen, a liberal advocacy group that opposed Woodcocks nomination. The FDA referred a request for comment to the White House, which didnt respond.

Sigal sees it differently.

FDA approves drugs, and they have to work with industry, she said. The fact that you work with industry on drug development or on diagnostics with developers, or you work with people that are manufacturing food, with manufacturers or whatever  its what the agency does.
(Natural News) If you cant start your day without a proper cup of coffee, get ready to dig deeper into your pocket as analysts report that coffee prices are poised to soar.

The spot prices of Brazilian robusta coffee Espirito Santo have almost doubled this year, climbing from 356 to 769 reais per 60kg bag. The cheaper robusta beans used widely for instant coffee drinks like Nescafe have sold out in Brazil as weather conditions that damaged crops of the high-end arabica used by Starbucks prompted local roasters to seek robusta replacements, driving prices to record highs day after day.

At this time of year, Brazilian coffee farmers are usually filling their warehouses with a gigantic harvest of coffee beans, with trucks often waiting in long lines to get their cargo. However, this years crops are so small that there are hardly any trucks to be seen. Its believed that Brazil harvested roughly 40 percent less Arabica coffee this year than last year and its lowest amount since 2009. That equates to two thirds of American coffee consumption, which is noteworthy as Americans drink more coffee than any other country in the world. This dramatic reduction in production signals shortages on the horizon for the beans. As a result, prices will continue to rise.

A big part of the problem can be traced to a freak cold snap that hit the countrys coffee-growing regions this summer. In addition, Brazils crop fluctuates every year between a low-yielding cycle and a high-yielding one, and this year was already a smaller one. The problem was exacerbated by massive droughts, which ultimately destroyed arabica crops and spurred the scramble to buy up robusta.

Relief seems unlikely anytime soon as it was estimated that Brazils coffee stockpiles were already at their lowest in decades even before the frosts hit in July. The bad weather will severely damage the next two arabica crops, with droughts causing twice as much destruction as frost. On top of that, Brazils dry season is expected to start earlier than it usually does next year.

Other coffee producers also suffering misfortune

U.S. importers normally source coffee from Vietnam when weather issues hit the Brazilian crops, but COVID-19 restrictions, port congestion, high freight costs and shipping container shortages have all but eliminated this option this time around.

The country, which is the worlds second-biggest coffee exporter, is in the midst of its worst outbreak of COVID-19 since the pandemic began. Exporting hub Ho Chi Minh City is in a lockdown that is significantly impacting coffee shipments. As a result, customs data shows Vietnamese coffee exports dropped 8.7 percent between July and August.

Bad weather has also impacted Colombias harvest. In addition, the emergence of the mu variant of coronavirus being seen there could well spur prolonged restrictions and shortages in labor that will cause further drops in production.

All of this is happening at the same time that demand for coffee is expected to start rising pretty dramatically. The lifting of coronavirus restrictions in Europe and the U.S. is likely to see many more coffee shops reopening in the coming weeks and months.

Consultancy Fitch Solutions raised its 2021 forecast for average arabica coffee prices from $1.35 to $1.60 per pound. At the same time, they moved their projection for 2022 up from $1.25 to $1.50 per pound.

Sources for this article include:

Bloomberg.com

CNBC.com
(Natural News) The newspaper for the Diocese of Richmond issued an apology following the publication of a satirical cartoon mocking an unvaccinated patient sick with COVID-19, admitting it lacked the love of Christ that we, as Catholics, are taught to preach and to live.

(Article by Peter Levinson republished from LifeSiteNews.com)

The cartoon, which can be found on page 6 of the September 6 issue of The Catholic Virginian, is made up of four panels.

The first one depicts a woman sitting on a chair, wearing a mask, and asking Apples Siri assistant for the proper word for you get what you deserve, to which Siri replies that the word in Sanskrit is called Karma.

In the second panel the woman asks for the word for enjoying someones bad karma and learns that it is called Schadenfreude in German.

In panel three the woman learns that the appropriate expression in English for this is I told you so.

And in the last panel, she is shown turning toward a man lying on a hospital bed, possibly her husband. The man is breathing through a ventilator and wearing a yellow T-shirt with the words anti-mask, anti-vax written on it. The woman tells the man, I told you so.

The Catholic Virginians editor-in-chief, Brian T. Olszewski, published an apology Monday, saying the cartoon lacked the love of Christ that we, as Catholics, are taught to preach and to live  especially to the sick and dying.

I made a grievous error in editorial judgment, he continued, a decision that disrupted the papers mission to instruct, inform and inspire readers  and I apologize for it.

Had I taken additional time to reflect and more carefully consider what it was depicting, added Olszewski, it would not have appeared in The Catholic Virginian,

The apology came after readers expressed outrage, indignation and disappointment following the publication of the cartoon.

The you get what you deserve rhetoric used by the cartoonist has become common among those trying to push for universal vaccination and vaccine mandates. Some have even suggested that unvaccinated people who become ill with COVID-19 should not receive free medical treatment.

Read more at: LifeSiteNews.com
(Natural News) According to a fascinating study published in the journal Nature Communication, nanobodies or antibody fragments from an unlikely source can be used to produce a new treatment for coronavirus (COVID-19).

Nanobodies from llamas?

Researchers who participated in the study found that minuscule antibodies produced by llamas can potentially help treat coronavirus. These beneficial virus-fighting proteins could then be given to infected people via a nasal spray.

The research team from the Rosalind Franklin Institute (RFI) in Oxfordshire included experts from the University of Liverpool, University of Oxford and Public Health England (PHE).

During the study, researchers discovered that nanobodies, or a smaller type of antibody produced by both llamas and camels, can effectively target SARS-CoV-2, the type of viral strain that causes coronavirus.

Findings showed that giving short chains of the nanobodies to infected animals significantly reduced signs of illness. The researchers noted that the results are promising since the nanobodies can be easily mass-produced in a laboratory, making them a cheaper and easier alternative to human antibodies.

What are antibodies?

Antibodies are proteins made by your immune system if you have an infection. The proteins are present on the surface of B cells, which are important cells in the immune system. Other immune cells called T cells help clear an infection

Antibodies are essential to fighting certain types of infections. The proteins work with other parts of your immune system to get rid of pathogens, which are the bacteria or viruses that cause disease, like SARS-CoV-2.

But the process isnt an easy or immediate one. If your immune system has never dealt with a particular virus before, it wont immediately have antibodies to the virus.

Antibodies attach very precisely to a specific spot on a specific virus. This is why your immune system needs some time to figure out which specific antibody is effective at neutralizing or counteracting a virus.

This is also one of the reasons why it can take you longer to recover when youre infected with a new virus. Depending on the specific type of antibody, it can take your body at least several weeks or more to produce the right antibodies in large enough amounts.

Nanobodies and human antibodies

Amid the pandemic, patients with severe coronavirus cases were given antibodies harvested from survivors to help them fight off the virus. However, human antibodies need to be administered by a medical injection in a hospital.

Professor Miles Carroll, deputy director of the National Infection Service at PHE, explained that the study had huge potential, particularly since the llama nanobodies were some of the most effective SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing agents tested at the agency.

We believe the unique structure and strength of the nanobodies contribute to their significant potential for both the prevention and treatment of Covid and look forward to working collaboratively to progress this work into clinical studies, added Carroll.

Professor Ray Owens, head of protein production at the RFI and the studys lead author, explained that nanobodies are a better alternative to human antibodies because of several factors.

Theyre cheaper to produce and can be delivered directly to the airways using a nebulizer or nasal spray. These methods mean nanobodies can be self-administered at home instead of having to go to the hospital to get an injection.

And when administered using nasal sprays, the treatment is delivered directly to the site of infection: The respiratory tract.

Fifi the llamas antibodies

Scientists used a llama called Fifi to generate the nanobodies used in the study.

For the study, Fifi was injected with a portion of the spike protein found on the outside of the coronavirus. And while the injections didnt make the llama sick, they triggered her immune system to fight off the virus protein by generating nanobodies against it.

The researchers then took a small blood sample from Fifi and the team successfully purified four nanobodies that could bind to the SARS-CoV-2.

Then, the research team combined the proteins into chains to boost their ability to bind to the virus. Next, the nanobodies were produced in the laboratory.

Three of the nanobody chains neutralized both the original variants of SARS-CoV-2 and the Alpha variant. Meanwhile, a fourth nanobody chain successfully neutralized the Beta variant.

Animals treated with the llama antibodies were less likely to infect others

The scientists also administered one of the nanobody chains to hamsters infected with coronavirus. Upon observation, they found that the animals were better able to fight off the virus.

Hamsters treated lost far less weight after seven days compared to the untreated test subjects.

Additionally, the hamsters that received the nanobody treatment had a lower viral load in their lungs and airways after seven days compared to the untreated hamsters. This suggests that the treated subjects were less likely to infect others.

The scientists hope that their findings can be used to develop a new, affordable type of treatment against coronavirus to curb the pandemic. (Related: American husband tells Clay Clark how budesonide treatment saved his wife from COVID-19  Brighteon.TV.)

Professor James Naismith, director of the RFI, concluded that their study may be key to producing a more effective treatment for coronavirus thats also accessible to people across the globe, especially since there remains a risk of new variants capable of bypassing vaccine immunity emerging.

The researchers are now working on obtaining funding so they can proceed to clinical studies in humans.

Other studies have also looked into the potential of llama nanobodies

The RFI study isnt the first to examine antibodies produced by llamas as a potential way to cure coronavirus.

In November 2020, U.S. researchers from the University of Pittsburgh injected a llama called Wally with coronavirus spike proteins to produce nanobodies.

Earlier last year, researchers from the University of Texas discovered that llama nanobodies were effective against severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), a virus closely related to coronavirus.

Sources include:

DailyMail.co.uk

VerywellHealth.com
(Natural News) Was the current president of the United States part of a multi-million-dollar family-business deal with a major Chinese energy firm with close ties to the Communist Party?

(Article by Art Moore republished from WND.com)

When strong evidence for that claim was presented weeks before the 2020 election, establishment media latched on to an unsubtantiated claim by former U.S. intelligence officials that it was all part of the latest Russian plot to influence an American election, amounting to disinformation.

Now, with President Bidens political capital plummeting, an establishment media reporter has released a book confirming the authenticity of bombshell evidence 11 months after it was done by alternative media.

Politico reported a book released Tuesday by one its national political correspondents, Ben Schreckinger, presents evidence that some of the purported HUNTER BIDEN laptop material is genuine, including two emails at the center of last Octobers controversy.

The book, The Bidens: Inside the First Familys Fifty-Year Rise to Power, cites a person who had independent access to Hunter Bidens emails who confirmed the authenticity of a 2015 email from an advisor for the corrupt Ukrainian firm Burisma thanking him for introducing him to Joe Biden. That conflicts with the presidents repeated insistence that he knew nothing about his sons deals.

But more importantly, the Politico reporters source confirmed the authenticity of a 2017 email regarding the deal with CEFC Chinese Energy stating 10% of the profits were to be held for the big guy. The big guy was identified as Joe Biden last October by former Hunter Biden business partner Tony Bobulinski after the New York Post reported the emails were discovered on a laptop abandoned by Hunter Biden. Joe Biden, Bobulinski claimed, was an active participant in his sons overseas business dealings while serving as vice president. In fact, Bobulinksi said he met twice with Joe Biden to discuss the deal with CEFC Chinese Energy, giving the impression that the then-vice president had the final say in the business dealings of his son and brother James Biden.

Schreckinger also reported that emails released by a Swedish government agency match emails in the cache from Hunter Bidens laptop. And two people who corresponded with Hunter Biden confirmed emails from the cache were genuine, the author found.

However, there was plenty of evidence available before the 2020 election to confirm the authenticity of the messages on Hunter Bidens laptop after the Post reported the emails indicating Joe Biden knew about his sons lucrative deals and profited from them.

Among other things, Hunter Biden did not dispute the claim that the laptop was his, no one mentioned or copied in the messages repudiated their authenticity, and a cybersecurity expert conducted a forensic analysis of the metadata finding the emails were genuine.

Emails from the laptop also show that Hunter Biden was to receive $10 million annually for three years from CEFC Energy for introductions alone, presumably meaning to his father and other influential U.S. officials.

A Senate report released in December concluded that members of Joe Bidens family engaged in deals with Chinese nationals who had deep connections to the Communist Party.

Significantly, a Media Research Center poll found that nearly one-third of voters who chose Joe Biden were not aware of the evidence linking the former vice president to corrupt financial dealings with China and other nations through his son. Had they known, according to the survey, President Trump would have won at least 289 Electoral College votes.

For his book, Schreckinger asked the White House whether Joe Biden had an April 2015 encounter with Burisma adviser Vadym Pozharskyi at Cafe Milano. A White House spokesman did not respond directly but instead referred to an April Washington Post article that includes a campaign denial of any meeting. The article confirms Joe Biden was at the dinner but casts doubt on any encounter there with Pozharskyi. The Ukrainian businessman did not respond to requests for comment.

The Ukrainian firm Burisma paid Hunter Biden a substantial monthly salary to sit on its board while it was under investigation by the countrys top prosecutor for corruption. Joe Biden  who as vice president was tasked by President Obama to oversee Ukraine policy  is on record boasting that on a visit to Kiev, he coerced Ukraines president to fire the prosecutor after threatening to withhold $1 billion in U.S. military aid.

Russias latest and very massive disinformation campaign

When the New York Post broke its bombshell stories, establishment media wanted nothing to do with them, ignoring susbstantial evidence that the Democratic Partys presidential nominee is beholden to Americas most powerful enemy and to politicians in many other countries where Hunter Biden leveraged his fathers political power.

CNNs Wolf Blitzer reported the laptop story was about whether or not the Russians were using Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani to push Russias latest and very massive disinformation campaign in the U.S. presidential election.

Massive indeed, intoned a CNN reporter. Well, we do know that its a very active Russian campaign. Thats according to the U.S. intelligence community. The FBI was investigating the disinformation claim, the reporter said.

However, it later turned out the FBI had seized Hunter Bidens laptop a year earlier in an ongoing investigation. And then-DNI John Ratcliffe immediately disclosed that the intelligence community had no evidence of Russian disinformation. But the media stuck to the storyline, based on a letter  reported by Politico  that was signed by 51 former senior intelligence officials, including former director of national intelligence James Clapper and three former directors of the CIA, Mike Hayden, Leon Panetta and John Brennan.

The former officials offered no evidence, saying the laptop story had the hallmarks of a Russian information operation. The media then turned that into disinformation and used the narrative to justify ignoring the story.

See Wolf Blitzers report:

Please watch this video from CNN's Wolf Blitzer show shortly before the election. Now that we have (more) proof that the Biden docs were always genuine, just watch how these people lie. If this doesn't make you furious, and you don't despise this part of the media, you're wrong. pic.twitter.com/MnhkOolecp  Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) September 21, 2021

 Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) September 21, 2021

CNNs Christiane Amanpour insisted it wasnt the medias job to determine whether or not the explosive claims were true:

2) CNN's @camanpour  the week before the election  explicitly refusing to discuss the reporting on the Biden family by claiming that it's not the media's job to determine if the documents are or are not authentic. Watch this shit:pic.twitter.com/mkI4Jtd4SN  Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) September 21, 2021

POLITICO reporter @SchreckReports has a new book *confirming* the emails from Hunter Biden's laptop about Joe Biden's business deals in China & Ukraine are genuine. People complaining about pre-election censorship by Google in Russia cheered Big Tech's censoring this reporting. pic.twitter.com/T7r8G6MSDW  Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) September 21, 2021

To me, this is just classic textbook Soviet Russian tradecraft at work, former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper says as authorities are investigating if recently published emails are tied to a Russian disinformation effort targeting Biden. https://t.co/shyMNnJ7Yr pic.twitter.com/GFSeIWXeY4  CNN (@CNN) October 17, 2020

Oh nothing. Just Politico casually confirming the Hunter Biden laptop story. https://t.co/KTmywRDdIf  Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) September 21, 2021

See a segment of Tony Bobulinskis interview with Tucker Carlson:

Read more at: WND.com
(Natural News) In the last weeks before the 2020 election, the news media and the social media giants alike sought to squash, strangle and dissolve the New York Post stories about Hunter Bidens laptop, and the secrets it contained.

(Article by Tim Graham republished from NewsBusters.org)

There are two tracks of Hunters life to follow  the family-exploiting, buckraking public life, and then the dissolute drugs-and-strippers private life. Neither was considered fair game.

The same accountability police who rifled through the Trump family financial machinations had no interest in Hunters money-grubbing. The same tabloidish scoundrels who couldnt get enough interviews with porn star Stormy Daniels and her creepy lawyer Michael Avenatti pretended there was zero clickbait in Hunters sordid exploits.

When Hunter came up, like during the impeachment in early 2020, news anchors like CNNs John Berman gushed to Jill Biden: You have called Hunter the heart and soul of the Biden family. And: As a mother how has it affected you? (He should have said as a stepmother on the Facts First network.)

But then came that aha moment. Politico reporter Ben Schreckinger has a new book coming out simply titled The Bidens. It promises to explain how Like the Kennedys before them, the Bidens are a tight-knit, idealistic Irish Catholic clan with good looks, dynastic ambitions, and serious personal problems.

Politicos Playbook newsletter proclaimed the new book by their reporter finds evidence that some of the purported Hunter Biden laptop material is genuine, including two emails at the center of last Octobers controversy.

So now they report a person who had independent access to Hunter Bidens emails confirmed Hunter received a 2015 email from a Ukrainian businessman thanking him for the chance to meet Joe Biden. He also confirmed a 2017 email in which a proposed breakdown of a venture with Chinese energy executives which includes the line, 10 held by H for the big guy? Everyone can guess Papa Joe is the big guy.

On October 23, 2020, businessman Tony Bobulinski held a press conference to discuss the Biden family business venture in China. The networks ignored him. On October 27, he gave an hour-long interview to Fox News. The networks ignored him.

The fact checkers doubled down on the media hostility. PolitiFact rained skepticism: Credible news organizations have found no evidence to corroborate [Tony] Bobulinskis claims about a role in the proposed venture for Joe Biden. That presumes the media had any desire to corroborate this story, instead of ignore or debunk it.

The liberal medias position is clear. News about Democrat scandals isnt confirmed or substantiated until they decide it is. They have an exquisite sense of timing  and delaying. Some of them now think its safe to confirm Hunter Bidens emails, at least to allow the selling of books.

Schreckingers book promises to offer more reporting on the Biden family  on Joes sister Valerie; on his brothers Jim and Frank; and we can guess his daughter Ashley and her husband, Howard Krein. There are a lot of business dealings and political fixings that the news people couldnt quite find in 2019 and 2020. Most Americans  even news readers and watchers  might not know President Biden has siblings, or a son-in-law.

Maybe we should think of Billy Carter, or Roger Clinton.except with the Biden brothers, Joe might be the most embarrassing one.

I cant put this the media performance better than National Reviews David Harsanyi did: It speaks poorly of the nations political media that Americans have a better chance of learning what Joe Bidens favorite ice-cream flavor is than whether he knew about, or cashed in on, his sons corrupt adventures.

Read more at: NewsBusters.org
(Natural News) A video clip emerged on Thursday showing two young, female students of color harassing two white, male students to leave the multicultural students space at Arizona State University.

(Article by Ari Hoffman republished from ThePostMillenial.com)

Two students were sitting at a table studying, and one of them had a police lives matter sticker on his laptop when two other students, both women, walked over to tell them that their presence was offensive.



The girls who filmed the encounter and targeted the students, identified themselves in a different video as student activists Mostadi and Zara. One of the girls filming the video called the student with the police lives matter sticker offensive. One of the male students replied: Were just trying to do school.

Youre making the space uncomfortable Youre white. Do you understand what a multicultural space is? It means youre not being centered, an activist responded.

The intended target of the harassment replied, You dont think white is a culture?

The videographer retorted, Its not a culture. No, its not a culture. White is not a culture. Say it again to the camera where you think whiteness is a culture. So anyways, this is the violence that ASU does, and this is the type of people that they protect. Okay. This white man thinks he can take up our space and this is why we need a multicultural space because they think they can get away with this sh*t.

The students refused to leave the common space to which another woman behind the camera says, If you have any consideration for people of color and our marginalized lives

The videographer interrupts and said, the second floor, the first floor, the whole MU, every single part of the campus centers, you, this is the only space that youre not centered. And youre still trying to set yourself, which is peak white, cis male, bullsh*t.

She then continued the diatribe by stating, You are racist, your stickers are racist because police, thats a job. You can choose to be a police I dont choose to be black. Okay. No, you can choose to be a cop. You can choose to kill people with a badge and youre protecting that sh*t, which means that youre racist.

The student with the sticker attempted to diffuse the situation by apologizing and said, Im sorry, I wasnt trying to before being cut off by one of the girls behind the camera.

I know, I know, but this offends us automatically because these people kill people like me and like us. Right. So, youre promoting our murders. So please just dont do that, the woman said. Because do you understand that police lives matter was in response to Black Lives Matter?

The male student with the sticker shouted I pay the same f*cking tuition as you. Im working 60 hours a week to go to school because my parents dont just give me money. After 7 minutes of being yelled at, harassed and bullied, the white students eventually left, saying they would go to the deans office. The women applauded this move, saying he might learn something.

The video was posted on Instagram by the Multicultural Solidarity Coalition, an organization that is currently pushing a petition for a multicultural center as opposed to just a space.

That petition reads: Arizona State University is the only State University in Arizona and possibly the country that has no place for, or support programs for underrepresented minorities. It has no multicultural center, no ethnic cultural center, no diversity office, no attention paid to students of color.

ASU used to have a whole floor of support programs for underrepresented minorities but it was removed to make space for the New American University which defines inclusiveness by equality and thus implies if it does not include white students it is not inclusiveness. Students of color are being harmed by ASUs failure to understand the difference between equity and equality. As consequence of ASUs colorblind practices, Native American graduation rates have fallen to only 33 percent and less than half of African American students are graduating (2015 statistics), the petition continues.

We need a multicultural center to create space for students of color, to provide recruitment and retention programs for underrepresented minorities so that they dont let the students they admit fall through the cracks, the petition says. We need the Intercultural Relations Center back, the center that was designed to address racial relations and racism, this too was removed by the New American University and today racist events like White Nationalist flyering on campus go unaddressed. It is unfair to expect the Vice Provost of Diversity, 1 person, to be responsible to address all issues of racism on campus. ASU is failing their students of color and we need them to show that our lives matter by providing the appropriate space and support for students of color.

ASU is no stranger to radical student activism. According to Campus Reform, in September of 2020, the senate body of the ASU Undergraduate Student Government passed a resolution to defund the campus police force by a vote of 13-4-1.

Senate Resolution 4, sponsored by the Black African Coalition and El Concilio, demanded that the university begin the process of disarming, demilitarizing, and defunding the ASU police department. The resolution also demanded the salaries of the police officers be eliminated and used to pay employees at the multicultural center.

ASU student government senator Alexia Isais said in a tweet If you say back the blue then you might as well say you support the lynching of BIPOC students.

Konya Saidu, ASU student government senator, said after the passage of the resolution, Today was a good day f*ck the police and f*ck Republicans.

Read more at: ThePostMillenial.com
(Natural News) In an effort to convince more servicemen to take Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccines, the United States Army is propagandizing them with distasteful and sacrilegious jokes about children being sacrificed to Satan through the vaccination program.

A bizarre slide included in a U.S. Army PowerPoint presentation asked the question, How many children have been sacrificed to Satan for the vaccine? The joke, if you can even call it that, went on to claim that only three people have died from side effects post-injection, so that means the jabs are safe.

The same slide went on to discuss the tenets of Satanism as taken directly from the website of the temple of Satanism. This messaging is supposed to convince more members of the American military to roll up their sleeves for injection at warp speed.

Conservative commentator Tucker Carlson reported on the inappropriate slide in a recent segment, noting that the U.S. Army admits it was shown to service members but claims it was not approved by the military branchs leadership.

According to Carlson, the fact that the U.S. Army is promoting Chinese Virus injections at all proves that a takeover of the U.S. military has occurred.

So, here you have the U.S. Army doing PR for Satanism, Carlson explained on his show. The rest of the presentation is less shocking but utterly shoddy and dishonest.

For example, it falsely claims that only three people have died from taking the covid vaccine. Reports collected by the Biden administration indicate that number is actually in the thousands.

Navy SEALs also being prodded by Satanists to take covid vaccines

Not only is the U.S. Army under assault by the jab-pushers but so are elite Navy SEALs who are being told that they must get injected in order to remain members of this special military unit.

To be clear, in case youre wondering if this is in response to some kind of crisis: We dont believe a single Navy SEAL has died of COVID, Carlson explained.

These are some of the healthiest people in the world, the Olympic athletes of the military. Many of them have had the virus and recovered, meaning they have more natural immunity than the vaccine could ever provide. And yet, as of tonight, were hearing that hundreds of Navy SEALs face being fired imminently for refusing to take the shot.

Currently, there are only about 2,500 active-duty Navy SEALs. Each of them, Carlson went on to reveal, costs the U.S. government about half a million dollars to train.

Should even just a few of these brave men and women become seriously injured or die from the Fauci Flu shots, it would be both a huge loss and a huge expense to replace them.

Imagine the effect on our countrys military readiness, Carlson laments. Its horrifying. If you love the country, you would not do this. You would also not disable our hospitals by forcing our nurses to resign because they dont want to take the shot.

The good news in all this is that Chinese Virus shots are not all that popular in the military. Many servicemen from all branches are just saying no to it, and the more of them that do, the better the chances that the mandates will be dropped.

This is wheely, wheely, weird. I have FEAR now, wrote one commenter at Infowars. Something else is going on that is DEMONIC. The demons have no fear of us anymore because we have abandoned GOD and now are OPEN targets.

Satanism seems to be going mainstream in todays America. To keep up with the latest, visit Evil.news.

Sources for this article include:

Infowars.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) Just before they were about to introduce fake vice president Kamala Harris to their audience, The View hosts Sunny Hostin and Ana Navarro, both of whom are fully vaccinated for the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19), were told that they had tested positive for the disease.

The revelation caused mass mayhem on the show, with co-host Joy Behar seen explaining to the audience that something had changed with the programs lineup and would soon be announced. Behar then asked a producer if she should introduce Harris, only to have the producer launch into a second commercial break.

When the gaggle returned after all the advertising, Behar announced to everyone that fully vaccinated hosts Hostin and Navarro had both received positive test results. This prompted Harris planned in-person interview to be changed to a virtual one.

Sunny Hostin and Ana Navarro just got pulled off set after finding out they are COVID positive before their planned interview with Kamala Harris, tweeted Benny Johnson of The Benny Show.

What a disaster.

You can watch the debacle below:

Sunny Hostin and Ana Navarro just got pulled off set after finding out they are COVID positive before their planned interview with Kamala Harris What a disaster pic.twitter.com/NzvbTHg3Py  Benny (@bennyjohnson) September 24, 2021

No matter how hard we try, these things happen, Behar stated.

They probably had a breakthrough case and theyll be okay, Im sure, because theyre both vaccinated  And the vice president is being prepped for her arrival. They cleaned the table; they washed the hands. Everybody is getting all cleaned up and shell be out here in a second.

Kamala Harris still has not appeared publicly even once since stealing office

Harris would never actually make her planned appearance, though. Instead, a producer appeared on camera to give an update about the situation.

Everything is just being done to be as safe as humanly possible, so what were going to try and do now is an interview with the vice president remotely, the producer states.

Were going to talk to her remotely? Behar then asks.

Even though shes here, the producer stated before awkwardly segueing into another commercial break.

Curiously, this would have been the first time since being sworn in that Harris would have made a public appearance. She conveniently was able to weasel her way out of it with the just-in-time announcement about Hostin and Navarro.

Was this a planned conspiracy or just a big coincidence? We might never know the truth, but one thing is for sure: Covid is shaping up to be an eternal scapegoat that can be used to disrupt just about anything, leading to a different outcome.

Since its advent, the Chinese Flu has been used to tear down the global economy, enrich the already uber-rich, destroy society, massacre liberty and autonomy, and murder untold millions of people-and-counting. What will it be used for next?

Just before the canceled segment, the cackling hosts of The View were busy criticizing the unvaccinated for supposedly putting others at risk of catching the Chinese Virus. They pointed to research claiming that fully vaccinated people are not as likely to spread covid.

If youre watching this show and others like it, particularly mid-day, you are the problem, wrote one commenter at Zero Hedge. Their views are actually irrelevant.

They were probably directed to take a PCR test as late as possible (possibly five minutes before recording) to maximize the chances of detection, wrote another, suspicious of the timing of the incident. It takes about 10-20 minutes to process.

Breakthrough cases are super rare, joked another. Like 50 percent will catch covid, and the other half will have heart attacks, strokes, and cancer on top of their existing mental health issues.

The Chinese Virus vaccine circus is just getting started. To keep up with the latest, visit ChemicalViolence.com.

Sources for this article include:

ZeroHedge.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) Another American was murdered by Western medicine after being denied lifesaving ivermectin treatment for a serious Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) infection.

Todd Abbott, 43, died at UAB Medical Center West in Bessemer, Ala., which refused his wifes request that he be given ivermectin. Abbott, a father of two teenage daughters, later died after being put on a ventilator instead.

According to reports, Abbott was transferred to an intensive care unit (ICU), sedated, and put on a ventilator instead of being given ivermectin, which could have saved his life. Consequently, Abbotts kidneys shut down, fluid built up in his lungs, and a blood clot developed in his leg.

Now, Abbotts wife Melissa is having to try to pick up the pieces, which is especially difficult knowing that he could have been saved if only Americans were allowed to access ivermectin the same way that Indians are.

Ive never felt so much pain, Melissa told LifeSiteNews. My heart is breaking into pieces. The joy has been ripped from my life. So now, Im supposed to know how to move on and raise our teen daughters at such a precious age for a father to be around.

Prior to her husbands death, Melissa tried to seek the help of a law firm in forcing the hospital to honor her wishes. She says the doctor who treated Todd was rude and spoke disrespectfully to her after she asked about ivermectin, acting as though he knew better than her what was best.

I also have overwhelming anger for the medical system and the doctor who treated my husband and, up to the day he died, still refused to give him the Ivermectin and told me he wasnt going to discuss it, Melissa says.

Alabama doctors made Melissa feel like a prisoner with them as the wardens

Once Todd was admitted to UAB Medical Center West, it was as though all of his rights and his familys rights were immediately stripped from them. Suddenly, Melissa no longer had any say in how her husband was treated, and any attempts she made at intervening were shot down.

Melissa described this feeling as being like a prisoner, with the doctors overseeing her husbands health as the wardens. In truth, UAB Medical Center West became a literal prison where Todd was basically given the death penalty.

Melissa is not planning to give up, though. She is currently in pursuit of appropriate legal help to hold UAB Medical Center West accountable for murdering her husband.

The night before, my husband had been doing pretty good and his stats were looking good, Melissa says about how Todd was doing fairly well before being admitted to UAB Medical Center West.

The next morning, they said his lung had collapsed, his heart rate dropped, and his oxygen was at 50-60 percent.

Melissa and Todds father-in-law and brother-in-law were able to see him one last time before he passed, but Melissa kept her daughters away because she did not want them to see Todd in that state. (RELATED: Catholic AMITA Health Resurrection Medical Center in Chicago did the same thing to a health freedom advocate who was admitted there with an illness.)

Its the worst thing to ever endure, Melissa says. I was with him when he passed away.

The doctor was always very grim and seemed to feed off of giving me the worst news  every time I asked about trying the ivermectin he would immediately shoot it down, saying we werent going to talk about it, like he had all the rights to my husbands health. I am looking into my options for legal rights in regards to my husbands health care or actually lack thereof.

More related news about how the American medical system is murdering covid patients by depriving them of ivermectin and other healing remedies can be found at Fascism.news.

Sources for this article include:

LifeSiteNews.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) As the United States enters the third booster shot phase of the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) plandemic, Israel is already on its fourth shot.

In order for Israelis to maintain their green pass, they will now need to get a fourth injection. If they refuse, their vaccine passports will soon expire.

The green character is life! the government of Israel tweeted. Do not give it up.

Distribute further, the tweet added, alongside a green recycle symbol. For everyone to know: On October 3, 21, the eligibility policy for the green label will be changed. Get vaccinated now  and keep the character. All the details that must be known prior to the changes in the link.

That link takes Israelis to a government website that explains how Fauci Flu shots, no matter how many of them there end up being, are absolutely necessary to stay safe against Chinese Germs.

Israels Ministry of Health further announced that Israelis will need to get re-injected every six months in order to keep their green passes up to date. If they fail to get the required next dosages, residents will have their passes suspended until compliance is met.

Israel wants everyone to get jabbed again and again, forever

Prof. Salman Zarka, Israels coronavirus czar, publicly announced that getting a fourth booster shot will result in Israelis being granted fully vaccinated status, allowing them full entry into all indoor spaces.

Given that the virus is here and will continue to be here, we also need to prepare for a fourth injection, Zarka said, suggesting that the green pass will constantly have to be updated for each new injection.

There really is no end to the number of new shots that the government of Israel plans to introduce. And we expect that the government of the United States, which is tied at the hip to Israel, will likely try to implement the same.

Israeli researchers claim that a third dose of the vaccine is simply not enough to provide lasting protection against a Wuhan Flu infection. Only with a fourth, followed by a fifth, injection can people stay safe, they insist.

Its a very strong result, claims Susan Ellenberg, a biostatistician from the University of Pennsylvania about the booster shots.

Israel launched its third booster shot back in July, followed by its fourth booster shot in September. These follow-up jabs are first being offered to the elderly, followed by everyone else once enough supply is available.

Based on this Israeli research, some are pushing the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to approve every new shot that comes along, though the agency has been resistant to that.

Thankfully, millions of Americans are just saying no to all Chinese Virus injections. Not only are boosters unpopular here, but so are the first two jabs that were introduced under Operation Warp Speed.

How ironic that Jews are the leading violators of the Nuremberg Code, wrote one commenter at Citizen Free Press.

Wait, wasnt there a period in history where Jews were horribly experimented on? asked another. Yknow  something about trials  Nuremberg and all. Yeah, thats it.

Another pointed out that Israels introduction of a fourth booster shot is quadrupling down on stupid, seeing as how the first two or three have destroyed more live than any other vaccine in history.

I have to imagine the more shots the more blood clots. I guess Israel is volunteering to show us how many shots it takes to make someone drop dead instantly, another wrote. Strange times.

The latest news about Chinese Virus injections can be found at ChemicalViolence.com.

Sources for this article include:

CitizenFreePress.com

NaturalNews.com

Nature.com
(Natural News) Does your body have a built-in immune system that keeps you protected against disease? Not according to Kiera Butler of Mother Jones, who claims that natural immunity is a right-wing conspiracy theory.

Butler says she worries that anti-vaxxers are running wild with this dangerous theory, causing it to go mainstream. In her view, the only way to gain any immunity at all is to take Big Pharma vaccines.

 the experts I talked to werent at all surprised to see these discredited ideas making the rounds, Butler smugly wrote in her piece about those who believe in the conspiracy theory of natural immunity.

[T]heyve seen them before in the anti-vaccination and extreme holistic medicine communities. This is the coronavirus edition of their pervasive belief in natural immunity.'

Butler went on to cite numerous experts from places like Johns Hopkins University (JHU) and Yale University to make it sound like people in the know have fully disproven the idea of natural immunity.

We have heard from those that are concerned about vaccines the argument that they prefer to allow their immune system to be naturally exposed to a specific pathogen to gain immunity, wrote one of them, JHUs Rupali Limaye, in an email to Butler.

Its a spinoff of previous theories weve seen, added another from Yale. This is all the usual stuff.

Mother Jones also claims that eating healthy, taking vitamins does not support immunity

Butlers suggestion that natural immunity is a fake concept invented by Trump supporters harmonizes with the World Health Organizations (WHO) new position that immunity can only be achieved through injections.

According to the ruling elite, natural immunity does not exist. The only way for humans to live and survive is to take Big Pharma shots whenever they are pushed by politicians.

Eating healthy, getting natural sunlight, resting, drinking water, and taking vitamins and supplements, on the other hand, is also to be discouraged because it supports the natural immunity conspiracy theory.

According to Butler, alternative medicine groups that promote the idea that eating the right foods or taking certain vitamins and supplements will strengthen the immune system is a right-wing conspiracy, which she probably also thinks is tied to Russian hackers and bots.

Butler specifically called out Sally Fallon Morell of the Weston A. Price Foundation (WAPF) for promoting foods like coconut oil, bone broth and raw milk as immune-supportive superfoods. In Butlers view, none of these things help to promote a healthy immune system.

Just to be clear: This idea is patently false, Butler declared. [H]umanity has never seen the virus before, therefore our immune systems have no natural defenses against it.

According to Butler, people who reject her opinions have abnormal fixations on natural immunity,' which she says is not surprising. She also claims that allowing herd immunity to come about naturally would be catastrophic because millions of Americans would die in the process.

Every single expert quoted in Butlers article shares her opinions and biases, of course. All of them are apparently freaked out that the idea of natural immunity might catch on, leaving behind messes that will require cleaning up  for years to come.

These people are really gaining a lot of traction, and that is worrisome, lamented David Burghart, vice president of the anti-white Institute for Research and Education on Human Rights group, which claims that white people are largely behind the push in favor of natural immunity.

We worry about these ideas making it into the mainstream, he added, further claiming that he will have no choice but to try to fix this problem for many years to come.

The latest news stories about Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) insanity can be found at Fascism.news.

Sources for this article include:

Archive.is

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) A newly formed group of physicians, the Pandemic Health Alliance insists on alternative ways of treating COVID-19. Instead of pointing to the vaccine as the most effective way to prevent death and disease, these medical doctors stress the importance of treating the virus early on, using effective medications such as ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine.

(Article by Maike Hickson republished from LifeSiteNews.com)

Speaking with Steve Bannon, host of War Room: Pandemic, Dr. Robert Malone, Dr. Heather Gessling, and Dr. Ryan Cole explained that some 15 physicians met a few days ago in San Juan, Puerto Rico, to discuss their experiences with early treatment and with different early treatment protocols, as well as writing a manifesto. Malone is the president of this new Pandemic Health Alliance. Gessling successfully treated about 1,500 patients with COVID-19, none of whom died. She is the groups medical director. Cole is the director of research.

We are here not to discuss the vaccine, explained Malone, the original inventor of the mRNA technology. Instead they came together to defend the freedom of physicians to practice. Doctors are being prevented from providing early treatments, he said, referring to pharmacies blocking certain prescriptions. We are in a situation where the government has seized control of the medical profession and this is causing death, Malone continued.

Gessling later in the show explained that the doctors had incredible success with early treatment protocols that have already been tried and have [been] found to work very well. She said the world is dealing with a pandemic of censorship regarding ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine. We are being shut down, Gessling added. We cannot even tell people what has worked.

The Pandemic Health Alliances manifesto says the doctors wish to strengthen the doctor-patient-relationship. The profession of medicine as we know is at a crossroad, the manifesto reads. There has been an unprecedented and intentional assault on our ability to care for our patients. Physicians, and all health care providers, must have the freedom to practice the art and science of medicine without fear of retribution, censorship, slander, and disciplinary action to include possible loss of licensure and hospital privileges, loss of insurance contracts and interference from government entities and organizations  all further preventing us from caring for patients in need.

The manifesto laments that patients in Europe are being blocked from going to their physicians, unless they take the high risk, duplicative vaccine. And this takes place even if patients already acquired natural immunity.

The manifesto insists that the blocking of early treatments that is taking place right now in the United States is sentencing high risk patients to death.

Malone described to Bannon the unusual situation where the state imposes upon physicians certain treatments. Cole showed that the current vaccines are not even helping to prevent the spread of the new delta variant: Delta is spreading very fast, it is a wildfire.

With early treatment, you could stop that, he continued. He also pointed out that examples in India show that one can slow the spread of the delta variant with ivermectin very effectively.

Dr. Malone explained that this is not an anti-vaccine statement. We are learning from physicians and their success in treating patients, he said, adding that there exist a variety of successful early treatment protocols.

These physicians stress the fact that those who have received the vaccine still get infected with the delta variant, and that they, too, need early treatment. We know that both the vaccinated and the unvaccinated wind up being in the hospital, Malone said.

He said some of the treatments given in the hospitals, such as remdesivir, are toxic and ineffective.

The original inventor of the mRNA vaccine stated that it is important to try to reach a broad group of physicians in the United States.

Malone observed that we are being blocked from publishing academic manuscripts focusing on drugs such as ivermectin. He told Bannon that a medical journal recently refused to publish a research paper on ivermectin, even though it had been pre-approved.

We hear this again and again, he said. We are in an unprecedented situation where experts are being blocked from presenting their findings.

Thousands and thousands of patients are dying unnecessarily, Malone said.

The Pandemic Health Alliances manifesto states that the physicians want to work as medical experts without interference from the government.

Cole pointed out that the vaccine was created for the original Wuhan strain of the coronavirus, but that this particular strain ended by early this year. Accordingly, the current vaccine is no longer up-to-date. The vaccinated are going to get delta, and here the answer is: Dont wait until they are at the deaths door, but treat them early, Cole insisted.

What is the real science? Natural immunity, early treatment. Do not vaccinate everybody in the middle of a pandemic, Cole said, adding, Get a shot is not the solution.

Malone commented on President Joe Bidens decision to force workers at companies with more than 100 employees to get vaccinated or tested regularly: The government has gone full authoritarian here.

For Cole, the current situation is a 1776 moment. We are a free people, we are not the CCP, the Americans will fight back, he said. The emperor has no clothes.

Malone said other nations are not taking this one approach that we have been pursuing here in the U.S., they are treating patients. Therefore, the new Pandemic Health Alliances plans on opening up channels of communications, so that physicians can speak with one another, see for themselves, what are the experiences, what are the outcomes. But unlike the government, we are not telling people what to do, rather, we can learn together as a clinical community.

At the end of the manifesto, the Pandemic Health Alliance invites other physicians to join them in their effort to protect lives.

Click HERE to read the full manifesto.

Read more at: LifeSiteNews.com
(Natural News) One of two Washington left-wing radicals arrested in relation to a terrorist plot to derail an oil tanker train was convicted on a terrorism-related federal charge on Saturday.

(Article by Richard Moorhead republished from BigLeaguePolitics.com)

28-year old Ellen Reiche was arrested with 24-year old Samantha Brooks in November, after federal and local law enforcement began an investigation into a series of shunts placed on train tracks in Whatcom County. The crude devices had the ability to power down a train, potentially endangering the lives of crew on board and those around the train.

Washington Anarchist Ellen Reiche was convicted at trial on terrorism charges yesterday in @WDWAnews. Charge come from places shunting devices on train tracks w/ trains carrying hazardous materials. Faces up to 20 years. (Won't get anything close to that) https://t.co/sLrJNB22Gm pic.twitter.com/CUjvte7JuR  AntifaWatch (@AntifaWatch2) September 10, 2021

A jury deliberated for three hours after Reiches two-day trial.

Brooks pled guilty to railroad interference charges in July. Reiches conviction could land her as many as 20 years in prison when shes sentenced in December, although its likely federal prosecutors will hand the militants little more than a slap on the wrist.

Reiche and Brooks were apprehended by Whatcom County Sheriffs Deputies after hidden surveillance camera footage revealed them placing shunts on train tracks. Shortly after their arrests, deputies photographed left-wing environmentalist bumper stickers on their nearby vehicle.

Reiches Linkedin(now deleted) advertised her former employment with the Washington Democratic Party at the time of her arrest, along with employment with other left-wing political groups. A post on ANTIFA-linked website Its Going Down took responsibility for the shunt plot before the two were arrested, citing a desire to fight against colonial invasion and defend what they saw as rightful American Indian land located in Canada.

Reiche identifies as nonbinary, and uses they/them pronouns. The lesbian activist previously led an organization that conducted outdoor recreation events exclusively available to lesbians.

Read more at: BigLeaguePolitics.com
(Natural News) Joe Bidens regime has not been in office yet for a full year, let alone a full term, and already there are growing calls among state and federal lawmakers to shun not only his administration but the union as it is.

The latest call coms from a state lawmaker in New Hampshire who said he and many of his constituents are fed up with the authoritarianism they see oozing out of Washington and the White House in the form of one mandate after another, even as Biden and his government behave as though they are above the law and the Constitution, as The New American reported last week:

A New Hampshire legislator is attempting to get Granite State voters to consider declaring their independence from the United States. On Monday, Representative Mike Sylvia (R) introduced an amendment calling for a public referendum on the matter, which would be on the ballot for the 2022 general election.

Sylvia cited the Biden administrations draconian COVID-19 orders such as CDCs eviction ban and President Joe Bidens vaccine mandates as main reasons to consider secession from the Union.

There are hundreds of examples of the federal government overstepping its authority, Sylvia said. Enough is enough. We should put this before the voters to decide.

Though he says he gets it, there are disadvantages to secession, Sylvia nevertheless believes there are a lot of positive aspects to leaving, among them no longer having to pay ever-increasing federal taxes (which Biden and Democrats want to raise again, and by a lot).

We are a donor state that pays out more in federal income taxes than what we get back, Sylvia said.

Should 60 percent of both the state House and Senate approve the measure, it would be placed on the ballot for the statewide election in November of 2022, The New American reported. The GOP controls both houses of the legislature in New Hampshire but their margin in each chamber falls short of 60 percent. Governor Chris Sununu would not have to approve the referendum to get it on the ballot.

Should the proposal pass, however, it would read: New Hampshire peaceably declares independence from the United States and immediately proceeds as a sovereign nation. All other references to the United States in this constitution, state statutes, and regulations are nullified.

The last time a state seceded was 1860; that was the start of the Civil War. Allegedly, the question of whether secession was ever legal or constitutional was settled, but again, our country was born of rebellion.

The people of America have forgotten their history, if we take the time to look at our roots we can see that our constitutions have received lip service for far too long, Sylvia said in an interview with a website called Free Keene.

While I can not change the direction of the federal government, I can hold up the New Hampshire constitution and demand that we honor its clear directives, he continued.

Article 10 reads in part, whenever the ends of government are perverted, and public liberty manifestly endangered, and all other means of redress are ineffectual, the people may, and of right ought to reform the old, or establish a new government,' Sylvia added.

New Hampshire was one of our countrys 13 original colonies/states.

A group known as Liberty Block backs Sylvias notion of leaving the Union.

The voters of this great state have not had an opportunity to reevaluate their relationship with our Lords in DC ever in their lifetimes; their ancestors made the decision to join the union 240 years ago, in a different world, one in which the federal government did not violate our every right, and did not steal half of our money to fund their tyranny, the website states.

Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) is urging his states governor, Greg Abbott (R), to ignore the Biden regime and lockdown the Tex-Mex border to shut off the mass of humanity that has been streaming into the state since earlier this year.

I believe that the governor of Texas ought to start disregarding this president and start taking into our own hands in Texas the need to secure the border of the United States for the welfare of the people, Roy told Fox News last week.

Is it time for Americans of different regions and beliefs and values to go our separate ways? Probably, yes.

Sources include:

WesternJournal.com

TheNewAmerican.com

CivilWar.news
(Natural News) A new survey has found that at least half of Americas employers are planning to try to force their employees to get vaccinated for the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19).

As if the worker shortage was not already devastating the supply chain, corporate America now wants to try to strong-arm the plantation slaves into taking experimental injections in order to keep them safe against Chinese Germs.

Of the 1,000 companies that were surveyed, 52 percent indicated that they are planning to introduce some kind of mandate scheme to force workers to roll up their sleeves or else be terminated.

The figure would be a massive increase on the 21 percent of employers who currently have mandates in place, reports Steve Watson from Infowars.

By years end, as many as one third of all American companies could have some kind of no jab, no job system in place to try to enforce their new medical fascism policies.

Keep in mind that surveys like this one can be faked in the sense that the sample pool might have been selected with a greater-than-50-percent outcome in mind  the goal being to make it seem like a majority supports vaccine passports.

Is medical fascism really as popular as the media makes it out to be?

On the other hand, it could be the case that by the start of 2022, as many as 33 percent of corporate employees will be required to show proof of injection in order to enter a workplace building.

A whopping 59 percent of employers are already said to be tracking their workers vaccination status. Another 19 percent, the survey claims, are planning to follow suit by the end of 2021.

Among those employers that are already tracking vaccination status, 62 percent are already requiring their workers to submit proof of injection in order to remain employed.

Eight in 10 respondents (80%) require employees to wear masks indoors at any location, the survey further found. Another 13% are planning or considering doing so.

Dr. Jeff Levin-Scherz, head of Willis Towers Watson, the group that conducted the survey, expects that even more employers will try to impose covid vaccine mandates now that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved, supposedly, a Chinese Virus injection from Pfizer.

We have reached a point in the pandemic where employers that have worked hard to make it easy for employees to get vaccinated are also considering approaches to make it more difficult for employees to remain unvaccinated, Levin-Scherz proclaimed.

According to a recent Quinnipiac poll, roughly half of the United States believes that fake president Joe Bidens current vaccine mandates go too far. However, it may not matter if the private sector is co-opted into doing the governments dirty work instead.

What his pandemic has once again demonstrated is that mankind is generally in the dark when it comes to realizing the good guys from the bad guys, wrote one commenter at Infowars.

Another survey?' asked another. The polls and surveys always come out in favor of the so-called vaccine. How interesting

Many others offered similar input about this alleged survey and its inferences. Even if the survey is accurate, the agenda might not go so well for in practical reality once workers quit en masse and there is nobody left to run the corporate plantation.

These companies expect no repercussions for playing such a large role in the destruction of the Republic? another commenter asked. Good luck with that.

This is a good way for companies to become sabotaged by their workers, wrote another.

The latest news coverage about Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccine fascism can be found at ChemicalViolence.com.

Sources for this article include:

Infowars.com

NaturalNews.com
A team of Omani cavers has made what people consider to be the initial descent to the foot of the famed Well of Barhout in Yemen - a natural wonder which many locals avoids, believing it is a prison for genies.

The Well of Hell

The unapproachable 'Well of Hell' has a dark, circular aperture that creates a 100 foot (30-metre) wide hole in Yemen's eastern province of Al-Mahra, precisely on the desert floor which plunges about 367 feet (112 metres) below the surface. As per some reports, the well emits unusual odours.

The Oman Cave Exploration Team (OCET) discovered snakes, lifeless animals, and cave pearls Inside the well, but no indication of the supernatural.

A geology professor at the German University of Technology in Oman whose name is Mohammed al-Kindi told AFP: "There were snakes, but they won't bother you unless you bother them."

Kindi was among eight qualified cavers who descended down the cave the previous week, while two of the cavers stayed at the surface. Videos provided to AFP revealed cave formations and cave pearls which are grey and lime-green, produced by dripping water.

Also Read: Turkmenistan's Mysterious 'Door to Hell' Has Been in Flames for Over 40 Years

How Deep Could the Well be?

Mohammed al-Kindi who is also an owner of a mining and petroleum consultancy firm said: "Passion drove us to do this, and we felt that this is something that will reveal a new wonder and part of Yemeni history."

He also said they took samples of rocks, water, soil and some lifeless animals but they haven't analysed them yet, adding that a report will be publicized soon.

He said dead birds were in the well, which emits some bad odours, but there was no extremely unpleasant smell.

In June, Yemeni officials revealed to AFP that they are not aware of what lay in the depths of the well, which they roughly calculated to be "millions and millions" of years old. Adding that they had never gotten to the bottom.

At the time, director general of Mahra's geological survey and mineral resources authority named Salah Babhair said they have gone to visit the region and they also went inside, getting to over 50-60 metres down.

Fear of Bad Luck

Babhair said: "We noticed strange things inside. We also smelled something strange... It's a mysterious situation."

For centuries, stories of malign figures referred to as jinns or genies inhabiting the well have been spreading, which some considered being the gate of hell.

Many people living in the area are not comfortable visiting the extensive pit or engaging in conversations about it because they are afraid of bad luck. The ill fortune Yemenis have had is enough.

Since 2014, the country has been caught up in a disastrous civil war that has prompted what the United Nations calls the worst humanitarian crisis in the world, with two-thirds of its population which is about 30-million relying on some form of help.

Related Article: 'Well to Hell': Ancient Pit Uncovered in the Middle of the Desert in Yemen

For more news, updates about the well of hell and similar topics don't forget to follow Nature World News!
SAN MARINO (AP)  San Marino residents on Sunday voted overwhelmingly to legalize abortion, rejecting a 150-year-old law that had criminalized it and making the tiny republic the latest majority Catholic state to approve the procedure under certain circumstances.

Some 77% of voters approved a referendum proposal calling for abortion to be legal in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, according to official returns broadcast on San Marino RTV. Abortion would also be legal beyond that point if the womans life is in danger or if her physical or psychological health is at risk because of fetal anomalies or malformations.

With the yes votes winning, San Marinos Parliament must now draft a bill to legalize the procedure. Turnout for the referendum was 41% in the microstate of 33,000 people surrounded by Italy.

San Marino, one of the worlds oldest republics, had been one of the last European states that still criminalized abortion. With Sunday's result, it now joins other predominantly Catholic states like Ireland, which legalized abortion in 2018 and neighboring Italy, where abortion has been legal since 1978. Abortion is still illegal in Malta and Andorra, and Poland introduced a near-total ban on the procedure this year.

The San Marino referendum was set after around 3,000 people signed a petition drive to overturn the microstates abortion law, which dates from 1865.

Women in San Marino seeking an abortion usually go to neighboring Italy for the procedure. But proponents of the referendum argued that put an undue financial burden on them and penalized women who got pregnant as a result of rape.

Sara Casadei of the Noi Ci Siamo" campaign that pushed for a Yes" vote in the referendum, was pleased with the outcome.

We supported this for the simple reason that it seemed right that women have a choice and aren't forced to go somewhere else, but to have the services on our own territory," she said.

Dr. Maria Prassede Venturini, a pediatrician and representative of the Welcome Life" campaign that backed a No" vote, said her group would continue working for a culture welcoming life" that focuses care on the two main protagonists: the mother and child."

Opponents of the measure had argued that in San Marino, even minors can receive free contraception at pharmacies, including the morning-after pill. The Catholic Church had strongly opposed the measure.

In the buildup to the vote, the bishop of San Marino, Monsignor Andrea Turazzi, said the Catholic Church was decidedly against the decriminalization initiative, though he said the campaign had raised awareness about the need to provide better services and care, especially for mothers in need.

The Vatican firmly opposes abortion, holding that human life begins at conception and that all life must be protected from conception until natural death.

For us, its inconceivable that a mother resorts to abortion because of some economic troubles, Turazzi told Vatican News.

Voter Federica Gatti said as she cast her ballot that a womans decision to terminate a pregnancy or not involves several personal, religious and moral reasons, but that the state must provide its citizens this opportunity.

___

Nicole Winfield reported from Rome.
Says UI grad Paul Hynek, son of a legendary ufologist: "A high-level U.S. government 'report' has now admitted that they are taking UFOs seriously. ... That's maybe not the kind of 'flying saucer landing on the White House' lawn type of revelation many have hoped for, but in my mind it constitutes 'disclosure' all the same."
Reporter

Mary Schenk is a reporter covering police, courts and breaking news at The News-Gazette. Her email is mschenk@news-gazette.com, and you can follow her on Twitter (@schenk).
Champaign, IL (61820)

Today

Mostly cloudy. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low near 60F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Mostly cloudy. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low near 60F. Winds light and variable.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is often described as an unprecedented event, as the outbreak of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) took many by surprise. However, from a scientific and historical standpoint, the novel coronavirus pandemic was entirely predictable.

In fact, scientists and experts had previously written about a possible pandemic, warning that the world was not prepared. A 2017 article published in Time by Bryan Walsh, entitled The World Is Not Ready for the Next Pandemic, is an example of how data was already warning of the worlds vulnerability to hyper infectious diseases.

Image Credit: ImageFlow / Shutterstock.com

Introduction

Throughout history, communicable diseases have impacted humanity; however, these diseases became more threatening as society made the shift to agrarian life around 10,000 years ago. The creation of more closely connected communities gave infectious diseases the chance to grow into epidemics. Diseases like influenza, smallpox, leprosy, malaria, and tuberculosis were among those that have thrived since this shift.

As human civilization has evolved and communities have become better connected, the likelihood of pandemics has subsequently risen. Below, we discuss the history of infectious diseases and how they will continue to affect our modern-day lives.

A review of ancient outbreaks

The first recorded pandemic occurred during the Peloponnesian War in Athens, Greece in 430 B.C. The disease was carried across the Athenian walls during the siege. Historians estimate around two-thirds of the population died from contracting the disease.

Following this, the Antonine Plague emerged in 163 A.D. and is now considered to be an early version of smallpox. This plague began with the Huns infecting the Germans, who then passed it to the Romans. Once the Romans acquired the Antonine Plague, it had the opportunity to spread throughout the Roman empire.

Image Credit: Everett Collection / Shutterstock.com

Historians believe that the Cyprian plague began in Ethiopia in 250 A.D. and made its way through Northern Africa to Rome, where it continued to spread northward. The next three centuries was witness to multiple, recurring outbreaks of the Cyprian plague. In fact, this plague changed the course of history, with a particular outbreak leading the British to seek help against the Picts and Scots from the Saxons, who went on to take control of the British Isles.

As civilizations grew and empires conquered different parts of the world, infectious diseases gained more opportunities to spread. In 541 A.D., the Justinian plague broke out in Egypt and spread across Palestine and the Byzantine Empire, finally reaching the Mediterranean. The impact of this plague was significant, as it changed Emperor Justinians plans to consolidate the power of the Roman empire. Overall, about 26% of the worlds population fell to the Justinian plague, which is now considered to be the first significant emergence of the bubonic plague.

Recent history of infectious diseases

In more recent history, leprosy ravaged Europe throughout the 11th century, which was then followed by the infamous Black Death of the 14th century. This second and largest outbreak of the bubonic plague claimed the lives of 30-60% of the European population. In 1665, the bubonic plague made another appearance, causing the deaths of 20% of Londons population during what is now known as The Great Plague of London.

Since the first major outbreak in 1817, there have been seven cholera pandemics to date. Although a cholera vaccine was created in the late 1800s, outbreaks have continued to be problematic. The 1800s also saw the third outbreak of the bubonic plague, which claimed the lives of more than 15 million people. The Fiji Measles Pandemic also occurred in 1875, where 40,000 people, which was one-third of Fijis total population, died.

As the world moved into the 20th century, influenza pandemics became more frequent. Between 1889 and 1890, 360,000 died from the Russian Flu. Unfortunately, this figure was minimal in comparison to the 50 million deaths that resulted from the Spanish Flu pandemic that began in 1918.

The 1918 pandemic was shortly followed by the Asian Flu pandemic that saw two waves in the 1950s. The final pandemic of the 20th century was the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) pandemic, which was first identified in 1981. The spread of HIV/AIDS is still considered to be a pandemic, as more than 32 million lives have been lost to this disease over the past four decades.

The deadly threat of coronaviruses

The most recent pandemics have been the 2003 severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) pandemic and the current COVID-19 pandemic, both of which have been caused by coronaviruses.

The SARS pandemic claimed the lives of 774 people before it was effectively controlled via quarantine efforts. The SARS pandemic was viewed as a wake-up call by global health agencies, who believed it highlighted the worlds unreadiness to deal with and prevent the spread of infectious diseases from developing into a pandemic.

Lessons learned in the SARS pandemic were used to control the H1N1, Ebola, and Zika outbreaks. Despite this, the world remains unprepared for COVID-19, as it was ultimately declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization on March 11, 2020.

Lessons learned from COVID-19

As of July 22, 2021, more than 4.13 million deaths have been attributed to COVID-19, with over 192 million confirmed cases. Other than the loss of life and number of cases, COVID-19 significantly changed the world, as it paused economies and prevented social interaction, both of which inevitably impacted mental health, food security, and much more for the global population.

The COVID-19 pandemic also taught the world about how to deal with and prepare for future pandemics, as many scientists warn of their inevitability in the future. It is likely that the measures that have been implemented to curb the spread of COVID-19 will remain in place to continue to protect us from the spread of infectious diseases in the future.

For the infections that may break through these barriers, the world now has the experience to create effective vaccines in record-breaking time. While the emergence of infectious diseases cannot be completely prevented, various measures can be taken to minimize their impact on human life.

Lessons Learned During The Coronavirus Pandemic: A Harry Smith Essay | Sunday TODAY Play

References

Covid map: Coronavirus cases, deaths, vaccinations by country. BBC News. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-51235105

Piret, J. and Boivin, G., 2021. Pandemics Throughout History. Frontiers in Microbiology, 11. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2020.631736/full

ShawTaylor, L., 2020. An introduction to the history of infectious diseases, epidemics and the early phases of the longrun decline in mortality. The Economic History Review, 73(3). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7404362/

The World Is Not Ready for the Next Pandemic. Bryan Walsh. Time. Available at: https://time.com/magazine/us/4766607/may-15th-2017-vol-189-no-18-u-s/

Further Reading
(Newser)  Well, somebody shot Walker Daugherty. The proof is the bullet that remains lodged in his lung. But almost five years after the then-26-year-old was nearly killed at his family's Circle Dug Ranch in Presidio County, Texas, the mystery remains unsolved. Wes Ferguson digs into the case at Texas Monthly, unpacking a wild narrative that "still feels like a political Rorschach test." The political angle surfaced because the ranch sits near the Mexican border, and the first version of the shooting to emerge is that the ranch was ambushed by undocumented Mexicans. This got widespread attention, especially at a time when Donald Trump was about to take office after a campaign in which he spoke of Mexican immigrants as "criminals." Then came a backlash from the left that Daugherty was involved in some kind of hoax. "The real story is much more mysterious," writes Ferguson.

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Ferguson describes the chaotic night of Jan. 6, 2017. The family runs a hunting business, and two clients, Edwin and Carol Roberts, were parked in a RV at the ranch. A burglary three weeks before had everyone on high alert. Edwin Roberts says he heard a man in "unaccented English" trying to break in to the RV. He fired his .357 through the door. Daugherty and brother-in-law Michael Bryant, both armed, were quickly on the scene. Daugherty's fiancee and sister also grabbed guns. A firefight ensued, though police say it's possible the family and clients were inadvertently shooting at each other the whole time. No evidence of intruders was found. Authorities even speculate that Daugherty may have been the man rattling the RV's lock as a prank. Images of the bullet in Daugherty's lung are inconclusive in determining where it came from. (The full story has all the details, including a map and timelineand a mysterious missing bullet from Edwin Roberts' gun.)
(Newser) 

Male evacuees at the Dona Ana County Range Complex where Afghan refugees are being housed in New Mexico reportedly assaulted a female US military service member. Per the El Paso Times , Fort Bliss officials said Friday that a small group of "male evacuees assaulted the woman Sept.. 19. In a statement obtained by KFOX , Fort Bliss officials confirmed the assault, saying they "immediately provided appropriate care, counseling and support to the service member. Task Force-Bliss is also implementing additional security measures to include increased health and safety patrols, additional lighting, and enforcement of the buddy system at the Dona Ana Complex. We will cooperate fully with the FBI and will continue to ensure the service member reporting this assault is fully supported."

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The FBI has confirmed it is investigating an incident, but disclosed no details. Per CBS News, the assault has led Fort Bliss to implement increased security measures at the complex, including more lighting and buddy system enforcement. While typically used as a firing range, the Dona Ana Complex has been converted into a tent city to house Afghan evacuees, per ABC News. News of the assault comes just weeks after Biden opened up the Fort Bliss facility to reporters to show how the Administration is housing refugees following the US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan. At that time, the AP reported some 10,000 Afghans were staying the base to undergo medical and security checks ahead of their resettlement in the US.

The US government spent two weeks building what it calls a village to house the Afghans on the base. It is a sprawling area with scores of air-conditioned tents used as dormitories and dining halls on scrubby dirt lots, a landscape that in some ways resembled parts of the homeland they fled. Under the program called Operation Allies Welcome, some 50,000 Afghans are expected to be admitted to the United States, including translators, drivers and others who helped the US military during the 20-year war and who feared reprisals by the Taliban after they quickly seized power last month.

(Read more Afghanistan stories.)
(Newser)  Billions more in profits are at stake for some vaccine makers as the U.S. moves toward dispensing COVID-19 booster shots to shore up Americans' protection against the virus. How much the manufacturers stand to gain depends on how big the rollout proves to be. US health officials late on Thursday endorsed booster shots of the Pfizer vaccine for all Americans 65 and olderalong with tens of millions of younger people who are at higher risk from the coronavirus because of health conditions or their jobs, per the AP. Officials described the move as a first step. Boosters will likely be offered even more broadly in the coming weeks or months, including boosters of vaccines made by Moderna and Johnson & Johnson. That, plus continued growth in initial vaccinations, could mean a huge gain in sales and profits for Pfizer and Moderna in particular. The opportunity quite frankly is reflective of the billions of people around the world who would need a vaccination and a boost, Jefferies analyst Michael Yee said.

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Wall Street is taking notice. The average forecast among analysts for Modernas 2022 revenue has jumped 35% since President Joe Biden laid out his booster plan in mid-August. Most of the vaccinations so far in the U.S. have come from Pfizer, which developed its shot with Germanys BioNTech, and Moderna. They have inoculated about 99 million and 68 million people, respectively. Johnson & Johnson is third with about 14 million people. No one knows yet how many people will get the extra shots. But Morningstar analyst Karen Andersen expects boosters alone to bring in about $26 billion in global sales next year for Pfizer and BioNTech and around $14 billion for Moderna if they are endorsed for nearly all Americans. Those companies also may gain business from people who got other vaccines initially. In Britain, which plans to offer boosters to everyone over 50 and other vulnerable people, an expert panel has recommended that Pfizers shot be the primary choice, with Moderna as the alternative.

Andersen expects Moderna, which has no other products on the market, to generate a roughly $13 billion profit next year from all COVID-19 vaccine sales if boosters are broadly authorized. Potential vaccine profits are harder to estimate for Pfizer, but company executives have said they expect their pre-tax adjusted profit margin from the vaccine to be in the high 20s as a percentage of revenue. That would translate to a profit of around $7 billion next year just from boosters, based on Andersens sales prediction. J&J and Europes AstraZeneca have said they dont intend to profit from their COVID-19 vaccines during the pandemic. For Pfizer and Moderna, the boosters could be more profitable than the original doses because they wont come with the research and development costs the companies incurred to get the vaccines on the market in the first place.

WBB Securities CEO Steve Brozak said the booster shots will represent almost pure profit compared with the initial doses. Drugmakers arent the only businesses that could see a windfall from delivering boosters. Drugstore chains CVS Health and Walgreens could bring in more than $800 million each in revenue, according to Jeff Jonas, a portfolio manager with Gabelli Funds. Jonas noted that the drugstores may not face competition from mass vaccination clinics this time around, and the chains are diligent about collecting customer contact information. That makes it easy to invite people back for boosters. (Read more coronavirus vaccine stories.)
(Newser)  California will strike the word "alien" from the books. Fresh off his recall election blowout, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Friday he's signed legislation removing the "offensive" term and replacing it in state law with "non-citizen" and "immigrant," per Axios, which notes the term has been in use by California to identify those born outside the US since 1937. As the nations most diverse state, we are stronger and more vibrant because of our immigrant communities, Newsom said in a statement. This important legislation removes the word alien, which is not only an offensive term for a human being, but for far too long has fueled a divisive and hurtful narrative. By changing this term, we are ensuring Californias laws reflect our states values.

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Assemblywoman Luz Rivas, a Democrat from Arleta, said the word has become weaponized" and has been used in place of explicitly racial slurs to dehumanize immigrants. The words we say and the language we adopt in our laws matterthis racist term alien must be removed from California statute immediately, said Rivas, who authored the bill, which was signed by Newsom of Friday, per the AP . The move follows a similar one by President Biden who, in April, ordered federal immigration agencies to stop using the terms "alien," "illegal alien," and "assimilation, per Axios.

In their statement, Newsom's office said the governor also recently signed bills that protect the health and safety of immigrants by "clarifying safety standards at detention facilities," better protect undocumented minors who enter the country unaccompanied, and protect immigrants under hate crime laws. California was already one of a few states that provide government-funded health insurance to low-income children and some adults living in the country illegally, per the AP.

(Read more aliens stories.)
(Newser)  Donald Trump sat for an interview on the Real America's Voice network on Friday, where he told "The Water Cooler" host David Brody what he thinks would prevent another run for the White House. "I guess a bad call from a doctor or something, right," The former president said, per The Hill. "Things happen. Through God, they happen. But I feel so good." The former president was the oldest elected president when he took office in 2017. Joe Biden, 78, has since taken that record. In his interview with the network, Trump also vowed to take whatever steps necessary to keep documents out of the hands of House members investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

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In the interview, Trump also called Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, "part of the furniture" in Washington and proudly asserted that he did not take Fauci's advice on COVID policy, but rather did the opposite. "He's a better promoter than he is a doctor," Trump said, per Insider. Among those calling for Trump to run again is his former enemy-turned-advocate Sen. Lindsey Graham. Per the Detroit News, Graham was at the Michigan Republican Party's leadership conference on Mackinac Island Saturday when he drew applause with the line "I don't think Trump is listening. He might be...I hope President Trump runs again." (Read more President Trump stories.)
(Newser)  A Monday deadline is looming for New York hospital workers to be vaccinated for COVID-19, causing some hospitals in the state to worry mass firings are on the horizon as some continue to refuse to get the shots. Per the New York Times, a serious example of these fears can be seen in Buffalo, where the Erie County Medical Center says it plans to suspend elective surgeries, and take other drastic steps, because 400 of its employees have not been vaccinated and will be fired next week. We would like to see some more time to be able to comply and implement the vaccine mandate, because at the end of the day its a situation where were very concerned about our ability to care for the patients, Tom Quatroche, CEO of the Erie County Medical Center Corporation, which operates the busy 573-bed hospital in Buffalo, told the AP.

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Under its contingency plan, the hospital said it would temporarily stop accepting ICU transfers from other institutions and reduce hours at clinics. New York is not the only state to require health care workers to get vaccinated. But it has been especially aggressive in pushing for wider vaccinations to help limit the spread of the virus. Hospital in New York City are facing the issue, as well. Per the Times, the city's largest private hospital network, New York-Presbyterian, says only around 200 of its 48,000 employees have still refused to be vaccinated. The mandate for health care workers comes as hospitals are already reeling from staff shortages due in part to rising demand, workers retiring and weary employees seeking other jobs after 18 months of the pandemic. There is one option for health care workers who don't want to get the shot: religious exemption.

That would buy them until at least Oct. 12, while a federal judge considers a legal challenge arguing that such exemptions are constitutionally required. Meanwhile, a state judge in Albany agreed to set aside a Monday deadline for court employees to get a first vaccine shot and would hear arguments next week on whether to extend the stay. The CSEA, which represents 5,800 workers, argued that the mandate should have been negotiated and not imposed unilaterally by the court system. Earlier, another judge threw out a last-minute effort Friday by seven health care workers and Republican Niagara County legislator John Syracuse to delay the health care mandate. With time ticking down on the health care mandate, Northwell Health was trying to persuade thousands of holdouts to get vaccinated, including individual meetings with staffers.

The systems personnel chief, Maxine Carrington, said they're seeing a lot more appointments being scheduled. Ive had personal conversations with team members, and I was asked by one: Are you really going to fire us on the 27th? And I said, lets put that aside for a minute and lets talk about saving your life. Why dont you want to get vaccinated? Carrington said. She said staff that refuse the inoculations will "no longer be qualified for employment. As of Thursday, about 90% of Northwell's 74,000 active personnel had been vaccinated. Still, the hospital system acknowledged that it did not expect full compliance and had more than 3,000 retirees, volunteers and health care students on standby, should they be needed.

(Read more coronavirus vaccine stories.)
(Newser)  Police in Norway on Sunday reported dozens of disturbances and violent clashes, including mass brawls in the Nordic countrys big cities, after streets, bars, restaurants, and nightclubs were filled by people celebrating the end of COVID-19 restrictions. Prime Minister Erna Solberg gave just one day's notice that most coronavirus restrictions were being dropped, taking many Norwegians by surprise. Chaotic scenes ensued in the capital, Oslo, and elsewhere in the country, the AP reports.

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Rowdy celebrations across Norway by hundreds of people started Saturday afternoon and lasted until the early hours of Sunday. Police said unrest was reported in several places, including in the southern city of Bergen and the central city of Trondheim, but the situation was the worst in Oslo. Long lines were seen outside Oslos nightclubs, bars and restaurants late Saturday, and police registered at least 50 fights and disturbances during the night. Neither vaccination status certificates nor negative test results are required to enter such venues in Norway anymore.

"That's exactly what I predicted would happen," angry nightclub manager Johan Hoeeg Haanes in Oslo told the newspaper VG. "It was a life-threatening situation in the city because they (government) didn't give us at least a few days' advance notice. This was a dangerous situation, as police said all places were packed." Among other incidents, media reported that police received an alert about a man carrying a machete on a bus in Oslo and people fainting while waiting to get into pubs in Trondheim. Solberg responded to criticism of the sudden move to reopen by saying that health experts had supported the decision.

(Read more Norway stories.)
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

Applying for a residency permit sticker in Bahrain has become easier than ever. According to the Nationality, Passports and Residence Affairs, they will soon launch a new service via Bahrain Post to process residency permit sticker applications. The service is in addition to the authority providing permit stickers through NPRA services centres and at the exit points of Bahrain.

The service will kick in once the authorities complete the required administrative and technical procedures. Shaikh Ahmed bin Isa Al Khalifa, the Assistant Undersecretary for NPRA, said the move aims at simplifying procedures to allow customers services with the least time and effort.

He said the introduction of the e-services enhances the overall quality of the services in line with the directives of Interior Minister General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa.

Shaikh Badr bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, the Assistant Undersecretary for Post at the Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications, said the launch of the services meets Bahrain posts strategic plans to enhance its operations.

Once an application is submitted, postal officials will activate the official procedures, he added. NPRA, in July this year, started using a new residence permit sticker. The old sticker, the authority at that time said, was valid until its expiry date.
DANBURY  Ahead of a public hearing this week, neighbors of a former hotel are ramping up their opposition to a plan to turn that motel into a permanent homeless shelter.

Community members have created a Protect our Children website, petition and signs against the project, which is backed by city and state officials, as well as advocates for those without homes. Some residents say theyve seen crime increase in their neighborhoods after unhoused individuals moved into the motel in spring 2020.

This isnt about homelessness, said Jeff Berlant, who lives on Fairlawn Drive and initiated the idea for the petition and signs. This is about protecting the children in the community.

The Zoning Commission will hold a public hearing on the project at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday over Zoom. Community members have submitted about 50 letters opposing the shelter.

Homeless individuals have been staying at the former Super 8 motel on Lake Avenue Extension since early into the coronavirus pandemic, when traditional shelters shut down. Danbury City Council approved a concept last year to use federal money to make the shelter permanent. A Stamford-based nonprofit and the state housing department coordinated in the spring to purchase the building with nearly $4.63 million in federal funds.

The 86-room shelter is meant to provide support services, such as housing and counseling for addction and employment to help clients gain independence. More than 100 people have moved through the program.

The citys old shelters didnt have the resources to provide these services, Mayor Joe Cavo said.

Thats really the one big upside of this project, is the fact that there are services provided, he said.

Pacific House, the Stamford-based nonprofit running the shelter, plans to offer 48 supportive housing units, with the rest of the rooms used for emergency beds.

The model here is to have a building in which there are some units that are so-called emergency beds and some that are units with supportive services, said Timothy Hollister, attorney for Pacific House. The idea is to have a mix of those in one building.

He plans to address residents concerns during his presentation on Tuesday.

Neighbors feel ignored

Resident Ben Doto said he was fine with the motel being used temporarily, but argues there hasnt been enough transparency during the process to make it permanent. Meetings, including the one scheduled for Tuesday evening, have been held virtually due to COVID-19, which Doto said is a barrier for elderly or low-income residents who may not have access to the internet.

We understand what theyre trying to do, said Doto, who has lived for 22 years on Ridge Road, about a half-mile from the property. We just feel the city is putting the needs of strangers from out of town ahead of the needs of the residents around there.

With City Council on board and the property purchased before zoning approval, neighbors are worried the project is inevitable. Theyve organized neighborhood meetings anyway.

Were not going down without a fight, Berlant said.

Neighbors said they want to support homeless individuals, but that the shelter is bigger than Danbury needs. The shelter will end up serving the region  a burden Danbury shouldnt have to take on alone, they argued.

Other homeless shelters need to be looked at in other communities and whether or not theyve met the needs for the community, said Barbara Davis, who lives on Ridge Road, about a half-mile from the shelter. We have.

Although the shelter would have 86 rooms, the applicants requested to serve up to 172 guests in emergency situations. Winter weather is an example of an emergency situation, Hollister said. Existing regulations limit shelters to 20 beds per lot.

Doto said he would support this type of shelter model if it were smaller and in a different location.

Thats fine to do it under the 20-bed model and do it downtown, he said. One-hundred-seventy-two beds is, again, outrageous, and too much for any neighborhood to accommodate.

Cavo doesnt expect 172 beds would be needed because the city has never seen that level of demand at the now closed New Street and Dorothy Day Hospitality House shelters.

The building is not the mega shelter residents have described, he said. The number of emergency beds isnt much more than those downtown shelters offered combined.

Safety concerns

More than 700 people have signed the online petition against the project. Neighbors have claimed an increase in crime, such as drug sales, loitering, panhandling and prostitution.

People are afraid, depending on what neighborhood you live in, to send their children out in the front yard, Doto said. Weve seen strangers walking in our neighborhood, in our woods. Theres been thefts. Ive personally witnessed prostitution in the parking lot there, broad daylight.

Calls for service to seven residential streets near the shelter from May 18 to Sept. 22 do not show an increase in reported crime, according to Danbury police.

In short, based solely on incidents reported to us, it does not appear that the shelter has had any significant impact on crime or calls for police service in the area at this time, Chief Patrick Ridenhour said in a Wednesday memo to the mayor.

Doto said he no longer reports incidents to the police.

I stopped calling the cops years ago because the city doesnt do anything about this, he said.

Rachel Halas, who retired in May after 25 years as a Danbury police officer, said the shelter has and will burden emergency services.

The idea is ludicrous, said Halas, who lives near the shelter.

As a cop, she responded to crime frequently near the New Street shelter and Dorothy Day Hospitality House on Spring Street.

Neighbors had complained about crime around Dorothy Day, sparking a zoning controversy and eventually a city shutdown order that a judge approved earlier this year.

The New Street and Spring Street shelter were the hub for criminal activity, Halas said.

Now, shes said she sees the same type of crime in her neighborhood.

Clients from the shelter wander down Lake Avenue Extension and into nearby neighborhoods in the mornings, Berlant said. His neighbor across the street has stopped letting her kids play on the front lawn unsupervised, he said.

Berlant said he wants more information about how shelter clients are vetted because he worries some could be registered sex offenders, for example. Mill Ridge Primary School is about a half-mile from the shelter, which is near the Danbury Housing Authoritys Mill Ridge property.

Chief Patrick Ridenhour said police have done some periodic reviews of crime in the area.

All I can say at this point is that we have not seen a significant increase in call volume or these types of calls when compared to similar time frames from years past, he said in an email.

The types of calls and responses are comparable to what police saw at the downtown shelters, he said.

Cavo said he has asked the chief to drill down on crime in the area. A teenager was killed on Mill Ridge Road over the summer in an incident unrelated to the shelter.

Lake Avenue Extension is a busy street with numerous commercial establishments, so it would be difficult to attribute any of these issues solely to the occupants of the shelter, Ridenhour said in his memo to the mayor.

Again, this is completely based on what is actually reported to us and random time frames, Ridenhour said in an email. There's always going to be either upticks or declines at any given time. Having said all of that we are certainly not discounting anyone's concerns. Our patrol units have been advised to be visible in the area to deter any problems and our investigative units will address any issues that are brought to their attention.

Cavo said he drives around the shelter area almost daily at different times of day to see the complaints residents have discussed. Hes seen people walking from Lake Avenue to downtown, but thats not a crime. He drove by Wednesday night and said it was quiet.

Its unclear whether shelter clients are behind the problems residents have described. For example, police were once called over a suspicious person who lived in the neighborhood, Cavo said.

There could be other reasons for the problems, but I dont believe its the shelter, Cavo said. From everything I see and hear from our police chief, its not the shelter.

But Halas said its not safe for clients to walk on Lake Avenue Extension, where there are no sidewalks. Crashes are common in the Exit 4 and Mill Plain Road area, she said.

The physical location of a shelter right there is reckless, its dangerous, she said.
JACKSON, Miss. (AP)  Some Mississippi households currently getting supplemental food benefits will be eligible for additional funds next month because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Mississippi Department of Human Services said in a news release Friday that households will get benefit supplements up to the maximum benefit amount, based on household size. For example, the maximum benefit for a two-person household is $355. A two-person household authorized to receive $200 for the month will get an additional $155  the maximum amount that sized household could receive.
NEWTOWN  Technically speaking, the federal Treasury Department does not want local governments using billions in pandemic relief money to lower taxes.

But in practice that is what Newtowns top-elected leader proposes to do with the towns $7.6 million in American Rescue Plan grants.

I think we are better off in my view doing things that take the sting out of the mill rate because we dont bond for things, and we try to get them out of the operating budget, Newtown First Selectman Dan Rosenthal said during a discussion last week. If businesses and individuals alike feel the sting of the mill rate going upI think the more that we (use ARP grants) to do what was already in our project plans, where we bond less for the next 20 years, it will benefit and help everybody.

Rosenthals comments followed a presentation to the Board of Selectmen from Newtown Finance Director Robert Tait about recently released federal rules for using the pandemic relief grants.

The money may be used to support public health, to replace public sector revenue loss, to improve water and sewer infrastructure, to address negative economic impacts, to give premium pay to essential workers, and to improve broadband infrastructure, Tait said.

Tait then listed qualifying projects that Newtown might consider, including providing wireless internet service at the community center and the senior center, fixing a municipal roof, replacing aging police cruiser cameras, building a patio at the community center, creating a bicycle playground at the Fairfield Hills campus, renovating the Parks and Recreation Department pavilion, and replacing the water distribution system at Fairfield Hills.

You cant use it to reduce taxes, Tait told Rosenthal and the Board of Selectman during last Mondays meeting.

Well, indirectly we are, Rosenthal said. The police cameras if we dont pay for them (with ARP money) we would have to pay for them somewhere else.

The discussion about how to spend $1.56 billion granted by the federal government to Connecticuts cities and towns is happening across the state. That money to towns and cities is on top of $4.77 billion awarded to the state, $1.67 billion awarded to independent agencies in Connecticut and $3.93 billion awarded directly to Connecticut residents, Tait noted.

In Newtown, where the discussion is just beginning about how the town should spend its share, the school district has already made a two-year plan for spending its $1.2 million in federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funds.

The school districts plan includes hiring specialists, bolstering homework and tutoring programs, and buying 300 Chromebook laptops.

Although the town has time to decide how to spend its $7.6 million, Rosenthal encouraged leaders to find a consensus soon about how much of that money should be allotted to reduce the cost of borrowing $8 million for ventilation and air conditioning upgrades to the 100-year-old Hawley Elementary School.

A referendum to is planned for November.

We should get a message out to the public as far as what we would intend if the public endorsed the project, how much we would intend to bond versus how much we would use ARP for, Rosenthal said.

Rosenthal and the Board of Selectmen are expected to take up the discussion at its next meeting.
Kendell said that China actually has the capability to send weapons to space, comparing it to the Cold War.

Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall has previously stated that his priorities are China, China, and China. His keynote address at the Air Force Association Air, Space, and Cyber Conference continued this trend, hyping the prospect of space warfare against China. Is China setting up a space accord?

Kendall warned China that it has the capability to actually put weapons in space, comparing the situation to the Cold War. He also warned that China may be able to render attacks effectively undetectable by early warning systems. China can set up an organisation called IAEA and allocate space infra systems. Main question is on what basis will it be allocated.

This is almost a perfect, tailor-made talking point for the US military, as it allows for potentially indefinite spending on space warfare simply to counteract what China might do. This was the whole point of the US Space Force and its appetite for wildly expensive weapons systems with dubious applications in the first place.

There is a potential for weapons to be launched into space, then go through this old Cold War concept called the Fractional Orbital Bombardment System, Kendall warned the conference,which is essentially a system that goes into orbit and then de-orbits to a target.

Space Operations Chief Gen. John Raymond has been touting Chinas growing ability to deny America access to space, vowing,we cant let that happen, and stating that the US must be prepared for this fight. There are a lot of concerns like who is responsible for light pollution? and who is responsible for the debris?

Its unclear why the US military believes China wants to fight America in space or deny them access to space. In any case, the officials agree that the solution is costly preparation and stockpiling weapons for the looming battle. As with the Cold War, this could go on indefinitely, or until one side simply runs out of money.
Two Canadians, who were detained in China for spying, were set free over hostage diplomacy on Saturday, marking the end of three-year diplomatic row.

Two Canadians, who were detained in China for spying, were set free over hostage diplomacy on Saturday. This marks the end of the three-year diplomatic row. The two detainees include Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig. Spavor is known for introducing foreign business to North Korea that is subject to multiple sanctions due to harbouring of nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes.

He is one of the few westerners to have met Kim Jong Un after the North Korean leader came to power back in 2011. He was seen in a picture sharing cigarettes and cocktails with Kim Jong in his yacht. Spavor used to live in the Chinese city of Dandong that bordered North Korea. China charged him with espionage and illegally providing state secrets (to third parties) back in 2018.

He told AFP that he was trying to bring enquiries from investors interested in market research and face-to-face matchmaking with potential DPRK ministries and future partners after the sanctions are lifted.

Michael Kovrig, on the other hand, used to work as a senior advisor for the think tank International Crisis group when he was detained in 2018. In May, 2019 he was accused of espionage but no verdict was passed during his trial. Kovrigs employer said that he was based in Hong Kong and could not be seen as hostile to China as he was invited regularly by mainland Chinese officials.

A Chinese diplomat told the AFP that he was kept with 20 inmates and was allowed to go outside for 15 minutes per day during his imprisonment.
The list of 157 artefacts includes a diverse set to items ranging from the one-and-a-half metre bas relief panel of Revanta in sandstone of the 10th CE to the 8.5cm tall, exquisite bronze Nataraja from the 12th CE.

As many as 157 artefacts and antiquities, including exquisite bronze Nataraja from the 12th CE and copper anthropomorphic object of 2000 BC, were handed over by the United States during Prime Minister Modis visit to the country. PM Modi and President Joe Biden reaffirmed their efforts to combat the theft, illicit trade and trafficking of cultural objects. The list of 157 artefacts includes a diverse set to items ranging from the one-and-a-half metre bas relief panel of Revanta in sandstone of the 10th CE to the 8.5cm tall, exquisite bronze Nataraja from the 12th CE.

The items largely belong to the period of 11th CE to 14th CE as well as historic antiquities such as the copper anthropomorphic object of 2000 BC or the terracotta vase from the 2nd CE. Some 45 antiquities belong to the Before Common Era. While half of the artefacts (71) are cultural, the other half consists of figurines that relate to Hinduism (60), Buddhism (16) and Jainism (9).

Their make spreads across metal, stone and terracotta. The bronze collection primarily contains ornate figurines of the well-known postures of Lakshmi Narayana, Buddha, Vishnu, Siva Parvathi and the 24 Jain Tirthankaras and the less common Kankalamurti, Brahmi and Nandikesa besides other unnamed deities and divine figures. The motifs include religious sculptures from Hinduism (three-headed Brahma, chariot driving Surya, Vishnu and his consorts, Siva as Dakshinamurti, dancing Ganesha etc), Buddhism (standing Buddha, Boddhisattva Majushri, Tara) and Jainism (Jain Tirthankara, Padmasana Tirthankara, Jaina Choubisi) as well as secular motifs (amorphous couple in Samabhanga, chowri bearer, female playing drum etc).

There are 56 terracotta pieces (vase 2nd CE, pair of deer 12th CE, bust of female 14th CE) and an 18th CE sword with a sheath with an inscription mentioning Guru Hargovind Singh in Persian). Prime Minister conveyed his deep appreciation for the repatriation of antiquities to India by the United States. The Modi government has taken a series of steps to safeguard Indias heritage and culture. In November 2020, media had reported about the return of an Annapurna Murti from the University of Reginas collection at the Mackenzie Art Gallery, Canada.

The statue, stolen from India under more than suspicious circumstances in 1913, finally returned home to India. This was the second antiquity of high profile returned by Canada during the tenure of PM Modi. In 2015, former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper had personally handed over the 900-year-old Parrot Lady sculpture of sandstone for return to India. Many other stolen antiquities and artefacts have been returned to India over the past seven years.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP)  Six people wounded in a mass shooting at a Tennessee supermarket are no longer in critical condition, a hospital spokeswoman said Sunday.

One person was in serious condition and five others were in good condition, Angie Golding, a spokeswoman for Regional One Health in Memphis, told news outlets.
Contributed / Getty

NORTH STONINGTON  Officials said they have recovered the body of a 45-year-old male kayaker who missing on Wyassup Lake late Saturday night.

Meghan Bard, a spokesperson for the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, said the kayaker was pronounced deceased at 11:40 a.m. after divers recovered the body on Sunday morning.
EAST HAVEN  As long as there are intersections, vehicles will collide.

Thats the story told by the University of Connecticuts Crash Data Repository, which lists every crash reported to it. The hot spots are vividly depicted on maps generated from the data.

They show that on East Havens local and state roads there were 1,971 crashes between Jan. 1, 2018, and Aug. 31, with four fatalities. Those incidents involved 3,769 vehicles and 4,611 people, the data shows. There were an additional 150 crashes, including one death, on Interstate 95.

North High Street is No. 1

According to UConns data, North High Street has had the most crashes since 2018, with 331. The heat map, while it doesnt give numbers of crashes, shows the problem areas are where North High intersects with Laurel Street, Hudson Street, Graniss Street (near T&J Market and Forbes Fuel), the north end of Hellstrom Road and Mill Street.

North High Street is a state road, Route 100, which the town patrols but has no control over signals or crosswalks. That comes under the jurisdiction of the state Department of Transportation.

We have a heavy police presence, but the ultimate decision comes down on the state as far as stop signs and stoplights, said Mayor Joseph Carfora. We can make recommendations, but its ultimately their decision based on their database.

Kevin Nursick, spokesman for the DOT, said, In very general terms  the numbers are not abnormal, and we dont have any specific locations along these roads  that are in the pipeline for any infrastructure work associated with crash patterns. He said the crashes are typical for roads across the state.

Three more state roads are at the top of the list of crash sites: Route 1 (Saltonstall Parkway), with 264 incidents; Route 80 (Foxon Road), with 204; and Route 142 (Hemingway Avenue and Short Beach Road), with 196. No. 5 is Main Street, with 193.

Arnold Gold / Hearst Connecticut Media

The numbers drop off sharply in the second half of the top 10: Silver Sands Road and Kimberly Avenue (both are state roads), each with 50; Dodge Avenue, 33, Laurel Street, 30, and Mill Street, 28.

Crosswalks being added

Laurel Streets crashes tended to occur at intersections with North High Street and Bradley Street. Mill Street, like Laurel, likely would not have made the top 10 if it were not for its intersection with North High Street.

We evaluate our motor vehicle stops every week during twice-weekly meetings with the police and fire chiefs, Carfora said. I get a brief on everything that happened in the last few days.

Mark Zaretsky / Hearst Connecticut Media file photo /

While the streets are not in the top 10 for crashes in town, the intersection of Thompson Avenue and Tyler Street, near the senior housing in the old high school, has a cluster of crashes. The town recently added crosswalks, Carfora said. We just put up the crosswalk signs and that seems to be going pretty well, he said. People are slowing down for the stop signs. ... We actually just went out and purchased a brand-new painting machine so we can do our own painting of crosswalks.

WinnCompanies / Contributed / Gregg Shupe 2020 /ShupeStudios.

Capt. Joseph Murgo, spokesman for the East Haven police, said most of the accidents there are caused by drivers not stopping at the four-way stop signs.

Many of the more dangerous intersections already have traffic signals or stop signs. Were putting a lot more heavy police presence on these streets to slow down speeding, Carfora said.

Its difficult. Everyone wants stop signs everywhere, said Dominic Balletto, chairman of the Board of Police Commissioners Traffic and Public Safety Committee. He said development along Route 80 is an issue.

Were looking at some of the crosswalks in town. The mayors had us look at the beach for crosswalks, Balletto said.

Four fatal accidents

Not every hot spot has stop signs or signals in every direction, however. Tyler Avenue and Tyler Avenue Extension do at Hemingway Avenue, but Hemingway does not.

Peter Acampora, 96, was crossing from Tyler Avenue Extension to Tyler Avenue July 18 when he allegedly hit and killed motorcyclist Bruce Esposito, police said. Acampora was charged with negligent homicide with a motor vehicle and failure to grant the right of way at an intersection. Acampora pleaded not guilty to the charges, state online records show.

Murgo said another fatality occurred Oct. 18, 2019, on Main Street near Kimberly Avenue when a pedestrian, later identified as Alfred Hendrickson, was hit. That was determined to be the pedestrians fault, Murgo said.

On May 7, 2020, a juvenile at the wheel of a stolen car  was trying to elude the police, Murgo said. He drove north on Hemingway Avenue at a high rate of speed and at Main Street rear-ended a car driven by Elena Laspino, who later died, according to reports.

Another fatal crash occurred on Sunset Road this year. We believe that the elderly driver had a medical issue, had a heart attack, Murgo said.

Murgo said many of the crashes are rear-ender accidents. At North High and Hudson streets, it gets pretty busy in the morning near Joseph Melillo Middle School and East Haven Academy. Many others are for failure to grant a right of way, trying to beat a light, Murgo said.

Clusters of crashes

Other intersections where crashes tend to happen are on Route 1 at High and Main streets and Hemingway Avenue; Route 80 at Foxon Boulevard (a north-south side street in East Haven), Green Street and Mill Street; Short Beach Road at Hemingway and at Mansfield Grove Road, where a stoplight has since been installed. A blind curve just west of Mansfield Grove Road attributed to a lot of the accidents in that area, Murgo wrote in an email.

There were also clusters on Main Street at Hemingway Avenue and on High, Thompson and Gerrish streets; Silver Sands Road at Coe Avenue; and on Dodge Avenue at Thompson Street and Hemingway Avenue.

Arnold Gold / Hearst Connecticut Media

Hemingway/Main Street is probably our biggest intersection in town, Murgo wrote. We tend to have rear ending, and failure to grant right of way accidents at this intersection. We can attribute some accidents in this area to speeding because it is a straightaway, but for the most part, most of the accidents that occur in this area happen right in the middle of the intersection.

He said many of the accidents, including those on Route 80 and on local streets, are T-bone accidents when a car collides with another coming out of a side street.

Proactive motor vehicle enforcement not only saves lives, but it also shows our community that the police are out there looking for criminal activity, Murgo wrote. This results in a safer community for our residents and safer roadways for commuters. We employ many techniques to achieve our goal, including radar enforcement, stop sign enforcement, fixed radar trailers, routine patrol, DUI enforcement and community outreach through various social media platforms. We also love to hear from our residents who want to voice their concerns.

Development

Some residents worry that the expansion of Tweed New Haven Regional Airport could make traffic worse.

At one intersection, Kimberly Avenue and Forbes Place, just off Route 1, Town Council Republican candidate David Gersz has put up signs warning of the dangers. When is the state going to do something about this intersection, one of the four worst in Connecticut? reads one. Can this intersection handle additional airport traffic? says the other.

Arnold Gold / Hearst Connecticut Media

Gersz, who lives at 99 Forbes Place and is running in the 1st District, said the airport expansion could bring thousands more cars per year onto Kimberly, North High Street, Hemingway Avenue and Dodge Avenue, all of which are on the top 10 list for crashes in town.

I think theyre all going to be affected, Gersz said.

Sean Scanlon, executive director of the Tweed New Haven Airport Authority, said traffic studies were first conducted on the New Haven side of the airport, since the city owns the airport and a new lease needed to be signed. The lease was approved Thursday by the Board of Alders.

He said discussions with East Haven residents will happen in a year or so. If there are things we need to do to mitigate traffic or improve traffic flow and safety, we will certainly do them, he said.

Traffic is something we hear a lot about and I know its a big concern, Scanlon said. Mitigation measures could include increased law enforcement of speeding and distracted driving, paid for by the airport authority, as well as additional stop signs, stoplights, speed bumps, for example. The expansion plan calls for a new terminal built on the East Haven side of the airport and opening in fall 2024, he said.

Murgo said the problem with Kimberly and Forbes is that there is no stop sign on Forbes coming off Route 1, but that motorists coming from other directions dont realize that.

Arnold Gold / Hearst Connecticut Media

If somebodys taking a left onto Kimberly [from Forbes], they have the right of way, Murgo said. Many of the accidents happen when people coming from other directions dont stop at the stop signs or stop and head into the intersection, thinking the cars coming off Route 1 will stop as well. Over the years this intersection has been a source of contention, Murgo said.

East Havens Top 10 Streets with most crashes, Jan. 1, 2018-Aug. 31, 2021 1. Route 100 (North High Street), 331 2. Route 1 (Saltonstall Parkway), 264 3. Route 80 (Foxon Boulevard), 204 4. Route 142 (Hemingway Avenue and Short Beach Road), 196 5. Main Street, 193 6. Route 337 (Silver Sands Road), 50 7. Route 735 (Kimberly Avenue), 50 8. Dodge Avenue, 33 9. Laurel Street, 30 10. Mill Street, 28 Source: University of Connecticut Crash Data Repository See More Collapse

Aggressive driving, DUI data

The number of crashes caused by alleged aggressive driving has declined in the last three years, from 212 in 2018 to 148 in 2020, according to data from a grant for speed and aggressive driving enforcement. There were 84 injuries in 2018, 60 in 2019 and 62 in 2020.

Crashes caused by someone allegedly driving under the influence, however, rose from 18 in 2018 to 25 in 2019 and 2020. Injuries rose from 13 each in 2018 and 2019 to 19 in 2020. Those numbers come from another grant.

The Click It or Ticket Grant, which monitors seat belt use, showed seven crashes with people who allegedly were not wearing their seat belts in 2018, 10 in 2019, including one fatality, and six in 2020.

In other data, 15 pedestrians were involved in crashes during the three years, with the 2019 fatality and 12 injuries. Eight crashes involved bicyclists, with eight injuries.

edward.stannard@hearstmediact.com; 203-680-9382
NEW HAVEN  Zaire Luciano, with energy, joy and humor, was the one who brought his family together, made them laugh and enlivened their lives, according to his loved ones.

Luciano, 30, was killed last Sunday on Chamberlain Street.

Abby Cruz, a relative, expressed her anger and sadness this week, as she reckoned with the loss of her brother  a humble guy who always had a smile on his face.

Its not fair. Its hard right now, said Cruz. My familys never going to be the same.

Cruz said Luciano lived with tremendous love for his family; he was outgoing, willing to speak his mind, and inclined to raise the spirits of those in need  women doubting themselves would routinely hear youre beautiful from him.

He was always the light of the party; he made everybody in that room laugh, said Cruz. He never wanted to see people sad.

Luciano and his partner settled a medical malpractice case involving their child, federal records show.

Luciano was not tied to the street life, Cruz said.

In the future, he wanted to open a fencing company and succeed for his family, she said. He had professed his faith in God for the first time in recent weeks, she said.

Im just very angry. My brother was a good guy; he was never in the streets, said Cruz. He made us happy. He made us happy.

Brunilda Lopez, Lucianos aunt, said he was always concerned about what was going with the family, and was the one who pulled them together. He was the jokester of the group, the one that comforted others, she said.

I cant fathom that hes gone. Hes a piece of our family bond thats gone, she said. He was the rock.

Uncommonly free in the way he expressed himself, Luciano had a quick wit, she said. He wanted to do stand-up comedy.

Zaina Lopez, Lucianos mother, said her son woke up every day with a smile.

The family received an outpouring of love after his passing, she said. She knew he had an impact on others, but the response still was surprising.

Everybodys taking it very hard. He was the sweetest guy, said Zaina Lopez. This mom, right here, is going to make a lot of noise  a lot of noise  because my sons life was not in vain.

Cruz and Brunilda Lopez asked people to meet love with love in Lucianos memory.

Enjoy the love that people give you and give it back, said Lopez. This world would be so beautiful (if that happened). This world would be awesome.

They took somebody so good away from this Earth, said Cruz. They took somebody away from a lot of people.

Police are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding Lucianos death.

Officer Scott Shumway previously asked that any witnesses who have not yet spoken with the department contact the New Haven Police Department Investigative Services Division at 203-946-6304.

Family members gathered with the Rev. Boise Kimber Friday. Through Kimber, they noted that others in the city have lost loved ones recently, expressing solidarity with those families.

Kimber and activist Rodney Williams urged the community to stand together against gun violence. In other communities, Williams said, the loss of life would prompt more resources and attention. He called for the deaths of New Haven residents to garner the same sort of focus from police.

He said callers may remain anonymous or submit tips anonymously by calling 1-866-888-TIPS(8477), or texting NHPD plus your message to 274637 (CRIMES).

Luciano death was the 20th homicide victim of the year in New Haven.

Before his death, Alfreda Youmans, Jeffery Dotson, Jorge Osorio-Caballero, Marquis Winfrey, Joseph Mattei, Kevin Jiang, Angel Rodriguez, Dwaneia Turner, Alessia Mesquita, Jack Hopeton, Tashawn Brown, Mariyah Inthirath, Adrian Barwise, Miguel Ramos, Richard Whitaker Jr., Ciera Jones, Kevan Bonilla, Kevin Mills and Tyshaun Hargrove had been killed in the city to date in 2021.

Since Lucianos death, Luis Fernando Gonzalez-Sandoz and Trequon Lawrence have been killed in the city.

Editors note: This story has been edited since it was first posted.

william.lambert@hearstmediact.com
NEW HAVEN  Fair Haven, which started as an oystering hamlet, will be home to a 21st century farm for the bivalves that will make the finicky, but tasty, business more predictable.

Copps Island Oysters has gotten approval for a permit, variance and site plan to upgrade its longtime operation on the Quinnipiac River, a process that took years of planning and discussions with neighbors and the Historic District Commission, all of which was slowed further by the pandemic.

The project, based on other successful models around the country, will recreate the growing conditions for the broadstock in a hatchery to allow them to get big enough to be placed in beds for harvesting later.

Arnold Gold / Hearst Connecticut Media

The approvals were smooth going, eliciting praise at a City Plan Commission meeting, a gathering not often given over to such expressions.

This seems like a really exciting thing, rather than just approving one- and two-bedroom condos. We are bringing history up to date, so to speak, something that historically happened along that river and bringing it into the modern age, Commissioner Carl Goldfield said.

Edward Mattison, another commissioner, said it was fascinating to see what is needed in order to help nature. He suggested they open the site to public tours.

He complimented the owners for being sensitive to the concerns of neighbors and the history of the site.

Fair Haven gained prominence in the mid-19th century as a major oyster port, according to the Quinnipiac River Historic Districts application for district recognition.

Historic photos that accompanied the application showed oyster operations at the 576, 560, 536 and 530 Quinnipiac Ave. site at least since 1901.

Norman Bloom and his son, James Bloom, who own the properties, are part of an oystering family that goes back to the 1940s.

Arnold Gold / Hearst Connecticut Media

Paolo Campos of Patriquin Architects, which designed the improvements, said Copps Island Oysters manages farm operations up and down Long Island Sound, from Norwalk to Mystic.

Patty King, who has worked for Copps for several decades manning a clam boat and is co-manager of the New Haven site, said the Quinnipiac location is the most important one for the business.

Anyone traveling down Quinnipiac Avenue to the intersection with Grand Avenue will be familiar with the large shell pile on the property, which is seasonal.

It goes up in January and is taken down in July when it is returned to the oyster bed sites at spawning time. This is essential to the operation and will reappear again in four months.

Arnold Gold / Hearst Connecticut Media

The company, after complaints by neighbors about an odor coming from the shells, now uses a cleaning formula that appears to have corrected the problem.

The development upgrade includes improvements throughout the site from the entrance to parking and bulkhead repairs, but the main changes cover construction of an oyster house, the hatchery and relocation of two historic buildings.

The hatchery, which will be adjacent to the river, will have three floors.

The first two have large spawning and culture tanks where the babies, or broadstock, are formed and fed by the river water and algae that is grown in a greenhouse on the third floor.

That top floor will have a large, glass roof with solar collectors that take in sunlight focused on the growth tanks.

Arnold Gold / Hearst Connecticut Media

Once the larvae are big enough they are moved to setting tanks where they attach to shells to become spat. The spat are assessed as to size and strength before they are shipped to prepared oyster beds throughout Long Island Sound.

The key thing is, we are mimicking nature here in this building. Their whole life cycle is based on filter feeding, which is why they need the river water, Campos said. In nature, they spawn in brackish or estuary water.

To mitigate against the pump system that moves the water from clogging, Campos said there will be built-in redundancy with at least two of all the pipes and pumps.

If you get a blockage, which could kill the oysters, you can bypass to another system, he said.

The last strategy is to have the hatchery as close to the river as possible, which works to keep it running smoothly.

The new oyster house will be two stories with the lower level designed to be wet flood protected, which means floodwater can flow through it.

All the utilities will be 14 feet above base flood level; the upper level will be office and meeting space.

Arnold Gold / Hearst Connecticut Media

The two small historic buildings, which are contributing structures to the historic district, will be moved from the floodplain and placed elsewhere on the property.

Campos said the new process will be maintenance intensive, but the outcome should be more certainty of having a successful product.

King said the company has run small test programs the last two summers and found that the larvae have done well with water from the Quinnipiac.

Donna Curran, who lives next door, said her only concern is the timeline for the project, which she hopes is not long with unfinished portions lingering.

Chris Ozyck, a neighbor from across the street, said he is excited by the plans on many levels.

He said it is a business that defines the neighborhood with Fair Haven tied so closely to oystering.

Ozyck said he also lives in an oyster barons former home and as an environmentalist appreciates the fact that oysters, along with catfish, are the only aquatic creatures that clean the water.

He said the project opens opportunities for educational discussions both historic and biological, while the new hatchery will animate the waterfront.

There are a few more steps for the project as the Historic District approval was conditional, while the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection needs to weigh in on bulkhead repairs.
Early on the morning of Sept. 19, a driver struck and killed two people on I-91 near Wethersfield who were standing oustide their vehicle due to a previous crash.

On the night of July 29, a 14-year-old riding her bike on Route 81 in Haddam was killed by a hit-and-run driver.

Both casualties are part of a slow rise in fatal accidents involving cars and people not in motor vehicles. And that is giving advocates for the controversial Transportation and Climate Initiative another weapon in their fight for Connecticut to join the multi-state effort.

TCI so frequently gets framed in one way but part of that money can absolutely be used to make roads safer for everyone in all of our communities, said Kate Rozen, a Woodbridge resident and cyclist who continues to press the General Assembly to pass TCI legislation.

The regional climate initiative aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by setting a cap on the amount of emissions generated by gasoline and diesel fuel, then selling the rights under the cap to companies that distribute motor fuels. It is projected to increase gas prices by 5 cents per gallon, possibly as much as 9 cents, though opponents have said the increases  which they call taxes  could be higher.

The estimated $90 million a year the TCI would raise for Connecticut could be spent in myriad ways including cleaner buses, air quality monitoring, electric vehicle charging equipment, broadband subsidies and also bicycle and pedestrian safety improvements.

Supporters of TCI have framed the issue as an urgent need for Connecticut and surrounding states to do their part for climate change; and as a way to slow vehicle pollution, esecially as it affects Black and Latinx communities in cities disproportionately. But so far, they have failed to gain a vote in the General Assembly and the measure is not up for debate in the special legislative session Monday and Tuesday, as they had hoped.

Now the concerns about the rise in bicycle and pedestrian calamities with motor vehicles has become a more up-front part of the TCI argument  and at the same time, as a crisis that needs attention with or without TCI.

Its absolutely more visceral to people, Lori Brown, executive director of the Connecticut League of Conservation Voters, said of framing TCI as a way to address bike and pedestrian safety. It affects them every day.

Democratic leaders in the General Assembly said they havent ruled out the possibility of convening a special session on TCI between now and the regular legislative session in February. Gov. Ned Lamont, who unsuccessfully pushed the plan to join TCI during the regular legislative session in the spring, said recently the votes are there to pass it  but that is a matter of debate among top lawmakers.

Republicans say there are other ways to fund bicycle and pedestrian safety measures if thats a priority.

Incidents on the rise

In 2020, Connecticut reported 63 pedestrian fatalities  the highest in the past five years, according to preliminary data from the state Department of Transportation. The number of pedestrian deaths in Connecticut has increased by 53 percent since 2009, while all other traffic fatalities increased by just 2 percent, according to the DOT.

The DOT reported six bicyclist deaths last year, up from three in 2019.

As of August of this year, 35 pedestrians and one bicycle rider had died, preliminary DOT data shows.

Nationally, the number of pedestrians getting killed has also jumped  increasing by 21 percent between 2019 and 2020, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association.

Everybody is affected by it, said Kerri Provost, a Hartford resident and biking activist. All ages. From toddlers to the very aged, and people from all walks of life.

Provost, who describes herself as joyfully car-free, spent last year tracking traffic fatalities involving pedestrians and bicyclists in Connecticut  an effort shes continued into 2021.

Using news articles, UConns Crash Data Repository, obituaries and police reports, Provost compiles the deaths, pins the locations on a map, and includes as much information as she can find about what happened, including the details of the roadway.

Adding the recent deaths of the two Massachusetts residents killed in the Wethersfield hit-and-run, Provost included a note in her database: There do not appear to be any breakdown lanes on this stretch of highway, and no place people can safely stand if needing to leave their vehicles.

Its the same intersections

These improvements need more than dedicated funding, they also require political will, Provost said, citing the grisly hit-and-run of a bicyclist on Wethersfield Avenue in Hartford, which led city officials to put up a bike lane.

It took that to get our one piece of incomplete but somewhat barrier-protected infrastructure in Hartford, she said.

In Connecticut cities such as Hartford and New Haven, about 30 percent of households dont own a car, according to Rozen. These residents, who are also disproportionately impacted by air pollution thats resulted in higher asthma rates, could benefit from better infrastructure for biking and walking so they can move through their communities safely, she said.

Rozen has recent, first-hand experience In July, she was hit by a motorist during her bicycle commute home from New Haven to Woodbridge. She was not badly injured.

Kai Addae, a New Haven resident and a member of the Safe Streets Coalition, said when looking at traffic-related fatalaties occuring in Connecticuts cities, its the same intersections, the same roadways that arent getting redesigned.

Every year people are dying at the exact same spots, said Addae who is also program director of the Bradley Street Bicycle Co-op.

Push for redesigned streets

While TCI has been promoted as a way to address urban air pollution and invest in mass transit and more environmentally friendly transportation options, less attention has been given to the equally important health epidemic of deaths by cars, said Mary Donegan, an urban and community studies professor at the University of Connecticut.

Fifty-percent more people are dying from cars than a decade ago, Donegan said. Data also shows that Black men are four times more likely to die than white men, she said, which, she said, underscores that bicycle and pedestrian safety is also about racial and social justice.

That will be part of messaging when TCI supporters gather at the state Capitol on Oct. 2 to call on legislators to bring up the issue in a special session. Cyclists and pedestrians of all ages will be traveling in from across the state, an event flyer says.

They envision the funding be used for better sidewalks and barrier-protected bike lanes as well as redesigning streets, including adding roundabouts, to slow down drivers.

The money is there

Republicans, whove claimed victory for stopping TCI, continue to hold rallies across the state characterizing it as just another tax on state residents, particularly middle- and low-income residents.

Asked Friday how the state could address pedestrian and biker safety without funding TCI, Senate Republican Leader Kevin Kelly of Stratford said if this was a priority for Democrats, this should have been in their budget.

Lawmakers could use some of the revenue generated from the new highway usage tax on large commercial trucks  estimated to raise about $90 million per year, like TCI  to fund bikeways and other improvements, Kelly said. Republicans strongly opposed that measure, which passed this year.

Not to mention, we have $5.4 billion coming from Washington, he said, referring to the federal infrastructure package that Congress has yet to pass. Of which, $3.3 billion is set aside for road construction, which would address issues like bicycle and pedestrian safety. So, the money is there.

Sen Will Haskell, D-Westport, among the leading proponents of TCI in the state legislature, said its a sign of the times that the climate initiative has turned political despite its appeal across party lines. Massachusetts, which is represented by a Republican governor, has signed on to the climate compact, he said.

TCI is about recognizing transportation isnt just about wider highways, he said. We have to think about transportation in the 21st century.

julia.bergman@hearstmediact.com
PHILADELPHIA (AP)  When Deborah Gonzalez took office in January as the district attorney for the Western Judicial District of Georgia, she noticed that too few defendants, especially Black defendants, qualified for a program that promised treatment for addiction or mental health and not jail.

Like many court diversion programs elsewhere, potential participants in the Athens-Clarke and Oconee counties programs were being disqualified for certain previous charges or police contact. People living in poverty also had a hard time qualifying because of weekly program fees.

My philosophy is there is racial injustice and disparities of how people are treated in this system. And we have to be intentional in how we address it," Gonzalez said.

Through a grant from a national nonprofit criminal justice advocacy group, Vera Institute of Justice, and a local organization, People Living in Recovery, Gonzalez is redesigning the program to make it more accessible.

Many of the changes enacted by states following George Floyds death have centered on policing tactics and not on racial disparities in the criminal justice system. On a national level, bipartisan congressional talks on overhauling policing practices have ended without an agreement, bargainers from both parties said this past week, despite promises from the Biden administration for change.

And now, groups such as Vera are targeting suburban communities to push through criminal justice changes without new laws.

Vera awarded 10 prosecutors about $550,000 to help reduce racial disparities in prosecution. The prosecutors in Georgia, Virginia, Michigan, Hawaii, Pennsylvania, Missouri, New York and Indiana  most of whom were elected in the past two years on progressive platforms  are looking at programs or policies in their offices that disproportionately affect defendants of color.

Some prosecutors are addressing prosecution of specific crimes or making diversion programs more inclusive. Others are looking at ways to keep juveniles out of the criminal justice system all together.

There was a desire to do more in this moment, to address the system that continues to allow this to happen. So we started asking if there is something more we can do with this unique moment to reimagine what a just system looks like," said Jamila Hodge, the former director of the Reshaping Prosecution Program with Vera.

In Gonzalez's district, for example, about 22% of the districts overall population is Black. Of the more than 6,800 people charged during 2019 and 2020, the majority were Black. Fewer than 150 were referred to the pretrial program, and most came from a county that is only 5 % percent Black.

She hopes to double participation in her program by 2022, and will put in checks to monitor that the diversity is increasing.

Vera will provide support for 12 months. The hope is to reduce the disproportionately high number of Black and brown people prosecuted and incarcerated by 20% in the pilot areas. The grants require the prosecutors to partner with local community-based organizations.

In Washtenaw County, Michigan, home to Ann Arbor and just west of Detroit, prosecutor Eli Savit is working with a group called My Brothers Keeper to divert young people of color accused of nonviolent crimes into an intensive mentoring program. Savit, who took office in January, said he wants to focus on interventions that happen with kids who are acting out or committing minor crimes.

What were trying to do is intervene early without the criminal justice system's involvement, without creating a record that can hold them back. It can have this cascading effect on their lives. Job applications ask if you've ever been charged, not whether you've been convicted," Savit said.

In Chatham County, Georgia, home to Savannah in the state's northeast corner, chief assistant district attorney Michael Edwards said an analysis of Black men and boys in criminal justice system found they made up disproportionate number of the people being charged with gun possession.

The office, in partnership with Savannah Feed the Hungry, developed a program called Show Us Your Guns that focuses on people between age 16 and 25 who are found to be in possession of a gun during an interaction with police. As long as those young men didn't use those weapons in commission of a crime, they are eligible for the program instead of arrest or jail. It requires they turn in the gun in exchange for participation.

We are doing this, knowing that firearms are a third-rail in conversations in the community. But we know this is a significant way we can have an effect on public safety as well as on the lives of these juveniles and young men, Edwards said.

Edwards said the program will be tailored to the individuals, looking needs like job training, education, mental health and addiction treatment and even a partnership with the local YMCA so the young men can take care of themselves physically.

Too often prosecution is case based, but we want this to be cause based looking at the underlying causes, Edwards said.

For Shane Sims, the idea that prosecutors in all these places are creating plans to consider the whole person standing before them, not just the crime they committed, brings him overwhelming joy. Sims is the executive director of People Living in Recovery, which is working with Gonzalez in Athens, Georgia, to redesign its mental health and addiction diversion program.

He was sentenced to life plus 15 years for his accomplice role in a robbery that ended in the death of a store clerk. He was 18 years old, and it seemed like no one considered who he was or how he got there  that his parents were addicted to crack cocaine and he was taking care of his younger brother on his own from a young age.

When he got out, after three wardens petitioned for his release, he started working in the community.

What we are doing together is coming to the realization that substance abuse lies at the heart of so many who enter the criminal justice system. Minorities historically have the least consideration when deciding how to deal with that, Sims said.
ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP)  Police in Alexandria are investigating a death at a retail store.

The Alexandria Police Department said in a tweet Saturday night that there was a heavy police presence at BJ's Wholesale Club due to the death investigation. They said that a man suffered trauma to the upper body and was pronounced dead at the scene. They didn't immediately elaborate on what kind of trauma the man had suffered.
NEW HAVEN  Thousands turned out for the East Coastin motorcycle event in the Annex on Saturday, despite objections from city officials and police to the unsanctioned gathering.

The day proceeded largely smoothly before attendees began doing stunts on Waterfront Street, violating an agreement with police, Interim Police Chief Renee Dominguez said.

People gathered up and down Forbes Avenue in the early afternoon, sitting on railings and packing parking lots under the eye of dozens of New Haven police stationed along the roadway. Signs instructing attendees to respect officers were posted along the street.

Those in attendance seemed in good spirits, laughing and joking in the sunshine. Some drank beer; others smoked. Conversations were set to the noise of engines revving, which steadily filled the air as motorcycles moved through the area.

Were pro bike  were all about it, said Kristen Chappel of Mansfield, who noted her appreciation for the police on scene. Everyone behaves. They have fun  thats all theyre here for.

Zach, an Albany, N.Y., resident who declined to share his last name, said he had come to the event in each of the last four years.

It brings everyone together, he said. Its the best event there is.

Police had better success controlling and streamlining the event, Dominguez said. The department kept people from parking on city streets  staffers were ready to tow vehicles at the gathering, but were not needed  port traffic remained largely unimpeded, and Forbes Avenue, despite congestion, remained open to vehicle traffic during the event.

As riders began to do stunts and burnouts on Waterfront Street later in the afternoon, though, police worked to disperse people from that area, Dominguez said.

Police had struck an agreement with organizers that the stunt show would not take place, Dominguez said. Nonetheless, the waterfront area was taken over for the stunts; the crowd, moving en masse, was able to get there too quickly for the department to immediately control the flow of people, she said.

The event was going smoothly; everyone on both sides was very happy with how the event was going. And then, this disregard for what we had said and our rules we had put forth happened, said Dominguez.

Gabe Canestri, one of the organizers, was arrested and charged with inciting a riot and second-degree breach of peace, Dominguez said.

Another individual was arrested for reckless driving, Dominguez said. Police also seized approximately six bikes for ordinance violations, she said.

At approximately 6 p.m., police announced the event had ended for the day and dispersed the crowd, Dominguez said. No force was used, she said.

Approximately 150 officers were part of the departments special detail for the event, she said. They would continue working into the night, she said, visiting hot spots for riders in the Long Wharf area.

Dominguez said she hoped the department could continue to have productive conversations with organizers over the future of the event, despite the arrest of Canestri.

Weve had productive conversations all the way up until the end, said Dominguez. However, there is a point where we have to do what we have to do to have law and order for the future.

City officials urged people not to come to New Haven for the event earlier this week, saying it was not properly permitted and police would be out in force to ward off the chaos that characterized last years event.

Mayor Justin Elicker asked residents to avoid the area around Forbes Avenue, Alabama Avenue and Stiles Street in a message Friday night, noting that police would be in attendance to respond to potential trouble.

We are making preparations in order to protect public safety. The New Haven Police Department and Public Works Department will be on scene to respond. If you were planning on attending the event, reconsider as you risk being ticketed, towed and potentially arrested, Elicker said.

william.lambert@hearstmediact.com
LONDON (AP)  Thousands of British gas stations ran dry Sunday, an industry group said, as motorists scrambled to fill up amid a supply disruption due to a shortage of truck drivers.

The Petrol Retailers Association, which represents almost 5,500 independent outlets, said about two-thirds of its members were reporting that they had sold out their fuel, with the rest partly dry and running out soon.

Association chairman Brian Madderson said the shortages were the result of panic buying, pure and simple.

There is plenty of fuel in this country, but it is in the wrong place for the motorists, he told the BBC. It is still in the terminals and the refineries.

Long lines of vehicles formed at many gas stations over the weekend, and tempers frayed as some drivers waited for hours. Police were called to one London gas station Sunday after a scuffle broke out. Police said a man was arrested on suspicion of assault.

The haulage industry says the U.K. is short tens of thousands of truckers, due to a perfect storm of factors including the coronavirus pandemic, an aging workforce and an exodus of foreign workers following Britains Brexit departure from the European Union last year.

Several countries, including the United States and Germany, also are experiencing a shortage of truck drivers. The problem has been especially visible in Britain, where it has contributed to empty supermarket shelves and shuttered gas pumps.

After weeks of mounting pressure, the U.K.'s Conservative government announced Saturday that it will issue thousands of emergency visas to foreign truck drivers to help prevent a Christmas without turkey or toys for many British families. The government said it would issue 5,000 three-month visas for truck drivers starting in October, and another 5,500 for poultry workers.

Industry groups welcomed the new visa plan, although the British Retail Consortium said it was too little, too late.

Ruby McGregor-Smith, president of the British Chambers of Commerce, said the announcement was the equivalent of throwing a thimble of water on a bonfire.
In the fall, my father would order cases of special varieties of grapes for home winemaking. They would be piled at the edge of our stand and could be purchased by neighborhood men who were hoping to create the best wine possible, usually red varieties, but occasionally someone would request white.

It was possible to rent wine presses, and Mr. Russo, who ran a laundry on Hamilton Street, had them available for rent. The grape juice would be poured into a barrel for fermentation and drawn after the process was completed. This wine was a source of pride within families, and it would be considered a special act of friendship to receive a bottle of the fruits of the labor.

The women would generally set about pickling the fall bounty, especially eggplant, which was processed in vinegar and dressed with oil and spices, or the spicy cherry peppers, which were preserved in vinegar to be added to winter dishes, or stuffed for an antipasto.

A special treat would be setting up jars of cherries or white finger grapes preserved in grain alcohol. These would be taken out on a holiday, served in the small cordial glasses which every family kept for special occasions. I always looked forward to the appearance of the bunches of finocchio or fennel, tied with string and trailing their wispy fronds. Some would dry the narrow stalks to be used to flavor a roast. In fact, this is one of the important ingredients in porchetta, a delicacy favored by the Marchigiani.

Sept. 19 is the feast day of San Gennaro, the patron saint of the city of Naples. The Italian community in Manhattan still creates a grand festa to celebrate the occasion in true New York fashion. Block after block of illuminated arches cross the streets, where every manner of traditional Italian specialty food is available, and where many were introduced to the Neapolitan calzone.

One of the few times when groups from the neighborhood might leave our little community would be a bus trip to the festa, organized by an enterprising resident. This was an occasion for great excitement for those who very rarely got to travel into Manhattan, and visiting this festa was considered an experience not to be missed.

Of course, there was time scheduled to visit the ornate outdoor cappella, where the statue of San Gennaro was displayed, and a monetary offering was pinned on the ribbon at the base of the image. A trip to Mulberry and Grand streets in the heart of the Italian community for lunch at Angelos and later pastry at Ferraros was always included in the itinerary. There were venues to purchase the latest records from Italy or the beautiful ceramics from the Naples area, and perhaps a macchinetta for Italian coffee.

These occasions, which now may seem quite ordinary, constituted opportunities for those whose lives were centered on very simple circumstances, to see how the immigrants in other places had established their own larger, vibrant communities.

Mr. Scarpone lived in our building. He had a shoe repair shop on the corner of Wooster and Hamilton streets. He and others throughout the neighborhood were important fixtures because we all had our shoes repaired numerous times. Heels, soles, either half or full, were repaired until they could no longer be serviceable. I can remember watching him carve the leather to fit the shoe and make it look like new, polished and supple, ready for another year or so of use.

These services were critical; having things repaired or repurposed was a necessity. Clothing, linens, shoes  these were all expected to last as long as possible. There were no discretionary funds set aside for frivolous purchases..

Everyone paid their bills on time  and with cash. The utility companies were located right downtown or there were stores, such as Horowitz Brothers, at which you could pay your utility bill. Everyone in the family who worked gave their pay to the family and was given an allowance for personal use, but it was usually not very much. It took a long time to accumulate enough funds for something special.

Every mother had some special cups or dishes that were used for certain occasions. My mother had several sets of demitasse cups that she would use to serve Italian coffee for company or at holiday time. Serving that dark coffee had a ritual attached to it. It was brewed in a macchinetta, which was a drip coffee pot that was filled with water and then turned over so the hot water dripped through the Italian roast coffee. It was usually served with sugar and some slivers of lemon peel. Or, on more special occasions, anisette would be added. All of this was stirred with a miniature spoon that fit nicely into the small coffee cup.

On our block alone, in early morning, workers were on their way to a long day of labor in the shirt shop at Chapel and Hamilton, or Farriciellis garage in the middle of the block, or Regal Drug across the street, Ruoccos shoe store, Veleccas market and, of course, Lucibellos pastry shop, filling the air with the sweet fragrance of their wonderful concoctions. All of these people worked every day, giving their best efforts to support their families and to maintain a sense of pride in who they were.

At the end of the day, everyone came home to a simple but delicious meal, created from fresh ingredients and fragrant with the flavors of the Italian foods they all knew and loved, always accompanied by the fresh, crusty bread that was available twice daily. We all felt that we had a lot to be thankful for.

Frank Carrano lives in Branford. Contact him at f.carrano@att.net.
No less than 15 All Progressives Congress stalwarts have defected to the Peoples Democratic Party along with their supporters in Gombe Sta...

No less than 15 All Progressives Congress stalwarts have defected to the Peoples Democratic Party along with their supporters in Gombe State.

Addressing supporters on Saturday at the PDP secretariat, Lazarus Yoriyo, a former deputy governor, said that he was not impressed with the happenings in the ruling APC, adding that he had seen it all.

Yoriyo was a former deputy governor to ex-governor Danjuma Goje, who is now the senator representing Gombe Central.

Until 2019, PDP remained the dominant political party in the state prior to the electoral victory of Governor Muhammadu Yahaya, who swept the entire state.

According to Yoriyo, PDP remains the best political party ever when compared to what obtains in APC.

He said, I went to APC, and I have seen everything that happened there. However, what is happening there is not encouraging. PDP is the best place to ever be.

While commenting on the imperative of owning a voter card, the former deputy governor urged his teeming supporters to get it ready.

I wish to appeal to thousands of our supporters to get their Permanent Voters Card ahead of 2023 elections, Yoriyo said.

Also speaking, chairman of the party, Maj. Gen. Abnor Kwaskebe, lauded the determination of the defectors to retrace their steps.

Kwaskebe said that the state would continue to remain a PDP state, adding that the party had intended to use the township stadium but was denied by authorities.

While welcoming the defectors, the chairman stressed that their right would be given to them.

Gombe is PDP, PDP is Gombe. They have returned today because APC has turned hot for them, he said.
Former World Heavyweight Champion, Anthony Joshua has broken silence over his defeat by Oleksandr Usyk on Saturday night. Usyk was crowned...

Former World Heavyweight Champion, Anthony Joshua has broken silence over his defeat by Oleksandr Usyk on Saturday night.

Usyk was crowned the new unified world heavyweight champion after a unanimous decision win over Joshua in front of 67,000 fans at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The judges scored the fight 117-112, 116-112, 115-113 for Usyk.

Joshua, in a tweet after the fight said one should keep being positive even if the world is crumbling in front of such a person.

He wrote: Keep positive even if the worlds crumbling in front of you! London I love you & thank you each and every time!



Fighting in front of 67,000 fans at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Joshua could not dent the unbeaten Ukrainian who is more technical.

Usyk, who held all the belts at cruiserweight, now has four belts at heavyweight.

Usyk was in tears when the decision was announced. It was a superb performance from the Ukrainian.

And Ukraine, who ruled the heavyweight world for so long with the Klitschko brothers, have another world champion in the heavyweight division.
Anthony Joshua was taken to hospital for assessment following his loss to Oleksandr Usyk on Saturday night. The British-Nigerian boxer is su...





Anthony Joshua was taken to hospital for assessment following his loss to Oleksandr Usyk on Saturday night.

The British-Nigerian boxer is suspected to have suffered eye socket damage.

Joshuas promoter, Eddie Hearn, has revealed that he could not see properly after the ninth round.

By the 10th round, AJ was carrying a black and swollen eye, as Usyk continued to batter him at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The Ukrainian almost knocked him down in the final seconds, but won via unanimous decision 117-112, 116-112 and 115-113.

He will go to hospital. I dont know if he has broken his eye socket, it doesnt look great.

He said he couldnt see after the ninth round, obviously he was getting tagged a lot as well.

His power looked like it had left him, the tank was empty and it was only heart which kept him on his feet in the 12th round, Hearn said afterwards.
Anthony Joshua has insisted that a fight against Tyson Fury could still happen in the future, even without his world heavyweight titles. Jos...





Anthony Joshua has insisted that a fight against Tyson Fury could still happen in the future, even without his world heavyweight titles.

Joshua lost his WBA, IBF and WBO belts to Oleksandr Usyk via a unanimous decision at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday night.

A rematch with Usyk has now been confirmed by his promoter, Eddie Hearn.

But Joshua feels he can still fight Fury with or without his world titles.

As I said, Ill fight Tyson Fury, Wilder, without the belts.

The belts are fun. Its great, its a legacy. But with or without the belts, Ill fight whoever. The road to undisputed is a nice title to have and a nice title to chase.

But would you still watch it, without the belts?

Thats the main thing  is youve got two competitive fighters in the ring from UK soil, that just want to go toe-to-toe, Joshua said at the post-fight press conference.
A general view of 3D-printed house is seen at Shanghai Zhangjiang High-Tech Zone Qingpu Park on Aug. 24, 2014 in Shanghai, China. Ten houses were produced by a large-scale 3D printer in 24 hours, and the raw material was construction waste. VCG/Getty Images/TNS
Gov. Kathy Hochul says she is prepared to sign an executive order declaring a state of emergency that seeks to increase the supply of health-care professionals, as the COVID vaccine mandate goes into effect for health care workers Monday. Darren McGee/Office of the Governor
Doctors and nurses at the Upstate Medical University Hospital Wednesday December 16, 2020 have their hands full with a volume of Covid-19 patients at near capacity. N. Scott Trimble/strimble syracuse.com
A U.S. Border Patrol agent on horseback uses the reins to try and stop a Haitian migrant from entering an encampment on the banks of the Rio Grande near the Acuna Del Rio International Bridge in Del Rio, Texas on Sept. 19. TNS
Jael Gray, 2, holds onto a plate of food given to her as she and her family receive donated food in the St. Roch neighborhood of New Orleans two days after Hurricane Ida.
Louis Mitchell last made news as a 19-year-old Negro youth when he was booked by New Orleans police in the rapes of multiple White women in the summer of 1966.

Police credited fingerprint evidence, The Times-Picayune reported. Six months later, Mitchell pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated rape to avoid the death penalty, a fate the U.S. Supreme Court later outlawed for rape. He was sentenced to two life prison terms, running together.

Among those advising him to take the deal was Revius Ortique Jr., who would become the first Black justice on the Louisiana Supreme Court many years later. Ortique, who was appointed to help with Mitchells defense, wrote in a 2003 affidavit that he told Mitchell he could be released after 10 years with good behavior. Mitchells sister recalled an Orleans Parish prosecutor saying the same thing.

It was true, then. A commutation from the governor after 10 years and six months behind bars was for decades the way out of prison for "lifers" in Louisiana. Then state lawmakers began to harden life sentences, prison researchers say.

The law changed in 1973 to limit parole eligibility for lifers to those who had served at least 20 years. The minimum then rose to 40 years, and in 1979, Louisiana dispensed with parole altogether for life prisoners. At that point, the old rules no longer applied.

The window had closed before Mitchell and hundreds of other lifers knew it. Now 74, he remains in prison  though 55 years later, his days there appear to be numbered.

Mitchell and another long-serving Louisiana prisoner, 73-year-old Leroy Grippen, are slated to go free under plea agreements with Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams' office. Advocates with the Louisiana Parole Project say two other men are shoring up similar deals with Williams' office.

The four men are part of a larger group of more than 60 10/6 lifers, named for the 10-year, six-month sentences many of them were told theyd serve decades ago.

Williams, a reform district attorney in his first year in office, created a civil rights division to root out unjust convictions and sentences from the past. His prosecutors on Friday filed post-conviction plea agreements for Mitchell and Grippen.

Their new deals, calling for the two to be resentenced to 40 years, are slated to go before Criminal District Judge Nandi Campbell on Oct. 5.

Advocates with the Louisiana Parole Project say the deals mark the first reform aimed at the dwindling club of old-timers locked up since the Vietnam War era.

The new court filings portray them as a forgotten, geriatric sliver of the states mammoth population of more than 4,400 life-without-parole prisoners, or 1 in 6 state inmates. Per capita, Louisiana has by far the highest rate of inmates serving no-parole sentences.

Many 10/6 lifers pleaded guilty not only to avoid the possibility of execution but also on the understanding theyd have a shot at freedom after a decade, according to the group, which plans to house the four men after their anticipated release.

All four pleaded guilty and since have logged more than 200 combined years in prison.

In a statement, Williams said the civil rights division is "reviewing cases of more than 10 defendants who pled guilty before 1973 on the expectation, consistent with the law at the time, that they would be released after ten and a half years if they maintained a good record of conduct in prison. In 1973, this law was changed, but these defendants remained in prison."

The 60-odd 10/6 lifers still in prison today include 18 total from Orleans Parish courtrooms, according to the Parole Project. They range in age from 66 to 86. Most were convicted of murder, the rest of rape. More than 50 of them are Black.

Some were sentenced to death, but those sentences were converted to life prison terms after a 1972 U.S. Supreme Court ruling put the death penalty on hiatus across the country.

Williams pegged the cost of the 10/6 lifers from Orleans Parish at about $1.5 million a year.

"So, in addition to the profound unfairness, housing these elderly men is costing ... an unnecessary amount of money nearly five or more decades after promising them potential release after 10 years," he said.

Only one of the 10/6 lifers is a woman: Gloria Mama Glo Williams, the longest-serving female inmate in Louisiana, convicted of murder in 1971 in St. Landry Parish. Gov. John Bel Edwards, however, granted a clemency petition last month for Williams; a parole hearing is scheduled for December.

Andrew Hundley, executive director of the Louisiana Parole Project, said some 10/6 lifers have been released individually over the years through the clemency process. But the Orleans district attorney is the first to consider them as a class.

Theres no one whos served longer than this group, because anyone who was serving at that time, if they had a life sentence, they were 10/6 lifers, Hundley said.

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Thats what everyone expected, and the people who went to prison had confidence that would happen, because they would see people in prison with them go home after 10 years and 6 months.

Grippen has served 51 years from guilty pleas to armed robbery and aggravated rape from 1970. His lawyer told the judge he wanted to help Grippen in front of the pardon board when the time came.

Its one thing to go to prison; its another thing to go without understanding the terms, argued Jane Hogan, an attorney for the men. To have the goalpost shifted and shifted and the door slammed on these men is a travesty of justice.

Commuting lifers was codified into law. It wasnt just like a wink and a nod, she said. There was no such thing as a real life sentence in Louisiana at the time.

But courts havent bought the broken-promise argument, because the sentences originally doled out were nominally for life. They have deemed wardens recommendations for clemency administrative decisions.

State law from 1942 laid out a process that started in 1927 for Louisiana lifers to apply for a commutation after 10 years. It required a letter from the warden and recommendations from the judge and top state officials.

Most people got out, and anybody in there at the time will tell you the people who didnt get out were the ones who were bad troublemakers, the ones who were maybe mentally slow or ones so completely cut off from the free world they didnt have anybody to make an issue of it, said Burk Foster, a retired criminal justice professor at University of Louisiana at Lafayette, and a Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola historian.

There was a window and it closed, and it closed pretty much all at once.

Francis Abbott, executive director of the Louisiana Board of Pardons and Committee on Parole, said the state agency has no records indicating how often life prisoners received commutations before the law changed in 1973.

What Ive always heard is that the warden made this recommendation to the governor, and that it was after they had served 10 years and six months, Abbott said.

Louisiana was unique in having this particular custom that was so routine, and lasted a really long time, said Reiko Hillyer, a history professor at Lewis & Clark College in Oregon who has studied the decline of clemency and pardons in the South.

She said the practice of commuting life sentences began in the early 20th century with Henry Fuqua, a warden at Angola who later became governor.

He would recommend people to the governor, and they would get clemency, Hillyer said. Governors just gave clemency more regularly and didnt consider it to be political suicide.

Gov. Earl Long in the 1950s formed what he called the Forgotten Mans committee to help free inmates languishing in the system. He offered commutations to an estimated 1,600 people before his term ended, from a prison population of fewer than 4,000.

Gov. Edwin Edwards signed more than 900 commutations during his first two terms, from 1972 to 1980, while being singed with allegations of favoritism. The pace of commutations declined in Edwards third and fourth terms, according to Loyola University researchers.

It slowed further under subsequent governors, dropping to just three over Bobby Jindals eight years. As of 2020, Gov. John Bel Edwards had agreed to commute 70 sentences.

State criminal justice reforms in 2017 left out the bulk of inmates convicted of violent crimes, including older lifers. Parole eligibility was restored, however, to more than 100 life prisoners who were sentenced between 1973 and 1979.

Advocates argue that long-serving inmates like Mitchell have followed a familiar path to low risk: aging out of violence. More than 1,200 life prisoners in Louisiana are 60 or older, corrections data show.

Mitchell had numerous write-ups in the late 1960s and 70s for fighting, disobedience and, in one 1969 episode, Three gallons of home made beer, court records show.

After several more write-ups for disobedience in the early 1980s, though, Mitchell has garnered only two over the past 20 years and none for the last seven, prison records show.

Advocates hope for more releases of those long-serving inmates in Orleans Parish and elsewhere, saying they face myriad health problems at cost to the state.

On average, incarcerated people under 50 last year cost the state about $24,600 annually, state figures show. A corrections official told a state Senate committee in 2018 that inmates over 50 cost taxpayers about three times what a younger inmate costs.
Elenora Smith didnt mess around with Hurricane Ida.

The 75-year old Metairie resident evacuated before the storm made landfall in Louisiana, heading north to Mississippi to get out of its path.

Days later, when she heard that electricity had been restored on her street, Smith figured it was time to head home. But what she found on her return was a house with power, but no water. Nothing came from the tap, and the toilets wouldnt flush.

I had to go to my sister-in-laws, she said. Not being able to flush the toilet was really big.

Not unlike its epic takedown of the region's power grid, Hurricane Ida crippled Jefferson Parish's critical water and sewer infrastructure, leaving parts of the parish without water service for days, and the entire parish was under a boil water advisory for a week. The sewer system was also rendered nearly unusable, leading parish officials to plead for residents to avoid flushing or showering to avoid costly backups.

So what actually happened?

The answer is complex, parish officials say. Trees were the main culprit in disabling the water system. More than 1,000 trees fell in the parish rights of way, with their roots ripping through underground water lines, causing cascading breaks that forced the shut down of the entire east bank water system. As for sewer service, Ida's winds knocked down a major Entergy transmission line into the New Orleans area, including Jefferson Parish. That cut power to the parish's vast sewer system, with more than 530 sewer lift stations spread over the parish's 650 square miles.

The crash of those basic utilities, especially in East Jefferson, amounted to an uneasy role reversal for a parish that prides itself on having its act together more than its notoriously dysfunctional neighbor, New Orleans.

It wasn't just inconvenient. The drop in east bank water pressure jeopardized the parish's ability to fight fires for about two days. It also made the water undrinkable.

The situation was dire enough that Parish President Cynthia Lee Sheng pleaded with evacuated residents to stay away, and other officials urged any resident who stayed to leave if they could.

We do not have the services that a basic community has, Lee Sheng said two days after Ida made landfall on Aug. 29. Our sewer and water systems are extremely fragile.

For the parish officials leading the recovery effort, Ida's impact was eerily reminiscent to that of Hurricane Katrina, which hit on the exact same day in 2005. But the lack of an evacuation order meant more residents were around to suffer through the aftermath.

The difference with Katrina is hardly anyone was here, Public Works Director Mark Drewes said. Nobody was here for weeks.

Water problems

Inside the federal hurricane protection system, East Jefferson bore the brunt of Ida's wrath, and the damage to the water system tops the list when it comes to parish-owned infrastructure. As Ida's punishing winds toppled trees, their roots tore through water pipes. Others nearby lines broke due to the violent shifting of the ground, Drewes said.

In all, there were more than 200 water line breaks, Drewes said. Approximately three quarters of that damage was in East Jefferson, which has a heavier tree canopy.

The day after the storm, the water system was losing almost 23,000 gallons of water per minute. There were so many breaks that the pressure on the east bank dropped close to zero, well below the 20 pounds per square inch that triggers a boil water advisory.

The back-up generators supplying electricity to the water treatment plant were working fine, but with all the water running into the ground and onto streets, there was no way to build pressure. Officials decided to shut down the entire system to rebuild pressure and start repairing areas close to the plant. Then they worked their way outward, Drewes said.

Sixteen public and private water crews set to work isolating key breaks by shutting off water to them until they could be repaired, slowly building up the pressure. By the end of the second day, 17 major breaks and dozens of smaller ones had been identified.

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While restoring water service and lifting the boil water advisory were the ultimate goals, Drewes said getting the pressure up to 40 psi was the first priority.

I told my public works department on that first day, the primary goal for the parish right now is to restore sufficient pressure in the east bank system so (we) can fight fires, he said.

That need was evident the same day, when two buildings at the Relais Esplanade Apartments in Kenner burned to the ground in a fire attributed to improper use of a generator. No one was killed, but firefighters had to contend with low water pressure in fighting the fire.

Crews had the pressure up to 22 psi by the end of Tuesday, and 43 psi by Wednesday night, easing concerns about fighting fires.

By Friday  five days after the storm  pressure was back up to 60 psi, which is in the normal range for the system and well above the threshold to retest the water and lift the boil water advisory, but a procedural hurdle remained. The Louisiana Department of Health required the system to be operating under Entergy power, not generator power, and so it would be another two days before water could be tested. It wasn't until the next Tuesday, nine days after Ida made landfall, before the advisory was lifted.

The west bank's water system fared better. There were far fewer breaks and the drop in pressure that triggered the boil water advisory was due to an operational decision. One of the system's three backup generators malfunctioned, causing a voltage spike in the system.

With pressure gradually dropping, Water Director Sidney Bazley made the call to briefly shut down all three so they could be turned on together to maintain adequate pressure.

"The decision was made: Were gonna bite that bullet now. Were gonna turn that generator off, sync them, get the pressure right back up so we can fight fires and were gonna have to live with a boil water advisory (on the west bank), Drewes said.

Ultimately, Entergy restored power to the west bank station a day before the east bank station, and the boil water advisory was lifted a day earlier as well.

Sewer problems

As for Jefferson's sewer system, Sewer Director Mike Lockwood said its sheer size and reliance on lift stations present challenges. The biggest system in the region, it has 534 lift stations compared to just over 80 in New Orleans.

Sewerage moves through the system either by gravity through sloping pipes or pressure created mechanically by the lift stations. Jefferson Parish is flat, and the soil suitable for burying lines is shallow, so it cannot rely as heavily on simple, inexpensive gravity lines to move wastewater the way other regions can. Lockwood said Jefferson's system has 1,300 miles of gravity lines and "hundreds" of miles of pressure pipes.

Sewer lines, however, are often buried deeper than water lines, so the uprooting of trees didn't damage them as badly.

But when Ida knocked out power, only four lift stations equipped with generator power  some of the most crucial to the system  were operable. Lockwood said crews began hooking up portable pumps and generators to additional lift stations as power was restored. There were 105 in service three days after the storm and 217 after a week. Only four remain out today, Lockwood said.

The parish also mobilized vacuum trucks to prevent sewerage overflows, starting with 15 the day after the storm and increasing to 81, with many driving in from as far away as Washington, Minnesota and New Jersey.

Drewes and Lockwood said that while the parish's water and sewer systems never lacked diesel fuel, other resources, such as the vacuum trucks, were in short supply in large part because of the demand from the state's oil and gas industry.

The parish has already laid the groundwork for some necessary improvements. Earlier this year, voters renewed the water and sewer millages and have allowed them to return to their original maximums of 5 mills each. And this month, the council approved sewer and water rate increases to fund a 20-year plan to modernize the systems.

The parish will bond out $192 million for water system improvements, including replacing old, leaking water lines and upgrading the system's outdated east bank water plant, where some parts date to the 1930s. There are also funds for modernizing water towers and installing newer meters.

About $100 million bond funding will go toward the sewer system, with the first $14 million going to add generators to more than a dozen the highest-priority lift stations that don't currently have them. Other proceeds will go to upgrade the treatment plant and replace obsolete pipes.

Ida confirmed what we already knew, Drewes said. Our system needs to be revamped.
BRUSSELS  A Belgian court on Thursday stripped a senior Iranian official of his diplomatic immunity, convicted him of organizing a thwarted bomb attack aimed at an Iranian opposition rally in France in 2018 and sentenced him to 20 years in prison.

The Iranian official, Assadollah Assadi, a Vienna-based diplomat detained in Belgium, invoked his diplomatic status in refusing to testify during his trial, which began in November. Mr. Assadi, now 49, received the maximum sentence on charges of attempted terrorist murder and participation in the activities of a terrorist group. He did not attend the hearing on Thursday at the courthouse in Antwerp.

The conviction is a blow to the Iranian government as it tries to persuade the United States to re-enter the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal before Iranians vote in presidential elections in June.

Mohammad Javad Zarif, the Iranian foreign minister, claimed in 2018 that the bomb plot allegations were a false flag operation designed to embarrass Iran as President Hassan Rouhani prepared to travel to Europe to rally support for the nuclear deal that President Donald J. Trump had recently abandoned.
The U.A.E., by contrast, is transitioning from decades of oil abundance to an era of oil scarcity by building its own ecosystem of innovation and entrepreneurship in the same fields as Israel.

The U.A.E.s population consists of one million citizens and nine million foreigners, most of them low-wage, non-unionized laborers from India and other parts of South Asia and the rest professionals largely from America, Europe, India and the Arab world. The U.A.E.s growth strategy for the 21st century  of which the opening to Israel is a key part  is to become THE Arab model for modernity, a diversified economy, globalization and intra-religious tolerance.

To that end, in November the country announced a major liberalization of its Islamic personal laws  allowing unmarried couples to cohabitate, which, among other things, makes the U.A.E. more accepting of gay and lesbian people; criminalizing so-called honor killings of women who shame their male relatives  as well as made divorce laws much more equitable for women and loosened restrictions on alcohol.

The U.A.E. is still an absolute monarchy, and a multiparty democracy is not on the menu. But greater gender equality, a more open education system and religious pluralism are. It still has work to do in all those areas, though  witness the embarrassing saga around the leader of Dubai, whose daughter is reportedly being held hostage in her fathers palace. But the U.A.E.s new social laws constitute a big leap forward in its quest to attract the talent needed for a non-oil economy.

All the neighbors are watching, and they are particularly watching how Iran and Saudi Arabia react.

If you are a Lebanese Shiite living in the poor southern suburbs of Beirut having to scramble every day to barter eggs for meat  as the economy teeters on collapse  youre asking, Why are we stuck with Iran and its axis of failing proxies like Hezbollah, which just keep letting the past bury our future?

That is a dangerous question for Iran and Hezbollah. And more Lebanese are asking every day. Which may explain why the outspoken Lebanese anti-Hezbollah journalist and publisher Lokman Slim was shot in the head in southern Lebanon a few weeks ago. All fingers point at Hezbollah as the culprit.

As for Saudi Arabia, it is already letting Israels national airline, El Al, fly across Saudi airspace to the U.A.E. But will it follow suit and formally normalize with Israel? That would be huge for both Israeli-Arab and Jewish-Muslim relations.
Saudi Arabia proposed what it described as a new peace offering on Monday to end the kingdoms nearly six-year-old war on the insurgency in neighboring Yemen, pledging to lift an air-and-sea blockade if the Houthi rebels agree to a cease-fire.

The offer, announced by Saudi Arabias foreign minister in Riyadh, the Saudi capital, came as pressure has escalated on the country to help break a stalemate in the Yemen conflict, which the United Nations has called the worlds worst man-made humanitarian disaster.

Millions of Yemenis, including children, are on the verge of famine, in part because of the blockade, which has choked the delivery of food and fuel to the country, the Arab worlds poorest.

The Saudi foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, was quoted by Arab news media as saying at a news conference that if the Houthis agreed to a cease-fire monitored by the United Nations, his country would allow the reopening of the airport in Sana, the Yemeni capital, and would permit fuel and food imports through Hudaydah, a major Yemeni seaport. Both are controlled by the Houthis.
NAIROBI, Kenya  Eritrean troops continue to commit atrocities in the northern Ethiopian region of Tigray, despite assurances by Ethiopias prime minister, Abiy Ahmed, that they were leaving, a senior United Nations official said Thursday.

Mr. Abiy has come under pressure over reports of massacres, looting and sexual assaults by Eritrean troops. Last month, he flew to the Eritrean capital, Asmara, and announced that his ally, the autocratic Eritrean leader Isaias Afwerki, had agreed to bring his soldiers home.

But the U.N. and its humanitarian partners have seen no evidence that such a withdrawal has taken place, Mark Lowcock, the top U.N. humanitarian official, told the Security Council. In fact, Mr. Lowcock said, Eritrean soldiers had begun to disguise their identities by wearing Ethiopian military uniforms, and some had killed civilians during indiscriminate attacks as recently as Monday.

The Times obtained a transcript of Mr. Lowcocks remarks, which were made in a private briefing. They paint a grim picture of the violence in Tigray, where a clash between Mr. Abiy and regional leaders in November has degenerated into a chaotic and pitiless conflict that threatens to destabilize the entire Horn of Africa region.
In Paraguay, the government of Taiwan has built thousands of homes for the poor, upgraded the health care system, awarded hundreds of scholarships and helped fund a futuristic Congress building. But the alliance is facing an existential threat as Paraguays quest for Covid-19 vaccines becomes increasingly desperate.

Paraguayan officials across the political spectrum say the time has come to consider dumping Taiwan, which doesnt export vaccines, to establish diplomatic ties with China, which does.

Beijings one-China principle forces countries to choose between having full diplomatic relations with China or Taiwan, an island that it regards as Chinese territory. In recent years, three countries in Latin America severed ties with Taiwan after secret talks with Beijing. All three were early recipients of Chinese vaccines.
WASHINGTON  For the second time in a month, vessels from Iran and the United States came dangerously close in the Persian Gulf on Monday night, the Navy said on Tuesday, escalating tensions between the two nations as their negotiators have resumed talks toward renewing the 2015 nuclear deal.

According to the U.S. Navys Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, three fast-attack craft from Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps sailed close to a Navy coastal patrol ship and a Coast Guard patrol boat as the two American vessels were patrolling international waters in the northern part of the Persian Gulf.

At about 8 p.m. local time Monday, the Iranian boats rapidly and repeatedly approached the American ships, the Firebolt and the Baranoff  at one point coming as close as 68 yards, according to a Navy statement.

The American crews issued multiple warnings via bridge-to-bridge radio and loudspeakers, but the Iranian vessels continued their close-range maneuvers, the Navy said. When the Firebolts crew fired warning shots, the Iranian vessels moved away to a safe distance from the U.S. vessels, the Navy said.
On the morning of June 2, 2018, an asteroid was seen careening toward us at 38,000 miles per hour. It was going to impact Earth, and there was nothing anyone could do to stop it. Astronomers were beside themselves with excitement.

Five feet long and weighing about the same as an adult African elephant, this space rock posed no threat. But the early detection of this asteroid, only the second to be spotted in space before hitting land, was a good test of our ability to spot larger, more dangerous asteroids. Moreover, it afforded scientists the chance to study the asteroid before its obliteration, quickly narrow down the impact site and obtain some of the most pristine, least weathered meteorite samples around.

Later that day, a fireball almost as bright as the sun illuminated Botswanas darkened sky before exploding 17 miles above ground with the force of 200 tons of TNT. Fragments fell like extraterrestrial buckshot into a national park larger than the Netherlands.

Immediately, Botswanan scientists and guides joined with international meteorite experts to hunt for the asteroids wreckage. As of November 2020, the team has found 24 individual meteorites. And thanks to the telltale geology of these rocky leftovers, observations of their path to Earth and the memories of a dead NASA spacecraft, scientists were able to unspool the history of this asteroid with breathtaking detail.
ASHKELON, Israel  The worst fighting between Israelis and Palestinians in seven years intensified on Tuesday night, as Israeli airstrikes began targeting Hamas offices in Gaza City and militants in Gaza fired rockets at the metropolis of Tel Aviv, the southern city of Ashkelon and Israels main airport.

In Gaza, at least 35 Palestinians, including 10 children, had been killed by Tuesday night, and 203 others were wounded, according to health officials. In Israel, five people were killed in strikes on Tel Aviv, Ashkelon and Lod, and at least 100 were wounded, according to medical officials.

Away from the military conflict, a wave of civil unrest spread across Arab neighborhoods as Palestinian citizens of Israel expressed fury at the killings in Gaza and longstanding complaints of discrimination inside Israel itself.

While the surge in strikes, the worst since 2014, brought fear to millions in Gaza and Israel, they nevertheless bolstered an unlikely pair: Hamas, the Islamist militant group that runs the Gaza Strip, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel.
The police said the stone throwers started it; several worshipers said the opposite.

Whoever struck first, the sight of stun grenades and bullets inside the prayer hall of one of the holiest sites in Islam  on the last Friday of Ramadan, one of its holiest nights  was seen as a grievous insult to all Muslims.

This is about the Judaization of the city of Jerusalem, Sheikh Omar al-Kisswani, another leader at the mosque, said in an interview hours after the raid. Its about deterring people from going to Al Aqsa.

That set the stage for a dramatic showdown on Monday, May 10. A final court hearing on Sheikh Jarrah was set to coincide with Jerusalem Day, when Jews celebrate the reunification of Jerusalem, by dint of the capture of East Jerusalem, in 1967.

Jewish nationalists typically mark the day by marching through the Muslim Quarter of the Old City and trying to visit Temple Mount, the site on which the Aqsa Mosque is built.

The looming combination of that march, tensions over Al Aqsa and the possibility of an eviction order in Sheikh Jarrah seemed to be building toward something dangerous.

The Israeli government scrambled to tamp down tensions. The Supreme Court hearing in the eviction case was postponed. An order barred Jews from entering the mosque compound.

But the police raided the Aqsa Mosque again, early on Monday morning, after Palestinians stockpiled stones in anticipation of clashes with the police and far-right Jews. For the second time in three days, stun grenades and rubber-tipped bullets were fired across the compound, in scenes that were broadcast across the world.
The framers of Israels Declaration of Independence defined Israel as both Jewish and democratic: the homeland of all Jews, whether or not they were Israeli citizens; the state of all its citizens, whether or not they were Jews. An Israel that would no longer regard itself as a continuity of the Jewish story and protector of the worlds vulnerable Jews would lose its soul; an Israel that would no longer aspire to fulfill democratic values would lose its mind.

Balancing those two increasingly contentious but foundational elements of our national identity defines my Israeli commitment. There are voices on the left and the right who call for abolishing either Israels Jewish identity or its democratic identity. I stand with the large, if embattled, camp of political centrists that insists on holding both. We know that Israels long-term viability depends on managing the tensions inherent in our identity and reality.

For Israelis to form a shared civic identity, Jews need to fulfill Israels founding promise to grant full equality to all citizens and reassure Arabs that Israeli is not a synonym for Jew. Arabs need to come to terms with the fact that Israel will not abandon its Jewish identity and commitments.

In my building in Jerusalems French Hill neighborhood, nearly half the families are Arab Israeli. They are lawyers, doctors, civil servants, who bought apartments here because they want their share of the Israeli dream. The violence that erupted in the poor mixed neighborhoods would be unthinkable in middle-class French Hill. When Arabs and Jews meet in the parking lot, we sigh and reassure each other that things will get better because they always do and we have no choice.

Most Israelis  Arabs and Jews  are practiced in the habit of decency. But we are also practiced in self-justification. We know the routines of neighborliness, but rarely consider the others reality. We avoid the hard questions that threaten our certainties, our insistence on the absolute justice of our side. What is it like to be a Palestinian citizen of a Jewish state that occupies your family? What is it like to be a Jew who has finally come home, only to live under constant siege?

The current violence wasnt triggered by any one event but, in part, by our inability to ask those questions. Perhaps we can begin building a better Israel from that place of shared brokenness.

Yossi Klein Halevi is a senior fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem. He is author, most recently, of Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor.
On Sunday, Mr. Protasevich was flying back from Greece after attending an economic conference there with the Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, Greek officials said.

At the Athens airport, Mr. Protasevich had noticed a bald man following him and taking photographs, according to messages he sent that were published by a Telegram channel he edits. After his arrest, colleagues said they had immediately revoked Mr. Protasevichs access to the Telegram channel to make sure that data about its 256,000 subscribers could not fall into the hands of Belarusian law enforcement officials.

Many of Mr. Lukashenkos political opponents have sought safe haven in exile in Lithuania and Poland, but Sundays events showed that his government can reach them even in the air.

Both Lithuania and Greece are members of the European Union; Belarus is not. Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, the E.U.s executive body, called the planes diversion utterly unacceptable.

The Greek Foreign Ministry called it a state hijacking. Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki of Poland called it an act of state terrorism. Germanys foreign minister, Heiko Maas, said that such an act cannot remain without clear consequences. His French counterpart, Jean-Yves Le Drian, called for a firm and unified response by the E.U.

The American secretary of state, Antony J. Blinken, said: We strongly condemn the Lukashenko regimes brazen and shocking act to divert a commercial flight and arrest a journalist. We demand an international investigation and are coordinating with our partners on next steps.

But even as European officials threatened consequences for Belarus, it was not immediately clear what those might be. The bloc already imposed sanctions last year against leading Minsk officials  including Mr. Lukashenko himself  for violent repression and intimidation of peaceful demonstrators, opposition members and journalists.
MALE, Maldives  The largest Covid-19 treatment facility in the Maldives has nearly 300 beds and a steady supply of oxygen. But as the country reported some of the worlds highest caseloads per capita last month, Covid wards ran low on another essential resource: employees.

At worst, we had one nurse to attend to 20 patients in the general wards, said Mariya Saeed, the head of the Hulhumale Medical Facility in Male, the capital. We needed human resources to provide proper care to the many bedridden elderly, but the nurses were exhausted.

The pandemic has triggered shortages of health workers around the world, forcing governments to scramble. Spain, for instance, launched an emergency plan last year to recruit medical students and retired doctors for Covid duty. And in India last month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked local officials to start recruiting final year medical students.
As Tigrayan forces celebrated returned control over their regional capital, Mekelle, there was mostly silence from senior Ethiopian officials back in the nations capital, Addis Ababa.

As Ethiopian troops left Mekelle and other parts of the Tigray region, the countrys foreign affairs ministry described the retreat as an act of humanitarian good will, saying the government had declared a unilateral cease-fire in order to alleviate the suffering from a looming famine.

The federal government understands that the people of Tigray, especially those in rural areas, have suffered greatly, the statement said.

Diplomats briefed on the discussions underway in Addis Ababa said that senior officials within Prime Minister Abiy Ahmeds government were at odds on how to proceed after claims from senior Tigrayan officials that they would keep fighting Ethiopian troops and their allied Amhara ethnic militias and Eritrean military forces.
Seouls mayor, Oh Se-hoon, announced Wednesday that the city would extend for a week the current social distancing regulations for the capital and its surrounding areas. The decision, which came less than 12 hours before the restrictions were supposed to ease on Thursday, followed an emergency meeting with 25 district mayors.

The government had previously said that beginning Thursday, gatherings of up to six people would be allowed, an increase from the current limit of four, regardless of whether they are held indoors or outdoors. After two weeks, that number would have risen to eight. The government had also announced that businesses could operate until midnight, two hours longer than the current 10 p.m. curfew.

Wednesdays move put those plans on hold for now.

The delay to relax protocol comes after a spike in coronavirus cases earlier this week, as the country broke a two-month record of 794 new daily cases on Tuesday, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. Seoul also reported 375 new daily cases on Tuesday, the largest amount of new cases in a single day for the city this year. As new infections increase, authorities have expressed concerns about the recent discovery of the Delta variant among confirmed cases.

Mr. Oh said if Seoul did not see a decrease in new reported cases, then the government would decide whether to further extend the delay on lifting restrictions.
SOWETO, South Africa  Gingerly stepping over the slick, muddied floor of a supermarket in Soweto that had just been emptied and gutted by looters, the manager fretted over where neighbors would now get their food and how he would support his wife and four children.

Our livelihoods are gone, said Tau Chikonye, the 44-year-old manager, who had worked at the market known as the Supa Store for 13 years.

Nearby, standing in front of his five-bedroom home, a laid-off hotel worker who had joined in the looting  carting away flour, chicken, Pepsi and dog food to his family  contemplated the damage that had been wrought: His community no longer had a store nearby for shopping.

I feel horrible, said the unemployed hospitality worker, Sifiso, who asked that his last name be withheld for fear of being arrested.
SEOUL  In the history of South Koreas fight for democracy, the 1980 uprising in Gwangju stands out as one of the proudest moments. Thousands of ordinary citizens took to the streets to protest a military dictatorship, and hundreds were shot down by security forces. The bloody incident has been sanctified in textbooks as the Gwangju Democratization Movement.

Right-wing extremists, however, have offered an alternative, highly inflammatory view of what happened: Gwangju, they say, was not a heroic sacrifice for democracy, but a riot instigated by North Korean communists who had infiltrated the protest movement.

Such conspiracy theories, which few historians take seriously, have been spreading quickly in South Korea, where a political divide  rooted in the countrys torturous and often violent modern history  is being amplified online.

President Moon Jae-ins governing party has rolled out a slate of legislation, some of which has already become law, aimed at stamping out false narratives about certain sensitive historical topics, including Gwangju. His supporters say he is protecting the truth. Free speech advocates, and Mr. Moons conservative enemies, have accused the president of using censorship and history as political weapons.
BRUSSELS  Poland and Hungary were criticized sharply Tuesday by the European Commission in a set of reports that said recent actions by the countries threatened judicial independence and undermined the rule of law.

The reports reviewed the state of the rule of law in all 27 European Union member states, and its conclusions about Poland and Hungary were severe, notwithstanding their relatively bland bureaucratic language.

Their impact, however, is likely to be small.

The European Union has no effective tools for quickly disciplining member states, and a new initiative to at least allow the withholding of E.U. coronavirus recovery funds from countries found to be undermining the rule of law will not be put to the test before autumn, if then.

Hungary and Poland get the most attention because they are considered the main offenders when it comes to undermining the rule of law, the independence of the judiciary and media pluralism. But numerous other member states, including Austria, Bulgaria, Malta, Slovenia and the Czech Republic, also have serious problems with the same issues.
Mr. Sweetat is prepared to make compromises in a land where few are ready to do so. He believes cooperation in pursuit of shared prosperity, however difficult, is the only way forward. If we dont like it, he said, we can pack our bags and go to Switzerland.

I asked him if he felt like an equal citizen in Israel.

Of course, I dont feel equal, he said, but I can achieve everything I want.

Still, he said, I dont see new Arab villages being built. I dont have enough space in my own village. I wanted to buy a piece of land near Tarshiha, but I couldnt. I want my son, who is 2, to grow up here. Ask the country why I cant find land here.

So, you cant achieve everything you want? I asked.

There are things you cant change, but we can improve them. The change can start from people.

Overcoming Mutual Incomprehension

When Tal Becker, the legal adviser to the Israeli Foreign Ministry, drafted the preamble to the normalization treaty between Israel and the United Arab Emirates last year, he expected pushback on this clause:

Recognizing that the Arab and Jewish peoples are descendants of a common ancestor, Abraham, and inspired, in that spirit, to foster in the Middle East a reality in which Muslims, Jews, Christians and peoples of all faiths, denominations, beliefs and nationalities live in, and are committed to, a spirit of coexistence.

There was no dissent, despite the fact that the wording made clear that both Jews and Arabs belong in the Middle East.

A widespread view among Palestinians and throughout the Arab world has long been, on the contrary, that Israel and its Jewish population represent an illicit colonial projection into the Middle East that will one day end.
ISTANBUL  As Turkey battles its worst forest fires in decades, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is under ferocious attack for his handling of the disaster, as well as his broader management of a country that was already battered by an economic crisis and the pandemic.

Fires blazed uncontrollably for the eighth day on Wednesday, aggravated by a record-breaking heat wave that follows a prolonged drought. The nation has watched in horror images on television and social media, as thousands of people have been forced to evacuate homes, coastal resorts and whole villages, primarily in the south, and herds of livestock have perished in fast-moving blazes.

In a summer of widespread extreme weather  from floods in Germany and Belgium to record-breaking heat waves and wildfires in Russia, Italy, Greece, Canada and the United States  the emergency in Turkey has given fodder to an increasingly vocal and united opposition to Mr. Erdogan. Tensions are running high across Turkey, where the government has long been accused of corruption and mismanagement, worsening the countrys economic troubles and the crippling effects of the coronavirus.
OTTAWA  Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Sunday announced an early election in Canada, a step he said was needed to give his government a mandate for dealing with the pandemic and the recovery from its economic effects.

The widely anticipated move signaled his confidence that voters would return him to power after three consecutive campaigns.

The election, scheduled for Sept. 20, will come less than two years after the previous vote and at a time when coronavirus cases are rising in many parts of the country, leading health officials to declare that a fourth wave is underway. Mr. Trudeau could have waited until 2024 to call an election.

Everyone understands that we are really at a pivotal moment in the history of our country, Mr. Trudeau said after asking Governor General Mary Simon to dissolve Parliament to permit the snap election. This is a moment where Canadians can and should be able to weigh in on what were going through and on how were going to build a society that is stronger and better.
I have 30 people in serious condition waiting for me, Mr. Fourcand added. But I only have seven seats.

Palmera Claudius, 30, lay in the bed of a truck her relatives had hired to take her to the airport, the entire left part of her face swollen.

She had been home in Camp-Perrin, on the outskirts of Les Cayes, when she felt her whole house jolt. As she tried to run outside, a wall collapsed on her.

Like many others headed to the airport, she was hoping for a free flight to the capital, since her family could not afford a ticket.

Ms. Claudius said that she could not feel her legs and that the clinic in her town did not have the capacity to take an X-ray to determine what was wrong.

Taking a break from tending to the injured, Dr. Destine, the orthopedic surgeon, was trying to get his own father, also a surgeon, to the United States for treatment. His father suffered major head trauma from a fallen roof, he said.

Dr. Destine said he expected thousands of people to get potentially deadly infections unless proper supplies were delivered in time. The prospect of malnutrition, too, was likely to exacerbate the natural disaster for an already impoverished and hungry population, he said.
The wildfires in the American West are burning vast expanses of specially protected forests  those that are part of carbon-offset projects meant to counterbalance the carbon dioxide pollution being pumped into the atmosphere by human activity.

Carbon-offset programs, which are designed to fight climate change, typically pay landowners to manage their land in ways that store carbon. Usually, that means paying landowners to not chop down trees.

Wildfires, however, dont respect those agreements.

An estimated 153,000 acres of forests that are part of Californias carbon-offset project have burned so far this summer, according to CarbonPlan, a nonprofit climate-research organization. Three projects have been affected. In Oregon, a quarter of the Klamath East project, or close to 100,000 acres, has burned in the Bootleg Fire since early July.

The worst fire season in Western U.S. history is going on, said Danny Cullenward, the policy director of CarbonPlan. That story is just crashing headfirst into some of the big bets that policymakers and private companies have made about the role of forest carbon as a climate solution. What we are seeing is, a bunch of projects are on fire.
The C.I.A.s new mission will be narrower, a senior intelligence official said. It no will longer have to help protect thousands of troops and diplomats and will focus instead on hunting terrorist groups that can attack beyond Afghanistans borders. But the rapid American exit devastated the agencys networks, and spies will most likely have to rebuild them and manage sources from abroad, according to current and former officials.

The United States will also have to deal with troublesome partners like Pakistan, whose unmatched ability to play both sides of a fight frustrated generations of American leaders.

William J. Burns, the agencys director, has said that it is ready to collect intelligence and conduct operations from afar, or over the horizon, but he told lawmakers in the spring that operatives ability to gather intelligence and act on threats will erode. Thats simply a fact, said Mr. Burns, who traveled to Kabul this week for secret talks with the Taliban.

Challenges for the C.I.A. lie ahead in Afghanistan, the senior intelligence official acknowledged, while adding that the agency was not starting from scratch. It had long predicted the collapse of the Afghan government and a Taliban victory, and since at least July had warned that they could come sooner than expected.

In the days after the Sept. 11 attacks, C.I.A. officers were the first to meet with Afghan militia fighters. The agency went on to notch successes in Afghanistan, ruthlessly hunting and killing Qaeda operatives, its primary mission in the country after Sept. 11.

It built a vast network of informants who met their agency handlers in Afghanistan, then used the information to conduct drone strikes against suspected terrorists. The agency prevented Al Qaeda from using Afghanistan as a base to mount a large-scale attack against the United States as it had on Sept. 11.

But that chapter came with a cost in both life and reputation. At least 19 personnel have been killed in Afghanistan  a death toll eclipsed only by the agencys losses during the Vietnam War. Several agency paramilitary operatives would later die fighting the Islamic State, a sign of how far afield the original mission had strayed. The last C.I.A. operative to die in Afghanistan was a former elite reconnaissance Marine, killed in a firefight in May 2019, a grim bookend to the conflict.
This is close-up war  the breath of the person you are searching is upon you, Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr., the head of United States Central Command, said on Thursday after the attack, describing the face-to-face contact between Marines at the airport gate and Afghans they must search before allowing them to enter.

Pentagon officials said they were still piecing together the chain of events that took place at Abbey Gate on Thursday. There will be after-action reviews and storyboards with detailed lists of what led up to that moment. There will be questions: Why were so many service members grouped so close together? How did the bomber evade the Taliban checkpoints? Did someone let him through?

U.S. military forces conducted their first reprisal strike in Afghanistan since the attack on Friday, an over-the-horizon counterterrorism operation in the Nangarhar Province against an ISIS-K planner, said Capt. Bill Urban, a spokesman for U.S. Central Command, referring to the Afghan affiliate of the Islamic State that claimed responsibility for Thursdays attack.

Initial indications are that we killed the target, he said. We know of no civilian casualties.

As the scope of the damage from Thursdays bombing became clearer, health officials in Kabul raised the death toll, saying at least 170 people had been killed. Afghans seeking to escape Taliban rule continued to stream to the airport on Friday, but the size of the crowd was estimated in the hundreds, down from the thousands who were there when the blast occurred. The airport remained largely locked down, although evacuation flights continued.

Just after 2 p.m. Friday, as another gray-tailed U.S. aircraft lifted into the sky from the airport, this one carrying the flag-draped coffins of the 13 Americans, the anguish from Thursdays bombing spread from Kabul to Kansas. At the mortuary at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, service members were bracing for the ritual of dressing and preparing yet another group of American troops killed in Afghanistan.
ATHENS  A giant puppet of a nine-year-old Syrian girl named Amal has been traveling across Turkey and Greece for much of the past month. It is the first leg of a 5,000-mile journey, one that is rich in symbolism as a new migration crisis looms in Europe following the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan.

The puppet is the lead character in an ambitious theater project called The Walk that aims to draw attention to the refugee experience by following a route similar to that taken by some Syrians who escaped the civil war in their country.

Little Amal and her handlers plan to cross eight countries and dozens of cities in an 8,000-kilometer bid to shine a light on the plight of millions of displaced refugees.

But Amal, who is 12 feet tall and walks with the aid of the team of puppeteers accompanying her, is not welcome everywhere.
Energy markets swirled on Monday as investors responded to the immediate disruption of Hurricane Ida while also trying to gauge the economic toll of rising hospitalizations in the United States caused by the coronavirus.

Gasoline futures were 2 percent higher, after climbing more than 4 percent when trading started. West Texas Intermediate oil, the United States benchmark, also jumped at first, but then dropped into negative territory and was 0.8 percent lower Monday morning.

Before Hurricane Ida stormed ashore in Louisiana on Sunday, oil and gas companies shut down more than 90 percent of production in the Gulf of Mexico, making this storm the first of the year to significantly disrupt those industries.

Workers were evacuated from nearly half of the areas staffed production platforms, federal officials said on Saturday. BP, Chevron, Phillips and Shell were among the companies that closed facilities.
Parts of Afghanistan have warmed twice as much as the global average. Spring rains have declined, most worryingly in some of the countrys most important farmland. Droughts are more frequent in vast swaths of the country, including a punishing dry spell now in the north and west, the second in three years.

Afghanistan embodies a new breed of international crisis, where the hazards of war collide with the hazards of climate change, creating a nightmarish feedback loop that punishes some of the worlds most vulnerable people and destroys their countries ability to cope.

And while it would be facile to attribute the conflict in Afghanistan to climate change, the effects of warming act as what military analysts call threat multipliers, amplifying conflicts over water, putting people out of work in a nation whose people largely live off agriculture, while the conflict itself consumes attention and resources.

The war has exacerbated climate change impacts. For 10 years, over 50 percent of the national budget goes to the war, Noor Ahmad Akhundzadah, a professor of hydrology at Kabul University, said by phone on Thursday. Now there is no government, and the future is unclear. Our current situation today is completely hopeless.
When I arrived at my first campsite in Wyomings Teton Range, some 17 miles from the trailhead, I fully expected to collapse into my sleeping bag. My feet ached, my shoulders were cramping from the weight of my pack and, despite having spent much of the day hiking above 9,000 feet, I had yet to fully adjust to the altitude. I quickly set up my tent, pried my boots off and climbed inside.

Instead of nodding off, though, I glanced out through the mesh screen and found myself entranced by the view: Framed in the distance  as if perfectly arranged in a picture window  was the imposing peak of Grand Teton, towering above the surrounding spires.

So began what felt like a nightlong play in five acts, with the Tetons occupying center stage: the clarity of early evening, the dusky glow of sunset, the gradual emergence of the Milky Way, a saturated set of predawn hues and, finally, crisp streaks of early-morning light.
MOSCOW  Evoking the dark era of Soviet repression, Russian politicians and journalists are being driven into exile in growing numbers.

The steady stream of politically motivated emigration that had accompanied President Vladimir V. Putins two-decade rule turned into a torrent this year. Opposition figures, their aides, rights activists and even independent journalists are increasingly being given a simple choice: flee or face prison.

A top ally of the imprisoned opposition leader Aleksei A. Navalny left Russia this month, state media said, adding her to a list of dozens of dissidents and journalists believed to have departed this year. Taken together, experts say, it is the biggest wave of political emigration in Russias post-Soviet history.

This years forced departures recall a tactic honed by the K.G.B. during the last decades of the Soviet Union, when the secret police would tell some dissidents they could go either west or east  into exile or to a Siberian prison camp. Now, as then, the Kremlin appears to be betting that forcing high-profile critics out of the country is less of a headache than imprisoning them, and that Russians abroad are easy to paint as traitors in cahoots with the West.
The Talibans takeover in Afghanistan is, first and foremost, a tragedy for Afghans. The worlds attention is rightly focused on trying to help those desperately trying to flee the country and worrying about those left behind, notably women and girls.

But it is also a severe blow to the West. Europe and the United States were united as never before in Afghanistan: It was the first time that NATOs Article 5, committing all members to defend one another, was invoked. And for many years, Europeans provided a strong military commitment and an important economic aid program, amounting to a total of 17.2 billion euros, or $20.3 billion.

But in the end, the timing and nature of the withdrawal were set in Washington. We Europeans found ourselves  not only for the evacuations out of the Kabul airport but also more broadly  depending on American decisions.

That should serve as a wake-up call for anyone who cares about the Atlantic alliance. The United States understandably does not want to do everything alone. To become a more capable ally, Europe must invest more in its security capabilities and develop the ability to think and act in strategic terms. The events in Afghanistan have been harrowing. But they should lead us to deepen, not divide, the alliance with America. And to strengthen our cooperation, Europe must step up.
In the weeks leading up to President Bidens Aug. 31 deadline to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan, a secretive and highly secure compound used by the Central Intelligence Agency became a hub for clandestine evacuations before parts of it were deliberately destroyed, an investigation by The New York Times found.

The C.I.A. had used part of the compound called Eagle Base to train Afghan counterterrorism units. Another section  the C.I.A.s first detention center in Afghanistan, known as the Salt Pit  was where a U.S. government report found that the agency had carried out torture on detainees. Structures in both Eagle Base and the Salt Pit were demolished to prevent the Taliban from seizing sensitive materials.

Even as several of these planned detonations were happening, the heliport at the compound was still used to conduct covert evacuations, according to visual analysis and a former agency contractor.

The Times analyzed satellite imagery, corporate records, active fire data and flight paths to assess how the evacuations and planned demolitions played out  and how the Taliban eventually easily gained access to the compound.
At least 43 people were killed in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Connecticut as the remnants of Hurricane Ida struck the region on Wednesday.

Fifteen people are known to have died in New York, including 13 in New York City, most of whom were found at homes in Queens and Brooklyn and ranged in age from 2 to 86, the police said. Official causes of death will be determined later by the citys medical examiner, the department said.

Another victim, Rabbi Shmuel Dovid Weissmandl, was killed after being trapped by floodwaters near the Tappan Zee Bridge while driving home to Mount Kisco, N.Y., from Monsey.

At least 23 people were killed in New Jersey, according to Gov. Philip D. Murphy.

They included four people whose bodies were found in an apartment complex in Elizabeth, across the street from a flooded firehouse, said Kelly Martins, a city spokeswoman.
The first batch of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines arrived in Taiwan on Thursday morning, health officials said. The delivery of the 930,000 doses came after a monthslong struggle to acquire BioNTechs vaccines on the island.

In May, President Tsai Ing-wen attributed the delay to Chinas intervention.

A Chinese company, Fosun Pharma, claimed exclusive commercial rights to the distribution of the BioNTech vaccine in Taiwan, whose frosty relationship with China has intensified in recent months. Two Taiwanese corporate giants, a charity organization and a Buddhist foundation stepped into the morass in July to offer a solution.

Foxconn, a major assembler of Apples iPhones, and TSMC, which makes the chips found in Apple devices, agreed with the YongLin Foundation, a charity set up by the founder of Foxconn, to purchase 10 million doses of the BioNTech vaccine from Fosun Pharma and donate them to the Taiwanese government. The Tzu Chi Foundation, a Buddhist organization, agreed to purchase and donate an additional 5 million BioNTech shots from the Chinese company for Taiwans vaccination effort.

Earlier this week, the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control released a statement announcing that the BioNTech vaccine would be prioritized for those between the ages of 12 and 17, with leftover doses administered to those between 18 and 22.
In Chile and Uruguay, more than 70 percent of the population has been fully vaccinated.

As cases have dropped, schools in much of the region have resumed in-person classes. Airports are becoming busier as more people have started traveling for work and leisure.

The drop in caseloads led the United Nations this past week to provide a more optimistic projection of economic growth in the region. It now expects economies in Latin America and the Caribbean to grow by 5.9 percent this year, a slight increase from its 5.2 estimate in July.

Weve managed to delay major circulation of the Delta variant and move forward with the biggest vaccination campaign in our history, Carla Vizzotti, Argentinas health minister, said last week.

In Argentina, more than 61 percent of the population has received at least one dose of a vaccine.

Chrystina Barros, a health care expert at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, said she worries that falling caseloads will lead people to become complacent about wearing masks and avoiding crowds while the epidemic remains a threat.

There is a serious risk of putting the very effectiveness of the vaccine at risk, she said. The cooling of the pandemic cannot inspire people to relax in relation to the crisis.
JERUSALEM  Six Palestinian prisoners escaped a prison in northern Israel early Monday morning, in the first such jailbreak in more than two decades, the prison service said Monday.

The six men broke free at approximately 1 a.m. after removing a layer of flooring underneath a cell in the Gilboa prison, southwest of the sea of Galilee, according to the prison service commissioner, Katy Perry. That allowed them to access a cavity underneath the prison, through which they were able to escape.

The prison service said five of the men were members of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, a militant Islamist group, while the sixth, Zakaria Zubeidi, was a former commander of the Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, a militant group loosely associated with Fatah, the secular party that dominates the Palestinian Authority.

Four of the six had been convicted of terror offenses and were serving at least two life sentences, the service said. Legal proceedings for the other two, including Mr. Zubeidi, the most widely known of the escapees, had yet to be completed.
1. The Talibans new government in Afghanistan is beginning to take shape, and it looks familiar.

After weeks of assurances from Taliban leaders that the group would offer a more moderate and inclusive style of government, most of the Talibans choices for several acting cabinet positions are senior figures who served in similar roles decades ago  a sign that the groups conservative and theocratic core remains largely unchanged. All were men, and several are listed by the U.S. and United Nations as global terrorists.

The most senior role went to Mullah Muhammad Hassan Akhund, a hard-liner who was named acting leader of the council of ministers, functionally making him head of government. The top security posts went to relative newcomers from a younger generation of Taliban leaders.
The law also greatly empowers partisan poll watchers; creates new criminal and civil penalties for poll workers who fall afoul of the rules; and erects new barriers for those looking to assist voters who need help, such as with translations.

Under complete Republican control, the Texas Legislature has taken a sharp right turn this year, enacting a lengthy list of conservative priorities on abortion, transgender rights, teaching about racism in schools and voting. But the election bill in particular follows a national trend, with Republican-controlled legislatures in 18 states having passed more than 30 laws this year restricting access to voting.

Democrats, voting rights groups and civil rights organizations have denounced the Texas law as an attempt to suppress the votes of people of color. Before Mr. Abbott had even signed the bill, groups had filed lawsuits arguing that multiple provisions would violate the Voting Rights Act and amendments to the Constitution.

One lawsuit, brought by the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund and the Brennan Center for Justice, cites a provision that affects anyone other than an election official who is helping a voter. The helper is required to disclose their relationship to the voter and take an expanded oath under the penalty of perjury. The law also bars those helping voters from answering questions; they can only read a ballot to voters and direct them where to mark it.

This provision, the two groups argue, violates the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

We have Texas enacting a law that contradicts federal law and has no justification in claims of voter fraud, because theres no evidence at all that voters who receive assistance through their chosen assister at the polling place are in any way connected to voter fraud, Nina Perales, the vice president of litigation at the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, said in an interview. She added that it highlighted how the law was an attempt to thwart the changing face of the Texas electorate.
BRUSSELS  More than 70 percent of the European Unions adult population has been fully vaccinated, making it one of the worlds vaccination leaders. But some Eastern European countries are lagging far behind, exposing the bloc to new waves of infections and creating a divide that E.U. officials and experts say could hamper recovery efforts.

While 80 percent of the adult populations in countries like Belgium, Denmark and Portugal have been fully vaccinated, in Bulgaria that figure plunges to only about 20 percent, while in Romania it lags at around 32 percent, according to the European authorities.

The high numbers in Western European countries are an achievement that few would have believed possible earlier this year, when E.U. member countries, embroiled in sluggish rollouts, quarreled with bloc officials and vaccine makers over delivery issues.

But vaccination rates in Eastern and Central Europe are all below the blocs average, with Bulgaria and Romania among the starkest examples. Those countries, along with the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland, also have some of the highest excess mortality rates across the European Union during the pandemic  one measure of how many deaths the coronavirus has caused.
BERLIN  Angela Merkel has said she wanted to stay out of the election campaign for her replacement as Germanys chancellor. But with her party polling at record lows, Ms. Merkel used a speech to Germanys Parliament on Tuesday to plead with Germans to keep the Christian Democrats in power.

Since late July, the conservative Christian Democrats and their Bavaria-only partners, the Christian Social Union, have been dropping steadily in the polls, while their candidate to replace Ms. Merkel, Armin Laschet, has struggled to overcome a series of gaffes that sent his own popularity plunging.

The situation has become alarming enough that Ms. Merkel has dropped the pretense of being a bystander, and in recent weeks she has been using her voice and platform to try to drum up support for Mr. Laschet and distance herself from his main rival, Olaf Scholz.
LONDON  As the world struggles to recover from the pandemic, soaring natural gas prices threaten to become a drag on the economies of Europe and elsewhere. Wholesale prices for the fuel are at their highest in years  nearly five times where they were at this time in 2019, before people started falling ill with the virus.

The high costs feed into electric power prices and have begun showing up in utility bills, weighing on consumers whose personal finances have already been strained by the pandemic. The price jumps are unusual because demand is typically relatively low in the warmer summer months, raising alarms about the prospects for further increases when demand jumps in the winter.

Spanish households are paying roughly 40 percent more than what they paid for electricity a year ago as the wholesale price has more than doubled, prompting angry protests against utility companies.

The electricity price hike has created a lot of indignation, and this is of course moving onto the streets, said Maria Campuzano, spokeswoman for the Alliance against Energy Poverty, a Spanish association that helps people struggling to pay energy bills.
There are things that can be done, and are being done, short of taking fields permanently out of production. Switching from flooding fields to spray or drip irrigation saves water. Another smart solution is to drench fallow fields in winter and early spring to recharge the underground aquifers beneath them. Salmon can be protected in streams where they spawn by pulsing water down them just when its needed, reducing flow at other times.

The California Farm Bureau Federation argues that shrinking the farm sector isnt necessary because capturing water and using it more efficiently will solve the problem. Danny Merkley, the federations director of water resources, says: There is enough water. Were managing it poorly.

But increasing efficiency may not be enough given the changing climate, which is making the western U.S. drier. Some acreage is going to have come out of production, says Peter Gleick, president emeritus of the Pacific Institute, a think tank specializing in water. He puts the number in California at half a million to one million acres out of eight million under cultivation. Honestly, he says, I dont know how its going to happen.

The economists way of reducing acreage would be to fallow the crops that deliver the least bang for the drop  the lowest dollar value of production per acre-foot of irrigated water. That would be the likes of corn and alfalfa, which mostly go for feeding dairy cows.

But its not that simple. For one thing, farmers who have access to abundant cheap water because of longstanding water rights can make money growing low-value crops. For another, high-value vineyards and orchards, whose owners can afford to pay more for water, are problematic in a different way. The expensive vines and trees die if they arent continually watered, so theyre more of a problem in a drought than annual field crops like tomatoes, which can easily be taken out of production when water is scarce.

Farm workers who lose their jobs because of fallowing deserve help, including training for other work. The good news is that many of the low-value crops that use a lot of water such as alfalfa are harvested by machine, whereas crops such as vegetables that might replace them are harvested by hand, so the amount of labor thats required could actually increase. Irrigation districts that sell water to thirsty municipalities for a profit can direct some of the money they make to helping farmers and farmworkers.
Three Vermont state troopers accused of being involved in a fake Covid-19 vaccination card scheme have resigned amid a federal investigation, the authorities said.

The troopers, Shawn Sommers, Raymond Witkowski and David Pfindel, were suspected of having varying roles in the production of fraudulent coronavirus vaccine cards, the Vermont State Police said in a news release on Tuesday.

Mr. Sommers and Mr. Witkowski resigned on Aug. 10, a day after another trooper raised concerns with supervisors about their conduct, the police said. Mr. Pfindel resigned on Sept. 3 after an investigation by the states Department of Public Safety.

It was not immediately clear on Wednesday whether the men had lawyers. The Vermont Troopers Association, an organization that represents troopers, detectives and sergeants of the Vermont State Police, did not immediately respond for comment on Wednesday morning.
HONG KONG  A Hong Kong group that organizes vigils for the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown said several of its leaders were arrested on Wednesday after it refused to provide information for a police investigation.

The group, the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, said the police had sought details about its funding and membership for an inquiry into whether it was acting in collusion with foreign powers, a violation of the citys national security law.

Under the law, which was imposed by Beijing on Hong Kong last year, the police have broad powers to demand information from groups and individuals.

At least four members of the group were detained on Wednesday, including its vice chairwoman, Chow Hang Tung. Ms. Chow documented her impending arrest on Facebook, noting that the police had arrived at her door. Does anybody have any parting words theyd like to share with me? she wrote.
In a fund-raising email sent on Friday, Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, a Republican who has issued antimask orders, wrote, Joe Biden has declared war on constitutional government, the rule of law, and the jobs and livelihoods of millions of Americans.

But top aides to the president do not appear to be shaken by what they say was an expected response from those quarters. White House officials believe he has clear authority to compel federal workers to be vaccinated as a condition of their employment by the government. And they say requiring hospitals and other health care organization to vaccinate its workers  a mandate that covers as many as 17 million people  is a reasonable condition in exchange for taking federal health care reimbursements.

The most novel part of the presidents announcements on Thursday relate to his use of the emergency authority provided by Congress under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 as a way to require most American workers to submit to vaccination against the virus.

White House officials said OSHA was likely to take at least three or four weeks to write the new standard, partly because it must complete certain time-consuming steps to ensure that the rule passes legal muster. Among them are rigorously demonstrating that workers face a grave danger at work, that the rule is necessary to defuse that danger and that it is feasible for employers to carry out.

OSHA must also sort through a number of practical questions, such as who pays for the testing and what kinds of tests are acceptable.

In the case of the Covid-19 vaccine, the administration will argue that the death and illness caused by the Delta variant of the coronavirus poses a grave danger to workers across the country, and that the vaccine is an extremely effective way of preventing severe illness, hospitalization and death.

Those arguments are likely to be included as part of a preamble to the regulatory language that officials at OSHA and the Labor Department are drafting, according to a White House official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss regulations that are still under development.
[explosion] In one of the final acts of its 20-year war in Afghanistan, the United States fired a missile from a drone at a car in Kabul. It was parked in the courtyard of a home, and the explosion killed 10 people, including 43-year-old Zemari Ahmadi and seven children, according to his family. The Pentagon claimed that Ahmadi was a facilitator for the Islamic State, and that his car was packed with explosives, posing an imminent threat to U.S. troops guarding the evacuation at the Kabul airport. The procedures were correctly followed, and it was a righteous strike. What the military apparently didnt know was that Ahmadi was a longtime aid worker, who colleagues and family members said spent the hours before he died running office errands, and ended his day by pulling up to his house. Soon after, his Toyota was hit with a 20-pound Hellfire missile. What was interpreted as the suspicious moves of a terrorist may have just been an average day in his life. And its possible that what the military saw Ahmadi loading into his car were water canisters he was bringing home to his family  not explosives. Using never-before seen security camera footage of Ahmadi, interviews with his family, co-workers and witnesses, we will piece together for the first time his movements in the hours before he was killed. Zemari Ahmadi was an electrical engineer by training. For 14 years, he had worked for the Kabul office of Nutrition and Education International. NEI established a total of 11 soybean processing plants in Afghanistan. Its a California based NGO that fights malnutrition. On most days, he drove one of the companys white Toyota corollas, taking his colleagues to and from work and distributing the NGOs food to Afghans displaced by the war. Only three days before Ahmadi was killed, 13 U.S. troops and more than 170 Afghan civilians died in an Islamic State suicide attack at the airport. The military had given lower-level commanders the authority to order airstrikes earlier in the evacuation, and they were bracing for what they feared was another imminent attack. To reconstruct Ahmadis movements on Aug. 29, in the hours before he was killed, The Times pieced together the security camera footage from his office, with interviews with more than a dozen of Ahmadis colleagues and family members. Ahmadi appears to have left his home around 9 a.m. He then picked up a colleague and his bosss laptop near his house. Its around this time that the U.S. military claimed it observed a white sedan leaving an alleged Islamic State safehouse, around five kilometers northwest of the airport. Thats why the U.S. military said they tracked Ahmadis Corolla that day. They also said they intercepted communications from the safehouse, instructing the car to make several stops. But every colleague who rode with Ahmadi that day said what the military interpreted as a series of suspicious moves was just a typical day in his life. After Ahmadi picked up another colleague, the three stopped to get breakfast, and at 9:35 a.m., they arrived at the N.G.O.s office. Later that morning, Ahmadi drove some of his co-workers to a Taliban-occupied police station to get permission for future food distribution at a new displacement camp. At around 2 p.m., Ahmadi and his colleagues returned to the office. The security camera footage we obtained from the office is crucial to understanding what happens next. The cameras timestamp is off, but we went to the office and verified the time. We also matched an exact scene from the footage with a timestamp satellite image to confirm it was accurate. A 2:35 p.m., Ahmadi pulls out a hose, and then he and a co-worker fill empty containers with water. Earlier that morning, we saw Ahmadi bring these same empty plastic containers to the office. There was a water shortage in his neighborhood, his family said, so he regularly brought water home from the office. At around 3:38 p.m., a colleague moves Ahmadis car further into the driveway. A senior U.S. official told us that at roughly the same time, the military saw Ahmadis car pull into an unknown compound 8 to 12 kilometers southwest of the airport. That overlaps with the location of the NGOs office, which we believe is what the military called an unknown compound. With the workday ending, an employee switched off the office generator and the feed from the camera ends. We dont have footage of the moments that followed. But its at this time, the military said that its drone feed showed four men gingerly loading wrapped packages into the car. Officials said they couldnt tell what was inside them. This footage from earlier in the day shows what the men said they were carrying  their laptops one in a plastic shopping bag. And the only things in the trunk, Ahmadis co-workers said, were the water containers. Ahmadi dropped each one of them off, then drove to his home in a dense neighborhood near the airport. He backed into the homes small courtyard. Children surrounded the car, according to his brother. A U.S. official said the military feared the car would leave again, and go into an even more crowded street or to the airport itself. The drone operators, who hadnt been watching Ahmadis home at all that day, quickly scanned the courtyard and said they saw only one adult male talking to the driver and no children. They decided this was the moment to strike. A U.S. official told us that the strike on Ahmadis car was conducted by an MQ-9 Reaper drone that fired a single Hellfire missile with a 20-pound warhead. We found remnants of the missile, which experts said matched a Hellfire at the scene of the attack. In the days after the attack, the Pentagon repeatedly claimed that the missile strike set off other explosions, and that these likely killed the civilians in the courtyard. Significant secondary explosions from the targeted vehicle indicated the presence of a substantial amount of explosive material. Because there were secondary explosions, theres a reasonable conclusion to be made that there was explosives in that vehicle. But a senior military official later told us that it was only possible to probable that explosives in the car caused another blast. We gathered photos and videos of the scene taken by journalists and visited the courtyard multiple times. We shared the evidence with three weapons experts who said the damage was consistent with the impact of a Hellfire missile. They pointed to the small crater beneath Ahmadis car and the damage from the metal fragments of the warhead. This plastic melted as a result of a car fire triggered by the missile strike. All three experts also pointed out what was missing: any evidence of the large secondary explosions described by the Pentagon. No collapsed or blown-out walls, including next to the trunk with the alleged explosives. No sign that a second car parked in the courtyard was overturned by a large blast. No destroyed vegetation. All of this matches what eyewitnesses told us, that a single missile exploded and triggered a large fire. There is one final detail visible in the wreckage: containers identical to the ones that Ahmadi and his colleague filled with water and loaded into his trunk before heading home. Even though the military said the drone team watched the car for eight hours that day, a senior official also said they werent aware of any water containers. The Pentagon has not provided The Times with evidence of explosives in Ahmadis vehicle or shared what they say is the intelligence that linked him to the Islamic State. But the morning after the U.S. killed Ahmadi, the Islamic State did launch rockets at the airport from a residential area Ahmadi had driven through the previous day. And the vehicle they used   was a white Toyota. The U.S. military has so far acknowledged only three civilian deaths from its strike, and says there is an investigation underway. They have also admitted to knowing nothing about Ahmadi before killing him, leading them to interpret the work of an engineer at a U.S. NGO as that of an Islamic State terrorist. Four days before Ahmadi was killed, his employer had applied for his family to receive refugee resettlement in the United States. At the time of the strike, they were still awaiting approval. Looking to the U.S. for protection, they instead became some of the last victims in Americas longest war. Hi, Im Evan, one of the producers on this story. Our latest visual investigation began with word on social media of an explosion near Kabul airport. It turned out that this was a U.S. drone strike, one of the final acts in the 20-year war in Afghanistan. Our goal was to fill in the gaps in the Pentagons version of events. We analyzed exclusive security camera footage, and combined it with eyewitness accounts and expert analysis of the strike aftermath. You can see more of our investigations by signing up for our newsletter.
That consists of investigating academics publications, court experts opinions and books, for which he bills as much as $400 an hour. But the bulk of his clients typically fall into two categories: Men seeking to discredit their ex-wives amid or after a divorce (but never vice versa) and people trying to undermine their neighbors credibility in nasty disputes over property lines.

He says he now receives about 50 inquiries a month, and that people have begun sending him tips on big cases like the one he mounted against Christine Aschbacher, the Austrian labor minister who stepped down in January after a plagiarism scandal.

Its a gold mine, he said of Austrians schadenfreude.

Mr. Weber took an odd life route to his current station. Born in Salzburg to a strict and controlling office-clerk father who checked his school bag each evening, and a mother who worked as a homemaker, young Stefan showed early signs of being a math prodigy.

May you remain humble in triumph, a teacher cautioned the 11-year-old Stefan. He excelled in most subjects, with physical education being the clear exception. Even these days, when his partner, Birgit Kolb, hikes in the Alps, Mr. Weber opts for the cable car for the climb to the top.

As a student at the University of Salzburg, he realized that the triumph his teacher had foreseen long ago was not going to be found in math. Despite his prodigious memory, he was unable to follow the university math professors and instead turned to the idiot degree everyone studies: communications.

Communications was a breeze, and Mr. Weber went on to teach at eight universities of applied sciences in Austria and Germany, always vying for tenure. He never attained it.
MADRID  Venezuelas former intelligence chief has been arrested in Madrid for a second time, almost two years after he evaded an extradition order to the United States to stand trial on drug-trafficking charges.

The Spanish police detained the former spy chief, Hugo Carvajal, late Thursday and released a video of his arrest on Twitter. The police said Mr. Carvajal had been living fully shut-in at an undisclosed location in Madrid, relying on the help of allies whom they did not identify.

Mr. Carvajal was a prominent figure in the government of the Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, before breaking with him in dramatic fashion. He released a video in February 2019 that accused Mr. Maduro of running a corrupt dictatorship whose top officials were engaged in drug trafficking.

He fled to Spain, where he was detained on the American extradition request in April 2019, but then released from a Spanish prison after a court deemed the request to have been too abstract to establish his involvement in drug trafficking.
WASHINGTON  The F.B.I. released a newly declassified document late Saturday describing connections that the agency examined between the hijackers and the Saudi government in the years since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, although it contained no conclusive evidence about whether the kingdom played a role in the attacks.

The 16-page report, which was issued hours after President Biden arrived at the World Trade Center memorial in Lower Manhattan, is the first document to be released since the president last week moved to declassify materials that for years have remained secret.

Families of the Sept. 11 victims have long pushed for a deeper investigation into any possible role the Saudi government had in the attacks. Mr. Biden instructed the Justice Department and federal agencies in recent days to release declassified documents over the next six months after a group of hundreds of affected people  including survivors, emergency medical workers and victims relatives  told him to skip the memorial event at ground zero this year if he did not move to disclose some of those documents.
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.
These are troubling and rancorous times. Every day there seems to be another headline about the countrys ever-widening political divide. And its not just Democrat versus Republican. Within each party the gulf between the extremes is growing as progressives shout angrily at centrists and Donald Trumps faithful refuse to tolerate the slightest deviation from his ironbound party line. The word unprecedented is often used to describe the level of combative partisanship that has gripped the nation.

And yet, despite all the fury and dissent, a bipartisan infrastructure bill somehow made its way through the Senate. Is President Biden justified in saying that the way forward is through dialogue and compromise? If George Washington were magically transported to today, Im confident he would say something like, Yes, but dont set your hopes too high.

Washington also had to deal with a partisan divide at the beginning of his presidency in 1789. There were no formal parties, but the ratification of the Constitution had divided the American people into two distinct (and today eerily familiar) factions: those who embraced the strong national government the Constitution created (the Federalists) and those who distrusted the notion of a centralized government superseding the powers of the states (the Anti-Federalists).

It could be argued that the only reason the Constitution was ultimately ratified by the nine states required for a national election was that no matter what a person believed about the merits of the new government, just about everyone could agree on the person to lead it: the 57-year-old Revolutionary War hero George Washington. That said, two states, North Carolina and Rhode Island, had refused to ratify the Constitution by the time of Washingtons inauguration in New York City.
Democrats are likely to take aim at the lone Republican-leaning seat in New York City, the 11th District, anchored on Staten Island and parts of Brooklyn. Representative Nicole Malliotakis, a first-term congresswoman, holds the seat now, but adding more liberal sections of Brooklyn or even Lower Manhattan could make it untenable for a Republican.

The most significant gains could come upstate, the most likely region to lose a district altogether. Mr. Wasserman suggested mapmakers could try to pool voters into two conservative mega-districts. At the same time, the party could shore up two of its incumbents in Hudson Valley swing seats, Mr. Maloney and Representative Antonio Delgado.

One red seat could be created in western New York by combining the vast Southern Tier district held by the retiring Republican Tom Reed with territory between Buffalo and Rochester, represented by Chris Jacobs, also a Republican. A second could be rooted in the Adirondacks, combining areas of central and northern New York represented by Republicans Claudia Tenney and Elise Stefanik, a rising star who is now her partys top-ranking woman in Washington.

Targeting the regions other remaining Republican, John Katko, would be less straightforward. One of the few remaining moderate Republicans in the House who voted to impeach former President Donald J. Trump, Mr. Katko has repeatedly won his Syracuse-based district despite Democratic advantages there.

The commission will also propose new lines for the State Assembly and Senate, but lawmakers in Albany could just as easily toss them out to produce a result more favorable to Democrats looking to lock in their dominance for years to come. Democratic senators, in particular, are eyeing changes to districts that they say Republicans gerrymandered last cycle when they still controlled the chamber.

State Senator Robert G. Ortt, the Republican leader, said he was troubled by signs that Democrats would undermine the process chosen by voters before it began. He suggested that Democrats, led in Washington by Speaker Nancy Pelosi, had few other options to cling to power: They know that the only way that she remains speaker is if they do this type of gerrymandering, he said.
Recalls in California date back more than a century, to a suite of reforms passed from 1910 to 1913 under Gov. Hiram Johnson, a Republican and progressive crusader. They were the capstone of a yearslong effort to curb the political power of the Southern Pacific railroad, which all but owned the states government and economy, controlling politicians, judges and regulators.

Mr. Johnsons reforms broke the hold, overhauling the states election system and, through a constitutional amendment passed by voters in 1911, instituting the system of referendums, ballot initiatives and the recall. Kevin Starr, a California historian who died in 2017, called this the very re-creation of the political and social order of California.

It is often pointed out that Mr. Johnsons reforms  tools that were explicitly created to curb the influence of big business on Californias politics  have now become a major corporate weapon. This is particularly true of initiatives, which can be put on the ballot with a few million dollars worth of clipboard-holding workers gathering signatures from registered voters.

One recent example was Proposition 22, a $200 million initiative by the ride-sharing companies Uber and Lyft to prevent their drivers from being classified as employees.

That is the bigger problem here, said Jim Newton, a historian and lecturer on public policy at the University of California, Los Angeles, who has written biographies of the governors Earl Warren and Jerry Brown.

Its not whether Gavin Newsom gets 51 percent or we have Gov. Larry Elder. Thats important, but the general premise that the initiative, referendum and recall are intended to curb the influence of powerful special interests has been tipped entirely on its head and it has now become the tool of special interests.

Erwin Chemerinsky, a constitutional law expert and the dean of the School of Law at the University of California, Berkeley, argued that the states recall process is unconstitutional because the two-step nature of the process  with voters deciding whether to recall the sitting governor and then, separately, choosing a replacement  makes it possible for a new governor to take office with less popular support than the old one.
One was blood plasma. Dr. Agarwal and his colleagues had concluded months before that blood plasma did not help Covid-19 patients, a finding that echoed others. The agency dropped the recommendation in May.

The government still recommends a second treatment, the Indian-made malaria drug hydroxychloroquine, despite overwhelming scientific evidence that it is ineffective. Desperate families scrambled to find both during the second wave, creating black markets where prices soared.

Current and former agency scientists said they didnt speak out because they considered the treatments politically protected. Mr. Modis party had organized plasma donation camps last year to mark his 70th birthday. The Indian government also used hydroxychloroquine as a diplomatic tool, winning points with Donald J. Trump, then the American president, and Jair M. Bolsonaro, the Brazilian leader, who both pressured New Delhi last year to lift its export limits on the drug.

If you want to work somewhere for the rest of your life, you want a good relationship with people, Dr. Agarwal said. You just be nonconfrontational about everything.

Dr. Agarwal resigned in October and later worked in Gallup, N.M. Now a physician in Baltimore, he said his experience with the agency had driven him to leave India.

You start questioning your work, you know, he said. And then, you get disillusioned by it.
Canadian Pacific has emerged as the winner in a long-running battle to acquire Kansas City Southern, putting it in position to become the first railroad operator whose network extends from Canada to Mexico.

Its rival in the bidding, Canadian National, said on Wednesday that it had received notice from Kansas City Southern that it was terminating a merger agreement they signed in May.

The decision not to pursue our proposed merger with KCS any further is the right decision for CN as responsible fiduciaries of our shareholders interests, Jean-Jacques Ruest, the chief executive of Canadian National, said in a statement.

At stake was possibly the last major acquisition of a major railroad; mergers have consolidated the industry to seven railways from more than 100. The key component of the deal is access to Mexico, as railroads look to capitalize on trade flows across North America on the heels of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which was signed into law last year.
These often contradictory comments were a perfect encapsulation of Californians mood: They are universally unhappy with the states cost of living and the tent cities that have appeared along freeways, in parks and on beaches. But homeowners remain fiercely protective of their power to say what gets built near them. Kevin Faulconer, a former San Diego mayor and a Republican candidate in the recall election, all but ran away from his own pro-density policies in Californias second-largest city by saying, When we see some of these pieces of legislation that want to eliminate single-family zoning in California, thats wrong.

Mr. Newsom has tried to walk this same line. In 2018, he campaigned on a Marshall Plan for housing that had a goal of delivering 3.5 million new housing units by 2025. He came to regret the figure once he was in the governors chair, and it became fodder for his leading recall opponent, the talk show host Larry Elder, who seized on it as an example of broken promises. Mr. Elder did not need sophisticated research to find fault with the number: In a state that permits around 100,000 housing units a year, delivering 3.5 million  35 years of housing at the current pace  is close to a physical impossibility.

Mr. Newsom has been mostly quiet about big zoning legislation ever since. He did not take a position on Senate Bill 50, a contentious measure that would have allowed apartment buildings in neighborhoods across the state. And he was largely quiet about Senate Bill 9 as it passed through both houses of the State Legislature and lingered on his desk.
As the violence at Rikers has worsened, finger-pointing has ensued: The correction officers union has blamed mismanagement, staffing shortfalls and unsafe conditions for thousands of worker absences. Prosecutors have blamed delays in court for a backlog of detained defendants. Judges have faulted the Correction Department for defendants missing court appointments.

And Mr. de Blasio, who has championed a plan to eventually close the troubled facility, has come under withering criticism both for his handling of the crisis and his failure to visit the jail complex in recent years. The closing plan, approved two years ago by the City Council, has stalled amid objections to creating four new jails around the city to replace Rikers.

This week, after a series of violent episodes and reports of chaotic conditions at Rikers, Mr. de Blasio announced an emergency plan that would allow the Correction Department to suspend without pay workers who were found to be absent without permission. From July 2020 to June of this year, the average number of guards who called in sick each month had more than doubled, while the number of those who were absent without official approval had risen 300 percent.

Tina Luongo, attorney-in-charge of the Criminal Defense Practice at The Legal Aid Society, said that Ms. Hochuls willingness to sign the law, known as the Less is More Act, was a strong first step toward decreasing the population at Rikers.

But Mx. Luongo also said Mr. de Blasio had not done nearly enough to sharply lower the number of detainees at the complex, and urged him to put those serving sentences for low-level crimes on supervised release rather than transferring them to state prison.

Less is More is hugely important, and this is the level of crisis intervention you want to see from leadership, Mx. Luongo said.

I dont see that level of crisis intervention leadership from the mayor. There are still things that must be done, they added. He has the opportunity to do it right now.
To hear more audio stories from publications like The New York Times, download Audm for iPhone or Android.

WASHINGTON  Jen Psaki, President Bidens press secretary, may be the most prominent spokeswoman in American politics, but political fame hits different in the post-Trump era.

The daily White House briefing, once a highly rated staple of daytime TV, rarely appears anymore on cable news. Sean Spicer and Sarah Huckabee Sanders, two former Trump press secretaries, became B-list celebrities; after nine months on the job, Ms. Psaki has not even rated an impersonation on Saturday Night Live.

But a cult of Psaki has proliferated online, where clips of her restrained, if occasionally withering exchanges with reporters have established this once obscure political strategist as an unlikely cultural force. Her retorts earn yas queen praise from liberals, while conservatives jeer her attempts at spin, particularly over the past month, when the confluence of the withdrawal from Afghanistan, extreme weather and coronavirus confusion meant the questions were more pointed and the answers more scrutinized.
Ms. Jobartehs first kora teacher was Mr. Jegede, her half brother, whom she began playing the instrument with at age 3. (Although Mr. Jegede is a virtuoso in his own right, he is not a griot, coming from outside the Jobarteh bloodline.)

She later became determined to carve out a path in classical music. At 14, she took composition lessons at the Purcell School for Young Musicians, outside London. Yet her initial instrument remained in her periphery: The school library displayed a kora that Tunde had donated as a student there. Drawn to it, she tuned and played it, and the school eventually gave it to her.

A year later, she enrolled in the Royal College of Music, where she learned the cello, harpsichord and piano. But her personal musical legacy wasnt welcome. One instructor dismissed the kora as an ethnic thing, she said, and another said of the instrument, If you want to succeed, this is not a part of it.

Three years into her education there, Ms. Jobarteh deliberately failed her annual assessment in piano and cello. I was shaking, she said. It felt so wrong, but I just knew, I cant do this to myself anymore.

The college declined to comment for this article.

Ms. Jobarteh instead asked her father to officially teach her to play the kora, and went on to train with him for several years. He told her, I have a duty to give you what is mine, she recalled.
KARBALA, Iraq  One night in May, Samira Abbas Kadhim was up late, waiting for her son. She poked her head out of the gate of their small house, looking for him down the narrow street.

Five minutes later, as she was in the kitchen, he was shot dead half a block away.

Her son, Ehab al-Wazni, was one of dozens of antigovernment protest leaders believed to have been killed by militia fighters and security forces since the demonstrations escalated two years ago. But his killing stands out as a particularly brazen attack that has rattled his home city, Karbala, the site of some of the holiest sites in Shiite Islam and once considered one of the safest cities in Iraq.

Karbala, the southern Iraqi city whose gold-domed shrines attract Shiite pilgrims from around the world, has become a flash point in Iraqs internal conflict over the presence of dozens of powerful Iranian-backed militias. Instead of being known mostly as a place for quiet prayer and study, it has become a cauldron of competing armed groups and political interests.
4. Relations between France and the U.S. have sunk to their lowest level in decades.

The U.S. and Australia went to extraordinary lengths to keep Paris in the dark as they secretly negotiated a plan to build nuclear submarines, scuttling a defense contract worth at least $60 billion. President Emmanuel Macron of France was so enraged that he recalled the countrys ambassadors to both nations.

Australia approached the new administration soon after President Bidens inauguration. The conventionally powered French subs, the Australians feared, would be obsolete by the time they were delivered. The Biden administration, bent on containing China, saw the deal as a way to cement ties with a Pacific ally.

But the unlikely winner is Britain, who played an early role in brokering the alliance. For its prime minister, Boris Johnson, who will meet this coming week with Biden at the White House and speak at the U.N., it is his first tangible victory in a campaign to make post-Brexit Britain a player on the global stage.
Specific threats of prosecution against some of Googles more than 100 employees inside Russia forced the company to take down the Navalny smartphone app, a person familiar with Googles decision told The New York Times on Friday. Russian courts in recent months have outlawed Mr. Navalnys movement as extremist and declared his smart voting campaign to be illegal.

Nevertheless, Mr. Navalnys allies have been pushing the tactic they call smart voting to pool opposition votes and elect as many challengers to United Russia as possible, no matter the challengers political views. Their campaign garnered support among opposition-minded voters, many of whom managed to find out which candidate the smart voting campaign supported in their district despite Google and Apples compliance with the Russian governments demands.

This is an election without any choice, and while they can make up whatever result is necessary for them, smart voting is a good mechanism, said Philipp Samsonov, 32, a photographer in Moscow. I hope that one day I can vote with my heart.

Mr. Samsonov said he planned to vote for the candidate picked by the Navalny team in his district  in his case, a Communist  as the person with the best chance of defeating the governing partys candidate. Mr. Samsonov also said he planned to vote on Sunday evening to reduce the chances that something would happen to his ballot.

It was too early to tell Sunday evening whether Mr. Navalnys smart voting campaign had borne fruit, with the early results providing little clarity on how individual candidates were faring on a district-by-district level. But nationwide, the surge in support for the Communists and the decline for United Russia reflected an increase in Russian discontent. On a YouTube broadcast Sunday evening, a top aide to Mr. Navalny, Leonid Volkov, described the probable loss of seats by United Russia as progress in the strategy of chipping away at Mr. Putins hold on power.

This is, to put it lightly, a significant shift in the political landscape of the Russian Federation, Mr. Volkov said.
Ms. Toback said about 5 percent of her unions members have not been vaccinated. I believe a lot of unvaccinated employees, not just nurses, are banking on the fact that they are so necessary that they wont be terminated, and they are holding out, she said.

The governors office said workers terminated because they refuse to be vaccinated are not eligible for unemployment insurance unless they provide a doctor-approved request for a medical accommodation.

In announcing New Yorks determination to enforce its deadline, Ms. Hochul said, We are still in a battle against Covid to protect our loved ones, and we need to fight with every tool at our disposal. She also commended the vast majority of state health care workers for getting vaccinated and urged all remaining health care workers who are unvaccinated to do so now so they can continue providing care.

The Greater New York Hospital Association, which represents about 140 health systems and 55 nursing homes, had not issued a response to the governors plan but has supported the deadline for health care workers vaccinations, signaling that staffing shortages can be managed.

Michael A.L. Balboni, executive director of the Greater New York Health Care Facilities Association that represents about 80 nursing homes in the metropolitan area, applauded the governors effort to get more health care workers vaccinated but expressed concern about staffing shortages.

This is a paradox, in that in trying to protect the residents and staff you dont have enough people to provide the services and you could put people in jeopardy, Mr. Balboni said.

Ms. Toback said retirees and others could play a role in helping to alleviate shortages, as they did early in the pandemic. But she said replacement workers were no substitute for experienced nurses who have worked at the same hospital for 13 shifts a month, every month, for years.
Millions of Americans became eligible for booster shots of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine this week, after federal regulators recommended it for people inoculated with that vaccine more than six months ago and who fall into one of three categories: over 65; having underlying medical conditions; or working that put them at risk for infections.

Whether to include that last category was hotly debated among regulators.

On Wednesday, the Federal Drug Administration recommended booster shots for Americans in all three categories. But the following day, the Centers for Disease Controls advisory committee on immunization practices issued its own recommendations, which excluded frontline workers.

On Friday, the C.D.C. director, Dr. Rochelle P. Walensky, overruled her agencys advisers and said frontline workers should be able to get the booster shots. This was a scientific close call, she said told reporters at a White House briefing on Friday. In that situation, it was my call to make.

Dr. Walensky added that it was a decision about providing rather than withholding access.

President Biden on Friday welcomed Dr. Walenskys decision and encouraged eligible people to get the booster shots. At the White House briefing, he also lamented that there were about the 70 million Americans who have chosen not to get vaccinated, and complained about what he called the elected officials actively working to undermine with false information the fight against Covid-19.
Robinhood, the free stock-trading app with 21 million active users and counting, is about to hit the road for a college coffeehouse tour to drum up new customers.

Now where have we heard this one before? Ah, yes, the credit card industry.

The campus antics that the card companies got up to two decades ago were so egregious that they helped lead to a 2009 federal law that made it harder for anyone under 21 to get their products in the first place.

There are some important differences. Credit card issuers can put marks on your record that can keep you from qualifying for an apartment or other services years later. Robinhood is handing out a mere $15 to give each student a taste of investing.

But heres what they have in common: Both products are habit-forming, and if you get in over your head, the ramifications can be costly.
People 65 and older, residents of long-term care facilities and adults who have certain medical conditions qualify for the boosters. But after Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the C.D.C. director, overruled her experts Friday by including people at greater risk of exposure to the virus because of their jobs, millions of people whom her advisory committee had left out became eligible for a third shot.

Those of us overseeing vaccine rollouts dont have a clear idea of what to do, said Dr. Clay Marsh, West Virginias Covid-19 czar.

The F.D.A. is reviewing data for a Moderna booster but has not received an application from Johnson & Johnson for a booster of its vaccine.
Voting closes in Germanys election

Early exit polls showed a tight race after Germans voted on a new Parliament. Their choice will determine who succeeds Chancellor Angela Merkel at the helm of the E.U.s most populous democracy. Here are the latest updates.

The countrys two largest parties, the Social Democrats and Merkels Christian Democrats, were either tied or within a percentage point of each other in the polls.

Each of the parties, which have governed together in a coalition under Merkel for 12 of the past 16 years, appeared to fall short of the 30 percent mark. Such a result would represent the first time that Merkels party had fallen that low among voters since its founding in 1945.

With many more people voting by mail than usual because of the pandemic, organizers were cautioning that it might take longer than it typically would to count the ballots.
BEIJING  In any other country, the sudden collapse of a corporate titan with more than $300 billion in debt would send shock waves across the economy. Headlines would blare. Banks would shudder. Investors would panic.

A corporate collapse of that scale may happen soon. But it would be in China, where the Communist Party keeps a firm grip on money, corporate boardrooms, the media and the broader society. Those controls may be facing one of their toughest tests yet, but Beijing is signaling that it feels up to the challenge  even if it will first try to teach big investors and companies a bitter lesson about lending recklessly.

The financial world is watching the struggles of China Evergrande Group, one of the largest property developers on earth and certainly the most indebted. Last week, a deadline to make an $83 million payment to foreign investors came and went with no indication that Evergrande had met its obligations, raising questions about what would happen if its huge debt load went sour.

The Chinese government doesnt want to move in yet because it hopes Evergrandes struggles will show other Chinese companies that they need to be disciplined in their finances, say people with knowledge of its deliberations who insisted on anonymity. But it has an array of financial tools that it believes are strong enough to stem a financial panic if matters worsen.
Times Insider explains who we are and what we do, and delivers behind-the-scenes insights into how our journalism comes together.

In early August, when The Times Magazine reached out to the photographer Vera Lutter about documenting ancient Athenian ruins, she was in her native Germany mourning her father, who died this summer. At the time, European news had been dominated by reports of wildfires in Greece  an ill omen for the clear skies and uphill hikes required to shoot atop the Acropolis.

And Shannon Simon, a photo editor producing the project for the magazine, said they needed the pictures by September.

On Monday, during an interview at her studio about her work that appears in the Magazines Voyages issue, Ms. Lutter had a question of her own to ask about the newspaper.

What I would love to hear from you, she said, is do you think they knew what they were getting themselves into?
The official-looking letters started arriving soon after Shanetta Little bought the cute Tudor house on Ivy Street in Newark. Bearing a golden seal, in aureate legalistic language, the documents claimed that an obscure 18th-century treaty gave the sender rights to claim her new house as his own.

She dismissed the letters as a hoax.

And so it was with surprise that Ms. Little found herself in her yard on Ivy Street on a June afternoon as a police SWAT team negotiated with a man who had broken in, changed her locks and hung a red and green flag in its window. He claimed he was a sovereign citizen of a country that does not exist and for whom United States laws do not apply.

Ms. Little was a victim of a ploy known as paper terrorism, a favorite tactic of an extremist group that is one of the fastest growing, according to government experts and watchdog organizations. Known as the Moorish sovereign citizen movement, and loosely based around a theory that Black people are foreign citizens bound only by arcane legal systems, it encourages followers to violate existent laws in the name of empowerment. Experts say it lures marginalized people to its ranks with the false promise that they are above the law.

The man who entered her house, Hubert A. John of Los Angeles, was arrested on June 17 and charged with criminal mischief, burglary, criminal trespass and making terroristic threats. Prosecutors in New Jersey are preparing to take the case before a grand jury, according to Katherine Carter, a spokeswoman for the Essex County Prosecutors office. He was released on his own recognizance.
Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, the Egyptian general who took charge of the country when Hosni Mubarak was forced to step down amid the 2011 Arab Spring uprising, died on Tuesday. He was 85.

His death was announced by Egypts presidency. A person close to his family said he died in a hospital in Cairo.

Field Marshal Tantawi, Mr. Mubaraks defense minister for some 20 years, was chairman of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, which took power after Mr. Mubarak was ousted. Known to be unquestioningly loyal to the former president, he oversaw a crackdown on pro-democracy protesters that continued under Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Egypts current president. General el-Sisis government has since rolled back many of the freedoms won in 2011.

Field Marshal Tantawis death came 19 months after Mr. Mubarak died in a Cairo military hospital.

Mohamed Hussein Tantawi Soliman was born in Cairo on Oct. 31, 1935. He fought in the 1956 Suez crisis and the 1967 and 1973 wars with Israel. He became defense minister in 1991, two years after Mr. Mubarak removed Field Marshal Abdul-Halim Abu Ghazalah, reportedly because of his growing popularity.
When it was reported that then-President Trump called Haiti a shithole country, Biden responded on Twitter, saying: Its not how a president should speak. Its not how a president should behave. Most of all, its not what a president should believe. Were better than this.

But deporting these Haitians is worse, not better. The Biden administration and Democrats in general always seem to say the right things on racial issues, but too often their deeds come up short when measured against their talk.

As a justification for many of the deportations, the Biden administration invoked Title 42, which allows deportations based on supposed health risks. The Associated Press pointed out, The Trump administration invoked it in March 2020 to sweeping effect, prohibiting entry by virtually anyone from Mexico and Canada and essentially sealing the northern and southern borders. Isnt that ironic.

Whats more, these particular migrants were being deported to a country many havent been to in years. Many of them didnt leave Haiti in 2021; they left it years ago. And they were being deported into danger. Haiti has recently been devastated by an earthquake, flooding from a hurricane, and the assassination of the president.

The administrations own special envoy to Haiti resigned Thursday, refusing to be part of the administrations inhumane expulsions regime, citing the fact that Haiti is so dangerous right now that even American officials are confined to secure compounds because of the danger posed by armed gangs to daily life.

And yet the Biden administration refused to give any indication that it would stop invoking Title 42, The Washington Post reported Friday.

It seems to me that Biden tried to simultaneously eliminate the horrible optics the migrants present  and to do so as quickly as possible  and blunt the already loud criticism from Republicans that he is mishandling immigration and has an open-borders policy. (No wonder, then, that the migrant encampment beneath the Del Rio bridge has already been cleared.)
We therefore have obligations to others, even obligations that we do not willingly choose. Our personal preferences and maximal autonomy must be set aside for the sake of loving our neighbor and for the common good.

Its rarely admitted aloud but asking someone to seek the good of others is often a call to suffering in one degree or another. When pro-lifers ask a mother to carry a baby to term, they are asking her to take up inconvenience, sorrow, financial strain and pain on behalf of another.

Over the past year as weve asked people to go into lockdown, cancel their travel plans or family gatherings, close or curtail their retail businesses, wear masks and get vaccinated, we are asking them to assume some level of financial and personal risk for the greater good  for strangers, for the elderly, for the immunocompromised, for the medical community. We can and should enact legislation like paid family leave, no-cost health care and other measures to support mothers, just as we support economic relief for those affected by Covid prevention. But we cannot deny that even if we seek to lessen the load, we are asking people to bear a burden.

How do you call a society committed to personal freedom and happiness to bear the burdens of others? Most of us intuitively grasp that theres more to life than living for oneself and ones own happiness or comfort. But we lack a positive vision for the purpose of individual liberty.

Thomas Aquinas, a medieval Catholic theologian, gave us the gorgeous and helpful phrase arduous good. An arduous good is a good that requires struggle, Ron Belgau wrote in a 2013 article for First Things, a good that is worth fighting for. And a good that inspires fear and hope and endurance in the face of adversity. Arduous good is also a phrase that is seldom spoken in Hollywood, and almost never heard on Madison Avenue. In that silence, the poverty of our culture is laid bare.

Consumer capitalism is not going to teach us about how to pursue arduous goods, nor is technological progress, nor is either American political party. Theoretically, religious communities are places that train us toward ends other than individual autonomy. They point us to something bigger and higher than ourselves, calling us to love God and our neighbors. However, this is unfortunately not always the case. Many religious communities have lost their ability to articulate an alternative to the sovereignty of personal choice and individual autonomy.

Christian churches have often imbibed the same overarching commitment to personal choice. The dogma of maximal individual freedom often trumps whatever other dogmas we may confess each Sunday.
An enduring image of the pandemic is that of schoolchildren huddled outside libraries and McDonalds and Starbucks locations, desperate to find an internet signal. The lack of reliable and speedy internet service in broad areas of the nation, exposed by remote school and work, is the result of decades of underinvestment in broadband infrastructure.

But maps are another culprit. Maps that tell the federal government who has access to broadband service and at what speeds are completely unreliable. The Federal Communications Commissions official broadband map is almost wholly reliant on disclosures from broadband service companies that have an incentive to make their coverage areas appear more widespread. And they get to claim coverage of an entire census block with broadband if they reach just one residence within the area, which can cover hundreds of homes or, in some cases, thousands of square miles.

Our broadband maps are terrible, said Jessica Rosenworcel, the agencys acting chair.

Lawmakers have allocated some $65 billion to address internet connectivity issues in the infrastructure bill wending its way toward the White House. The F.C.C. has a $20 billion fund to disburse over the next 10 years to help companies reach rural areas. But the federal government still doesnt know precisely where the problem areas are, in large part because of the F.C.C.s flawed mapping.

The faulty maps flummoxed Dustin Ogilvie, a cybersecurity expert, who said he spent the better part of two years searching for a house to buy in suburban Chicago that could offer broadband availability and speeds as promised by the F.C.C. online. It looks like theres availability, and then you ask the companies, and they say there isnt, he said. This system is just not designed for regular people. I dont see how anyone can be expected to use it.

Some houses in a neighborhood had broadband internet, while adjacent homes didnt. One company offered to extend a line some 500 feet to a house he was considering in Union, Ill., but it would cost him $87,000.

Wireless coverage maps can be even harder to decipher than those for broadband. T-Mobile and AT&T use different shades of pink or blue to differentiate their 5G service from slower wireless service offerings. Splotches on Verizons red color-coded U.S. maps combine its supposed nationwide 5G service with its more sluggish LTE service.
To the Editor:

Re Shunning Shot, but Lining Up for Antibodies (front page, Sept. 19):

Id like to say that those are my treatments and I want them back. I am a 24-year-old medical student who has suffered from crippling juvenile rheumatoid arthritis since I was 15. After several years of struggling, I was finally started on a monoclonal antibody infusion regimen that has allowed me to live a completely pain-free, normal life for the past five years.

However, almost two months ago I was informed by my infusion center that all reserves of my medication must go to Covid patients in the hospital (the vast majority of whom are unvaccinated), so I have been forced to return to living in chronic pain on less effective medications.

As a medical student I am taught that in times of crisis resources must go to the sickest patients, but still, the thought keeps running through my head: They chose not to get vaccinated; I didnt have a choice not to get arthritis, but now we must both suffer.

Ellie Cook

Yakima, Wash.

To the Editor:

This story reveals that many people who have not received a Covid-19 vaccination are lining up to receive monoclonal antibodies after contracting the virus and experiencing symptoms. The federal government covers the cost of the treatment and is in charge of distribution of the drug to the states. The antibody treatment is 100 times more costly than the vaccine.
The $380 cash price is posted on the GS Labs website. In legal documents, it has said that it pays approximately $20 for the rapid test itself. Mr. Erickson says the high price reflects the premium service they provide patients, as well as the $37 million in start-up costs associated with building their laboratory network in less than a year.

You can book 15 minutes out with us on any given day, and get your results in 15 to 20 minutes, Mr. Erickson said, pointing to the scarcity of testing at many drugstores. We have a nursing hotline where you can get your results interpreted. Our pricing is one of the most expensive in the nation because we have the best service in the nation.

Health policy experts who reviewed the GS Labs prices said that, even with the companys investment in its service, it was hard to understand why their tests should cost eight times the Medicare rate of $41.

This is not like neurosurgery where you might want to pay a premium for someone to have years of experience, said Sabrina Corlette, a research professor at Georgetown who has studied coronavirus testing prices.

Even though she felt its price was exceptionally high, Ms. Corlette and other experts said GS Labs had strong legal grounds to continue charging it because of how Congress wrote the CARES Act. Whatever price the lab puts on their public-facing website, that is what has to be paid, she said. I dont read a whole lot of wiggle room in it.

GS Labs is owned by City+Ventures, a real estate and investment firm. It started its first testing site last October and, at its peak, operated 30 locations across the country.
For Black-owned funeral businesses, the pain of the coronavirus pandemic has been two-pronged: Many funeral workers are mourning their own colleagues who have died from the virus, all while experiencing burnout from having to preside over countless services for their Black patrons and neighbors who have died at disproportionate rates from Covid.

More than 130 Black morticians and funeral directors have died across the country since the start of the pandemic, according to Hari P. Close, the president of the National Funeral Directors & Morticians Association and the operator of a funeral home in Baltimore. The true death toll is unknown because the association doesnt keep an official tally of deaths among its members. The number of Black funeral staffers who have died from Covid is also unknown, but could be in the hundreds, Mr. Close said. There are about 3,300 Black licensed morticians and funeral directors in the U.S., and about 2,000 Black-owned funeral homes and services.

In the Black community, funeral directors and morticians are often the pillars of their towns, Mr. Close said. But beyond that, theyre friends and family. And so our industry has been completely devastated by this pandemic.

Over the last 18 months, workers at funeral homes and mortuaries in the United States have been on the front lines of a pandemic that has killed more than 675,000 people. The toll has been particularly hard on funeral parlors in Black communities. The death rate for Black Americans with Covid-19 has been almost two times higher than for white Americans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
There is already plenty of grumbling in the partys leadership. Some fault Mr. Biden for blessing the effort by a bipartisan group of senators to hive off traditional infrastructure from the larger budget bill, thus separating it from spending programs like an initiative on rural broadband that could have helped bring reluctant moderates along.

Senate leaders wish Ms. Pelosi had not let her committee leaders draft pieces of the bill on their own, since the measure being stitched together this weekend is likely to cost well over $3.5 trillion and build expectations that will have to be dashed.

House Democrats have been kept largely in the dark about the Senates plans, since Mr. Schumer is writing his version behind closed doors. But, they complain, he has not pushed his committee chairmen to nail down their positions and line up their votes, so they can begin negotiating with their House counterparts.

For her part, some of Ms. Pelosis problems are arguably of her own making. When a small group of centrist Democrats threatened to vote against a budget blueprint needed to push through the social policy and climate change bill without the promise of a quick vote on the Senate-passed infrastructure bill, the speaker largely gave in, initially committing to a vote on the infrastructure measure by Monday before announcing that it would be on Thursday.

Ms. Pelosis much larger caucus of liberal Democrats have said they will not vote for that legislation until Congress advances their priority, the climate change and social policy measure.

Now, Monday is upon her, and the larger bill is nowhere close to ready, so Ms. Pelosi tried to create at least the appearance of progress in hopes of securing liberal votes for the infrastructure bill. That has meant a largely meaningless declaration on Thursday that an agreement had been reached on a framework for paying for the larger bill, and a rare Saturday session of the House Budget Committee to formally draft a 2,465-page version of the bill that has no chance of passage  and little prospects even for a vote in the full House.
Its become fairly routine, and there have been very few issues. Thats what makes the Marine response in this case so surprising, said Giselle Klapper, a civil rights attorney with an advocacy group, the Sikh Coalition, which has helped Sikh troops apply for exceptions.

But the Marine Corps doesnt like to retreat and has never given much weight to what the other military branches do. It is the smallest of the long-established branches and regards itself as the most elite. It has often resisted changes for years after the rest of the military moved on. The Corps was the last branch to allow Black men to enlist, and it balked at a 2015 mandate to allow women to serve in combat.

The Corpss argument, time after time, has been that change could hobble its ability to fight.

In order to build squads that will move forward in a combat environment where people are dying, a strong team bond is required, Col. Kelly Frushour, a spokeswoman for Marine Headquarters, said in written responses to questions from The New York Times about Lieutenant Toors case. Uniformity is one of the tools the Corps uses to forge that bond. What the Corps is protecting is its ability to win on the battlefield, so that the Constitution can remain the law of the land.

Requests for accommodations have been rare in the Corps. Among roughly 180,000 active-duty Marines, there have been just 33 applications in recent years for exceptions to uniform regulations on religious grounds, including requests concerning long hair, beards or more modest physical training clothing. About two-thirds of the requests were approved, but before Lieutenant Toor, no one had been given permission to wear a beard or visible religious headwear.

Lieutenant Toor grew up in Washington and Ohio, the son of Indian immigrants. His father wore a beard, a turban and other symbols of Sikh religious devotion, including a simple steel bracelet and small blade that are meant to remind faithful Sikhs that they are expected to act as virtuous  and if necessary, armed  defenders of the innocent and oppressed.

Growing up in the wake of the terrorist attacks of 2001, Lieutenant Toor knew that many Americans wrongly associated Sikhs with dangerous religious fanatics. He hoped his military service would help change that.
By Tuesday afternoon, one protester had appeared, standing tall in a green flowered jacket and green flats, praying and looking toward the clinics security booth. Inside, Louis Padilla, the security guard, was watching her. She is a regular, and sometimes he walks outside to debate her.

Mr. Padilla said that he was Catholic and Republican, but that he was won over to the cause of the clinic after working there for a while. Each woman has her own story, he said, and who are men like him to judge them? He mows the clinics lawn, puts up its flag and sometimes fixes appliances because repairmen refuse to come to an abortion clinic. He even bought a drone with his own money to watch the protesters outside.

The situation in Texas may be temporary. A hearing on Oct. 1 will give the laws opponents another chance to convince a judge to suspend it. But other restrictions are looming. In Oklahoma there are five, including a law that requires abortion providers to be board-certified obstetricians. If it takes effect as scheduled on Nov. 1, four of the eight doctors licensed to work at Trust Women could no longer do so.

Samerah made it to the Oklahoma clinic with the help of financial assistance funds, which covered plane tickets for her and her son. Her abortion was covered too. But her partner had to pay his own way there. He was fired, she said, when he asked for time off. And she lost several days pay.

She does not believe that the people who passed the law considered the consequences for women like her. Those officials, she said, go to their jobs in their car that doesnt have problems starting up, with a tire that is not flat.
KIGALI, Rwanda  Theoneste Bagosora, a senior Rwandan military figure who was one of the masterminds of the Rwandan genocide, died on Saturday in a prison in Mali. He was 80.

His death was confirmed by an official with the United Nations International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals in The Hague. The official did not specify the cause of death.

Mr. Bagosora was convicted of genocide and crimes against humanity in 2008 and was serving a 35-year sentence, which was reduced from life in prison. He was the cabinet director for Rwandas Ministry of Defense during the 1994 genocide, in which ethnic Hutu extremists killed as many as 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus in just 100 days.

In the three days after April 6, 1994, when the plane of the Rwandan president, Juvenal Habyarimana, crashed, Mr. Bagosora was found to have assumed the power of the highest authority in the Ministry of Defense, besides holding significant influence on political affairs.
They have also formed several cooperatives, and on a recent day construction was underway for a supermarket, a produce collection center, a processed food plant and a restaurant.

More than 60 children have been born here since 2016.

Success is far from certain. Its unclear if any of these businesses will be profitable, or how long government and donor funds will last.

And the village president, Feliciano Florez  still best known by his nom de guerre, Leider Mendez  said that they live in fear. Since the deal was signed, at least 286 former combatants have been killed, according to the United Nations  many by armed groups, some for supporting the peace deal.

But Mr. Florez, 27, sitting on his porch with his toddler on his lap, encouraged Colombians not to lose faith in the peace promised by the accord.

Were committed, he said. But I believe its a job we all have to do together.

The thing is, he added, there is no other way.
No official representing Myanmar will speak on Monday, the final day of the United Nations General Assembly plenary, U.N. officials said, in an apparent 11th-hour compromise that would deny a global platform to the countrys warring democratic and militarist factions.

Myanmars credentialed U.N. ambassador, U Kyaw Moe Tun, was scheduled to speak on Monday. Mr. Kyaw Moe Tun was appointed by the government that was toppled by a coup in February. He has since publicly assailed the junta that now governs the country, but which is not widely recognized by the international community.

Myanmar was previously included on a roster of speakers. But Stephane Dujarric, the chief U.N. spokesman, said in an email on Saturday that Myanmar is not on the speakers list.

Mr. Kyaw Moe Tun did not respond to requests for comment. But he told Reuters that he had withdrawn from the list. Myanmar, one of 193 U.N. member states, no longer appears on the lineup of country representatives who have yet to speak at the annual meeting.
Jonathan Mirsky, who brought a historians expertise to many decades of writing about China, notably as a correspondent for The Observer of London during the Tiananmen Square crackdown in 1989 and as a longtime contributor to The New York Review of Books, died on Sept. 5 at his home in London. He was 88.

His death was confirmed by the former British diplomat Roger Garside, a close friend.

Dr. Mirsky was a professor of Chinese language and history at Dartmouth College when he visited China for the first time, in 1972. An antiwar activist and a self-described Mao fan, he went as part of a group representing the Committee of Concerned Asian Scholars, a radical coalition dedicated to ending the war in Vietnam.

At the time, China was in the throes of the Cultural Revolution, but few outside the country knew the full scale of the upheaval that had been set off by Mao Zedong. Not long after arriving in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong, the visiting group was whisked off to meet what was described as a typical Chinese worker family. Mr. Mirsky came away impressed. The family seemed prosperous, with a nicely appointed home. Crime, the group was told, was nonexistent.

The next morning, on a stroll around the neighborhood, Dr. Mirsky bumped into the father from that typical family. He invited Dr. Mirsky, who was fluent in Mandarin, into his real home, a shabby apartment, and explained that the group had in fact been in a show apartment arranged by the Chinese authorities for foreign friends. The man said further that there was no shortage of crime.
Yet the more telling complaint is that he has simply failed to make his presence felt in a way that showcases the partys positions or enhances its standing with the public. Nor, critics say, has he exploited Mr. Johnsons numerous setbacks.

Elected last year following Labours catastrophic 2019 defeat, Mr. Starmer has spent much of his leadership detoxifying a party whose image was marred by persistent infighting over allegations of anti-Semitism. That culminated in the suspension of Mr. Corbyn, who remains excluded from Labours parliamentary group.

That focus on interparty turmoil, along with the 80-seat majority that Mr. Johnsons conservatives enjoy, has relegated Labour to the role of an onlooker in Parliament  so much so that Mr. Johnson brazenly broke a vow and raised taxes this month without fear that Mr. Starmer and his colleagues could do much to take advantage of it.

Perhaps mindful of the need to confront the Conservatives more aggressively, Mr. Starmer stepped up his criticism this weekend, telling the BBC that there had been a complete lack of planning by the government over the shortage of truck drivers that has Britons anxious about the delivery of fuel and goods.

In terms of election strategy, Labour faces a huge challenge. In 2019, it lost a clutch of parliamentary seats in its former strongholds  the middle and north of the country  as working-class voters warmed to Mr. Johnson, with his pro-Brexit agenda and willingness to wade into culture wars.

That left Mr. Starmer with the unenviable task of winning back those traditional Labour voters behind the so-called red wall without alienating anti-Brexit supporters in big cities like London, where the partys support is increasingly concentrated.

His bad luck is that the pandemic has dominated the media agenda, keeping the government at center stage and giving it a megaphone to trumpet its leadership role, whether merited or not.
The P.S.D. has lost votes to Chega ever since, and analysts say that might be partly why the party is so interested in Ms. Garcia. In many ways, her campaign seems less about whether she wins  the P.S.D. has not run Amadora in years  but more about changing the partys image to cater more to the political extreme.

Its a sign theyre trying to engage with the ideology of the far right, said Marina Costa Lobo, a political scientist at the University of Lisbon. By selecting this woman as a candidate for Amadora, which is ethnically diverse, they are validating a certain discourse.

For her part, Ms. Garcia says she is often misunderstood. In an interview, she spoke of growing up in Mozambique (where her father was based as a geologist), and arriving in Portugal at age 12, an experience she said gave her insight into the challenge of being an immigrant from Africa. Though white, she claims some Black ancestry (from one grandmother), noting that many of her relatives are darker than she is.

In her television appearances, though, Ms. Garcia, 45, has a different tone. In 2016, she became a commentator on SOS 24, a television show focusing on crime news, and soon became known for her provocative language and heated debate style, which often involved yelling down those who disagreed with her in the studio. Hate crimes were one of her most impassioned topics.

In 2019, Luis Giovani dos Santos Rodrigues, a 21-year-old student from Cape Verde, was heading home from a party when a group of men armed with belts surrounded him and his friends. They beat Mr. dos Santos, who died in a hospital days later.

Ms. Garcia soon stepped into an ensuing debate over whether the attack should be treated as a hate crime.
Until now, couples in same-sex partnerships could not use Swiss sperm banks. They had also been prohibited from adopting children, even though unmarried people were allowed to do so.

It is clearly discrimination based on sexual orientation, said Maria von Kanel, who is a president of the committee leading the yes campaign and is herself in a same-sex partnership with two children.

Everyone should be treated equally, she said.

Swiss L.G.B.T.Q. organizations estimate that up to 30,000 children are currently being raised by same-sex parents in Switzerland, but the legal barriers in the country meant that many of those couples had to go abroad to start their families.

Using images of crying babies on posters plastered in towns and cities across Switzerland, the opponents had focused their campaign on their opposition to the right of same-sex couples to have children.

Daniel Frischknecht, one of the leaders of the opposition to the proposed legal change, said that supporters of the no campaign opposed the change to the marriage laws because they felt it undermined traditional families. We are convinced that for children to grow up in the best possible way, they need a father and a mother, he said.

For opponents, the vote was about more than just same-sex marriage and Mr. Frischknecht likened its significance for Swiss society to the bursting of a dam. It will go on and on, he said, referring to the legalizing of additional options for couples to have children, such as through surrogacy or using donor eggs. We will save what there is to save, he said.

Despite the changes to the marriage law, Ms. von Kanel said there were still a few important points that it did not take into account, such as if both parents would be entitled to parental leave, including in situations where couples undergo reproductive assistance or fertility treatment abroad.
LONDON  Responding to an escalating crisis, Prime Minister Boris Johnson of Britain reversed course this weekend and offered thousands of visas to foreign truckers to combat a driver shortage that has left some supermarket shelves empty and caused long lines at gas stations.

The decision, announced late Saturday, reflects the growing alarm within the government over a disruption to supplies that has prompted panic buying and, in some places, caused fuel to run out and gas stations to close.

So great is the concern that there has been speculation that the military could be called up to drive trucks. That has not yet happened, but Defense Ministry staff members will be asked to help speed up the process for truck licensing applications.

Late Sunday night, in a move underscoring the growing anxiety over the fuel shortage, the business secretary, Kwasi Kwarteng, said he was temporarily exempting fuel companies from the law regulating competition, so that they could share information and optimize supply at stations that need it most.
China would certainly arrest him if he ever returned.

I first met Mr. Qassim days after his arrival in 2006 in Tirana, the Albanian capital. At the time, he was despondent. China was demanding that Albania hand him over, describing him and his fellow Uyghurs from Guantanamo as part of a terrorist force with close relations to Al Qaeda and the Taliban.

He was also very confused, not really sure where the Americans had sent him. He and his fellow Uyghurs were confined to a converted army barracks that had rusty barbed wire on the windows and felt like another prison. Speaking only Uyghur and Chinese, he could not communicate with anyone in his host country and did not know what the Albanians intended to do with him.

His spirits have now lifted considerably. Albania, a former Communist dictatorship and close friend of Chinas in the era of Mao Zedong but now a member of NATO and a steadfast American ally, declined Beijings requests that he be sent to China. Instead, it gave him money to rent an apartment, as well as a monthly allowance for food. He found work in a pizza parlor, made friends at a Tirana mosque and started a new family.

He now speaks fluent Albanian and has forgotten much of the Chinese that he was obliged to learn growing up in Xinjiang.

The tiny Balkan nation that took him in, which recently committed to admitting up to 4,000 Afghans in need of shelter, has a tradition of hosting people in need, the countrys foreign minister, Olta Xhacka, said in an interview.
In a critically acclaimed documentary on the rescue of women and girls sexually enslaved by ISIS, tension-filled scenes play out in a Syrian detention camp and later in a safe house where victims are faced with agonizing choices.

The film, Sabaya, from Sweden, won the prestigious Sundance Film Festival award for best director of a foreign documentary this year and opened the Human Rights Film Festival last week in Berlin. Critics gave it glowing reviews; its real-life scenes of car chases and rescue attempts are as dramatic as any fictional thriller.

But the film has upset some of the very people it was intended to celebrate: women from Iraqs Yazidi religious minority who were sexually enslaved by the Islamic State terrorist group for years and who are the main subjects. They and their advocates say it violated the rights of women, who had already been denied virtually all control over their lives, to decide whether they want images used.

Three of the Yazidi women in the documentary told The New York Times that they did not understand what the films director, Hogir Hirori, planned to do with the footage or were told that the film would not be accessible in Iraq or Syria. A fourth said she knew he was making a film, but told him she did not want to be in it. A Kurdish-Swedish doctor who helped Yazidi women also made clear that she did not want to appear in the documentary.
JERUSALEM  Israeli forces killed five Palestinians in armed confrontations in the occupied West Bank early on Sunday, according to Israeli officials. They said the gun battles occurred during a series of raids intended to thwart a terrorist attack on Israeli civilians.

Two Israeli soldiers were also severely wounded in one of the shootouts. The military said it was investigating whether they were hurt by Israeli fire.

The military wing of Hamas, the Islamic group that holds sway in the coastal territory of Gaza, claimed three of the dead as its members. Palestinian Islamic Jihad, an extremist group backed by Iran, claimed a fourth as its martyr.

The raids took place simultaneously in the Jenin area in the northern West Bank and in a central area between Jerusalem and Ramallah.
The Prime Minister of South Korea said on Sunday that the nation would soon start administering booster shots to medical workers and people in their 60s and older, as the country battled a new wave of infections after a national holiday.

South Korea has seen a spike in infections in recent days as millions of people returned home after Chuseok, a three-day holiday celebrating the fall harvest. On Sunday, Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum said the vaccination campaign would speed up. More than 85 percent of new cases in the past couple of weeks were people who had not been fully vaccinated, he said. Details of the new plan will be announced on Monday.

We feel the sharp repercussions from the mass migration during the Chuseok holiday, Mr. Kim said. We had anticipated this to a degree, but we face a serious situation, given the scale and speed of the increase in new cases.

South Korea warned earlier this month that its surge in cases tied to the Delta variant jeopardized plans to return to a more normal way of life in November. The nation has already started relaxing some restrictions, including allowing restaurants and bars to stay open until 10 p.m., as vaccinations have picked up. But more than 18 months into the pandemic, there is growing fatigue, and the government is unsure how strictly South Koreans are following the measures.
How and when can I get a booster if I qualify?

The White House could begin promoting and rolling out a plan for booster shots as soon as Friday. Health departments, pharmacies and doctors offices will dispense boosters much the same way that they administered the first and second doses. Call ahead to find out about scheduling, and bring your vaccine card. Proof of an underlying medical condition wont be required, but you may want to discuss the risks and benefits with your doctor.

You will be able to find more information about getting a booster shot in the coming days on your states health department website or pharmacy websites. People who are immune compromised also can talk to their physicians about the best way to get a third shot. Since the F.D.A. fully approved the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine as a two-dose regimen last month, physicians have had broad latitude to prescribe a third dose to people they deemed in need of one.

What if its been less than six months since I was vaccinated?

While people who are severely immune compromised can get a third shot sooner, everyone else who qualifies should wait until at least six months after their second shots. In addition to a lack of safety data, getting a booster too soon is probably a waste of a dose and may not increase your antibodies in a meaningful way.

Will a third dose ever be available to the general public?

While the Biden administration has said it supported booster shots for everyone who is eight months post-vaccination, the plan has been rejected by F.D.A. scientists. But the recommendation could change in the coming weeks or months as more data becomes available on the durability of vaccine antibodies over time. The good news is that the consensus in the scientific community is that all the vaccines continue to provide strong protection against severe illness, hospitalization and death from Covid-19.

What are the side effects of booster shots?

While data are limited, so far reactions reported after the third mRNA dose from Pfizer or Moderna were similar to those of the two-dose series: fatigue and pain at the injection site were the most commonly reported side effects, and, overall, most symptoms were mild to moderate, the C.D.C. says. A survey from Israel, where booster shots already are being given, found that 88 percent of Pfizer vaccine recipients said that in the days after the third dose, they felt similar or better to how they felt after the second shot. About a third of respondents reported some side effects, with the most common being soreness at the injection site, and 1 percent said they sought medical treatment because of one or more side effects.

Can I mix Covid vaccines?

Its not recommended. For now, Pfizer vaccine recipients are advised to get a Pfizer booster shot, and Moderna and Johnson & Johnson recipients should wait until booster doses are approved for their manufacturers vaccine.

Some people who have received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine are seeking a Pfizer booster shot on their own. San Francisco health officials have said that they will accommodate these requests as long as people consult with their doctors first.
BERLIN  Germans will vote on a new government on Sunday and for the first time since 2005, Angela Merkel is not running. After nearly 16 years in power, Ms. Merkel, 67, will leave control of Europes largest economy to a new chancellor.

The race for the chancellery is wide open and in the wake of Brexit and the election of President Biden in the United States, the world will be watching to see which direction Germans take their country.

What is at stake?

Guiding Germany out of the coronavirus pandemic, with a focus on reviving the economy, remains a most pressing issue on the domestic front. Climate policies, which have become more urgent after recent floods, and greening of the countrys industrial sector are also on voters minds. And digitization and ensuring social equality and security have also featured in debates.

Whoever takes power will decide how much to build on Ms. Merkels policies and how much to set the country on a new course. If her conservative party remains in power, there is likely to be more consistency than if the Social Democrats are returned to power, or the environmentalist Greens make history and take the chancellery for the first time.
Ice Miller Strategies has signed on as the lead PA shop for Liberia as that African nation, which was settled by freed American slaves, celebrates its bicentennial in 2022.

Liberia president George Weah said Aug. 27 in Monrovia that the bicentennial program will be a year-long celebration commencing Jan. 2022.

He said the effort would offer Africans and friends of Liberia in the diaspora to reunite with Liberia.

Ice Miller manages a bicentennial team that includes Strom Public Affairs (Columbia, SC) and Carbon Thread (Atlanta).

It will represent Liberia before the Biden administration, Congress, federal agencies and multilateral groups that have stakes in Liberias economic and national security interests, according to its engagement letter.

The shop will develop and execute a US media strategy for Liberia, Weah and other Liberian officials to raise the countrys profile.

The Ice Miller team will create a comprehensive brand, digital and creative plan for Liberia and Weah with a focus on elevating the profile of Liberias reunion bicentennial, tourism and culture with Black Americans.

Jarrod Loadholt, partner in Ice Millers PA group, is the primary contact for the Liberians. He is assisted by Guillermo Christensen, office managing partner in DC, and Timothy Day, a principal.

Liberia will pay Ice Miller $300K annually for a three-year period that began Aug. 1. There is an option to renew for another one-year period.

Strom Public Affairs is in line for a $10K monthly fee for its three-year effort, while Carbon Thread will earn $20K per month.
PEOPLE who allegedly breached Covid-19 travel restrictions earlier this year and then failed to turn up in court for the resulting prosecutions are now facing arrest.

Last Wednesday alone Judge Catherine Staines issued bench warrants for seven people who were summonsed to appear before Tullamore District Court but did not do so.

The previous Monday there were nine summonses before the court for similar alleged offences.

I think it's important in these cases that the people would actually be in court. That's why I'm issuing warrants, said Judge Staines.

Sergeant James O'Sullivan said when a summons was served on a man with a Mullingar address for an alleged breach of the restrictions on the Arden Road in Tullamore, he wrote a comment on the document saying he wouldn't be here.

A warrant was issued for him by Judge Staines.

Warrants were also issued for a man from Brosna, Birr, who was stopped by Garda Pat McGee on the Kinnitty Road in Kilcormac on January 29 last.

Another driver with an address in Roscrea did not appear in court either, having been summonsed for an alleged breach at the same location on the same date.

A motorist with an address in Derrinturn, Carbury, Co Kildare is accused of a similar offence at Fr Kearns Street in Edenderry on February 13, and three others, with addresses in Knocklyon, Dublin 16, are alleged to have breached the travel restrictions on the Arden Road in Tullamore on March 6.

Angel Iocuta, 41, Pound Street, Ballaghaderreen, Co Roscommon, appeared in court having been summonsed for a breach of the regulations on the N52 at Arden Road on March 6.

Garda Niamh Conroy said Mr Iocuta was stopped at a checkpoint and said he was travelling from Roscommon to Thurles but could offer no relevant reason for the journey.

After he entered a guilty plea, Judge Staines asked Mr Iocuta why he had committed the offence.

The accused said he had to go and pick up his brother but could not remember anything further.

Judge Staines imposed a 100 penalty and said it would have to be paid within four months.

You'll get a fine in the post, she told Mr Iocuta.
Union Minister Anurag Thakur on Saturday launched High Power Transmitters of Doordarshan and All India Radio to cover remote and border areas at Hamboting La near Kargil in Ladakh, said the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

The ministry informed that the 10 KW transmitters are the highest altitude TV and Radio transmitters in the country, located at the height of 4054 metres (about 13,300 ft) above the mean sea level and the transmitters at Leh are at an altitude of 3501 metres (about 11,450 ft).

The Minister also announced that the Ladakhi contribution to DD Kashir will be doubled from 30 minutes to one hour daily from 1st Oct 2021.

Thakur observed that border coverage by strong signals of radio and television is an important aspect of broadcasting the policies of the Government. The Minister said that it is not only required for providing correct information to the people in the sensitive border areas of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh but also to counter the propaganda from the hostile neighbours, said the release.

The Union Minister noted that Hamboting La site is one of the most difficult locations considering the hostile weather conditions and geographical terrain and complimented the team of engineers and workers for completing the project in such difficult weather conditions.

The event was also attended by JT Namgyal, Member of Parliament from Ladakh. (ANI)


Guwahati: Assam police intelligence in their investigation found that 6 Muslim leaders are involved in mobilising the violent attack on police during an eviction drive in Dhalpur in Darrang district on 23rd September. High-level security sources told 'Organiser' that 6 leaders of PFI, CFI, AAMSU (All Assam Muslim Student Union) and ITTEHAD Front were involved in instigating the mob to attacked the police force.

One college lecturer of Kharupetia College in the Barpeta district was also involved in the conspiracy. The Assam police special branch reports say that Shoriful Islam of PFI, Nur Islam and Jairul Haque of ITTEHAD Front, Abdur Rahman Biswas and Ainuddin of AAMSU and college teacher Nazir Hussain Sarkar were present in Dhalpur eviction site when the protest demonstration turned violent and the mob started pelting stone, attacked police with sharp weapons. 9 police personnel including a woman police officer were seriously injured in the attack.

The intelligence report stated that the Muslim student organization AAMSU along with PFI collected around 28 lakhs of rupees from the encroachers in the last three months to file a petition against the government of Assam. Chief Minister told the media on Saturday that PFI leaders had visited the eviction sites prior to the eviction. Reports say that PFI leaders held rounds of meetings with the encroachers in Dhalpur area. Assam police special branch finds in its investigation that a team of PFI leaders were stopped by Darrang police who were on their way to the eviction site in the name of providing food relief to the evicted people. But somehow the team reached the eviction site. The report clearly says that members of this group instigated the mob for a violent protest.

Meanwhile, a case has been registered against the attack on the police force in Sipajhar police station. A high-level Assam police source informed that the case will be handed over to Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for further investigation. The Assam government has already initiated a judicial inquiry by a retired judge of the Guwahati High Court. Chief minister Himanta Biswa said that the truth will come out in the inquiry. The first day of the eviction drive on 20th September in the nearby location was totally peaceful. On 23rd September, an eviction drive was carried out against 60 families only. But how come 10 thousand people gathered there against 60 families and attacked the unprepared police force is a serious question and truth will come out in the inquiry, the chief minister added. It should be mentioned that PFI Assam state president Aminul Haque and several other members were arrested by Police for playing a key role in creating violence at multiple places in Assam during the violent anti-CAA protest. Later he was released on bail.
Guwahati: Scholar, journalist, intellectual Pandit Deendayal Upadhaya emphasized on cultural nationalism, which is much more powerful than political nationalism, and drifting away from the colonial mentality prevalent during the British ruled period, he propounded a new thought.

Paying rich tributes to Deendayal Upadhaya on his birth anniversary on Saturday at a function organised at Assam BJP headquarter in the city, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma commented that Deendayal-ji had enormous contributions towards the intellectual enrichment of Bhartiya Jansangh, Rastriya Swayamsevak Sangh and also the BJP.

In 1951, when Dr Shayama Prasad Mukherjee floated the idea of launching Bhartiya Jansangh, Deendayal-ji was one of the prominent persons whom RSS sent to Jansangh. Under his leadership, Bhartiya Jansangh secured 35 seats in the Lok Sabha elections where Deendayal-ji was instrumental in forging a strong opposition against the Congress.

CM Sarma stated that Deendayal-ji always believed that a system should be in place which can bring smile to even the weakest. Most of the schemes and programs of PM Narendra Modi led government in New Delhi bear the reflection of the philosophy propounded by Deendayal-ji.

Assam government though its Orunodoi scheme has tried to empower the economically insolvent families of the State following the teachings of Deendayal-ji, added Sarma.

Earlier in a different occasion, Sarma reiterated his push for a greener future and reduced carbon emission, while requested Union petroleum minister Hardeep Singh Puri to allow the Assam refineries to go ahead with 20 per cent ethanol blending in those plants. Putting forward his requests Sarma said that if the refineries are allowed to do the ethanol blending, the proposition becomes cost effective and the State will be able to meet its own demand of green fuel from its own yard.

He also requested Puri for his ministrys supports in the capacity enhancement of Digboi Oil Refinery which has the distinction of being the first refinery in Asia and one of the oldest refineries in operation. Moreover, urges for expanding the base of gas cracker project in Assam as well as the petroleum ministrys support for exploration of energy sources in the State were also placed.

Puri in his comment opined that the north-eastern region is now one of the most promising regions of the country in terms of economic potentials. To fulfil the governments commitment to make Indian economy UDS 5 trillion, the region has to contribute substantially. He assured Sarma that his ministry would do the needful for capacity enhancement of Digboi refinery and also help the region in tapping the hydrocarbon resources to catalyse its growth.


The Laity Council of the Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) will organiser a Save the People campaign, an all-India movement to rouse the general conscience against the glaring threats of narcotism and terrorism getting worse across the nation and making the common man increasingly worried, said Chevalier Adv. V. C. Sebastian, Secretary, CBCI Laity Council in a press release.



People across the various sectors including students and the youth will participate in this national level awareness programme. The danger signals of organized terrorism and narcotism which enervate the governmental set up and the legal system, spreading its tentacles in different domains, should not be underrated, the press release read.

Through Save the People campaign the Laity Council is envisaging a massive awareness programme ranging from the national to the family level, from 1 October to 31 December 2021.

Popularisation programmes through the social media against narcotism and terrorism, tableaus, seminars, discussions, family visits, formation of local level solidarity groups etc will be organized.



Recently, there was a huge controversy in Kerala after Pala Bishop spoke about the narcotic Jihad and the tactics adopted by Islamists of destroying non-Muslims.
It is very important to neutralize the sources of income of the Left Wing Extremists, said Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday.



His remarks came at a review meeting on 'Left-Wing Extremism' in New Delhi today.

"It is very important to neutralize the sources of income of the Left Wing Extremists. The agencies of the Central and State Governments should try to stop this by making a system together," said Shah.



He urged all the Chief Ministers to give priority to the problem of Left Wing Extremism for the next one year so that a permanent solution can be found to this problem. He also said that it requires building pressure, increasing speed and better coordination.



During the meeting, Amit Shah said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Government of India is committed to the development of Left Wing Extremism affected states. Shah said that it is a matter of happiness to share that under the leadership of the Prime Minister, there has been a lot of success due to the joint efforts of the Centre and the states in cracking down on Left Wing Extremism.



He said that while the incidents of Left Wing Extremism have come down by 23 per cent, the number of deaths has come down by 21 per cent. Shah during his address also said that in decades of fighting, we have reached a point where the death toll is less than 200 for the first time and this is a huge achievement for all of us.



He said that we all know that unless we get rid of the problem of Left Wing Extremism completely, the full development of the country and the states affected by it is not possible.



The Union Home Minister said that without eliminating it, neither we will be able to spread democracy to the bottom nor will we be able to develop the underdeveloped areas. So, instead of being satisfied with what we have achieved so far, we need to increase speed to get what is left.



Shah, who is also the Minister of Cooperation, said that the Government of India has been fighting a battle on two fronts for many years without paying attention to the political parties. He said that those who want to give up arms and join mainstream are heartily welcome, but those who take up arms and hurt innocent people and the police will be given the same response.



He added that the root cause of dissatisfaction is that development has not reached there in the last six decades since Independence and now to deal with it, it is very essential to ensure accessibility to fast-paced development so that common and innocent people do not join them.


As many as two unidentified terrorists were killed in an encounter with security forces in the Watnira area of Bandipora district on Sunday morning, said the Jammu and Kashmir police.



Police informed that the terrorists killed in the Bandipora encounter were involved in the killing of BJP leader Waseem Bari, his father and his brother in July 2020.

"BandiporaEncounterUpdate: two unidentified terrorists killed. Search going on. Incriminating materials including arms and ammunition recovered. Further details shall follow," Kashmir Zone Police tweeted.



"BandiporaEncounterUpdate: Killer of BJP leader late Waseem Bari, his father and brother killed in the encounter. Further details shall follow," it said in another tweet.



The encounter between security forces and terrorists broke out started at around 8 am in the Watnira area of Bandipora district on Sunday.



Search is going on. Further details are underway.

(ANI)


Prime Minister Narendra Modi has extolled the virtues of river conservation and greeted the nation on World Rivers Day today. Addressing the nation in his Mann Ki Baat Programme on All India Radio, the Prime Minister said World Rivers Day is in sync with traditions that the people of the nation have been following for centuries. He highlighted that rivers do not drink their own water but give away selflessly to others. He drove home the point that rivers are not just mere physical entities but akin to a life-giving Mother.

In the very banks of these rivers, numerous festivals, occasions and functions are held by people. With the advent of the month of Magh, people perform Kalpvaas on the banks of river Ganga or other rivers for an entire month. Mr Modi said people used to remember the different names of rivers while taking bath in earlier times. He said it was a way to instill values among people.

The Prime Minister said it is the responsibility of everyone to ensure that rivers do not get polluted. He said scriptures distinctly disapprove of polluting rivers, a fact which is reflected in Indian traditions as well. The western region of India, especially Gujarat and Rajasthan, suffer from scarcity of water and face famines often. Mr Modi said this has led to new traditions. He gave the example of Gujarat where Jal-Jeelani Ekadashi is celebrated during the rains. He said Jal Jeelani is similar to Catch the Rain as each and every drop of rain is collected. Mr Modi added that Chhatth festival is celebrated in Bihar and other regions of the East on similar lines. He hoped that keeping Chatth Pooja in mind, preparations for cleaning and repairing riverbanks and ghats would have commenced.

The Prime Minister stressed that the endeavour of cleaning rivers can be undertaken with collective effort and support. He said public awareness and mass movement have a major role to play in keeping rivers clean.

The Prime Minister drew peoples attention to the special E-auction being held of gifts presented to him by people. The money that accrues through this E-auction is dedicated solely to the Namami Gange Campaign. Mr Modi mentioned how the Naagnadi river that flows through the Vellore and Thiruvannamalai districts of Tamilnadu had dried up. The womenfolk of the region took up cudgels to rejuvenate the river. Canals were dug up through public participation, and check dams and recharge wells were built. The Prime Minister happily noted that today, the river is brimming with water.

(AIR)
It has been 100 years since jihadists massacred more than 10000 Hindus in a small part of the Malabar region. The Communist and pseudo-secular historians, in an attempt to whitewash the genocide, popularized it as a popular uprising against the British.



Moplah massacre was a Hindu genocide in which thousands of Hindus were massacred by Jihadists over few days, said Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday (Septemebr 25).



Many women were raped and many temples were destroyed, he added.



CM Yogi said, This is the true story of the Moplah Hindu genocide. But, the Communist and pseudo-secular historians presented a distorted version terming it a popular uprising against the British. The society which doesnt know about its true history cant protect its geography.



This massacre was well planned and conducted over a period of few days.



CM Yogi was speaking at an event organized by the weekly magazine Panchjanya.



RSS pracharak and convener of Prajna Pravah, J Nandakumar said the successive governments in Kerala not only bestowed freedom fighter status on the mass murderers but also made every attempt to hide the truth of Malabar Hindu genocide.



He said, As a result, many people were not aware of the real story of the Malabar Hindu genocide. Many families have suffered trans-generational trauma. The truth of Malabar Hindu genocide must reach everyperson.



Babasaheb has written about the Moplah Hindu genocide in detail in his book Pakistan or the Partition of India. Also, Dr. Annie Besant, in her book The Future of India Politics, has shed light on how thousands and thousands of Hindus were massacred in Malabar.



The Communist government in Kerala, in an attempt to whitewash the crimes of the Jihadists, bestowed the status of freedom fighter on the mass murderers.



VK Haji, one who led the mob of mass murders, was granted the status of a freedom fighter and memorials were built in their honour.



Now it is for us to think what could be done to protect the world from the violence of Jihadists, Chief Minister Yogi said.
"Homecoming of Indian treasures," tweeted MEA spokesman Arindam Bagchi announcing that as many as 157 Indian antiquities were returned by the Government of USA to the Government of India during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"PM Modi and President Joe Biden committed to strengthening their efforts to combat the theft, illicit trade and trafficking of cultural objects," says a PMO statement.

While half of the artefacts (71) are cultural, the other half consists of figurines that relate to Hinduism (60), Buddhism (16) and Jainism (9).

Their make spreads across metal, stone and terracotta. The bronze collection primarily contains ornate figurines of the well-known postures of Lakshmi Narayana, Buddha, Vishnu, Siva Parvathi and the 24 Jain Tirthankaras and the less common Kankalamurti, Brahmi and Nandikesa besides other unnamed deities and divine figures

The list of 157 artefacts includes a diverse set to items ranging from the one and a half metre bas relief panel of Revanta in sandstone of the 10th CE to the 8.5cm tall, exquisite bronze Nataraja from the 12th CE.

The items, which were stolen or smuggled out of India over a period of time, mostly belong to the period between 11th and 14th centuries. The returned antiquities include an 18th-century sword in its sheath, with the inscription mentioning Guru Hargobind Singh in Persian.

The items largely belong to the period of 11th CE to 14th CE as well as historic antiquities such as the copper anthropomorphic object of 2000 BC or the terracotta vase from the 2nd CE. Some 45 antiquities belong to the Before Common Era.

Two years back an Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) team had visited New York and identified close to a hundred of these artefacts, seized in the US, as original Indian antiquities of tremendous value.

These items were 'stolen' from temples in Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh and smuggled abroad.

This continues the efforts by the Modi Government to bring back our antiquities and artefacts from across the world, the PMO statement said.
Sushant Sareen, an expert on Friday lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the latter's speech at the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York and said that PM Modi pitched all the issues in his over 22-minute speech at UNGA session like a "true statesman".

Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech at the UNGA session in which he stressed that the UN must improve effectiveness and enhance reliability if it wants to remain relevant, Sareen said: "PM Modi's speech was very statesman-like. He put forward his thoughts on every important topic in his 15-20 min speech."

PM Modi highlighted the need for improvement in "global governance" and highlighted the fact that world have been influenced by countries like China, foreign expert Sushant Sareen said.

Speaking to ANI over the Prime Minister's speech at the UNGA session, Sareen, a Fellow at Observer Research Foundation said: "PM Modi highlighted the need for improvement in the global governance, i.e., the world institutions like WHO, IMF needs reforms."

"It was important to point out how these institutions are being influenced by the countries like China," the foreign expert said.

PM Modi said, "With regard to the origin of COVID-19 and the ease of doing business rankings, institutions of global governance have damaged the credibility they had built after decades of hard work."

"The Prime Minister talked about the opportunities in India by giving his example. He also, in his speech adopted statesmanship and said that India is ready to share the innovative inventions and discoveries with the world."

"He put forward his thoughts about the terrorism in a very good manner," he added.

The theme for this year's General Debate is 'Building Resilience through hope to recover from COVID-19, rebuild sustainably, respond to the needs of the planet, respect the rights of people, and revitalise the United Nations.'

The high-level segment of the 76th UNGA began in New York on Tuesday. The UNGA meeting this year is in a hybrid format but a large number of leaders have arrived in New York.

Modi had arrived in Washington on Wednesday for a three-day visit to the country. This was his first visit beyond the neighbourhood since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Prime Minister held bilateral meetings with US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris here. He also met his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison and Japanese PM Yoshihide Suga. PM Modi also participated in the first in-person Quad Summit in Washington.

He also held meetings with five global CEOs for potential investments in India. (ANI)
Several states in the United States in the United States including Texas, Florida, Georgia, New Jersey, Ohio and Massachusetts have declared the month of October as Hindu Heritage Month.



Many states of the United States of America (USA) have declared the month of October as Hindu Heritage Month observing Hinduism has contributed greatly to America through its unique history and heritage.



A declaration noted Communities of the faith have long served as beacons of hope, sharing their beliefs and bettering their communities through service; improving and inspiring the lives of thousands of followers around the world. Hinduism has contributed greatly to our state and nation through its unique history and heritage.



This came after several Hindu organisations in the United States started celebrating October as Hindu Heritage month.



Now, the organisations are demanding the US President Joe Biden to declare October as the Hindu Heritage Month.

Keeping in with aspirations of the three million strong Hindu-American community and in order to continue to harbour and maintain good relations with India, the motherland of millions of Hindu-Americans, we urge you (the president) to formally declare by an Executive Order the month of October as the Hindu Heritage Month India Today quoted the Hindu organisations.



Vishva Hindu Parishad of America (VHPA) president Ajay Shah said, It's high time to educate the world on our philosophy and ethos.



The declaration by the governors, senators and congressmen noted the contributions of the Hindu religion to world peace and richness.



Georgia governors declaration noted The vibrant Hindu American community has contributed tremendously to the vitality of the state of Georgia by enriching the lives of its citizens.



It added The Hindu heritage, culture, traditions and values provide their followers invaluable solutions to many of lifes problems and often serve as a source of inspiration, reflection and contemplation for the millions of individuals who look to the teachings of Hinduism for guidance.



The celebrations will include cultural programmes, fashion shows, webinars, multi-day conferences, walkathons.



Hindu heritage and culture are thousands of years old; it is our duty to share it with the world and pass it onto our next generations for them so that they take pride in their roots," India Today quoted Sanjay Kaul, vice president of the World Hindu Council of America.
US President Joe Biden, who recently held the first in-person bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said the ties between two of the world's largest democracies--India and the US-- are destined to be "stronger, closer and tighter".



On Friday, Biden hosted PM Modi at the White House for the bilateral meeting and discussed a wide range of priority issues, including combating COVID-19, climate change, trade and the Indo-Pacific.

PM Modi described the bilateral summit with Biden as "important" as they're meeting at the start of the third decade of this century.



He also held one-on-one meetings with the chief executives of Qualcomm, Adobe, First Solar, General Atomics and Blackstone and discussed a number of issues ranging from drones to 5G, semiconductor, and solar power.



US and India are committed to taking on the toughest challenges both countries face together.



"This morning, I hosted Prime Minister Modi at the White House as we launch a new chapter in the history of U.S.-India ties. Our two nations are the largest democracies in the world, and we're committed to taking on the toughest challenges we face -- together," Biden tweeted.



Prime Minister Modi, who was on a three-day visit to the US, held his maiden bilateral meeting with US President Biden and attended the Quad leaders Summit.



Since January, PM Modi and Biden have participated in three summits. Two of them were hosted by President Biden - the Quad virtual summit in March and the Climate Change Summit in April which was also held virtually.



Prime Minister Modi on Saturday concluded his itinerary-packed 3-day visit to the US.

Biden and Modi started their talks with comments on the promise of the India-US relationship, the areas they would work on like COVID-19 and climate and the importance of the Diaspora. Their opening remarks were sprinkled with jokes and laughter, interspersed with a serious outlining of the discussions ahead.



Modi said that under Biden's leadership the seeds had been sown for India-US relations to expand and that they were entering a "transformative phase". In this context, he mentioned the growing importance of people-to-people ties and said Indian talent would be a "full partner" in this relationship.


MANISTEE COUNTY  The following includes reports made to the Manistee County Sheriffs Office from Aug. 30 to Sept. 4.

All calls may not be reported. This is part of a lengthy report and is compiled by assistant editor Arielle Breen.

Aug. 30

 An unlawful driving away of an automobile was reported at 11:49 a.m. in Bear Lake Township.

 Fraud was reported at 7 p.m. in Onekama Township.

 A vehicle-deer accident was reported at 9 p.m. in Bear Lake Township.

 A fraud scam was reported at 7:54 p.m. in Manistee Township.

 A dog running at large was reported at 7:33 a.m. in Pleasanton Township.

Aug. 31

 Deputies conducted a liquor inspection in Filer Township.

 A two-vehicle personal injury crash was reported at 2:10 p.m. in Manistee Township.

 Trespassing and resisting obstructing was reported at 4 p.m. in Filer Township.

 A dog was found at 9:02 a.m. in the Village of Copemish.

 A personal injury crash and careless driving incident was reported at 3:37 p.m. in Arcadia Township.

 Deputies assisted Manistee City Police with a stabbing incident at 1 a.m. in the city of Manistee.

RELATED: Manistee teen arraigned after stabbing incident

 The department investigated a drowning at 8:27 p.m. in Bear Lake.

RELATED: Police: Pennsylvania woman drowned in Bear Lake

Sept. 1

 A vehicle-deer accident was reported at 5:05 a.m. in Bear Lake Township.

 A vehicle-deer accident was reported at 4:30 p.m. in Brown Township.

 A person was reported to have been driving without insurance at 7:40 p.m. in Manistee Township.

 Deputies conducted a well-being check at 7:05 p.m. in Filer Township.

Sept. 2

 A vehicle-deer accident was reported at 8:50 a.m. in Onekama Township.

 A hit and run crash was reported at 12:45 p.m. in Filer Township.

 Manistee County Animal Control was called to Filer Township at 12:45 p.m.

 A person was reported to have been driving while having a license suspended at 7:44 p.m. in Filer Township.

Sept. 3

 A felony domestic incident was reported and a person was reported to have been suicidal at 2:25 p.m. in Arcadia Township.

 Animal control was called to a complaint at 12:20 p.m. in Bear Lake Township.

 Animal control was called to Manistee Township at 10:46 a.m.

 Larceny was reported at 1:59 p.m. in Marilla Township.

 An illegal burn was reported at 5:02 p.m. in Manistee Township.

Sept. 4

 A noise disturbance was reported at 12:43 a.m. in Bear Lake Township.

 A vehicle-deer accident was reported at 8:18 a.m. in Brown Township.

 A felony and misdemeanor warrant arrest were made at 9:56 a.m. in Norman Township.

 Deputies assisted a citizen at 8:15 a.m. in Onekama Township.

 Animal control was called to Stronach Township at 11:07 a.m.

 A child protective services referral was made at 6 a.m. in Filer Township.

 A civil property incident was reported at 2:25 p.m. in Arcadia Township.

 Animal control was called to Manistee Township at 4:28 p.m.

 Threats were reported at 4:28 p.m. in Copemish.

 A two-vehicle property damage crash was reported at 6:04 p.m. in Filer Township.
A year-long book program kicked off with a celebration in Midland on Saturday.

Creative 360 hosted a block party" to launch the National Endowment for the Arts Big Read program. The event was in partnership with the Grace A. Dow Memorial Library and the Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum and coincided with the launch of Midland County Neighboring Week.

Laura Vosejpka, executive director of Creative 360, said the Big Read program is a national grant program that communities can apply for. Great Lakes Bay Region put a grant in through Saginaw Valley State University to fund this program, which will serve Bay, Midland and Saginaw counties, she said.

It is like a year-long book club for the whole community, Vosejpka said.

The book for this program is The House on Mango Street, a 25-year-old book written by Sandra Cisneros. Vosejpka said the book follows a young girl growing up in a Hispanic neighborhood in Chicago and focuses on her neighborhood and the Latinx community. The book was chosen by SVSU and Marshall Fredericks for its inclusivity and sense of community.

Copies of the book were handed out during the kickoff. Painting projects were scattered around the Creative 360 building, along with a face painting station. A Big Petes Street Tacos truck was also at the event along with Conjunto Champz, a band that plays authentic Tejano music.

The block party coincided with National Hispanic Heritage Month and the start of Neighboring Week on Sept. 27, a week-long, city-wide collection of events to promote neighboring in Midland. Vosejpka said this weekend was specifically chosen to be launch date because the themes of the book fits with the purpose of Neighboring Week.

Alysia Christy is the Director of Community Impact at the Midland Area Community Foundation, and one of her duties is to oversee the foundations Cultural Awareness Coalition. The coalition works to make the Midland community an inclusive place and facilitates Neighboring Week, she said.

The books theme is parallel to the coalitions vision of Neighboring Week and an inclusive Midland, Christy said.

When we look at what is the most impactful thing we could do as a community to get behind an inclusive Midland, it begins with neighboring, Christy said. We really cannot move the needle on an inclusive community until we are all inclusive neighbors.

Camille Konkus brought her two children to the event because she thought they would have fun with crafting and connecting to the community. She also knew about the book for a while and wanted to discuss the cultural and diversity topics in the book.

It is really important in the world we live in that (children) know that there are other people than just them and they need to respect their neighbors, Konkus said.

The Big Read program for The House on Mango Street will continue for the next year and will feature monthly events related to the book, Vosejpka said. The next event will be at 6 p.m. on Oct. 6. To learn more about the program, people can visit the Big Read web page.
PIERRE, S.D. (AP)  The South Dakota Legislature will consider whether to try to impeach Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg for a car crash last year that killed a pedestrian, a House leader said.

Republican Speaker Spencer Gosch said Saturday that there is enough support in the state House to discuss impeachment. The state Senate had already gathered enough signatures to do so.

The impeachment discussions will take place when lawmakers are in Pierre for a special session that starts Nov. 9 to address the redrawing of the state's 10-year electoral maps.

The move does not necessarily mean Ravnsborg, a Republican, will face impeachment proceedings, Gosch said. Once in session, lawmakers will have to decide on whether to consider a separate resolution to form a select committee to review evidence from the Sept. 12, 2020, crash, the Argus Leader reported.

Ravnsborg pleaded no contest to a pair of traffic misdemeanors for the crash that killed Joseph Boever, who was walking on the shoulder of a rural highway late at night. Ravnsborg was driving home from a Republican fundraiser, and he didn't return to the crash scene until the next day, telling investigators he though he had struck a deer.

Ravnsborg avoided jail time and was sentenced to fines totaling over $4,500 for making an illegal lane change and using a cellphone while driving.

Republican Gov. Kristi Noem has repeatedly called on Ravnsborg to resign. He has insisted that he will not, though, and that he can perform the duties of his office.

Leaders of the Republican-led Legislature decided that the names of the lawmakers who signed the petitions would not be made public.
One of Michigans largest antique festivals returned to Midland this weekend.

Michigan Antique & Collectible Festival kicked off Saturday morning at the Midland County Fairgrounds, bringing multiple vendors, buyers and car enthusiasts together. This was the festivals first event in about a year and a half due to the pandemic.

It brings the community together, festival owner and Clarkston resident Lori Oberlian said. The economic impact to the Midland area and the Great Lakes Bay Area is incredible. It fills hotels, restaurants are full, and gas stations are busy. It brings people into the community to spend money.

The Midland Antique Festival has been a Midland tradition for 50 years and changed ownership to Oberlian in 2006. Normally, the Michigan Antique Festival is held four times a year between Midland and Davisburg in Oakland County.

The festival was initially supposed to return last spring after a long, COVID-induced hiatus , but Oberlian said this could not happen due to pandemic restrictions.

Oberlian said the festival not only has antique dealers, but a flea market, swap-meet and classic car show. She said shopping at the festival lets people rescue a piece of American history.

Bob Keller, a Newaygo resident, travels to car shows, tractor shows and festivals with a trailer full of quality, name-brand used and new tools. He sells tools that people cant find in hardware stores and sells items for usually half the price of retail. Whether people need tools for mechanic, wood, or machining projects, Keller has something for them.

"Bob the Tool Guy," as he has come to be known, is a post-retirement business for him and something he has done with his wife starting three years ago. He enjoys talking to people and seeing cars at these shows.

I grew up in the flea market and auction business, and it gets in your blood, Keller said. It is a disease.

Wheeler resident Rick Morrison goes out to these types of festivals about four times a year to help sustain his hobby of collecting antique license plates. He will take his extra plates to these shows and sell them so he can have the money to buy more rare plates.

Morrison has been collecting plates since he was 12 years old and enjoys the history of them.

Gladwin resident Darrell Bechtel usually attends antique festivals looking for classic car parts, but decided to be on the other end of sales since he has many parts left over from restorations.

This was his first time selling, primarily offering Dodge and Plymouth parts. He said business was slow but he was still having a good time at the festival.

Those who wanted to see fully intact classic cars could stop by at the festivals classic car show. Joe Friday, of St. Helen, brought his 1986 Chevrolet Camaro Pro Stock to show off to admiring car enthusiasts. He said he likes seeing peoples reaction to his car and sharing his passion with others.

While Oberlian did not have an attendee total as of Saturday, she said it was very busy to a point where all the parking lots were open. One attendee was Midland resident Donna Baily, who enjoys coming to the event and browsing and buying beautiful items such as jewelry and lamps. She was happy to see the festival return after a long hiatus.

You (get to) see beautiful things that look new, Baily said.

While this is the only show that will be held in Midland this year, antique enthusiasts will still have a chance to catch the Michigan Antique Fest once more this year in Davisburg, which will take place Oct. 9-10 at Springfield Oaks County Park.
Radically changing global scenario has drastically altered the notions of life and the entire gamut of the disciplines associated with it. Literature, especially poetry, being a highly sensitive genre, could not have remained unaffected. Urdu poetry, like all the literatures written in English and indigenous Indian languages, has kept its pace with the pressures of times---misinterpreting or misreading of it notwithstanding.

It has, very subtly and elementally, assimilated and accentuated the recently emerging linguistic and literary ethos in terms of the modes of perception and presentation. Urdu poetry has a rich tradition adorned with oriental philosophies, metaphysical depth and delicacies, socio-cultural complexities and linguistic niceties. Second half of the earlier century brought in the unprecedented advancement in the field of science, technology, politics, intellectual inquiries and cultural studies that had a direct bearing on the creative consciousness all over the globe. Unprecedented migration of the masses and creative writers to the West has also given a sharp turn to the very idea of literary concerns and commitment. It has, in fact, added a new dimension to what is now called literary productions. Parvin Sheres poetry is an excellent synthesis of the tradition and the current internationalism which invariably seems to be the dominant concern of the immigrant writers.



Parvin Sheres poetic concerns and thematic preoccupation, however, needs to be understood in terms of simultaneity of the emotional translucence and intellectual intensity that determine the tone and texture of her poetry and directions of her ideology. Her intellectualism and ideological stance, it should be noted here, cannot and should not be perceived in the Western political, polemical, theoretical or merely academic context. Her new culture, certainly, has sensitized her creative consciousness and sharpened her analytical and critical acumen, that many a time attributes subtlety and pungency to the balanced but highly devastating ironic phraseology of her poetic structures.



Like any other competent diasporic discourse, Parvins poetry embodies a bitter critique of the male dominated society. Her poems like,Mirage (Sarab) and Disposable represent her emotional and intellectual response to the womans predicament in the suppressive patriarchal system. These two poems betray two different dimensions of Parvins poetic reactions against the callous sexist society that resembles across the borders and nations. The very title Disposable is highly suggestive of the Western cultural reality that exemplifies the constitution of the western disposition and it also effectively communicates the nature and texture of human relationship in a culture where romance with consumption reigns supreme. The poem also makes a sarcastic statement on the culture that has reduced woman to the trivial position of a commodity; she is bought, used, abused and discarded:



Exquisite..

Sighting in a show case

He bought it and brought it home

Filling it up

.

He threw in the dustbin

Then left to get another one.

(Disposable)



Mirage offers another dimension of Parvins poetic vision. It reveals the intrigues of the cultural institutions shrewdly engineered by the exploitative male society to perpetuate subservient female psyche. The dominant system makes a woman internalize the submissive positions in absolutely natural way. Obliterating her own identity and independence, she willingly/unwillingly gets subsumed into the roles designed by the male conspiracy. Mirage bemoans this helplessness:



I am water, you a goblet



.



Towards the end, however, the poem takes a turn that unequivocally registers Parvins intellectual reaction:



Even so,

I am water,

a spring source of life

and you---------

a rock,

impervious to what life is!

(Mirage) trans. by: Hameed khan

Parvins poetry epitomizes the agony of a continually tormented and tortured womans soul:

How many more tests and trials of my patience

How many more skies are there over my head ?

Layers after layers are incessantly revealed

How many faces are there behind the faces?

Gazal, trans. by: Hameed khan

Is there an end to it ever! is a perennial question that keep appearing in her poems like a refrain.



The Last Station is an elegy on the decay and death of the human relationships. The values of love and mutual trust, disinterestedness and selflessness are a rarity in the contemporary world that is ruthlessly governed by materialistic drives and ulterior motives. We are all a lonely crowd, lost in the labyrinth of narcissism. John Updike has rightly pointed out that contemporary man needs assurance, without mutual lies we all will be suspended like planets in the azure skies. Octogenarians (Darul Zoafa) dialogizes yet another dimension of the rotting human concerns. The poem portrays the hear-shattering reality of the helplessness of the old people who are mercilessly abandoned by those who had been the pivot of their life. John Updikes first novel The Poorhouse Fair seriously addresses itself to these issues. The thematic canvas of this novel, however, is wider as he also takes into fictional account the larger issues of social homogenization and loss of faith. Parvins other poems like The Coffin (Tabut), Helplessness (Bebasi), No Exit (Sabhi Raste Moattal Hain), Dilemma (Kashmash), A Beautiful Dream-like House ( Khubsurat Khwab sa Ghar) are exquisite subjective expressions of the irresoluble tensions between the worlds within and outside.

Contemporary womans plight in the male dominated world is doubly worsened. Parvin Shere effectively employs the metaphor of train and journey motif. Everyday, right from morn a woman is continually shocked and shattered, dejected and disillusioned. By the end of the journey the train stands against the gloomy landscape tragically deserted and desolated :



left alone,

my wet eyes,

keep trying to locate---

from each and every window,

all human relations

lost in the thick mists of time.

(Last Station) trans. by: Hameed khan



Parvins scathing criticism of the gender-biased society, nevertheless, is not a projection or a manifestation of the radical feminist ideology. Because feminist ideology, ipso facto, aims at subverting the system perpetuated by patriarchy. In her indictment of the patriarchal designs Parvin is, one with her contemporary Canadian women novelists and poets like Margaret Atwood, Margaret Laurence, Aritha Vanherk, Nicole Brossard , Daphne Marlette and many others. But it should also be carefully noted that she is noticeably different from them in terms of modes of perception and presentation and also in terms of linguistic and generic experimentations. Many of these Canadian poetess are constantly engaged in ideological discourses that are vehemently directed towards annihilation of the murderous male supremacy. Deliberate transcendence or transgression is the launching pads of their poetic subversive endeavours. Debunking male-oriented language is also one of the major preoccupations of these women writers. They are often infuriated by the canon, the generic traits and their male association. Sexual deviation and moral digression is yet another point. These radical poets, however, have a well-defined logic and logistics for the subversion of the dominant system as well as for reconstruction of womans identity and her absolute independence. The alternative systems beyond the limits of family and morality, however, would not suit Parvins refined oriental sensibility and inherently feminine delicacy. Like many of the women poets from the sub-continent Parvin retains the she essential and intrinsic poetic idiom coupled with highly loaded phraseology assimilitated from her diasporic experiences in the world that is, ironically, looked upon as a haven of freedom and paradise of consumption. She is a solitary example who enjoys dexterity in painting, music and poetry. Her poetry presents a harmonious blending of these three different disciplines of the fine arts.



Parvin has been living in Canada for more that four decades now; she has been in live contact with the practicing women writers. As an intellectual poet she has been closely following the directions the creative consciousness in Canada and in the west at large. But her poetry does not provide any evidence of being carried away by the inflated intellectual intricacy or triviality. Nor does her poetry betrays any desire to sell-off her own culture to the western readers, as many of the immigrant writers are accused of. Her western exposure, on the contrary, has widened the horizon of her experiences. Like her Canadian colleagues she sharply interrogates the male hierarchies.



Rather than aiming at subversion, Parvins poetry betrays a creative consciousness questing for lasting and enduring human relationship. It is this relationship which, in its ultimate analysis, attributes dignity and integrity to human stature and makes his life meaningful, colourful and eventful.



Her insatiable quest for enduring relationships does not confine itself to the interpersonal or social extent. Imperialistic drives in the cultural, intellectual, political and economic spheres on the international level also reveal disconcerting upheaval owing to an obvious lack of sincerity and authenticity in human relationships. Her poems like Iraq, and Outrage (Andhera), are the moving portraits of the precarious conditions humanity is deplorably placed in. It immensely grieves Parvins heart to think,  what man has made of man!



Parvins poetry, in fact, is a heart-rending scream of a bleeding heart and agonized mind. It is a perennial quest for order, authenticity and equilibrium conspicuously missing in the contemporary spheres of human relationships. And it this quest that determines the aesthetics of her poetic art.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

* Dr. Hameed Khan is Professor at the Department of English, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University, Aurangabad (MS), India. A Ph.D. in American literature, Dr. Khan has one book, two text books and a number of research papers to his credit. His research papers, articles and reviews are published in various journals and magazines. He has also written preface/s and foreword/s to ten books in English, Urdu and Marathi. Dr. Khan is also known for his translations. His Urdu translations of Marathi short stories are published by Maharashtra State Urdu Academy, Mumbai. His English translations of interviews, Marathi and Urdu short stories have appeared in the different issues of INDIAN LITERATURE.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Editor's Note: Parvin Shere who studied at Patna University towards Psychology/Philosophy(1964-1966) is an artist, poet and musician. She formally developed her talent of paintings at the University of Manitoba, Canada, Fine Arts Program (1966-1967 Fine Arts, University of Manitoba). Her extensive travel throughout Europe and particularly in developing countries triggered in her a need to enlighten her audience about the dualistic nature of this world.
Nitin Chandra, the budding film director from Bihar, after successfully making 'Bring Back Bihar', a documentary depicting on the plight of Biharis in Mumbai, in his next project deals with the recurring flood situation in Bihar and how the central and state governments have failed to recognize the actual reason for this annual nightmare.

A former student of Don Bosco, Patna, with a Bachelor in Information Technology from Delhi and Masters in Communication Studies from University of Pune with specialization in film-making, Chandra says that his new project is funded by the Centre for World Solidarity (CWS). It is a film that is based on illogical and technically non-feasible methods of controlling floods in Bihar.

{gallery}newsimages/nitinchandra{/gallery}Chandra says that the devastation which Bihar faces due to floods is caused by 'brainless engineering and spineless bureaucracy'.

"The whole idea of controlling the nature by humans has backlashed in Bihar. Over the past 50 years, the damage of agrarian land because of flood has increased by 80%. Even though the government has spent millions of rupees, the government is unable to understand that in no way we can control the flood by tying a noose around rivers," the young film-maker says.

Chandra contends that the cause of the flood situation in Bihar is because of ever-growing population and the lack of education.

"Shaukat Khan, a villager in Supaul Basantpur Block, I met, had 15 kids. According to him, in his village the average number of children people have is 10. Harihar, a farmer with seven children, is also woefully unaware of the results of having too many kids. After the last year's flood in the Kosi region, a large area of Supaul and Madhepura district is covered with a white sheen of sand that is 3 to 6 feet deep," says Chandra.

"The plight reminds me of Phanishwar Nath Renu's lines from his book Parti Parikatha:

????, ?????, ??????? ???????? |

????? ????, ????, ????, ??????? ????...|

???? ???, ???? ?? ???...

Even after 50 years of writing his book, we are still there," he said.

The film deals with all the techniques applied under the heading of "Flood Control Mechanism".

"We have interviewed hundreds of men and women living in wretched conditions in flood-affected villages and farmers who lost their lands, government officials and social activists. We are recording all the speeches given by big political leaders in Kosi region to appease people. In the film, we have interviewed a 90-year old man from Supaul (Bairiya Manch) who says that Dr. Rajendra Prasad and Jawaharlal Nehru, in the wake of development built the embankments but never came back to see the plight of the people," Chandra said.

The film-maker further says that the plugging-in of the breach in Kusaha is yet to be done.

"The Kosi '08 was not a natural flood, it was mass genocide about which no one wants to know or talk about. Thousands of people died, hundreds are still missing. One Mumbai attack has all the media and public attention but each year Bihar faces a catastrophe in the form of flood but no one wants to talk about it. Electronic media is too busy talking about Kasab eating biryani, or his demand of perfume; they want to talk about Matuknath's election campaign but there has been no follow-up on the plight of the people who are leaving the flood-affected areas only to be disgraced and ill-treated in places like Punjab, Kashmir, and Mumbai," Chandra says.
With great pleasure I wish to share with the readers of Bihar and around the world, a brief history of the Khuda Baksh Oriental Public library and its founder, as recorded by my eminent historian father, Syed Ahsan Shere.

Upon his return to India in 1934, after studying at the school of Oriental Studies, University of London, my father served as the Curator of Patna Museum and later on became the Secretary Of Khuda Baksh Oriental public library.

Even though I am a student of science, I had a keen interest in history. I had the distinct opportunity and privilege in going through my father's memoirs, and in doing so, I got a glimpse of this unique and a remarkable world-renowned Khuda Baksh Oriental public library and its founder.

Khuda Baksh was born on 2nd August 1842. He was brought up under the guidance of his father who dedicated his life for the betterment of humanity. When his father was on his death-bed in 1876, he entrusted his son to open a public library. Khuda Bakhsh, thus, inherited from his father love for books and dedication to public service. He made it a mission of life to establish a public library so as to fulfill his father's dream and desire. He made every effort to acquire rare books and manuscripts. The Khuda Baksh Oriental Public Library was established in 1891.



The library is famous for its rare Arabic and Persian manuscripts, rich paintings and numerous volumes of rare books. Jehangir-Nama, Shah-Nama, Al-Quran, Tarikh-i-Khandan-i-Timuriya, Kitab-al-Hashaish and Al-Lumafi al-Tasawwuf are among the rare manuscripts in this collection. The manuscript of Diwan-i-Hafiz from the personal collection of Mughal emperors Humayun and Jehangir is also in the Khuda Baksh library. Kitab-Al-Hashaish is a revised Arabic version by Hunayn bin Ishaq of the Greek original dictionary of medicine listing the properties of medicinal plants. The manuscript of Kitab-Al-Tasrif describes in detail many methods and instruments of surgery with exquisite illustrations and is written in Arabic language with Mahgribi characters.

Also some of the rare collections are the oddities such as an inch-wide holy Quran. The Library also has a huge collection of more than 18,000 Arabic and Persian manuscripts and over 2000 rare paintings belonging to the Mughal and Rajput era. The Library is known for its extraordinary collection of more than 21,000 manuscripts, some of them extremely rare and richly illustrated, in Arabic, Pali, Pashtu, Persian, Sanskrit, Turkish and Urdu languages and also for its Mughal, Iranian, Central Asian and Rajput paintings. It has become a centre of research for the scholars of Islamic Studies, Medieval Indian History, West, South and Central Asian Studies, Mughal Architecture, Islamic Sciences and Mughal, Iranian, Central Asian and Rajput paintings. The Library also specializes in Islamic Studies, Tibb (Unani Medicine), Tazkira (Biography), Tasawwuf (Islamic Mysticism), Comparative religions, Medieval History, South East Asian History, West Asian History, Central Asian History, Medieval Science, Literature on Freedom Movement and National Integration as also Urdu, Persian and Arabic Literatures. Undoubtedly Khuda Baksh Oriental library is one of its kind in the world. "The Patna Oriental Public Library is one of the finest collections on Moslem literature in the World," remarked V.C. Scott O'Connor, an Orientalist of Edinburgh, England.

Khuda Baksh had struggled hard for years and paid fancy prices for rare manuscripts and books to build his precious collection. The British Museum once made him a magnificent offer for his collection but he declined. He told to O'Connor ... "I am a poor man and the sum they offered me was a princely fortune, but could I ever part for money with that to which my father and I have dedicated our lives...?" And as he said, his clear-cut features betrayed a single emotion; his large luminous eyes welled up with tears. "No" he said: "the collection is for Patna and the gift shall be laid at the feet of the Patna public".

Indeed we are fortunate to have this world renowned library with its unique collections located in Patna.

---------------------------------------

About the Writer:

Waris Shere is a former resident of Patna. He is the author of eight books including "THE STRUGGLE FOR PEACE". Professor Shere is a freelance journalist and was nominated for the "ORDER OF CANADA".
Does Your College Have Anything To Do With The Pay Package You Command?

College Placements are not really the true indicators of quality of the graduate a college produces. Graduates from certain colleges may command a premium entry level salary. However, over a period of time, with a work experience of about five years or more, his/her salary evens out with that of the graduates from any other renowned colleges.

For instance, of the 60 engineering colleges in Bangalore, the Silicon Valley of India, some graduates may land into their dream jobs with a hefty pay-package. However, none of these colleges produce graduates who can command an average salary anywhere close to that of an IIT graduate. Even with 5 years of corporate exposure an IIT grad commands Rs 15 lakh per annum of pay package, while most other graduates from the top 100 colleges in India command an average salary of Rs 10 lakh per annum.

IITs indeed still continue to produce the best engineering graduates in the country. However, this does not mean there is no talent pool beyond the IITs .The compiled list of 'Top 100 Engineering Institutes' suggests the same. This comprehensive survey, based on the real worth of a graduate that each college has produced is the first one of its kind. The colleges here have been ranked based on the quality of talent and the performance of their graduates in the corporate world.

The presence of a large number of technical institutions across the country often makes it difficult for the potential students to make the right choice. Also, the IT organizations are always looking to hire from a variety of quality Institutions. To Bridge this gap between the Industry and the Academia, SiliconIndia.com consulted HR managers, collected data from the various recruitment firms and Job boards. Also, over 3000 working professionals who completed their engineering in 2006 were interviewed for the same purpose. After an extensive and exhaustive research, the list of top 100 engineering institutes was compiled.

"We believe that despite the various criteria's, the quality of a college lies in the performance of the graduate. This is assessed by the pay package they command in the corporate world after a period of 5 years. This is the real value a college adds to the graduate," says Harvi Sachar, CEO, SiliconIndia.com.

This list is integral to the students and the corporate organizations. It allows the companies to look beyond IITs and hire quality engineers from various colleges. The annual average salary of a graduate after five years in the industry is provided for the students to make a choice as per their interest and caliber at the very start of their career.

The 'Top 100 engineering colleges in India 2011' provides the companies with an insight so that they can reach out to the right colleges and thereby promote industry growth by hiring deserving graduates. The list holds a good amount of credibility and helps the students and the companies select better.

The supplement is easily available in almost all the news-stands and the list is available for download on the website.

http://www.siliconindia.com/education/engineeringcollege/top-100-engineering-colleges-in-india.php?location=cs#1

*Additional Information* 

Kindly note that according to our survey, in Jharkhand:

Birla Institute Of Technology, Mesra; Jharkhand is ranked 9th among the 'Top 100 Engineering Colleges 2011'.

Also, BIT, Mesra is ranked 4th and NIT, Jamshedpur 8th are among the Top 10 Colleges in the Eastern India.

In the 'Top 50 M.Tech Colleges across India' BIT Mesra, Ranchi is ranked 3rd.

Article provided by SiliconIndia.Com.

Contact: Kornica Dhar

Pr Manager, SiliconIndia.com

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Phone No.: +91- 8043112-146

[10:00 A.M - 6:30 P.M]

http://www.siliconindia.com/
The brutal murder of Patna Universitys Prof. Papiya Ghosh and her elderly maidservant at her home in Patna on December 3 shocked the academic community in Bihar. A brave and popular singleton, Prof. Ghosh taught history to postgrad students at Patna University.

In a state where college education is in a shambles and elite private tutors hire armed bodyguards as they teach batches of 200-500 students to rake in big bucks, the brutal murder of this popular academic has come as a huge blow to the already demoralised academy. That a serious academic could be killed in such a barbaric manner in one of the most upscale residential localities of the state capital has conveyed a chilling message: the state is still at the mercy of anti-social goons and criminals and the role of the police is merely to reconstruct crimes without much hope of successful arrest and prosecution of perpetrators.

Yet the silver lining to this cruelly-executed murder is that public protests in Patna continued for over a fortnight with widespread condemnation of the heinous crime pouring in from all over the country. The police was quick to describe the murders as robbery-related and arrested four local youth on December 15. Goods stolen from the professors modest home were recovered following intensive investigation driven by a sustained campaign by local media.

Born in 1953 the late professor was the daughter of an IAS officer and had received her school education in Patna. One of her sisters is also an IAS officer and currently posted as officer on special duty with Lok Sabha speaker Somnath Chatterjee. A graduate of Patna Womens College, Ghosh pressed on to pursue her Masters and Ph D in history at Delhi University. Thereafter against the advice of all, she returned to teach history at her alma mater, Patna Womens College. It proved to be a fateful decision.

Although the police insist that the motive of the crime is common robbery, the local media is rife with stories of how she was threatened by some politicians and the land mafia to part with her house which is in a prestigious neighbourhood. In 2004 Ghosh had filed a complaint with the police in this connection. After that she never received any fresh threats. Nevertheless the opposition Lalu Prasad-led Rashtriya Janata Dal party has demanded a CBI probe with the state government insisting that the local police has already solved the case. Yet there is considerable disquiet  indeed fear  in the city that a murder most foul was committed in broad daylight in the upscale Pataliputra colony.

Yet this much-lamented murder and the intense speculation it has aroused is indicative of the reality that despite good intentions, the new Nitish Kumar-led state government which was voted to power in 2005, has a long way to go before restoring citizens faith in the police and law and order machinery.

Meanwhile the state governments effort to attract high quality teachers into the promised new Bihar has suffered a severe setback.

(Published in Education World online)
It has been almost five years since my aunt Papiya Ghosh and Malti Devi were brutally murdered in our familys home in Patna. Though several years have passed, the pain and injustice of their murders remain raw. Every time a birthday or holiday passes without hearing Bumbles voice, the harsh reality that she is gone sets in.

Though some progress has been made in finding the killers, the facts behind who plotted the murder and why remains a mystery to us. I have resigned myself to the fact that true justice is not attainable on this Earth. Even if we somehow were able to find the killers and the mastermind and sentence them to life in prison, that still would not bring Bumble back. Nothing will ever bring Bumble backthis is the cruelest realization of all.

In all likelihood, we may never know why this happened and who the true perpetrators of this crime are. To this day, I cannot reconcile the facts of what occurred and how little information the investigation unearthed. How is it possible that two people were brutally stabbed to death, a house was completely ransacked, a washer and a refrigerator were moved out of a house that had two ferociously protective dogs without anyone noticing that something was amiss? How is it possible that no one heard a scream, a cry for help, the dogs barking incessantly or the sounds of furniture and machines being moved in the middle of the night? These questions may never be answered, so our family chosen to channel our energy into finding ways to honor Bumbles life. Some of the things developed in her honor include the book, A Toast to Bumble, a scholarship fund for female students at Patna University, and a website with detailed information about her life, www.papiyaghosh.com.

In addition to being an outstanding professor and passionate historical researcher, she was also a tremendous and loving person. I will always remember her warmth, how she loved to give long hugs, and her thoughtfulness. Visits to India are not the same without a trip to Patna and catching up with Bumble. She was the consummate hostess. She knew all of your favorite meals and desserts and was sure to have them ready upon your arrival. She would even rent movies or select a few books for you from her vast collection to ensure that you were entertained. It is sad to think about how much she has missed in the years since her death and how much more she could have accomplished. She did not even have the chance to see her first book be published, which was something she had worked on for much of her lifetime. For these reasons and more, the injustice of her death never seems to lessen. For some, things continue as they were before but the world of those who knew and loved her has changed indelibly. Her loss continues to color our lives.

I could write endlessly about all her great attributes and how much she meant to us but how could I ever convey all that she was? Her absence has left a void that can never be filled but we do our best to honor her legacy. Though she is not with us physically, Bumbles spirit is always present. As trite as it sounds, every time I see a beautiful sunset, the ocean, or a sweet dog, it brings me some comfort because I know how much she enjoyed these simple pleasures. Perhaps the most productive thing we can do now is work to ensure that her horrific murder does not overshadow the wonderfully rich life she led.
Recently, I came across a biography of Braj Kishore Prasad  the foremost, but forgotten enlightened leader of Bihar. I would like to introduce your readers to the life and times of this patriot. The book - Shri Braj Kishore Prasad - The First Associate of Gandhiji in Bihar - is written by Surendra Gopal, Retired Professor of History, Patna University, published by Bihar Vidyapeeth Patna, 2012, $12.

The advent of modernity in Bihar was symbolized by the establishment of schools and colleges by the zamindars for the dissemination of English education needed for the introduction of the British system of management in their territories. B Prasad was a product of this change. He was a renaissance man - erudite, liberal, jurist, social reformer, freedom fighter and philanthropist.

He obtained a master and law degrees in spite of the adversity he faced after the death of his father. He encouraged the spread of English education among both sexes and promoted foreign travel for higher education. He showed his commitment to promote foreign travel by attending the dinner hosted for Dr. Ganesh Prasad after his return from England and sending Ambika Charan to Japan and meeting his expenses. While welcoming Charan, he arranged a secular dinner crossing the caste barriers.

A fearless fighter for justice when people were afraid to speak against the authorities, he tried to redress the plight of the peasants through legal means even before the arrival of Mahatma Gandhi in Champaran. His efforts resulted in the Settlement Report, though not very helpful to ryots, but at least it proved that the government acknowledged the grievances of the peasants.

B. Prasads organizational ability, his legal acumen and familiarity with the peasants problems helped Gandhiji to redress the sufferings of the peasants. Gandhiji took him to Ranchi to meet with the Governor on at the latters invitation. The meeting led to the introduction of The Champaran Agrarian Bill of 1917, which recommended the abolition of the tinkathia system and return of  the tawan (for releasing the peasants for cultivating indigo). It was a positive step, though not very satisfactory.

The aftermath of the Champaran movement brought a new breed of full-time politicians with a definite ideology and methodology. The lead was taken by B. Prasad. Though he differed with Gandhiji, at times, he was his most trusted colleague. Whenever Gandhiji was away from Champaran, he deputed B. Prasad to substitute for him. Braj Kishore Prasad along with Anugrah Narayan Singh and Rajendra Prasad nurtured and strengthened the functioning of the Congress Party in Bihar. Such was his popularity and influence nationwide that he was elected as a member of the Congress Working Committee - the apex decision making body. But he confined his activities to Bihar and tried to implement Gandhijis policies in the State.

As a Chairman of the Reception Committee of the Congress Session at Gaya in 1923, he exhibited his organizational ability and integrity. He was a social reformer and he supported the efforts of those with whom he differed. Though defeated by the Maharaja of Darbhanga for the membership of the Bengal Legislative Council, he supported the Maharaja for introducing the Panchayat system to minimize litigation among the villagers.

Like Gandhiji, B. Prasad regarded that social reforms would improve the conditions of the peasants. He worked hard for the emancipation of women who were mainly engaged in the household affairs with no role in the society due to illiteracy prevailing among them. He provided examples by encouraging his daughters to get education discard purda and participate in the community affairs. He sent his daughter - Prabhavati- to live in Gandhijis Ashram- a bold step at that time. This had a salutary effect and people followed his example by letting their women folks to get education and involve in political and social activities. Women joined the freedom struggle and suffered imprisonment.

Though indisposed, he kept a close watch on the civil Disobedience Movement and guided it from Patna. During the worst earthquake in Bihar in 1934, B. Prasad with failing health supervised the relief work. He did not live to see the independence of India as he passed away in 1946.

The book -a labor of love - is based on sound principles of historical research. Written in a people-friendly language, it traces the history of freedom struggle and reform movement in Bihar, which involved masses in the social and political activities. We get a glimpse of the rise of caste and communal politics in Bihar due to the election of local bodies and provincial legislature. The book is a must on the bookshelves of those interested in Indian struggle for freedom as the history of India revolves round Bihar. The author has done a commendable service to the historical research. Several appendices relating to the Champaran movement and the speech of Braj Kishore Prasad add to the value of the book. The printing of the book is good, but the binding is bad.

Editor's note: Mr. Prasad, who was born on January 14, 1877, was married at 11 years of age to Phuljhari Devi. They had seven children though two daughters and a son died at infancy. Two sons and two daughters survived. One of the daughters, Prabhavati, later married to Loknayak Jaya Prakash Narayan, while other daughter Vidyapati married to Mritunjaya Prasad, son of India's first President Dr. Rajendra Prasad.


My reputation as a problem solver seems to have never died down even though it has been years since I last showed my abilities. (For the information of the ignorant few I have described my heroic feats in quite unheroic terms on my blog.*) In fact, it is only I who seem to have put aside that glorious chapter of my life behind me, the rest of the world remembers.

The other day a whole lot of people trooped in to my house demanding an audience with me. Everyone wanted to speak to me all at once, the entire surging sea of humanity. Out of that lot a significant number said they were having a problem in taking out their cars out of the parking lot because my driver had parked it in the middle of the exit road. I immediately handed one of them the key to my car to do the needful and they went back seemingly satisfied. Do not quite know why their satisfaction was not full and final.

But there were still some people who would not go away. Their faces seemed familiar and unaccountably in my minds eye they were always hoist on high places - seated on a dais, podium, prime time, media etc. I magnanimously walked up to them and encouraged them to speak to me without fear or reserve. They said, "Could we sit down for a while, they had some more serious issues?"

There was an awkward silence and each one of them hoped to open up after the others had left. Finally a nervous, fidgety fellow spoke. He said in a sepulchral tone, "It is the problem of black money." Ah! Big problem with international ramifications, a problem which others had tried their hands on and failed, a problem which occupies the national mind. That is quite up my street. "What about the others?" In a unique manifestation of "a revolution of moral concern" they said, their problem was also the same.

The gathering had barely seated itself when a man who distinctly smelt of money, without any preamble started reeling out figures related to black money. "Yes, but are these figures inclusive of the black money that you gentleman have secreted at various locations?" He was not clued on to this. All that he wanted was that the money should be brought back without delay. He said that half a dozen times, to underline the urgency of the problem. He kept his two hands in his trouser pocket throughout, not taking them out even once. I thought he had already taken out his hoard of black money and secreted it in his deep pocket. Secretly in some corner of his mind he also wished for his promised 15 lakh out of other peoples black money. But I could see the logic. I could also see that he was speaking for all of them.

I assured them that the problem of locating and confiscating black money was quite a childs play for me but would they like me to go down in history as the biggest bumbling idiot who ever lived. They were shocked beyond words. "You see it is not for the first time in the history of our great nation that such an idea  shall we say Quixotic before Quixote - has come up. In the golden age of Vikramaditya, Kalidas had authored such a proposal to weed out black money and nearly sank the ship of his state. He was immortalized as a fool sawing off the branch he was sitting upon. The rhyme Kalidas kate ghaas (Kalidas cuts grass) became a national ditty. It was the revisionist historians who in order to refurbish the image of Vikramaditya ascribed to Kalidas the authorship of the books he is credited with and the foolish project was consigned to the memory hole. After painstaking research I had been able to establish this little known but very instructive fact of history.

The penny dropped for them instantly. The spokesman said with great finality "We see the point of it."Then he became conspiratorial. "I know, it is difficult; not only difficult it may even be suicidal but my new party is sworn to the idea of doing away with black money."

"That is simple", I said, "make another promise, change the party, change your name, your parents, your face or simply deny that you had made any such promise. Better still say that investigations have revealed that nothing called black money ever existed. "I have tried each one of the options, except the last one, several times during the course of this campaign itself. I will be found out. And I cannot say that black money never existed because like poverty, secularism, nationalism, development etc we will need to exhort the liquidation of black money to lure the masses in all future elections. Parties irrespective of ideological leanings make these promises. Unity in diversity. Please, please do something."

There was a pin drop silence. He was clearly speaking for the collective!

"You mean you just want to be seen to be doing your utmost to clean up, right? Cheat people out of their votes." "Is it not what democracy is all about, a competitive fraud where the cleverest con man wins?" "Well said. Let us go." "Where to?" "To locate, unearth and confiscate black money". "Yes but let us first inform the income tax, enforcement department, the media." "The law ministers famous raid on drug peddlers has already laid down the precedent .Now every law abiding citizen can take upon himself the task of enforcing law according to his own interpretation of it."

As if guided by some demiurge we were standing in front of a modest looking house nestled among imposing palatial houses in a famous colony. An old man came out to investigate what it was all about. My God! Is not he the man I had seen yesterday, on my way to the bank, clutching something close to his chest and looking utterly watchful?

Spurred on we searched his house with a fine tooth comb and soon enough the precious horde of black money, secreted in a black bag ,wrapped in a black shawl and kept in a black box was winking at us.

I smiled at my own problem solving ability which now seemed to be getting automated. Four hundred seventy eight thousand rupees in all! The media was not far behind and my beaming interlocutor was exploiting it as good photo op was struggling to be seen in the forefront of this campaign.

"Four hundred seventy eight thousand million, is that the figure you quoted for black money? We have unearthed the four hundred seventy eight thousand - the million that remains is now childs play, I think the tax authorities can take the small stride after the giant step we have taken today. Let them also claim the credit."

The old man who happened to be a primary school teacher came up with all kinds of receipts to prove its legitimate origin. My interlocutors became nervous. "Now the media will nail our lie." "Impossible, I said; the media have money so much on their minds that on matters concerning money they cannot distinguish black form white."

I was ready for them. "Sir, but on the basis of papers furnished by the old man it seems to be white money." It appears to be white money alright, but actually it is black money gone white, out of fear."

The media got more than it had asked for. Not only was the issue clarified, they had got a catchy headline for tomorrows dispatches.

*http://www.manojenath.in/2009/12/modest-proposal_12.html



India Today magazine once referred to Manoje Nath, a 1973-batch IPS officer, as being fiercely independent, honest, and upright. Besides his numerous official reports on various issues exposing corruption in the bureaucracy in Bihar, Nath is also a writer extraordinaire expressing his thoughts on subjects ranging from science fiction to the effects of globalization. His sense of humor was evident through his extremely popular series named "Gulliver in Patiliputra" and "Modest Proposals" that were published in the local newspapers.
"You heard of honest Socrates

The man who never lied:

They weren't so grateful as you'd think

Instead the rulers fixed to have him tried

And handed him the poisoned drink.

How honest was the people's noble son.

The world however did not wait

But soon observed what followed on.

It's honesty that brought him to that state.

How fortunate the man with none." - Bertolt Brecht

Laffaire Salman Khan was deconstructed in different, even discordant ways by various groups of people, depending on their particular socio-economic situations. A large section of Bollywood declared it as a triumph of justice and a vindication of their peculiar ethic that claims special privileges for celebrities who entertain the nation, who spend so much on charity, who keep the industry going (several hundreds of crores are said to be riding on Salman Khan).

Those who are not star-struck, nor are rich and famous received it as yet another confirmation of their belief that the law of the land cannot chastise the rich and the famous. Still others  commentators, anti-corruption activists etc.  saw it as an endorsement of the truth alone triumphs motto. As a former IPS officer who has put in forty years in the organisation  I see it quite differently. To me, it is yet another stern warning that the perils of honesty and commitment to the rule of law come with an unacceptable risk  for the policeman.

Society has evolved considerably from its earlier identification with courageous and conscientious upholders of law as heroic figures; achievers and the successful are the new role model. In a time when even directors of CBI have been seen to be puny foot-soldiers of the rich and powerful, characters like Ravindra Patil seem to be chasing illusory, quixotic goals. As a lowly constable, he had the temerity to stand for truth, equality before law and a determination to bring the powerful to justice. In doing so he went against the organizational culture. He was a turncoat of his profession. No wonder the Mumbai police force excommunicated him.

(Ravindra Patil was a commando from Mumbai police who was assigned as bodyguard to Salman Khan in the wake of threats to him from the Mumbai underworld, and was with him on the fateful night when the superstar ran down pavement dwellers and ran away. Patil was the lone eyewitness, who stuck to his account that Salman Khan was drunk and drove rashly despite being cautioned. Repeated threats, inducements and pressure from his own department did not dissaude him, and he paid the price with his eventual dismissal, and ultimate death, alone in a hospital. Newspapers report his statement to a friend a mere two days before his death: "I stood by my statement till the end, but my department did not stand by me. I want my job back, I want to survive. I want to meet the police commissioner once.")

The system wreaks punishment in great detail to those who stand for truth in contemporary society, and the utter futility and pointlessness of such a gesture would be evident if we plot the life of the individual in history as opposed to the timeless image of the hero. Satya Harischandras insane commitment to fulfill a promise made in a dream cost him his kingdom, and his son. He sold himself into slavery of the worst kind, and even felt duty-bound to ask his wife to part with a portion of the saree covering her modesty. He passed the test and the gates of heaven opened for him. The gods themselves anointed him. Those were the days when gods and men were on equable terms of association - reward, and punishment, redemption and retribution followed close at hand.



Patil was similarly seized by a delusional notion called commitment to rule of law; he believed in the grandiose promise of law made grander still by the Latin it is couched in. Fiat Justitia Ruat Caelum (Let justice be done though heavens fall). We have rarely seen the heavens fall, but the fall of those who try to bring the powerful to justice is an everyday occurrence. When it confronts the powerful, the law of the land reads itself differently from the way it initially wrote itself. So he had the devil to pay for his naivete. He was subjected to physical threats, he had to go in hiding, he was deprived of his job; his family deserted him, he contracted the most virulent disease that can afflict a human being, was reduced to begging and died an anonymous death. Patils victory was both pyrrhic and pointless. The powerful man walked free in a few hours .The policemans prolonged suffering, disgrace and ultimate death did not sanctify any cause because no such cause exists today and the just gods who in mythical times rewarded the virtuous and punished the wicked have departed long back, leaving no addresses.

But there is cold comfort at hand. Media, the nearest equivalent of God in our godless world, have woken up to him as if he had been incarnate yesterday. Perhaps if it had taken some notice earlier Patil may still have been alive. But no one, it seems, wants martyrdom interrupted because the deaths of these suckers serve a very utilitarian purpose. They help derive a very comforting moral: fighting injustice and corruption in the system is beyond the realm of an ordinary man's effort. So while in principle the society may continue to endorse the values of probity in public life, it can merrily go about its business in the usual manner.

India Today magazine once referred to Manoje Nath, a 1973-batch IPS officer, as being fiercely independent, honest, and upright. Besides his numerous official reports on various issues exposing corruption in the bureaucracy in Bihar, Nath is also a writer extraordinaire expressing his thoughts on subjects ranging from science fiction to the effects of globalization. His sense of humor was evident through his extremely popular series named "Gulliver in Patiliputra" and "Modest Proposals" that were published in the local newspapers.
Just when the national temper was cooling down, Mr. Aamir Khan has shared his wifes sense of insecurity, which was blissfully short lived, just as his desire to leave the country but a transient impulse.

Ironically enough, though Mr. Khan chose to stay back his momentary distress lead to such a dispute between a couple that the wife chose to depart this world and media is again firing on all cylinders, flagging the urgency of celebrity concerns to the exclusion of a hundred issues of greater magnitude in our impoverished, problem-ridden country. The argumentative Indian is back at the job that he likes best, but is the least equipped for: critical debate.

Let us face it. The intolerance debate has conscripted us all to politics, the media included. There is no middle ground; either you are with "us" or you are with "them"; to be neutral hints at moral dubiousness, even downright dishonesty. Normally the affliction of the common man, it has infected intellectuals and eminent historians like Irfan Habib, who went overboard with his comparison of RSS with ISIS.

We are now witness to this argument without end, where the disputants reiterate their stated positions endlessly? The banality of the debate can be summed up in the simple binary of "why" and "why not". Or the very dismissive "Worse immorality has been seen"; because, given their record, no political party worth the name can clear the minimum standards of a secular morality. It leads to a selective rummaging of sediments of historical past. If Godhra is the real and active component of the secular offensive, and that moment in the past a never-fading frame of reference, it becomes necessary for those under attack to remind their erstwhile partners now in the Mahagathbandhan of continued opportunistic alliance. And of course, the reference to the "puppies" and "dogs" remark is bound to be countered by the eternal verity of that philosophical rumination "When a big tree falls, the earth shakes". Some more in the same vein accrue to the anthology of such remarks.

Whether we like it or not, exploitation of fear is now recognised as a legitimate tool of electoral aggrandisement in our bitterly divisive politics. The Intolerance debate itself was initiated in the run up to the assembly elections to Bihar, and the Mahagathbandhan snatched a spectacular victory from the jaws of a certain defeat; thanks to the increased awareness of intolerance. The more terrorised the community is, the better yields it gives in terms of votes. The minorities flocked together like never before for Mahagathbandhan. The "secular" alliance, Mahagathbandhan, returned the favour by the declaration of election in Bihar as a war between the forwards and backwards, which delivered the so called forward caste, bound hand and foot as bonded voters in the camp of alliance led by the so called "communal" party. So would not one love ones enemy for its egregiousness, if it is so productive? To expect a radical new commencement of politics after the results in Bihar is idle, so we would be foolish to see the end of the debate.

The intellectuals have contributed all that they had to the situation; their independent minds and their elegant opinions. Some of them have even gone to the extent of returning their awards. Celebrities have graced us enough with their star presences; but the fire rages on.

The Dadri incident  itself an abject failure of the local administration  which was one of the focal points from which fear and intolerance radiated throughout the country, is as good a point as any to look for solutions.

As a former police officer, it fills me with a vague sense of unease: how did one isolated incident here and one there in a vast country like ours add up to envelop the nation in a huge blanket of fear and anxiety? How did the tragic and unpardonable lynching of an alleged beef-eater assume an epidemic form of "mad cow disease", which went on to infect a large population with beef-related anxieties across the length and breadth of our vast country?

Communal issues are the staple of a policemans work, and those of us who valued our profession took prompt action and nipped the disinformation machinery by absolutely fair and neutral action.

To buttress my point, a couple of days back, the Bihar police shot down two from a mob determined to lynch a runaway driver belonging to the minority community. He had crushed two Hindu villagers to death. The police officer in charge of Hajipur Police station was lynched to death by the "intolerant" mob but the situation was saved. Had the police failed, would it have gone to substantiate the evidence of intolerance? Had Dadri been prevented, would we still be self-flagellating ourselves with the evidence of our intolerance? Incidents of communal nature are amenable to prompt professional response, and if they are taking place all over the country under various political dispensations, are they not contributing to the situation? Should not we be looking for better policing also, apart from what we are doing - engaging in debate, counselling the hate mongers - as an option? The law of the land provides every remedy for creators of distrust.

The media plays - ought to play - its role of keeping the reporting to balanced proportions, helps in confidence building measures, which are the antidote to mutual distrust, fear and anxieties. With the unruly and anarchic social media, now the mainstream media has not only to report but debunk the bogus and pernicious floated by the alternate media.

Fear is not a naturally occurring germ or virus; it is anthropogenically created information (or deliberate disinformation) riding on electromagnetic waves or other means of communication. Once brought into being, it mutates and multiplies of its own to create anxieties and distrust.

We may now recall the background of the intolerance debate: the interviews and remarks of the likes of Sakshi Maharaj, Yogi Aditya Nath, Pragya, and a clutch of sadhvis, Giriraj Singh  the collocation is both decisive and damning, they are well known for irresponsible remarks  started it all. The emblematic example of the intolerance against Mr. Shah Rukh Khan  certainly not the most tolerant of Indians, the man who only recently thrashed the security guards in the Wankhede Stadium in an IPL match, was involved in a high voltage star war performance with Salman Khan, and has reportedly dared one of his insulting followers on social networking sites to give him his home address and be prepared to be thrashed  needs to be examined at some length. After a union minister was forced to certify Shah Rukh Khans patriotism, and for good measure heaped a whole lot of praise on him for his many qualities and the contribution that he has made to society etc., we could have expected a closure. (Could one of the lessons be that a citizen must be worried and get his patriotism attested by a union minister should any jerk ever question it?) But that was not to be. Giriraj Singh, an expert on who should be excommunicated to Pakistan, was again up to his incendiary tricks on a channel the very next day. Whose interest was served by providing him a platform? If every deed of a particular hue is blown into every eye, if every hot head with a slingshot and every wounded heart on the receiving end of the shot is to be provided a platform, one cannot but feel snowed down under a pall of anxiety. If the Hinduttva brigade is the original arsonists, are others also not fanning the fire?



Paul Tillich, the existentialist Christian theologian of culture says, "He who is in anxiety is, insofar as it is mere anxiety, is delivered to it without help [] The only object is the threat itself, but not the source of the threat, because the source of the threat is "nothingness."

My worry is that Mr. Khan may not be the last victim of the anxiety to be "delivered without help". This creeping disease may create deep and abiding fissures in our society which would survive the departure of the man from the national scene who is alleged to be the "fountainhead" of it all. We seem to be a little like the Chinese boy in Charles Lambs Dissertation on the Roasting of a Pig who, in order to roast a pig, burns down the house itself. So it is time for common man and woman to take things in their hands. We plead: we are suitably alert to the situation, give us a break now.

We cheer up to think that even before the intolerance debate seized us by the throat we were not known to be a very tolerant nation. Leave aside the ire of the high and mighty, common men like you and me, regularly get involved in road rages, parking disputes, and disputes over something as trivial as sharing of berths. Inter caste and community love affairs have led to murders and honour killings. But we take these things on our chins and move on, and life goes on as usual. People still drive cars, use parking lots, travel in trains, and fall in love across communities and caste. Even those unfortunate enough to have been embroiled in violent communal situations pick up the threads of their disrupted lives and move on.

Despite a hundred things that divide us, we have survived together this long. Insha Allah! We will survive some more.

India Today magazine once referred to Manoje Nath, a 1973-batch IPS officer, as being fiercely independent, honest, and upright. Besides his numerous official reports on various issues exposing corruption in the bureaucracy in Bihar, Nath is also a writer extraordinaire expressing his thoughts on subjects ranging from science fiction to the effects of globalization. His sense of humor was evident through his extremely popular series named "Gulliver in Patiliputra" and "Modest Proposals" that were published in the local newspapers.
Kanhaiya Kumars totally uncalled for arrest and slapping of the charges of sedition etc. have clouded the issue and furthered the interest of the elements the government claims to rein in.

But before we discuss the issue it would be worthwhile to recapitulate the basic facts of the story which have been told and retold and changed somewhat in every telling. No one has come up yet with the theory that there were two editions of Kanhaiya. Otherwise every fact, every video clipping comes in two versions. You can take your pick.

It is beyond dispute that a group of students in the JNU organised a "cultural" evening to celebrate the death anniversary of the martyred Afzal Guru. To an overwhelmingly large number of Indians, he was a terrorist and enemy of the Indian state. Political leaders across the divide had endorsed this view in the immediate aftermath of the attack. The "cultural artists" chanted their determination to fight till the destruction of the Indian state, and felt ashamed that the killers of Afzal were still alive. They concluded by invoking the blessing of Allah for this project. The slogans need to be quoted in full for the enlarged meaning of "cultural activities".

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Kanhaiya Kumar later distanced himself from the shouting of these slogans and condemned this act. The evening, he said, was meant to commemorate Dr. Ambedkar and reaffirm faith in Indian constitution.

Afzal Guru the "martyr", was hanged to death when the Congress government was in power, after the entire range of curative options available to an accused in a polity governed by due process of law  from the trial court to the mercy petition before the President of India - were exhausted. Having failed to get a favourable verdict, few would dare indulge in public denunciation of the most sacred of our institutions. Democracy is about building institutions; institutions work in tandem with other institutions and they have to be invested with authority by reposing faith in them and not wrecking them for perceived wrongs. That is our share of the democratic burden. Dr. Ambedkar must have turned in his grave to hear the public denunciation of all that we hold sacred.

Lenin used to ask ironically: "Freedom -- yes, but for whom? To do what?"

The idea of free speech is so seductive that it seems wimpish to even suggest caution or moderation in the exercise of this sacred right, but we must wonder whether the democratic idealism provides a standpoint outside of itself to wreck and demolish its very foundational values. No law was violated in the chanting of these slogans, agreed, but are societies run by decrees alone? Are we subject to the prohibition of laws alone? There are no laws against incest. Should that then become an acceptable behaviour? Does good sense and consideration for the feelings of others not curb our freedom of action?

I hear that declaring oneself to be anti-national has become the new normal for the enlightened beings, but there are people who would rather be seen dead than being dubbed anti national. If we inhabit a shared space, we have to consider each others sensibilities. Kanhaiya Kumar was not unaware of this, as his subsequent condemnation of the incident shows. What was then the mainspring of his action?

According to an apostatic ABVP member there is a hierarchy of intellectual order in the JNU; the Brahminical order consists of those from St. Stephen and Presidency College. Cerebral, articulate and fluent in the langua franca of power discourse  English  their minds organised by the fundamentals of Marxism, enjoyed a hegemony till the upstart ABVP types gate-crashed  perhaps riding pillion on the rise of the rightist politics.

"Students in JNUs history centre divided informally along class lines early on. Apart from a few exceptions, those from elite colleges like St Stephens in Delhi and Presidency in Kolkata turned left, while those from small towns were splintered among the left, the ABVP and the Congresss student wing, the National Students Union of India. Apart from my background, it also seemed to me that falling in line with the left would mean acceptance of this intellectual hierarchy. Spurning the system seemed enticing."

http://www.caravanmagazine.in/vantage/why-i-left-sangh-abvp#sthash.hpswBzPE.Y24i6w1M.dpuf

Kashmir is very much on the minds of the Indian people. The ethnic cleansing of the Kashmiri Pandits is an equally emotive issue for an overwhelming number of Indians, but it has never seized the imagination of the progressively oriented JNU( or has it?) because it does not command as much traction as liberation of Kashmir.

If we argue by results they were dead right. JNU has become a global symbol of resistance and Kanhaiya Kumar, a nondescript entity from Bihar with no past to reckon with, is suddenly a martyr to the cause of democracy. Secure in the knowledge that aggressive and institutionally entrenched national and global elite well-versed in the vernacular of law, who exert a tremendous pressure on politics will intervene on their behalf makes such gestures risk free. Prashant Bhushan has offered his services voluntarily; the likes of Arundhati Roy and Chomsky have given him the thumbs up. If the exercise of freedom of speech was this rewarding, who would flinch from murder? The intellectually unsophisticated security personnel guarding the parliament building seemed to have laid down their lives quite gratuitously when martyrdom comes so cheap.

As an Egyptian poet said,

"What have we not done for our fatherland.

Some have laid down their lives, some made speeches."

India Today magazine once referred to Manoje Nath, a 1973-batch IPS officer, as being fiercely independent, honest, and upright. Besides his numerous official reports on various issues exposing corruption in the bureaucracy in Bihar, Nath is also a writer extraordinaire expressing his thoughts on subjects ranging from science fiction to the effects of globalization. His sense of humor was evident through his extremely popular series named "Gulliver in Patiliputra" and "Modest Proposals" that were published in the local newspapers.
Who killed Rajdev Ranjan, the correspondent of a Hindi newspaper, is a question that reverberates today throughout the public sphere of Bihar and fuels private anxieties of those living in Biharis. The more we know the more stridently we ask the question 'Who killed Rajdev Ranjan?' We know who did it. By asking the question we are merely trying to point the needle of suspicion away from our own guilty selves. The society as a whole killed Rajdev Ranjan.

The criminal element in our society has metastasized over the years and is now firmly lodged in its bone marrow of the body politic. Cancer evokes a feeling of helplessness, of resignation and an existentialist terror in those who are condemned to watch it take its toll of their loved ones. The civil society finds itself less and less able to count on its antibodies  the institutions, whether formal or informal, those whose duty it is to contain crime - have deserted or stand compromised.

Crime has now an overarching presence in our society. It is certainly not true for Bihar only; the entire country is afflicted by this malady, and we the masses- Lenins "useful idiots"- are mobilized by the various political parties which control our minds and our consciences to cite a more heinous crime committed in Jharkhand to play down the crime in Bihar, and vice versa. When Vyapam related murder in MP comes to be mentioned it is countered by some other scandal in Bengal. We merely displace the awareness of what afflicts our particular situation by seeking solace in the fact that others are worse off.

But even amidst the apathy, listlessness and an extraordinary passivity of society, the media is supposed to go on playing its role of alerting a comatose community to the various dangers that beset it. Consequently, a small town journalist infiltrates the territory of criminal warlords with the only resources that he can pit against the mighty- his courage and an unflinching commitment to his profession.

As one of the newspapers reported, Rajdev Ranjan had allegedly procured a photograph showing a minister of the government paying obeisance to the incarcerated 'leader' in Siwan jail which became viral. One must not jump the gun of the investigation in progress to establish the link but the act itself was fraught with great risk and the alleged photograph is of great public interest. Poor Rajdev believed that the mere awareness of such hobnobbing of the bigwigs would enrage the community to some form of radical reaction. But alas! Ours is not that kind of society; the people know it only too well how the system runs; who controls the levers of power; what territories are outlawed for the writ of law. And they are fine with it. Rajdev thought that he had prized out a precious gem; the society dismissed it as the merest piffle. The man who occupationally informed and educated public opinion was hopelessly out of touch with the latest news about the society he lived in!

Therein lies the tragedy of Rajdev (or any zealous police officer, civil servant, social activist and all those who still care for moral hygiene in public life) and our guilt by acquiescence, by indifference, by apathy. We profess a particular set of principles and live by quite another; the naive fall in the yawning gap between the pretence and the essence. Messengers of bad news are murdered; harbingers of good tidings rewarded is the new normal.

The post-modernist media has moved beyond the archaic morality related to content, impartiality, objectivity, balance etc. With new patterns of media ownership and control they have broken free and the earlier (self imposed) accountability on their relation to the political system no longer holds good. The very top of the pyramid now lines up for the privilege of washing the feet of the powerful and wealthy with soda water and unguents, whatever the provenance of such power or wealth. Prominent news anchors become single issue publicists, prime time celebrities double up as secret agents for corporate world and influential columnists become powerbrokers and pimps of politicians. They make hay while the poor, ill paid reporter on the beat dies for a lost cause. The media today is like a train in which the different compartments are headed for separate destinations. Rajdev boarded the wrong compartment. To that extent we, who knew it and did not warn him, are collectively the guilty party.

India Today magazine once referred to Manoje Nath, a 1973-batch IPS officer, as being fiercely independent, honest, and upright. Besides his numerous official reports on various issues exposing corruption in the bureaucracy in Bihar, Nath is also a writer extraordinaire expressing his thoughts on subjects ranging from science fiction to the effects of globalization. His sense of humor was evident through his extremely popular series named "Gulliver in Patiliputra" and "Modest Proposals" that were published in the local newspapers.
Mr. Modis decision to demonetize big denomination currencies has cast a spell of black magic on the entire political opposition, and even the high-minded and hypocritical parties, have been forced into a stance they would not have taken in normal times.

Completely distraught, they seem to have dropped their guard. Who could have expected them to oppose and thus be perceived by their constituents, to be openly in support of Black Money? The fact that UP elections are just round the corner did not help matters much. The violent opposition by all political parties to demonetization is not only due to the fact that it has immobilized the vast funds of black money parked with them; they suspect a larger political mischief to be at work. Not only have they been robbed of their money they have also been robbed of their agenda.

To assess the full impact of this decision let us first briefly summarize the nature of electoral politics as it has been practiced in India for quite some time. Electoral politics involves inflaming of passions to boiling point around elections which are occasions for trial of strength; voting becomes an act of vendetta. The mutual suspicion between the various factions and group formations, backward vs. forward castes, Dalits vs. Hindus, Hindus vs. Muslims - the entire population is worked up to a feverish pitch, only to cool down after normalcy returns.

The concept of the enemy has been vital to the whole electoral exercise. With the coming of the so called Hindutva government, it has become particularly bitter and vicious. Be it also said that both sides have shown equal zest to slug it out. Now we have strategists like Prashant Kishore, the wonder boy who has his ears close to the ground, who works with his team of hundreds of grass root workers who report the mood and the changing affiliations of the voters in every village on a real-time basis. With their cool heads and colder hearts these strategists apply principles of management on how best to fragment the society and devise winning combination of fractions.

As we all know, Mr. Modi has a troubled, problematic record as the CM of Gujarat. Yet his smooth and swift rise from untouchability to respectability has been watched with dismay, even horror, by those who feel threatened by it. The only weapon in their armoury has been to rake up the sediment of his historical past, and keep it alive as a never-fading frame of reference for all his present deeds and decisions. They feel that this move liberates Mr. Modi from the secularism-Hindutva binary trap where he has been cabined and confined. It has created a clear divergence of interest between two groups, one very large and the other very small. The very large group threatens to leapfrog the barriers created and nurtured by political enterprise as homogenous group rooting for Modi. How can you tether the eradication of black money programme to a communalist or any other divisive agenda? Once you step out of the realm of political concerns into the realm of the economic, you leave your pre-modern competitors clueless, breathless and bereft of ideas. This proposal, whatever its outcome, has captivated the hearts and minds of Indian people and as of now it promises to bring economic democracy one step nearer. Should it work, it would become a game changer.

Not only his detractors but his main support base of hard core Hindutva needs to be both wary and worried, because should he choose to break loose, he will have enough countervailing popular support to take the plunge. Mr. Modi is a populist spellbinder and a clever fabulist. His opponents say he is a conman, which isnt such a bad thing after all, for going places in politics today. For all you know, driving the agenda of anti-corruption, and the broad based support that it is likely to arouse, he may tap into that same area of human awareness which converts common clay into gold.

Fantasizing? In our times when everything is available except hope, fantasizing is a natural avenue of escape!

India Today magazine once referred to Manoje Nath, a 1973-batch IPS officer, as being fiercely independent, honest, and upright. Besides his numerous official reports on various issues exposing corruption in the bureaucracy in Bihar, Nath is also a writer extraordinaire expressing his thoughts on subjects ranging from science fiction to the effects of globalization. His sense of humor was evident through his extremely popular series named "Gulliver in Patiliputra" and "Modest Proposals" that were published in the local newspapers.
More than two weeks days down the radical decision to demonetize the high value currency notes, it is now transparently clear that the government had not thought deeply enough. The myriads of problems that this move would throw up and the commensurate logistical response to it had not been visualized in all their multifariousness.

The woefully inadequate planning is the result of this paucity of thought. Bureaucracy has long since been depleted of talent because of the universal policy of opting for the pliant rather than the professional. Given the highly sensitive nature of the problem, the thought collective geared to this task was bound to be strictly limited, and the available talent further curtailed by the contingent nature of the choice.

Whether less radical measures were available, as the critics of the move have been suggesting, also may have some merit in it. Could it be that the political dividend at the end of the move is what blindsided and led to this unexceptionable decision in some hurry?

We are all eclipsed by the dark shadow that has fallen between a good idea and its shoddy execution. Even the large group of people who were its vocal supporters is beginning to be a little wary and the tentativeness of the government does not help matters much. It is very difficult to come by facts these days because facts are deployed in the service of particular causes; the supporters of government claim that the worst is over now and we shall live happily hereafter. Those opposed to the move claim that there is large scale despair and disquiet because the economic life of the country has stopped in its tracks. Facts have become Janus faced from one face they scowl at you from the other beam an endearing smile. But this much is clear that the disquiet and confusion at the national level is beginning to be felt and does not bode well. Now what?

For good or for bad, we are now committed to this course of action; rolling back would be an even worse option. Not only for the government - let it meet its just desert, who cares, but at an appropriate time - but for the nation at large. The nearest analogy to such a crisis one can think of is an ill-conceived and ill-timed war. But howsoever one may disagree with the war aims and its timing; one is obliged to lend full support.

Let us recall the national disgrace of 1962. The then PM is reported to have asked his Defence Minister to throw the Chinese, who were making border incursions, out. The Defence Minister went ahead and did what he was told. In a few days the stark situation was blown in the face of every countryman, including the folly of the lotus eating Defence Minister, yet the entire nation rallied behind the government, in an absolutely lost, hopeless cause.

What happened is now history but it has deeply scarred the psyche of a brave, professional army permanently. Those were uncomplicated times but democratic politics has immatured, repeat immatured, so much with time as to become unrecognizable. Nationalism, xenophobia and such other jingoistic traits have been long known to be minor neurotic disorders but in recent times it has bred its own anti dote, anti nationalism, a life style disease of the well heeled and very educated, so in the bitter feud between the nationalists and the anti nationals, the interest of the real, tangible nation which is home to 125 crore Indians, real people has been lost sight of.

The nature of our politics being what it is, the political parties would not allow Mr. Modi to walk with all the rewards should he pull it off without a major disaster and be left sucking their thumbs. To be fair, no opposition would have behaved any differently. Just as the government is invested deeply in the success of the programme, the political opposition - and those affected by it - sees rich dividends in its failure, in chaos and confusion. In the absence of a political consensus on any issue, it is like functioning in an atmosphere of 10 g. So an already difficult task becomes ten times harder.

The Indian poor are hugely inventive; they have seen calamities, food shortages, lack of basic amenities, official apathy. They have miraculously survived them all. Just let us think how best we, we who are a little better off, can make even a jot of difference to their situation. Their nerves are already jangled. Those who have a sense of history know that economic chaos is followed by political chaos, and political chaos is followed by restoration of order by some authoritarian agency. Those who are hoping for political gains out of economic chaos should think a few steps ahead. We are in the midst of a crisis because of a major goof up by the banking bureaucracy; do not seek to test the internal security apparatus. We who have seen it can tell them a thing or two.

India Today magazine once referred to Manoje Nath, a 1973-batch IPS officer, as being fiercely independent, honest, and upright. Besides his numerous official reports on various issues exposing corruption in the bureaucracy in Bihar, Nath is also a writer extraordinaire expressing his thoughts on subjects ranging from science fiction to the effects of globalization. His sense of humor was evident through his extremely popular series named "Gulliver in Patiliputra" and "Modest Proposals" that were published in the local newspapers.
The picture above is the picture that launched a thousand ships for the elements who shouted their intention of fighting till the vivisection of the Indian state (Bharat tere tukde honge, etc) from the very heart of Bharat, from the campus of the elite Jawaharlal Nehru University, fully residential and fully funded by public money. It is famous for mass producing intellectuals.



Now we all know intellectuals are clever people and they often use words as weapons with more effectiveness than normal weapons. It is also said that a picture is worth a thousand words, which makes it even more powerful than the words.

Fortunately for the elements sworn to the destruction of India, a significant section of the media, those who disseminate pictures, and moving images, and opinions, are sworn to the morality of always finding the security forces in the wrong. The picture has gone a long way in propagating this belief and has been circulated with some exuberance to become part of the anti-India folklore in Kashmir and elsewhere.

Farooq Ahmed Dar is no longer an ordinary man, he has become a symbol of the victimhood of the Kashmiri people, the picture a never fading frame of reference for the brutalization of our security forces.

Nobody denies the reality of the picture but the picture becomes much more than a picture when torn out of its context. The eye follows the lead given by the camera and the man behind the camera controls reality, obfuscates it, and edits it to purpose. What was the background to the unseemly episode is blotted out so that from mere information it becomes a potent tool of propaganda, a clever ploy to advance a favoured narrative!

Were the security men giving the fellow a free ride for the sake of fun? The fact, as gathered from sources reliable and unreliable (truth always comes in alternative versions in Kashmir), is that the army had rushed to the aid of a paramilitary section surrounded by hundreds of stone pelting, blood thirsty hoodlums. Just to debunk the romanticized version of the misguided youth, let us recall that such a crowd of 'misguided youth', who throw stones at the security forces by way of a normal occupation, had formed a "human shield" to obstruct the evacuation of a critically wounded Major Dahiya long enough for him to die.

To bury the dead and to give succour to the dying is the universal norm of civilised people, but the 'innocent misguided stone pelting' youth advanced the design of the terrorists who had attacked the security forces by their very non-violent act. Unfortunately, the incident did not attract much attention, nor the fact that some of these elements had acted as human shield for much more sinister purpose.

Coming to the point, there were three options available to the army: to be peacefully lynched, to peacefully shoot their way out killing as many as had the bad luck to come in the way of fired bullets, and the third one the "militarily incorrect' behaviour that the army resorted to. Such an "aberration" was resorted to as a one-off tactical, disruptive measure.

Lieutenant General H S Panag, who has been frequently quoted, made a very nuanced statement: he said that it was a "militarily incorrect behaviour" but hinted its roots in the absence of the "healing political touch". The general also faulted the army on its failure to issue a statement explaining the circumstances under which it was done - a PR failure.

But let us hear Lt. Gen. DS Hooda, another distinguished army officer.

"Honestly, this is a difficult question to answer. From a purely legal perspective, the answer would be, 'No, not permissible.' But in conflict zones, there is no single prism through which events can be viewed. Apart from legal, there are also moral, human and practical perspectives. Even while sitting in my comfortable office in Udhampur, I often struggled to find the right answer. It is much more difficult for the officers and men on the ground facing a very complex and difficult situation. The frustration and anger is not only on the side of the Kashmiri youth."

Consider the helplessness situation: a significant section of the civilian population has become a tactical ally of the terrorists and emboldened by the assurance of use of minimum force against civilian population (the government has withdrawn pellet gun so as not to discomfit them), comes to active assistance of terrorists during the encounters with security forces, to distract, divert and demoralize the army. They regularly resort to identifying and targeting families of pro India elements and police men and their family members.



The entire democratic infra structure has disappeared, the mainstream political elements have decamped to safer environs, and the considerable body of people who are not with the secessionists, have been rendered silent by force, or out of fear, and side-lined.

It is a tough military situation where the security forces are in an eyeball-to-eyeball confrontation with the terrorists from both sides of border aided by a fair number of their over ground supporters. The logic of the military situation should prevail yet the army tries to act according to norms of humane behaviour satisfying all the requirements of human rights protection but when they fail to live up to the scrutiny of ideal norms those out to advance the agenda of Bharat tere tukde honge get into an overdrive.



The counterfactual must also be stated. See for yourself the pictures below and compare the indignity of the two situations in your mind's eye: the one about the use of a Kashmiri as a human shield on which we have been fed to satiety, and this one which has figured just as a bit of news.

There may have been a doubt about the identity of the man tied to the jeep, whether he was a mischief monger or an innocent bystander but who could have mistaken the identity of men in uniform carrying arms in the defence of the realm being kicked, humiliated, and lynched by innocent misguided youth. It did not get all the traction or anguished commentaries etc. as the former.

(NDTV did a story as a balancing act, too late, because the picture of the humiliation of the security forces, which is the norm by the way, predates the more famous one. But, thank you NDTV! All the same.)

News makes inroads in the public consciousness only if relayed in a particular manner; there are levels above which they are reduced to being endless background chatter just as the low-key positioning drowns it in distraction of other events. This is a specialized media industry.

Not that those who are crying murder do not know the situation in Kashmir; they know it better than anyone else.

I am reminded of the remark by an anonymous CIA operative in the context of damning disclosures that the entire non-communist left and liberal intellectuals mobilized against the Stalinist regime were being run by the CIA, through their front agency, The Congress for Cultural Freedom. "They knew as much as they wanted to know, and if they knew any more, they knew they would have to get out, so they refused to know."



"Never was bearing arms in the defence of the realm fraught with so much ambiguity. Throughout history, victory in battle brought honour and adulation, martyrdom eternal glory and gratitude; these were the only two fates known to the soldier. But those were simpler times. Concepts of patriotism, territoriality, and nationhood had fixity of meaning; the battle fronts were defined; you were here, the enemy was there. No longer so, every thing is in a state of flux ; the enemy can be found lurking behind your lines; rooting for death of the nation has become the new cool for those who know. Consequently, the men who bear arms in the defence of the realm find themselves trapped, at cross purposes with themselves.

India Today magazine once referred to Manoje Nath, a 1973-batch IPS officer, as being fiercely independent, honest, and upright. Besides his numerous official reports on various issues exposing corruption in the bureaucracy in Bihar, Nath is also a writer extraordinaire expressing his thoughts on subjects ranging from science fiction to the effects of globalization. His sense of humor was evident through his extremely popular series named "Gulliver in Patiliputra" and "Modest Proposals" that were published in the local newspapers.
Shankar Datt (Professor of English Literature, Patna University) has a great sense of anticlimax, I know for sure. Or you can say he likes to balance things, presenting both sides of the case. He called me up to write something about my days in Patna College for the souvenir to be taken out on the occasion of centenary celebration of Patna University.

I could quite imagine that he had already persuaded the famous and the illustrious, toppers, gold medalists, record breakers, path breakers, pioneers which my college produces as a routine and in abundance for their memories or memoirs. He wanted to throw in sharper relief the fact that intellectual democracy prevailed in Patna College; it had nurtured non- entities like us also.



So here I am trying to coax my memory. Speak memory, speak! But it wont break its sphinx like silence.

And for good reasons, too. I did not top any examination, I was not even awarded a bronze medal let alone a gold medal. No record breaker, my academic achievements could at best be described as middling middle; neither irredeemably bad nor enviably outstanding.

My presence in the class was not noticed very much, either by my classmates or my teachers, simply because most often I was not there. While some of my friends impersonated me in other classes, thanks to a kindly Hindi professor the shortfall in my lecture in vernacular classes was condoned. He appeared to be a little hypermetropic; he saw great promise in me!

To tell you the truth, the academic curriculum prescribed by the college and the one that I had set for myself did not follow the same trajectory. But of that sometime later. Patna College gave me the honourable vocation of studentship, the status of a boarder in its Jackson Hostel and the university canteen for endless discussion on subjects marked by fatuity, pompousness and self- importance. Taken together all these ensured regular remittances from home which though not princely, was enough to keep me afloat and sometimes allowed me to drown my sorrows in a few drops of alcohol.

After a day fruitfully spent in the canteen, drinking endless cups of tepid lemon tea and smoking cigarettes, time that I should have been legitimately utilized listening to lectures, we were ready  I and my friend, he is no more so I shall call him just my friend- to shift the locale of our earth-shaking discussions to the Coffee House at Dak Bungalow Road.

The call of the Coffee House coffee was irresistible and poets, artists, writers, journalists, students flocked together in the evening. Renu jee (Phanishwar Nath Renu) was the central figure and sometime the Governor Mr. D K Barua would grace the premises. Emergency was a couple of years away). The coffee nicely brewed and stimulating in its own right, enhanced our self-esteem and inflated the worth of our opinions in our own eyes. The ambience aided our self-belief and many a grandiose plan to undertake another revaluation of the English Poetic tradition, F R Leavis was too bloody opinionated and sweepingly magisterial or to debunk T S Eliots Wasteland as the greatest intellectual hoax of our time were conceived and aborted.

Under the influence of the non-communist left and apostates like Koestler, Orwell, and Samizdat literature Anna Andrevina Akhmatavova, Solzhenitsyn and Mandelstam, given prominence in our Bible, the Encounter, we decided that Marx was bound to be relegated to the archeological museum of knowledge.



After the coffee and the exalted company of poets and poetasters, playwrights and confirmed plagiarists my friend, who was a day scholar went home none the worse for having spewed so much gyan, but I was bound to face up to the music for having missed the study period, in the hostel, which was between 6 and 8 PM. My hostel superintendent Professor B K Lal, though a kindly person, was obliged to fine me 25 paisa and I had the ignominy of finding it out from the notice board. It seems he mended his ways later because he found that I was not perhaps capable of mending mine.

Mr. Mahendra Pratap and Mr. Madan Jee were two personalities who could unsettle me. Madanjee was the durban  the janitor  to Jackson Hostel and Mr. Mahendra Pratap was the Principal of Patna College  later the Vice Chancellor of Patna. He was also for some time our Warden. Madan jee was the custodian of the keys to our little kingdom and boarders who came late and we had to keep him in good humour which was quite a task considering that he was a sour-faced, mongrelish fellow who could smile, if he could spare the effort.

To be fair to him, he would not grudge very much all those coming back to the hostel after watching a second show. But after that gentle tapping and calls to admit the straggler would be answered with a growl. The more ferocious his growl would become, the more sheepish the voice on the other side of the Hostel gate would become. Night owls like me were quite experienced in handling him but on this occasion things went awry. Some people said he was not malicious, he was simply snoring. I never found out. Whatever.

I had come into some money, now I dont remember how, some honorarium or something. Money meant celebration and celebration meant beer in Amber, a bar which was patronized by the students. In college I was a pure soul. I used to get drunk on a glass of beer, one half of which was pure froth. There were four or five of us including my friend. As usual he parted company on the Ashok Rajpath, headed for home happy as a lark, in Professors quarters Ranighat. He had no fear because his mother would keep awake listening for the gentle knock on the door as not to disturb his father who was professor in Patna University. To me devolved the responsibility of transporting my humble self, drunk like a lord, to the hostel. It was late, much later than the curfew hour and Madan jee was in no mood to relent. The gambit of growling and sheepish bleating seemed to have arrived at a stalemate. It was particularly chilly night. Locked out I was loitering near the kitchen, wondering whether to try my friend or go to my local guardian when one of the mess servants woke up and opened the lock with the simple expedient of an iron nail.

Mr. Mahendra Pratap was known to a relative of mine and perhaps in a moment of concern, he entrusted him the job of overseeing my education. Mr. Pratap had been to Cambridge and perhaps in those days they awarded the degree merely only on the strength of knowledge of Faery Queene and sundry archaic, boring texts. Mr. Mahendra Pratap crystallized his responsibility towards me to one simple task  judging me for my proficiency in Faery Queene. Lurking near the principals office for some work or the other I blundered into him twice and on both the occasions he tested me on my knowledge of the above text and found me wanting, notwithstanding the fact that it was not part of our syllabus. Or so I thought!

To pursue my lifestyle of careless and peaceful anarchy I had made one rule for myself: I would break all diplomatic relations with texts which did not interest me and mind you I am not an easy person to please! Unfortunately, Spenser* and I were not on speaking terms and my conversation with him was only through intermediaries. On the first occasion I bought my freedom by assuring Mr. Pratap that I will read him. On the second the information on Spenser that I had gathered through my friend deserted me because - all my critical sensibility was concentrated in hiding the cigarette. I cut a sorry figure and earned a well merited rebuke but that alienated me to Spenser forever.



I ran into Mr. Mahendra Pratap one more time, a close encounter of the third kind. It was around one AM. I climbed up to the first floor where my room was and I thought I saw Mr. Mahindra Pratap. I had mixed feelings. Was it an apparition but there were some real people, my hostel mates with him? Should I run away, is it going to be a public shaming for my inability to wade through the Faery Queene? But Mr. Mahendra Pratap spoke to me, or tried to speak to, perhaps he was trying to recall my name. I readily supplemented his memory, Faery Queene, sir. He laughed and addressed me with my proper name. We are all going to drive out these book worms out of their rooms. Man has landed on the moon and these fellows are not even celebrating.

I stood dumbfounded. Disturbing the serious-minded students was one of my most favourite pastimes and now it had been accorded official sanction. A night of revelry and riot led by the Principal was the culmination of my anarchic dreams. We went to the Cavendish Hostel, to the Faraday Hostel and I think then to the BA lecture theatre where Mr. Mahindra Pratap spoke in his inimitable style to us about Neil Armstrong and what his achievement meant for the human race. The word globalist was not even coined then but he was a true globalist.

To me Patna College was not merely a structure made of brick and wood and cement; it was not merely the class rooms and play fields. It was a whole eco system of learning comprising of my teachers, my class mates, the fellow boarders, other students, the folklore about students and teachers who had been part of its glorious tradition, the library. My contact with my teachers was largely beyond the confines of the class in informal settings and I got to know some of them very closely. To them I owe my gratitude for having pulled me from crass ignorance into a little bit of awareness.



But above all it was that ineffable feeling of walking in the shadow of countless intellectual giants, formidable minds who had enriched the life of community in many ways, men who had made history and then become part of history.



*Edmund Spenser was an English poet best known for The Faerie Queene, an epic poem and fantastical allegory celebrating the Tudor dynasty and Elizabeth I.

India Today magazine once referred to Manoje Nath, a 1973-batch IPS officer, as being fiercely independent, honest, and upright. Besides his numerous official reports on various issues exposing corruption in the bureaucracy in Bihar, Nath is also a writer extraordinaire expressing his thoughts on subjects ranging from science fiction to the effects of globalization. His sense of humor was evident through his extremely popular series named "Gulliver in Pataliputra" and "Modest Proposals" that were published in the local newspapers.
The Emergency made a hero out of George Fernandes. Shackled but defiant, holding aloft the chains that bound him in captivity, he became the symbol of resistance of the free and indomitable human spirit that does not yield to dictators and autocrats.

George Fernandes, was perhaps one minority political figure in recent times whose minority status never cropped up in the context of his career in politics and power. He needed no introduction other than being himself. Which religious community did he belong to, what was his caste, where did he come from, the highly caste ridden and sectarian constituency of Muzaffarpur in Bihar did not ask him these questions before voting him to the Lok Sabha?

Since George Fernandes did not live off politics but he lived for politics, totally unrelated people contributed money and resources to get him elected while the man himself was incarcerated. He was such a simple man; his needs were meagre and even his elevation to the cabinet did not alter his life style.

He was a heroic figure hence tragic betrayal at the hands of those who stood deeply indebted to him was very much in keeping with the traditional fate of a hero. A man who created a party, cemented and sustained a durable political alliance and nurtured leaders, was ultimately betrayed by those who benefited from him the most. The giant killer and seven-time parliamentarian was made to taste defeat due to the machination of friends and disciples. The grateful had their revenge. He never recovered from the ignominy of his drubbing and gradually slipped into Alzheimers leading to complete dissolution of identity. He was lost to himself a long time ago. On January 29, he was lost to the world.

Adieu George!

India Today magazine once referred to Manoje Nath, a 1973-batch IPS officer, as being fiercely independent, honest, and upright. Besides his numerous official reports on various issues exposing corruption in the bureaucracy in Bihar, Nath is also a writer extraordinaire expressing his thoughts on subjects ranging from science fiction to the effects of globalization. His sense of humor was evident through his extremely popular series named "Gulliver in Pataliputra" and "Modest Proposals" that were published in the local newspapers.
A very eminent professor of economics at Cambridge, of Indian origin, with whom I conversed once or twice, tweeted to an absolute excess on the disproportionate focus on Covid-19, quoting the number of deaths from other causes to make his point. So, I engaged him one day. It was not its capacity to kill, but the anxiety on account of instant contagion, that has brought down this world.

When you are in sound mental health, you are never hounded by the idea that someday you may commit suicide, even though a very high number of people do it every day. If you sit in a car, you never for a moment think that you may die in a crash because the lives of an unconscionably large number of people - much greater than Covid-19 - are lost in accidents.

Despite the higher probability of these, you do not plan for these contingencies. But today, when you step out of your house, if you get into the Metro, occupy a seat at the airport, go to the park - you wonder if the virus released by the sneeze or cough of an active or an asymptomatic patient is still suspended in mid-air, or if the doorknob has been infected. Have my hands been properly washed?

The anxiety is ubiquitous, the danger all pervasive. People have been driven to commit suicide at the merest apprehension that they may catch the contagion. Of course, the anxiety is unreal, insubstantial and disproportionate to the lethal potential, yet it has shut down the world.

But he would not give up. He said a mosquito bites you and you wonder if you have caught malaria, but here a starlet holds a party and Lucknow is locked down.

I was not prepared to give up: Forgive me for being persistent, I said, a mosquito bite may give me malaria but I cant pass it off to my wife even if I bite her, a Covid-19 infected man can cause havoc in concentric circles of people whom he meets by just being himself. Once you are delivered to an anxiety, you are beyond help.

Admittedly, the Wuhan virus is nothing in terms of lethal potential compared to SARS, in the very recent past. SARS came, occupied a slice of global concern for a while, and caused some loss of lives. So did the Avian Flu and Nipah, and quickly receded into history. In India, it was heard rather like a distant rumour. But the Wuhan virus has shaken the world and India. The devastation that it has caused to each one of us in our personal lives, to us as social creatures and to us as economic beings would be unimaginable - if it were not true. We cannot even begin to estimate the damage.

Paul Tillich, existentialist Christian theologian of culture, makes the distinction between fear and anxiety, in his book "The Courage to Be" as follows:

"Fear has a definite object which can be faced and attacked, endured or conquered, whereas anxiety has no object. Without an object or a tactic to defeat it, anxiety surfaces as the pain of impotence, negation and disempowerment... He who is in anxiety is, insofar as it is mere anxiety, delivered to it without help."

This anxiety on account of Covid-19 is not a naturally occurring germ or virus; it is anthropogenically created information (or deliberate disinformation) riding on the Chinese propaganda juggernaut. Once brought into being, it has mutated and multiplied of its own to create anxieties, inadequacies, and paranoia on an apocalyptic scale. The images of people dropping dead in the streets of Wuhan, the stores of thousands of cremations - true, false and apocryphal - helped build up the Wuhan Virus as the Horseman of Apocalypse, and lockdown as the only protection against it.

China was economical with the relevant data, and when the invasion of the virus took place, the world locked itself down in response to the propaganda, reminding me of the immunologic response of a Horseshoe crab, a marine animal which lives around coastal areas. In response to invasion by a certain bacterium, the crab deploys a complete array of battle responses - everything that it has at its disposal. The outcome is widespread tissue destruction, as in the generalized Schwartzman reaction, or outright failure of the circulation of blood, as in endotoxin shock. That is what it looks like.

An objective scientific assessment of the lockdown is yet to be made, but not only the Indian economy but the entire system is in a state of shock, and we are struggling to get back to our feet. The poor, as always, are the worst victim of bad planning, and the fate of masses of loitering migrant labours will someday, when the great Plague Novel is written about our crisis, occupy the centre stage of the writer's concern.

Meanwhile, now it seems we are resigned to coexist with Covid-19. In some quarters, herd immunity, natures way of doing things, is already being talked about. We will think about economic growth another day. Survival occupies the centre stage of our concerns. Is that how China wanted to reorder the world nearer to its hearts desire?

India Today magazine once referred to Manoje Nath, a 1973-batch IPS officer, as being fiercely independent, honest, and upright. Besides his numerous official reports on various issues exposing corruption in the bureaucracy in Bihar, Nath is also a writer extraordinaire expressing his thoughts on subjects ranging from science fiction to the effects of globalization. His sense of humor was evident through his extremely popular series named "Gulliver in Pataliputra" and "Modest Proposals" that were published in the local newspapers.
"Both hands are skilled in doing evil, the ruler demands gifts, the judge accepts bribes, the powerful dictate what they desire they all conspire together." : The Book of Micah 7:3 The Old Testament.

Anna Hazare Jees indefinite fast on the issue of the Lokpal bill underlines the starkness of the situation. There is a growing perception that despite the urgency of the situation the institutional response to the problem of all pervasive corruption has been inadequate. Instead of a grim determination to fight corruption or a cogent strategy to contain it, what has been in evidence is brazen compromise for survival. Corruption in public life, we may recall, was one of the main planks of the bloodier, longer lasting JP movement. Regimes have changed several times and yet decades later the same issues are being revisited and the malady if anything has become more virulent. So while discussing the current crisis one must constantly be aware of the historicity of the problem.

Anna Hazare Jee is galvanizing public opinion not only on the immediate issue of the Lokpal Bill, but against corruption in public life in general. The response has been overwhelming and everybody seems to be in a great hurry to come on board. It is a little surprising considering the fact that everyone is with Hazare Jee -politicians of all hues, film stars, merchant bankers and corporate leaders, social activists, civil servants, academicians , even then the enemy is standing tall and formidable. Therefore, one must take stock of our strengths and weaknesses recognise our friends from enemies and beware of opportunists and fifth columnists, carnival lovers and the feisty publicity seekers.

Democracy attributes good sense and judgment to its citizenry at large and it is supposed to exercise its control over the day to day functioning of the government through public opinion,(as if there is a body of opinion, fully formed, ubiquitous and all knowing, which once alerted to wrongdoing, will come down like a ton of bricks and ensure immediate remedial measures. ) That, alas! is not true. Generally speaking people are ignorant and indifferent, people are resistant to mobilization and sustained activism. Wrapped in their own petty little concerns and anxieties they are easily satisfied with cosmetic changes. As a worst case they get used to everything  just about everything. This is where the charismatic leader comes in.

The fourth estate is one of the seminal institutions of an open society. As its watchdog, it guards our interest by keeping an alert and ever watchful eye on the functioning of the three estates. Its criticism has no coercive, corrective function but it creates a climate of opinion in which the government decisions could be tested on the touchstone of legitimacy and public interest. The nature of its job demands that while holding a mirror to the other three estates it must subject to the public scrutiny because its moral authority depends on the basis of the impartiality and public spiritedness of its stance."

A society can never be  has never been  run by decrees. To enforce the obedience of its constituents to a certain conduct, the appeal of "unwritten laws" is more important than the coercive powers of law. Many of us have violent quarrel with our spouses but very few resort to violence, not because they are afraid of the police, but because they fear what their neighbours will say. Public stigmatization, branding and ostracism are time honoured methods of enforcing socially useful behaviour. Sustained campaign of exposure in the media, highlighting their wrong doing is very useful deterrent against white collar offenders and other wrong doers. But the stereotype of the untidy, unshaven, journalist unmindful of threats and impervious to the lure of profit, reinforced through countless films and folklore has now been replaced with the "Radia Tapes" variety of wheeler-dealer. Never since our independence has media been the target of such generalized distrust.

It is the political class which is finally responsible for the institutional remedies. It is they who feed the agenda in legislative forum. Their attitude can be best summed up by the draft Lokpal Bill. It has been more than forty years and more in the making and when finally it does arrive, it is a case of too little too late, as Anna Hazare ji would have us believe, and the tokenism of the gesture is in an appallingly cynical disregard of public aspirations.

As far as one can remember, in its battle against corruption, the political class always frames the issue in polemical rather than constructive, moral terms. It is always "worse immoralities have been seen in your regime";"My corruption is good, yours is bad." The issue has never been couched in simple terms  that all corruption is venal and equally reprehensible. There is no scope for moral relativism or comparative, competitive excuses.

Needless to say the political class has been so deeply mired in corruption that if it were to fight its battle seriously, it would be equivalent to the mythical bard sawing off the branch he was sitting on. Therefore, its phony battles are staged, to the accompaniment of the necessary sound and fury, more in order to distract the mildly inquisitive public. The cut and thrust in the debating forum are in the nature of a highly stylized form of combat which in Mark Danners vivid imagery is , ". like the battles between certain ruminant animals whose horns are set at such an angle that they are incapable of hurting one another. But though it is unreal it is not meaningless."

The quota of public servants arrested "red handed" for accepting bribe, or unearthing of the disproportionate assets of the occasional civil servant, measured in terms of flats jewellery and bank balance helps to keep the constituents peaceful and pacified. But when it comes to the full scale depredations of robber barons in cahoots with the political elite, investigation is hard pressed to find by ways and blind alleys to hide in.

All these decorous gestures are part of what Leo Strauss would call the "necessary lie". Democratic elites are aware of the actual state of things but they are obliged to keep the people in a state of blessed ignorance. But truth has a way of getting out and the public odium that renowned political leaders were heaped upon the moment they tried to hitch their wagon to the cause is proof enough that the political class also stands thoroughly discredited. Its minion the bureaucracy, never the darling of the people, has been given up on, long ago.

The response of people at large is even more ambiguous because it is rooted in the fact that they are themselves "half victims, half accomplice, like everyone." Their lack of combativeness and venom, the extraordinary passivity of the people stems from the fact that they tend to be comfortable with the idea that corruption is an inescapable fact of governance and political morality.

Hoederers admonition to Hugo (who refuses to "dirty" his hands) in Jean Paul Sartres play Dirty Hands would induce a curious sense of deja vu in those of us who have tried to take a stand against the contemporary wisdom:

"You cling so tightly to your purity, my lad! How terrified you are of sullying your hands. Well, go ahead then, stay pure! What good will it do, and why even bother coming here among us? Purity is a concept of fakirs and friars. But you, the intellectuals, the bourgeois anarchists, you invoke purity as your rationalization for doing nothing. Do nothing, dont move, and wrap your arms tight around your body, put on your gloves. As for myself, my hands are dirty. I have plunged my arms up to the elbows in excrement and blood. And what else should one do? Do you suppose that it is possible to govern innocently?"

The ambiguity in the public attitude towards ill-gotten money is the result of our peculiar situation. Our economy is half white and half black, half over-ground and half underground. We condemn black money but deal in it, nevertheless. Under our very eyes, criminals and gangsters acquire wealth, then political power, then more wealth and with it acceptability and social esteem. Political banditry as a mode of creation of surplus value has long been accepted as a legitimate vocation. To displace the awareness of these contradictions, we have devised various overt and covert strategies to acknowledge and accommodate the criminality with in our midst. Lawyers, chartered accountants, investment advisors, honestly work for the legitimization of dishonest earnings by politicians, government officials, corporate CEOs, etc. Dirty money courses through our formal and informal financial system in different ways, with different consequences. We do not seek to know hard enough about the offshore funds being routed in our economy for fear of discovering their actual provenance. We are so enamoured, even over awed with power and manipulation that we tend to ignore what David Bell calls "the economic fulcrum underneath".

But these are truths not revealed to us. In an age when God has abdicated in favour of 24/7 cable TV, we live in presence of media rather than in presence of God, and truth or fact-hood is not an independently verifiable, objective state of being. Fact-hood has to be conferred. Even gossip, when aired by the media, commands greater credibility than established fact. Criminals are being revealed as the conduits for the ill-gotten funds of political stalwarts; political stalwarts are being unmasked as the source of strength and immunity that they enjoyed in the eyes of the enforcement agencies but the media presentation of the issue lends to the whole issue a stance of moral neutrality.

To further intensify the asymmetry, Bukharins premonitory fears of the development of "state capitalist trusts", where the state bureaucracy is reduced to being an agent of capital accumulation is well on way to being a reality. The 2G scam is the most compelling and detailed validation of this thesis. To lend a dramatic and telling illustration to the desperate nature of the battle against corruption now that it has been joined in right earnest, some of the best lawyers, the sword arm of the civil society, have been claimed by the other side and a lawyer of right credentials and requisite merit is hard to come by for prosecuting an important scam!

Leviathan lives in a state of sin, rulers are by nature profligate and rakish. Corruption has been a trapping of power, regrettable but unavoidable, throughout the ages. In the days before media saturation, the distant rumours of corruption in high places never got beyond rumour. But now the high and mighty are in the open glare of publicity thanks to cable TV. The current crisis is that all the people, even the poor to whom traditionally the role of remaining honest has been assigned, have lost their purity. A corrosive cynicism has eroded not only their self belief, but their faith in the entire array of institutions. All that they are left with is their cold unfocussed anger. Their helplessness or lack of belief is not as much a cause for worry as the fact that "when people stop trusting the elites, they perceive that the throne is empty, that the decision is now theirs." I heard Jasmine Revolution and Tahrir Square mentioned in this context because they have now become the staple of public discourse. The radicalization of the masses is a good thing, provided the issues are clearly formulated, achievable and as free of rhetoric and ethical absolutes as possible. Tahrir Square is not an unmitigated blessing.

To Be Continued

India Today magazine once referred to Manoje Nath, a 1973-batch IPS officer, as being fiercely independent, honest, and upright. Besides his numerous official reports on various issues exposing corruption in the bureaucracy in Bihar, Nath is also a writer extraordinaire expressing his thoughts on subjects ranging from science fiction to the effects of globalization. His sense of humor was evident through his extremely popular series named "Gulliver in Patiliputra" and "Modest Proposals" that were published in the local newspapers.
We simply cannot wish away mafia. There are so many of them, active in areas which affect each one of us deeply. The resource mafia, illegally exploiting coal, timber and other forest produce wild life or, sand, depredate our environment. Or the development mafia bagging contracts for roads, bridges, railway lines and other projects takes away from us the fruits of planned growth. Or the land mafia, or the education mafia or the health mafia, the electricity mafia, or the co operative mafia. One could go on and on. And we live with them all the year round, relegating their activities to the basement of our brains.

As a token of our appreciation we sometimes elect the Mafiosi to the various legislative bodies, sometimes several times in succession. One wonders whether we could do without them.

A legion of decentralized dictatorships, these neighborhood mafias mediate a host of functions of the state. We do not find anything unnatural about it. Because we have come to accept the political culture wherein a politician is expected to provide avenues for his caste men and cronies for looting the resources of the state. At ground zero of politics there is a consensus that this is an absolutely democratic method of rewarding political support. We do not seem to protest.

They are not the antiheroic outlaws hounded by police, marked by the enemys bullet, as popularized by movies. The one surefire formula of political patronage earns our Mafia the homage of the law enforcement officials. Their control of the institutional environment allows them to enjoy the fruits of their crime and die in bed of old age. But some day things do slip and go out of hand.

Regrettable though it may be, sometimes it becomes necessary to remove a Yashwant Sonawane by the simple expedient of pouring some kerosene oil and igniting him. Or bludgeon the nosey activist Sister Valsa John for agitating against the peacefully profit making enterprise of illegal coal-mining in Jharkhand. Swami Nigmanand was similarly removed from the scene by a combination of intrigue and heartlessness. Shehla Masood the RTI activist, Arup Kalita the Assam environment activist, Satyendra Dubey the engineer in the Golden quadrangle project, Manju Nath the Indian Oil officer, Ajay Kumar Singh SP of Lohardagga, the divisional forest officer Sanjay Singh of Kaimur, journalist Dey to name a few, allegedly lost their lives because they refused to peacefully co-exist. Then the dirt comes to the surface.

These deeds "reveal" the perpetrators to us, and us to our own selves, compelling us to stage a mass ceremony of innocence, make a communitarian plea of alibi. That is why we are revolted by the bomb and gun variety because his deeds disturb the even tenor of life. If the outrage were in support of the cause championed by the martyred enforcement official, the community would regularly rally behind those many harassed and victimized officers and activists who are trying to rein in these self same elements. Towards them, while they are alive, their attitude is of the audience watching a daring stunt. Will they not carry it off? Before they fall victim to the assassins bullet they may have knocked at the door of their superiors, may have sought for the amplification of their voices in the media. But all in vain. Their deaths are like the deaths foretold.

Why are we reaping such a bountiful harvest of mafias? The answer must lead us to the nature of our politics which has now completely rid itself of its ideological baggage. Even the rhetorical tenors of its emancipatory pronouncements barely hide its annoyance at being forced to pay lip service to all those high ideals. In the absence of passion in the field of politics the pursuit of political power is less about mobilization and more about managerial enterprise. Governance is about providing the middle class the security to visit malls and cinemas and poor some doles  endlessly. The rest is easy. A deft coordination of interests, a hard bargaining skill for the spoils and a keen eye for keeping things at sub crisis level is all that it is about. In an environment where the political tenure is short and uncertain, brutish and nasty Mafia is the obvious mode of entrepreneurship. After all, has it not been said that Mafia is illegal capitalism, capitalism legal Mafia?

India Today magazine once referred to Manoje Nath, a 1973-batch IPS officer, as being fiercely independent, honest, and upright. Besides his numerous official reports on various issues exposing corruption in the bureaucracy in Bihar, Nath is also a writer extraordinaire expressing his thoughts on subjects ranging from science fiction to the effects of globalization. His sense of humor was evident through his extremely popular series named "Gulliver in Patiliputra" and "Modest Proposals" that were published in the local newspapers.

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For the last several decades ambitious political leaders have sought to create fiercely loyal battalions of bureaucratic palace guards who, if they pass the loyalty test, are exempted from every other. The idea of the neutrality of civil service has long since been jettisoned in practice and the civil servant and political masters often show the internal cohesion of predatory gangs.

Occasionally civil servants reveal themselves to have been secret party moles by seeking elections at an appropriate juncture on party ticket or being nominated to legislative bodies. Governments, regardless of political persuasion, are now ruthless even palpably unjust and vindictive in their approach when it comes to dealing with those who do not have the talent to please or have nothing but their professionalism and commitment to fall back upon. The perils of independence are unacceptable, the rewards of collaboration unimaginable.

The very best of civil servants - assuming that those who reach the top are the best -acquire a 'palimpsest identity composed of a series of snap shots painted one over the other.' It comes in handy in passing the loyalty test of mutually hostile regimes and speeds up their upward journey. By reaching the top they become doubly blessed. The ripe old age of 60 opens for them the opportunities for the various sine cure assignments, carrying huge responsibilities and countervailing powers, privileges and immunities. In some measure on their efficient and impartial functioning depends the strength of our democracy.

Montaigne who died at the relatively young age of 59 felt that, "aging diminishes us each day in a way that, when death finally arrives, it takes away only a quarter or half the man." At sixty the ravages of time and the effects of fighting many a succession battles reduces the successful civil servant to one quarter of a man and three quarters of moral vacuum. His outward appearance however is closer to Levi Strauss's description who felt like a 'shattered hologram' that had lost its unity but still retained an image of the whole self. The image of the whole self of the civil servant also hides the evolutionary miracle of his regression to the stage of invertebrates. Rendered intellectually supple and morally maneuverable, he is a handful of putty in the hands of governments who appoints them.

The political class is in a win-win situation. On paper they can boast of the most progressive and forward looking oversight agencies. Central Vigilance Commission, Information Commission etc which are tools of empowerment for the people, but one supplicating incumbent heading such a body actually works to dis-empower the people. Just one instance of the scandal relating to the recent appointment of a CVC will jog the public memory about the general malaise. There were credible allegations against a particular Chief Information Commissioner of Bihar, a compulsive post retirement office grabber, of having killed the RTI. The political class laughs all the way because by placing one reliable pawn it can checkmate the institution. And should someone like the present CAG, who heeds to the call of his conscience and does what his charter commands him to do, a general murmur of disappointment and betrayal is heard all around in the corridors of power!

By the way has anyone ever wondered that despite an overwhelmingly large population of young men and women why do we end up having a whole geriatric community, comprising of decrepit civil servants, presiding over the crucial institutions on whose performance the health and hygiene of our democracy depends? Would a young and conscientious lawyer make a worse CVC than, say a retired telecom secretary? What special skill does the civil servant bring to a job that a young and politically uncommitted lawyer cannot? Is a social activist or a teacher less suitable than a cabinet secretary who may have engineered several palace coups to head the Election Commission? This is where the civil service comes in handy.

Making of rules is a typically bureaucratic industry; unmaking it or finding a suitable exception to suit every contingency is an art form of which they are the greatest exponents. The inbred system resists injection of fresh blood and stifles creative possibilities.

The appointment of even class four employees is strictly regulated but the governments have arrogated to themselves huge powers to appoint such functionaries many of which do not require any parliamentary oversight or consultation. This is an ideal situation for breeding political and bureaucratic corruption and the likes of Anna Hazare would be equally well occupied in ensuring that what is given to the people by the right hand of various progressive legislation etc is not taken away by the left hand of the government.

India Today magazine once referred to Manoje Nath, a 1973-batch IPS officer, as being fiercely independent, honest, and upright. Besides his numerous official reports on various issues exposing corruption in the bureaucracy in Bihar, Nath is also a writer extraordinaire expressing his thoughts on subjects ranging from science fiction to the effects of globalization. His sense of humor was evident through his extremely popular series named "Gulliver in Patiliputra" and "Modest Proposals" that were published in the local newspapers.
The acts of lawlessness by the miscreants in the funeral procession of late Brahmeshwar Mukhiyajee in Patna, last June, raised some issues which any detailed theory of police inaction needed to address: how does the concept of police function in our polity? What is the relation between the government and its police force? In a situation of conflict of interest between the people and the government where should the police position itself?

But Mr Abhayanand, DGP Bihar, who is one of the finest officers we have - articulate, innovative and clear headed - has come up with something which obliterates the difference between innovativeness and heresy and, therefore, it must be refuted.

His theory is rooted in the curtailment of the role of police merely to its detective functions of collecting evidence in the form of videographing the vandals and arsonists and prosecutes them later. (What if they are masked?) Do not people have a stake in public property? Would the citizens be put to notice that they should mind their own lives and property? Will police now abjure their preventive responsibility in law to interpose, in order to prevent the commission of a cognizable offence?

If there are groups within the state whose antics must be forced to suffer for fear of greater trouble - unacceptable political cost would be closer to truth - this is no cause for celebration either because theoretically the state is the sole repository of coercive violence within the territory. The power of deterrence belongs to the state; it is not for the state to feel deterred. Worse still, it is an open invitation for militarization of various groups in our fractious society. The non interventionist role of police may appear as a welcome innovation for people removed from the unique density of its context or ignorant of the massive scale of disturbances; it may perhaps enthuse human right groups or the intellectual outriders of the society for a while, but as a manifesto for future action, it will just not do.

Law and order is a tricky business and the best of us are sometimes tested and found wanting largely because of the ambivalence of the mandate of police. Law is codified, made formal in various acts-the IPC, CrPC, evidence, etc. But what is order? Is there a permanent, ordained, immutable order? A preferred order? An ideal state of order? The construction of the meaning of order is exclusively the area of police expertise.

The law obligates a police officer of appropriate rank present on the scene of trouble to do everything within his legal means to prevent trouble and disperse the mob. It is a responsibility, not a privilege and powers to discharge this responsibility inhere in him; he does not enjoy it during the pleasure of somebody. Now the DGP says it was on his orders that the police force did not react. That says it all. Law must take a bow before the dictates of order.

Ruling orders throughout the country approximate in their invocation of law and order as a pretext for using police for partisan, political ends. Allegedly, the police abdicated their responsibility in law in protecting the Sikhs against pogrom sanctioned by the ruling order in Delhi, in Godhra in Gujarat the Muslims were at the receiving end of police inaction, in the Marxist West Bengal there were credible allegations of police harassing or denying protection to those opposed to the ruling order, etc.

Law and order is Janus faced - the police can kill on law and order duty to suit the interest of the ascendant order just as in some other situation their passivity to people being killed, maimed or looted, serves the cause of the order. Their primary responsibility of maintaining law and order at any cost, if need be by bending, violating or abdicating their responsibility in law altogether, comes with an unstated guarantee of ex post facto sanction of their conduct. Whenever the powers given to them under law threaten to engulf the ruling order any excess or abdication of their responsibility is underwritten. Forbesganj and the handling of situation born out of Mukhiyajees murder are the two sides of the same coin.

I would have used this occasion to make the honest confession that policing is about keeping the governments and other powerful groups happy; people are incidental to policing.

India Today magazine once referred to Manoje Nath, a 1973-batch IPS officer, as being fiercely independent, honest, and upright. Besides his numerous official reports on various issues exposing corruption in the bureaucracy in Bihar, Nath is also a writer extraordinaire expressing his thoughts on subjects ranging from science fiction to the effects of globalization. His sense of humor was evident through his extremely popular series named "Gulliver in Patiliputra" and "Modest Proposals" that were published in the local newspapers.
Generally speaking, the young professionals, whether they are in jobs or managing their own business or industry, are experiencing lots of stress day in and day out in varying degrees across the globe. Undoubtedly, the competition is huge and cutthroat. Consequently, they often get tired and indisposed too rather more frequently, which badly affect their self-confidence, general health/well-being and productivity at their work place. It also impacts their family life adversely.

In fact, medical experts have been noticing an abnormal increase in the number of young professionals falling prey to psychosomatic ailments which involve both our body and mind. In majority of cases, it is the fall out of perpetual stress and tension. Ultimately, the person starts suffering from medical disorders such as headache, migraine, ulcer, hypertension, diabetes etc. This is not a happy situation for any individual and his or her family. The question is how to cope up with this situation on an on-going basis without visiting a doctor and without taking medicine on every such occasion?

The simple and very effective solution is practicing Yoga sincerely and regularly.

In an address given at Gandhi memorial College, Bhopal, on 28th February, 1979, Swami Satyananda Saraswati, the founder of world famous 'Bihar School of Yoga' said, "Today, the thinking people, who have eyes to see and who are able to understand the secrets of yoga with an open mind, have come to the conclusion that the science of yoga has a definite, clear and indisputable solution for the difficulties of man. The science of yoga covers a great range of human problems. It not only solves the problems of spiritual life, but it can also help to ease the problems of our day to day illnesses. The science of Yogasanas, Pranayama, Mudras and Bandhas, including Hatha Yoga - the science of physiological balance and physical purification- has brought to us the knowledge that diseases can be relieved by the practice of yoga."

To say in plain words, through regular practice of yoga, preferably in the early morning hours in a relatively open space, we gradually learn to look inside, explore our latent potential, achieve higher level of mindfulness in our every action and thereby gain control over our body and mind.

In reality, besides achieving a better physical fitness level, we do improve our power of concentration and the capacity to remain calm and quiet even in moments of distress and indisposition. As a result, we become far more capable to handle and manage any hardship we normally confront in the journey of our life and become more productive and satisfied most of the time.

So, the simple prescription is to spare minimum 30 minutes out of 1440 minutes in a day to practice yoga every morning to manage your stress significantly and hence keep yourself healthier and happier now and always.

Finally before signing off, let us enjoy the motivating lines of Swami Vivekananda, 'All power is within you. You can do anything and everything. Believe in that.'

Milan Sinha has worked in senior positions in financial sector for three decades following three years of active writing in various newspapers and magazines. He is a post graduate in Chemistry from Patna University and also a graduate with Economics.

Presently, besides being a freelance writer / a regular contributor to newspapers & magazines, also engaged as a Stress Management, Lifestyle Management & Wellness consultant, Motivational Speaker and Awareness campaigner.

Moblie: +919608708344, Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
It is all knowing that healthy life is the foundation of a happy life. It is also said that children are the future of any society and the country. Data shows that school children constitute 20% of our population. That is more than 250 million. As such, it is absolutely necessary to educate our children properly and also keep them healthy. Then only they can really face the challenges of life well, shoulder the responsibilities like a responsible citizen of the country and also live happily.

There is no denying the fact that more than 90% of our population including children primarily need health care and not medical care as they suffer from deficiency of protein, minerals, vitamins etc. which can be taken care of with minimum basic knowledge of how to live healthy despite some constraints. Even minor indisposition or ailments due to cough, cold, indigestion etc. can be cured by adopting well established traditional methods of health care.

Interestingly, our country has been very rich in traditional health as well as medical practices which are thousands of years old. But the moot question is why it is not in practice in most of our families, particularly those living in cities.

In fact, besides the negative social impact of market driven economy, the gradual collapse of joint family system together with fast adoption of nuclear family system due to multiple of socio-economic reasons has been the major cause in this regard. Truly speaking, the culture of natural transfer of health inputs from grandfather, grandmother, uncle, aunt and the likes to the younger generation is no more in vogue in growing number of families. The culture of fast and easy life has also been catching up fast. Undeniably, unregulated heavy and recurrent doses of advertisement of manufactured health products and drugs do play a defining adverse impact. Obviously, the children are the worst sufferer in the family. This affects their impressionable mind badly as well.

The resultant effect is seen to be believed if we visit any hospital or nursing home or doctors clinic in any part of the country. The crowd there is increasing with every passing day- majority of them for treatment of normal health issues; self-curing minor ailments.

To say in few words, we are required to initiate reversal of this trend through Awareness-Motivation Route and try consistently for re-establishing our age-old health knowledge and tradition by affirming our faith and commitment. Naturally, this process might take some time, but would definitely be accepted by the common people as the noble goal is to make the large disadvantaged population of the country fairly self-reliant as far as healthy living as well as treatment of normal indisposition is concerned.

It hardly needs more emphasis that to set in motion this important task effectively as per the set goal, the role of educational institutions and social organisations is going to be very vital.

To start with, a well-thought of and well-planned awareness and motivation campaign ought to be undertaken for students from class VII to class XII in a slow but steady and systematic manner. The campaign would focus on ways to enhance the existing knowledge about basic health care together with time tested ways of taking care of minor ailments by making them aware of effective methods of traditional health care having sound scientific base. The elders in the family or in neighbourhood may be impressed to encourage the children in their own way to follow and accept the remedial methods. Involving some teachers from each school for taking this campaign forward can catalyse the whole operation. Similarly, some active members of pensioners association in the area can be requested to join hands for further value addition in this regard.

These simple initiatives, to begin with, would not only enrich the knowledge base of the children regarding various vital aspects of leading a healthy life but also provide them a golden opportunity to know about the countrys glorious past, its rich culture and above all natures great positive role in everyones life. In addition, this would give them an opportunity to interact and associate with the elders in the family, which is bound to help them in many ways. Stronger emotional and cultural bondage in the family and neighbourhood would be a big bonus. The elders would, in turn have the opportunity to revisit their health-related knowledge, update the same and get benefitted immensely in the process. On the whole, this exercise would result in a healthy and happy family and social situation - a win-win position for all.

Finally, before signing off, let us just give a thought to what John Wesley says in these lines: 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.

Brief Introduction of Milan Sinha: Worked in senior positions in financial sector for three decades following three years of active writing in various newspapers and magazines. A post graduate in Chemistry from Patna University and also a graduate with Economics.

Presently, besides being a freelance writer/a regular contributor to newspapers and magazines. Also engaged as a Stress Management, Lifestyle Management & Wellness Consultant, Motivational Speaker and Awareness campaigner. He can be contacted at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Mahatma Gandhi once said, A nations greatness is measured by how it looks after its weakest members.

As the long-awaited Mental Healthcare Bill is debated in the Rajya Sabha, it is interesting to consider the state of care in Bihar. Bihar has seen great leaps forward in recent years towards helping those in need, with a growth strategy which prioritises development. However, mental healthcare is one area where perhaps progress is being made at a slower pace. But why should we focus on mental health? Widespread stigma around mental illness may lead many to wonder whether there is a need for mental health care in Bihar at all. The answer is unequivocally yes.

There is plenty of evidence to show that mental illness is common worldwide, and Bihar is no exception: as evidenced by the large numbers of people accessing existing services. But these services are limited. At present there is only one specialist hospital for mental health in the entire state, and amongst state health facilities only Medical College Hospitals provide mental healthcare. None of these hospitals provide any psychosocial therapies  increasingly seen as the gold standard elsewhere in the world. Furthermore, medications prescribed are often unavailable at Medical College Hospitals so patients are required to purchase them from private pharmacies. To understand why this is so problematic it is important to understand what is meant by mental illness.

Mental illnesses are wide-ranging: from those that are common such as depression, anxiety and addiction, to those that are more severe like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. They are thought to be caused by a combination of biological, social and psychological factors, therefore anyone can be affected. However episodes of mental illness can often be transient, and with appropriate care those affected can live normal lives. But due to the combination of possible causes, social and psychological interventions can be just as important as medication.

Improvements in care are important because there is a vicious cycle between mental illness and poverty. Poverty is a significant social risk factor for mental illness, and those with mental illness are more likely to experience poverty due to problems such as unemployment. Many people with mental illness must travel extremely long distances every month, sometimes for many years, to access care. This is not only difficult due to the illness but also because of the cost. Understandably, it often leads to people stopping treatment early or not taking medications regularly.

A common misconception is that care is unaffordable; in a state like Bihar there are limited resources so basic needs must be prioritised. Actually, a new model of health care is being developed, specifically to address this problem. Non-specialists are trained to provide care within communities, and only those who do not respond to conventional treatments or have a severe illness are referred to a specialist. To those keen on implementing the Western model of specialised care, this may seem concerning. However there is a vast amount of research, including a number of studies in India, to show that this is effective. In fact, this model is likely to be outlined in the new District Mental Health Plan.

Furthermore, state provision of treatments may actually be cost-effective due to an increase in productivity of those receiving treatment. An NGO treatment programme for mental illness in Bihar demonstrated an improvement in employment status, reduced number of days out of employment due to illness, and reduced requirement of number of hours of care provided by a caregiver.

Internationally India is considered a pioneer among low and middle income countries in identifying the importance of mental health. With the Mental Healthcare Bill announcing governmental responsibility to provide care, perhaps it is time that Bihar incorporates treatment of mental illness into its development strategy. The launch of the new District Mental Health Plan provides an ideal opportunity. And with special status, central government sponsorship will be increased substantially. The fate of thousands suffering due to difficulties in accessing care may be about to change.

Prianka Padmanathan is a final year medical student from the United Kingdom who is doing a short student placement with BasicNeeds.
Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, Minister of Education, has charged the Governing Councils of Technical Universities to position themselves as they encourage more students to focus on hands-on engineering courses for the countrys socio-economic development.



He urged the Councils to begin processes to replace the Bachelor of Technology courses with Bachelor of Science in Engineering to eliminate the stereotype associated with the course and make it more competitive.



I want to see students apply to the Technical Universities as their first point of call to do engineering and not a situation where the students apply to KNUST to read engineering but because they were denied admission, the students got stuck because they did not see the technical universities as an alternative for them to get engineering education, he said.



The Minister said this on Friday during the inauguration of four Governing Councils of Technical Universities in Accra and administered the oaths of Office and Secrecy to the council members with the mandate to manage the affairs of the institutions.



The Universities are Kumasi Technical University, Takoradi Technical University, Tamale Technical University and Bolgatanga Technical University.



The Minister said there was high demand for engineering students in the country and urged the Council members to help management of the Universities to develop the technical abilities of students to enhance national development.



I want to see engineers who are not out there to repair what has been built somewhere else in the world, but want to see engineers who are creating, designing and developing cars or tools that can be used to transform the country, he said.



He said the countrys technical education must be focused on innovation and creativity and stressed the need to move away from the old way of training people to fix what the expatriates had created, instead of training people to build new things.



The Minister urged the universities to collaborate with companies for students to have hands-on experience on the job to bridge the academia and industry gap.



I will not blame the management of universities whose fresh students cannot read and write, but will be surprised if the situation persists after graduation, he said.



He charged them not to only be interested in the general education of students but also be concern about the progress of the students by finding out the number of graduates who had gain employment.



You need to have a unique selling advantage about the University to attract students to your institution and also collaborate with companies to produce students who meet the needs of industry players, he said.



Professor Ben Baffoe-Bonnie, Chairman of Kumasi Technical University, pledged the commitment of the Council to abiding by the mandate of the University and work towards ensuring that the students become more creative in solving problems.



The chairmen of the councils of other universities commended President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for the confidence reposed in them to steer the affairs of the universities and pledged to work hard.



The councils are made up of representatives of the various stakeholders including the University Teachers Association of Ghana, Alumni, Ghana Tertiary Education Commission, Government nominees, Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools, Association of Ghana Industries, Council for Technical and Vocational Education Training, Senior and Junior Staff Association, Ghana Employers Association, and Students Representative Council.

Source: GNA









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The Ghana Police Service has served notice it will arrest and bring to book, a group of irate youth who embarked on an unlawful demonstration and vandalised the Police Divisional Headquarters building and VRA office in Tamale on Saturday.



The youth were protesting against the assault of some residents by policemen during a recent anti-power theft operation.



The notice is contained in a statement by the police updating the public on developments since the incident that has seen four police officers interdicted.



According to the police, it has visited victims of the assault and apologised to them.



The police apology, rendered by the leadership of the Northern Regional Police Command, led by its Regional Commander, COP Timothy Yoosa Bonga, on 21st and 22nd September 2021, included a personal telephone conversation with the victims by the acting Inspector General of Police, Dr George Akuffo Dampare, who reassured them that the matter would be dealt with decisively.



The statement issued by the Ag. Director-General of Public Affairs of the Police Service, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Kwesi Ofori, said police have facilitated the medical treatment of the affected persons and paid for the full cost of the treatments in addition to psychological support provided them by a team of clinical psychologists sent from Accra at the behest of the Police Administration.



Below is the police statement.

Source: Graphiconline.com









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Churches and other religious organisation have been encouraged to offer their platform for people to talk about sex and family planning.



You cannot talk about it in church. church leaders do not allow talk on family planning education in the churches youth group leaders shared their frustration during monitoring of activities on adolescent sexual reproductive health and rights in the central region.



This came to light during monitoring on Adolescent Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights in Cape Coast.



It formed part of a project being implemented in six districts of the Central Region by the National Youth Authority (NYA) with funding from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).



The monitoring activity sought to assess the impact of the project in the beneficiary districts and offered an opportunity for the youth group leaders to share ideas



They also talked about their challenges, success stories, best practices and gave suggestions on how to improve adolescent sexual reproductive health and rights in their districts.



Mr. Achbold Donkor, Director of programmes at the NYA commended the youth leaders for their hard work and dedication towards the development of young people in their respective communities.



He also expressed gratitude to the UNFPA for its unwavering Support towards youth development in Ghana.



He said the NYA, believed in the potential of young people and for that matter would not relent on its efforts to ensure that the youth in Ghana were empowered enough to be well-positioned to play their roles as strategic agents of change.



Despite their great potentials, Mr. Donkor noted that the youth in Ghana were challenged in issues relating to their sexual and reproductive health, impeding their progress and total development.



You are not too young to act so do not sit aloof. If you think you are too young to do something now, you will be old enough to bear the consequences, he told the youth leaders and asked them to be role models for their peers.



He encouraged stakeholders including MMDAs, traditional leaders, and religious organizations to extend the needed support for youth groups and youth leaders to meaningfully contribute to the development of their communities.



Mr Donkor, added that the realization of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) would be possible if young people were given the platform to show what they could do.

Source: GNA









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The Ghana Health Service (GHS) said evidence locally and internationally shows that vaccination against the Covid-19 accounts for the steady decline in positive cases.



Additionally, improving adherence to Covid-19 safety and enforcement protocols also contributed significantly to the decline.



Ghana has recorded 128 positive cases of COVID-19 this September, 273 in August and 500 in July, this year.



The GHS said as at September 23, 2021, there were 3,578 active cases, 1,147 deaths, 122,000 recoveries and 126,803 cumulative positive cases after 1.7 million tests.



At a media briefing in Accra on Sunday to update the public on COVID-19 cases, Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, the Director-General of GHS, said the Service had so far inoculated 1.6 million Ghanaians, with 89 per cent of the vaccines coming from AstraZeneca, 10 per cent from Johnson & Johnson, and one per cent from Sputnik V.



He called for aggressive deployment of COVID-19 vaccines across the 16 regions, especially in marketplaces, lorry parks, churches and mosques.



Dr Kuma-Aboagye said the country had received nearly five million doses of the AstraZeneca Covishield from India, 21,000 doses of Sputnik V, 450,000 doses of Johnson & Johnson, and 1.2 million of Moderna vaccines.



Achieving herd immunity against the Covid-19 had been governments primary goal to halt the spread of the disease, he said.



President Akufo-Addo, in February this year, announced that although his administration sought to vaccinate the entire population, he aimed to vaccinate 20 million of the populace by the end of the year.

Source: GNA









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Police in Takoradi in the Western Region have officially arrested and detained Josephine Panyin Mensah, a 28-year-old woman who allegedly deceived security officers and the entire country with a pregnancy and kidnapping story, that turns out to be false.



She has been detained at the Takoradi Central police cells.



Josephine was officially arrested on Friday night, September 24, 2021, immediately after the police claimed that she had confessed that her story was a hoax.



The suspect, Josephine Panyin Mensah, 28, has confessed to the Police during further investigations and stated that neither was she pregnant nor ever being kidnapped. The public will be updated with further details, police said in a statement.



The womans mother, who was also kept in police custody on Thursday, was also released on Friday night.



Meanwhile, residents of Takoradi who initially sympathized with Josephine have expressed shock and disappointment at the turn of events.



Some of them who spoke to Citi News urged the police to conduct a DNA test on Jospehines first child.



The current turn of events is mind-boggling. Now we dont know which story to believe. We all knew that she was pregnant. When we heard that her story was fake, the whole society was shaken to the core. People around the area claimed that she was pregnant, so now it is difficult to comprehend the polices contrary report, a resident said.



Another resident qsaid Josephines story is embarrassing.



Im convinced that she was not pregnant. Its putting pressure on women in Takoradi, the Western Region and the whole of Ghana. If she actually has a son, the police should conduct a DNA test to confirm if indeed the son belongs to her husband or not.



Weve been shaken by this story. When we heard that she had been kidnapped, we were worried. But we cant fathom the new development. I dont trust the story being bandied around. I will only believe this story when I hear from her directly, another resident said.



Background

Josephine Panyin Mensah, has been in the news since last Thursday after the media reported that she was nine months pregnant and had been kidnapped during a dawn walk.



She resurfaced a week later at Axim in the Western Region without her alleged pregnancy or baby.



She had claimed that she delivered the same day she went missing and that the kidnappers had stolen her baby.



The Western Regional Minister, Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah subsequently claimed Josephine was not pregnant as reported, a claim subsequently corroborated by the Ghana Police Service.



Police conducted two separate medical tests on Josephine at different hospitals, with both reports proving that she was never pregnant.



Josephines relatives and neighbours however disagreed with the report of the Ghana Police Service.





Source: citinewsroom









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The Ghana Police Service has instituted urgent additional security measures to arrest a robbery gang attacking people within the Greater Accra region in recent days.



A statement signed by Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Kwesi Ofori, Acting Director-General, Public Affairs and copied the Ghana News Agency, pleaded with residents to bear with the Police with regards to the scaled-up security measures to deal with the threat.



It said Police had placed a financial reward of GHS 50,000.00 for information that would lead to the arrest of the robbers.



The statement urged the public and corporate institutions who intended to withdraw and deposit huge sums of money to exercise caution or contact the Police for assistance for such transactions.



The Statement said any suspicious behaviour or movement of persons should be reported immediately to the Police on the emergency numbers 18555, 191, 0302773906 or 0302787373.



It commended the general public for their continued assistance and gave the assurance that with citizens support, communities would remain safe.



We will never, ever allow these thugs to disturb our peace as a people, the statement said.

Source: GNA









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The Ashanti Regional Directorate of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), has taken its sensitization campaign on violent extremism to the palace of the Zongo Chief of Kumasi, Sultan Umar Farouk.



The visit by Madam Margaret Konoma and a team of officials from the Commission was to discuss measures to combat violent extremism and ensure a peaceful co-existence in Zongo communities.



It formed part of efforts by the NCCE to engage key stakeholders in its campaign to sensitize the citizenry on violent extremism, national cohesion and peaceful co-existence.



The NCCE in collaboration with the National Security Ministry has been organizing a series of public fora for relevant stakeholders across the country to foster national cohesion by highlighting the consequences of violent extremism.



Madam Konama and her team were, therefore, in the Palace to seek the support of the Chief and his elders in the campaign for peaceful co-existence and national cohesion.



The expectation was that his influence as a traditional leader would significantly enhance the acceptance of the message being propagated by the Commission in the Zongo communities.



The NCCE Regional Director briefed the Zongo Chief and his elders about efforts being made by the NCCE to promote national cohesion and called for his support in spreading the message in Zongo communities.



She said the resurgence of secessionism in some parts of the country was not only a threat to national cohesion but also had serious implications on the sustainability of Ghanas fragile democracy.



The Commission, she noted, had been strategically engaging the youth in selected districts in the region where peace and security were occasionally threatened by violence and other disturbances.



She underlined the need for Ghanaians to take inspiration from Article 41 of the 1992 Constitution, which enjoins the citizens to foster national unity and live in harmony with others.



Peace and stability are essential for development and must be guarded at all times if Ghana wants to make progress, she stated.







Source: GNA









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A former Northern Regional Organizer of the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Godfred Apasinaba Wumbei alias Yellowman contends that former President John Dramani Mahama should not be challenged as the party's 2024 Presidential candidate.



He insists that Mr. Mahama is the most marketed politician in Ghana capable of winning the next general elections 'one-touch.'



Godfred Wumbei, who is eyeing the NDC Northern Regional Chairman position, believes the NDC was robbed of the 2020 polls, hence the need to endorse John Dramani Mahama by popular acclamation for the 2024 Presidential election.



Accusing the New Patriotic Party (NPP) of economic mismanagement, he advised other NDC Presidential hopefuls to drop their ambitions and rather support Mr. Mahama to win the next election.



Godfred Wumbei urged all NDC loyalists to ignore critics of Mr. Mahama's recent infamous "do or die" comment and be motivated to match the NPP boot to boot at the 2024 polls.



"In Cambridge dictionary, do or die means a situation when one takes a big risk to avoid failure.

Again Collins Dictionary states that do or die means a battle/struggle that involves a determined effort to succeed. This clearly shows our opponents were trying to throw the dust into the eyes of Ghanaian's who are already disappointed in the Akuffo Addo-led govt."



"We stand by the do or die comment come 2024 because the wanton failure of the NPP government can only be salvaged if we remain resolute and vigilant to the course of victory for our great party."







Source: King Saha Abdullah, Contributor









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Reigning Reggae/Dancehall Artiste of the Year, Epixode, has said that every musician will need to exhibit some level of creativity in their craft to survive the Ghanaian music industry.



His comments come after Legendary Ghanaian musician Nat Brew popularly known as Amandzeba passed the mantle of music to Epixode considering his creative exploits in the music industry thus far.



Epixode's creativity in the music industry especially his stage performance has been very impressive and has been lauded by many for his versatility.



Every artiste needs creativity to survive the industry and you are able to exhibit more creativity especially when you belong to a recording label where other team members assist in your creativity.



In other jurisdictions, people are employed to decide what an artiste should wear on stage as well as other creatives that come along with a performance. So artistes must invest in the creative aspect of their craft because it is another way of getting noticed,'' he told Ghana News Agency in an interview.



When asked about the mantle of music being passed onto him by Amandzeba, Epixode said: "It is an honour and a blessing to be recognized as one of the most creative artistes in the country by the Legendary Ghanaian musician Amandzeba and this shows that some artistes in the industry have some good content to offer."



Epixode added that his project to help upcoming musicians is still ongoing as he set to feature 50 of them in his next project and hopefully it would yield some positives and encourage them to make greater strides in their career.

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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A woman walks past posters for the abortion referendum in San Marino, Sunday, Sept. 26, 2021. Tiny San Marino is one of the last countries in Europe which forbids abortion in any circumstance  a ban that dates from 1865. Its citizens are voting Sunday in a referendum calling for abortion to be made legal in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)
Trinity UCC POTTSTOWN  Worship at Trinity UCC, 60 N. Hanover St., will take place in the Sanctuary at 9:30 AM on Oct. 10 and will also be live-streamed on our YouTube channel. Masks and social distancing are required at...
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South Carolina's largest automaker is learning excuses don't go over too well in a courtroom.

The S.C. Court of Appeals on Sept. 22 shot down Upstate manufacturer BMW's attempt to reopen a lawsuit filed by AEP2 LLC  a logistics company that once managed and then purchased the automaker's warehouse in Ontario, Calif.

The warehouse was a Teamsters shop and when AEP2 sold its assets to another company in 2014, it had to pay nearly $606,000 toward the union's pension fund.

AEP2 then sued BMW, alleging the automaker had agreed to cover the payment as part of a service agreement between the companies.

It wasn't long before the finger pointing started.

BMW sued its South Carolina attorney and a corporate lawyer for failing to notify the automaker about the potential liability in the service agreement with AEP2.

Even worse, BMW's lawyers failed to respond to the lawsuit in time, and AEP2 obtained a default judgment in Charleston County court.

BMW tried to overturn the judgment, filing an affidavit by one of its attorneys who said AEP2's summons and complaint were "lost in the proverbial shuffle." The automaker also claimed a minor "clerical error" kept it from responding in time.

Judge Julius "J.C." Nicholson wasn't having any of it. He told BMW neither excuse was grounds for overturning the default judgment. In his order, Nicholson wrote BMW's top corporate lawyer "turned a blind eye to his job functions" and "was careless in the extreme."

It also turned out the "clerical" employee BMW tried to blame for the error was the lawyer himself.

BMW appealed Nicholson's decision, but the three-judge Court of Appeals panel wasn't sympathetic. The judges affirmed the lower court's ruling, adding the "lost in the shuffle" excuse didn't constitute "good cause" for the late response to AEP2's lawsuit.

It's not clear whether BMW will ask the S.C. Supreme Court to review the case.

Portman purchase

Atlanta-based Portman Industrial LLC is buying the nearly 188-acre site known as Campus 4 in the Camp Hall Commerce Park in Ridgeville, with plans to build several speculative warehouse and distribution centers in the industrial site off Interstate 26.

The company on Sept. 14 closed on 77.18 acres of the property, paying nearly $13.3 million to Camp Hall developer and state-owned electric utility Santee Cooper.

The first three buildings planned for the site will begin construction in coming months. Portman plans to purchase the remaining 110.6 acres for $9.4 million.

Moncks Corner-based Santee Cooper granted Portman a discounted price for the land because the company has agreed to pay for a road and water and sewer infrastructure at the parcel, located at the intersection of Fish Road and Volvo Cars Drive.

Portman cited the property's proximity to the adjacent Volvo Cars manufacturing campus and the Port of Charleston as key reasons for the purchase.

"We see robust consumer demand for goods continuing to drive tenant demand across the logistics and supply chain sectors and we expect that to only increase," Mike Wurtsbaugh, Portman's managing director, said in a written statement. "Projects like Camp Hall reflect our focus on developing well-positioned projects in port-centric markets like Charleston."

Portman said it will focus on development of 500,000- to 1 million-square-foot cross-dock distribution centers at the site.

Portman Industrial is a newly formed division of 64-year-old real estate developer Portman Holdings, which has primarily built hotels, retail space and apartments.

Santee Cooper is marketing Camp Hall as a "next generation" industrial park with a village center that includes businesses catering to workers  such as a convenience store and bank  along with 2,600 acres of parks and walking or biking trails.

Quick Hits

Defense contractor Curtiss-Wright Corp. , which designs and builds steam turbines for the U.S. Navy , recently won a $1.6 million contract to supply compressors and vacuum pumps to that military branch. Curtiss-Wright has its manufacturing facility at the Charleston Trade Center off Interstate 26 in Summerville.

, which designs and builds steam turbines for the , recently won a $1.6 million contract to supply compressors and vacuum pumps to that military branch. Curtiss-Wright has its manufacturing facility at the off Interstate 26 in Summerville. The State Ports Authority plans to add a home it purchased at 1801 Avenue F. in North Charleston to an environmental cleanup program overseen by state regulators. The property, adjacent to where the SPA is building a rail yard for its Leatherman Terminal , is part of a larger parcel where an underground storage tank leaked gasoline into groundwater when the site was part of the former Navy base. Under the voluntary cleanup program, the SPA is responsible for monitoring and potential remediation but is protected from any claims resulting from the contamination. The SPA recently purchased the home for $730,000 as part of an inverse condemnation claim.

plans to add a home it purchased at 1801 Avenue F. in North Charleston to an environmental cleanup program overseen by state regulators. The property, adjacent to where the SPA is building a rail yard for its , is part of a larger parcel where an underground storage tank leaked gasoline into groundwater when the site was part of the former Navy base. Under the voluntary cleanup program, the SPA is responsible for monitoring and potential remediation but is protected from any claims resulting from the contamination. The SPA recently purchased the home for $730,000 as part of an inverse condemnation claim. Charleston-based GreenGas USA has asked state regulators for permission to build a facility at McCall Farms in Effingham that will capture methane gas produced by decomposing vegetable waste. The facility will convert the methane into pipeline-quality natural gas that will then be distributed to customers.
COLUMBIA  Eighteen months after COVID forced learning to go online, school districts across South Carolinas capital region are taking varying approaches to continued virtual instruction, with some planning to phase it out altogether and others making it a long-term option.

Under state law, districts can enroll a maximum of 5 percent of students in their online-only program before losing per-pupil funding for each additional participant. The threshold doesnt apply to students who must temporarily learn remotely because of COVID quarantine protocols or to those enrolled in the state's virtual classes.

Some school systems, including the 17,500-student Lexington-Richland Five, want to end as quickly as possible instruction that doesn't put students behind desks five days a week.

About 1,350 students in the district that includes Chapin and Irmo are in its online-only option. Each of its 23 schools has a "COVID support team," consisting of four teachers and an administrator, who serve as liaisons between students learning from home and their teachers.

Lexington-Richland 5 board members and Superintendent Akil Ross pointed to a drop in last spring's math and reading standardized test scores to stress the need for face-to-face instruction as much as possible.

In nearby Lexington One, which offered in-person learning throughout the pandemic, administrators agree schools need to remain open, as a state law passed in April requires. But theyve also embraced offering virtual learning.

Its going to be a good legacy for this district, trustee Brent Powers said during a Sept. 7 workshop where officials talked about the Lexington One Online Learning Academy, or LOOLA.

Currently, 1,012 students are enrolled in its full-time remote option. The district has a capacity of 1,317 before it runs up against the 5 percent cap.

LOOLA was launched last summer for K-12 students whose parents chose a fully virtual classroom. This school year, only sixth through 12th graders could enroll in the academy, which was merged with the district's alternative program for students approaching expulsion.

In future years, Superintendent Greg Little said, LOOLA is envisioned as a way to augment a students education  particularly those in high school who are entering an increasingly digital job market and want to take specialized courses around internships or other professional activities.

We really look at it as it will be the ultimate personalization tool, Little said. I think you'll see the growth that we're making there has truly served to push innovation in the school district about how we learn and think about students.

Lexington Ones expansion of online learning mirrors whats happening in another of the states largest school systems.

Richland Two has offered a virtual learning component for 20 years, largely on a case-by-case basis. Some have used it while performing on Broadway, or training for the junior Olympics while graduating from high school on time.

Administrators in the 27,000-student district were planning to roll out in 2022 a sixth-through-12th grade online magnet program for students, enrolled through an application process, but opened it a year early, saying COVID forced their hand.

Students in grades kindergarten through five taking online courses this year will return to classrooms full-time next summer. The district has 482 students between kindergarten and 12th grade enrolled in its yearlong virtual curriculum.

Emily Manigault, who oversees virtual instruction in Richland Two, said online learning in her district is being embraced by many who never thought of it as an option before the pandemic.

I hear that from parents at least weekly. I believe in virtual learning, she said. Weve been doing education the same way for well over a century in the United States and it's time for a significant change. Virtual learning is a piece of that.

Districts also have to weigh the price of providing online learning. During a Lexington-Richland Five meeting in February to talk about expanding its virtual offerings through this year, administrators said it would cost between $4.5 million and $7 million to run online programs, depending on which grades it served.

Thats been a concern at Richland One as well, district spokeswoman Karen York said.

"If the virtual school programs expand beyond their current enrollment, we would have to move staff from schools into those programs, which would lead to disruptions at school sites," she said.
COLUMBIA  More than a week ago, Attorney General Alan Wilson and his GOP counterparts across the nation warned the Biden administration they would sue over the president's COVID vaccine mandate.

They're still waiting to see the rules. They won't sue until there are regulations in writing to challenge, Wilson said.

In the meantime, emails are flying from the right and the left that fundraise off vows to fight the not-yet-issued orders.

On Sept. 9, President Joe Biden announced new federal vaccine requirements for as many as 100 million Americans. Telling the unvaccinated "our patience is wearing thin," the president laid out a plan that includes requiring vaccinations or weekly testing for employees of private companies with more than 100 workers.

That mandate will be enacted through the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and its rarely used emergency authority to protect employees "exposed to grave danger." Invoking that "emergency temporary standard" bypasses the normal, lengthy public comment process and puts rules into effect immediately for up to six months. But OSHA hasn't yet published the rules.

Once they come out, a flurry of lawsuits is expected.

As head of the Republican Attorneys General Association, Wilson is leading the charge for half of the states' top prosecutors; 23 other GOP attorneys general signed on to a Sept. 16 letter to Biden opposing the pending mandate.

"This edict is unlikely to win hearts and minds  it will simply drive further skepticism," the state prosecutors jointly wrote. "And at least some Americans will simply leave the job market instead of complying."

The message concluded with a pledge to "seek every available legal option" if the White House doesn't alter its course. Two additional GOP attorneys general sent their own letters of opposition.

Wilson said he recognizes the government has the authority to mandate vaccines. But he contends Biden can't do it this way. He argues it must be done through laws, whether passed by Congress or state legislatures.

"They can do it even if I don't like it or agree with it. But they can't do it the way they're doing it," he said Sept. 22 after giving an update to the House GOP Caucus during a private meeting in Columbia. "OSHA deals with hazards and dangers associated with a particular occupation, not general dangers of the world."

Ultimately, the courts will likely decide whether COVID-19 is a "new hazard" that presents a "grave danger" to employees needing OSHA's protection  the undefined standard set by federal law.

Raising money

State Sen. Dick Harpootlian, D-Columbia, criticized Wilson as creating "political show trials" for GOP voters. He questioned who the state GOP prosecutors are representing.

"That's something between businesses and the federal government. The state of South Carolina has no interest in that," said the former state Democratic Party chairman and longtime Biden ally. "That's a federal mandate for private businesses. Those folks can hire lawyers and sue."

Politicians of both parties are using Biden's announced mandates  and the reaction to them  to build their base and raise money.

Wilson, in his third term, was using the prospect of vaccine mandates to fundraise even before Biden announced his requirements for private employers, health care workers and federal contractors.

In an email blast last month, he asked supporters for donations to help him "take a stand, once and for all, to preserve our liberty and keep COVID vaccine mandates out of South Carolina."

A day after Wilson and the other GOP prosecutors sent their letter, the state Republican Party emailed it out in its own blast, asking people to sign a petition and be a grassroots volunteer in the effort to "say NO to the vaccine mandate."

On the other side, former U.S. Rep. Joe Cunningham of Charleston and state Sen. Mia McLeod of Columbia  Democrats trying to unseat Gov. Henry McMaster in 2022  asked for donations in emails that referenced the GOP governor's Sept. 9 vow to fight Biden and the far left "to the gates of hell."

Calling McMaster's tweet a "promise to fight scientists" and more evidence of the governor's failures, Cunningham asked people to chip in $10 to join Team Joe.

"You just can't make this stuff up," McLeod wrote in her fundraising email. "Sadly, too many South Carolinians are going through hell right now because Gov. McMaster refuses to lead."

McMaster reiterated his opposition to the mandate Sept. 22, telling reporters he expects lawsuits to come from multiple fronts.

"There are a lot of institutions and private citizens, as well, who see a national mandate for you, and you, and me to get a vaccination is beyond the scope and intention of the U.S. Constitution," said McMaster, who's opposed mandates while urging people to get vaccinated, as he did. (The 74-year-old governor has said he intends to get a booster shot too.)

Past rulings

In 1905, the U.S. Supreme Court found that vaccine mandates did not violate the Constitution's 14th Amendment right to liberty and due process. But that involved a state law, as the justices ruled Massachusetts' efforts to combat a smallpox epidemic fell within states' police powers to protect public health. Seventeen years later, justices cited the precedential ruling to uphold mandated vaccinations in Texas for school children.

Wilson, instead, likens the pending OSHA rule to a case the nation's high court decided just last month, when the justices struck down the eviction moratorium reimposed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. On a 6-3 vote, they said the federal agency lacked the authority to continue the moratorium without congressional approval.

The pending vaccine mandate won't be the first time OSHA has used its "emergency temporary standard" authority in the fight against COVID. Rules issued in June for health care employers include requirements for personal protection, daily screenings, and paid leave for quarantined workers. Those rules came six months after Biden ordered a review of workplace COVID safety.

And that marked the first time OSHA had used its emergency authority since a federal court struck down its 1983 asbestos exposure limits. Courts also blocked or at least partially struck half of the eight prior emergency rules. Three weren't challenged, according to the Congressional Research Service.

How long it will take OSHA to issue the vaccine mandate rules, and what becomes of them, "time will tell," Wilson said.
While the number of new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations is beginning to decline across the United States, signaling the beginning of the end of the delta variant surge, South Carolina, like many states in the Southeast, continues to observe high coronavirus activity.

The latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that nationally the seven-day average in cases fell 17 percent from prior weeks.

There are reasons to be cautiously optimistic that South Carolina has turned a corner, too. Between Sept. 15-21, the seven-day average of new infections in the Charleston area decreased by 34 percent. The Midlands region saw a 45 percent decrease from prior weeks, while areas near Lancaster and Florence saw a less than 20 percent decrease.

Michael Sweat, director of the Center for Global Health at the Medical University of South Carolina, said a peak in numbers is evident.

"I think we are beyond the peak," said Sweat. "If you look at the current wave of COVID-19 cases, we are trending downward much like other states with an initial summer wave who are on track to see declines in cases. However, I do expect to see a spike in the winter season.

While the numbers are currently lower than prior weeks, Sweat emphasized the drop in cases does not mean COVID-19 isn't still a clear and present danger.

"There's still a lot of infection and transmission of the virus," said Sweat. "People should adjust their risk-taking accordingly."

According to the state Department of Health and Environmental Control, case rates in South Carolina are currently similar to the numbers reported toward the end of 2020 and the beginning of 2021, when cases were at an all-time high.

On Dec. 11, 2020, DHEC reported 3,217 newly confirmed and probable cases, and on Dec. 18, the state recorded more than 3,600 cases. The most recent data from DHEC published on Sept. 24 shows more than 3,400 newly confirmed and probable cases and 124 confirmed and probable deaths.

"This is particularly unfortunate because, unlike late 2020, vaccines to defeat COVID-19 are in high supply and available for anyone who wants to get vaccinated," said Ron Aiken, a spokesman for DHEC. "So we hope to see these increases in cases go down with the help of vaccine and increased masking."

The percentage of eligible South Carolinians who are vaccinated is lower than the national average, but it is slowly climbing. The latest data from DHEC's vaccination dashboard shows 51.2 percent of all eligible South Carolina residents are completely vaccinated, and close to 60 percent have received at least one shot. That still leaves a large population of eligible residents unvaccinated and at risk of infection and transmission.

Many among the eligible but unvacccinated group are teenagers and young adults. Currently, those age 12 and older are eligible for COVID-19 vaccines. Earlier this week, vaccine manufactures Pfizer-BioNTech announced that the vaccine was safe for children ages five to 11 years old. Vaccines for children in this age group are expected to be eligible to receive their shots later this fall.

All three of the COVID-19 vaccines used in the U.S.  Pfizer, Moderna and the one-shot Johnson & Johnson  are still highly protective against severe illness, hospitalization and death, even with the spread of the extra-contagious delta variant. But only about 182 million Americans are fully vaccinated, or just 55 percent of the population, The Associated Press reported Sept. 24.

Data released by DHEC on Sept. 24 shows more than 12,000 South Carolinians have died from COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic.

DHEC reported 111 confirmed and 13 probable deaths on Friday, bringing the total number of deaths since March 2020 to 12,080. More than 2,000 of those deaths have been recorded during the third surge of the pandemic.

Reported Sept. 20 by The Associated Press, COVID-19 has now killed about as many Americans as the 1918-19 Spanish flu pandemic did  approximately 675,000.

The delta-fueled surge in new infections may have peaked, but U.S. deaths still are running at over 1,900 a day on average, the highest level since early March, and the countrys overall toll stood at close to 674,000 as of Sept. 20, according to data collected by Johns Hopkins University, though the real number is believed to be higher.

Winter may bring a new surge, though it's expected to be less deadly than last years, according to The University of Washington model.

The 1918-19 influenza pandemic killed an estimated 675,000 Americans in a U.S. population one-third the size of what it is today, according to AP. It struck down 50 million victims globally at a time when the world had one-quarter as many people as it does now. Global deaths from COVID-19 now stand at more than 4.6 million.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The Salvation Army of Charleston will begin taking applications Sept. 27 for its Angel Tree program, which collects presents for children 12 and under to give to families for the looming holiday season.

Residents of Charleston, Berkeley and Dorchester counties can apply for the program this week at the Salvation Armys community center on Ashley River Road.

Once the program collects the applications, it becomes a path where community members can assume an application and purchase new clothing and gifts for the children.

Sign-ups are scheduled for Monday to Friday this week from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at The Salvation Army Corp and Community Center at 2135 Ashley River Road.

People who intend to apply for the program are required to bring a government-issued photo ID, proof of total income, proof of all expenses and birth certificates for all children.

Applicants who receive welfare can provide a printout of their certification or September electronic benefit transfer as proof of income and expenses.

The printout must have the applicants household information and welfare amount. The Salvation Army will not accept cards, texts nor screenshots in lieu of the printout.

People also should bring childrens wish lists and clothing sizes. Children will not be allowed to attend.

In 2020, there was an uptick in applicants for the program, Capt. Oliver Michels, corps officer, wrote.

In 2019, the program received applicants for 2,100 children in the tri-county area, whereas it typically received applications for about 1,700 to 1,900 children in previous years.

Applications will be taken from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. from Sept. 27 through Oct. 1 at the community center. The center will also take applications from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Oct. 2.
Charleston, SC (29403)

Today

Cloudy in the morning, then thunderstorms developing later in the day. High 79F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Cloudy with occasional rain showers. Low 67F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%.
The S.C. Supreme Courts long-awaited opinion on a lawsuit challenging the states extraordinary protection of monuments and building and street names dedicated to the Confederacy changed the number of votes legally required to revoke that protection.

What it did not change is the fact that the Legislature retains exclusive control over those monuments and names, which can be removed or changed only with the Legislatures permission.

It also did not change the fact that the Legislature needs to relinquish some of that authority.

We dont think its wise to rip down monuments. Were also not crazy about the wholesale renaming of buildings and roads  although we should recall that names are so ephemeral that our legislators think nothing of changing several of them every year to honor politicians and other people, often people still living, who are special to our legislators.

But the question isnt the wisdom of changing who we choose to honor and celebrate. The question is who should be able to decide: the cities and counties that own the statues and buildings and roads and bridges and other infrastructure, or the Legislature.

The part of the Heritage Act that the court ruled unconstitutional required a two-thirds vote by the House and the Senate to change any monuments or names celebrating a long list of wars and historic figures. That requirement was offensive because it allowed a third of either the House or the Senate to overrule the majority of legislators. It was unconstitutional  a point that even Attorney General Alan Wilson conceded more than a year ago  because through it legislators who were in office in 2000 had set conditions on what could be done by legislators we elected in 2020.

The court also said that nothing in the state constitution prevents the Legislature from usurping city and county power over monuments they own and the names of federal, state and even local roads and bridges in their communities. But the fact that something isnt unconstitutional or illegal doesnt mean its right or proper. People do things all the time that are wrong but legal.

The court devoted much of its opinion to a notably accurate retelling of how the Heritage Act came to be: how lawmakers who revered the Confederate flag agreed to remove it from its false position of sovereignty atop the Statehouse in return for the assurance that doing so would not open the floodgates, and if the renaming and removal of other historic items could be prevented.

Mr. Wilsons brief more accurately described the goal of many legislators as seeking in essence, to freeze monuments [or names, etc.] as of the date of the Acts passage. But the court accurately repeats a commonly used metaphor at the time the law was passed, so lets think about that:

The purpose of floodgates is not, in fact, to freeze the status quo. Its to provide careful control; floodgates are opened periodically to let out some water. Never opening them can cause dams to breach and levees to break, raining biblical destruction down on the community.

With obscure exceptions in 2005 and 2013 and the notable exception of removing the Confederate flag from the Statehouse lawn in 2015 after an evil man-child massacred a state senator and eight of his fellow parishioners in his Charleston church, the Legislature has refused to consider using its floodgates.

Its one thing for the Legislature to decide the fate of state-owned property, even if we dont agree with its decision. But its no more appropriate for the Legislature to tie the hands of elected city and county council members on monuments and names than to tell them how to zone property or how many police officers or firefighters to hire.

Why should legislators from Walhalla and York and Greenville get to tell the Charleston City Council what names it can and cant change on city streets? Why should people in Charleston and Myrtle Beach and Florence get to tell people in Columbia which of their monuments they can and cant relocate or alter?

They shouldn't, and the Legislature needs to repeal the law that lets them do just that.
COLUMBIA  Matt Braynard is far from a household name in Republican politics. But as the ideological leader of national rallies demanding justice for hundreds arrested during the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection, the 42-year-old Georgetown native isnt striving for popularity.

Were at the beginning of a long process. This is a growing movement. This organization cant be discouraged, Braynard said Sept. 25 on the south steps of the Statehouse where the group rallied Saturday.

Eight months ago, the former Trump campaign aide launched Look Ahead America, a nonprofit described on marketing materials as a training ground for grassroot patriots.

His cause includes Justice for J6 rallies taking place across 17 states demanding due process for those arrested for storming the U.S. Capitol. A similar event was held in Washington D.C. last weekend.

Among those facing charges are ten South Carolinians.

We condemn the violence that happened on Jan. 6. People engaged in it, they belong in prison, Braynard said. But the vast majority have not been charged with anything violent, and the way theyve been treated has been wildly different than arrests from other protests that have happened over the past several years.

Organizers of the Sept. 25 rally said no flags, banners or clothing supporting a candidate was allowed. The focus, they said, was on pressing state and federal lawmakers to free the nonviolent detainees from Jan. 6.

How is this America? This is not my country anymore, Isle of Palms resident Kathy Campbell said. This should be a bipartisan issue. Its about the Constitution of the United States of America.

Once Braynard got behind a microphone, the tenor changed. He attacked CNN and The New York Times. Look Ahead America, he said, was at least partly responsible for blocking Louisiana from spending $100 million on voting equipment from Dominion Voting Systems, a target of Donald Trump supporters from last year's election.

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His organization was also a sponsor of the 2021 Conservative Political Action Conference.

There was about 20 people in attendance at the Sept. 25 rally. Speakers were to include GOP state Reps. Lin Bennett of Charleston and Stewart Jones, of Laurens. Neither were there.

Bennett told The Post and Courier via text message she backed out several days ahead of time due a scheduling conflict. Jones did not respond to a voice mail or text message seeking comment.

Lori Boddy, a retired engineer from Aiken, is Look Ahead Americas statewide coordinator.

This is a tough subject. People are afraid they will be cancelled if they speak out against it, because it seems to be a partisan issue, she said.

Braynard said Look Ahead America has a presence in 40 states, and he encourages members to use a strategy long looked upon by the GOP with derision.

Community organizing is vital, and our lack of it on our side is why those people are still in prison, he said.

Hosting so many rallies, even where crowds are small, gives organizers experience and builds a ground game that over time Braynard believes will boost voter registration and mobilize Republicans in ways that havent been tried before.

Look Ahead America is a 100-year project, he said. Eventually, this (Justice for J6 rallies) will pass. But then it will be on to the next battle.
U.S. Sen. Tim Scott continued to blame Democrats for the collapse of the federal police reform effort, saying the problem is worst in cities run by Democrats, a party that missed an opportunity.

"It's the big blue cities where they have failed to pass policies that protect their most vulnerable communities," Scott, R-S.C., said on CBS' "Face the Nation" Sept. 26.

"Think about Minneapolis, Los Angeles, Cleveland, Portland, Seattle, this problem came to the federal government because of the failure of blue mayors and liberal city council members," he said.

Scott was the show's guest as the lead Republican negotiator on the reform effort that began following the escalation of police fatal instances seen in recent years.

The Capitol Hill process began during the Donald Trump presidency and continued during Joe Biden's term. But Scott's Democratic counterpart, U.S. Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey, abruptly announced last week the effort was dead after both sides failed to reach common ground on sticking points.

Scott said some of the areas of mutual agreement included reducing military equipment to local agencies, and issues covering PTSD and mental health assistance. But he said a sticking point he could not agree to was any situation that could be interpreted as defunding the police, including stipulations on how grants might be allocated.

"When you reduce funding for police, you actually lose lives in the communities," Scott told CBS host Margaret Brennan. "Our approach was a win win approach. We want the best wearing the badge, and we want the vulnerable protected. So when you tie funding losses in this legislation, you should expect an allergic reaction from me."

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Brennan countered that Democrats don't see their proposals as necessarily cutting police budgets, but as reallocating funds to emphasize other areas of community need, such as mental health.

Scott answered that any time you link police performance to receiving funding, it jeopardizes police budgets.

Elsewhere Sunday, Booker was asked to respond to Scott's comments during his appearance on CNN's "State of the Union." While he said the sides were in agreement in ending use of choke holds, he said qualified immunity, the legal doctrine that shields police officers from being sued, was an issue. Democrats want to do away with it and Republicans want to keep it in place.

"So it was a frustrating experience in the sense that we had the biggest civil rights demonstrations in this country's history asking for change," Booker said. "We wanted to have more transparency, higher professional standards, and real accountability. If you break the law, you shouldn't be shielded from that. Those were the lines all along. We sat down, good-faith negotiations, got closer together, got major law enforcement groups to endorse it, but we didn't get it done.

Scott, who is up for re-election next year, additionally denied the talks broke down because Republicans want to look tough on crime heading into the 2022 midterms.

"I'm the person who has lived in the communities that we're talking about," Scott, the Senate's only Black Republican, said. "I'm the person who has experienced the challenges that we are trying to solve. I'm the person who understands and appreciates this issue intimately. If you want to keep our community safe. You have to properly fund the police."
COLUMBIA  To combat a startling rise in violent crime, South Carolina officers need the ability to arrest more convicted felons illegally carrying a gun, according to the state's top law enforcement officer.

State Law Enforcement Division Chief Mark Keel said he will push for legislation next year to align state law to what's already illegal through federal law. The problem is that state and local law enforcement officers can't make arrests on federal charges, and they can't rely on federal agents to always be available to make the case for them, he said.

"As chief of SLED, my top priority is trying to keep the citizens of this state safe," Keel told Gov. Henry McMaster in his last Cabinet meeting , citing statistics showing a 51 percent increase in killings statewide over the last five years.

In the last year alone, homicides increased 25 percent, from 457 to 571, according to preliminary data for 2020.

"It's important that our legislative priorities reflect this and we take immediate legislative steps to stem the violence," Keel said.

That includes creating a true felon-in-possession law, he said.

There's been a state law since 2010 outlawing gun possession by felons, but it applies only to people convicted of certain violent felonies.

The list does not include, for example, strong arm robbery, Columbia Police Chief Skip Holbrook noted in a letter to legislators last summer suggesting some "commonsense solutions" to help officers stem gun violence.

And in many cases, people arrested for a charge that is on the list, such as drug trafficking, plead guilty to a lesser charge that doesn't meet the state's definition of a violent felony.

"Drugs and guns do not mix," Holbrook wrote, also asking legislators to prohibit gun possession by drug addicts, as federal law does.

For felons who can be charged with possession under existing state law, the maximum punishment is a $2,000 fine and/or up to five years in prison.

Bipartisan proposals introduced in January would expand who can be charged with gun possession under state law to anyone convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year in prison. Both would also create tiered sentencing guidelines, as advocated by law enforcement.

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"In South Carolina, a person's potential sentence for his first conviction of unlawful possession of a handgun is exactly the same as the fifth conviction of that crime," Holbrook wrote. "The state should enact graduated or progressive sentencing  meaning, after each arrest the penalty is more severe."

A bill filed by Rep. Seth Rose, D-Columbia, increases punishment from a maximum of three years on first offense to up to 15 on the third and beyond. Penalties would rise substantially under the bill filed by GOP Rep. Bruce Bryant, previously sheriff of York County for 20 years. His bill would set the maximum at 10 years on first offense and 30 years on third, with a mandatory minimum of 15.

Otherwise, their bills are essentially the same.

"This is such common sense to match federal law to state law. It's not taking anyone's guns," said Rose, a former prosecutor-turned-defense attorney. "Federal law trumps state law, so if it's federal law, it's already the law. We just need to match it to give law enforcement the tools they need to charge people with the crime they committed."

But neither bill even got a hearing this year, despite both being co-sponsored by House Speaker Pro Tem Tommy Pope, former solicitor for York and Union counties. Beyond Keel and Holbrook, other law enforcement groups backing the concept include the state Sheriffs' Association, with Director Jarrod Bruder noting the details will have to be worked out.

The details are what brought the opposition of the really big guns: the National Rifle Association.

And that's created an uphill battle for what should be a logical, bipartisan effort, Rose said.

"While we support the premise, this bill interacts with existing state code in a way that could result in thousands of South Carolinians with nonviolent misdemeanor convictions immediately losing their 2nd Amendment rights," NRA spokesman Lars Dalseide said.

Bryant, R-Lake Wylie, said the goal of getting firearms out of the hands of convicted felons should be simple, though it's fallen on "deaf ears in the General Assembly" for a long time.

"If you commit a felony, you should not be allowed to have a firearm," said Bryant, who as sheriff also sat on the state Law Enforcement Training Council, which Keel leads.

"The gun advocates will probably have some opposition, but certainly, I think this helps us deal with the violent crime rise," he said. "We know felons are not supposed to have them in their possession. This law will allow us to take action."
Insights

Lately, weve been hearing a lot about the unhappy fate of women and girls in Afghanistan now that the Taliban has again assumed power. The ed Read more
The London Times offers a perspective on the Haitian assault on our Southern border that is both weirdly ill-informed and unintentionally revealing: Joe Biden treats us like slaves say deported Haitian refugees. The story is told entirely from the perspective of the Haitians who, having left that country years ago for destinations like Brazil, have now been sent by the U.S. to Haiti:

His hands were bound and his ankles tied during the five-hour flight on a US government chartered passenger plane. Junior Ruben was being sent back to Haiti, a country he had left seven years ago, and that he had no intention of returning to of his own free will.

***

What do they think? That we are slaves, transported around the world in handcuffs, like in the old days? he said.

Nowhere in the Times account is there any acknowledgement that the U.S. has immigration laws, and that thousands of uninvited migrants cant just walk across the border. And the central outrage, per the Times, is that the U.S. has sent these would-be illegal immigrants to Haiti, a place they left long ago:

The repatriation programme seems inexplicable and cruel to its victims. None of the returnees I spoke to this week had been in their country of birth for the past three years. Almost all were until recently working in Brazil and Chile, having left Haiti legally.

What the Times reporter either doesnt know or prefers not to mention is that under American law, you cant be a refugee from Haiti if you have been living for years in a safe country like Brazil or Chile. This is why the refugees who presented themselves in Del Rio, Texas claimed to be fleeing Haiti and, according to news reports, discarded their Brazilian or Chilean identification. Taking them at their word, U.S. authorities have returned some of them to the country from which they falsely claimed to be fleeing.

The Times story, while utterly misguided, contains interesting information about the nature of the Haitian assault on the border:

Like all the deportees, he was back in Haiti because of a dire miscalculation. In Chile, he had begun to escape the grinding poverty that he knew in Haiti. He thought his life could once again be improved by moving to the United States. The 4,000-mile journey from Chile to Texas had cost him every penny of his savings. And now he was back where he began. Ruben had a similarly disastrous story. He had been in Brazil since 2014, after the Brazilian government offered visa-free travel for construction workers like him. He moved to Mato Grosso, an affluent agricultural state where much of the worlds soybean crop is grown. He was earning good money as a builder, enough to send dollars to his family back home. Last year, things started getting difficult. 

A person who would like to move to a more prosperous country is not a refugee.

In June, he said, news began to spread among the Haitian community in South America that crossing to the United States had become easier under the Biden administration. Borders across the continent were also reopening as Covid-19 restrictions eased. It seemed that there was a window of opportunity. Ruben insists that he was not just following rumours. Lots of people I knew had made it across. I spoke to them. They were in Florida. Some were making the same in an hour that I was earning in a day, he said.

***

Arriving, exhausted, at the Del Rio bridge and seeing the United States for the first time, Edouard convinced himself that all the effort he and Maricia had made would somehow be rewarded. I honestly thought the Americans were going to welcome us, he said.

The misunderstanding is both understandable and inexcusable. Joe Bidens professed indifference to the immigration laws and the reality of lax enforcement (Lots of people I knew had made it across) lured thousands of Haitians, or former Haitians, to the border.

It is ironic, to say the least, to see Biden portrayed in the international press as an immigration Scrooge:

Biden has been accused of directly following the playbook of his predecessor Donald Trump by taking an unexpectedly aggressive line on immigration.

The administration has been anything but aggressive in enforcing the immigration laws, but the little Biden has done is indeed unexpected, since he has consistently portrayed himself as an enemy of immigration law enforcement. To the extent his administration is doing anything now, it is out of political necessity. Along with the American people, the losers include those who were lured to the border because of Bidens fecklessness.
Earlier this week, I wrote about a plea deal reached by far-left, Soros-backed Fairfax County prosecutor Steve Descano under which a serial child molester whose offenses carry a life sentence would instead receive only 17 years. A Fairfax County judge reluctantly accepted the deal but called it woefully inadequate and said the prosecutors had victimized the child in question.

Now a second Fairfax judge has done what the first was unwilling to do. Judge Randy Bellows has rejected a Descano plea deal. In this one, a man indicted for raping a girl four times during a period in which she was in fifth-through-seventh grade would have received only a three-year prison sentence.

Three years for four instances of raping a minor. Thats justice, George Soros style.

Descanos office claims it had to settle for such a ridiculously lenient sentence because the police investigation of the case was badly flawed. The police isnt on trial here, but a badly botched investigation can lead to acquittal.

The Washington Posts report seems gives credence to the possibility that this could happen here. However, the judge was dismissive of it, and late in the Posts story we see the likely reason:

[Judge] Bellows said he was allowing prosecutors to admit evidence of 13 prior bad acts at a potential trial, including allegations of another rape of the girl.

(Emphasis added)

Based on the victims testimony and the defendants prior bad acts, Descanos office, as ineffective as its said to be, should be able to convict this defendant of at least one of the rapes hes charged with. Each rape, by itself, carries a life sentence.

Instead, Descano wanted to dismiss two of the rape charges and reduce the other two to aggravated sexual battery. Three years seems like an absurdly light sentence for two instances of aggravated sexual battery against a minor. For four rape charges backed by the victims testimony and evidence of a prior rape, the plea deal shocks the conscience.

Fortunately, Judge Bellows thought so too.

Unfortunately, this case is almost certainly the tip of Descanos leniency iceberg. Conscientious Fairfax County judges like Bellows wont be able to correct ultra-lenient policies and practices that lurk below the surface.

Only Fairfax County residents can put an end to these policies and practices. There are two efforts to recall Descano. Residents should consider supporting them.
Yes, no matter what

Yes, but it depends on variety

No, for medical reasons, uncertainty

No, principle

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The world has the resources to end hunger, African Development Bank President, Akinwumi Adesina, (www.AfDB.org) said in a message on the first day of the United Nations Food Systems Summit.

Convened by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, the event is billed by its organisers as a historic opportunity to empower all people to leverage the power of food systems to drive our recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and get us back on track to achieve all 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.

The summit brings together thousands of youth, food producers, members of civil society, researchers, the private sector, women and indigenous people, all of whom are participating both physically and virtually in the summit. It is taking place on the sidelines of the 76th UN General Assembly in New York.

In his opening address, Mr Guterres said the participants represented energy, ideas and the willingness to create new partnerships, and was a time to celebrate the dignity of those who produce and create the worlds food.

Decrying the 246 million people in Africa who go to bed daily without food and the continents 59 million stunted children as morally and socially unacceptable, Mr Adesina said that delivering food security for Africa at greater scale called for prioritising technologies, climate and financing.

The $33 billion per year required to free the world of hunger, is just 0.12% of $27 trillion that the world has deployed as stimulus to address the Covid-19 pandemic. I am confident that zero hunger can be achieved in Africa by 2030, Mr Adesina said.

The African Development Banks Feed Africa Strategy, through its Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation program  widely known as TAAT  has provided 11 million farmers across 29 African countries with proven agricultural technologies for food security. Food production has expanded by 12 million metric tons while saving $814 million worth of food imports.

We are well on our way to achieving our target of reaching 40 million farmers with modern and climate-resilient technologies in the next five years, the African Development Bank chief added.

At a meeting on food security in Africa organised by the bank and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) earlier this year, 19 African heads of state called for the establishment of a facility for financing food security and nutrition in Africa.

The Facility for Financing Food Security and Nutrition in Africa should be capitalized with at least $1 billion per year, Mr Adesina said.

The welfare of the 70 per cent of Africas population working in agriculture and agribusiness is a barometer of the state of the continents health. If they arent doing well, then Africa isnt doing well, Rwandan president Paul Kagame said in a message at the official opening.

The many other heads of state and government who spoke on Thursday included, Prime Minister Mario Draghi of Italy, President Felix Antoine Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh and Prime Minister Jacinda Arden of New Zealand.

About the African Development Bank Group:

The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) is Africas premier development finance institution. It comprises three distinct entities: the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Development Fund (ADF) and the Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF). On the ground in 37 African countries with an external office in Japan, the AfDB contributes to the economic development and the social progress of its 54 regional member states.

For more information
There are simmering concerns in Nigerias petroleum sector and the National Assembly over the appointments to the two regulatory agencies established by the Petroleum Industry Act, insiders have told PREMIUM TIMES, with fears that powerful individuals are exploiting access to President Muhammadu Buhari to capture the countrys more important upstream sector.

President Muhammadu Buhari on September 16 forwarded two letters to the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, seeking the confirmation of nominees to the boards of Upstream Regulatory Commission and Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Regulatory Authority.

But two lawmakers separately told PREMIUM TIMES that there are concerns that the competencies and backgrounds of the nominee chief executives are unfitting for their respective agencies.

Sarki Auwalu, currently the Director of Department of Petroleum Resources, with decades of upstream experience, is nominated as the chief executive of the midstream and downstream commission, and Gbenga Komolafe, Group General Manager, Crude Oil Marketing Division of the NNPC, as the chief executive of the upstream commission.

Mr Komolafe had previously held senior managerial positions at Pipelines and Petroleum Marketing Company (PPMC), Petroleum Equalisation Fund (PEF), and Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), the agencies merged with the downstream section of the old DPR to form the new midstream and downstream authority.

In addition to his former role at the NNPCs crude marketing, Mr Komolafe, insiders said, is more suitable for the midstream and downstream authority. As PPRAs operations general manager, he was credited for having successfully coordinated a seamless supply of petroleum products nationwide with multiplier sectorial effects in the Nigerian economy.

Mr Auwalu, on the other hand, is an upstream specialist, and in that area, as DPR director, established acreage management strategy and ultimate beneficial owners register for petroleum assets. The agency under him also launched the National Improved Oil Recovery Centre and added 3.6 trillion cubic feet of gas in reserve; recovered outstanding royalties of over $800 million owed by independent producing companies; and implemented the deepwater and inland basin act and generated additional $280 million for the government.

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Yet, Mr Auwalu and Mr Komolafe were nominated for positions that do not match their respective backgrounds and competencies, our sources said.

The president wants a round peg in a round hole, a source familiar with the development said. But he was manipulated and you can critically review the two letters.

In the two letters, seen by PREMIUM TIMES, Commission was used in the closing prayers, whereas the PIA in sections 4(1) and 29(1) says that the upstream agency shall be known as the commission and the midstream and downstream agency as the authority.

They perhaps knew the limitations of the president and they knew seeing commission in the letter bearing Auwalus name would make him assume it was the upstream body, one source said.

Behind the shenanigans, our sources said, are connected individuals led by Sabiu Tunde Yusuf, regarded as one of the closest aides of Mr Buhari. Another person mentioned is Abubakar Funtua, son of late Isa Funtua, a close ally of the president. They are believed to be cooperating with a senior petroleum official and a businessman.

They are said to be bent on controlling the upstream sector, which covers the management of petroleum reserves and installations, and exploration, production, and development activities within onshore, frontier, shallow and deepwater offshore acreages as well as all the licences and commercial regulations for the upstream purposes.

However, the Sabiu Yusuf-led group is said to be uncomfortable with Mr Auwalu, who is said to have exhibited an unyielding attitude in handling regulatory matters.

An example is the Addax (oilfield) licence issue in which DPR was overruled after having earlier revoked their licence for not meeting agreed targets, an insider said.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how the NNPC launched a blistering tackle on its sister agency, DPR, with a strong appeal to Mr Buhari to reverse DPRs revocation of the Addax OMLs and reject a reallocation to another company.

Femi Adesina, a spokesperson for President Buhari, did not answer calls placed to seek comment for this report.

Meanwhile, an official close to the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, said the minister was miffed by the development as he was not carried along in the process leading to the nominations.

NNPC spokesperson, Garbadeen Mohammed, did not answer calls seeking his comment for this story.

A member of the Senate upstream committee, Phillip Aduda, said his committee would consider the qualifications of the nominees when they appear for confirmation hearing to determine an outcome.
The Redeemed Christian Church of God is set to organise its annual Youth Convention at the Redemption Camp between 27 September and 1 October , 2021.

Addressing the media at the Redemption Camp on Sunday, the RCCG intercontinental youth pastor, Belemina Obunge, said the program is aimed at giving youths the opportunity, skill, and information that would make them better than they are.

He said: Im sure you are all aware that as far Nigeria is concerned, the unemployment rate of the employable people is 33.3 percent which is second in the globe. Our program in Young Adult and Youth Affairs is making sure this is brought down.

Mr Obunge also hinted that there are different platforms the church has put in place to empower young people, they include, REAP (Redeem Agriculture Program), LEAP ( Leadership Excellence Attainment Program), DEP (Digital Enlightenment Program), REACH (Redeem Evangelical Activities for Community Help ), and Hallelujah kitchen, amongst others.

These initiatives, he said, would empower young people during the national youth conference.

In addition, Mr Obunge noted that the theme Exceeding Expectations was designed specially by the General Overseer, Enoch Adeboye, for the purpose of making youths more like God, producing youths who would create a legacy and exceed expectations.

On his part, the National Youth President of RCCG, Daniel Olawande, told PREMIUM TIMES that this years convention would be dynamic as it will focus on key areas such as politics, economy, entrepreneurship, media, arts and celebration, and spiritual empowerment.

The organisers added that about 500,000 to one million youths drawn from different countries and states in Nigeria are expected to grace the convention.

They said it will afford the church the opportunity to reiterate its presence in over 193 countries in the world.

Additionally, the General Overseer of the RCCG, Enoch Adeboye,

alongside Matthew Ashimolowo, Joshua Selman, and other notable clerics will speak at the gathering. There will also be free accommodation and feeding for participants.

The National Youth Conference is an annual programme of the Redeemed Christian Church of God. The 2021 NYC tagged Exceeding Expectations  would be a landmark event for youth empowerment and skill acquisition.

The Convention will be broadcast live by Dove Television, the official TV Channel of RCCG, RCCG Radio, YAYA, and other RCCG Social Media channels, among others.
Nigeria on Saturday recorded two additional fatalities from the coronavirus pandemic with 210 fresh cases reported across 12 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

This was contained in an update shared on the Facebook page of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) late Saturday night.

The data indicates that Nigerias total infections from the pandemic currently stands at 204,201 while the fatality toll increased to 2,673.

Breakdown

The breakdown revealed that Lagos State, the epicentre of the disease, recorded 79 cases, followed by Edo with 20, while Anambra ranked third with 19 cases.

Rivers State, Delta and Bayelsa in the South-south recorded 18, six and one cases respectively.

Apart from Lagos, other southwestern states of Ondo, Oyo and Ekiti reported 15, 13 and eight cases respectively.

The FCT also recorded five cases, while Gombe in the North-east recorded 14 cases.

Kaduna and Kano in the North-west recorded 11 and one respectively.

It also noted that six states  Benue, Kano, Nasarawa, Plateau, Sokoto and Zamfara  recorded no fresh cases

UK to relax travel restriction

Meanwhile, Nigerians visiting the United Kingdom, may begin to heave a sigh of relieve as the authorities have announced that beginning from October 4, travel restrictions placed on Nigerians and nationals of some other countries may be reviewed.

The decision might not be unconnected to the expression of frustration by many Nigerians visiting the country who have have accused the UK authorities of subjecting them to paying more for COVID-19 testing, even after taking full doses of vaccination in the country.

On Saturday, a statement credited to the high commissioner in Nigeria, Catriona Laing, also noted that reports suggesting that the COVID-19 vaccines administered in Nigeria are not approved by the UK are completely untrue.

Ms Laing said the UK recognizes the Oxford-AstraZeneca, Moderna, Pfizer, and Johnson and Johnson vaccines used in Nigeria, irrespective of where they are manufactured.
Niger State Governor, Abubakar Bello, on Friday, said one of the kidnapped pupils from Salihu Tanko Islamic School Tegina on May 30 died in the captivity of their abductors.

The governor disclosed this on Friday when he received 90 of the pupils who were freed by the bandits on Thursday after payment of ransom by the parents.

Mr Bello received the children at the Government House, Minna.

The governor at a press conference following the reception for the children, confirmed the death of one of the children but did not explain the circumstances.

The children have been medically examined and declared fit to join their families, except for four of them who will require more medical attention, Mr Bello said.

In total, 91 children were kidnapped and we have received 90. Unfortunately, we lost one of them. May his soul rest in peace, the governor said.

The governor added that alongside the 90 children, there were two other abducted people who have been released as well, making the total number received as 92.

Meanwhile, the management of the Islamiyya school had put the numbers of the children abducted as 136.

Mr Bello expressed concern over the incessant attacks by outlaws across the state, saying that their activities have been discouraging parents from sending their children to school.

The governor vowed that the criminals responsible for the kidnap of the pupils will be arrested and brought to justice.

This goes to show the sickness and madness in the heads of some people. Otherwise, I cannot explain or imagine why you should abduct an innocent three-year-old child and keep him or her for over 80 days.

This has affected the morale and confidence in people and has made even parents to think twice before they send their children to school.

However, I can assure you that we will do whatever it takes to bring them to justice. We have put in place all necessary measures to hunt down and prosecute those involved in this heinous act, Mr Bello said

The governor also thanked the security operatives, his Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Rafi Local Government Chairman and all those who contributed to the release of the abductees.
Nigerias 98 public universities suffer from chronic underfunding; often leading to strikes by lecturers and staff over payment of salaries and other welfare issues.

Experts, including lecturers, blame the underfunding for the poor ranking of Nigerian universities globally with no Nigerian university making the list of the top 1,000 universities in the world. Like the universities, Nigerias over 120 public polytechnics and colleges of education are also poorly funded.

Amidst this situation, however, Nigerian federal lawmakers want the creation of over 200 new tertiary institutions; mainly for political reasons as each affected lawmaker wants the institution established in his or her constituency.

In 2012, the House of Representatives committee on NEEDS assessment presented a report in which it noted that infrastructure in Nigerian federal universities are inadequate, dilapidated and overstretched.

Three years before that, the federal government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) reached what is now popularly referred as the 2009 agreement on the revitalisation of the institutions.

Under the agreement, the government would, among others, pump N1.5 trillion into the universities within three years, work towards committing 26 per cent of annual budgets to education and make education funding a first-line charge.

Strikes over underfunding of federal universities

Eleven years after the agreement, industrial actions by ASUU remain perennial. In 2010, members of the union went on strike for six months  from July 2010 to January 2011. From December 2011, they were on another strike for 59 days. Again, the universities were shut for five months from July to December 2013 and from November 2018 to February 2019.

The government made some concessions to the university teachers shortly before the 2019 general elections. But before that, there was a short strike by the union in 2017 and then another one for nine months in 2020.

Despite signing the MoU of 2012 and 2013 and also a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) in 2017, the government has been unable to meet many of the demands of the lecturers.

Meanwhile, very little attention is paid to the perennial strike by the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP). Just like their counterparts in the universities, strikes at federal polytechnics are frequent and disruptive. All of these are primarily because of the failure of the government to properly fund its tertiary schools.

But in spite of the chronic underfunding of existing institutions, many members of the National Assembly want new ones established in their constituencies.

Lawmakers want more federal-owned tertiary institutions

There are 45 federal government-owned universities, according to the National Universities Commission (NUC). There are also 53 and 99 state-owned and private universities respectively. Also, there are 27 federal and 49 states owned colleges of education, according to the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE).

In all, the NCCE says, there are 200 accredited institutions awarding NCE certificates in Nigeria.

There are also 32 federal polytechnics in Nigeria, 51 state-owned polytechnics and 64 private polytechnics.

Amidst the challenge of funding these institutions, the ninth National Assembly has 126 bills seeking the establishment of universities (some are concurrence bills seeking to approve what the Senate had passed). There are also 140 bills for the establishment of specialised colleges and 27 for the establishment of polytechnics. In most of the cases, the lawmakers that proposed the establishment of the institutions want them cited in their constituencies.

The lawmakers apparently see the performance of their primary responsibility of lawmaking as not sufficient achievement to present to their constituents for re-election, which explains why they focus on physical projects or handouts. Over the years, zonal intervention projects (ZIPs) serve as the physical projects. However, there has been a shift towards the establishment of tertiary institutions.

Senate-House Rivalry

This new rush has created a rivalry between members of the two chambers, the House and the Senate. In 2019, there was a spat between two federal lawmakers from Delta State, Ovie Omo-Agege, who is the deputy senate president, and Nicholas Ossai (PDP House of Representatives member from Delta) over two bills to establish polytechnics.

Mr Ossai had earlier sponsored a bill to establish a federal polytechnic in Kwale, which was passed by the House and transmitted to the Senate for concurrence. However, the bill was stepped down because the Deputy Senate President had another bill for the establishment of a polytechnic in his own senatorial district in Delta State.

When Mr Omo-Ageges bill was presented to the House for concurrence, Mr Ossai opposed it on the principle of federal character. Citing Sections 14 and 15 of the Constitution, he argued that Delta South, where Mr Omo-Agege proposed the polytechnic to be sited, already has a number of federal institutions.

Why I speak against this bill is simple. Before you bring a bill, it must align with the constitution. Hence, I am questioning the foundation of the bill. I am arguing it on equity and fairness. The Orogun Polytechnic you are setting up a polytechnic in a senatorial district that has the Petroleum University, which is a federal institution. And we are talking of fairness and equity. You are talking of a zone that has Delta State University. You are talking of a zone that has the polytechnic in Oghara, Mr Ossai argued.

He was ruled out of order by the presiding officer, Idris Wase (APC, Plateau), who stated that the argument of federal character was not relevant in that particular context.

I am being fair to you, but you must be guided. Everyone knows the importance of school with the high rate of out-of-school children. We need to establish a number of high institutions, if the government can fund it, so be it. We were together with you in Harvard, that district alone, they have over 200 universities, for Gods sake. This is a very straightforward bill, I will now put the question, Mr Wase said.

It is unclear if the relationship between President Muhammadu Buhari and Mr Omo-Agege played a role, but in May 2021, the president approved the bill by Mr Omo-Agege to establish the polytechnic.

In the 8th Assembly, there was a similar squabble between Abiodun Olujimi, the senator representing Ekiti South Senatorial District, and Olumide Johnson, the then House of Reps member representing Ijero/Ekiti West/Efon. Both lawmakers wanted a federal institution sited in their respective communities.

But the scramble for the establishment of new universities by lawmakers is not in sync with the programme of the government on the establishment of schools.

In June, President Buhari approved the establishment of four new universities. Two of them are universities of technology and two of medicine and nutrition; to be sited in Jigawa, Akwa Ibom, Osun and Bauchi states. The government also plans to establish a National Institute of Technology in Abuja.

The universities proposed by the government have specific targets  medicine and nutrition, and two additional technology schools, unlike the seemingly directionless approach of the lawmakers. None of the four new federal universities is among the scores the lawmakers want to be established.

However, the president could also be accused of proliferating schools in his hometown. In July 2019, Mr Buhari assented to the bill establishing federal polytechnic, Daura. In addition, there is the Daura transport university by the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation which means the president has, while in office, supported the establishment of two tertiary institutions in his hometown

In all, President Buhari has, since assuming office, approved the establishment of nine federal polytechnics. Federal Polytechnic Ayede, Ogo Oluwa Local Government Area of Oyo State; Federal polytechnic Wunnune, Benue State; Federal polytechnic Daura, Katsina, State; Federal Polytechnic Kaltungo, Gombe State; Federal Polytechnic Shendam, Plateau State; Federal polytechnic Ohodo, Enugu State; Federal polytechnic Ugep, Plateau State; Federal Polytechnic Monguno, Borno State and Federal Polytechnic Orogun, Delta State.

Six colleges of educations have also been established by the administration. The schools are to be located in Sokoto, Benue, Ebonyi, Bauchi, Edo, and Osun states.

While the federal polytechnics in Daura, Katsina State and Orogun, Delta State, were established after the president assented to the establishment bills passed by the parliament, others were created by executive fiat, with bills to establish them still at various legislative stages in the National Assembly.

Unheeded caution

Apparently concerned by the apparent proliferation of tertiary educations, Femi Gbajabimaila, the Speaker of the House, in February admonished lawmakers to be circumspect on the establishment of institutions.

It has become more difficult each appropriation cycle for the government to meet its obligations. The exploding recurrent cost of governance demands that we be more circumspect in the priorities we pursue, particularly regarding establishment bills in the National Assembly. At a time of reduced revenue, with pre-existing and worsening infrastructure deficits requiring significant investments, we cannot continue to keep establishing more institutions that impose a permanent liability on the government, he said.

Despite his position, however, Mr Gbajabiamila has not been able to stop his colleagues from demanding more institutions. In fact, the House has never turned down the consideration of any bill on the establishment of universities.

When contacted, Aminu Suleiman, the Chairman House Committee on Tertiary Institution, did not pick calls to his phone to speak on this development.

Merge existing universities  SSANU

Voices outside the National Assembly have mostly been critical of the rush by lawmakers to establish more public universities when existing ones are underfunded.

It is totally illogical, it is totally illogical as far as we are concerned as Senior Staff of Nigerian Universities, the establishment of universities has now become a charade, and it has started making a mockery of the entire university system. Because every politician wants to be seen as performing, and the only thing seen to be the index of performance is establishing a university in his domain, Abdussobor Salaam, the Vice President (West) of the Senior Staff of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) said.

Mr Salam suggested that the existing universities should be merged instead. He said there is no reason for two federal universities in a state and also questioned the logic of state governments establishing schools when they cannot even meet their obligations, adding that the establishment of new universities creates more administrative expenses.

My position is that the present universities should be merged. There is no reason why there should be two federal universities in some states. In fact, there is no reason why every state must have a university, if not that the establishment of universities has become a highly political tool, there is no reason why every state should have a university.

All of them are mushroomswhen you cannot even fund the existing universities, you are now creating more universities. State governments that are not economically viable to pay salaries are now having two to three universities. Now, a situation where personnel are not paid salaries, are owed for six months, eight months, they are being paid fractions of their salaries, 50 per cent, 60 per cent, etc., rather than the full component of their salaries.

When you now have bills for establishment of more public universities, what you are doing, the cost of governance of those universities becomes higher. What it means is that you will be paying for more principal officers, you will be paying for more deans, more HODs, more directors, more vice-chancellors, more registrars, more bursars.

Olusiji Sowande, the coordinator of ASUU, Lagos Zone, also expressed opposition to the development. He said the trend will diminish the pedigree of schools in Nigeria.

I think the proliferation of universities is a serious issue. And I think that before you can talk about creating universities, you must look at the status of the existing ones. What is the commitment of the government towards the existing ones, either at the state or federal level to all these universities? And what is their ranking when it comes to comparing them with universities around the world? I think those are the things that need to be done first before you can think of whether you want to add to it or if you want to make better the few ones that you have.

But in my opinion, it is better to make the existing ones better. If there is a need to expand the existing ones, of course, many of these universities are conventional universities that can accommodate all categories of student interest. And I think it would have been better to expand their facilities or expand their research ability  expand everything that will make them competitive with other universities elsewhere, rather than increasing the cost of managing a university. Where you have to proliferate structure, administration, and every other thing, which means you are increasing the cost of managing education. And at the same time, you are not committed to funding it.

ASUP, COEASU oppose bills

Other unions in the tertiary education sector also opposed the bills to create more universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.

Anderson Ezeibe, the President of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic (ASUP), said the existing institutions are not staying true to the mandate establishing them, urging the lawmakers to focus on increasing oversight on existing schools.

We are not comfortable with this, we are more interested in having the existing ones made more functional. Institutions are established for specific purposes. The mandate of a college of education is different from a university, the mandate of a polytechnic is different from a university. There is a purpose for establishing these institutions. The question is, are they meeting the mandate?

Nigeria is a country of more than 200 million people, one can even argue that we dont have enough. But in the context of available resources, we can say that we are overbloated because we are not funding them properly.

The Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) also expressed opposition to the proliferation of tertiary institutions. Smart Olugbeko, the President of COEASU, said the government needs to be sincere with funding of education in Nigeria by developing a student loan system and expanding the existing institutions. He stated that creating more institutions means more overheads.

Citing Ondo State as an example, Mr Olugbko said three out of four governors of the state created a university each and sited them in their town.

Take for instance, a state like Ondo State, after the return of democracy, Ondo State has produced four governors. Three of these governors established one university each. Each was established in the home town of the governor. We have one in Akungba, established by Governor (Adebayo) Adefarati, we have one in Okitipupa, established by (Olusegun) Agagu, and we have one in Ondo, established by (Olusegun) Mimiko. So they are treating university as though they are trying to construct a borehole for the community.

As it is done in other climes, education cannot be free, but that it is not free does not mean that the students should be made to pay through their nose. For instance, in the United Kingdom, education is not free, even for their citizens, but government will pay on behalf of the students, when the students start working, they will be made to pay back. Government should have calculated.

Funding: The Major challenge

Most industrial actions by unions in the tertiary education sector in Nigeria were about funding. Oftentimes, the government is unable to meet agreements with the unions.

In the 2020 federal government budget, the allocation for tertiary institutions was N428 billion. A vast portion of this fund, N408 billion was for recurrent expenditure (salaries and overhead expenses) of the schools. Only about N20.6 billion was for capital projects in all the federal tertiary institutions.

To augment the allocation to capital component and research, the government created other sources of funding for all public institutions in Nigeria. These include the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), the Petroleum Trust Fund, the NEEDS assessment, Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) and other intervention funds like Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

Even with the interventions, funding remains a major problem for the institutions. TETFUND in 2020 budgeted N120 billion for 266 state and federal tertiary institutions. TETFUND is also the main source of funding for research.

The NEEDS assessment report found that 84.6 per cent of the intervention projects by the NDDC are abandoned, while almost all the state-owned universities depend entirely on TETFUND for capital projects. Despite these fiscal constraints, state governments continue to establish universities.

Despite the allegations of corruption in the TETFUND, Mr Olugbeko said without TETFUND, most tertiary institutions in Nigeria will not have capital projects in their school.

The fact remains that government should look for means to fund the schools, TETFUND as a case study, I dont think without TETFUND, any of our tertiary institution will have infrastructure.

Perhaps to address the over-reliance on interventions, in the ASUU 2009 agreement, the union asked the government to allocate 26 per cent of its annual budgets to education, while 50 per cent of the allocation should go to tertiary institutions. This has been a mirage.

However, Mr Buhari recently pledged to increase the budget for education by 50 per cent in the next two years and 100 per cent by 2025. The president made the commitment at the Global Education Summit in London.

NANS oppose more institutions

When contacted, the President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Sunday Asefon, also expressed opposition to the moves by lawmakers to establish more universities.

It is a good idea, but the present situation of things in this country do not warrant, do not call for any reasonable members of the National Assembly to be thinking of creating another tertiary institution, be it university or college of education.

The question is, have they been able to enact laws that guarantee that every student that graduate from school should be directly employed by the federal government? The other question is, the schools on the ground, how many people can afford them? What becomes of them after graduating from those schools?

As I speak to you, ASUU and FG are yet to reach an agreement. ASUU threatens strike every day. The bulk of the agreement is the funding of the schools. If the ones we have on the ground are not properly managed, I dont see a need to create more, the student leader said.

As things stand, the only buffer against the frenzy could be the reluctance of the president to assent to the bills after they are passed by the National Assembly. Maybe that will make lawmakers heed Mr Gbajabiamilas advice and stop presenting bills for the establishment of more public tertiary institutions.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), in what is arguably its strongest defence of electronic transmission of election results, says it has developed adequate structures and processes to successfully transmit election results electronically.

INEC reiterated its stance weeks after Nigerian lawmakers refused to give the electoral body the legal permission for electronic transmission of election results.

PREMIUM TIMES reported the stance of the Nigerian lawmakers, during a recent amendment to the Electoral Act.

Largely voting along party lines, the Senate rejected the electronic transmission of results while the House of Representatives ruled that it should only be done after INEC gets the permission of the National Communication Commission and the National Assembly.

Both chambers of the National Assembly are set to meet to harmonise their positions before a final amended bill is sent to President Muhammadu Buhari for signing into law.

INEC reiterates stance

PREMIUM TIMES reported how INEC repeatedly stated that it was ready for the electronic transmission of results.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the commission disclosed its stance again in a Position Paper No.1/2021 Electronic Transmission of Election released on Saturday, in Abuja.

The commission stated that the available national infrastructure, including mobile network coverage were adequate to provide for electronic transmission of election results.

In the paper, INEC expressed its belief that electronic transmission of results would improve the quality of election results management, while its engagement with stakeholders had shown that the Nigerian public supported electronic transmission of election results.

The technology and national infrastructure to support this are adequate.

Consequently, if the choice was up to INEC, the commission prefers to transmit election results electronically once the necessary legal framework is provided, it said.

The objectives of the position paper, according to INEC, was to explain the desirability of electronic transmission of results as an electoral reform issue in Nigeria today, adding that it was also to clarify the position of INEC on some of the central issues around e-transmission of results.

To build a consensus on electronic transmission of results as an electoral reform issue based on a shared understanding of its desirability towards the 2023 general election, is also another reason, INEC explained.

The commission disclosed that for over a decade it had piloted the electronic transmission of election results via Short Messaging System (SMS) for off-cycle and bye-elections in 2011.

The second system piloted for the 2011 General Election was called the e-Track. The idea was to use handheld scanners to scan all polling unit results and send them as PDF files to a backend for processing and publishing.

Unfortunately, the commissions staff deployed for that purpose did not scan many of the results, while some of the scanned results were not legible.

However, it noted that for the 2011 presidential results collation, INEC set up a system of transmitting state level results electronically to the national collation centre in Abuja, ahead of the arrival of the physical result, through a secured e-mail address that only the chairman of the commission could access.

The paper stated that the innovation enabled the results to be ready for crosschecking against the physical result and to be displayed for public viewing during collation, which had brought a lot of transparency into the final collation of Presidential election results.

It added that since 2011, that had remained the procedure for collating Presidential election results at the National Collation Centre in Abuja and had since evolved into what is today called The Collation Support and Result Verification System (CSRVS), even though the manually collated results was still being use to declare results.

Finally, for several off-season and by-elections conducted since the 2019 general election, the commission had begun to electronically publish images of polling unit results through its INEC Result Viewing (IReV) Portal.

Specifically, this system had been deployed in several major off-season/end-of-tenure and by-elections, including the Edo and Ondo state governorship elections, six senatorial and three federal constituency by-elections, 15 state constituencies and one councillorship constituency in the FCT, INEC said.

From the results obtained from these elections, the commission is convinced that electronic results management will add great value to the transparency and credibility of elections in Nigeria, it added.

While IReV was not electronic transmission of results, it noted, the portal had helped INEC to test three things that were central to electronic transmission of results, including the efficacy of electronic results management, should the legal encumbrance be lifted.

The position paper added that INEC had used the IReV portal to test the security of its systems and the capacity of the national infrastructure to support future electronic transmission of results.

Since August 2020, the commission has conducted elections and transmitted election results from 20 States and the FCT, covering 27 constituencies spread across 84 LGAs, 925 Wards and 14,296 Polling units involving 9,884,910.

The conclusion that the commission draws from these diverse pilots conducted since 2011 is that the country is ready for electronic transmission of results.

The national ICT infrastructure is also adequate for the purpose of electronic transmission of results.

This is underscored by all the discussions held with the Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) and the regulator, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), over the ten-year period of these pilots, but especially between 2018 and 2019.

It is important to share the outcome of those discussions to underscore the commissions conviction about the readiness of the country for electronic transmission of election results, the commission added.

Over the years, the commission stated, it had established a longstanding partnership with both MNOs and NCC, with the discussion on electronic transmission of results.

Ahead of the 2019 general elections, in particular, INEC noted that the two commissions had established the INEC/NCC Joint technical committee on electronic transmission of election results, of which the final report was submitted on August 9, 2018.

The report detailed the work and recommendations involving the major MNOs and the NCC as the regulator of telecommunications in Nigeria, profoundly convinced INEC that electronic transmission of election results was possible for the 2019 general elections.

Lamentably, the position paper added that this did not happen because INEC did not receive any legal backing for it, even though based on the reports recommendations, INEC was convinced that Nigeria had the infrastructure to implement the electronic transmission of election results.

The MNOs have the capacity to do so and network coverage across the country is adequate and secure.

This position is substantiated by the 2018 position of the people who should know, namely the MNOs, who informed the Joint Committee that they had provided such services to other customers, including the NCC, which regulates telecommunications in Nigeria.

This is particularly so because the joint technical committee submitted its report three years ago.

With the massive developments that constantly take place in the telephony and data transmission sector, the capacity would have further improved since then.

In other words, the capacity is even more reliable today than it was three years ago when the MNOs and the NCC certified that electronic transmission of election results was possible.

The contrary positions are probably built on some misconceptions which must be addressed, INEC argued.

The misconceptions, according to INEC, included the assumption that electronic transmission of election results was the same as electronic balloting or Internet voting, which was false.

It also faulted recent trending arguments by some politicians suggesting that the challenges experienced with the Smart Card Reader (SCR) during elections was an indication that INEC was not ready for e-transmission of results.

There is no connection between any imagined issues with the SCR and electronic transmission of election results, it said.

It added that an unusual impression had also been created that electronic transmission of election result was dependent on the type of generation of the mobile network, between G2 to G5, available at a location.

To suggest that 2G cannot transmit election data is simply incorrect. In any case, the MNOs and the NCC were well aware that only 2G network existed in some places in the country when in 2018 they concluded that electronic transmission of results was possible.

INEC also stated that while INEC needs a partnership with NCC to transmit election results electronically, it did not require its approval, as section 160 of the Constitution empowered INEC to impose duties on other federal government agencies in the discharge of its functions.

Put simply, to require INEC to obtain attestation from NCC and approval of the National Assembly to implement electronic transmission of election results will amount to a breach of the Constitution.

Indeed, INEC should rather impose the necessary duties on the NCC to ensure that the electronic transmission of election results is actualised.

What INEC urgently required was a legal framework that enabled rather than inhibits electronic transmission of results specifically, and full electronic voting generally, it stated, while citing the three broad critical areas in amending the Electoral Act, including provisions that enable the INEC to introduce relevant technologies at the right time.

It also suggested that the Electoral Act should make for electronic accreditation of voters, based on biometric features, the basis for allowing voters to cast their ballots.

The current situation whereby manual accreditation takes precedence over biometric accreditation via electronic means, undermines the full benefits of the application of technology to elections.

Combined with IReV portal, which is already operational, electronic transmission will strengthen the openness of results management and make it possible for election officials to be held accountable for their actions, where necessary, the electoral umpire added. (NAN)
The seven relatives of Gabriel Oladapo, who reside in Pegi resettlement community in Kuje area council of Abuja, were freed on Sunday, three weeks after their abduction.

They were rescued alongside other victims (farmers) between the ages of 13-17, said Aderibigbe Isaac-Taiwo, the chairman of Pegi community in Kuje who confirmed the development to PREMIUM TIMES.

Five female and two males were released in the early hours of Sunday, he added.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how Pegi had turned a kidnappers haven despite housing a division of the Nigerian police and a naval barracks.

Community leaders said over 30 persons had been kidnapped in the area in the last two years and over N50 million had been paid as ransom. This has forced many to relocate from the community for fear of being kidnapped.

As we speak, the man and his family have relocated from the community, Mr Taiwo said.

He said they persuaded him not to leave but that he insisted, saying the trauma will affect his children if they remain in the community.

Details of the release are still sketchy but a resident said their release was facilitated by security officials and members of a local vigilante group.

When PREMIUM TIMES contacted Magit Solomon, a police superintendent heading the area councils police operations, for comment, he said he will get back to our reporter, but has yet to do so as of press time.
The United States government has gathered over 2,700 electronic files as part of evidence for trial in the $1.1million fraud case involving a top Nigerian police officer, Abba Kyari, a court filing has shown.

Other sets of investigative reports and new discoveries including documents obtained from foreign law enforcement agencies with over 6,700 pages are being processed by prosecutors, the document also says.

U.S. prosecutors along with three of the six indicted defendants in the fraud case have asked the U.S. District Court for Central California to postpone trial from October 2021 to 17 May, 2022.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that the parties jointly filed the application on Friday, citing various reasons for asking for trial postponement.

Apart from the need for additional time by the defence lawyers to prepare for the case, U.S. prosecutors also asked for more time to process troves of documents, including those obtained from foreign countries.

According to the application, the U.S. government has already handed to the defence approximately 2.31 GB of data consisting of 2,707 electronic files.

The files contain, among others, exported chat logs, Cellebrite reports, WhatApp messages, audio recordings, and other social media content, it stated.

It added that prosecutors were processing approximately 6,773 pages of additional discovery expected to be produced in two weeks time.

Defendants are charged with violations of 18 U.S.C.  1349 (Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud);  1956(h) (Conspiracy to Engage in Money Laundering); and  1028A(a)(1) (Aggravated Identity Theft).

The government has produced discovery to the defense, including approximately 2.31 GB of native data consisting of 2,707 files including exported chat logs, Cellebrite reports, WhatApp messages, audio recordings, and other social media content.

The government is currently processing approximately 6,773 pages of additional discovery including investigative reports and documents received from foreign law enforcement agencies for production and anticipates those materials will be produced within approximately two weeks, the document reads, in part.

Three ready for trial in May, Abba Kyari, two others at large

Three of the defendants  Rukayat Fashola (aka Morayo), Bolatito Agbabiaka (aka Bolamide), and Yusuf Anifowoshe (aka AJ and Alvin Johnson)  arrested in the United States and subsequently released on bail signed the application for their trial to be postponed to May 2022 along with their separate lawyers and U.S. prosecutors.

The U.S. Acting Attorney for the Central District of California and U.S. Assistant Attorney, Khaldoun Shobaki, signed the application on behalf of the U.S. government.

Ms Fashola with her lawyer, Edward Robinson; Ms Agbabiaka with her lawyer, Daniel Nardoni, and Mr Anifowoshe with his lawyer, Lakeshia Monique Dorsey, also endorsed the application.

But the rest of the three accused believed to be outside the U.S.  Mr Kyari, Abdulrahman Juma, and Kelly Chibuzo Vincent  remain at large, prosecutors say.

Fraud case, delayed extradition

All six defendants, including Mr Kyari, indicted in the case were co-conspirators in the $1.1million fraud coordinated by a former Nigerian Instagram celebrity, Abbas Ramon, better known as Hushpuppi, the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) said in court documents released in July.

A Qatari businessperson was said to be the victim of the heist spearheaded by Hushpuppi between November 2019 and April 2020.

Hushpuppi, known for flaunting his wealth on his Instagram page, has pleaded guilty to various fraud activities including the $1.1million scheme in another case before the U.S. district court in Central California. He is now awaiting sentencing.

Mr Kyari, a deputy commissioner of police, allegedly played a role in the $1.1million scam by helping Hushpuppi to detain a disenchanted co-conspirator who wanted to warn the victim businessperson about the scam.

The former head of Intelligence Response Team of the Nigerian police, with pending U.S. extradition request against him, was suspended in the wake of the revelation of the charges against him and five others.

The report of a probe into the case commissioned by the Inspector-General of Police has been submitted, but its findings and recommendations have yet to be made public officially.

With the delay, speculations are rife that efforts are being made to cover up for Mr Kyari in a bid to avert his extradition to the U.S.

Trial may be separated

The application filed at the U.S. District Court of Central California stated that parties had estimated that six days would be required to conclude the three defendants trial.

Indicating that the trial of the available defendants may be separated from those of Mr Kyari and others still at large, the application states, all defendants are joined for trial and a severance has not been granted.

With no objection to the application from any of the parties, the judge, Otis Wright, is expected to grant the request to fix 17 May, 2022 for commencement of trial any time soon.
A heavy exchange of gunfire is going on between Nigerian security forces and ISWAP/Boko Haram terrorists in Babangida, the headquarters of Tarmuwa Local Government council of Yobe State.

Babangida is about 50km north-east of Damaturu, the state capital.

Security and local sources said the insurgents were engaging troops of Operation Hadin Kai in a fierce gun battle at the tme of this report Sunday evening

Adamu Gidado, a resident of Babangida, who escaped from the town to Damaturu at the start of the exchange of fire, told PREMIUM TIMES that many residents had also run into the bush to avoid being caught in the crossfire.

READ ALSO:

Mr Gidado said he saw heavy military reinforcement heading towards Tarmuwa as he was heading to Damaturu.

People in Babangida have run to the bush out of fear. I saw heavy military reinforcement as I was driving back to Damaturu,  Mr Gidado said.

A security source also confirmed the develooment. He said  the Boko Haram boys are currently engaging in fire with our troops in Babangida now. But we have mobilised heavy reinforcement to the town,  the source said.

So far, the details are still sketchy. This report will be updated as the situation becomes clearer.
The Borno State Learning Centre in Maiduguri has graduated 154 pupils who are mostly children orphaned by the Boko Haram insurgency in Nigerias northeast.

The children were trained in various ICT skills including robotics, coding and Artificial Intelligence (AI).

The centre was commissioned by President Muhammadu Buhari in April 2019 and is currently being managed by the Northeast Children Trust Fund.

The Fund was established to create an ecosystem for homeless children orphaned by the conflict in the Northeast of Nigeria that will echo the lives of a normal child growing and thriving in a family.

The centre, which comprises nursery, primary and secondary schools, currently has 525 children from Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states.

Speaking at the graduation ceremony in Maiduguri, the Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Trust Fund, Mariam Masha, said the pupils consist of 337 boys and 188 girls.

The centre currently has 472 pupils at the primary level and 26 at the secondary level.

The 154 pupils advancing to secondary school took lessons in coding and programming, as well as web design and programming, Mrs Masha said.

The highlight of the event was the demonstration of robotics, coding, and Artificial Intelligence by the pupils.

An excited Mrs Masha, who commended the students for learning so fast, said the learning centre is more than just a school.

She said the centre was a place to nurture, empower and renew our children and I believe right here before us, is proof that the Northeast Childrens Trust can deliver on that mandate.

She said at TLC, the teachers and caregivers are not just knowledge transfer instructors but are facilitators of knowledge.

They have supported your learning and growth in very innovative ways which have unbundled the uniqueness in every one of you.

She also thanked the Borno State Government for the support provided to the school.

It has been largely successful through the support of our home here in Borno State. I must therefore recognise the government of Borno State through the various ministries, departments and agencies, our respected traditional leaders and other relevant stakeholders who are to mention; all of whom have played a critical role in the success we see today, she said.

The vice-chairman of the centre, Hauwa Biu, a professor, called on the pupils not to forget all the lessons you have learnt at the centre.

As you resume secondary school, make sure you take care of each other. Always remember that you are part of a large family and network of people who invested in your growth and success and are always willing and ready to support you.

Our vision at NECT is to create a safe learning environment for children in North-East Nigeria and provide comprehensive support to vulnerable children affected by the crises so that they can become agents of socio-economic development in their communities and Nigeria at large, Mrs Biu said.
Bianca Ojukwu, wife of the late Biafran leader, Odumegwu Ojukwu, said in Awka on Sunday that she shunned Saturdays flag-off of APGA governorship campaign to protest post-mortem disrespect to her deceased husband.

She laid the blame of the post-mortem disrespect to Dim Chukwuemeka Ojukwu on the doorstep of APGAs leadership.

Chukwuma Soludo and Ifeanyi Ibezim, APGAs governorship and deputy governorship candidates, respectively, kick-started their 2021 campaign on Saturday.

Bianca was absent at the event unlike previous mega political activities held by APGA, a party that branded the late Ojukwu as the spiritual leader of the party.

Another obvious sign which made some political observers note that there is a serious crack in the party was the removal of Ojukwus image on the customised uniform of APGA worn by people at the event.

Some party faithful, however, wore the old uniform bearing the image of the Eze Igbo Gburugburu, Dim Ojukwu, to the event.

Bianca described as an affront, the poor treatment of her late husband by the present leadership of APGA.

It is ironic that today Gov. Willie Obiano has resuscitated Dim Ojukwus pictures for use in campaigning for the upcoming elections in Anambra.

This is the height of opportunism and hypocrisy. Is Ojukwu not the same man Obiano once described as a dead man who was no longer relevant to the party?

Why should I permit him to keep trampling on the legacy of my late husband who put his heart and soul into this party?

Ojukwu should not be like a light switch to be turned on for a party campaign, and turned off once the election is won, she said.

The former Nigerian ambassador to Spain expressed displeasure at the decision of APGAs leadership to expunge her husbands image from APGA uniform and other insignia of the party.

It is most unfortunate that Gov. Obiano decided to remove the picture of Ojukwu and replace same with his picture just to drive home his statement that `he would no longer tie the fate and fortunes of APGA to the memory of a dead man, obviously in reference to my husband, Bianca said.

She listed other ill-treatments meted to her and the deceased husband and maintained that her presence at Saturdays flag-off would have been an endorsement to the defrauding of scores of aspirants by the party during the partys primary in the year 2018.

It is unfortunate that the same APGA election managers that were responsible for the disastrous 2018 party primaries which resulted in severe damage to the partys brand were also left to handle APGAs campaign flag-off.

Any political party that consistently robs its own members will not endure, APGA inclusive, she noted.

She also lamented that the report of the Victor Umeh-led Peace and Reconciliation Committee that visited her in Enugu few weeks ago which pointed the way forward for APGA, had been discarded by the governor and the party leadership.

Bianca, however, indicated that she remained hopeful that in spite of the current travails of the party, APGA has a fair chance of producing the next governor of the state.

READ ALSO:

She described the party as presently constituted as a field of sorrow for so many walking wounded  from aggrieved aspirants, party members at the grassroots, as well as party stakeholders.

Reacting to Biancas charges, C-Don Adinuba, director Media, Soludo Governorship Campaign Organisation, said the omission of Ojukwus image on APGA uniform was not a ploy to insult late Ojukwu and his family.

It was a mistake by the person who handled the recent uniform the party printed, he said.

Mr Adinuba, who is also Anambra Commissioner for Information, said he was confident that Bianca had nothing against Mr Soludo as APGAs candidate.

I am sure that in the next couple of days Bianca will join the campaign tour of Prof. Soludo, he said.

(NAN)
A United States court is considering postponing the trial date in the $1.1million fraud case involving Abba Kyari, a formerly celebrated Nigerian police officer, to 17 May , 2022.

This is after U.S. prosecutors along with three of the six defendants and their defence lawyers applied for the shifting of the earlier scheduled October dates on Friday.

A copy of the application obtained by PREMIUM TIMES cited various reasons including the need for additional time to prepare for the case and process huge documentary evidence.

Rukayat Fashola (aka Morayo), Bolatito Agbabiaka (aka Bolamide), and Yusuf Anifowoshe (aka AJ and Alvin Johnson), are the three defendants interested in the postponement of the trial from October to May 2022. All the three are on bail.

The rest of the defendants  Mr Kyari, Abdulrahman Juma, and Kelly Chibuzo Vincent  remain at large, the application stated..

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said in court documents released in July that all six defendants including Mr Kyari, were co-conspirators in the $1.1million fraud coordinated by a former Nigerian Instagram celebrity, Abbas Ramon, better known as Hushpuppi.

A Qatari businessperson was the victim of the scheme perpetrated between November 2019 and April 2020, FBI says.

Mr Kyari, a deputy commissioner of police, allegedly played a role in the scam by helping Hushpuppi to detain a disenchanted co-conspirator who wanted to warn the victim businessperson about the scam.

The former head of Intelligence Response Team of the Nigerian police, with pending U.S. extradition request against him, was suspended in the wake of the revelation of the charges against him and five others.

The report of a probe into the case commissioned by the Inspector-General of Police has been submitted, but its findings and recommendations have yet to be made public officially.

With the delay, speculations are rife that efforts are being made to cover up for Mr Kyari in a bid to avert his extradition to the U.S.

While Mr Kyari and two others remain at large, the three other defendants along with the U.S. prosecutors said by virtue of the U.S. Speedy Court Trial Act, trial ought to start in October this year.

They noted that the court had earlier set a trial date of 12 October , 2021 for Ms Agbabiaka and Mr Anifowoshe, and 26 October , 2021 for Ms Fashola.

For various reasons cited in the postponement application, the court was asked to change the trial to 17 May , 2022 for the three defendants.

By this stipulation, defendants move to continue the trial date to May 17, 2022. This is the first request for a continuance, the document read in part.

Reasons for postponement

Parties to the application said the facts presented to ask for the postponement demonstrate good cause to support the appropriate findings under the Speedy Trial Act.

Part of the facts, according to the document, is the additional time needed by the prosecution to process thousands of pages of investigative reports and documents received from foreign law enforcement agencies.

In addition, Mr Anifowoshes lawyer, Lakeshia Dorsey, who is a Deputy Federal Public Defender, said she would not have the needed time to prepare for the case on the current date because of three of her other cases already scheduled for November and January.

Also, the defence lawyers said they needed additional time to confer with defendants, conduct and complete an independent investigation of the case, conduct and complete additional legal research including for potential pre-trial motions, review the discovery and potential evidence in the case, and prepare for trial in the event that a pretrial resolution does not occur.

They maintained that failure to grant the application for postponement of trial would deny them reasonable time necessary for effective preparation, taking into account the exercise of due diligence.

On their part, the three defendants, who are on bail and being defended by governments public defenders believe that failure to grant the continuance (postponement application) will deny them continuity of counsel and adequate representation.

No objection

The U.S. government is not objecting to the application, the document stated.

But the application clarified that the application is neither based on congestion of the courts calendar nor on lack of diligent preparation on the part of the attorney for the government or the defence.

It added that it was not based on failure on the part of the attorney for the government to obtain available witnesses.

Trial may be separated

With three of the defendants still abroad, there is an indication that prosecutors are considering severing the trial to enable the case to proceed against the three available defendants.

All defendants are joined for trial and a severance has not been granted, the document stated.

The U.S. Acting Attorney for the Central District of California and U.S. Assistant Attorney, Khaldoun Shobaki, signed the application on behalf of the U.S. government.

Ms Fashola with her lawyer, Edward Robinson; Ms Agbabiaka with her lawyer, Daniel Nardoni, and Mr Anifowoshe with his lawyer, Lakeshia Monique Dorsey, endorsed the application.
Trial of three defendants in the Ramon Hushpuppi Abass-coordinated $1.1 million fraud case will last for approximately six days, a court document states.

Six persons, including a top officer in the Nigeria police, Abba Kyari, were indicted for various roles in the scheme spearheaded by the former Nigerian Instagram celebrity widely known as Hushpuppi.

Three of the defendants  Rukayat Fashola (aka Morayo), Bolatito Agbabiaka (aka Bolamide), and Yusuf Anifowoshe (aka AJ and Alvin Johnson)  arrested in the United States and subsequently released on bail have asked for their trial to be postponed to May 2022.

But the rest of the defendants believed to be outside the U.S.  Mr Kyari, Abdulrahman Juma, and Kelly Chibuzo Vincent  remain at large, prosecutors say.

The prosecutors along with the three available defendants filed an application for the postponement of the trial from October 2021 to 17 May, 2022 on Friday.

The application filed at the U.S. District Court of Central California stated that parties had estimated that six days would be required to conclude the three defendants trial.

The parties estimate that the trial in this matter will last approximately 6 days, the application said.

Indicating that the trial of the available defendants may be separated from those of Mr Kyari and others still at large, the application states, all defendants are joined for trial and a severance has not been granted.

With no objection to the application from any of the parties, the judge, Otis Wright, is expected to grant the request to fix 17 May, 2022 for commencement of trial any time soon.

Hushpuppi and Abba Kyari connections

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said in court documents released in July that all six defendants including Mr Kyari were co-conspirators in the $1.1million fraud coordinated by a former Nigerian Instagram celebrity, Abbas Ramon, better known as Hushpuppi.

A Qatari businessperson was the victim of the scheme perpetrated between November 2019 and April 2020, FBI says.

Hushpuppi has pleaded to various fraud cases including the $1.1million scheme in another case before the U.S. district court in Central California. He is now awaiting sentencing.

Mr Kyari, a deputy commissioner of police, allegedly played a role in the scam by helping Hushpuppi to detain a disenchanted co-conspirator who wanted to warn the victim businessperson about the scam.

The former head of Intelligence Response Team of the Nigerian police, with pending U.S. extradition request against him, was suspended in the wake of the revelation of the charges against him and five others.

The report of a probe into the case commissioned by the Inspector-General of Police has been submitted, but its findings and recommendations have yet to be made public officially.

With the delay, speculations are rife that efforts are being made to cover up for Mr Kyari in a bid to avert his extradition to the U.S.
The police in Zamfara State have confirmed an attack by bandits on Shinkafi town in the early hours of Friday but said the attack was proactively repelled by police and military operatives stationed in the town.

The police spokesperson, Muhammad Shehu, said this on Sunday in a statement he issued to debunk a report by Daily Trust newspaper that the bandits raided a police station in the town.

Mr Shehu said the security operatives repelled the bandits and inflicted heavy casualties on them. He said no death was recorded on the part of the security forces and inhabitants of the town.

Contrary to a misleading report on Page 8 of the Daily Trust Newspaper of Saturday 25th September 2021, that Bandits attack Police stations, Shinkafi town, the Zamfara State Police Command wishes to debunk the entire report and authoritatively state that there was no attack on any police station in Shinkafi LGA or any part of Zamfara state as wrongly reported.

What happened was that in the early hours of Friday, 24th September 2021, armed bandits in their large numbers attempted to attack Shinkafi, but were proactively repelled by the joint Police and Military operatives stationed in the town, with heavy casualties suffered by the bandits.

No loss of life either from the security forces or the Inhabitants. Similarly, nobody was abducted. The security situation in the town is very calm, with members of the community going about their legitimate business while new security measures are being enforced effectively.

The Command is further surprised at the level at which a reputable Newspaper like the Daily Trust published such a sensitive security report without proper confirmation from the Police or any constituted authority, when their correspondent was in Gusau.

Members of the press as well as the general public are enjoined to desist from airing fake and unsubstantiated stories. Instead, they should verify any information that comes their way before going on air, the police spokesperson said.

Verification of the claims by the police has been made difficult by the cut off of telecommunications and travel restrictions in the state.

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has cut service networks in Zamfara and parts of Katsina and Sokoto States, at the requests of the state governments to help security operations against banditry in the states.

States in northwestern Nigeria have been experiencing attacks by bandits, resulting in killings, kidnappings for ransom and destruction of farms and crops storage facilities in rural communities.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has urged Christian leaders in the country to be advocates of freedom of worship, justice and the rule of law.

Mr Osinbajo disclosed this on Saturday at an event organised by the Christian Association of Nigeria(CAN) to mark its 45th year of existence.

A statement signed by the VPs spokesperson, Laolu Akande, on Sunday, quoted Mr Osinbajo as saying that fairness, equity and respect for the rights of others are fundamental to peace and stability, hence Christian leaders at all levels must strive to promote those virtues despite the challenges.

Read the full statement below:

In pursuit of a more united and peaceful society, Christian groups and leaders of faith in Nigeria must preach fairness and equity at all times and be relentless advocates of freedom of worship, justice and the rule of law, according to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN.

Prof. Osinbajo, who was honoured on Saturday evening in Abuja with the Christian Association of Nigerias Award of Excellence at a Dinner and Awards night organized to mark the 45th anniversary of the association, also delivered President Muhammadu Buhari and the Federal Governments felicitations to the foremost Christian body on the milestone.

Also, in his remarks after receiving the award, alongside other honourees, the VP noted that fairness, equity and respect for the rights of others are fundamental to peace and security, hence Christian leaders at all levels must strive to promote those virtues despite the challenges.

His words: we must continue to let the important truth be known that Christ did not come to establish a religion or to condemn men, but to show all men that his own righteousness, not our righteousness or performance, is the qualification for eternal life.

That the gospel commands consideration for the views of others, treating them as we would wish to be treated; non-violent communication, that our words must be words of grace seasoned with salt.

We must, as an organisation and as individuals, remain constant and relentless advocates of freedom of worship, respect for human rights, fairness, justice and the rule of law.

Commending the works of current and past leadership of CAN in promoting religious tolerance, Prof. Osinbajo said CAN has not only been continually faithful to its founding vision, it has become a veritable force for peace, unity and social justice.

According to him, pursuant to the gospel, CAN has consistently spoken up on behalf of the least of these in our society.

Importantly, the current and past leadership of CAN have acted in full realization and recognition of their roles as pivotal stakeholders alongside the Government, private sector in nation-building.

We are proud of the role of moral compass of society and interlocutor for peace among the different faiths that CAN has played and continues to play in our nation.

Continuing, the VP noted that we are also proud of the enormous work that the current executive of CAN, ably led by His Eminence, Rev. Supo Ayokunle, has done.

I am aware of your collaboration with the leadership of the Islamic and other faiths, to reconcile where there are conflicts, to pacify where there has been offence, and to reprimand where there have been misdeeds. Well done and congratulations.

Speaking on dousing religious and ethnic tensions in the society, the VP said as we have seen in the past few years not just in Nigeria but all over the world, there is a growing religious and ethnic chauvinism.

An almost intemperate, vehement and often violent dismissal of the views of people of other persuasions without adequate consideration. At the same time there is the rise of identity and cultural politics. Brethren, the answer to hate, intolerance and conflict is the gospel of Jesus Christ.

On the call by CAN for the renovation of the National Christian Centre, Prof. Osinbajo gave a short presentation on renovation plan for the Centre, assuring that Christian groups and individuals would be mobilized to provide resources and complete the project.

Responding personally and also on behalf of other award recipients, Prof. Osinbajo said I accept the award with great humility, being mindful that we are not necessarily the most deserving of Christians to be given any recognition. But that because of the special grace of God, by which we have been chosen to serve in the high capacities that we serve, we are in the advantageous position that our contributions will be more easily noticed.

The VP dedicated the award to the many who, daily, in different locations, distant and near, propagate this message of the love and reconciliation of the gospel of Jesus Christ in sometimes difficult, even life-threatening situations. And to the many who have suffered deprivation, and the families of those who have lost their lives by reason of their belief.

Presenting the Award of Excellence to the VP, CAN President, Rev. Supo Ayokunle, said the honour was in recognition of Prof. Osinbajos outstanding performance in public service over the past years, both at state and national levels.

He said: this Award of Excellence is conferred on you today in recognition of your invaluable contributions as an ideal Christian in the Nigerian political space and governance.

Other award recipients include former President of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo; former Imo State Governor, Sen. Rochas Okorocha; former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara; several State governors; faith leaders, including past Presidents and General Secretary of CAN.

The Imam that saved the lives of over 200 Christians in Barkin Ladi, Plateau State, Abdullahi Abubakar, also received a special CAN recognition. It would be recalled that the VP had received the Imam at the Presidential Villa in May 2019 and praised him severally in public for his acts of courage, sacrifice and tolerance when he stuck out his neck to protect Christians who were being pursued to be attacked during a conflict situation in Barkin Ladi on June 23, 2018.

Earlier on Saturday morning, the Vice President participated virtually in the 6th edition finals of the SimmonsCooper Advocacy Development (SCAD) Programme organized by SimmonsCooper Partners (SCP).

Speaking briefly during the event which was held live in Lagos, the VP congratulated the finalists of the SCAD competition as being among the best in Nigeria and anywhere in the world.

Knowledge is so critical, and today, it is almost as if a completely new vista of knowledge has been opened, especially with technology and all of its various implications, he said.

The event was attended by members of the Nigerian Bar Association, students of law and other disciplines from Nigerian universities, members of the Nigerian business community, among others.

Laolu Akande

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity

Office of the Vice President

26th September, 2021

Copyright  2021, Office of the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, All rights reserved
Multiple sources in Sokoto State have described an attack on a military camp in Sabon Birni local government area of the state by a gang of bandits allegedly led by the notorious Bello Turji.

However, the sources could not say the number of soldiers killed in the well-coordnated attack.

When contacted by our reporter to seek their confirmation of the attack, the police said they had no information of such an attack in the state.

Turji, 27, is a ruthless bandit operating in Sokoto and Zamfara States and had on different occasions rejected peace dialogue initiated by both state governments.

The only time he said he was open to dialogue was when Kaduna-based Islamic cleric, Ahmed Gumi, visited his camp in Zurmi (Zamfara State).

Turji is also holding the father, stepmother and uncle of the state House of Assembly Speaker, alongside others.

Usman Tara, a local source living in Sokoto metropolis, said the soldiers were camped in a primary school in Dama village under Sabon Birni where they were attacked.

Mr Tara said the audacity with which bandits operate in our villages, killing, maiming and taking people hostage, including security personnel, leaves me cold. If these terrorists can exhibit this shameless boldness of taking away the entire team of soldiers, go away with their arms and vehicle, what else remains to assure citizens there of the possibility of return of normalcy?

Dama, an agrarian community east of Gatawa, is on the border with Niger Republic.

Another source, Basharu Altine, told PREMIUM TIMES that the attack on the soldiers at the primary school in Dama was to neutralise their threat against the bandits.

Turji recently changed his headquarters and he needed to send across a message as well neutralise the soldiersmorale. They were stationed in the school to protect the people of the area with proximity to Niger Republic,

Mr Altine, who is the leader of Rundunar Adalci, a human rights protection group in Sokoto State, also said he could not ascertain the number of soldiers killed during the attack.

He attacked them some minutes after 6 p.m. yesterday (Saturday). Due to overgrown crops and trees, Turji and his commanders were able to surround the school and take the soldiers by surprise.

I can confirm to you that some of the soldiers were killed but no one knows the number yet, while others have fled to Basira village in Niger Republic. One of their vehicle was also set ablaze, he added.

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Another source, who requested not to be named, said the absence of mobile telecommunications network must have helped the the rampaging bandits.

Throughout the attack, the soldiers could not reach out to their colleagues for reinforcement. And even before the attack, if people of the villages around Dama had network, they would have alerted the soldiers because some of them have given out their contacts to the villagers,

The police spokesperson in Sokoto state, Sanusi Abubakar, said he had not been officially briefed on the attack.

I dont know how reliable your story is because I have not heard anything about that. Ive also not officially briefed. But I will get back to you when I confirm anything, he said.
When an old woman carrying a basket stumbles twice, we must not only curse the ground, we must look into her basket. Its time to look into our local politics and leadership selection. Vultures are wonderful birds. But they cannot be used as sacrifices for the gods. If we dont rise and wipe our tears and take our destiny in our hands, Igbos politics will continue to be dominated by scavengers.

Vultures are patient birds. But because they lay hands on the dead and dying and live only bones, they are also symbols of greed, rapacity. While vultures are useful because their greed cleans up the environment; politicians, bald or otherwise, who skin the poor, dead and dying, with their consummate greed, are not useful vultures.

Igbo land has been marginalised. Perhaps that is retribution  the inescapable fate of the vanquished. Perhaps it is residual Igbophobia  a consequence of the victors paranoia. Perhaps its an exaggeration, a misconception  an artefact of an incurable sense of victimhood. Whatever may be the cause, local mitigation has been so absent that it has become the real demon. The local leadership is exonerated by the abiding illusion that Abuja is the witch. While flying the flag of victimhood, the local leadership bends low and strips their luckless kith and kin. The local leadership, wary of disillusioning their gullible kin, waves the flag and wails. Enchanted, the sentimental poor overlook the gluttony of their local leadership and throw all their curses at Abuja.

The marginalisation of the Igbo is complicated by the insouciant greed of local Igbo politicians. They wear Isiagu but act like scrawny one-eyed hyenas. They put the red caps on their heads and think only of their stomachs. True, they are not different from leaders from the other parts. The national political landscape is populated by a diversity of vultures. But if vultures attract dishonour for not making kills, for feeding on the dead and putrefying; those wingless scavengers who steal the commonwealth of the downtrodden and bleating kin, while singing them lullabies of marginalisation, must deserve special ornithology.

Enugu airport was built by the colonial masters. It was initially an aerodrome. It was commissioned as a full-fledged airport in 1976. By the Fourth Republic, it had risen to a top-five position in passenger traffic in the country. But like all other aviation assets in the country of that golden era, it was allowed to rot.

Enugu airport was where goats actually ate palm fronds on the head of the Igbo. Because Enugu airport rotted while Igbo politicians took turns in running the Aviation Ministry. In a country that promotes the federal character as a social justice system, an aviation minister from the South-East who has his head on his shoulders should improve aviation everywhere and improve aviation, particularly in the Enugu and Owerri airports. But when politicians, cheered into high positions by the poor, preoccupy themselves with filling their stomachs and pockets while brushing aside, with their feet, the needs of their constituencies, vulturism comes to mind.

President Jonathan can be excused. He gave appointments to Igbos. Igbos had significant control of aviation in the executive and the national legislature. The Enugu airport Buhari inherited was a disaster waiting to happen. At some point, a man came by the requisite audacity, and came with a horde of policemen and pulled down the perimeter fencing of the airport. He said he was enforcing a court victory over the ownership of the land.

President Obasanjos government refused to accede to demands to make Enugu an international airport. Some officials of that government considered it a national security risk. President YarAdua approved the redesignation of Enugu as an international airport. Had he lived longer, the story of Enugu airport would have been different.

President Azikiwe Jonathan came and shut the dilapidated airport for redevelopment. They said they wanted to expand and extend the runway. People cheered. They scraped the old runway and laid a new runway. They went ahead and whitewashed the Arrival and Departure lounges. Then, they mounted a huge signboard to invoke Akanu Ibiam and announce the airports new international status. With an elaborate carnival to hoodwink those who werent already delirious, the international airport was commissioned. The new runway was a sham. It fell apart quickly. It had to; agbata-eke wasnt just involved, it was the spirit of the transaction.

The one international airline that came around, saw and refused to be complicit. It didnt come back. It prioritised safety above political solidarity. Others stayed away. The airport wasnt safe to be an aerodrome. Rickety water tankers supplied water to the airport. An abattoir sat by the fence filling the airspace with the vultures that came to feed on loose meat. That was Akanu Ibiam International Airport after Igbos had had four aviation ministers. That was the ukwu-nama democracy brought home for ndi Igbo after getting them intoxicated with aviation ministerial appointments, four times in a space of 16 years. One of those minsters might be an eagle, but the general picture is that of vulturism.

President Jonathan can be excused. He gave appointments to Igbos. Igbos had significant control of aviation in the executive and the national legislature. The Enugu airport Buhari inherited was a disaster waiting to happen. At some point, a man came by the requisite audacity, and came with a horde of policemen and pulled down the perimeter fencing of the airport. He said he was enforcing a court victory over the ownership of the land.

The Enugu airport story is only a symptom of widespread political disease in Igbo land. Our leadership recruitment strategy is pathetic, prodigal. The Igbo electorate needs clear-eyed sober reflection. We must continue to demand that as the eagle perches, the kite perches alongside, in Nigeria. But we cant continue sleepwalking while local leaders impoverish the region.

When the Enugu airport was shut in 2019, some champions of Igbo nationalism rose in arms. They said the airport should have remained open while being fixed. They blamed the planned long closure for repairs on Igbo subjugation and issued threats like the Egbesu Red Water Lions of Yenagoa. Some of those who had not squawked while Enugu airport was used for political abracadabra started fluttering and thrashing around in the National Assembly like hired mourners. Enugu State governor pushed politics aside and showed leadership. In synergy with the Federal Government, the market and its vultures were relocated. The perimeter fencing was reestablished. Those who do fundamental foundational repairs often get no accolades.

The airports runway has been fixed. Enugu now has one of the best runways in the country. The airports clinic and water treatment plant are nearing completion. The airfield lighting system is being reinstalled. International airlines have scheduled a return. The work could have been completed at a much faster pace. But before the vultures return to claim the carcass of the glory of the redemption of Enugu airport, let them take a look around Igbo land. There is the Enugu airport story everywhere.

A goat shouldnt die of hunger in a yam barn. Enugu airport slept in the barn for ages and yet suffered kwashiorkor. As such, lets find out how water entered our political opi ugboguru. Only children should blame it on rainwater. The Enugu airport story is only a symptom of widespread political disease in Igbo land. Our leadership recruitment strategy is pathetic, prodigal. The Igbo electorate needs clear-eyed sober reflection. We must continue to demand that as the eagle perches, the kite perches alongside, in Nigeria. But we cant continue sleepwalking while local leaders impoverish the region. Some Igbos States are now used, fittingly, as national examples of bad leadership.

When an old woman carrying a basket stumbles twice, we must not only curse the ground, we must look into her basket. Its time to look into our local politics and leadership selection. Vultures are wonderful birds. But they cannot be used as sacrifices for the gods. If we dont rise and wipe our tears and take our destiny in our hands, Igbos politics will continue to be dominated by scavengers. The electorate alone cant stop the rot. Accomplished Igbo sons and daughters must shed reticence and troop into partisan politics as civic missionaries to reclaim the land. If we gather with good intention and urinate together, it will foam.

Politics is a game. 2023 is here. Lets play smart and take responsibility.

Ugoji Egbujo is a member of the Board of Trustees of Centre for Fiscal Transparency and Integrity Watch.
I can only sincerely hope his better angels take charge this time around, to enable the role of a real bridge-builder rallying together many aggrieved stakeholders of the Nigeria project to work towards the socio-economic and political stability of our nation, which he is eminently qualified to play, if he is so sincerely inspired.

The title of this article was the exact question posed by a senior security official at an informal breakfast in August. It was at a time when speculations were rife that Chief Femi Fani-Kayode would defect to the All-Progressives Congress (APC) from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

I have always referred to Femi Fani-Kayode (FFK) as a Fire-for-Fire advocate, since February 2004 when I wrote a rejoinder to his unacceptable public outburst, while he was Special Adviser on Public Affairs to the then President Olusegun Obasanjo. My rejoinder exposed the loophole in a statement Fani-Kayode had issued against Colonel Dangiwa Umar, a former military administrator of Kaduna State, and General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB), over an issue they had with Obasanjo.

In the article, which was widely published and titled, PR Analysis of Fani-Kayodes Rejoinder on Dangiwa Umar, I had criticised him for using high-sounding, derogatory expressions, such as pathological liar, treachery, ingratitude, destructive fake, suffer a form of delusion of grandeur and misguided sense of self-importance, among others, against the subjects of his diatribe.

While appealing to ethics and utilising the tools of PR to counter his approach, I offered crucial advice to Fani-Kayode. I insisted that a successful publicist is not judged by the power of his/her oratory, expensive regalia and appearance with bodyguards, but by the ability to analyse issues critically, and not in a manner thats so vitriolic and disagreeable  even when pushing an issue he or she is so passionate about. I added that amiability, humility and openness to criticisms, are not weaknesses but attributes of a good communicator who equally has a clear mission.

With his combative postures and bombastic public engagements, Fani-Kayode has continued to remain relevant, meeting the right people at the right time, and making the right connections for the right appointments.

Born on October 16, 1960, and named David Oluwafemi Abdulateef Fani-Kayode, he had most of his schooling in Britain. After serving as Chief Press Secretary to the first national chairman of the National Republican Convention (NRC), Chief Tom Ikimi in 1990, he was appointed Special Assistant to Alhaji Umaru Shinkafi, a former head of the Nigerian Security Organisation (NSO).

Thereafter, President Olusegun Obasanjo appointed him as his Special Assistant on Public Affairs in 2003, before he was elevated to the post of Minister of Culture and Tourism, and later the Minister of Aviation in 2006.

FFK was a member of the PDP until 2013 when he defected to the APC as a founding member. In that initial role, he constituted a continuous thorn in the side of the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan. However, he returned to the PDP in June 2014 to become the spokesperson for Jonathans re-election campaign till 2015.

in responding to the enquiry I pointed out that FFK had cordial relationships with the detained leaders of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, and of the Yoruba Nation, Sunday Igboho. I equally emphasised that although the two men are the prominent faces of the secessionist agitation in Nigeria today, they yet have stronger sympathisers and supporters within and outside government.

When his party lost in the presidential election and was hounded by the newer administration, FFK refused to be intimidated. He constantly pushed back and railed against President Buhari, top APC members and the government, taking them to the cleaners for their various perceived unethical acts. His choice of words in tackling those in power was as mercilessly as it was venomous.

Meanwhile, in responding to the enquiry by the senior security source earlier mentioned, I pointed out that FFK had cordial relationships with the detained leaders of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, and of the Yoruba Nation, Sunday Igboho. I equally emphasised that although the two men are the prominent faces of the secessionist agitation in Nigeria today, they yet have stronger sympathisers and supporters within and outside government.

In some of FFKs engagements with the agitators, he seemed to affirm and encourage their divisive and inciting rhetoric, particularly in terms of the purported Fulanisation, Arewanisation and Islamisation agenda of Northerners in Nigeria.

Therefore, I expressed doubt about the possibility of the acceptance of Fani-Kayode into APC by President Buhari and the party stalwarts. I nevertheless mentioned my strong belief that if FFK genuinely renounces his essentialist, if not bigoted, ethnic and religious outlook, he has the potential to add value to political and social stability, in a manner that enhances national security.

A few weeks after the breakfast talk, FFK did not only decamp to APC but was received through a red carpet reception at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, when the APC caretaker chairman, Governor Mala Buni of Yobe State, alongside Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State presented him to President Buhari.

The reception was also greeted with wild attacks across Nigerias political spectrum. Surprisingly, the majority of those condemning Fani-Kayode for decamping to APC now, were the same ones commending him then when he was attacking the North, its leaders and the Buhari administration. Some of his attackers have been politicians, public commentators, and secessionist campaigners of the outlawed IPOB and Yoruba Nation groups.

The politics of decamping and defection in Nigeria is nothing new. Even though some observers pointed out that Fani-Kayode had abused, insulted, and disparaged everyone indiscriminately, this could be likewise said of other noteworthy politicians like Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu and Mallam Nasir El-rufai at different occasions in the past, who had vented their rage against General Buhari in disturbingly unprintable language, before they also swallowed their vomit and set up political company with him in the same party.

Yet, unlike others, the central question being considered by many is actually what value Fani-Kayode could add to the Buhari administration at this point, which made the red carpet to be rolled out to him as he jumped ship into the APC.

My take on Fani-Kayodes defection from the PDP to APC is not so much about the morality or otherwise of his carpet crossing, but the genuineness of his proclaimed political rebirth from being a highly divisive actor, who had championed an incendiary brand of politics anchored around ethnic and religious identification, to one promoting national unity, tolerance and peaceful coexistence.

Speaking with journalists after his meeting with President Buhari, FFK said it was time for him to cross over to join hands with the Head of State in moving Nigeria forward. He added that Nigerians must remain united to salvage the country from the stranglehold of those bent on destroying its progress. He also advised Nigerians not to allow any person or group to divide them or enable the disintegration of the country.

As Fani-Kayode put it: The point is that I felt it was time to do the right thing, to put Nigeria first. When the time is right, we change direction to join forces and join hands to move the country forward. Doing this doesnt mean we are enemies to anybody. Even if we are in another party, the PDP or any other party or group, we can still work together across party, regional, ethnic or religious lines.

Sounding quite reflective, he continued: We must remain one as a nation, and build bridges, work together to move the country forward. The most important thing is for us to understand the fact that Nigeria must not disintegrate and those that want us to end up fighting one another in a war will be put to shame.

My take on Fani-Kayodes defection from the PDP to APC is not so much about the morality or otherwise of his carpet crossing, but the genuineness of his proclaimed political rebirth from being a highly divisive actor, who had championed an incendiary brand of politics anchored around ethnic and religious identification, to one promoting national unity, tolerance and peaceful coexistence.

To his credit, before his eventual defection to APC, he was noted to have worked closely with some key players in the APC, including Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi, in resolving some ethnoreligious conflicts in some states of the country.

I can only sincerely hope his better angels take charge this time around, to enable the role of a real bridge-builder rallying together many aggrieved stakeholders of the Nigeria project to work towards the socio-economic and political stability of our nation, which he is eminently qualified to play, if he is so sincerely inspired.

By the way, I learnt that beyond being Yoruba and Pentecostal Christian, FFK has Muslim and Fulani roots, and hence major traces of the Nigerian diversity, which he ought to be deeply concerned about preserving, while promoting national unity to the enhancement of all stakeholders of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Yushau A. Shuaib is the author of A Dozen Tips.
History has taught us that it is better to address the fundamental causes of friction in a society than to paper over the cracks. See what happened in Afghanistan. The vulture is a patient bird. Although the Taliban regained control of the country after two decades of American occupation, the tribes would have waited patiently for many more decades if it was necessary to do so

Contemporary Africa comprises countries cobbled together by colonialists for their own interest. In the case of Nigeria, British colonialism was, as playwright Ola Rotimi would put it, in the service of their female king. The two hitherto distinct halves of Nigeria (Northern and Southern Protectorates) have managed to stay together as one country for one century and more. But in recent years, it appears that the falcon is no longer hearing the falconer and things are falling apart

I am proud to be a Nigerian. I tell those who wonder how one can be patriotic in the light of our stultifying under-achievements that I am a firm believer in self-love. Although I am aware, for example, of the recent statistics released by StatiSense to the effect that in the first quarter of 2021, Nigerias Total Expenditure was 3.385 trillion, with Deficit Financing at 2.293 trillion, I am still convinced that my country is not dead and buried.

My self pride will not permit me to advertise Nigeria as a shit-hole. Even if the rest of the world is de-marketing this patch of earth, it will not be with my assistance. It may not yet be the country of our dreams but it is all weve got to call our own. As we say in pidgin lingo, Monkey no fine, but hin mama like am.

Having said that, I find it preposterous that some people think that the unitary system of government imposed on Nigeria by the military and still being practised in the name of federalism today is cast in stone. How can a system that is so inequitable, so lopsided, be sacrosanct? With so much violence taking over the country in the name of Boko Haram or banditry or gunmen or separatists or ethnic clashes, we ought to be retracing our steps, not jogging faster towards ruination.

The reason we did not have many ethnic clashes and separatist movements in the First Republic was that each region ran its own affairs as it deemed fit and everyone contributed to the centre for joint services. The parliamentary system, which granted autonomy to the regions, was negotiated by the representatives of the various nationalities making up Nigeria over several years. The current Constitution, however, creates a powerful centre which superintends over all resources and tries to hold the country together by force.

History has taught us that it is better to address the fundamental causes of friction in a society than to paper over the cracks. See what happened in Afghanistan. The vulture is a patient bird. Although the Taliban regained control of the country after two decades of American occupation, the tribes would have waited patiently for many more decades if it was necessary to do so  as long as it would take to outlast the outsiders.

The same is true with Nigeria. Separatist agitations will not go away if we dont address the fundamental problem. It is like trying to cage water in a confined space; with time, water will find its level. When agitations are violently suppressed, they fester underground where revolutions are born.

Separatist agitations will not go away if we dont address the fundamental problem. It is like trying to cage water in a confined space; with time, water will find its level. When agitations are violently suppressed, they fester underground where revolutions are born.

Two prominent Nigerians, Professor Bola Akinterinwa and Governor Nasir El Rufai have been expressing their worry over Nigeria becoming Afghanised or Afghanistanised.

Akinteriwa warns that what happened in Afghanistan may not be too far-fetched a possibility in Nigeria, if we dont frontally address the issues that fuel separatist tendencies in the country.

He advocates dialogue: Whatever and whoever may be sustaining the position of the government of Nigeria on national unity may get tired someday because national unity is now being sustained by the use of force. Our government doesnt believe it has to negotiate. It believes in force. The same government reportedly threatened to proscribe groups who talk about negotiating national unity. If the Americans can withdraw from Afghanistan after investing more than $1 trillion as records suggest, that means the federal government of Nigeria needs to sit down and address insurgency, calls for self-determination and secession.

El-Rufai, on the other hand, alerted the nation that the Northern region needs help to avoid becoming another Afghanistan. Speaking on Human Capital Development Communications Strategy Validation Meeting at a forum organised by the National Economic Council (NEC) in Abuja, the Kaduna State governor noted that the North-West zone of the country has the highest number of out-of-school children and that banditry and terrorism have compounded the problem, leading to the closure of schools. Most of the bandits we arrest have never gone to school, he lamented, adding that, they have no notion of religion, whether Christianity or Islam, and they have no hope.

But the governor was not really saying anything new. The statistics are just one click away for anyone interested in how generations upon generations of children in the North have been abandoned to their own devices without proper upbringing, education or care. Many of us in the public space have advocated a shift from the age-old practice of irresponsible parenting disguised as religious injunctions.

We have argued over the years that it is unfair of any parent to bring into the world children he has no intention of catering for, and throw them to the elements in the name of almajiris or Koranic disciples. There are millions of Muslim children in Southern Nigeria who undergo both Islamic and Western education. They do not constitute any threat to society because they go on to become economically independent.

It has been established that children are products of both nature and nurture. Some former almajiris who slipped through the cracks have held their own, after being exposed to the opportunities enjoyed by children elsewhere. This proves that there is nothing genetically wrong with the out-of-school children, except that they have not been privileged to have the same opportunities as their counterparts in other places where parenting is seen as a sacred duty.

There is absolutely no reason why we cannot collectively dismantle the army of roaming children from whose ranks Boko Haram and other harmful influencers recruit their suicide bombers and fighters. If we dont block this already identified source of recruits, we shall be engaged in a war without end.

Mercifully, most of the governors in the Northern states are rising up to the challenge of establishing a culture of keeping all children of school age in school. Perhaps, they may want to employ legislation to accelerate the process. More than 50 years ago in the old Western Region, if a child was out of school, the parents would be arrested for child abuse. That forced every parent to fall in line.

There is absolutely no reason why we cannot collectively dismantle the army of roaming children from whose ranks Boko Haram and other harmful influencers recruit their suicide bombers and fighters. If we dont block this already identified source of recruits, we shall be engaged in a war without end.

Every section of Nigeria has so much wealth under the ground in the form of mineral resources which, over the years, we have failed to exploit for the benefit of the people, preferring to continue milking the tired breasts of the ageing cash cow called crude oil. If we open up the country to a culture of production, propelled by a work-and-eat system, every part of the country will be a massive construction and production site and we can begin to lift millions of our people out of poverty.

An added plus: The desperation for power at the centre will be less ferocious and people will no longer have to lie to their children about where and how they missed the boat of development.

It is the duty of the elite to lead the way in taking the people out of a medieval existence into modernity. Kano State has led the way in building modern ranches to transform nomadic herdsmen into players in the big business of animal husbandry. Several other states, including Kaduna, are following the lead. That is the way to go.

Any truly patriotic Nigerian who wants the country to remain as one cannot continue to advocate the sustenance of a practice that has destroyed thousands of farms and households nationwide and served as cover for armed foreigners to unleash terror on Nigerians.

In ancient Africa, scrotal elephantiasis was considered a COVID-level affliction. Thus, the proverb: If you dutifully avoid the wife of a hernia patient, what do you do if that patient copulates with your own wife? The horns of a dilemma have never been more daunting!

What we need to do is reorganise this society, not Afghanise.

Wole Olaoye can be reached through wole.olaoye@gmail.com.
By Ismaila Uba Misilli

Gombe State Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, recently spent quality time in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, in furtherance of his drive to boost the states economy, attract investors, improve citizens wellbeing and build a prosperous Gombe.

Governor Inuwa Yahaya is not one of the Abuja freak governors, but only visits the nations capital when absolutely necessary and on purposeful mission to move the state forward. Judging from derivatives of his similar visits, it is obvious that the last engagements will bring sweet and good tidings to the state and its citizens.

During His Excellencys stay at the seat of power, he visited two key ministers; Babatunde Fashola of Works and his counterpart in Ministry of Power, Abubakar Aliyu. He also met with the Chairman and CEO of National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Buba Marwa, a retired brigadier general, where they discussed issues affecting Gombe State.

The people-friendly leader while at Ministry of Works lamented the deteriorating condition of some federal roads in Gombe and other five linked states, especially the Bauchi-Gombe, Gombe-Kwami-Dukku-Darazo, Gombe- Biu, Gombe-Potiskum and Gombe- Numan- Yola roads.

This call is coming after the governor has constructed about 340 km road across 11 local government areas of the state under Network 11-100, an initiative to construct 100 kilometers of roads in every LGA.

Hence, the call for quick fix of deteriorating federal roads was not an attempt to pass the buck but genuine feeling of a humane governor who shares in the road users pain and anguish.

Governor Inuwa Yahayas words clearly captured his sincerity when he said I came to see the Honourable Minister specifically with the recent development on the Federal Highways. You know Gombe is at the centre of the North East. All the other 5 states of the North East are linked with Gombe, meaning we have road links that are federally owned between Gombe and the remaining states. Most of those roads are being threatened by flooding this year and they need urgent attention.

I also came here to draw FGs attention so that these roads will get repaired otherwise all of Gombe State will be cut off and that will be too bad.

At the Ministry of Power, he urged the minister, Abubakar Aliyu, to push for the full and effective utilisation of the completed Dadinkowa multipurpose dam for Gombe peoples benefit and boost regional economy.

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The governor observed that electricity supply is key to socio-economic development, adding that putting the plant to effective use will justify the huge Investment by the federal government.

Furthermore, the strategic thinker and astute administrator who understands the negative impact of use of illicit drugs on security and general wellbeing of the citizenry, approached the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to solicit for more synergy.

The governor observed that there is a strong correlation between the use of illicit drugs and the probability to commit crime and criminality in any given society.

He noted that one of the ingredients fuelling crime and criminality, particularly the ongoing insurgency in the North-east can be attributed to the use of illicit drugs which often distort the sanity of the human psychology.

In the last two years, I saw a lot of development with regards to these issues and being the Governor, naturally all issues tend to end up on my table and we can put a good percentage of all these negative developments in our society to issues that have to do with drugs.

Governor Inuwa Yahayas latest national engagement is coming few days after meeting President Muhammadu Buhari where he made a case for fast tracking of oil exploitation in Gombe and presented ongoing Industrial park project to the president formally.

No gainsaying the fact that Governor Inuwa Yahaya has attracted goodies for Gombe State through his productive engagements with federal Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs), the good of Gombe State will continue to reap the significant impact of his visits, just like we are now seeing influx of prospective investors on account of the ease of doing business status of our dear state.

Misilli is Director-General ( Press Affairs) Government House Gombe
Hundreds of card-carrying members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Gombe State have decamped to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The decampees include a former deputy governor, John Yoriyo; a former gubernatorial aspirant, Abdulkadir Saleh; a former member of the House of Representatives, Abubakar Abubakar, and some party officials at various wards and local governments.

The Gombe State PDP Chairman, M. A. Kwaskebe, a retired major general, received the decampees Saturday in Gombe on behalf of the party leader and former governor of the state, Ibrahim Dankwambo, at the states PDP secretariat.

The chairman said the decampees came at the right time when Nigerians were joining forces to oust President Buhari and Governor Inuwa Yahaya from seats of power.

He said all of the decampees now have equal membership in the party irrespective of when they joined, and promised that their loyalty would be rewarded if they contribute to the success of the party in the 2023 election.

We are glad to receive those that left the party, thinking that the PDP had collapsed. They are now coming back home, he said.

Speaking on behalf of the decampees, a two-term deputy governor in the state, Mr Yoriyo, and Abdulkadir Saleh, who spoke on behalf of the decampees from Gombe South and Gombe North Senatorial Districts respectively, decried the ruling partys resort to lies and propaganda to cover what they called its ineptitude and lack of focused leadership.

Mr Yoriyo said, It is obvious that the APC has failed in Nigeria, especially in the area of security, adding that the PDP remained the best political party in Nigeria when compared to what is obtainable in the APC.

He added that, I was in the APC and I have seen everything that is happening, nothing encouraging. PDP is the best place to be. There was nothing like democracy under APC in Gombe State. Nobody knows what is happening; we were ignorant; we are just being ruled.

Mr Saleh also accused the APC government of failure to live up to its election promises. He said the ruling partys unwise policies that inflict hardship on the citizens is a main reason for leaving the APC for PDP.

He promised to work assiduously to ensure the PDP bounces back to power in the state and federal level.

In his remarks, a former lawmaker representing Balanga/Billiri federal constituency, Ali Isa, expressed optimism that all elections in the state would be won by the party. He said the states electorate had gotten disenchanted by the APCs poor performance in the state.
Since his first term as the governor of Jigawa State between 2015 and 2019, Mohammed Abubakar, has been known in the state as calculator governor.

But on Friday, the governor explained why his people call him so, saying his commitment to setting priorities right and getting value for money earned him the sobriquet.

Mr Abubakar spoke while hosting the immediate past comptroller-general of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Mohammed Babandede.

Mr Babandede, an indigene of Hadejia in Jigawa State, recently retired from the service after serving as the comptroller-general for five years.

Meaning

The governor, who said he was in private business for many years before venturing into politics, said the responsibility of a leader is to always consider the lives to be impacted by their decisions.

He said if as a businessman he could not be wasteful with his resources, he did not see reasons that should change as a public servant.

He, however, said many people have refused to understand the meaning of his nickname, and that they have continued to erroneously interpret it to mean that he is stingy.

People refuse to understand the meaning of calculator; it is just value for money, that is, getting your priorities right at the right cost.

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It is for a leader to judge between building a luxury house for himself and to provide basic services for the benefit of the people. You have to weigh the options for every expenditure, how many lives will be touched? That is the meaning of what we do, myself and Babandede.

Being a calculator is not about keeping money, calculating money or being stingy but it is about putting the priorities right and doing it well. And fortunately, I have been on the business side for a very long time. So I know the prices for almost everything and I have contacts that know prices who can support. So we try to direct expenditure correctly.

The governor said no one can give him a price of N40,000 for what can be done for N20,000. That is the calculator.

Once you are in public life and in politics, your thinking must change. Your primary concern should be the people that voted for you, Mr Abubakar added.

Appreciation

Meanwhile, the former comptroller-general thanked the governor for his support and encouragement during his service years.

He said at his pulling out ceremony, the governor was already on seat before 9 a.m for a programme slated for 10 a.m.

Mr Babandede said: We have come to thank you for your support when I was the CG and even when I was leaving the service. You were the first person to arrive the pulling out ceremony. The programme was scheduled for 10a.m but before 9a.m you were already in your seat. That is a huge honour. If you were not there, the ceremony would have been different but when your own governor is on a seat, and my own emir was also on seat, then there was nothing left.

I have also come to tell you that the emir of my home town is organising dinner for me and the emir of Ringim is organising lunch for me on Sunday. They said they appreciate our modest contributions to our community, even though I have given them clear warning that there should be no political rallies because I have just retired and I have not indicated any intention to do anything.

The former CGI said it would have been wrong of him to enter the state without first meeting the governor whom he said gave him so much honour and support.

No ambition yet

Mr Babandede said he has no political ambition yet except that he wants to rest to think of the next chapter in his life.

One needs to rest, sit down properly before one decides on what to do. This clarification is important because social media could be terrible. Before you know it, stories will be flying around.

So I said I cannot enter Hadejia or visit Ringim without visiting the governor, that is the protocol. That is why I have come here. The intention is nothing. I didnt organise it but the people are doing so. It is simply to answer their call and thank them in return. They feel that one has done something for them and that is why they want to show respect. But the biggest respect for me is the one for my governor, he added.

He thanked the governor for what he described as changing the narratives in Jigawa State, saying unlike the culture of giving money to individuals in the past, the state could now boast of infrastructure and basic amenities.

My greatest anger with our political system is wasteful spending. Many people in our land believe that politics is about giving out money. So I must thank you for tightening the expenditure in Jigawa. We no longer hear of such wasteful spending in Jigawa again. To deal with my governor, you must be able to calculate properly. That is sanity. He brought sanity into public spending.

A lot of people have come and gone since independence and they were only known for giving individuals money. So when you ask them what they have done, it is nothing. I dont want to talk much because I just retired as a public servant.

Worthy ambassador

In his reaction, the governor said Mr Babandede deserves all receptions that may have been planned in his honour, saying the people of his home town were only faster than the state government.

The governor said: Well, we have to thank you very much because we had a worthy ambassador out there. I have seen and I know that the Nigeria Immigration Service never had it so well. It is not me that said it but the minister (Minister of interior, Rauf Aregbesola). It was a testimony for those who were there at the pulling out ceremony.

So Jigawa sons and daughters will always be proud of you for being a good ambassador. And Im sure that you are not tired. The time will come when we will need your service. I am very sure of that. The same passion that you have for the development of the country and the state we will demonstrate the same to support you. So I congratulate you for a very wonderful exit from civil service and a toast to a promising new beginning because the records are there.
SINGAPORE and TANZANIA, Sept. 15, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Thunes, a global leader in cross-border payments, today announced the launch of a new service corridor for users of M-Pesa Tanzania, enabling Tanzanians to seamlessly move money from their M-Pesa mobile wallets directly to any bank account in Kenya and Rwanda.

Thunes and M-Pesa Tanzania have been working together since 2018, with M-Pesa Tanzania using Thunes' cross-border payments network to enable remittances to most major e-wallets within East Africa. Thanks to this new collaboration, businesses and individuals in Tanzania can now send money quickly across borders, directly to all banks in Kenya and Uganda.

"We are glad to be able to strengthen our partnership with M-Pesa, and jointly help millions of people in Africa access financial services and affordable international payments. We continue to see tremendous growth opportunities on the continent and are committed to building payments infrastructure that will benefit businesses and communities," said Sandra Yao, Senior Vice President, Africa, Thunes.

The growth trajectory of economic and trade activity in East Africa remains very strong. Data from the World Bank shows that trade between Tanzania and its neighbouring countries, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda, is worth approximately $896 million, with trade between Tanzania, Kenya and Rwanda at $635 million. Tanzania's economic growth continues to climb, with GDP reaching an all-time high of $62.41 billion in 2020.

"This cooperation with Thunes broadens the reach across East African Markets for millions of Tanzanian-based businesses and individuals. More entrepreneurs and consumers connected to the M-Pesa platform will be able to benefit from the speed and convenience for payments beyond borders that the Thunes' network provides," said Epimack Mbeteni, M-Pesa Director from Vodacom Tanzania.

Thunes provides payment rails to mobile wallets, banks, and, in some cases, cash payouts in Africa. Thunes currently has over 50 intra-Africa corridors helping to facilitate faster, cheaper and more transparent transactions for the consumers, giving access to over 200 million mobile wallets in Africa.

For more information, visit http://www.thunes.com/

Contact: Irina Chuchkina, +65-9775-5128, press@thunes.com

Related Links

http://www.thunes.com/



SOURCE Thunes
The receipt of the Licence is the final requirement for Materia Malta to begin commercial production and export of medical cannabis. Materia Malta's facility, which is already EU GMP certified, has an annual throughput capacity of 6,000kg, representing a potential sale value of 36MM based on a blended average sales price across several key European markets.

Deepak Anand, CEO of Materia, said, "We are delighted to be fully licensed and to begin generating revenues from our Malta facility. I'd like to congratulate our entire team for helping realize our vision of a state-of-the-art processing facility, especially in working through the circumstances presented by the pandemic over the last 18 months."

Malta Enterprise, the government's economic development agency, also applauded the work of Materia. Malta Enterprise's CEO Kurt Farruga said, "We are delighted to see Materia achieve this milestone. We have been working closely with Materia since the beginning and the calibre of the team exemplifies the type of company we are proud to support here in Malta. We fully expect Materia to be one of the industry's long-term leaders."

Materia Malta has already begun the process of importing its first batch of raw material for commercial production and will begin fulfillment of its supply commitments imminently, starting with the initial target markets of Germany, Malta and the UK. The first product has already been successfully registered on the narcotics licence of Materia Deutschland GmbH ahead of its import into and across Germany.

"As happy as we are to secure our licence, we immediately begin execution on the next phase of our plan," commented Nick Pateras, Managing Director, Europe, at Materia. "We now have a fully built and licensed pathway into the European market for cultivation partners all over the world. This encompasses our in-house processing expertise in Malta on top of our distribution capabilities into and across Germany, Europe's biggest market, through Materia Deutschland."

About Materia

Materia is a leading independent processor and distributor of medical cannabis and CBD wellness products. Materia has developed a robust EU-GMP manufacturing and distribution ecosystem to grow the legal cannabinoid market across Europe. With its research-driven team and regulatory expertise, Materia focuses on the high-margin downstream activities of processing, formulation and distribution into markets wherever there is a patient in need of cannabis medicine or CBD consumers seeking innovative new products.

For further information, please contact:

Deepak Anand, CEO

Email: investors@materiaventures.com

Website: http://www.materia.global/

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1624361/Materia_Ventures_Materia_Receives_Commercial_Production_Licence.jpg

Related Links

http://www.materia.global/



SOURCE Materia Ventures
PARIS, May 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- MediaConnect, an AFP subsidiary, will offer an innovative service that will facilitate and simplify relations between journalists and public relations professionals from businesses, institutions and NGOs.

Through this platform, which will also be available for mobile, journalists will be able to freely access a wide range of content: press releases, photos, audio, video, live events, broadcasters' agendas, archives and image banks.

They will be able to receive notifications about their choice of topics and customize how they use the platform according to their priorities.

MediaConnect will use encryption technology to ensure the absolute security of sensitive material and prevent the publication of fake statements.

With MediaConnect, public relations professionals will be able to promote, enhance and target their messages in both French and English.

The platform, which mainly will target the French market in the first instance, also offers the possibility of managing the distribution of content on an international scale and to measure its impact through a series of tools.

The public will have access to MediaConnect and will be able to consult announcements from companies, institutions and organisations at source.

The platform will be fully operational by mid-June. MediaConnect will then become available to business, institutions and organisations and will offer newsroom training.

AFP chairman Fabrice Fries said: "With this new subsidiary, we continue to develop media services with a unique tool, in line with our core business and areas of expertise."

The platform was designed in partnership with the company Epresspack, one of the main suppliers of turnkey press sites to companies and institutions. This technological expertise complements AFP's know-how in multimedia content management and its understanding of journalists' requirements.

"We are very proud of this technological, commercial and financial partnership with AFP", said Antoun Sfeir, CEO and founder of Epresspack. "It is a recognition of the innovative solutions we have been developing for 10 years for the benefit of companies and their reputations".

AFP has named Anne Boussarie as managing director of its new subsidiary. This media industry professional has over 20 years of international sales and marketing experience.

"Our ambition is to offer the largest virtual media centre for public relations professionals and a working tool for journalists, which will become indispensable to them all", she said.

About AFP

AFP is a leading global news agency providing fast, comprehensive and verified coverage of the events shaping our world and of the issues affecting our daily lives. Drawing from an unparalleled news gathering network across 151 countries, AFP is also a world leader in digital verification. With 2,400 staff representing 100 different nationalities, AFP covers the world in six languages, with a unique quality of multimedia storytelling spanning video, text, photos and graphics.

About Epresspack

Epresspack is the communication showcase for 300 major brands and multi-sector companies (30% in the CAC 40 and 10% in the FOOTSIE 100). A publisher and SAAS specialist, this French tech player deploys content platforms (publication, certification, distribution, live, audience analysis, workplace) dedicated to the reputation issues of brands and companies. Founded and chaired by Antoun Sfeir, the start-up - whose economic model is based on subscriptions - has a turnover of 4M (+20%) and 50 employees (Paris, London, Milan and Madrid).

About MediaConnect

An independent subsidiary of the global news agency AFP, MediaConnect is a platform that seeks to facilitate and optimise relations between information professionals and communications officers for companies, institutions and NGOs. For journalists, access will be free for content where the source is certified, in an environment which allows them to customise content and be alerted about the information of their choice. For communications officers, it will be the ideal tool to showcase their messages in front of their target audience.

SOURCE AFP
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C., Aug. 27, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- C2 Communications, a national award-winning public relations and marketing firm, has partnered with Excel Guyana, Inc. to raise awareness of the diverse business growth opportunities, infrastructure improvements and joint-venture construction projects needed to support Guyana's oil and gas boom.

For more than 30 years, the executive leadership team at Excel Guyana has been building business in the CARICOM region with a local presence in Guyana since 2010. The firm is committed to operating in Guyana with integrity and supporting the local economy by establishing relationships that benefit the regional workforce and elevate the local community.

"Our team has always sought to have a positive impact in the communities that we serve. We are excited to partner with an organization that is leading the way to a brighter future for the Guyanese people," said Cyndee Woolley, President of C2 Communications.

According to ExxonMobil, recent exploration of the Stabroek Block offshore Guyana revealed a significant new oil discovery increasing yields of recoverable resources estimated at 9 billion barrels of oil. ExxonMobil expects to have six projects to develop its current recoverable resource online by 2027, with the potential for as many as ten. Global oil, gas and energy companies are investing heavily in the region, which has led to projections of 20.9% economic growth by the World Bank (June 2021).

"While the positive growth and impact of the oil and gas industry is highly visible, our goal is to work with the Government of Guyana and the business community to create sustainable economic growth in the region. This includes everything from improving roads and utilities, to supporting the projected influx of workers with upwards of 50,000 housing units," said Kris Sammy, Chief Executive Officer of Excel Guyana.

As a resident of Guyana, Sammy has helped new and foreign companies establish profitable local business investments in the area. He is the co-founder of AlphaGold Corp, a mining project generator focused on the Guiana Shield, and he is a Trade & Investment Committee member with The Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI). Additionally, Excel Guyana is an active member of The American Chamber of Commerce Guyana (AmCham), Guyana Manufacturing & Services Association (GMSA), Guyana Gold & Diamond Miners Association, and the Guyana Oil & Gas Energy Chamber (GOGEC).

For more information, visit www.ExcelGuyana.com.

SOURCE C2 Communications
NEW YORK, Aug. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Colbeck Capital Management announced it had provided a $58.5 million facility to ramp up operations of an American fuel producer. The growth capital will support the new company's production, storage, and distribution of biodiesel.

"We are proud to support our partners as they promote the global use of environmentally-friendly, sustainably-produced fuels," said Jason Colodne, managing director and founding partner of Colbeck Capital. "As the country takes steps toward reducing carbon output, we are thrilled to support an American producer of low-carbon, clean-burning fuel."

Biodiesel is widely considered a carbon-efficient alternative to other fuels as its feedstocks are typically natural, renewable, or the recycled by-product of other production processes. As a result, biodiesel can be over 70% less carbon-intensive than petroleum diesel. Biodiesel also significantly reduces emissions of carbon monoxide, particulate matter, unburned hydrocarbons, and sulfates compared to traditional fuels. Studies suggest that biodiesel reduces emissions of carcinogenic compounds by as much as 85% compared to petrodiesel.

Colbeck Capital's history of strategic lending spans a broad array of industries and geographies, as the team responds to the rapidly evolving capital landscape and provides innovative solutions for their clients. For more information on Colbeck Capital's previous transactions, please visit http://colbeck.com/news .

About Colbeck Capital Management



Colbeck Capital Management is a strategic lender that partners with companies during periods of transition, providing creative capital solutions to meet their evolving needs. Founded in 2009 by Jason Colodne and Jason Beckman, Colbeck Capital has offices in New York City and Los Angeles. To learn more about Colbeck Capital, visit www.colbeck.com.

SOURCE Colbeck Capital Management

Related Links

https://www.colbeck.com


LEE'S SUMMIT, Mo., Sept. 14, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Dignity:Liberia is building on its ten-year history of creating access to maternal healthcare in West Africa. Its new maternity waiting home, House of Hope and Dignity, will address a common but preventable injury  obstetric fistula. They seek donors and advocates for the project through their Big Push fundraising campaign.

QR Code for more information

Obstetric fistula impacts about 1,200 Liberian women annually. It is a severe tear between a woman's birth canal and her bladder or her rectum, typically resulting from obstructed labor or from sexual assault. On average, Liberian fistula patients are seventeen years old and have had their fistula for five years. Without prevention or treatment of fistulas, they can expect lifelong suffering from physical pain, social shame, and chronic symptoms like incontinence.

Dignity:Liberia's House of Hope and Dignity will help prevent fistula by providing regular obstetric appointments to identify high risk patients and provide attended births. Close to the local hospital, patients will also experience lower birth mortality. Partnership with the Liberian government and its citizens will be critical to ensuring the facility's sustainability. Fortunately, Dignity:Liberia has worked with a Liberian architect on the building design; it will be constructed by Liberians and, once operational, it will be staffed by a local workforce.

DIGNITY:LIBERIA

Dignity:Liberia is a nonprofit, 501c3 organization with ten years of experience providing maternal care, specifically the prevention and treatment of obstetric fistula. Its board members either grew up in Liberia or have developed close ties to the country as adults. Dignity:Liberia is also a registered Liberian NGO. The organization partners with the local medical and business communities, and those working closest with fistula survivors. Dignity:Liberia has launched a fundraising campaign, The Big Push.

Dignity:Liberia

Kathi Gutierrez

Founder, President and Executive Director

(816) 217-8751

[email protected]

https://www.dignityliberia.org

SOURCE Dignity:Liberia
NANJING, China, Sept. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- On September 26, 2021, GenScript ProBio and AskGene signed a license agreement for GenScript ProBio's single-domain antibody (sdAb) targeting an immune checkpoint target. GenScript ProBio grants a non-exclusive global license to AskGene to use GenScript ProBio's sdAb targeting immune checkpoint target for discovery, development and commercialization of its antibody and derivative products. In the future, GenScript ProBio will be the preferred partner for CMC development, clinical and commercial manufacturing of this product.

AskGene, founded in 2012 in Los Angeles, California, is aspired to become the leader in the cytokine prodrug field. The sdAb involved in this license agreement will be paired with AskGene's proprietary next-generation cytokine therapeutics for cancer immunotherapy and other applications. Compared with traditional antibodies, single-domain antibodies feature lower molecular weight, higher stability, and easier recombinant expression.

Since the establishment of its sdAb discovery platform in 2010, GenScript has accumulated over 11 years of sdAb research and development experience. At present, GenScript ProBio has built up integrated sdAb immune library, sdAb naive library, sdAb humanization, antibody screening and functional validation platforms. GenScript ProBio has so far reached 6 licensing deals on sdAb products with global biotech and pharma.

"We are very glad to cooperate with AskGene, a team of experienced scientists, and we feel so honored to provide support for the promising next-generation cytokine therapeutic projects," Dr. Brian Min, CEO of GenScript ProBio said. "I believe the cooperation will further show the technology and platform advantages of both parties. We will keep an eye on the progress of this project and look forward to using GenScript ProBio's solid CMC development experience to accelerate the project to clinic application and benefit patients."

AskGene's Jeff Lu, Ph.D., CEO, said, "GenScript ProBio has profound accumulation and core competitiveness in single domain antibody discovery. We are very pleased to cooperate with this highly professional CDMO company to support us in developing the promising next-generation cytokine therapeutics to benefit patients. We look forward to cooperating with GenScript ProBio to jointly accelerate the transformation of medicine and create a better future."

About AskGene Pharma Inc

AskGene (California, USA), founded in 2012 in Los Angeles, California, is pioneering the development of next generation cytokine therapeutics. It is led by an experienced team with proven track records of developing novel biologics. AskGene has established the cutting edge SmartKine cytokine prodrug platform. The SmartKine platform significantly improves the developability of cytokines for oncology and inflammation indications. AskGene is actively moving multiple projects into clinical and preclinical developments.

About GenScript ProBio

GenScript ProBio is the biologics CDMO segment of GenScript, proactively providing end-to-end service from drug discovery to commercialization with proactive strategies, professional solutions and efficient processes in antibody drug and gene and cell therapy to accelerate drug development for customers.

GenScript ProBio's innovative solutions for antibody drug development include antibody drug discovery, antibody engineering and antibody characterization. In terms of biologics development service, GenScript ProBio has built a regulatory-compliant platform, from stable cell line development, host cell license, process development, analytical development to clinical manufacturing services, providing fed-batch and perfusion process to accelerate IND process and high quality material for clinical trials. GenScript ProBio has successfully delivered multiple CMC and GMP manufacturing projects.

GenScript ProBio's total gene and cell therapy solution covers CMC of plasmid and virus for IND filing as well as clinical manufacturing and commercial manufacturing. Our quality management systems ensure phase appropriate compliance, data integrity and traceability.

https://www.genscriptprobio.com

SOURCE GenScript ProBio
LONDON, Sept. 10, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- History was made on September 7th 2021, when the inaugural CARICOM-Africa Summit was held virtually under the theme 'Unity Across Continents and Oceans: Opportunities for Deepening Integration'. The meeting, which was delayed a year due to the pandemic, aimed at 'Promoting closer collaboration between Africa Diaspora, People of African Descent and the Caribbean and Pacific region and institutions.'

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta led the summit with leaders of 69 countries between Africa and the Caribbean. Among matters discussed were greater economic trade and investment opportunities between Africa and the Caribbean and solidarity in addressing global challenges, including climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Colleagues, we have it within our power to demand change in the international system and to fight for it and to make it happen. But only if we act harmoniously," said President Kenyatta. "We are a population of approximately 1.4 billion people, with great natural and wealth-creating resources including oil, gas, agriculture, minerals, forestry, tourism, fisheries and much more."

Dominica's Prime Minister, Dr Roosevelt Skerrit, said urgent progress was needed on all that was discussed, and his island nation stood ready to play its part. He shared the excitement and expectations across the Caribbean and Africa for closer cooperation and contact between the continent and the region  and supported the call for an annual summit.

In recent years, many African nationals from Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa and more have opted for dual nationality through the Citizenship by Investment (CBI) Programmes offered by several Caribbean nations like Dominica and St Kitts and Nevis. These programmes permit individuals to contribute to a nation's economy and gain additional travel rights, something African passports lack.

"The Caribbean CBI route allows African communities to build and grow their business and investments internationally, and it makes families feel a part of a region that they share a cultural heritage with," says Micha Emmett, who is a South African dual-qualified lawyer and the CEO of a London headquartered citizenship advisory. "With ties strengthening between Africa and the Caribbean region, we can only expect more persons to partake in this initiative that is a win-win for both sides," she added.

Meanwhile, CARICOM Secretary-General Dr Carla Barnett said the cycle of history has brought the Caribbean and Africa into a new union "that is freely entered into." "As we seek to rebuild our economies we must become alive for the opportunities for investment," she added.

[email protected], www.csglobalpartners.com



SOURCE CS Global Partners
LONDON, Sept. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Justin Kareem Hawley was recently appointed as the first Ambassador of St Kitts and Nevis to the UAE. In a meeting that took place between Hawley and the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, credentials were presented and Hawley was officially welcomed. This important appointment comes at a time when the governments of St Kitts and Nevis and the UAE continue to explore ways in which the two can further cooperation. The two nations currently liaise in areas of renewable energy development, climate change adaptation and tourism.

St Kitts and Nevis is also home to many individuals from the Middle East, including the Gulf countries, that constitute a vital part of the Citizenship by Investment (CBI) programme of St Kitts and Nevis. The programme grants citizenship to individuals of high net worth and their families, generally within a matter of months, who get visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to nearly 160 countries. Furthermore, new citizens are also permitted access to healthcare, education and full working and living rights in the sunny Caribbean nation.

Nevis's Premier, Hon. Mark Brantley, also applauded the new Ambassador. "I congratulate our very first Ambassador to the UAE HE Justin Hawley. This significant upgrade to our diplomatic presence in the Middle East will allow St Kitts and Nevis to continue to deepen and strengthen relations with this significant region of the world," he tweeted.

CS Global Partners is one of the authorised representatives for the St Kitts and Nevis CBI Programme with a presence in the UAE. Paul Singh, the firm's director, said there was a notable increase of interest in CBI from the Arab world during the pandemic. The demographic that the programme largely caters to in the region are from Lebanon, Iraq, Egypt, Jordan and Morocco. "Second citizenship is essential for many from the Middle East, especially in the UAE, because it gives them an opportunity to grow their business and set up offices in major business hubs worldwide."

The CBI programme was launched in St Kitts and Nevis in 1984 to stimulate foreign direct investment inflows and is now the longest-standing in the world. Last month, it was ranked as the best globally by the Financial Times' PWM magazine.

Contact:

[email protected]

www.csglobalpartners.com



SOURCE CS Global Partners

Related Links

https://csglobalpartners.com


CHICAGO, Sept. 9, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In-depth analysis and data-driven insights on the impact of COVID-19 included in this United Arab Emirates (UAE) data center market report.

UAE data center market size is expected to grow at a CAGR of over 7.99% during the period 20202026. UAE data center market research report includes market size in terms of area, investment, power capacity, and colocation revenues. Get insights on 24 existing and 13 upcoming facilities spread across 5 cities, including Dubai, Abu Dubai, and other cities (Al Ain, Fujairah, and Sharjah).

Key Highlights Offered in the Report:

The UAE is one of the largest data center hubs in the Middle East , and its data center industry is thriving due to good submarine cable connectivity, high speed internet bandwidth, significant digital transformation, and fast adoption of the Internet of Things (IoT). Dubai is the leading data center market in the UAE, with 16 unique third-party data center facilities accounting for around 60% of the existing power capacity, followed by Abu Dhabi , contributing to over 30% of the power capacity. The UAE has free trade zones benefitting industrial and enterprise investments, with tax incentives. In 2020, the UAE received investment from colocation providers Equinix, Gulf Data Hub, Khazna Data Centers, Etisalat, Moro Hub, and Group 42. The UAE has a presence of prominent cloud service providers such as Huawei Technologies, Alibaba, Microsoft, Oracle, IBM, and Amazon Web Services (AWS). In January 2020 , IBM launched two data centers in Abu Dhabi and Dubai , UAE. AWS has announced a new cloud region in Abu Dhabi , to be operational in 2022. Dubai is one of the world's first smart cities and is one of the world's fastest adopters of Internet of Things (IoT). The Smart IoT Dubai project is a government initiative to connect sensors across the city. Civil rights and law enforcement are a few legal issues connected with Smart IoT Dubai. The UAE is working towards installing 42 GW of renewable energy in the country by 2050. Dubai has already started work on this vision by commissioning a five-part renewable energy project and is currently setting up an 800 MW solar park.

Key Offerings:

Market Size & Forecast by Area, Power Capacity, Investment, and Colocation Revenue | 2020-2026

Impact of COVID-19 on Data Center Market

Snapshot of existing and upcoming third-party facilities in UAE

Facilities Covered (Existing): 24



Facilities Identified (Upcoming): 13



Coverage: 5 cities



Existing vs. Upcoming (Data Center Area)



Existing vs. Upcoming (IT Load Capacity)

Data center colocation market in UAE

Market Revenue & Forecast (2020-2026)



Retail Colocation Pricing



Wholesale Colocation Pricing

Market Dynamics  Leading trends, growth drivers, restraints, and investment opportunities

Market Segmentation  A detailed analysis by IT infrastructure, electrical infrastructure, mechanical infrastructure, general construction, and tier standard

Key Market Participants  List of 9 IT infrastructure providers, 11 construction service providers, 15 support infrastructure providers, and 7 data center investors

Get your sample today! https://www.arizton.com/market-reports/united-arab-emirates-data-center-market

UAE Data Center Market  Segmentation

The adoption of advanced technologies such as cloud, IoT, big data, and artificial intelligence by enterprises will lead to higher adoption of high-performance computing infrastructure during the forecast period. The rise in digital transformation strategies and the adoption of cloud computing by enterprises are likely to increase cloud server adoption in the UAE.

Majority of the data center facilities in the UAE are adopting N+1 redundant diesel generators with fuel back up of up to 24 hours. For instance, Gulf Data Hub Dubai data center facility is installed with N+1 redundancy generator with capacity of 16,000KVA and fuel storage of around 48,000 liters for 24 hours backup.

In the UAE, most data centers are designed to cool servers through water-based cooling techniques. The growing construction of data centers will be one of the factors for the development of multiple chillers, cooling towers, and CRAH units.

Market Segmentation by IT Infrastructure

Servers

Storage Systems

Network Infrastructure

Market Segmentation by Electrical Infrastructure

UPS Systems

Generators

Transfer, Switches & Switchgears

Rack PDUs

Other Electrical Infrastructure

Market Segmentation by Mechanical Infrastructure

Cooling Systems

Rack Cabinets

Other Mechanical Infrastructure

Market Segmentation by General Construction

Building Development

Installation & Commissioning Services

Building Design

Physical Security

Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM)

Market Segmentation by Tier Standard

Tier I & Tier II

Tier III

Tier IV

Market Segmentation by Geography

Dubai

Abu Dhabi

Other Cities

UAE Data Center Market  Dynamics

As of January 2021, the population of the UAE was around 9.94 million. Internet users in the country are around 9.84 million as of 2021, at 99% internet penetration. Dubai is one of the world's first smart cities and is one of the world's fastest adopters of Internet of Things (IoT). The Smart IoT Dubai project is a government initiative to connect sensors across the city. Civil rights and law enforcement are a few legal issues connected with Smart IoT Dubai. In Dubai private and public companies are participating in IoT development to create job opportunities and new revenue streams.

Dubai Internet of Things (IoT) strategy seeks to build the world's most advanced Internet Of Things (IoT) ecosystem in the world's smartest city to improve people's lives. Etisalat Digital uses NB-IoT technology to enable smart parking solutions to drivers to easily locate free parking spots in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Software AG and du, from Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company (EITC), signed a partnership to provide a subscription-based licensing model IoT services to its business customers.

Key Drivers and Trends fueling Market Growth:

Cloud Adoption is Driving Data Center Demand

On-Premises Infrastructure Migrates to Colocation & Managed Services

Procurement of Renewable Energy

5G Deployment Leading Edge Data Center Investment

UAE Data Center Market - Existing Vs. Upcoming Data Centers

Existing Facilities in the region (White Floor Area and Power Capacity)

Dubai

Abu Dubai

Other Cities

List of Upcoming Facilities in the region (White Floor Area and Power Capacity)

Get your sample today! https://www.arizton.com/market-reports/united-arab-emirates-data-center-market

Key Market Participants

IT Infrastructure Providers

Arista Networks

Atos

Cisco Systems

Dell Technologies

Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE)

Huawei Technologies

IBM

Lenovo

NetApp

Construction Constructors & Sub-Contractors

Aldar Properties

DC PRO Engineering

Edarat Group

HHM Building Contracting

Laing O'Rourke

Linesight

M+W Group (Exyte)

McLAREN Construction Group

RED

RW Armstrong

Turner & Townsend

Support Infrastructure Providers

ABB

Caterpillar

Cummins

Delta Electronics

Eaton

HITEC Power Protection

Johnson Controls

Legrand

Rittal

Rolls-Royce Power Systems

Schneider Electric

STULZ

Shenzhen Envicool Technology

Siemens

Vertiv Group

Data Center Investor

Amazon Web Services (AWS)

Equinix

Etisalat Group

Future Digital Data Systems

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We offer comprehensive market research reports on industries such as consumer goods & retail technology, automotive and mobility, smart tech, healthcare, and life sciences, industrial machinery, chemicals and materials, IT and media, logistics and packaging. These reports contain detailed industry analysis, market size, share, growth drivers, and trend forecasts.

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WASHINGTON, Sept. 15, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Kinnami Software Corporation today announced it won a U.S. Air Force Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) contract in partnership with West Virginia University (WVU). This Phase 2 STTR award, sponsored by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) under its AFWERX Agility Prime program, will fund technology development focused on improving operations and outcomes of Personnel Recovery (PR) and CSAR missions. This research is in collaboration with the U.S. Air Force 563rd Rescue Group (RQG), located at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona. The 563rd RQG directs the operations of one HC-130J Combat King, two HH-60G Pave Hawk, and three Guardian Angel squadrons in support of world-wide CSAR taskings. The award supports the continued development of Kinnami's resilient data platform, AmiShare, and WVU's research on robustness of navigation in challenging environments.

Kinnami Resilient Data Fabric

The ability to locate personnel quickly and accurately, and securely collect and share baseline biometrics and other tracking metrics, is critical for successful PR/CSAR operations. Kinnami's resilient data management platform, in combination with WVU positioning and navigation algorithms for unmanned drones, provides a new solution to increase PR/CSAR operational effectiveness in saving isolated personnel. Kinnami's platform can work in degraded communications environments and provides a secure means to share sensitive data, such as location and biometrics. The solution can securely provide data about the person being rescued in real-time to support mission operations more effectively.

"Partnerships like this help us field tomorrow's Air Force faster and smarter, and we're excited to be working with Kinnami and West Virginia University on this important research," said U.S. Air Force Col. Peter White, 563rd RQG commander. "As rescue Airmen, it's our job to save people who are experiencing one of the worst days of their lives. The ability to communicate in real-time with isolated personnel and various assets in contested and degraded environments could contribute to multiple strategic advantages for Air Force personnel recovery operations."

During PR/CSAR missions rescue teams need to be able to accurately locate personnel in harsh environments such as mountainous terrains or inclement weather. Network connectivity is often degraded in these environments; GPS may be degraded or denied, or adversaries may be blocking radio spectrum. Personnel may be injured or immobile and unable to communicate long range. Rescue mission teams need to collect biometrics and other tracking information securely and they want to share information about specific operations with other PR/CSAR operations in parallel. Additionally, rescue missions' assets, such as planes, helicopters, drones, Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOLs) aircraft, must communicate with each other and with the Personnel Rescue Coordination Center or other Command and Control agencies. Kinnami and WVU's combined technology intends to solve these complex problems.

"Kinnami's mission is to provide the resilient data fabric required to make the connected future possible and the autonomous future a reality. This is what the PR/CSAR missions need to advance their capabilities," said Sujeesh Krishnan, CEO of Kinnami Software. "Our hybrid resilient data fabric ensures the irrefutable data integrity and secure data transmissions even in degraded conditions that are required in critical CSAR missions."

"We're excited to be working with Kinnami and the 563rd RQG to advance our research on cooperative multi-agent localization," said Dr. Jason Gross, Associate Professor & Associate Chair for Research, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, of West Virginia University. "Our work is critical to improving outcomes for CSAR missions in difficult environments and we are eager to see this technology in action."

About Kinnami Software Corporation:

Kinnami provides a resilient data fabric that simplifies data availability, protection, and security for the complex distributed networks that are essential for making the connected future possible and an autonomous future a reality. Kinnami's software enables a unified data environment for trust, transparency, and newfound collaboration from edge devices to cloud. Customers achieve the irrefutable data integrity essential to distributed environmentsincluding unsecured or free-standing networks and autonomous operations. Kinnami was founded in 2015 by a team of data management and security experts, and has offices in Boston, Washington, Austin, TX, and London.

Media Contact:

Patricia Friar

512-656-3730

[email protected]

SOURCE Kinnami Software Corporation
NASSAU, Bahamas, Aug. 3, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- With back-to-school season around the corner, it's time to clock in that vacation time  and what better place to enjoy it than in The Bahamas? Embrace island time and sand between your toes with all-new resorts, low fare flight options and plenty of hot deals.

NEWS

Dave Stewart is Bringing Love Back to The Bahamas  Grammy Award-winning musician Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics released a new song, "Love's Coming Back," featuring warm vocals from Bahamian artist Dayonna. The arrangement will help raise funds in support of youth and environmental projects, managed by the Briland Aid organization and the Bahamas National Trust respectively.

Margaritaville Beach Resort Nassau Welcomes Vacationers  Margaritaville Hotels & Resorts made a splash with a successful downtown ribbon-cutting ceremony for the all-new 300-room Margaritaville Beach Resort Nassau, complete with 11 distinct dining options and an on-site waterpark.

Frontier Airlines Adds Even More Non-Stop Flights to Nassau  Frontier Airlines announced new weekly routes to Nassau from Orlando International Airport beginning November 2, 2021. Reservations are now available with fares as low as $69.

Crystal Cruises Crystal Serenity Offers Third Round-Trip Option  Crystal Cruises now offers Luxury Bahamas Escapes voyages, with three ports of embarkation: Nassau on Saturdays, Bimini on Sundays and Miami on Mondays.

Palm Star Travel Announces Non-Stop Trips for East Coast Travellers  Palm Star Travel is scheduled to launch new non-stop services from major U.S. cities including Jacksonville, Nashville and Raleigh beginning November 2021. Booking will be available later this summer.

PROMOTIONS AND OFFERS

For a complete listing of deals and packages for The Bahamas, visit www.bahamas.com/deals-packages.

Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line Gives Back to Essential Workers  After more than a year on the front lines, essential workers have earned a tropical escape and now is the time! Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line launched a "Hometown Heroes" initiative, giving essential workers free two-day cruises to Grand Bahama Island departing now through September 30, 2021.

Two Fly or Cruise Free from Nassau  U.S. and Canadian travellers are encouraged to use those PTO days. Book a participating seven-night getaway now through April 2022 to the unspoiled Out Islands and get two free roundtrip air or ferry tickets from Nassau. Booking window: now  August 31, 2021.

PRESS INQUIRIES

Anita Johnson-Patty

Bahamas Ministry of Tourism & Aviation

[email protected]

Weber Shandwick

Public Relations

[email protected]

SOURCE Bahamas Ministry of Tourism

Related Links

http://www.bahamas.com


NASSAU, Bahamas, May 6, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Travelers wishing for idyllic sandy beaches and irresistible blue waters will find their paradise in The Bahamas this summer.

NEWS

People-to-People Goes Virtual  The beloved program, connecting visitors with locals for 45 years, now offers five free virtual sessions with ambassadors in The Bahamas. To book, visit: https://www.bahamas.com/plan-your-trip/people-to-people.

Increased Airlift  American Airlines launches direct flights from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (ABIA) to Lynden Pindling International Airport (NAS) June 5, 2021. Frontier Airlines also announced direct flights from Miami International Airport (MIA) to Nassau (NAS) four times a week starting July 2021.

Viva Wyndham Fortuna Beach Reopens  the Grand Bahama Island all-inclusive resort welcomes guests back this month with an oceanfront pool, watersports, white-sand beaches, ocean view rooms and more.

Resorts World Bimini's New Beach Destination  Located just 50 miles off the coast of Florida, Resorts World Bimini Beach will debut May 14, 2021, featuring lagoon pools, private cabanas, ocean view dining and more.

The Sugar Factory Heads to Baha Mar  the newest location will be set inside the New Providence resort featuring a restaurant, cafe, confectionary shop, retail store, carousel bar and CandyOcean, a new aquatic-themed immersive experience.

AWARDS AND ACCOLADES

Nominated as Best Spa Destination  The Bahamas has been nominated for the Caribbean's Best Spa Destination award in the 7th annual World Spa Awards. Voting runs May 19 through September 8, 2021.

Top Incentive Travel Destination  Northstar Meeting Group survey revealed The Bahamas as a Top 8 Travel Destination for booking incentive travel in 2021, selected by event organizers, planners and incentive program professionals from all sectors.

PROMOTIONS AND OFFERS

For a complete listing of deals and packages for The Bahamas, visit www.bahamas.com/deals-packages.

$250 Air Credit for Out Island Vacations  U.S. and Canadian residents can take their pick of 10 unspoiled and uncrowded Out Islands and receive an air credit of $250. Booking window: April 5 - May 10, 2021.

Extended Stay Deals  Guests who book an extended stay - 14 days or longer - at Grand Isle Resort on Great Exuma can receive up to 50% off. Margaretville Beach Resort in Nassau is also offering guests who stay 14 days or longer special pricing of up to 40% off regular rates.

Travel Advisor Appreciation  Celebrating "Travel Advisor Month" in May, Warwick Paradise Island  Bahamas is offering rates and a 3rd night free for travel advisors booking now through May 31, for stays through December 20, 2021.

ABOUT THE BAHAMAS

For an overview of The Bahamas' travel and entry protocols, visit Bahamas.com/travelupdates.

Explore all the islands have to offer at www.bahamas.com or on Facebook , YouTube or Instagram .

PRESS INQUIRIES

Anita Johnson-Patty

Bahamas Ministry of Tourism & Aviation

[email protected]

Weber Shandwick

Public Relations

[email protected]

SOURCE Bahamas Ministry of Tourism & Aviation

Related Links

https://www.bahamas.com


KUNMING, China, Sept. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- According to China Environment News: The 15th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP15) will be held in October, 2021, at which representatives from governments, enterprises, NGOs, media and other organizations around the world will gather in Kunming to discuss around the theme of "Ecological Civilization: Building a Shared Future for All Life on Earth" and release the "Kunming Declaration". As one of the eight parallel forums of CBD COP15, the NGO Parallel Forum will be held in Kunming from 27 to 28 September 2021. During the forum, All-China Environment Federation (ACEF) will host the theme forum "Environmental NGOs' Role in Biodiversity Mainstreaming" in joint with International Union for Conservation of Nature(IUCN).

This forum will invite NGOs from different countries in fields of ecological protection, climate change, sustainable consumption, and pollution prevention and control etc. to exchange and form concerted efforts on biodiversity conservation mainstreaming. Practical experiences and outstanding cases will be shared and the "Environmental NGOs' Joint Statement on Biodiversity Conservation Mainstreaming" will also be released by the end of the forum. Relevant institutions such as the government, private sectors, think tanks, and media will also be invited from the perspective of multi-stakeholders. Through incorporating the UN SDGs, all the attendees are expected to discuss and figure out both the opportunities and the challenges for future cooperation on mainstreaming biodiversity conservation as well as building a dialogue and collaboration platform for NGOs and multi-stakeholders.

1. Time

September 27, 2021 14:00-16:00 (Beijing Time)

2. Live Streaming

Chinese:

https://weibo.com/l/wblive/p/show/1022:2321324685441587609873

English:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjpSs1uejVAkz6Zw5YRp-FPVhJCScVX1V

3. Support Biodiversity Mainstreaming

Please Contact [email protected] for details

4. Forum Agenda

14:00-14:05 Opening Video

Living in Harmony with Nature

14:05-14:25 Keynote Speech

Moderator: XIE Yuhong, Vice Chairperson and Secretary General, All-China Environment Federation (ACEF)

1. Mainstreaming: The Main Tool for Achieving the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework

Oliver HILLEL, Programme Officer for Mainstreaming, Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity

2. China's Main Policies and Measures of Accelerating Biodiversity Mainstreaming

LIU Ning, Deputy Executive Director of Executive Committee of the Office of the Executive Committee for COP15, Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) and Chief Negotiator of the Chinese delegation

3. From Marseille to Kunming  Biodiversity Mainstreaming and the Role of NGOs

ZHANG Yan, China Country Coordinator, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)

14:25-15:15 Topic Sharing: Practical Experience Sharing in Promoting Biodiversity Conservation Mainstreaming

Moderator: NI Yao, Deputy Director, Department of International Cooperation, ACEF

1.From the perspective of Ecological Protection

LIAO Haohong, Yunnan Program Senior Manager, the Nature Conservancy

SHAN Shuo, Deputy Director, Professional Committee on Sustainable Use of Plants of China Wild Plant Conservation Association

2.From the perspective of Sustainable Energy

CHENG Zhiqiang, Deputy Secretary General, Global Energy Interconnection Development and Cooperation Organization

LIU Zuming, Coucil Member, China Renewable Energy Society

3.From the perspective of Pollution Control

XIE Xi, Project Lead, Friends of Ocean Action, World Economic Forum

LIU Sheng, Secretary General of Warder of Rivers

4.From the perspective of Cross-cutting Issue

Jocely BLERIOT, Executive Lead - Institutions, Governments and Cities at Ellen MacArthur Foundation

WANG Wenhua, Deputy Secretary General of China Chain-Store & Franchise Association

15:15-15:55 Roundtable: Opportunities and Challenges for Multi-stakeholder Collaboration in Biodiversity Mainstreaming

Moderator: WANG Xiangyi, Vice Chairperson and Executive Director, China Association for NGO Cooperation (CANGO)

-Goverment Representative: Christoffer Gronstad, Environmental Counselor of the Norwegian Embassy in China

-Think Tank Representative: XU Qinhua, head of National Academy of Belt and Road Green Development (NABRGD), CICEC

-Enterprise Representative: WANG Hanyun, Assistant General Manager of Huzhou Grid Corporation

-Financial Institution Representative: WANG Ying, Head of Corporate Sustainability, HSBC

Media Representative: LIU Jia, Audience Development Executive of PR Newswire

-KOL Representative: YANG Xiaoyang (Fruit Hunter), BiliBili creator

15:55-16:00 Releasing Environmental NGOs' Joint Statement on Biodiversity Mainstreaming

XIE Yuhong, Vice Chairperson and Secretary General, ACEF

SOURCE The China Environment News
Shortly after the deal was reached, Meng boarded a charter Air China flight headed to the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen where Huawei is based.

Meng, 49, has not pleaded guilty to fraud charges. Under the agreement, she will not be prosecuted further in the U.S. and the extradition proceedings in Canada will be terminated, according to a statement released by William Taylor III, one of the lawyers representing Meng.

"Facts have already proven that this is a political persecution against a Chinese citizen and its aim is to suppress Chinese high-tech companies," said China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying on Saturday.

What happened three years ago?

On December 1, 2018, Canadian authorities arrested Meng at the request of the U.S. government which accused her of wire fraud and sought her extradition. The incident took place as the Trump administration adopted an aggressive approach in dealing with China on a variety of issues including trade and technology.

Four months before Meng's arrest, the U.S. government fired the opening salvo against Chinese high-tech companies by issuing a ban on the federal government use of products by Huawei and ZTE  two leading Chinese providers of telecom equipment, citing security concerns. The following year, Huawei was added to the U.S. Commerce Department's Entity List, which effectively banned American companies from doing business with the Chinese tech giant.

Why now?

Over the past three years, Meng's detention has been a thorny issue between Beijing and Washington. Tensions that were unfathomable years ago have taken an incendiary crescendo.

There are two factors that facilitated her release, according to Guo Changlin, a former senior diplomat at the Chinese Embassy in the U.S.

"U.S. President Joe Biden is looking to meet with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping at the upcoming G20 summit in person. [Also] Justin Trudeau has just been re-elected as Canadian prime minister [by a narrow margin] and is eager to fling off Meng's case, which after all has been a protracted bone of contention between China and Canada," Guo told CGTN during a phone interview.

Despite Washington's hardline China policy, Biden himself developed a close relationship with Xi when the two were vice presidents. Biden has been to China four times and the two met 11 times in person, noted Li Cheng, director of the John L. Thornton China Center at the Brookings Institution.

"My point was that when I came back from meeting with him [Xi] and traveling 17,000 miles with him   that's how I got to know him so well," Biden remarked during a February town hall meeting.

"They have a personal friendship but how far Biden could go in light of nationwide anti-China sentiments remains to be seen," said Guo.

Li believes that Biden has to flex his muscles since the U.S. voter base is increasingly embracing the anti-China messaging. "He's not that confrontational himself," he added.

What does Meng's release mean to China-U.S. ties?

The release shows Washington's attempt to prevent the stiff competition from spiraling out of control, but it falls short of being a reversal in bilateral tensions, according to Guo. The charges against Huawei remain in place, and the tech giant is still on the U.S. blacklist.

The tech war is brewing. The U.S. pioneered the third industrial revolution and it's been at the very top of the pyramid over the decades. However, on the threshold of the 21st century, China and the U.S. have become fierce contenders in the fourth industrial revolution, which is dominated by chips and algorithms.

The White House listed China as "the only competitor potentially capable of combining its economic, diplomatic, military, and technological power" in its Interim National Security Strategic Guidance.

"The end of the engagement era could date back to 2010 when China became the world's second largest economy," said Guo. When China's GDP exceeded 60 percent of that of the U.S. in 2014, hostility further grew, with containment policies ranging from trade to human rights over the years.

Washington's attempt to contain Beijing in the high-tech realm predates Donald Trump's trade war and continues to this day. A hi-tech decoupling looks inevitable.

To view the original article, click HERE.

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2021-09-25/How-Meng-Wanzhou-stepped-into-a-perfect-storm-between-China-and-U-S--13QK0CBqAYE/index.html 

SOURCE CGTN

Related Links

www.cgtn.com


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Table of Content

Executive Summary

Market Insights

Category Pricing Insights

Cost-saving Opportunities

Best Practices

Category Ecosystem

Category Management Strategy

Category Management Enablers

Suppliers Selection

Suppliers under Coverage

US Market Insights

Category scope

Appendix

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SHANGHAI, Sept. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- JW Therapeutics (HKEx: 2126), an innovative biotechnology company focused on developing, manufacturing and commercializing cell immunotherapy products, today announced updated 1-year follow-up result of relmacabtagene autoleucel injection (relma-cel) for the treatment of relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma (r/r LBCL) at the 24th Annual Meeting of the Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology (CSCO).

RELIANCE Study was a phase II, open-label, single-arm, multi-center clinical study in China, which included 59 adult patients with r/r LBCL who had failed at least 2 lines of previous treatment. As of the December 31st, 2020 data cut-off, in 58 evaluable patients, results include:

Relma-cel showed durable responses and long-term survival benefit; the Best Overall Response Rate was 77.6%, the Best Complete Response Rate was 51.7% and 1-year Overall Survival (OS) was 76.8% with a median follow-up of 17.9 months;

Relma-cel was generally well-tolerated with a safety profile including a low severe Cytokine Release Syndrome (grade 3) of 5.1% and a low severe neurotoxicity rate (grade 3) of 3.4%, and no new safety signals with a median of 17.9 months of follow up;

Long-term follow-up of the RELIANCE study have confirmed the durability of response and long-term OS with relma-cel treatment, which also was associated with low rates of CAR-T-associated toxicities.

"Large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL) is the most common and aggressive type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma and most patients relapse after initial therapies with limited treatment options with standard therapies and a median survival of approximately 6 months," said Mark J. Gilbert, Chief Medical Officer of JW Therapeutics, "These long-term follow-up data reported from the RELIANCE study have confirmed the durability of responses after relma-cel treatment, representing a potentially important treatment option for these patients that appears to offer clear hope of longer survival in these patients."

Reference:

Crump M, Neelapu SS, Farooq U, Van Den Neste E, Kuruvilla J, Westin J, Link BK, Hay A, Cerhan JR, Zhu L, Boussetta S, Feng L, Maurer MJ, Navale L, Wiezorek J, Go WY, Gisselbrecht C. Outcomes in refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: results from the international SCHOLAR-1 study. Blood. 2017 Oct 19;130(16):1800-1808. doi: 10.1182/blood-2017-03-769620. Epub 2017 Aug 3. Erratum in: Blood. 2018 Feb 1;131(5):587-588. PMID: 28774879; PMCID: PMC5649550.

About Relmacabtagene Autoleucel Injection (trade name: Carteyva)

Relmacabtagene autoleucel injection (trade name: Carteyva) is an autologous anti-CD19 CAR-T cell immunotherapy products that was independently developed by JW Therapeutics based on a CAR T cell process platform of Juno Therapeutics (a Bristol Myers Squibb company). The first product of JW Therapeutics, relma-cel was approved by the China National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) in September 2021 for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma after two or more lines of systemic therapy, making it the first CAR-T product approved as a Category 1 biologics product in China. Currently, it is the only CAR-T product in China that has been simultaneously included in the National Significant New Drug Development Program, granted priority review and breakthrough therapy designations.

About RELIANCE Study (NCT04089215)

RELIANCE study was a single-arm, multi-center, pivotal study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of relmacabtagene autoleucel injection (relma-cel) in patients with relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma (r/r LBCL) in China. At the time it was conducted, this study was the largest clinical study of CAR-T cell therapy in China under the Investigational New Drug (IND) pathway.

RELIANCE study enrolled 59 patients with r/r LBCL who had failed at least two lines of therapy, including a CD20 agent and anthracycline, and patients continue to be monitored for up to 2 years and beyond for long term outcomes. As of the December 31st, 2020 data cut-off, the Best Overall Response Rate was 77.6% with a Best Complete Response Rate of 51.7%, and 12-month Overall Survival (OS) was 76.8% in 58 evaluable patients; With a median follow-up of 17.9 months, of 59 treated patients, 5.1% and 3.4% of the patients experienced Cytokine Release Syndrome (CRS) and Neurotoxicity (NT) of Grade 3 or above, respectively. Rates for any severity grade CRS and NT were 47.5% and 20.3%, respectively. Long term follow up of the RELIANCE study have confirmed the durability of response and long-term OS with relma-cel treatment, which also was associated with low rates of CAR-T-associated toxicities.

About JW Therapeutics

JW Therapeutics (HKEx: 2126) is an innovative biotechnology company focusing on developing, manufacturing and commercializing cell immunotherapy products. Co-founded by Juno Therapeutics (a Bristol Myers Squibb company) and WuXi AppTec in 2016, JW Therapeutics is committed to becoming an innovation leader in cell immunotherapy. The company has built a top world-class platform for technology and product development in cell immunotherapy, as well as a promising product pipeline covering both hematologic malignancies and solid tumors, to bring the hope of a cure for Chinese and global patients, and to lead the healthy and standardized development of China's cell immunotherapy industry. For more information, please visit www.jwtherapeutics.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

The forward-looking statements are based on the management's expectations and beliefs and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described. Significant risks and uncertainties, include those discussed below and more fully described in Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEx) reports filed by the Company. Unless otherwise noted, the Company is providing this information as of the date it publicized, and expressly disclaims any duty to update information contained in the issues and relevant information, or provide any explanation. For detailed information, please visit the company website: www.jwtherapeutics.com/en/forward-looking-statements/.

SOURCE JW Therapeutics

Related Links

www.jwtherapeutics.com


The documentary will be among the World's Who's Who, 2021 edition featuring leadership qualities, life challenges, and represent global collaboration during the world crises while highlighting several others who have helped the world in excellence in 2021, a quinquennial edition. Thank you to businesses, CPEs, health workers, service providers and the public.

Once every five years organizations and an engineer, who performed COVID-19 data analysis during the global pandemic National SARS CoV 2 emergency in the documentary is among the World's Who's Who, 2021. Alicia Carroll performed COVID-19 analysis, supply capabilities with cross-references to medical profiles, communicating technical issues and data science. Tech Innovation Global Incorporated will also feature companies, health, global workforce solutions, travel, enviroculture, safety, sustainability and products. Honors also include the British Chamber of Commerce, Global Leaders, CIO Magazine, and in August 2021 AACI advisory board https://www.techinnovationglobalinc.com .

Upcoming launch of global video documentary, Tech Innovation Global Inc. in collaboration with USFCR, announces a multi-million million funding for companies in technology initiatives during 2021 to 2031 (10 years). Tech Innovation Global Inc. with Insight Success proudly supports and invests in corporate visions https://www.corporatevision-news.com/issue-5-2021/. Go to https://techinnovationglobalinc.com/product/request-services/ for past performance to work and advising companies. We are providing services to countries. For more information go to Tech Innovation Global Incorporated, 600 Boulevard Ste 104, Huntsville Alabama 35802.

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Srinagar, Sep 26 : Three army soldiers were injured when the alert troops foiled an infiltration bid by terrorists from across the line of control (LoC) in Uri sector, sources said.

Defence sources said alert troops challenged heavy armed terrorists who were trying to infiltrate in Uri sector on Saturday evening.

"An encounter ensued between the infiltrating terrorists and the army in which 3 soldiers were injured. The operation is still going on in the area," sources said.

Three soldiers injured belong to 12 Jat regiment. They have been shifted to hospital.

Earlier on September 18, another major infiltration bid was foiled by the army in the same sector when a group of terrorists were forced to withdraw back after they were engaged in a sustained gunfight.
Kolkata, Sep 26 : The Kolkata Special Task Force arrested three persons, including one Bangladeshi national identified as Mamun, from the airport area on September 2 and recovered at least 23 SIM boxes, with a capacity to store 256 SIM slots from different locations, 400 preactivated SIM cards, WiFi modems of different service providers, laptops and other communication equipment from them.

The arrests and the subsequent recovery opened up a Pandora's Box exposing an international SIM box-based communication racket across the state that routes international phone calls as local calls, which are charged by local mobile service providers. SIM boxes, also known as SIM-banks, are usually fitted with a few hundred GSM SIM cards used to route calls through data-functional devices.

According to cyber experts a SIM box works as a virtual telephone and the senior police officers investigating the case have expressed serious concern that such illegal exchanges could serve as "secret channels" and could threaten national security while potentially robbing network providers of rightful revenue. According to cyber experts, a SIM box contains a number of SIM cards linked to a gateway, but stored separately, making it difficult to locate and identify the origin of phone calls.

SIM box technology is used to route international calls as local calls. Each box has hundreds of GSM SIM cards. Using this technology, the box operator is able to bypass international rates charged by local mobile network operators and also pose a significant national security risk. Calls rerouted through a SIM box will be masked with a local number. For instance, a call from Pakistan will have a local number.

Even a single SIM box is capable of routing thousands of international dubious calls each day, which shows the gravity of the situation. According to sources, the callers made several attempts to learn about the location and movement of Army contingents in the state of West Bengal. The suspicious activity was detected when army officials in Siliguri flagged the suspicious nature of the calls to the helpline.

More threatening is that in the last 20 days the STF has managed to arrest seven more people in this connection with three of them in Kolkata, one from Nadia, one from Odisha and one a Bangladeshi national traced in North 24 Parganas.

"We have arrested one Amit Gupta from 16 Swinhoe Lane. Gupta was using three active SIM boxes having 512 slots with 73 active mobile phone SIM cards. He was using the technology to terminate the International Subscriber Dialling (ISD) and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) bypassing international gateways of domestic service providers," a senior STF officer said.

Interrogating Gupta, police arrested another person identified as Pradip Dutta from Baranagar area in North 24 Parganas. A huge number of SIM cards and SIM boxes were recovered from him.

This is the second time within a year that a SIM box racket has been busted in Bengal. In December last year, city police busted a similar racket after receiving inputs from the Lucknow-based Military Intelligence Unit.

"The revelations are a threat to national security and we have informed the union ministry of home affairs regarding the development. We are also trying to find out whether there is any terror link to the whole thing. The arrested people are being interrogated to know their exact plans and details," the officer said.
Shimla, Sep 26 : The low cost climate-resilient agriculture -- a type of farming involving eco-friendly processes in the face of climate change with the optimum use of cow dung and cow urine to make the degraded soil nutrients healthy again -- is not only gaining ground in the mountainous state of Himachal Pradesh but also attracting researchers.

One such researcher Carole Durand, 28, from France is currently in the state to understand how the unregulated use of fertilizers and pesticides has degraded the soil, deteriorated the groundwater causing health hazards. Now natural farming, involving chemical-free sustainable agriculture, has been scaled up.

"If we want to sustain ourselves in a more natural way, non-chemical farming is a great option," Carole Durand from Aveyron told IANS.

Durand is in the state with her friend, Shahzad Parbhoo from Maharashtra to gain first hand knowledge of the low cost climate resilient natural farming technique being promoted by the state government under Prakritik Kheti Khushhal Kisan Yojana.

The state has been advocating Subash Palekar's zero budget natural farming, a technique promoted by Padma Shri recipient Subhash Palekar in the mid-1990s with no use of fertilisers and pesticides, resulting in high profits.

As per official records, 133,056 farmers have switched over to natural farming 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.

The farmers are doing the natural way farming on 7,609 hectares after training organized by the State Project Implementing Unit.

A nurse by profession, Durand came to India five years ago. For the last three years, she along with Parbhoo, a management professional, has been exploring the possibilities of non-chemical agriculture as a livelihood option.

"My grandfather, who was a strawberry farmer in France, died of brain cancer, may be because strawberries need frequent chemical sprays. The chemical farming has done much damage to the health of farmers in that area," she explained.

There is awareness among people about organic farming in France, but natural farming is amazing, she told the media.

"I had met Rajeshwar Singh Chandel (Prakritik Kheti Khushhal Kisan Yojana Executive Director) last year while I was doing a one-year apprenticeship at an agriculture farm (based on bio-dynamics) near Anand in Gujarat. He told me about the natural farming initiatives in Himachal Pradesh, wherein the farmers are not using any chemical fertilizer or pesticide," she said.

Durand and Parbhoo travelled to several farms earlier this month in Kangra, Mandi, Shimla and Solan districts where the natural farming of vegetables, cereals, pulses and fruits is being carried out.

"In Maharashtra infrastructure development has gobbled up agriculture fields near urban areas in a big way. In Himachal, we saw agriculture farms everywhere. Most of them are taking multiple crops from the same field after they switched to natural farming," said Parbhoo.

He said the farmers in the hill state were quite aware of the advantages of non-chemical natural farming in the long run. "A number of them said they were fed up with the overuse of chemicals which was increasing their expenditure, while crop production was either stagnant or declining." Parbhoo said the farmers, who have already tested natural farming on some portion of the land, are ready to do it despite challenges in the switch-over.

"They are quite confident and progressive. They know it is climate resilient, sustainable and healthy. Most of them have found the soil health improving on the farm with natural farming technique. The fruits, including apples, are better in taste and their keeping quality is better than those grown with chemical farming," he said.

The duo was all praise for the Agriculture Technology Management Agency staff, working under the State Project Implementing Unit, for establishing a connect with the farmers on emerging issues.

"It has been a great learning," they said, while sharing their experience with Prakritik Kheti Khushhal Kisan Yojana Executive Director Rajeshwar Singh Chandel, State Project Director Rakesh Kanwar and Secretary (Agriculture) Ajay Sharma in Shimla.

Durand said the farmers were so warm. "We stayed with apple grower Rajpal Gejta, a progressive farmer from Rohru, who is doing natural farming on 5.5 bigha of land. He talks highly about it." She said even in France, the entire family works in a field.

Durand and Parbhoo were impressed with the zeal of hill women farmers to take up natural farming initiatives.

"We met some women farmers who are collectively doing natural farming in Rathi village in Shimla district. The women do contribute to agriculture in Maharashtra, but they are not so organised in Maharashtra as in Himachal," said Parbhoo.

He said a good thing was that the farmers are using natural farming technique with their need-based innovations with the state-led programme of training and extension.

Zero budget natural farming is a form of agricultural practice that dramatically helps reduce farmers' direct costs while boosting yields and farm health through the use of non-synthetic inputs sourced locally.

The Agriculture Department says the total cost for conventional farming is nearly Rs 2.30 lakh per hectare, while the natural farming costs around Rs 1 lakh per hectare.

(Vishal Gulati can be contacted at vishal.g@ians.in)
Seoul, Sep 26 : A North Korean researcher on Sunday slammed Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga for his recent address to the UN General Assembly (UNGA), stressing Pyongyang would not associate with whoever his successor will be if Tokyo's "hostile policy" towards it continues.

Ri Byong-dok, a researcher at the Institute of Japan, made the remarks in a piece posted on the website of the North's Foreign Ministry, after Suga made the video message on Friday, stressing the Pyongyang's recent ballistic missile launches threatened peace in Japan, the region and the world, reports Yonhap News Agency.

"(Suga's speech) revealed again the true character of a hostile policy against the republic by misrepresenting the character and nature of the issue," Ri wrote.

"Going forward, we will never associate with any politician that would follow the hostile policy against North Korea of their predecessors, including (former Prime Minister Shinzo) Abe and Suga, whoever will become the next Prime Minister." Suga earlier offered to resign as the Prime Minister, and the process of electing the new chairman of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), who will serve as the next premier, is expected to take place later this month.
Seoul, Sep 26 : North Korea could declare a formal end to the Korean War as suggested by South Korea and even discuss holding an inter-Korean summit if Seoul treats Pyongyang with "impartiality" and mutual respect, said Kim Yo-jong, the sister of leader Kim Jong-un.

Kim Yo-jong made the remark in a statement on Saturday carried by Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency, urging the South to drop its double-standard attitude, such as denouncing the North's "self-defence" weapons tests as "provocations" while beautifying its own arms build-up.

The statement came a day after she said South Korean President Moon Jae-in's recent proposal to declare a formal end to the 1950-53 Korean War is an "admirable idea" and the North is willing to discuss improving inter-Korean relations if Seoul ceases to be hostile toward it, reports Yonhap News Agency.

"I felt the atmosphere of the South Korean public desiring to recover inter-Korean relations from a deadlock and achieve peaceful stability as soon as possible is irresistibly strong," Kim Yo-jong was quoted as saying in her statement on Saturday.

"We, too, have the same desire." Kim Yo-jong said it is only when "impartiality and the attitude of respecting each other are maintained" that there can be "smooth understanding between the North and the South".

Under such circumstances "can several issues for improving relations, the re-establishment of the North-South joint liaison office and the North-South summit, to say nothing of the timely declaration of the significant termination of the war, see meaningful and successful solutions one by one at an early date through constructive discussions", she added.

Kim Yo-jong, however, noted all she said is merely her "personal view", suggesting the statement was issued without a direct order from her brother.

On September 15, North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea, raising concerns the latest launch could ratchet up tensions on the peninsula.

Hours later on the same day, South Korea announced it successfully tested a homegrown submarine-launched ballistic missile and President Moon said the weapon could be a deterrent to North Korean provocation.

Inter-Korean relations have significantly chilled since North Korea blew up the liaison office and cut off all cross-border communication lines in June last year.

The communication lines were back online briefly in late July, but Pyongyang did not respond to Seoul's regular calls again in protest of summertime joint military drills by South Korea and the US, which the North usually denounces as a rehearsal for invasion.

The two Koreas are still technically at war, as the 1950-53 Korean War ended in a ceasefire, not a peace treaty.
Chennai, Sep 26 : Mettupalayam in Tamil Nadu's Coimbatore district is tense after a Hindu Munnani leader was attacked by two bike-borne assailants. Hindu Munnani has called for a protest march at the area on Sunday.

Heavy police posse is present in the area and several parts of Coimbatore fearing a retaliatory attack on some shops and establishments.

The Hindu Munnani Mettupalayam Urban secretary, S. Chandrashekhar (35) was on the way to the organisation's office when he was waylaid and attacked. Chandrashekhar is admitted to a private hospital where is recuperating.

It may be noted that Coimbatore had witnessed one of the deadly bomb blasts on February 14, 1998 in which 58 people were killed, and 200 injured. The target of the bomb blast was the then Deputy Prime Minister and senior leader of the BJP, L.K. Advani, who was to address a public meeting.

A total of 12 bombs went off in 11 places of the city within a 12 km radius. Gelatin sticks concealed in cars, motor vans, and two-wheelers activated by timers were used to detonate the bombs. However, several bombs did not detonate and were defused later by the police and bomb squad.

The bomb attack was in retaliation to a communal clash after a policeman, Selvaraj, was hacked to death by Al-Ummah, an Islamic outfit.

Police have tightened security in Coimbatore as the situation in the city has always been fragile communally.
Chennai, Sep 26 : After three Indian fishermen from Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu were grievously injured in an attack allegedly by miscreants from Sri Lanka, the fishermen associations here are planning protest marches across the state.

Three fishermen from Nagapattinam, Sivakumar, Chinnathambi, and Siva were attacked in sea 15 nautical miles of Vedarayanam coast on Friday night. The fishermen alleged that miscreants from Sri Lanka were involved in the attack using machetes and wooden clubs. Sivakumar was profusely bleeding and all three managed to reach the shores and were admitted in the hospital.

Tamil Nadu state fishermen association leader Jesu Raja said that the fishermen from Tamil Nadu were being regularly attacked by Sri Lankan navy, Sri Lankan fishermen, and anti-socials in the sea and huge losses were being inflicted on these fishermen.

Jesu Raj while speaking to IANS said, "There is a limit to the tolerance of fishermen community who brave the sea for a living. We will conduct protest marches across the state and will write letters to the Union government and the state government to give protection to the fishermen." It may be noted that the fishermen from Nagapattinam, Rameswaram, and other areas of Tamil Nadu were attacked by the Sri Lankan Navy at Kattachatheevu last week. Around 20 boats and 40 fishing nets were damaged bringing in huge losses to the fishermen.

Antony Jacob, a fisherman from Nagapattinam, who has been subjected to attack from the Sri Lankan Navy, while speaking to IANS said, "Heavy stone pelting was done towards us by the Sri Lankan Navy. Unless the Government of India takes proactive action diplomatically or through Naval discussion, we will be again subjected to such attacks. It is really scary in the sea." The Indian government has already strengthened patrolling in the sea after the huge seizure of drugs from a Sri Lankan boat.

There were also intelligence reports on certain Sri Lankans travelling to Pakistan for terror training and this has also alerted the Indian Coast Guard and Indian Navy. The fishermen demand that the Indian agencies support them and prevent the attacks on them which has become a regular feature.

Sources in the Tamil Nadu home department told IANS that the Central agencies were briefed on the regular attacks and the injuries being inflicted on the fishermen.
Mogadishu, Sep 26 : Seven people were killed and nine others injured in a suicide bombings at the El-Gab junction near the Presidential Palace in Mogadishu, the police in the Somalian capital said.

Abdifatah Aden Hassan, the Somali police spokesman said a car laden with explosives was detonated near a checkpoint on Saturday, reports Xinhua news agency.

"We know that seven people were killed and nine others injured in the blast," he said.

Witnesses told Xinhua that the security forces were deployed to the scene to secure the place.

"This was a huge explosion and when I tried to approach the scene, I saw cars were destroyed due to the impact of the explosion," Ahmed Ali, a witness, said.

Al-Shabab which is fighting the government claimed responsibility for the attack.

The group was routed from Mogadishu in 2011 by the allied forces and has had to abandon most of its strongholds, but it still controls vast rural areas and remains the key threat to peace in Somalia.
New Delhi, Sep 26 : Thousands of BJP workers in the national capital on Sunday gathered at the Palam Airport technical area to give a grand welcome to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his return after a successful visit to the US.

Delhi BJP vice president Virendra Sachdeva told IANS that thousands of BJP workers have gathered at the airport to accord grand welcome to Prime Minister Modi on his return from another successful visit from abroad.

According to Sachdeva a big stage has been set up where Prime Minister Modi will come and accept greetings from people. "A stretch of three kilometres from the airport has been decorated to greet the Prime Minister. Our workers and common people are standing on both sides of the roads with cutouts and posters of the Prime Minister," he said.

Artists from different states have also been invited to play musical instruments from different parts of the country. "Musical instruments from different parts of the country are playing outside the airport and artists have been invited to play the instrument.

Delhi BJP president Adesh Gupta will welcome the Prime Minister on his return. It is learnt that all the BJP MPs and MLAs have been asked to reach the airports to accord a grand welcome to the prime minister.

Office bearers of BJP's Delhi unit and its three mayors also have been asked to reach the airport.

During his recent visit, Prime Minister Modi held bilateral talks with US President Joe Biden, participated in Quad summit and also addressed the UNGA.
Thiruvananthapuam, Sep 26 : General Secretary of the All India Congress Committee (AICC), Tariq Anwar has arrived in Thiruvananthapuram to meet former Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee President (KPCC), V.M. Sudheeran, who resigned from the powerful Political Affairs Committee(PAC).

Anwar will Sudheeran at the latter's residence along with the state Opposition leader V.D. Satheeshan.

Sudheeran, according to senior party leaders, was unhappy after the new Congress chief did not consult the powerful PAC before bringing in new reforms, including semi-cadre culture.

Sudheeran was also not happy over the selection of District Congress Committee (DCC) Presidents without consulting the PAC.

The party in Kerala is in flux following the Assembly elections earlier this year and with a change of leadership with both the state Congress Chief Mullappally Ramachandran and then opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala quitting their posts or rather being removed by the AICC.

The duo was replaced by K. Sudhakaran, the Kannur strongman and a sitting MP, as the new KPCC President and Satheeshan as the state opposition leader.

Both Sudhakaran and Satheeshan, who were part and parcel of the powerful "I" group in the state Congress led by Chennithala, suddenly took a volte-face and openly declared that they don't have groups.

The District Congress Committee chiefs of all the 14 districts of the state were removed.

Party state organizing secretary, K.P. Anil Kumar, and KPCC General Secretary G. Rathikumar and KPCC Secretary P.S. Prasanth left Congress and joined the rival CPM.

The public resignation of Sudheeran, considered as the clean and honest face of the state Congress, has given a bolt in the blue for the arrogant style of functioning of the new Congress state leadership.

State Congress Chief K. Sudhakaran however told media persons at Thiruvananthapuram that the party would try and settle the issues raised by Sudheeran if any and will speak to him in detail.

He said that both Anwar and Satheeshan would pacify Sudheeran and try and make him withdraw the resignation.
Gaza, Sep 26 : The Islamic Hamas Movement denied an allegation that it has assets or investments in Sudan that were recently seized, according to a spokesman in Gaza.

The denial on Saturday by the Hamas, which has been ruling the Gaza Strip since 2007, came as media reports on September 23 claimed that Sudanese authorities in Khartoum seized assets and investments belonging to the Movement estimated at $1.2 billion, reports Xinhua news agency.

The reportedly seized assets belonging to Hamas include real estate, company shares, a hotel in Khartoum, money exchange offices, a television station, and more than one million acres of farmland.

"Hamas doesn't have any asset or investment in Sudan, nor does it have any problem with the Sudanese authorities," said Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem.

"The assets that were seized and mentioned in the media reports belong to ordinary Palestinian businessmen and investors in Khartoum, irrelated to Hamas and are not members of the movement," he added.

The Movement called for the intervention of the Sudanese government leaders to "stop this campaign against the Palestinians in Sudan by confiscating their properties, personal assets and money which they legally earned", reports Xinhua news agency Hussein al-Sheikh, a member of the central committee of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas-led Fatah party, tweeted that the Sudanese government should bring the confiscated assets and investments to the Palestinian authorities.
Islamabad, Sep 26 : Eight terrorists were arrested in separate intelligence-based operations in Pakistan's Punjab province, the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) of the police has confirmed.

According to the CTD in Punjab, the Departtment's personnel conducted an operation by acting on an intelligence tip-off regarding the presence of terrorists in a locality in Lahore, the provincial capital, reports Xinhua news agency.

Four terrorists belonging to a banned outfit were arrested during the operation in Lahore, said the CTD, adding that the accused have been shifted to an undisclosed location to be interrogated.

Separately, the CTD and the Intelligence Bureau carried out a joint operation in Punjab's Sheikhupura district and apprehended two terrorists.

The arrested persons were involved in terror activities in the district.

Moreover, two militants of a proscribed outfit were nabbed in two separate raids at their hideouts in Gujranwala and Hafizabad districts of the province.

According to the police, the arrested men were collecting donations to finance terror activities in the districts.

All the raids took place on Saturday.
New Delhi, Sep 26 : In a bid to tackle the rising menace of organised crime in the national capital, the Delhi Police is going to have a meeting with security agencies of union territories (UTs) and various states of the northern region in October, a senior police official said here on Sunday.

"The meeting will be chaired by the Commissioner of Delhi Police, Rakesh Asthana," the official said.

The development comes in the backdrop of Friday's shooting incident at the Rohini Court in Delhi in which most-wanted jailed gangster Jitender Maan alias Gogi was killed along with his two assailants.

The newly-appointed Delhi Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana had recently, in an interview with IANS, asserted that the police force is determined to act against any organised criminal activity in the national capital.

A senior police official said that there are a total of 26 gangs in Delhi comprising 188 gangsters. "Of these, 107 gang-members are currently lodged in different jails," he said.

The police have made a comprehensive strategy to tackle the three-tier structure of organised crime. The first tier has top gangsters, out of which most of them are in jails. The second-tier gangsters are usually those who provide logistical support such as arms and ammunition to the third-tier criminals that actually commit the crime on the ground.

On Saturday, the police arrested two persons, identified as Umang Yadav (22) and Vinay Mota (19), in connection with the Rohini Court shootout.

The police have now learnt that Gogi, Lawrence Bishnoi and Kala Jatheri had made an alliance. Pertinently, both Lawrence Bishnoi and Kala Jatheri are currently lodged in different jails and are running a nexus of crime from there.

Gogi's murder case has now been transferred to the Crime Branch and it is currently probing the incident.

Of the two arrested on Saturday, Yadav has revealed that he worked for Tillu Tajpuriya, currently lodged at the Mandoli jail, for the last two years.
Sanaa, Sep 26 : Yemen's Houthi militia have captured new areas in the oil-rich province of Marib after fierce battles with government troops, a military source said.

"Houthi militia on Saturday advanced from Harib district and captured the Mal'aa hilltops, the adjacent valley of Om Reash and part of the main highway in the area, which leads to Al-Jubah district and the province's capital, Marib city," the source told Xinhua news agency.

"Dozens of soldiers were killed and wounded when trying to repel the militia attack," he said on condition of anonymity, without providing information on casualties.

The Houthi group has made no comment yet.

With the capture of Harib district last week, the Houthi group now controls 10 districts out of 14 in the province.

The Iran-backed Houthi militia launched in February a major offensive on Marib in an attempt to seize control of the oil-rich province, the last northern stronghold of the Saudi-backed Yemeni government.
Islamabad, Sep 26 : Four security personnel were killed and two others injured in a blast in Pakistan's Balochistan province, police said.

The incident took place on Saturday when a vehicle of paramilitary troops Frontier Corps hit the explosives planted along the road in Harnai district, police sources in the area told Xinhua news agency.

The vehicle was on a routine patrol in the area when the explosion happened, said the police sources.

Following the explosion, rescue teams, police and security forces rushed to the site and shifted the bodies and the injured to a nearby hospital.

Police and security forces have cordoned off the area and launched a search operation to arrest the culprits.

No group or individual has claimed the blast yet.
Chennai, Sep 26 : The special police team constituted by Tamil Nadu Director General of Police C. Sylendra Babu, named 'Operation Disarm', has seized more than 900 weapons, including three firearms.

The raids conducted on Friday, Saturday and Sunday morning also rounded up 2,500 rowdy elements in South Tamil Nadu.

The arrest and seizure of weapons followed the four beheadings that took place in South Tamil Nadu, specifically in Dindigul and Tirunelveli districts in the past 12 days.

The DGP in a high-level meeting of the police officers at Madurai directed them to investigate murder cases that were even ten years old. He also called upon the officers to conduct routine raids at the residences and premises of rowdy elements in these districts.

The DGP also told the police officers to round up and arrest those people who can be involved in possible retaliatory attacks. Police officers said that the DGP also directed them to intensify night patrolling and not to allow any untoward incidents to happen in the days to come.

According to a senior DSP who was present in the meeting, the DGP was furious over the back-to-back murders in these districts and the resurgence of caste wars that had dominated South Tamil Nadu during the mid-1990s.

Sociologist and Professor at a foreign university M.K. Krishnan, who hails from Madurai, while speaking to IANS said, "Police have to take stringent action against those who take law into their hands. However, unless the sublime issue of caste is not weeded out this will reappear in one form or the other.

"While the present DMK government has had a good start, the awareness on the futility of fights over castes have to be inculcated in young minds and for that good education is very important. These youths who are involved in beheadings will not be allowed to be given any heroic receptions."
New Delhi, Sep 26 : As the cyclonic storm 'Gulab' formed in the Bay of Bengal is expected to make landfall between north Andhra Pradesh and south Odisha coast by late Sunday evening, the Eastern Naval Command and Naval Officers-in-Charge Odisha area have carried out preparatory activities to combat the possible effects.

"The Indian Navy is closely monitoring the movement of the Cyclonic Storm and is in constant liaison with the state administrations for rendering assistance as required," a release from the Ministry of Defence said.

As part of the preparedness, Flood Relief Teams and Diving Teams have already been positioned at Odisha and are ready at Visakhapatnam to render immediate assistance. Two Naval ships are at sea with Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) material and medical teams to render assistance in the most affected areas.

Naval aircraft are kept ready at Naval Air Stations, INS Dega at Visakhapatnam and INS Rajali near Chennai to undertake an aerial survey of the most affected areas, casualty evacuation, and airdrop of relief material as required, the release added.

The Cyclonic Storm 'Gulab' (pronounced as Gul-Aab) lay centred over west central Bay of Bengal, about 140 kms east-southeast of Gopalpur (Odisha) & 190 kms east-northeast of Kalingapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) at 11.30 a.m. on Sunday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said in its bulletin.

It is likely to move nearly westwards and cross north Andhra Pradesh - south Odisha coasts between Kalingapatnam and Gopalpur, as a Cyclonic Storm with maximum sustained wind speed of 75-85 kmph gusting to 95 kmph, by mid-night of September 26 and the landfall process will commence late evening.

Alerts have been issued for heavy rains, strong winds and surge in tidal waves among other effects of the cyclonic storm.
New York, Sep 26 : Camila Cabello and Shawn Mendes shared the stage with some PDA at this year's Global Citizen Festival, reports Billboard.com.

In front of a screaming New York City crowd on Saturday, Cabello joked about "introducing this next person in a formal way" before bringing boyfriend Mendes out. "That's kinda weird 'cause we kinda know each other pretty well, and I think you guys know we know each other pretty well," she quipped.

The couple, dressed in coordinating colours (royal purple, blue, and orange on Cabello, and a rusty orange on Mendes) delivered their familiar duet 'Senorita' effortlessly as part of the star-studded fest that kicked off on Saturday with performances across several continents. The New York part of the event took place at Central Park.

They started and ended the song kissing, as the crowd cheered on.

Cabello's Global Citizen Live set also included favourites 'Havana' and 'Never Be the Same', new single 'Don't Go Yet' and a shortened cover of 'Empire State of Mind'.
Lucknow, Sep 26 : The much-awaited cabinet expansion of the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh will take place at 5.30 p.m. on Sunday.

An official release by the state information department has confirmed the news through a press release.

While none of the officials were ready to comment on the possible new faces in the expansion, sources said that five to seven new faces were likely to be inducted in the council of ministers.

The long-overdue expansion comes at a time when barely four months are left for the initiation of the process of elections to the Uttar Pradesh assembly.

The new faces, sources said, would be mainly from OBC and SC/ST communities.

Among the expected new faces are former Congress leader Jitin Prasada - who was once a close associate of Rahul Gandhi. Prasada joined BJP in June.

Other probable candidates include Sanjay Nishad and former bureaucrat A.K. Sharma.

This is the first time that the expansion of the council of ministers is being done during 'Pitra Paksh' - a period considered inauspicious among Hindus.
The 76th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) marks the beginning of a new era in South and Pacific Asian region. The meeting between the heads of state of the Quad nations held on September 24 at the White House marked a major shift in balance of power in the aforementioned regions. India, the US, Australia and Japan are now firmly placed on the world stage to take on Chinese economic and territorial hegemonic expansion as well as Pakistans attempts to export terrorist jihad in the region.

It also sent a strong message to the Taliban and was echoed during Indian Prime minister Narendra Modi address when he said that it was absolutely essential to ensure that Afghanistan's territory is not used to spread terrorism and for terrorist activities. Modi also warned Pakistan that using terrorism as a "political tool" was an equally big threat for them as well. And quite rightly so. Ever since the Taliban took over Kabul, Pakistan military forces have come under periodic attacks by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). And the Afghan Taliban have refused to intervene as a mediator between the Pakistan government and the TTP.

On the other hand, Pakistani Prime minster Imran Khan who chickened out and decided not to attend the UNGA session and a recorded statement instead was exhibited. As always he his tone was hostile. He threatened the global community that if Taliban government was not recognised there would be consequences.

The Prime Minister boasted about reforesting Pakistan through a 10 billion tree plantation drive while illegally cutting down our forests in the Pakistan occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK). At the time when Pakistan illegally occupied PoJK on October 22, 1947, our forests covered 42 per cent of our landmass. Today that figure is reduced to 14 per cent. Our trees are being chopped and sold in the timber black markets in Rawalpindi, Gujranwala and Lahore. It is estimated that Pakistan is robbing us of Rs 52 billion worth of forests annually causing recurring landslides and earthquakes in our region.

Khan informed the session that the gap between the rich and the poor was increasing at an alarming pace due to the plunder of the developing world by their own ruling elite. Well, he forgot to mention that he has given impunity to the military generals who constitute an integral part of Pakistan's ruling elite and who have been involved in taking kick back and stealing money from development funds and Covid aid received in recent years.

How could a Pakistani Prime Minister's address to the UNGA not involve India bashing? Khan proved to be no different. While calling RSS and BJP fascists, he praised terrorist late Syed Ali Shah Geelani and demanded that he be reburied in the graveyard of martyrs. He complained that Geelani's body was snatched from his family and forcibly buried by the security forces. Well, how come Geelani's corpse was wrapped up in the Pakistani flag? Taking advantage of 'right to reply', First Secretary of Indian mission in the UN, Sneha Dubey took Khan to task by reminding him that PoJK and PoGB were not only an integral part of Pakistan but demanded that Pakistan vacate the occupied territories immediately.

Claiming that Afghanistan might slip into chaos and become haven for terrorists Khan made demand on the global community to recognised the terrorist regime while Taliban continue to hunt down and in certain cases carrying executions on their doorstep afghans who had helped foreign forces or worked for foreign NGOs.

Like Pakistan, China also did not bother to send their President Xi Jinping in person to address the UNGA's 76th session. Today, Pakistan and China face global isolation and as Quad is re-energized and the narrative of growth and reform promoted by Modi is applauded one thing is certain that the 76th session of the UNGA will be remembered as an occasion when the world witnessed a paradigm shift in regional economic and political power balance. South and Pacific Asia now seems readier than ever to take on the axis-of-evil that comprises of China, Pakistan, North Korea and the Taliban government in Afghanistan.

(Dr Amjad Ayub Mirza is an author and a human rights activist from Mirpur in PoJK. He currently lives in exile in the UK.)
Washington, Sep 26 : A passenger train with over 100 people on board derailed in the US state of Montana, killing at least three people and injuring multiple others, local media reported.

The Amtrak's Empire Builder train travelling between Seattle and Chicago derailed at around 4 p.m. on Saturday evening, reports Xinhua news agency.

There were about 147 passengers and 13 crew members on the train at that time, according to a statement by Amtrak.

The exact number of the injured is undisclosed, the Liberty County Sheriff's Office told local media, adding that all the other passengers have been safely evacuated.

Amtrak is a passenger railroad service company operating many passenger rail routes in the US.

Images from the derailment scene shared on social media show train cars tipped over in a remote location surrounded by dozens of people in strong wind.

The accident happened near Joplin, a small village with only about 150 residents.

Great Falls is the biggest city nearby, which is nearly 160 km away.

Local media said cell phone service in the area where the derailment occurred is very poor.
Hyderabad, Sep 26 : Rich tributes were paid to Chakali Ailamma, an icon of Telangana armed struggle, on the occasion of her 126th birth anniversary, on Sunday.

Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao recalled the democratic fighting spirit of Ailamma, describing her the symbol of women consciousness and self-respect of the Telangana artisan communities.

The CM said that Ailamma who was born in the most backward classes community gave inspiration to the Telangana Bahujan communities. She was a great democrat who fought for her rights during the armed struggle days, within the framework of law and in the courts for justice.

Rao said that Ailamma's democratic fighting spirit was very much imbibed in the Telangana statehood movement. He pointed out that Chityala Ailamma's birth and death anniversaries are being organised officially by the government. He said programmes would be conducted to make future generations remember the great service rendered by her.

Minister for backward classes Gangula Kamalakar paid tributes to Ailamma and unveiled her statue at a programme held at Huzurabad.

He claimed that the KCR government of Telangana was the first government to recognize the services of the valiant fighter by organizing programmes on her birth and death anniversaries.

Finance minister Harish Rao and BC Commission Chairman V. Krishna Mohan Rao also paid tributes to Ailamma.

Tributes were also paid to Ailamma at a programme held at DGP office. AIG Rajendra Prasad paid floral tributes to her portrait.
Seoul, Sep 26 : South Korea will begin administering booster Covid-19 shots for high-risk people, including those aged 60 and older, and medical workers, in the near future, Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum said here on Sunday, amid a surge in new cases following a national holiday.

Kim also noted the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) will announce a fourth-quarter inoculation plan, including the booster shot program on Monday, reports Yonhap News Agency.

He also said starting early next month, the government will shorten the interval between the first and second shots of two-dose vaccines to help further increase the percentage of those fully vaccinated.

The Prime Minister instructed officials to ensure that the process for those wanting to shorten their vaccination interval will not be confusing or inconvenient due to the change.

Kim, in addition, said that those subject to vaccinations will be expanded to include adolescents and pregnant women.

Touching on the rise in infections following the recent Chuseok holiday, the Korean equivalent of Thanksgiving, Kim described the current status as "very grave".

"The coronavirus situation this week will determine the starting point of the plan for a phased recovery to normal life," Kim said, referring to the plan the government wants to begin implementing late next month.
New Delhi, Sep 26 : Congress General Secretary In charge of Uttar Pradesh, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will be in Lucknow for a week from Monday evening to take stock of poll preparations in the state.

The Congress leaders say she will be meeting state leaders and also important party workers in Lucknow during her week long tour.

She will have scheduled meetings with the manifesto committee and with the election committee to assess the party's poll preparedness in the state, sources said.

Priyanka Gandhi is likely to participate in one of the training programmes being organised by the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee.

The Congress in Uttar Pradesh will take out a 'Congress Pratigya Yatra' with the tagline -- 'Hum Vachan Nibhayenge', ahead of the Assembly elections, due early next year.

Priyanka has said that the yatra would cover a distance of 12,000 kilometres and will pass through all major villages and towns to connect with the masses.

The date of the yatra is yet to be decided, though sources said it was likely to begin on the Gandhi Jayanti on October 2.

The party is readying the first list of candidates in October, months ahead of the elections. For this, the the Congress in Uttar Pradesh has extended the last date for applications for the Assembly polls. In a letter sent to all party units, UPCC president Ajay Kumar Lallu said that applications form from prospective candidates will now be received till October 10.

Earlier, the last date for submitting applications was September 25. Each candidate was asked to deposit a sum of Rs 11,000 with the form.

Party sources said that the reason for extending the date was that the number of applications received so far was 'unsatisfactory'.
Lucknow, Sep 26 : In a major shot in the arm for Uttar Pradesh government, the Centre has approved, in principle, the proposal for setting up a sprawling Medical Devices Park in Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) area.

In a letter dated September 24, the Department of Pharmaceuticals in the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers has sought a Detailed Project Report (DPR) from the State Government by December 23 for "further appraisal and final approval" of the project.

According to the government spokesman, the UP Government had sent a proposal for setting up a Medical Devices Park to the central government on October 9, 2020.

The proposed park will be spread over an area of 350 acres in YEIDA area.

The establishment of the park assumes great significance in view of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic that saw shortage of raw materials for medicines in the country at one stage.

The Medical Devices Park, to be built in two phases, will bring in an investment of Rs 5,250 crore and provide employment to more than 20,000 people.

The park will be the first Medical Devices Park in UP and the largest in north India, making Uttar Pradesh the new hub of pharmaceutical products and medical equipment manufacturing in India.

YEIDA has already earmarked 350 acres of land for the park in Sector-28 of Noida.

An incubation centre will also be built on five acres of land at the Medical Devices Park, benefiting start-up companies.

YEIDA has tied up with IIT Kanpur for the construction of the incubation centre.

It is worth mentioning here that despite having the third largest pharmaceutical industry in the world, India is still dependent on China for the raw materials of medicines.

In some of the medicines, India's dependence on China for raw materials ranges from 80 to 100 per cent.

The Yogi Government also sought allotment of two bulk pharmaceutical, or medical device parks to UP for the favourable environment created for investors due to the new industrial and pharma policy of the central government.
New Delhi, Sep 26 : Actress Priyanka Chopra Jonas took the internet by storm on Saturday when she hosted the Global Citizen Live concert in Paris. Her dress, with an Earth theme got a fantastic response from fans, which made her trend on Twitter.

Priyanka wore a beautiful ensemble by designer Prabal Gurung as she hosted the concert on Saturday, which will be streaming live for 24 hours from different parts of the world.

Not only did Twitter users point out her beautiful dress, but also the fact that she made India proud by hosting the global concert in Paris.

Meanwhile, the actress gave fans a glimpse into her trip on social media. She uploaded a picture with the popular Eiffel Tower in the backdrop and captioned in on Instagram as: "An Evening in Paris".
Mumbai, Sep 26 : Actor Dhruv Verma, who is making his debut in Bollywood with the Indo-Polish production 'No Means No', is excited to work with Sanjay Dutt in the film 'The Good Maharaja'.

On sharing his joy working with Sanjay Dutt he says: "It feels amazing to work with an actor like Sanjay sir who has masterfully displayed his craft. I got to learn a lot of things from him. He is very close to me and we share a very good bond together. He has always been very supportive to me. We are waiting for the borders to open, and for the global administration of the vaccine, so that we can resume our work without any hindrance." Sanjay Dutt will be seen in the titular role of 'Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji Jadeja', the Maharaja Jam Sahib of Nawanagar and Dhruv will be seen playing a soldier in 'The Good Maharaja'. It also stars Deepraj Rana, Gulshan Grover, and Sharad Kapoor in supporting roles. Shiamak Davar has served as the choreographer, while the film's music and background score has been composed by Hariharan.

Dhruv shares about preparing for his role of soldier stating: "I had undergone hard core training for a year under the guidance and blessings of legendary megastar Steven Segal. I also spent months in Poland mastering Krav Maga (Israeli Fighting style developed for the army) and Jyrki Sario Defendo (Defensive Fighting Style developed for the European police) from my guru Mr Bartek Dobrowolski along with a specially tailored course in gun shooting, besides the masterful training I already received from the action legend Sanjay Dutt in disarming and shooting techniques. I have also mastered the techniques of 17 different handguns, rifles and shotguns from other maestros from the Strzelnica Gun Club in Bielsko Biala, Poland." 'The Good Maharaja' is based on Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji Jadeja, the Maharaja Jam Sahib of Nawanagar, Gujarat, who, in the pre-Independence era, provided refuge and education to around 1,000 Polish children evacuated from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) to escape German bombings during World War II.

This film will be released theatrically worldwide on December 17, 2022.
New Delhi, Sep 26 : After unveiling in China, global smartphone brand realme is all set to introduce its latest smartphone, the GT NEO 2, next month in India.

Madhav Sheth, VP of realme and CEO of Realme India, Europe, and Latin America has confirmed that the GT Neo2 will launch in the company's biggest market in October.

The smartphone will be available in three storage variants -- 8GB+128GB, 8GB+256GB, and 12GB+256GB -- priced at 2,499 CNY, 2,699 CNY and 2,999 CNY, respectively.

It is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 5G mobile platform. This chipset is famous for its balanced performance, providing powerful performance and a stable experience.

The smartphone comes equipped with a 120Hz Samsung E4 AMOLED Display and features a peak brightness of 1300 nits and a color contrast ratio of up to 5,000,000:1.

The company earlier said that it is the first time that realme packs a 5000mAh massive battery in its realme GT lineup.

With a large capacity battery that supports 65W SuperDart charging, the realme GT NEO 2 provides full-day battery life for heavy users without any pressure, the company has claimed.
Canberra, Sep 26 : Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Sunday told state and territory leaders that they owe it to the citizens to reopen domestic borders by Christmas.

Morrison told local media that there was no reason for state borders to remain closed once 80 per cent of adults are fully vaccinated against Covid-19, a milestone the country is expected to reach in the following months, reports Xinhua news agency.

"It's important that we move forward. We can't stay in second gear. We've got to get to top gear in living with the virus," he said.

"My message is more to Australians that what I'd like them to have for Christmas is their lives back." However, some state premiers push back against the government's four-phase roadmap out of the pandemic as the country continues to battle the third wave of infections.

Under the plan, domestic borders will open when 80 per cent of over-16s have had two vaccine doses.

On Sunday morning, Australia reported 1,765 new locally acquired Covid-19 infections amid lockdowns in some major cities.

With the new cases, the country's overall caseload has increased to 95,807, while the death toll stood at 1,220.

According to the latest data released by the Department of Health, 75.4 per cent of Australians aged 16 and older have received at least one Covid-19 vaccine dose and 50.9 per cent are fully vaccinated.
Jerusalem, Sep 26 : Israel said on Sunday that its troops killed four armed Hamas operatives in the West Bank during an overnight raid.

An Israeli military spokesperson said in a statement that the four were killed amid fire exchanges during an operation to arrest suspects involved in a Hamas cell in five different locations in the West Bank, reports Xinhua news agency.

The first incident took place just after midnight, as Israeli forces raided the Jenin area in the northern West Bank.

Gunmen opened fire at troops in the town of Burqin near Jenin after the troops encircled a building where suspects were hiding.

The soldiers responded with fire, killing one of the gunmen, according to the statement.

Near Ramallah city in the central West Bank, Israeli troops killed three other armed suspects during fire exchanges, the spokesperson said, adding that three more Palestinians were arrested.

In response to the killings, Hamas spokesman Abdel Latif al-Qanua warned in a statement the deaths of the Palestinians "will fuel the Palestinian protest and struggle by all means".

Al-Qanua said the killings were a result of the security coordination between Israel and the Fatah-controlled Palestinian Authority and the meetings between senior officials of the two sides.

"The Palestinian Authority must immediately stop the security coordination," he said.

The West Bank was occupied by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war.

Israel has controlled these territories ever since, despite international criticism.
Patna, Sep 26 : A person was arrested in connection with the gangrape and murder of a woman railway employee from Bihar's Saran district, an official said on Sunday.

The accused is identified as Dhiraj Kumar. He had illicit relationship with the victim named Sunaina Devi (30). The victim was staying in railway colony in Sonpur town and she got the job after the death of her husband on compassionate ground.

The police said that the accused had taken the car of the victim and also took away her salary every month.

"As per his confession, the accused invited his three more friends in the flat of the victim. They consumed liquor followed by gangrape of Sunaina in the second week of September this year. Sunaina became angry with Dhiraj as his friends sexually assaulted her without her consent. She demanded money and car from Dhiraj and also threatened to complain against him to the police about the gangrape incident," Said Anjani Kumar, the additional SP of Saran district.

"As Dhiraj was under tremendous pressure, he hatched a conspiracy to kill her. As per the plan, he went to Varanasi on September 18 and his three friends went to Sunaina's flat and allegedly strangulated her to death," The ASP said.

"During investigation, police scanned call details of the victim and found several calls were made to Dhiraj. He was zeroed-in for the investigation. When police strictly asked him, he broke down and revealed the entire conspiracy of gangrape cum murder of Sunaina," The officer said.

"We have identified three other accused. They will be put behind bars soon," He said.
New Delhi, Sep 26 : The Centre on Sunday held a high-level meeting with the states affected by Left-wing extremism (LWE) to review the situation.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah chaired the review meeting with the chief ministers and police chiefs of these states in the national capital.

Chief minister of Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Bihar's Nitish Kumar, Telangana CM K. Chandrashekhar Rao, Jharkhand's Hemant Soren, Maharashtra's Uddhav Thackeray and Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik were present in the meeting held at Vigyan Bhawan here. The Chief ministers of Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and West Bengal did not attend the review meeting.

Sources said that Shah talked about the need to formulate a new strategy to take decisive actions against these ultras.

The meeting is being held in two sessions. In the first session operational strategy to effective domination in the affected districts was discussed and states were asked to extend cooperation in anti-Maoist operations. In the second session, discussion on the execution of the developmental schemes in all affected states was being held.

It is learnt that in the meeting it was flagged that some states are not cooperating with the Centre in the fight against LWE due to their local issues. "Centre has sought more cooperation from the states to fight against the ultras in a calibrated manner," sources said.

Odisha Chief Minister Patnaik requested the Union government to consider four laning of road NH 326 from Jeypore to Motu via Malkangiri, providing railway network in LWE affected districts, which are not part of it, providing mobile connectivity to areas of southern and western parts of states and providing banking facilities in these districts.

Sources claimed that Maharashtra Chief Minister Thackeray demanded additional central assistance for these districts for strengthening the policing network and to carry out development works.

It is further learnt that in the second session, the progress of the various infrastructural developmental schemes such as road requirement and connectivity, and also of aspirational districts programmes in the LWE affected districts were being discussed.

Chief Ministers and police chiefs of 10 affected states -- Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra and Kerala were invited for the review meeting, but a few of them did not attend it for different reasons.
Kolkata, Sep 26 : After taking the responsibility of the state BJP, Sukanta Majumdar is going to Delhi on Monday for the first time, where he will meet the party's top leaders.

Majumdar is likely to have a meeting with the party Chief J.P. Nadda, National General Secretary B.L. Santosh and other top party leaders.

Though the party is yet to announce anything officially, but sources in the party indicated that Majumdar is likely to meet the top leaders of the party, including Nadda and Santosh on Wednesday mainly to sort out the organisational problems of the state. Majumdar will also have talks on the recent exodus from the party. The state secretary is likely to apprise the national leadership about the current political situation in the state.

The state leadership has already indicated that a major reshuffle is likely to take place in the state BJP hierarchy just after the 'Durga Puja' where new and young leaders and more representation from North Bengal will get a preference.

Majumdar, who is considered to be a trusted RSS man. will certainly try to bring forward the RSS people into the party fold and people like Debojit Sarkar, Tushar Ghosh, Debasree Chowdhury and Debtanu might get new responsibility in the party. Indications are also there that apart from Jyotirmoy Singh Mahato -- who is from North Bengal all the other four general secretaries are likely to changed.

Not only in the state leadership but huge change in the district leadership is also in the offing. There are altogether 39 organisational districts which are headed by a district President.

Sources said that after the posts of the general secretaries, the posts of branch organisations of the party youth wing, peasants' wing, women's wing and minority wings, are extremely crucial. Sources said that the defunct district president will surely be replaced. And new faces from the young generation will be roped in there.

Majumdar, who has always stressed upon the need of collective responsibility instead of personal charisma, will need the approval of the national leadership regarding the impending changes in the party.

Sources in the party also indicated that the state president will also discuss the issue of developing a mechanism so that the exodus from the party can be prevented. Senior leaders like Mukul Roy and Babul Supriyo have already left the party and Trinamool Congress has threatened that more senior leaders are willing to join the ruling party.

Sources close to Majumdar also said that the state president is keen to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah if they give him time. However, there is no confirmation from Modi and Amit Shah so far.
Mumbai, Sep 26 : Actor Shahid Kapoor announced the release date of his much awaited film 'Jersey' through Instagram on Sunday.

The film will release in theatres on December 31, 2021.

The actor uploaded a still from the film and captioned it as: "Jersey releasing on December 31".

The film is the official Hindi remake of National Award-winning Telugu film by the same name. The original film starred actor Nani.

Both the films are directed by Gowtam Tinnanuri.

The Hindi remake also stars actor Pankaj Tripathi and actress Mrunal Thakur.
New Delhi, Sep 26 : The Baloch Liberation Army has claimed responsibility for the bomb attack which killed four Pakistan security personnel in Balochistan.

Four security personnel were killed and two others were injured in a bomb attack on a vehicle of the Frontier Corps in the Khosat area of Harnai district.

The Baloch Liberation Army which is banned in Pakistan claimed responsibility for the attack, Dawn reported.

Official sources said that the FC vehicle was targeted in the Safar Bash area.

The FC soldiers were performing their patrolling duty and when their vehicle reached the Safar Bash area, the improvised explosive device went off resulting in killing of four soldiers and injuries to two officers, the report said.

Security forces rushed to the scene of the attack and shifted the bodies and the injured to the nearby hospital.

The security personnel who died were identified as Hussain Rehmat, MuhAammad Saleem, Majid Fareed and Zakir. The injAured were Captain Owais and Lieutenant Luqman.

On Friday, two security personnel were martyred and five others injured in an attack in Awaran district, the report said.
New Delhi, Sep 26 : UNESCO should expel not only Afghanistan but also Pakistan from its body. Neither should be eligible for UNESCO aid. The same holds true for China. That all three are currently on UNESCO's executive board is a mockery, writes Michael Rubin.

"Rather than protect cultural heritage, UNESCO's corruption has made it a catalyst for destruction. In Afghanistan, the world should hold the Taliban responsible", Rubin writes in the Washington Examiner.

"In Afghanistan, the Taliban seek systematically to erase Afghanistan's cultural heritage. They may do so at the behest of Pakistani officials who fear Pashtun nationalism and wish to erase the legacy of various Afghan dynasties as well as the depth of its history. By eliminating Afghan heritage, Pakistan can also justify its own future land grabs and mitigate its own lack of self-confidence as a nation", Rubin added.

The Taliban are not alone in seeking to erase history and any remnants of past plurality. Rubin said Palestinians at the Temple Mount have deliberately ruined archaeological sites and dumped ancient artifacts in trash dumps.

"Beginning in 1949, Communist China systematically destroyed more than 6,000 monasteries and much of Tibet's cultural heritage. They are now implementing the same plan to erase Uyghur heritage", he added.

China, too, seeks to rewrite history and erase the diversity of the lands they once conquered in pursuit of a Han Chinese narrative that is essentially supremacist, he said.

The Taliban took a bulldozer to a centuries-old fort whose defenders once wounded the 14th-century warrior Timur, earning him the nickname Timur the Lame or, in its Anglicized form, Tamerlane, he said.

While Special Envoy Zalmay Khalilzad repeatedly assured that the Taliban had changed, the Taliban appears to be the same group that, in 2001, destroyed the famous 6th-century Bamiyan Buddhas that, until the Taliban dynamited them, were a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization today symbolizes the problem more than the solution, Rubin said.

In 2005, Azerbaijan destroyed the Julfa Graveyard and its unique collection of centuries-old khachkars, despite UNESCO's calls to cease its destruction. Rather than punish Azerbaijan, UNESCO rewarded Azerbaijani dictator Ilham Aliyev by appointing his wife Mehriban Aliyeva to be a goodwill ambassador. After such venality, it should surprise no one that Aliyev now erases Armenian heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh, control over which Armenians and Azeris still dispute, Rubin added.

(Sanjeev Sharma can be reached at Sanjeev.s@ians.in)
New Delhi, Sep 26 : Chief Justice N.V. Ramana on Sunday batted for 50 per cent representation for women in the judiciary and also supported the demand for reservation for women in law colleges across the country.

Addressing women advocates of the Supreme Court, who had organised a felicitation function for him and the nine newly appointed judges to the top court, the Chief Justice said: "With your anger, you shout, you demand, we need 50 per cent representation. It is not a small issue; issue of thousands of years of suppression. You are entitled, it is a matter of right. Nobody is going to give a charity". He added that it is very unfortunate that it has been realized very late.

"We may realize and reach this goal in the apex court and as well as other courts.I gathered some information about the system where we are working. In the entire country, our subordinate judiciary has less than 30 per cent (women representation). In high courts women judges are 11.5 per cent, in Supreme Court only 11-12 per cent are women", he said.

Justice Ramana added, out of 1.7 million advocates in the country, only 15 per cent are women and only two per cent elected representatives in state bar councils are women. He further pointed out why the Bar Council of India in national committee does not have even a single woman representative. Justice Ramana remarked, this needs urgent attention and pointed at other major issues faced by women lawyers - clients' preference for male advocates, uncomfortable environment within Courtrooms, lack of infrastructure, crowded courtrooms, lack of washrooms for women etc - adding that all these deter women from entering the profession.

"In the survey I got conducted, it turned out that out of 6,000 trial courts, nearly 22 per cent have no toilet for women, we need to create a more welcoming environment", he said.

Justice Ramana emphasized, "An important focus area is to increase gender diversity in legal education. I strongly advocate reservation of a significant percentage of seats in law schools and universities for women, as a first step".

Citing Karl Marx, he said Marx in different times and in a different context said: "Workers of the world, unite! You have nothing to lose but your chains". He added, "I am taking the liberty to modify it a bit to -- Women of the world, unite! You have nothing to lose but your chains".

Justice Ramana's remarks were appreciated by Justice B.V. Nagarathna, who was among three women sworn-in as judges of the top court on August 31. Justice Nagarathna, who will be country's first woman Chief Justice of India in 2027, said "advancing women's participation in the judiciary, promotes gender equality in broader ways, female judicial appointments, particularly at senior levels, can shift gender stereotypes. Thereby changing attitudes and perceptions as to appropriate roles of men and women." The chief justice also expressed hope about resuming physical hearings in Supreme Court after the Dussehra vacation.
Chennai, Sep 26 : Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian on Sunday said that all students from the state who have taken the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) will be provided mental health counselling.

The move comes in wake of deaths, by suicide, of three aspirants of NEET-2021.

He said that 1,10,971 students in Tamil Nadu appeared for the exam, and of them, 80 per cent have already spoken to a team of 333 professionals at least once.

The minister said that of these 20 per cent of the students are highly stressed and mental health professionals are regularly monitoring them.

Talking to media persons after inaugurating the third mega vaccination camp in the state at Trichy, he said that the students and parents have to be bolder in their outlook regarding such competitive examinations and should not think that this was the end of the road.

Subramanian also said that Chief Minister M.K. Stalin had allocated an amount of Rs 21 crore for a Radiology Department and said that the Tamil Nadu Medical Service Corporation will begin the purchase of the necessary equipment and the department would commence functioning in 30 days time.

He also awarded a token of appreciation to 11 heads of village panchayats in Trichy district for 100 per cent vaccination.

"We have awarded a token of appreciation to 11 village heads in Trichy for successfully vaccinating the whole population in these villages with at least one dose," he told IANS.
New Delhi/Itanagar, Sep 26 : Traditionally hunting with bamboo contraptions, including sharp spears and bow-and-arrows, to upgrading to modern guns and now to surrendering them, Arunachal Pradesh has come a full circle.

Since its launch in March 2021, more than 1,000 people have surrendered their air guns in Arunachal Pradesh as part of the 'Air Gun Surrender Campaign'.

Till a century ago, Arunachal Pradesh remained cut off from other states, thanks to its deep forests and mighty rivers. The local communities - even they lived in silos in their respective territories - banked on wild meat mostly in absence of variety of food available in other parts and hunting was a tradition not just for variety of meat but also part of some religious rituals in almost all ethnic communities.

Air guns do not require any license and scores of people hunt birds and smaller animals using these air guns across Arunachal Pradesh, unaware of the biodiversity loss. Much of the ownership of the land rests with the tribal communities and effectively very small area falls under Forest Department, rendering much of the wildlife related laws ineffective.

When Arunachal Pradesh's Environment Minister Mama Natung got an opportunity to bring in the change, he wasted no time. In March 20121, he announced in the state assembly that he would inspire people to surrender air guns through a campaign.

Arunachal Pradesh is a vast geography with almost 80 per cent forested areas. According to the state forest department website, it has 20 per cent species of country's fauna and a wide variety of flowering plants, pteridophytes, conifers, bamboos, canes, Rhododendron species and more than 500 species of orchids and is considered as one of the 12 mega diversity "Hotspots" in the world.

"There are more than 600 orchids, 500 plus bird species, including the rare birds such as Bugun Liocichla and Bengal Florican," Natung said.

Starting with his own constituency, the Environment Minister helped form an NGO and launched an awareness drive. His logic is simple. Earlier, when there was lack of variety of food, it was alright, people went to the jungles and hunted birds and animals. "But now that we have meat and fish available for sale in market, we have other food items, what is the need?" he asks.

The first programme was conducted in Lumdung village, near Seppa in East Kameng district "On that day, as many as 46 people surrendered their air guns. All voluntarily," Natung told IANS over phone.

Till date 1,326 air guns and 315 rifles have been surrendered, Natung said, adding, in each district, each MLA, each students' union, forest department staff, everybody has been asked to work for creating awareness among people.

Several areas in central Arunachal Pradesh have seen this campaign take off in a big way. However, there are areas that have seen a little serendipitous response, for instance, the eastern districts of Lohit and Anjaw.

Behem Lap, a social worker running an NGO 'Kin Medo' in Lohit district, said, "The response has been okay in our area. To start with, not many people in the Mishmi belt can afford an air gun. But those well-off, who did have, have surrendered." She said, Mishmis have always considered big cats such as tigers and leopards as sacred and there has been a taboo on hunting them in her community. "Even the Hoolock Gibbon is not touched. We kill animals, such as deer, only when it is needed for big traditional puja or for some party after wedding. Animals are never hunted for fun in our area," she said.

The Forest Department has instructed all Divisional Forest Officers (DFOs) to help with the campaign explaining people the damage that the continued hunting can cause to the biodiversity.

Arunachal Pradesh Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, R.K. Singh said, "At some places, people surrendered their air guns voluntarily. But in other, there were people who did not themselves own an air gun, they actually snatched the guns from their relatives, who were initially reluctant to surrender." All the surrendered air guns are being held in custody of the forest department for now. "We plan to later build a memorial with each of the person who surrendered his gun displayed," Singh said.

Welcoming the development as "fantastic", WWF-India coordinator for Western Arunachal Pradesh Landscape, Kamal Medhi said, "Air guns are a menace, especially for avi-fauna. We appreciate this initiative." He also said that the community must be educated on the issue further.

Next step is surrender of licensed guns on October 3 in West Kameng district, Singh said.

Buoyed by the response in his state, Natung said, "I would appeal Union Environment Minister and my counterparts in different states to conduct such campaigns and ban air guns." In fact, that was exactly what the Union Minister of State for Forest, Environment and Climate Change, Ashwini Kumar Choubey had hinted at when he visited Itanagar, the state capital on September 23.

Appealing people to not hunt animals and birds, Choubey had said, "Air Gun Surrender Campaign will be launched across the country and retired forest workers, representatives of social organizations etc will be roped in for the same."
New Delhi, Sep 26 : Delhi Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana on Sunday visited the Rohini court which on Friday saw the dramatic killing of top gangster Jitender Singh Mann, alias Gogi, by two members of a rival gang, before they were, in their turn, shot dead by police.

According to sources, the Commissioner inspected the crime scene -- the courtroom -- where the shootout took place.

On Friday, in an incident that seemed ripped from a Bollywood potboiler, Gogi was shot dead in a courtroom by two gangsters from the rival 'Tilu' gang, dressed in lawyers' garb.

Asthana also reviewed the security arrangements of the Court complex. "He stayed for at least one hour at the court premises," sources said adding that he also spoke to his team and the lawyers present there.

Gogi was on Delhi Police's most-wanted list and he was also an accused in dozens of cases - including murder, kidnapping, and fraud - in other states. His gang was also involved in crimes such as possession of illegal arms, carjacking, and land grabbing.

The two assailants were subsequently shot dead by three commandos of 3rd Battalion of Delhi Armed Police as the incident led to chaos and panic in the courtroom where the judge had commenced proceedings.

Sources said that the Commissioner has recommended out-of-turn promotion to the three commandos - two constables and an Assistant Sub-Inspector.

Hours after the incident on Friday, the Delhi Police chief told IANS that the police force is determined to act against any organised criminal activity in the national capital.

A senior police official, earlier in the day, informed that the Delhi Police is going to have a meeting with security agencies of neighbouring states and Union Territories in a bid to tackle the rising menace of organised crime in the national capital.
New Delhi, Sep 26 : The Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Government of India is committed to the development of Left Wing Extremism (LWE) affected states.

Shah was chairing a review meeting on the LWE situation in affected states.

Shah pointed out that there has been a lot of success due to the joint efforts of the Centre and the states in cracking down on LWE. "The incidents of LWE have come down by 23 per cent, the number of deaths by 21 per cent. In decades of fighting, we have reached a point where the death toll is less than 200 for the first time and this is a huge achievement for all of us. We all know that unless we get rid of the problem of LWE completely, the full development of the country and the states affected by it is not possible," Shah said in the meeting.

The Union Home Minister said that without eliminating it, neither we will be able to spread democracy to the bottom nor will we be able to develop the underdeveloped areas. So, instead of being satisfied with what we have achieved so far, we need to increase speed to get what is left.

"Government of India has been fighting a battle on two fronts for many years without paying attention to the political parties. Those who want to give up arms and join the mainstream are heartily welcome, but those who take up arms and hurt innocent people and the police, will be given the same response," he said.

He mentioned that the root cause of dissatisfaction is that development has not reached there in the last six decades since Independence and now to deal with it, it is very essential to ensure accessibility to fast-paced development so that common and innocent people do not join them.

"Under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, the development is continuing and now the Maoists have also understood that innocent people will not be misled by them, which is why it is very important to continue uninterrupted development. This is very important for success on both these fronts," the Union Home Minister said.

Shah said that the fight against the problem, which has claimed the lives of more than 16,000 civilians in the last 40 years, has now reached its end and it needs to be accelerated and made decisive. Shah further pointed out that recently, the Centre has been successful in getting many extremist groups surrendered and lay down arms, especially in the North East.

"So far, about 16,000 cadre have joined the mainstream of the society, including the Bodoland Pact, the Bru Pact, the Karbi Anglong Pact and the surrender by the insurgent cadres of Tripura. We welcome all those who want to leave the violence and join the mainstream," he said. Shah suggested that the state administration should be proactive and move ahead in coordination with the central forces.

Shah assured states that efforts have been made to fulfill demands of the states regarding the deployment of Central forces. The Union Home Minister said that the Prime Minister has taken an important decision to bring down the fixed expenditure of the States on deployment of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs). "As a result of this, there has been a reduction in the expenditure of the states on the deployment of CAPFs by about Rs 2,900 crore in 2019-20 as compared to the year 2018-19. The Prime Minister has continuously reviewed it and is constantly guiding us all," Shah said.

The Union Home Minister said that it is very important to neutralize the sources of income of the Left Wing Extremists. The agencies of the Central and State Governments should try to stop this by making a system together.

He urged all the Chief Ministers to give priority to the problem of LWE for the next one year, so that a permanent solution can be found in this regard. "It requires building pressure, increasing speed and better coordination," he added.

The meeting was attended by the Union Ministers and Chief Ministers of Bihar, Odisha, Maharashtra, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand and Home Minister of Andhra Pradesh. Senior officials from Chhattisgarh, West Bengal and Kerala, Union Home Secretary, top officials of Central Armed Police Forces and many senior officers of Central and State Governments also attended the meeting.
New Delhi, Sep 26 : The Digital Infrastructure Providers Association (DIPA) has sought urgent support from the Andhra Pradesh government to ensure unrestricted connectivity of telecom services even during the time cyclone "Gulab" hits some districts in the state.

In a letter to state Chief Secretary Aditya Nath Das, it has urged the state government to allow Cell on Wheels (CoWs) for installation without any permission requirement, if the situation arises, for providing continuous telecom services in the affected areas.

Also, to ensure that telecom infrastructure functions without any interruptions, the association has sought unrestricted access of telecom personnel for accessing telecom sites. In this regard it has said that enforcement agencies like police should allow smooth access to representatives of telecom infrastructure providers for attending to faults, routine maintenance, diesel filling etc. as the telecom operations need to be run on 24*7 basis even in an emergent situation.

DIPA has also asked the state government to reach out to Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, and oil companies to ensure availably of diesel on 24*7 basis. Similarly, for power, it has suggested that discoms in the state to ensure power availability for telecom tower operations, specially in the affected districts during this period.

DIPA is apex industry body of telecom infrastructure providers with members including ATC Telecom, Indus Towers, Tower Vision, Ascend Telecom, Summit Digitel, Sterlite Technologies, Space Tele Infra, Suyog Telematics, V-Con, iBus Infrastructure as well as energy solution companies like Applied Solar Technologies, and Coslight India.
New Delhi, Sep 26 : Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Sunday led an all party delegation of the state to the Home Minister and demanded caste based census in the country.

The delegation had all political parties of Jharkhand and it submitted a memorandum to the Home Minister demanding the same. Hemant Soren said, "It's necessary that the caste census should be conducted to ascertain the condition and population of different castes." Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who is in Delhi too, said it's a legitimate demand and the need of the hour. "We will hold all parry meeting, caste census must take place. It will help make policies for the people," he said.

OBC Muslim group too has pressed for caste based census and Momin Conference held a meeting on Sunday and condemned the government's affidavit in the Supreme Court. Its national president Shakiluzzaman Ansari said, "we will start a movement to put pressure on the government." The Centre had on Thursday informed the Supreme Court that population census is not the ideal instrument for collection of details on caste, and that the Maharashtra government's plea seeking census data on other Backward Classes (OBCs) in the state should not be entertained, as "the caste Census of Backward Classes is administratively difficult and cumbersome".

In an affidavit filed before the top court, the Union Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry said: "Each time, the view has consistently been that the caste Census of Backward Classes is administratively difficult and cumbersome; it has suffered and will suffer both on account of completeness and accuracy of the data." The Centre said it is not feasible to collect information on Backward Class of Citizens (BCC) in the upcoming Census, with its affidavit citing "practical difficulties" in ascertaining an identification criterion for backward classes. "The population census is not ideal instrument for collection of details on caste... there are two separate OBCs lists viz Central list and state list. Unlike SCs and STs lists, the lists of OBCs are not exclusively central subjects," it added.
New Delhi, Sep 26 : Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Sunday requested the Centre to consider several development proposals to strengthen infrastructure in Maoist-affected districts of his state.

Participating in a meeting of several Chief Ministers, chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, to review the Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) situation, he said: "The state government's commitment will continue with our pro-active security strategy combined with sustained and holistic development of tribal areas to address the issue." He requested the proposal of four-laning NH 326 from Jeypore to Motu, via Malkangiri, be considered, as "this will provide a parallel road for traffic from eastern India, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand states to the south, especially Bengaluru and Hyderabad. This corridor, in addition to reducing the travelling time substantially, will also provide huge economic impetus to this region".

Patnaik also pointed out that the LWE-affected districts are not part of the railways network.

"Railway Ministry and Odisha government are already constructing two-legs - from Jeypore to Nawarangpur and Jeypore to Malkangiri -- through cost sharing. The missing part between Malkangiri to Bhadrachalam of length 153 km and Nawarangpur to Junagarh of length 118 km can provide a very viable alternative path to the trunk routes of the railway. This will have a huge impact on the economic growth of these areas," he said.

He also requested the Union government to consider providing mobile connectivity to areas of southern and western Odisha.

"There are 6,278 villages in Odisha without any mobile access or connectivity, the largest number in the country. We thank the Union Home Ministry for sanctioning 488 mobile towers for Odisha recently. But to provide coverage to other uncovered villages, an estimated 2,000 more mobile base stations will be required," he said.

Noting that most interior areas depend on mobile connectivity and mobile internet for banking, education and delivery of all government services, he said: "Today, the basic need, therefore, is for 4G mobile base stations at all places. It is, therefore, required to upgrade the 2G base stations also, erected earlier." He also urged the Union government to take expeditious steps to set up banks within a specific time frame of one year or so in LWE-affected areas of states.

"We have not been successful in creating banking facilities in these areas. State government will provide land, building etc for setting up bank branches free of cost," Patnaik said.

He also suggested that the Ministry of Home Affairs should do a study on how many children from these LWE-affected areas across the country are successful in national level exams like NEET, IIT-JEE and others. "If our systems continue to bypass these areas, it is not going to help the cause of people of LWE-affected areas," he said.
New Delhi, Sep 26 : The most worrisome aspect of US-based Khalistan agitation is the likelihood that Pakistan's intelligence agency, ISI is responsible to a considerable degree, according to a report by the Hudson Institute.

The research titled, "Pakistan's Destabilization Playbook: Khalistan Separatist Activism Within the US", says that in 2011, the FBI identified the Kashmir American Council and its head, Ghulam Nabi Fai, as tied to "a decades-long scheme to conceal the transfer of at least $3.5 million from the government of Pakistan to fund his lobbying efforts in America related to Kashmir." Fai had long partnered with Khalistani organizations and Sikh activists. In 1992, for example, he and a number of Khalistani supporters attended the Democratic Party convention to lobby for Kashmiri and Sikh secessionism.

In 2000, Indian media reported that Fai and Paramjit Singh Ajrawat, founder of the Anti-Defamation Sikh Council for Khalistan, together visited a gurdwara in Silver Spring, Maryland, where they called for the US and the UN to increase their efforts to obtain a peaceful solution to the "liberation of the Sikh homeland, Khalistan and the 52-year-old Kashmir conflict".

The involvement of Fai and Kashmir-related groups in the US based Khalistan milieu should be taken seriously, the report said.

Syed Ghulam Nabi Fai, a US citizen and director of the Kashmiri American Council (KAC), was arrested and pleaded guilty to criminal counts of conspiracy to conceal material facts, impede the IRS in the collection of revenue, and impede the administration of tax laws, the report said.

For years, the KAC "held itself out to be run by Kashmiris, financed by Americans and dedicated to raising the level of knowledge in the United States about the struggle of the Kashmiri people for self-determination. But according to court documents, the KAC was secretly funded by officials employed by the government of Pakistan, including the Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate." The Kashmir American Council presented itself as an advocate for Kashmiris' human rights, working to create awareness of and support for the Kashmiri people's struggles to attain these rights.

To further these efforts over the years, KAC and Fai employed a major Washington-area lobbyist, contributed to the campaigns of certain Congress members, organized rallies and conferences against India, and attempted to influence US policy on South Asia, all without acknowledging that Pakistan and its intelligence service were funding their efforts, the report said.

According to the US Department of Justice, Fai "repeatedly submitted annual KAC strategy reports and budgetary requirements to Pakistani government officials for approval. For instance, in 2009, Fai sent the ISI a document entitled 'Plan of Action of KAC/Kashmir Centre, Washington, DC, for the Fiscal Year 2010,' which itemized KAC's 2010 budget request of $658,000 and listed Fai's plans to secure US congressional support for US action in support of Kashmiri self-determination.

The Department of Justice stated that Fai also "accepted the transfer of such money to the KAC from the ISI and the government of Pakistan through his co-defendant Zaheer Ahmad and middlemen (straw donors), who received reimbursement from Ahmad for their purported 'donations' to the KAC." Fai failed to inform the IRS that these straw donors were being reimbursed by Ahmad "using funds received from officials employed by the ISI and the government of Pakistan." Although Fai had most likely been receiving funding from Pakistan's ISI since KAC's 1992 inception, he was investigated and indicted only after the deterioration in US-Pakistan relations in the aftermath of the 2011 raid in which Osama bin Laden was killed, the report said.

Kashmiri and Khalistani activists have benefited from having the same friends in high places. In 2011 following the discovery that Pakistan's ISI was bankrolling Fai's KAC, the New York Times reported that three members of the US House-Joe Pitts, Dan Burton, and Dennis J. Kucinich-had been working closely with Fai and his group. Rep Burton, the Times reported, had taken a particularly "aggressive role in promoting the agenda pushed by Mr Fai." In 1997, the Washington Post noted that "nearly a quarter of the individual donations to Burton's 1996 campaign came from the Sikh and Kashmiri communities in the United States." Following Fai's arrest in 2011, it emerged that Burton, who retired in 2013, had received significant sums of money from Fai himself. Burton has consistently denied any knowledge that Fai's group was "linked to any foreign intelligence operation." However, particularly interesting but scarcely discussed, Burton also appeared to be a leading Congressional advocate for the Khalistani cause, sponsoring "many resolutions in Congress and [castigating] India for its 'profound lack of respect for Sikh life and culture.'" In 2004, Burton invited Fai and Gurmit Singh Aulakh, president of the Council of Khalistan, to address the Committee on Government Reform on the issue of alleged Indian brutality.

Burton is not the only member of the US Congress to openly advocate for both the Khalistani and Kashmiri causes. In 1998, Rep Edolphus Towns, who represented New York from 1983 to 2013, openly advocated for Aulakh's nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize, lauding his efforts to "expose the oppression of Sikhs." As per the report, other members of the US Congress who have jointly called for the liberation of Sikhs and Kashmiris include Rep Philip M. Crane (Republican from Illinois, 1969-2005); 128 Rep John T. Doolittle (Republican from California, 1991-2009); 129 Rep Roscoe Bartlett (Republican from Maryland, 1993-2013); 130 Rep Lincoln Diaz-Balart (Republican from Florida, 1986-2011); 131 Rep Wally Herger (Republican from California, 1987-2013); 132 and Rep Cynthia McKinney (Democrat from Georgia, 1993-2003).

Many others in Congress regularly promote the Khalistani cause while not also advancing the agenda of Kashmiri separatists.

Following Fai's release from jail, he has remained an active partner of radical fellow travellers, including Sikh activists, and continues to write regularly about the ostensible persecution of Sikhs in India, publishing across a variety of Pakistani media. In addition, since at least 2016, Fai has led annual protests made up of Sikh, Islamist, and Kashmiri activists outside the United Nations building in New York, the report said.

At the 2017 protest, Fai and his new organization, the World Kashmiri Awareness Forum, were supported by Sikh activists, Pakistani regime officials, and such Kashmiri separatists as Syed Ali Geelani, who once served as "head of jihad" for the Kashmiri branch of South Asia's violent Islamist movement Jamaat-e-Islami.

At the 2019 protest, one newspaper reported that joining Fai was "a prominent Sikh leader, Sardar Amarjit Singh," who "also voiced support for the cause of Kashmir and reaffirmed his call for the establishment of Khalistan." In July 2021, Singh and other Khalistani activists joined Fai again - filmed by a camera crew from television channel TV84 (a project of various Khalistani activists, including activists from the Khalistan Affairs Center and Sikhs for Justice)139-to honor "Kashmir Martyrs Day.

(Sanjeev Sharma can be reached at Sanjeev.s@ians.in)
Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 26 : The Bharat Bandh, announced by the agitating farmers and supported by opposition parties, will turn into a lockdown in Kerala on Moday with both the ruling LDF and the opposition UDF backing it.

The state has already announced that all university examinations scheduled for Monday would be postponed. Public transport including buses, taxis, and auto-rickshaws will be off the road, but private vehicles can apply.

Shops and establishments would remain shut. Essential services like milk booths and medical shops will, however, function.

CPI-M's acting state Secretary A. Vijayaraghavan, in a statement, called upon the people of Kerala to cooperate with the Bharat Bandh and to express solidarity with the agitating farmers of the country.

Leader of Opposition, V.D. Satheeshan, told media persons that the struggle of the farmers has to be given support and hence the Congress and the opposition UDF have extended support to the Bharat Bandh on Monday. He called upon people to support the farmers who were fighting against the "draconian" farm laws.

Kerala Police are on high alert over the Bharat Bandh which would bring life to a standstill in the state. The DGP has directed district Police Superintendents, especially in north Kerala to be on high alert over anti-social elements taking law into their hands.
Amaravati, Sep 26 : Farmers' wing of Andhra Pradesh's ruling party YSRCP has extended support to the nation-wide bandh on Monday, expressing solidarity with the farmers' associations.

The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) has given a call for Bharat Bandh on Monday, to mark the first anniversary of the three controversial farm laws getting Presidential assent.

YSR Congress Party's farmers Wing State President M.V.S. Nagi Reddy announced support to the shutdown.

He told reporters that the demands that farmers have been raising in the national capital are already being implemented in Andhra Pradesh, especially providing Minimum Support Price (MSP) of the crops.

The State government purchased crops at MSP in the last two years. He said that Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy always prioritised agriculture sector and farmers welfare. The YSRCP government is providing free electricity for nine hours during day and also paying the insurance premium for the crops.

Nagi Reddy said that the government would try to resolve any issue regarding the farmers irrespective of the party or association they belong to. Like no other government, YSRCP government had spent Rs 51,500 crore towards agriculture and allied sectors in the last two years.

"We hope that the issue would be solved amicably very soon. Our Party believes that if the farmer prospers, the State and nation will prosper and ours is a farmer-friendly government," he claimed.
Agra, Sep 26 : Celebrating world rivers day at the Etmauddaula view point park, scores of river activists on Sunday evening beat drums, thalis, bells and shankhs to wake up "slumbering" MPs and MLAs from Agra to take up the cause of Yamuna, choking to death due to pollution.

Members of the River Connect Campaign held a spirited protest, criticising callous apathy of the ruling party politicians towards the plight of river Yamuna that sustains history, architecture, culture and religion.

In a resolution, they demanded dredging and desilting of the river bed, continuous discharge of a minimum quantity of water to sustain organic life in the river and support religious rituals. The activists criticised clearance to new barrage projects on Yamuna in Dehradun, Yamunanagar and Jewar, even as the barrage project downstream of the Taj Mahal was awaiting clearance from the union ministry of environment and forests.

"Yamuna was a critical component of the Taj Mahal complex, but no attention was being paid to revive the river imperiling the safety of the 17th century mausoleum that attracted over seven million visitors annually," Dr Anand Rai, a green activist said.

Construction of new barrages in Uttarakhand, Haryana and near the upcoming Jewar International Airport will permanently kill the river, green activists warned. They expressed deep resentment against local administration's failure to demolish encroachments on the Yamuna flood plains in Agra, Mathura and Vrindavan.

Green campaigners were particularly angry with Nitin Gadkari, the union minister for transport, who on three different occasions had promised to start ferry service to bring tourists to Agra from Delhi.

"Thousands of crores of rupees had gone down the gutter, in the name of cleaning and rejuvenating the Yamuna in the eco sensitive Taj Trapezium Zone, but the results were zero," green activists Dr Harendra Gupta and Rahul Raj said.

In another resolution the activists demanded formulation of a national rivers policy and constitution of a central rivers authority to manage inter state rivers.
Hyderabad, Sep 26 : Following demand from the Students Islamic Organisation of India (SIO) to delete 'Islamophobic' content in a school book in Telangana, the state authorities on Sunday assured appropriate action while the publisher has apologised and decided to delete the objectionable photograph.

The director of school education clarified that the objectionable photograph was not published in the government prescribed text book of 8th class but in the Question Bank prepared and published by VGS Brilliant Series publication, a private firm.

The director said in a statement that appropriate action will be initiated against the publishers responsible for this.

SIO's Telangana chapter had strong exception to the picture of a 'terrorist' showing him holding a rocket launcher in his right hand and carrying holy Quran in his left hand. It was published in the chapter 'National movement - the last phase 1919 -1947'.

Dr Talha Faiyazuddin, president, SIO Telangana condemned the publication of 'Islamophobic' content and urged the state's education minister P. Sabita Indra Reddy to initiate action against the publisher.

He said such content will prejudice students' minds. "It is creating and propagating stereotypical, hateful and Islamophobic view towards Muslim community, by showing a person holding a gun in his right hand and the holy Quran in left hand. It is a discriminatory and hateful content which destroys the harmony, unity and integrity of the society," he said.

Meanwhile, VGS Publishers has apologized for carrying the picture. It announced that it will delete the picture and reprint the books. It also promised to withdraw unsold books from the market.

The Vijayawada-based publisher in a statement expressed regrets. "It was not at all intentional. We do not intend to hurt anybody's sentiments. However, we have decided to delete the picture and reprint the books," it said.

"We are also in the process of collecting back unsold copies from the market to avoid any further inconvenience to anyone," it added.

Earlier in the day, Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) legislator Ahmed Balala called upon the education minister to demand criminal case against the publisher. He also urged the government to seize the books carrying the objectionable and blasphemous photograph.

The MIM leader said the photograph promotes hate and incorrect information about Islam and the glorious Quran. "This is blasphemous and hurting the feelings of Muslims. Islam neither endorses/promotes terrorism nor the people who use the Glorious Quran to justify terrorism. This is highly objectionable and will not be tolerated and may spread hate in the community," the MIM leader wrote in his letter to the minister.
Gandhinagar, Sep 26 : Union Minister of Law and Justice, Kiren Rijiju said on Sunday that there are many laws in the country but the implementation is very slow and there is a need to speed up the delivery of justice in the country.

Kiren Rijiju was speaking on the occasion of inauguration of the School of Law, Forensic Justice and Policy Studies at the National Forensics Sciences University (NFSU) in Gandhinagar on Sunday.

He said, "We get to listen to judges commentaries due to the proactive media, the court judgements, where sometimes we hear the judge's praises and sometimes their anguish also. Sometimes we see such wonderful judgements from the Supreme Court and High Courts on various issues, but then we come to know that contempt has been filed. It shouldn't happen, that we act only after a contempt has been filed. Leave apart the contempt thing, but we should be proactive in our work." He added, "We are also so much frustrated sometimes that even though we make so many laws, there is no quick implementation." Rijiju also said that there was a need to speed up the judicial process.

"When we talk about Justice at the Doorstep, when we talk about quick justice delivery, then we have to think about developing a mechanism with the application of science which puts an end to people waiting endlessly to get justice. When we talk about 'Ease of Business', 'Ease of Living', we should also talk about 'Ease of getting Justice', how justice can be delivered easily," said Rijiju.

"There is also a need to bring about change with time. Take for instance, the Evidence Act. There are provisions which in today's time are irrelevant. Also, now with the Artificial Intelligence (AI), advent of emerging technology and science, it is becoming challenging for the judiciary to deliver quick justice. This is where universities like the NFSU comes in," said Rijiju.

Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and minister of state, Harsh Sanghavi, Supreme Court Justice M.R. Shah, were among those who attended the event. The acting Chief Justice of the Gujarat High Court, Justice R.M. Chhaya, Rajendra Trivedi, the minister of law and justice in Gujarat government and many judges from various Courts were also present at the inaugural event.
New Delhi, Sep 26 : Hours after returning from the US, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday evening inspected ongoing the construction work of a new Parliament house.

According to sources, he reached the construction site of the new parliament building around 8.45 p.m. and stayed there for around an hour.

This was his first visit to the construction site.

"Without any information and security details, Prime Minister Modi reached the construction site of the new Parliament building which is part of Central Vista project. He stayed there for around an hour and took stock of ongoing work. He took information of ongoing construction activities of the new Parliament building," a source said.

The Prime Minister returned on Sunday afternoon from the US where he had held bilateral talks with US President Joe Biden, participated in the Quad summit, and also addressed the UNGA.

Last year, he laid the foundation stone of the new Parliament building and it is likely to be completed by next year.

Earlier this month, Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister, Hardeep Singh Puri had said next year, the Winter session of Parliament will be held at the new Parliament.

"The next Republic Day parade on January 26 will be held on the new Central Vista. Next year's winter session of Parliament on the 75th year of Independence of the country will be held in the new Parliament," he had said.

The Central Vista project also includes the construction of a common Secretariat for Central government offices, the Prime Minister's office and residence, the Special Protection Group building and the Vice President's Enclave.
Chennai, Sep 26 : An Indian Air Force (IAF) officer was arrested on Sunday in Tamil Nadu's Coimbatore, following charges of rape levelled by his colleague.

Flight Lieutenant Amitesh, 29, was arrested from the IAF campus near the Race Course, Coimbatore, where he undergoing a training programme.

Police said that the woman had approached the Woman Police Station at Coimbatore, complaining that she was raped in her sleep. She had reportedly filed a complaint with the IAF authorities two weeks ago but no action was taken.

The woman IAF officer got injured while playing a game on September 10 and had taken medication and fell asleep and when she woke up, she was allegedly being sexually abused.

Coimbatore City police arrested Amitesh on Sunday under charges of rape. He was sent to judicial custody, and lodged at Udumalpet jail.

Amitesh's lawyer has argued that the Coimbatore police does not have any authority to conduct an investigation against the IAF officer and called for a trial at a defence court.
Guwahati, Sep 26 : With patients of estern Assam lacking facilities for instant and proper treatment due to the lack of Advanced Life Support (ALS) ambulances, an Abu Dhabi-based Assamese businessman Vedanta Baruah came forward as a saviour by donating two such ambulances.

Health officials said that patients of upper Assam would be greatly benefited by these two ALS ambulances which would be run by Assam Medical College for the state and most parts of Arunachal Pradesh.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, after flagging off the two ALS ambulances, said that these ambulances would help people of Assam tremendously and commended Baruah for coming forward for this noble cause in these trying times.

Bhaskar Gogoi, physician and a social activist, who was in the news for arranging plasma for Covid-19 patients during the complete lockdown last year, said: "Many critically ill people lose their lives before they reach hospital during transportation for advanced treatment.

"The ALS ambulances would bring relief to those patients who need it the most." Baruah is the first Assamese to be awarded a 'Golden Visa' in the investors category by the Abu Dhabi government's Department of Economic Development.
New Delhi, Sep 26 : A septuagenarian drug peddler was arrested and 1.2 kg of ganja recovered from his possession, a Delhi Police official said here on Sunday.

Acting on a tip-off that a drug peddler, identified as Jaiskishan, 70, resident of Madanpur, would sell ganja at a canal nearby his residence, a police team reached the spot.

According to the police officer, at around 9 p.m., a person carrying a bag was seen coming on foot from the side the of JJ Colony. As the secret informer indicated that he was the one, the person started to run away, but was chased and caught. The drug was found in his bag.

Police have registered a case under various sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act at the Sarita Vihar police station.

During interrogation, the accused disclosed that except for selling ganja, he has no other way to earn his livelihood. Jaiskishan said that he used to purchase ganja from JJ Colony and Najafgarh and was himself addicted to consumption of psychotropic substances.

Police have found no previous involvement in any case against him.
Yangon, Sep 27 : Another 4 million doses of China's Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccines purchased by Myanmar arrived at Yangon International Airport on Sunday, according to a release from the Chinese Embassy in Myanmar.

A total of 16.6 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines have been supplied by China to Myanmar so far, of which 3.9 million doses were donated by China, the release said, Xinhua news agency reported.

Over 3.72 million people have been fully vaccinated nationwide, while over 3.47 million people have received the first jabs of Covid-19 vaccines as of Saturday, the country's Ministry of Health said in a statement on Sunday.

Myanmar reported 1,534 new Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the tally to 458,154 cases in the country on Sunday, the ministry said.

The death toll has increased to 17,527 as of Sunday after 62 more deaths were reported.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Brandon Ford has opened reservations for the 2021 Ford Bronco

The 2021 Ford Bronco is one of the best off-road adventure vehicles in the market. Since the 2021 Ford Bronco is on demand, Brandon Ford has opened reservations for the same. The dealership has opened reservations for all the configurations and has invited the customers to reserve their favorite configuration.

The 2021 Ford Bronco has 4x4 drivetrains. The innovative design and Go Over Any Terrain (GOAT) system makes the 2021 Ford Bronco one of the most unique and popular vehicles in the market. The 2021 Ford Bronco is available for reservations with 2 and 4-door options. The 2021 Ford Bronco Sport is also open for reservation in the dealership. The vehicle is well-built and can perform well in any condition. The interior features and exterior designs are also built to fit all the conditions. Brandon Ford has made the reservation process easy for their customers with $100 as refundable deposit.

Brandon Ford dealership, one of the most customer-oriented dealerships in Tampa, Florida, has opened this reservation for the Bronco enthusiasts who is looking for an opportunity to grab their favorite off-road adventure vehicle. Brandon Ford invites their customers to make a reservation in advance.

Customers can click here to reserve their 2022 Ford F-150 Lightening at Brandon Ford dealership in Tampa, Florida. Interested truck buyers can visit their website at https://www.brandonford.com. Shoppers can also contact the dealership at 813-246-3673.
Empowered Startups is pleased to announce it placed No. 312 on the 2021 Report on Business ranking of Canadas Top Growing Companies.

Canadas Top Growing Companies ranks Canadian companies on three-year revenue growth. Empowered Startups earned its spot with three-year growth of 105%.

As we look toward the future, Canadas Top Growing Companies offer both inspiration and practical insights for other firms facing similar challenges, says James Cowan, Editor of Report on Business magazine. The entrepreneurs behind these companies are smart, tenacious and unwavering in their commitment to their goals.

Any business leader seeking inspiration should look no further than the 448 businesses on this years Report on Business ranking of Canadas Top Growing Companies, says Phillip Crawley, Publisher and CEO of The Globe and Mail.

It is great to see all the Canadian innovation and innovators represented on this list. Robust entrepreneurial activity is a catalyst for knowledge creation and a key means of mobilizing discovery for social, economic, health, and environmental impact. We operate at the confluence of research, education, and transnational entrepreneurship and enjoy taking our Canadian built model and approach to impact other markets in the US and Europe, added Paul Girodo, CEO and Co-Founder of Empowered Startups.

About Empowered Startups

Empowered Startups is an Innovative Startup Incubator and foundry headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. With offices in Canada, France, and Portugal, we train/mentor/ and network entrepreneurs to successfully launch new businesses in diverse markets. As a foundry we also conceive, build and launch our own products and solutions.

Empowered Startups is recognized by the Canadian Government as a designated start-up business incubator and is known internationally for growing ideas into sustainable businesses using both a virtual and on-site model. Empowered Startups mentors, accelerates, and incubates innovative domestic and global business ideas. Our training tools and mentorship are used and recognized by leading global university labs, Startup incubators, and innovation hubs.

Notable EdTech products under the Empowered Startups Umbrella: Young Empowered Startuppers (YES)  A fully integrated e-learning platform for high schools that guides teachers and students on an innovative entrepreneurial journey starting with an idea and ending with a viable and pitch ready venture, and Empowered Nations - providing specialized entrepreneurship training, mentorship, and tools through an Indigenous lens.

About Canadas Top Growing Companies

Launched in 2019, the Canadas Top Growing Companies editorial ranking aims to celebrate entrepreneurial achievement in Canada by identifying and amplifying the success of growth-minded, independent businesses in Canada. It is a voluntary program; companies had to complete an in-depth application process in order to qualify. In total, 448 companies earned a spot on this years ranking.

The full list of 2021 winners, and accompanying editorial coverage, is published in the October issue of Report on Business magazineout nowand online.

About The Globe and Mail

The Globe and Mail is Canadas foremost news media company, leading the national discussion and causing policy change through brave and independent journalism since 1844. With award-winning coverage of business, politics and national affairs, The Globe and Mail newspaper reaches 6.4 million readers every week in print or digital formats, and Report on Business magazine reaches 2 million readers in print and digital every issue. The Globe and Mails investment in innovative data science means that as the world continues to change, so does The Globe. The Globe and Mail is owned by Woodbridge, the investment arm of the Thomson family.

Contact

Lynsey Skramstad

lynsey@empoweredstartups.com

604.670.6238

http://www.empoweredstartups.com
Law Office of Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP For more information about the lawsuit against Cortech West Staffing LLC, call (800) 568-8020 to speak to an experienced California employment attorney today.

The Los Angeles employment law attorneys, at Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP, filed a lawsuit against Cortech West Staffing LLC alleging the company violated Labor Code  2699, et seq. seeking penalties for DEFENDANTs alleged violation of California Labor Code  201, 202, 203, 204, 210, 221, 226(a), 226.7, 351, 510, 512, 558(a)(1)(2), 1194, 1197, 1197.1, 1198, and 2802. The lawsuit against Cortech West Staffing LLC, is currently pending in the Los Angeles County Superior Court, Case No. 21NWCV00556. To read a copy of the Complaint, please click here.

According to the lawsuit filed, Cortech West Staffing LLC allegedly failed to reimburse employees for required business expenses. California Labor Code  2802 expressly states that "an employer shall indemnify his or her employee for all necessary expenditures or losses incurred by the employee in direct consequence of the discharge of his or her duties..." During employment, Plaintiff and other Aggrieved Employees were allegedly required to use their personal cellular phones in order to complete their job duties.

PAGA is a mechanism by which the State of California itself can enforce state labor laws through the employee suing under the PAGA who do so as the proxy or agent of the state's labor law enforcement agencies. An action to recover civil penalties under PAGA is fundamentally a law enforcement action designed to protect the public and not to benefit private parties. The purpose of PAGA is not to recover damages or restitution, but to create a means of "deputizing" citizens as private attorneys general to enforce the Labor Code.

For more information about the lawsuit against Cortech West Staffing LLC, call (800) 568-8020 to speak to an experienced California employment attorney today.

Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP is a labor law firm with law offices located in San Diego County, Riverside County, Los Angeles County, Sacramento County, Santa Clara County, Orange County and San Francisco County. The firm has a statewide practice of representing employees on a contingency basis for violations involving unpaid wages, overtime pay, discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination and other types of illegal workplace conduct.

***THIS IS AN ATTORNEY ADVERTISEMENT***
The CDC recently identified a 31% increase nationwide in the number of children and adolescent mental health-related emergency room visits from pre-pandemic ER visits. Mike McCulla, CEO of Acute Behavioral Health, attributes this increase to the anxiety, social isolation, interrupted connectedness to schools, and social systems being experienced by young people because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This increase in demand, says McCulla, spotlights the lack of resources needed to effectively meet the mental health demand of young people showing up in ERs.

There is a clog in the much-needed flow of young people through the mental health continuum of services. The CDC noted that the increase in ER visits has caused a backlog in young people waiting in ERs to be admitted to psychiatric hospitals, oftentimes for days. Those not immediately meeting the criteria for inpatient psychiatric hospital admissions are sent to seek limited outpatient services in their community. What often happens is that young people have to remain in dysfunctional living situations, such as shelters and detention centers, while they wait for a treatment opportunity.

Forbes picked up on the mental health crisis of young people in an article referring to the situation as a Shadow Pandemic, stating struggling ERs ought to rethink how they manage the overwhelming number of young people visiting in psychiatric crisis. The article goes on to suggest that some regions of the country may need to piggyback on the use of the early COVID-19 pop-up hospitals and triage centers to help manage this crisis. Given this recent surge of psychiatric need, McCulla believes, [that] this is going to be with us for a while after we are removing our masks as part of our daily wardrobe.

The Family First Act (FFA) enacted just a few months prior to the pandemic, provides a much needed refocusing of resources on keeping young people with mental health and substance abuse issues in their homes and communities at the cost of pivoting on the use of out-of-home placements like residential treatment. I totally understand and agree with the refocusing and pivot, says McCulla, but the surge of mental health needs of young people brought on by COVID-19 has created an imperfect storm of challenges to meet those needs.

Currently, many states are still in the process of strengthing their outpatient and in-home services to support the directives of the FFA. States are being forced to cut back on the use of out-of-home placements to afford the shift in new services. Consequently, this is causing a lack of space in residential treatment beds needed to accommodate the young people coming into the ER experiencing a psychiatric crisis. As a result, patients have to remain in problematic situations while waiting to be admitted to a facility for treatment. According to McCulla, this problem will only worsen before it gets better. He suggests that we rethink how mental health visits of young people are managed in the ER and work for an alternative to lengthy stays in psychiatric hospitals and long-term residential treatment facilities.

I have long been an advocate in the use of Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facilities (PRTFs), says McCulla. Having been established by Centers for Medicare/Medicaid Services (CMS) as an acute level of care for young people in 2000, PRTFs have the capacity to admit and quickly transition young people back into their homes and communities more effectively than long-term residential treatment facilities. States like New Jersey and Minnesota are on the forefront in developing creative ways to use the PRTF model to meet some of the current mental health challenges, by opening small PRTF units as crisis stabilization centers for young people and opening the facilities in areas of high need. Initial results indicate that PRTFs provide much needed relief on the demand for psychiatric hospital admissions and have been more effective at ensuring that young people are engaged in outpatient and home-based services upon returning home. Stepping back and rethinking how the PRTF model may be utilized to meet some of the current and future demands for treatment may just be what we need to be doing, states McCulla.

Acute Behavioral Health is an owner/operator of behavioral health service centers for young people.
New 2022 Trailblazer models are moving fast at Carl Black Chevrolet Buick GMC Orlando. Recently the dealership has posted several blog articles about the new model as well as a research landing page to help customers find the needed information during a car search.

There are new 2022 models showing up at dealership lots across Florida, and Carl Black Chevrolet Buick GMC Orlando is starting to see 2022 Chevy Trailblazer models arrive in its inventory. Recently the dealership has posted several blog articles about the new model as well as a research landing page to help customers find the needed information during a car search.

As outlined on research pages and blog posts at the dealership, the 2022 Trailblazer lineup consists of four trim levels. The base LS trim starts the lineup out with standard features like forward collision alert, lane keep assist, SiriusXM satellite radio, wireless Apple CarPlay and wireless Android Auto.

Above the LS trim the Trailblazer has the LT trim with the ACITV and RS trim levels rounding out the top of the lineup. Both the ACTIV and RS trim levels feature the same MSRP but offer different styles with the ACTIV appealing more towards those who may want to venture off-road and the RS appealing to a sportier on-road experience. All trim levels feature standard front-wheel drive but offer all-wheel drive as an option.

Those interested in a particular 2022 Trailblazer model at Carl Black Orlando should act fast. Inventory of this modern compact SUV has been quickly snatched up by Orlando-area drivers. Those who are interested in the 2022 Trailblazer in Orlando are encouraged to reach out to the dealership through its website at https://www.carlblackoforlando.com/. The dealership can also be reached by phone at 888-502-0763 or in person at 11500 E Colonial Dr, Orlando, FL 32817.
Technology from Neuro Vigor draws on the work of Riyi Shi (pictured), the Purdue Mari Hulman George Endowed Professor of Applied Neuroscience. (Image provided)

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind.  Technology to provide new options for patients with neurological disease and pain has received major new support.

Neuro Vigor, a Purdue University-affiliated startup, won a $100,000 Early Commercialization Award from the Indiana Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Fund. The companys proprietary drugs offer new disease-modifying therapies to reduce patient suffering in neuro-degenerative conditions. This is the first time the research fund has provided support to an early commercialization company.

This award is a significant show of support for our company and technologies, said Mark Van Fleet, CEO of Neuro Vigor. Our initial target is neuropathic pain in spinal cord injury, a largely unmet medical challenge, but our solution has exciting potential for several other devastating neurological diseases, including Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinsons.

Dr. Henry Feuer, neurosurgeon and chairman of the funds board, said, This creation of an early commercialization opportunity as part of our annual funding mechanism recognizes the contributions that established or startup companies could provide.

This award, using rigid National Institutes of Health criteria, will enable Neuro Vigor to bring together top scientists and collaborators in order to develop a novel therapeutic strategy to reduce the consequences from neuropathic pain, with fewer side effects.

Neuro Vigors technology is largely based on the work of Riyi Shi, Purdues Mari Hulman George Endowed Professor of Applied Neuroscience, director of the Center for Paralysis Research in the College of Veterinary Medicine and a professor of biomedical engineering.

It is an incredible honor to be recognized for our efforts to bring meaningful research out of the lab and into the clinic, said Shi, a noted Purdue neurorescientist and chief scientist for Neuro Vigor. These advances benefit not only Purdue and the scientific arena, but most importantly patients.

The Neuro Vigor team worked with the Purdue Foundry, an entrepreneurship and commercialization hub. The research project will involve collaboration with scientists from the University of Western Australia.

This is a very dedicated team advancing technology to impact an exceptionally important unmet medical need, said Wade Lange, vice president and chief entrepreneurial officer at the Purdue Foundry. Its yet another great example of the success of the Purdue entrepreneurial ecosystem, where researchers pair with entrepreneurs to start companies and move inventions to the marketplace.

Shi also works with the Purdue Research Foundation Office of Technology Commercialization to patent his discoveries. This office operates as one of the most comprehensive technology transfer programs among leading research universities in the U.S.

About Purdue Research Foundation

Purdue Research Foundation supports Purdue Universitys land-grant mission by helping the university improve the world through its technologies and graduates. Established in 1930, PRF is a private, nonprofit foundation. The foundation helps patent and commercialize Purdue technologies; builds places to encourage innovation, invention, investment, commercialization and entrepreneurship; and makes equity available to students to finance their Purdue education. For more information on licensing a Purdue innovation, contact the Office of Technology Commercialization at otcip@prf.org. For more information about involvement and investment opportunities in startups based on a Purdue innovation, contact the Purdue Foundry at foundry@prf.org.

About Purdue University

Purdue University is a top public research institution developing practical solutions to todays toughest challenges. Ranked the No. 5 Most Innovative University in the United States by U.S. News & World Report, Purdue delivers world-changing research and out-of-this-world discovery. Committed to hands-on and online, real-world learning, Purdue offers a transformative education to all. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue has frozen tuition and most fees at 2012-13 levels, enabling more students than ever to graduate debt-free. See how Purdue never stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap at purdue.edu.

About Neuro Vigor

Neuro Vigor is an Indiana-based firm developing novel drugs to address neuro-degenerative disease, pain and injury. The companys innovative strategy reduces toxic aldehydes, a significant contributor to the pathology and symptoms of multiple neurological dysfunctions. For more information: https://www.neurovig.com/

About the Indiana Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Fund

The Indiana Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Fund (ISCBIR) Board was established in 2007 by the state legislature to fund research related to the treatment of spinal cord and brain injuries. These injuries to our nervous system have proven to be the most difficult to treat of all injuries. The research projects for these treatments include acute management, medical complications, rehabilitative techniques and neuronal recovery. Since 2008, our board has implemented an annual call for proposals to achieve that goal. Last year, the board expanded its annual funding mechanism to address a gap in the development of new techniques. This creation of an early commercialization opportunity as part of our annual funding mechanism, recognizes the contributions that established or startup companies could provide.

Writer: Chris Adam

Media contact: Kelly Nicholl, khnicholl@prf.org



Sources: Mark Van Fleet, mvanfleet@convergeventures.net

Henry Feuer, Hfeuer@aol.com

Riyi Shi, riyi@purdue.edu

Wade Lange, walange@prf.org
Purdue University-related health care innovations and health care startup companies may reach the marketplace sooner because of a new partnership between Purdue Research Foundation Office of Technology Commercialization, Purdue Foundry and Boomerang Ventures. (Photo provided/Rodolfo Clix from Pexels)

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. and INDIANAPOLIS  Purdue Universitys impact on lives around the globe may grow even stronger thanks to a new partnership.

An agreement between venture studio and fund Boomerang Ventures, the Purdue Foundry and the Purdue Research Foundation Office of Technology Commercialization will assist in developing Purdue-related health care startups and health care-related intellectual property yet to reach the market.

Purdue Foundry and OTC will provide lists of startups and intellectual property to Boomerang, which will vet the lists to determine which seem most promising to them.

Oscar Moralez, founder and managing partner at Indianapolis-based Boomerang, said the health care venture studio builds companies out of promising ideas by collaborating with founders, universities, health systems and entrepreneurial ecosystems.

Purdue University stands out in Indiana and the Midwest because of its College of Engineering and the Krannert School of Management. Also, Purdue Foundry and Purdue Research Foundation have been active in life science innovations for years, Moralez said. This partnership is a great way to access new technologies and increase the opportunity to bring new health care innovations to life.

Wade Lange, chief entrepreneurial officer at Purdue Foundry, said commercializing intellectual property so it solves problems in the health care space is a team sport. He said it requires adding Boomerangs complementary skills, including product development and marketing, to Purdue scientists deep technological expertise in health care.

Boomerang brings an impressive team of highly experienced professionals who are well-steeped in the disciplines of product development, sales, marketing and others to team up with Purdue researchers and bring those big ideas to market, Lange said.

Audrey Beckman, chief innovation officer at Boomerang, said the firm is excited about the synergistic opportunities that the partnership represents.

We have already seen strong life science intellectual property coming from Purdue innovators and entrepreneurs, Beckman said. Oscar Moralez has long-standing business relationships with leaders at Purdue Foundry and Purdue Research Foundation, leading to him teaching Intro to Entrepreneurship this fall. Boomerang Venture Studio looks forward to continuing to evaluate health care IP originating from Purdue University through this new partnership.

About Purdue Foundry

The Purdue Foundry is an entrepreneurship and commercialization hub whose professionals help Purdue innovators create startups. The Purdue Foundry is managed by the Purdue Research Foundation, which received the 2019 Innovation and Economic Prosperity Universities Award for Place from the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities. Contact the Purdue Foundry at foundry@prf.org.

About Purdue Research Foundation Office of Technology Commercialization

The Purdue Research Foundation Office of Technology Commercialization operates one of the most comprehensive technology transfer programs among leading research universities in the U.S. Services provided by this office support the economic development initiatives of Purdue University and benefit the university's academic activities through commercializing, licensing and protecting Purdue intellectual property. The office recently moved into the Convergence Center for Innovation and Collaboration in Discovery Park District, adjacent to the Purdue campus. In fiscal year 2020, the office reported 148 deals finalized with 225 technologies signed, 408 disclosures received and 180 issued U.S. patents. The office is managed by the Purdue Research Foundation, which received the 2019 Innovation and Economic Prosperity Universities Award for Place from the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities. In 2020, IPWatchdog Institute ranked Purdue third nationally in startup creation and in the top 20 for patents. The Purdue Research Foundation is a private, nonprofit foundation created to advance the mission of Purdue University. Contact otcip@prf.org for more information.

About Boomerang

Boomerang Ventures is on a mission to help solve the most pressing health care challenges facing the world today through our venture fund and studio, ensuring a better quality of life for all. We do that by building, launching and funding new health care and life sciences companies with disruptive technologies and processes aimed at improving patient outcomes and lowering the cost of care.

Writer: Steve Martin, sgmartin@prf.org

Sources: Wade Lange, walange@prf.org

Oscar Moralez, oscar@boomerang.vc

Audrey Beckman, audrey@boomerang.vc
Executive produced by award-winning master of horror Eli Roth (Hostel), A Ghost Ruined My Life (8 x 60) shares the shocking real stories of hauntings that have left emotional, and sometimes physical scars, on those unlucky enough to have experienced them, taking an entirely new approach to supernatural storytelling. The documentary is produced by Cream Productions for Discovery+ / Blue Ant Canada.Produced by Voltage TV for Channel 4/ Arte/ SBS Australia Osama Bin Laden  The Inside Story (3 x 60') weaves the complex story of what led one man to wage war on America and change the world as we knew it, presenting an alternative narrative told through the perspective of bin Laden and those closest to him.Drives new slate also features returning true crime series Made for Murder season 2 (10 x 60) produced for True Crime Network and Sky Crime and A Killers Mistake season 3 (10 x 60), produced by FirstLook TV, also for True Crime Network.Drives single documentary slate also includes Prince Phillip: The Royal Family Remembers (1 x 60), described as a landmark programme celebrating The Duke of Edinburghs life and legacy is a love letter to Prince Philip from his family. Produced by Oxford Films for the BBC, the film features exclusive contributions from Prince Philips family, friends and colleagues and home movies from the Royal Archives.Other single films on Drives slate include Zara McDermott: Sexism in Schools (W/T) (1 x 60) produced by Summer Films for the BBC, which explores the outpouring of anger and emotion from young girls and women to the reported rape culture that exists in schools and colleges. It also contains One Tribes Sex and Sensibility (1 x 60) documentary which lifts the lid on the racy real sex lives of Georgian and Regency gentry, combining the locations of Netflixs Bridgerton with contributions from leading historians and drama reconstruction. And also October Films Predator: Catching the Black Cab Rapist, (1 x 60) produced for Channel 5 that investigates Britains most prolific serial rapist of women, John Worboys who drugged, raped and sexually assaulted over 100 victims in the back of his black cab.Commenting on the autumn slate, Drive co-MD Lilla Hurst said: Were delighted to be launching a broad and compelling range of content this autumn despite the recent hiatus in production activity - in particular launching our first paranormal series in addition to bolstering our True Crime slate.
Norway is paying the Central African country of Gabon $17 million to reduce deforestation. Its a transaction that exposes the fraud of carbon offsets, if not climate alarmism itself.

The notion of a carbon offset is simple. Nations, businesses, organizations and individuals who are concerned about their emissions from fossil fuel use can purchase carbon offsets from sellers who are in the business of storing carbon dioxide (CO2) underground.

The most common practice of storing CO2 by offset sellers is either tree planting or not cutting down trees. Certain agricultural and land use practices also qualify.

So Norway has paid Gabon for not cutting down trees and is taking credit for helping to save the planet. But theres more to the story.

A basic problem with carbon offsets is that purchasers are buying them for emissions being emitted now, but CO2 storage that would only happen much later because trees take a long time to grow. There is no offset that removes CO2 from the atmosphere as quickly as it is emitted.

Another offset problem is that the calculations of how much carbon is stored by various offset methods are just guesstimates that have never been verified or validated. Although the basic lifecycle of carbon is well understood, the actual quantities are not.

Yet another problem with offsets is whether stored CO2 actually stays underground. A farmers field left fallow for a year or so will soak up some amount of carbon, but as soon as it is tilled again much, if not all, of that stored CO2 will be lost again to the atmosphere thanks to microbiologic processes.

Norway has long positioned itself as green, even though it is one of worlds largest oil producers. Norway plans to increase its oil production by 40 percent by 2025 and is expanding its Arctic drilling program.

To maintain its green pose, Norway is buying offsets. Whats interesting about the Gabon offsets is that Norway is purchasing them for a mere $5 per ton of CO2 stored.

Keeping in mind that Joe Biden and his fellow Democrats want to spend trillions and trillions of dollars on climate, Norway seems to have found a solution it can sign on to  CO2 offsets at $5 per ton.

The U.S. consumption of energy produces about 5 billion tons pf CO2 per year. So at $5 per ton, the entire U.S. energy-related CO2 footprint could be offset Norway-style for mere $25 billion. That is a lot less than Bidens trillion and trillions of dollars.

If global energy-related emissions are on the order of 40 billion tons, then the for a mere $200 billion in CO2 offsets we could dispense with the supposed need to decarbonize our global economy.

At the 2015 World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Al Gore proposed to spend $90 trillion rebuilding the words cities so that people will no longer need cars. But for a fraction of that, the world could adopt the Norway offset standard and, for $5 ton, solve the alleged climate problem.

Norways $5 per ton deal has all sorts of other ramifications. The European cap-and-trade system prices a ton of CO2 at about $55 per ton. The Norwegian solution is 90 percent less expensive.

The Biden administration wants to increase the dubious climate metric called the social cost of carbon from de minimis Trump era level of $1 to $6 per ton back to the Obama era of around $40 per ton. But Norway has priced carbon at a Trumpian level of about $5 per ton.

Iceland has a contraption to suck CO2 out of the air at a cost of $775 per ton. South Korea is building high speed rail to reduce CO2 emission at a cost of about $1,900 per ton. But the Norway-Gabon project has them all beat by a long shot.

So either carbon offsets are just a total fraud or the Biden climate plan is a total joke. Or worse, environmental extremist bureaucrats around the world have just been conning everyone for the past 50 years.

Maybe its all of the above.
Those tears Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez shed this week after changing her vote on funding Israels Iron Dome defense system from no to present? Make no mistake about it: Those were tears of joy, the sort of surge of well-being you feel when you realize you can literally deny a whole swath of your constituents their most basic human dignity and theyd still support you no matter what.
I want to thank the distributor of my articles, Creators Syndicate, for allowing me to take eight weeks off from writing my weekly column so I could campaign to recall and replace the governor of California. I also want to thank my readers for their patience and willingness to let me pursue that adventure.

The recall required 50% plus one of the votes be cast in favor of the recall. To replace required only that the replacement candidate receive more votes than any other candidate. Right now, ballots are still being counted, but the effort to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom has failed.

On the ballot to recall the governor were two questions. Question one, do you want to recall the governor? Question two, who do you want to replace him? For question number two, there were over 40 names. I finished first, by far, with more than 47% of the replacement votes. My closest competitor received 10%.

I entered the race late and campaigned for nearly eight weeks. One Republican rival, a two-term mayor of San Diego, campaigned a full year and got less than 9%. It appears that I raised more money than my Republican rivals combined -- with the exception of a multimillionaire who pretty much self-funded.

As expected, the left-wing media were ruthless. A columnist in the Los Angeles Times called me "the Black face of white supremacy." Only in America can a Black person become president or a white supremacist.

Had Newsom been recalled, this would've been the second time Californians voted to recall their governor. But the electoral landscape the first time this happened in 2003, compared with today, is very different.

Between 2003 and 2021 there are 5% more registered Democrats, 50% more registered independents -- who tend to vote for Democrats -- and a whopping 33% fewer Republicans. To call an effort to recall a Democratic governor an uphill battle is a massive understatement.

In 2003, California Gov. Gray Davis faced a recall. The state voters' political party registration was:

Dems: 44%

GOP: 35%

Independent/Decline to state: 16%

In 2021, as California Gov. Gavin Newsom faced a recall, registration was:

Dems: 46.5%

GOP: 24%

Independent/Decline to state: 23%

Arnold Schwarzenegger share of votes in 2003: 48.6%

Larry Elder share in 2021 (votes still being counted): 47%

So, why bother?

Newsom's two-term record as governor is flat-out abysmal. During the first eight months of the coronavirus pandemic, Newsom oversaw the early release of 18,000 convicted felons. Crime is up dramatically. In 2020, Los Angeles homicides increased 40% over 2019. The increases were similar in San Francisco (17%), Oakland (36%) and San Diego (10%).

Homelessness is also up dramatically. When Newsom ran for mayor of San Francisco in 2004, he promised to end that city's homelessness problem in 10 years. Have you been to San Francisco lately?

The quality of public education in California is abysmal. Despite spending an estimated $20,000 per student per year, according to the California Policy Center, California public school students' test scores rank near the bottom of all 50 states. Newsom, beholden to the powerful California Teachers Association, denied public school students an entire year of in-school learning. Meanwhile, his own kids enjoyed in-person learning at their private school. Pre-pandemic, 67% of fourth grade public school students could not read at NAEP, or National Assessment of Educational Progress, levels of proficiency. The math scores are even worse.

Black and Hispanic parents in urban areas want school choice -- the right to use the education money to put their student in a charter school, private school, religious school or to use the money for home-schooling -- but Newsom and the teachers unions oppose true school choice.

California is facing a water shortage and experiencing "rolling brownouts" because of the failure to properly invest in our energy grid, and our fires are becoming increasingly more severe, in part because of Newsom's poor forest management.

So, why did the recall fail? More on this next week.

COPYRIGHT 2021 LAURENCE A. ELDER

DISTRIBUTED BY CREATORS.COM
Although laden with former Obama administration officialsstarting with President Biden himself, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivanthe Biden administration foreign policy team has embraced a decidedly harder line than the previous Democratic White House on the nations top foreign policy challenge. They could lead more effectively by expanding their circle of partners at home.

Acknowledging the role that the Trump administration played in identifying and addressing the threat the Chinese Communist Party presents to the free and open international order would signal that the Biden administration intends to act energetically on its welcome words and work diligently across the U.S. political divide to counter Beijings authoritarian aims.

In response to Chinas rise, the Obama administration effected a pivot to Asia. This shift recognized the need for America, according to University of Michigan professor Kenneth Lieberthal, to play a leadership role in Asia for decades to come. In formal White House remarks shortly after his inauguration, President Biden went considerably further. Following in the footsteps of the Trump administration, Biden proclaimed the Peoples Republic of China our most serious competitor while emphasizing the growing ambitions of China to rival the United States. Biden promised to confront Chinas economic abuses; counter its aggressive, coercive action; to push back on Chinas attack on human rights, intellectual property, and global governance.

While distancing itself from Trump administration policies in myriad ways, the current administration has maintained or extended Trump sanctions and tariffs on China. It has taken up where the Trump administration left off in criticizing Beijings unfair trade practices and massive criminal theft of intellectual property. And, in the wake of former Secretary of State Mike Pompeos January 2021 determination that China is committing crimes against humanity and genocide against the Uyghurs in Xinjiang, the new administration has decried Chinas horrendous human right abuses. At the United Nations on Tuesday, Biden stopped short of mentioning China, but it is likely that the president had Beijing in mind while reaffirming Americas dedication to the rights inherent in all persons, committing the United States to cooperating with partners and the private sector to invest hundreds of billions of dollars in infrastructure in developing countries, and pledging U.S. readiness to oppose authoritarian powers that seek to extend their influence.

The Biden administrations stance is more in keeping with that of the Trump administration than with that of any of its other predecessors in the last 50 years. For decades following President Nixons 1972 visit to China, the dominant view in the United States has been that bilateral engagement with Beijing and the incorporation of China into international organizations would temper the Chinese Communist Partys repressive one-party state at home, its nationalist claims over Hong Kong and Taiwan, and its affinity for other authoritarian regimes. Over the years, a small but growing number of scholars called into question that rosy assessment. The Trump administration made a clean break with the conventional wisdom in a series of high-profile administration speeches and a number of unclassified papers, including the 2017 National Security Strategy, the 2018 National Defense Strategy, and the 2020 United States Strategic Approach to the Peoples Republic of China.

In November 2020, the State Departments Policy Planning Staff, which I headed, published The Elements of the China Challenge. This paper brought together the various strands of the Trump administrations analysis by placing the CCPs hegemonic ambitions in historical and geopolitical context; setting forth the key features, and the animating ideas, of Chinas conduct; and enumerating the tasks the United States must undertake to oppose effectively the CCPs reshaping of world politics.

The Policy Planning Staff argued that the American propensity to suppose that development toward liberal democracy was inevitable along with the foreign-policy establishments neglect of the CCPs authoritative pronouncements and writings blinded the United States to Beijings longstanding determination to infuse the international order with authoritarian norms. We surveyed the schemes of economic co-optation and coercion, backed by an enormous and expanding economy, that the CCP employed in every region of the world as well its development of a world-class military and its efforts to bend international organizations to its will.

We also examined the Marxist-Leninist dictatorship that the CCP imposes on Chinas 1.4 billion people, and the extreme Chinese nationalism that drives the partys quest to place Beijing at the center of a reconfigured world order. We summarized the CCPs many and varied vulnerabilities. And we concluded that America must take several steps to meet the China challenge. These include fortifying the U.S military; reevaluating our alliance system and international organizations with a view to restructuring both to address the present round of great-power competition; and training a new generation of diplomats, foreign policy experts, and defense analysts in Mandarin and in science and technology. Above all, we emphasized, it was incumbent on leaders to rededicate the nation to the principles of freedom that undergird the American constitutional order and which, in our extraordinarily diverse nation, provide the enduring foundation for civic cohesion.

It is gratifying that every one of these propositions finds strong support in Rush Doshis exhaustively researched and painstakingly argued book, The Long Game: Chinas Grand Strategy to Displace American Order. It is regrettable that Doshi, who was the founding director of the Brookings China Strategy Initiative and is currently serving as director for China on the Biden administration National Security Council, gives the reader scarcely a hint of the developing convergence of opinion among Democrats and Republicans about the China challenge.

Conversant with the relevant scholarship, knowledgeable about military affairs, well-read in diplomatic history, and in seemingly encyclopedic command of CCP speeches and documents, party media, and Chinese think-tank commentary, Doshi throws into sharp relief the unity of purpose that underlies Chinas evolving strategies for operating within the Indo-Pacific region and dealing with the wider world. His detailed analysis leaves little room for doubt that the CCP seeks to replace the American-led free and open international order with a Chinese-led order friendly to illiberal and anti-democratic governments.

Since Maos successor Deng Xiaoping jump-started the Chinese economy in the late 1970s and early 1980s by incorporating free-market elements, the PRC, according to Doshi, has adopted three distinct strategies of displacement. As China rapidly acquired wealth, Deng insisted on hiding capabilities and biding time. With what Doshi refers to as the traumatic trifecta  Chinas destabilizing 1989 Tiananmen Square uprising, Americas swift and decisive victory in the 1991 Iraq War, and the Soviet Unions sudden dissolution in late 1991  the CCP concluded that an empowered United States, the worlds only remaining superpower, had become Chinas principal threat, which necessitated the adoption of measures to blunt American influence in Asia. The 2008 global financial crisis convinced the CCP that a weakened West and its own growing strength had brought the time for hiding and biding to an end. The moment had arrived, in the words of then-President Hu Jintao, for actively accomplishing something, which translated into building an alternative economic and political order within the Indo-Pacific. In 2016, Brexit and Donald Trumps election led General Secretary Xi Jinping to conclude that the Wests decline was irreversible. Such great changes unseen in a century, Xi announced, enabled China to extend its order-building to the entire world.

Together, writes Doshi, these strategies at the regional and then global levels provide a rough means of ascent for the Chinese Communist Partys nationalist elites, who seek to restore China to its due place and roll back the historical aberration of the Wests overwhelming global influence.

Doshi argues that U.S. accommodation of Chinese assertiveness would only play into the CCPs hands. Moreover, prospects for changing China are slim, not least because Beijings already prodigious economic power is bound to keep growing, which will further embolden the party. Accordingly, Doshi sketches a compelling asymmetric strategy to enable the United States to prevail in competition with Beijing over the shape of world order. His case would have been even stronger, and better for the country, had he observed that his recommendations fit well with much of the Trump administrations China policy.

For example, the United States should, Doshi maintains, pursue deterrence by denial in the Indo-Pacific, which involves developing unmanned aircraft, submarines with large missile payloads, mine warfare, and assisting allies, partners, and friends (Taiwan, Japan, India, Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia) to do the sameas is specified in the Trump administration National Security Strategy. In addition, Doshi recommends that the United States dilute Chinas control over infrastructure in other countries by devising new forms of cooperation with friends and more effective public-private partnerships to assist developing countriesconsistent with Secretary Pompeos reinvigoration of the Quad (Japan, India, Australia, and the United States) and Trump administration efforts to diversify and refine American foreign aid. And the United States, Doshi argues, should inform the world about the extent of CCP corruption and the dangers of CCP authoritarianismas did the Trump administration in major speeches last summer by National Security Adviser Robert OBrien, FBI Director Christopher Wray, Attorney General William Barr, and Secretary Pompeo.

A comprehensive array of such measures, Doshi appreciates, will require a concerted national effort. In the conclusion of his book, he rightly asserts that a constructive China policy depends on American leaders who can find affirmative ways to rebuild the solidarity and civic identity that make democracy work.

All the mores the pity that Doshi missed the opportunity to build trust and comity by acknowledging the emerging consensus about the China challenge.

Too much is at stake for partisan posturing to obscure the overriding public interest in building a unified American approach.
"I dreamed of being a PI as a kid," private investigator Joshua Gray told me over the phone. Now he is living the dream. At 44, Gray is a licensed PI in Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and Tennessee. He has built a business that investigates workers' compensation claims, as well as disability and other insurance fraud. Some 90% of his work involves surveillance, he said.

In 2018, however, when Gray applied for a PI license in Maine, where he grew up, Maine State Police turned him down because his social-media criticism of a 2017 police shooting that left two Maine residents dead demonstrated he lacked "good moral character."

Gray is suing Maine with the help of the libertarian-leaning Institute for Justice. "The government can't deny you an occupational license because they think that your political speech is ill-conceived," Institute for Justice senior attorney Paul Sherman explained. The Maine Supreme Court ruled against his client, who is taking the suit all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.

In the age of social media, this sort of incident is likely to come up again.

Occupational licensing boards, Sherman warned, "routinely act as if the First Amendment doesn't apply to them."

Some 1 in 5 working Americans needs a license to make a living, the Institute for Justice estimates. So, pay attention. If your views conflict with the powers that be where you live, authorities could yank your ability to make a living.

Gray definitely got some details wrong as he opined on Facebook about the Feb. 10, 2017, shooting that left Amber Fagre, 18, and Kadhar Bailey, 25, dead. Gray exhibited a photo of the car in which Fagre and Bailey were shot. It showed, he wrote, "a Possible drunk, off duty and corrupt Lt. Scott Ireland murdered Amber Fagre."

Wrong. Ireland did not shoot Fagre -- another officer did -- but he did shoot Bailey, who apparently had just committed an armed burglary. When a Maine attorney general report identified the police shooters, Gray corrected himself online.

Ultimately, the Maine attorney general ruled that officers acted in self-defense.

Gray argues that opining on a police shooting as it was "unfolding and developing" is bound to be fluid, so his correcting the record cleans the slate. He also differentiated between his comments on the shooting, which did not involve his PI work, and his more thorough work product.

There's no defending some of Gray's smears. Ireland denied in an affidavit not only that he had been drinking that day but also that he ever has drunk alcohol in his life.

"So I posted to social media that Lt. Ireland was off duty and possibly drinking. Many cops start drinking after a long shift. Lt. Ireland is most likely of Irish heritage and that seems to be a reasonable question to ask," Gray wrote, ostensibly in his defense.

Gray since has maintained that the failure of authorities to conduct an alcohol test after the shooting itself is suspect. "Once you find holes in a report, you tend to disbelieve the entire report," he offered, apparently unaware of how that standard might reflect on him.

But then, free speech is messy. That's why you don't want to give government officials license to decide that people who criticize them can't work in their chosen profession.

If Maine can say no to Gray because he criticized a police shooting or they didn't like the way he criticized it, and the U.S. Supreme Court upholds the Maine ruling, authorities elsewhere will see the end product as a green light to slam the door on their critics.

Health care workers, hair stylists and cab drivers could find themselves unable to work if they publicly disagree with the actions or pronouncements of state officials.

I disagree with most of what Gray wrote, but I defend his right to express his viewpoint. And, ahem, I'm half-Irish.

COPYRIGHT 2021 CREATORS.COM
By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 09/25/2021



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[ Spoiler Warning: This report contains spoilers about Kenny and Mari's fate and where their relationship stands now.]

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So what happens next between Kenny and Mari in ?

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ABC has all but confirmed Kenny is one of the bachelors who got engaged

Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade.

couple Kenny Braasch and Mari Pepin-Solis appear to be stronger than ever on Season 7 now that Demi Burnett and Tia Booth are both out of the picture, but how did they journey in Mexico end? Did Kenny and Mari split, stay together and/or get engaged? And what do spoilers reveal about their current relationship status now?On 's seventh season, Mari, a marketing manager, connected with Kenny, a boyband manager, right away, but then she decided to keep her options open.Once Mari broke the news to Kenny that she'd like them both to remain open to dating new arrivals on the beach, Demi made a move on Kenny and bragged about how "all is fair in love and war."Mari and Demi got into a heated spat over Kenny, and at one point, Mari even threw a birthday cake Demi had made for Kenny's 40th birthday into a bonfire.Mari subsequently told Kenny that she wanted to continue their romance, but Kenny, afraid his relationship with Mari had become "toxic," decided to go to "The Boom Boom Room" with Demi and then continue pursuing their sexual and fun relationship.After Demi gave Kenny a rose, she was displeased when Tia Booth arrived in Paradise and asked Kenny out on a date. Kenny not only said "yes," but the pair sparked a connection and played a naked game of volleyball with strangers."Life is hard when you're dating the hottest guy on the beach," Demi said. "It hurts the ego a little bit, I'm not going to lie... [But] he'll be back. I know I'm more fun. I am fun, playful and sexy, and I think Kenny really likes that."Meanwhile, Mari still had feelings for Kenny and said she missed him and was prepared to fight for him, and so Kenny found himself in a love triangle -- and a bit of a pickle.Mari shared with Kenny once he returned from his date with Tia how she still really liked him and didn't enjoy watching him with other people.Mari said she needed to see Kenny with other women to solidify her own feelings for him and she wished she had never suggested being anything other than exclusive.But Kenny complained about Mari flip-flopping from one extreme to another."I felt so strongly [for you] that I got scared," Mari confessed. "I knew what was there... and I never felt so strongly for someone so soon and... I've been thinking about you this whole time."Kenny told the cameras it was tough and it "hurt" to be totally focused on Mari and then hear her say she wanted to explore Paradise with other men. However, Kenny said he liked Demi but definitely had "something special" with Mari.Kenny struggled to regain trust in Mari, but he declined going to "The Boom Boom Room" with Demi again, which was a clear indication of which woman had captured his heart at that point."I wanted Kenny to fight for me. I wanted to feel solidified with him, but I just feel like he's waiting for Mari," Demi told the cameras."He's, like, obsessed with her in some weird, f-cked up way. I did not fight this hard just to be placed in his pocket. That's a sh-t feeling and I feel like an idiot!"Mari later sat down with Kenny and said she really liked him and cared about him and wanted to be with him.Mari promised Kenny that her intentions were pure and she wasn't just after his rose."I've been about you the whole entire time," Mari noted.Kenny admitted his feelings for Mari were "pretty strong" from the start and he couldn't even explain why. He said there was "something different" about their connection and he never felt this way about a woman before.Kenny then kissed Mari, and Demi was left feeling like a used one-night stand."Why do you want her?! A girl who is stuck-up as f-ck? She's so completely different from me," Demi yelled at Kenny."[Mari] thinks her sh-t doesn't stink. She's rude to everyone. So is that what you like or do you like someone like me, who's playful and funny?... She's evil! She's a mean, mean girl. She's a pageant girl!"Despite Demi's negative view of Mari, Kenny and Mari proceeded to fall for each other more and more every day in Paradise.Kenny and Mari then entered "The Boom Boom Room" together so they could take their relationship to the next level. Mari said they had put their relationship to the test and came back even stronger from it."Obviously I knew Kenny was hot," Mari gushed."I knew I was attracted to him and there's a lot of physical chemistry between the two of us, but just seeing how he's slowly but surely been more expressive about his feelings and opened up to me, he's shown me lots of different sides of him."Kenny eventually gave Mari his rose and then the pair was able to go out on a date.Kenny and Mari essentially created edible art by putting tacos all over each other's naked bodies before eating them off. It created a new level of intimacy for the couple, and Mari told the cameras she was "falling in love" with Kenny."Mari is the hottest plate I've ever seen. She is a freak. Behind closed doors, you've got to watch out," Kenny disclosed.Kenny told Mari that it didn't scare him to talk about being together after the show and he'd be willing to talk about getting engaged soon."I believe in what we have, and I really do think we're going to be good after this," Mari told Kenny.Kenny said he was "falling in love" with Mari, and she replied, "That's funny because I am falling in love with you too. [I am] 100 percent [sure]."Kenny began considering popping the question, especially since he rarely told women that he loved them in his past.Mari felt Kenny had swept her off her feet in Paradise, and she said she was "giddy" about what might happen next. The couple ended their date in "The Boom Boom Room."However, according to a preview of the upcoming episode on September 28, Kenny appears to suggest to Mari their romance had lost its spark and passion, which left Mari in tears.According to Reality Steve spoiler blogger Steve Carbone, Kenny and Mari continued to exchange roses in Paradise and stayed together.After enjoying an overnight Fantasy Suite date, Kenny and Mari ended up in the finale as one of the remaining three couples.Kenny reportedly proposed marriage to Mari in the end and she accepted the engagement ring.The couple has also reportedly remained together upon their return to the real world.In a July 28 blog post, Carbone even revealed he had received a picture from a person who had spotted Kenny and Mari together at a rooftop pool in Chicago, which is where Kenny lives.ABC previously aired an extended preview clip of what's to come on 's seventh season.The trailer showed Joe Amabile confessing his love to Serena Pitt Becca Kufrin calling Thomas Jacobs "too good to be true," and Kenny serving Mari food in bed during what appears to be their overnight Fantasy Suite date.In addition, the preview flashed a brief clip of a man's hands opening a ring box to display a flashy diamond engagement ring.That man was clearly Kenny!The network accidentally spoiled the bachelor's identity because the gold chain Kenny always wears around his neck is on full display in the background and part of Kenny's blue chest tattoo is clearly visible as well.Kenny has a large tattoo on one of his pecks that is a depiction of the American flag with red, white and blue colors -- stars and stripes.Interested in more The Bachelor news? Join our The Bachelor Facebook Group
Philomena and Stan and Ollie actor Steve Coogan has signed to play disgraced British broadcaster Jimmy Savile in the BBC miniseries, The Reckoning.

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"To play Jimmy Savile was not a decision I took lightly. Neil McKay has written an intelligent script tackling sensitively an horrific story which -- however harrowing -- needs to be told," Coogan said in a statement Saturday.

Savile died in 2011 at the age of 84 and, only after that, did hundreds of people come forward to accuse him of abusing them as children over the course of decades.

In 2012, Savile's family insisted they were stunned by the allegations and had a monument marking his grave destroyed out of their solidarity with the victims.

The BBC said its filmmaking team for The Reckoning is working closely with people whose lives were impacted by Savile to make sure the program is an accurate portrayal of what really happened.

Sandra Goldbacher -- whose credits include Ordeal by Innocence and The Accident -- is directing the project about a man who rose from humble beginnings to be a beloved TV star.

"The Reckoning is a unique opportunity to give Savile's survivors, the people who inspired this project, a voice," Goldbacher said. "I feel sure that Steve Coogan's powerful performance as Savile will create a debate around how the cult of celebrity cloaked him from scrutiny."
Brattleboro, VT (05301)

Today

Sunshine along with some cloudy intervals. High 74F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Partly cloudy during the evening followed by cloudy skies overnight. Low 51F. Winds light and variable.
Fungi pottery on display at Brattleboro Claywork as organizers get ready for the inaugural Fungi Fest that starts on Oct. 8 and runs to Oct. 30.
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP)  An internal investigation is currently underway after a deputy police in the Hartford Police Department unintentionally fired her weapon in her office in the city's public safety complex.

Deputy Chief of Administrative Services Sonia Watson discharged the gun as she was securing the weapon and preparing to leave work on Wednesday evening, the Hartford Courant reported.
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP)  More than 70 members of the Connecticut National Guard were honored Saturday for their service after completing nearly one-year tours of duty.

A welcome home ceremony was held for members of the Middletown-based 143rd Regional Support Group and several members of Detachment 2, Company B, 2nd Battalion, 641st Aviation Regiment at the state armory in Hartford.
Hundreds of thousands of Connecticut residents qualify for a COVID-19 booster shot since eligibility expanded Wednesday.

Hundreds of thousands of residents are eligible either because of their age, underlying health conditions or jobs in high-risk environments. There are about 270,000 state residents who are 65 and older.

Eligibility for booster shots expanded Wednesday after a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory committee recommended booster shots for Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine recipients. Extra doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine started being administered Friday.

The state started providing third doses of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines to immunocompromised patients around mid-August. Since then, about 24,000 people in Connecticut have already received a third shot.

Gov. Ned Lamont even received his own booster shot Saturday at the Durham Fair, the governor announced through Twitter.

Getting your booster is so easy, he said. Same with your first shot.

Heres what you need to know about these booster shots:

Who is eligible?

Only people who initially received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine can get a booster shot, but there is an exception: Those who are immunocompromised and got a Moderna vaccine can get a third Moderna booster shot. Officials have not granted approval for expanded eligibility for those who received Moderna or Johnson & Johnsons vaccines.

Anyone considering getting a booster shot should also speak to their health care provider beforehand.

According to the CDC, eligible populations include:

People 65 years or older

Residents in long-term care settings

People 18 years or older who are at increased risk for coronavirus exposure or transmission due to their job or where they reside, such as health care, schools, correctional facilities and homeless shelters.

People 18 years or older who have underlying medical conditions, which includes but isnt limited to cancer; chronic kidney disease; chronic lung diseases like COPD, asthma, interstitial lung disease, cystic fibrosis and pulmonary hypertension; dementia or other neurological conditions; diabetes; Down Syndrome; heart conditions such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathies or hypertension; HIV infection; liver disease; overweight or obesity; pregnancy; sickle cell disease or thalassemia; current or former smokers; solid organ or blood stem cell transplant; stroke or cerebrovascular disease and substance use disorders.

People who are immunocompromised, including people who have been taking medicine to suppress the immune system, receiving active cancer treatment for tumors or cancers of the blood, received an organ transplant, received a stem cell transplant within the last two years, have moderate to severe primary immunodeficiency, have an advanced or untreated HIV infection or have active treatment with high-dose corticosteroids or other drugs that may suppress an immune response.

When can I get a booster shot?

If youre eligible, you can get a booster shot six months after your second dose of the Pfizer vaccine.

People with moderately to severely compromised immune systems can get a third shot at least 28 days after a second dose of either Pfizer or Modernas vaccine.

Where can I get a booster shot?

There are about 800 vaccine providers in the state ready to give booster shots, according to the states Department of Public Health.

Vaccine providers can be found by going to CT.gov/COVIDVaccine.

Why should I get a booster shot if Im eligible?

Even after getting fully vaccinated, protection against the virus could decrease over time, according to the CDC.

Some immunocompromised people dont build the same level of immunity after vaccinations as non-immunocompromised people, according to the CDC. The additional dose could help boost the immune systems ability to recognize the virus and fight back.

Small studies have shown that fully vaccinated immunocompromised people account for a large portion of hospitalized breakthrough cases and are more likely to transmit the virus, the CDC said.

liz.hardaway@hearst.com


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Priyanka Chopra on Saturday hosted the 2021 Global Citizen Festival in Paris. The Quantico fame co-hosted the event with Denis Brogniart. Following the event, the Baywatch actor took to her social media to share a picture of her posing at the Eiffel Tower. The actor flaunted her dress for the evening which stole her fans hearts. The photo also caught the attention of Nick Jonas, who showered her with love in the comment section.

Priyanka Chopra, who is currently filming her upcoming spy thriller series, Citadel, in the UK flew to Paris to host the Global Citizen Festival. The actor, who loves keeping her 68 million followers updated about her life, shared a picture of her in Paris where she could be seen donning a blue and black dress. The earth-style dress stole the show as she shared glimpses of her look from the event.

The post captioned 'Evening in Paris' drew her fans attention. The post was flooded with comments from fans and celebs, who showered love for the actor. Soon after posting, Priyanka Chopra's husband, Nick Jonas, also commented wow under the post. The Quantico actor took to her stories to mark the end of the event in Paris.

Global Citizen Festival 2021

Global Citizen Festival is one of the initiatives by an organization founded in 2008 named Global Citizen that aims to eradicate extreme poverty in the world by 2030. The music festival, dubbed Global Citizen Live, is part of Global Citizens Recovery Plan for the world, a year-long campaign to help end COVID-19 and help kickstart an equitable global recovery. While Priyanka Chopra and Denis Brogniart hosted the show, numerous artists performed at the event held in New York, Paris, Los Angeles, London, Lagos, Rio de Janeiro, Mumbai, and Sydney. Coldplay, Billie Eilish, Camila Cabello, Jennifer Lopez, Ed Sheeran, Elton John, Black Eyed Peas, Doja Cat, Maneskin, Stevie Wonder, Adam Lambert, Chloe x Halle, Demi Lovato, H.E.R., Migos, ONEREPUBLIC and Amit Trivedi are few of the names involved in the event.

Priyanka Chopras upcoming project

Priyanka Chopra will be next seen alongside Richard Madden in Citadel. The spy thriller series also stars Stanley Tucci, Roland Moller and Sara Martins. The show is being created by Russo Brothers and Patrick Moran. It would premiere on Amazon Prime Video. Citadel release date has not been announced yet. Meanwhile, PeeCee will also be seen in the upcoming instalment of The Matrix alongside Keanu Reeves.

Image: Instagram
Arunachal Pradesh Governor BD Mishra on Sunday asked the village headmen for encouraging people to take vaccines to defeat the coronavirus.

Mishra, who is on a four-day tour to the frontier districts of West Kameng and Tawang as part of the 'Azaadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav', interacted with the 'gaon burahs' or village headmen at Dirang.

The governor urged the villagers to get vaccinated without any hesitation, besides following COVID-appropriate behaviour such as use of masks, frequent washing of hands and social distancing.

The governor presented them with essential daily utility items before leaving for Tawang.

On the way to Tawang, Mishra laid a wreath at Jaswant Garh War Memorial and paid tribute to the 1962 War Rifleman Jaswant Singh Rawat.

He also paid his respect to the heroes of the India-China war.

The governor said that the soldiers would always be an inspiration for every citizen of the country.

Earlier, Mishra, who commanded the 7th Battalion of the Madras Regiment, interacted with the troops of 16 Madras Regiment at their unit location in Nyukmadung near Dirang in West Kameng.

The governor also unveiled the statue of Lt Col Ved Prakash Ghai, who lost his life in the India-Pakistan war of 1971 and was given 'Maha Vir Chakra'.

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)
On Sunday, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant applauded Indian diplomat Sneha Dubey for her fiery response to Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan after he raised the Kashmir issue at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). Sawant took to Twitter to praise her.

"On behalf of the entire state of Goa, I would like to congratulate IFS #SnehaDubey, who represented India at UNGA and gave a befitting reply to Pakistan. She did her school education in Goa and built strong foundations of life," the CM tweeted.

Dubey, First Secretary at UNGA, delivered India's strong Right of Reply from the UN General Assembly hall on Friday, September 24. Sneha Dubey started trending on Twitter shortly after her speech at the UNGA, and netizens hailed the IFS officer for her powerful statement.

Dubey, a 2012 batch IFS officer, holds MA and MPhil degrees from Jawaharlal Nehru University and served in the Ministry of External Affairs as Under Secretary (T) Latin America and the Caribbean from December 2013 to August 2014.

She was also the Third Secretary in the Indian Embassy in Madrid at that time. Slamming Pakistan at UNGA, she slammed Pakistan's leader for repeatedly using UN platforms to spread false and malicious propaganda against India in an attempt to divert the world's attention away from the sad state of his country, where terrorists have free reign and ordinary people's lives are in jeopardy.

She further went on to add that members states are aware that Pakistan has been publicly identified as a country that openly supports, trains, finances, and arms terrorists as a matter of state policy. It has the dubious distinction of harbouring the greatest number of terrorists sanctioned by the United Nations Security Council, according to ANI.

On behalf of the entire state of Goa, I would like to congratulate IFS #SnehaDubey, who represented India at UNGA and gave a befitting reply to Pakistan. She did her school education in Goa and built strong foundations of life. pic.twitter.com/FCA2fJDTKt  Dr. Pramod Sawant (@DrPramodPSawant) September 26, 2021

India has a trend of fielding young diplomats to deliver the Right of Reply to Pakistan

She also mentioned Bangladesh's genocide in 1971, claiming that Pakistan is the only country in the subcontinent that has carried out a religious and cultural genocide against the people of Bangladesh, formerly East Pakistan. The IFS officer also blasted Pakistan for suppressing its minority communities in the country.

It should be mentioned here that the trend of India fielding young diplomats to deliver the Right of Reply to Pakistani leaders, who consistently rake up the Kashmir issue and other internal issues of India at world forums, began during the tenure of former Indian envoy at the UN, Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin. The message is that India's young diplomats are capable enough of taking on Pakistan's leaders in the international arena.

(With agency inputs)

(Image: ANI)
Indian Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar will be paying an official visit to Mexico from September 26-28. This visit of EAM Jaishnakar comes after an invitation from his Mexican counterpart Ebrard Casaubon. It is pertinent to mention that this is the first visit of India's EAM after he took over the office.

EAM Jaishankar's Mexico trip iternary

During the External Affairs Minister's visit to Mexico, he will be participating in the commemorative event of the 200th anniversary of the Consolidation of Mexican Independence. EAM Jaishanakar will also be joined by other world leaders while celebrating the 'bicentennial anniversary' since Mexico gained independence. In addition to his meeting with Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard, he will also be meeting the President of Mexico, H.E. Manuel Lopez Obrador. EAM Jaishankar will also be involved in an interaction with several leading CEOs and the notable business communities in and around Mexico. Currently, Mexico is Indias second-largest trade partner in Latin America. It is also important to note that Mexico has been a member of the UNSC alongside India for the period 2021-22.

EAM met Japanese counterpart Toshimitsu Motegi at 76th UNGA; discussed Afghanistan

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday, 22 September, met with his Japanese counterpart Toshimitsu Motegi on the sidelines of the 76th UNGA session. Both the leaders had a 'good exchange' of views on Afghanistan. In a tweet, the EAM said that he appreciated the Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi's insights on Indo-Pacific issues.

The meeting between Jaishankar and Motegi happened after the two leaders participated in the foreign ministers' meeting of G4 countries, which also saw the participation of Brazil's Carlos Alberto Franco Ranca and Germany's Heiko Maas. Following the meeting, the ministers - S. Jaishankar and Toshimitsu Motegi - reaffirmed in a joint statement that it was indispensable to reform the Security Council through an expansion of both categories be it permanent or non-permanent seats, to enable the Security Council to better deal with the ever-complex and evolving challenges to the maintenance of international peace and security, and thereby to carry out its duties more effectively.

Image Credits - PTI/AP
With a motive to advance bilateral military ties with the influential Gulf Nation, Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh marked his presence in Oman on Sunday. The Navy Chief is set to hold talks with top military officers of the Gulf nation, including his Omani counterpart Rear Admiral Said bin Nasser bin Mohsen Al-Rahbi during his visit from September 27 to 29, officials informed.

"The visit aims to consolidate bilateral defence relations with Oman, as also to explore new avenues for defence cooperation," Indian Navy Spokesperson Commander Vivek Madhwal said.

Indian Navy Chief to hold talks with key Oman Defence delegates

The Indian Naval Chief is also scheduled to hold meetings with Chief of Staff Oman Armed Forces Vice Admiral Abdullah Khamis Abdulla Al Raisi, Commander of Royal Army of Oman Major General Matar Bin Salim Bin Rashid Al Balushi and Commander of Royal Air Force Air Vice-Marshal Khamis Bin Hammad Bin Sultan Al Ghafri.

Chief Admiral Karambir Singh will also be taking account of pivotal defence installations like Muaskar Al Murtafa (MAM) camp, Maritime Security Centre (MSC), Said Bin Sultan Naval Base, Al Musanna Air Base and National Defence College in Oman. It should be noted that the Indian Navy collaborates with the Royal Navy of Oman on multiple spheres including operational interactions and training.

India-Oman bilateral maritime relations

Both navies have been participating in the biennial maritime exercise Naseem Al Bahr since 1993. This exercise was last conducted in 2020 in Goa and the next edition is scheduled for 2022.

"This official visit of the Chief of Naval Staff to Oman highlights the growing cooperation between Indian Navy and Royal Navy of Oman," Commander Madhwal said.

The ministry further stated that the Indian Navy cooperates with the Royal Navy of Oman on many fronts, which include operational interactions, training cooperation, and exchange of Subject Matter Experts in various fields.

It should be noted that Dr S Jaishankar, India's Minister of External Affairs had on September 01 lauded Oman for assisting India's Afghan repatriation planes. During a phone discussion, Jaishankar had reviewed Afghanistan and the COVID issue with his Oman counterpart, Sayyid Badr Albusaidi. The talks between the two came a day after the US completed its troop withdrawal from Afghanistan after it ended its two-decade-long war in Afghanistan.

Inputs: PTI

Image: TWITTER-@INDIAN NAVY
In Nepal, two mountaineers from the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) topped Mt Manaslu, the world's eighth highest peak. On Saturday, ITBP Commandant Ratan Singh Sonal and Deputy Commandant Anoop Kumar summited Mt Manaslu. The elevation of the peak is 8,163 metres (26,781 feet) above sea level.

This expedition was scheduled to take place between September 7 and October 5, 2021. Both mountaineers had previously brought honours to the force by conquering multiple peaks in the Himalayas, according to an official release from the ITBP. Mt Lhotse, the world's fourth-highest peak at 8,516 metres, was also summited by Ratan Singh Sonal earlier this year.

ITBP mountaineers Ratan Singh Sonal and Anoop Kumar summit Mt Manaslu

These ITBP officials also led the ITBP's Nanda Devi search and rescue operations, and are known as the "Daredevils". They rescued four foreign nationals and brought back seven bodies from altitudes of more than 20,000 feet in June and July. The ITBP further stated that it had a renowned record in the field of climbing, with its mountaineers having completed more than 220 missions, including four expeditions to Mount Everest, which is a record.

Picutres early today: Two ITBP mountaineers- Ratan Singh Sonal, Commandant & Anoop Kumar, Dy Commandant today successfully summit Mt. Manaslu in Nepal, the 8th highest mountain in the world at 8,163 Metres (26,781 Ft) above sea level. pic.twitter.com/5DEIbyf2md  ITBP (@ITBP_official) September 25, 2021

ITBP's mountaineering achievements

For its outstanding achievements in mountaineering, the force has received seven Padma Shri awards and 14 Tenzing Norgay Adventure Awards. ITBP officers recently ascended four summits over 6,000 metres in Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand in 2020 and 2021. The Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force is a Central Armed Police Force that reports to India's Ministry of Home Affairs.

The ITBPF is the border guarding Police organisation that specialises in high altitude activities. It was founded on October 24, 1962. ITBPF is stationed along the India-China border. It is stationed along 3488 kilometres, from Karakoram Pass in Ladakh to Jachep La in Arunachal Pradesh. The ITBP has been trained in civil medical camps, disaster management, and nuclear, biological, and chemical emergencies.

Mt Manaslu: 8th highest mountain in the world

At 26,781 feet above sea level, Manaslu is the world's eighth highest mountain. It is located in the Mansiri Himal, part of the Nepalese Himalayas in Nepal's west-central region. Manaslu is roughly 64 kilometres east of Annapurna and is the highest peak in the Gorkha District.

(With inputs from ANI)

(Image: Twitter/ITBP)
Two terrorists were killed in an encounter that broke out on Sunday, September 26, between the security forces and militants in the Watnira area of Jammu and Kashmir. According to officials, security forces recovered incriminating materials including arms and ammunition. A search operation was still underway.

Providing an update on the encounter operation, IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar told ANI, "In a joint op, two terrorists have been neutralised in the encounter. Both have been identified; one locally trained and one trained in Pakistan. One was involved in the killing of BJP leader late Waseem Bari". As per the officials, locals informed the security forces about two or three militants hiding in a house in the region.

BJP leader Wasim Bari killed by militants

In July 2020, Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Wasim Bari, his father Bashir Ahmed, and brother Umar Bari were killed by the terrorists who fired from a short-range with a pistol. Though the family had a security cover of ten PSOs, none of them was around when the incident occurred. According to reports, their residence is very close to the Bandipora Police Station. Unfortunately, the BJP leader and his family succumbed to their injuries. Earlier, IGP Vijay Kumar had informed that two Lashkar terrorists were behind the attack and ten PSOs were arrested.

Following the tragic incident, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, former J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, BJP Working President JP Nadda, BJP Secretary Ram Madhav had also expressed their grief and condolences.

Bandipora encounters

On August 3, an encounter broke out between security forces, and one terrorist identified as Babr Ali was killed in the Chandaji area of Bandipora district, Jammu and Kashmir. The J&K Police and the Indian Army jointly carried out the operation. And on August 11, the security forces busted a hideout from the forest area of Kashmir's Badnipora. A huge cache of arms and ammunition including AK-47 rifles, pistols, hand grenades were recovered from the spot. It is pertinent to note that in recent oppressions the security forces have thwarted several terror activities with encounters and other missions, especially from the Bandipora district.

(Image: PTI/ANI)
In a major update in the Mundra Port drugs haul case, another suspect has been detained from Coimbatore. According to sources, the suspect had been in Iran to coordinate the smuggling from the country's Bandar Abbas Port. The case is being investigated by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI). The update comes after the DRI and the customs carried out a joint operation and busted a major drug haul wherein over 3,000 kgs of heroin from two containers was seized at the port.

Moreover, sources added that the person detained from Coimbatore was working in Iran and coordinating with foreign suppliers. The drugs originated in Afghanistan and were camouflaged as Talcum Powder. It was loaded into the containers at Iran's Bandar Abbas Port. Meanwhile, sources have also informed that the detainee will be produced before the court where officials will seek his remand for questioning, as the investigation continues.

In addition, it is also believed that the authorities are investigating the case and looking for a possible international link. The authorities have already arrested a total of 8 persons including 4 Afghans, one Uzbek national and three Indians, including the holder of the Importer-Exporter Code.

Mundra Port Drug Bust: ED registers money laundering case

Earlier, the Enforcement Directorate registered a case of money laundering in the Mundra Drug Bust Case, under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. In addition, the central agency is likely to investigate the people or syndicate behind this heroin smuggling, identify proceeds of crime, and may also attach assets of the accused if necessary.

Enforcement Directorate (ED) to launch a money-laundering investigation into the recent seizure of nearly 3,000 kgs of heroin from two containers at Mundra port in Gujarat pic.twitter.com/NuIwCghe7C  ANI (@ANI) September 23, 2021

Adani Group issues statement on Mundra Port Drug Bust

The Adani Group on Wednesday issued a statement pertaining to the Mundra Port drug bust after it was subjected to a massive social media campaign. Issuing the statement on Twitter, the Adani Group said that a joint operation was carried out by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) and Customs on September 16, 2021. The operation led to a major bust wherein a large cache of contraband heroin from two containers arrived from Afghanistan at the Mundra Port.

The Adani Group has hailed the authorities for seizing the contraband shipment and apprehending the accused. The statement further added that only government authorities like Customs and DRI are allowed to open, examine and seize the unlawful cargo. It further said that port operators in the country are not authorised to examine a container as their role is limited to running the port.
Kashmir Police on 25th September had received input about the presence of terrorists around the area of Watrina, Bandipora. The input was further developed technically & humanly, and a Cordon and search operations (CASO) was yielded by the police.

The police went ahead and deployed 14 Rashtriya Rifles (RR). Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) helped facilitate the search operation of the two hiding terrorists on the morning of 26th September.

Thereafter, the operation was ceased and an appeal was made to the terrorists, urging them to surrender. But both hiding terrorists refused to do so. Subsequently, the encounter resumed and two terrorists of 'Lashkar-e-Taiba' (LeT) outfit were neutralised. The LeT terrorists were identified as Abid Rashid Dar alias 'Haqani' and Azad Ahmed Shah.

Kashmir police close BJP leader's case; all accused 'encountered'

Abid Rashid and Azad Ahmed were actively associated with deceased Usman and Sajad Haider, who had been involved in the killing of BJP leader Waseem Bari and his family. It is important to note that both Usman and Haider were eliminated on September 17 at Kreeri, North Kashmir. Haider, a Sopore native, was among the top militant commanders of north Kashmir and was considered as one of J&Ks 10 most-wanted insurgents.

Haider was involved in a series of attacks on security forces since 2016. The DGP said that Haider was the LeTs chief recruiter in north Kashmir, and was also behind several killings of village heads and sarpanches. Besides this, he was also responsible for the killing of a CRPF trooper in Sopore on July 1. With the elimination of the two LeT terrorists, the investigation of case FIR No 74/2019 of PS Bandipora closed as notified.

Details about the LeT terrorists; IGP Kashmir appreciates police for tranquil execution

Abid Rashid Dar was a Pakistan trained terrorist who had crossed the Wagah Border in April 2018 and had infiltrated the country in 2019. The terrorists were involved in local terrorist actions and had been tasked with recruitment and running the ranks of Lashkar in North Kashmir.

However, both terrorists were charge-sheeted earlier. Two AK 47 rifles, 01 pistol and other incriminating materials were seized from the possession of the terrorists during the operation. Further, the Kashmir police have lodged an FIR and an investigation commenced. IGP Kashmir appreciated the role of police and security forces in conducting successful operations without any collateral damage.



The killing of BJP leader Wasim Bari

The Kashmir police claimed that LeT commander Haider was the architect of the killing of BJP leader Wasim Bari and his family members in Bandipora. Shiekh Waseem Bari was attacked in his shop and both his brother and father were heavily injured during the attack.

Post the calamity, the trio was rushed to the nearby hospital, where they were pronounced dead upon arrival. Bari, who was 28 at the time of his death, was a popular BJP leader in the Bandipore district. He had contested the 2014 assembly elections as an independent candidate. It is pertinent to note that Bari was the senior-most BJP leader killed in Kashmir since the revocation of article 370 by the Centre last August.

Image Credits - Twitter - Nuzhat Rashid/PTI
On September 27, the Supreme Court will hear proceedings on two important matters. The Apex court will resume hearing the matter related to removing farmers from Delhi borders. The top court will also hear a petition seeking a stay of the disbursement of compensation to the families of the two Kerala fishermen in connection with two Italian marines case.

Here is a summary of advancements on different matters before the Supreme Court on September 27:

Plea to remove farmers squatting on the borders of Delhi

Supreme Court to resume hearing matter related to road blockades on the national capital's borders due to farmers' protest. Petitioner Monica Agarwal, a Noida resident has complained that commuting to and fro between Delhi and Noida has become a nightmare due to roadblocks because of the farmers protest.

During the last hearing, Supreme Court took a nuanced stand saying farmers have the right to protest but the agitation should not hinder traffic or public movement. Court had asked the Central, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh governments to take stock of the ground situation and find a solution to roadblocks because of the farmers protest.

Italian Marines case

Supreme Court will hear the petitions tomorrow seeking a direction from it for a stay of the disbursement of compensation to the families of the two Kerala fishermen in connection with two Italian marines case.

The Apex Court had, in its order earlier, closed all the proceedings in India against two Italian Marines -- Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone -- accused of killing two fishermen in Kerala in 2012, after it considered the fact that the amount of Rs 10 crore had been deposited by the Italy government before it.
In the Uttar Pradesh Conversion racket, the Anti-terrorism Squad (ATS) on Sunday arrested three more individuals. The arrest comes a day after the UP ATS issued a helpline number (9792103156) and a mail ID (controlroom.ats-up@gov.in) inviting common people to share any information related to Maulana Kaleem Siddiqui and Maulana Umar Gautam, two key accused in the religious conversion racket.

In June, UP Police had busted the conversion racket, and taken into custody Umar Gautam. When Police grilled Gautam, he named Maulana Kaleem Siddiqui and claimed that he has converted more than 5 lakh people in the last few years. Thereafter, Kaleem Siddiqui was arrested and sent to 14-day judicial custody. He is to remain in custody until October 5, and is currently being interrogated by the UP police.

'Maulana Kaleem received foreign funding': UP Police

Addressing a press conference after Kaleem's arrest, Uttar Pradesh ADG (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar, informed that the scholar's Jamia Imam Waliullah trust received huge foreign funding of around Rs 3 crores.

"Investigation shows Maulana Kaleem Siddiqui's trust received Rs 3 crores in foreign funding including Rs 1.5 crores from Bahrain," the top cop said. He further informed that six teams of the ATS were formed to investigate the racket.

Investigation shows Maulana Kaleem Siddiqui's trust received Rs 3 crores in foreign funding including Rs 1.5 crores from Bahrain. Six teams of ATS have been formed to investigate this case: Uttar Pradesh ADG (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar pic.twitter.com/QQAKI63YMe  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) September 22, 2021

Religious conversion case in Uttar Pradesh

Earlier in June, Umar Gautam along with eight others were arrested by the Uttar Pradesh police for allegedly running a conversion racket. Following the arrest, the UP Police had informed that the racket involved the conversion of deaf children and women to Islam. More than 1,000 people were converted.

Police statement further said that more than a dozen deaf and dumb children in Noida were also converted. The police said that during the interrogation, the arrested accused confessed to converting around 250 to 300 people to Islam every year.

Earlier in a press conference, UP ADG Prashant Kumar had said, "The deaf and dumb son of a couple living in Kalyanpur, Kanpur, was converted and sent to South India. Thousands of such cases have come to light. People were promised money and jobs in lieu of conversion."

(Image Credit-Republic World)
The Congress party on Sunday took a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) address, stating that he had 'lost his popularity,' given the large number of vacant seats during his speech at the General Assembly.

"When PM Modi addressed the United Nations, many seats were vacant, and more importantly, no one even clapped. The 'self-proclaimed' most popular leader seems to have lost its popularity," the Congress tweeted, along with pictures of the Assembly, that appeared largely empty due to strict COVID-19 protocols.

Notably, this year the UNGA was scaled down because of the pandemic, and the number of people was limited to maintain social distancing measures. Due to this, very few seats were occupied at the UNGA during the address of participating leaders.

                              ''          pic.twitter.com/HFc6izcbmH  Congress (@INCIndia) September 26, 2021

Hitting back at Congress, BJP's Sardar RP Singh said the party can stoop to any level in its attempt to criticize the Prime Minister.

"The Congress is not aware that COVID protocols are followed worldwide due to which more than half of the seats at the UNGA were empty. It is very sad that even after such a successful visit to the US that was appreciated by the world, the Congress is playing politics over his address," Singh told Republic TV.

Speaking about the UNGA address, Singh noted that PM Modi touched upon every issue during his speech, be it the Afghanistan crisis, the role of Pakistan and China without naming them, addressing climate change, or inviting global manufacturers to invest in India. He said, however, "the Congress can go to any extent to express their hatred towards PM Modi that they can demean the country too."

PM Modi at UNGA

Addressing the 76th session of the UNGA on Saturday, PM Modi paid tribute to those who lost their lives due to COVID in the past 1.5 years. Batting for strengthening democracy, PM Modi said, 'Yes, democracy can deliver... Yes, democracy has delivered' - pointing out to his own journey from a tea-stall vendor's son to PM. Detailing India's many COVID vaccines, he urged countries to 'Come and manufacture vaccines in India'. Slamming Pakistan and China, PM Modi warned against using terrorism as a weapon and asserted that Afghan soil should not be used as a 'terror bed' to spread terrorism.
Returning from his three-day visit to the United States, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has resumed work, and even called for a meeting on Sunday, September 26. In the meeting that will have in attendance Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, PM Modi is likely to be briefed about the developments in the country while he was overseas, sources said. Sources further say that PM Modi's engagement overseas will also be up for discussion in the meeting between the three Ministers.

The meeting comes hours after PM Modi landed at Delhi's Palam Technical airport. Greeted by BJP chief JP Nadda, VP Baijayant Panda, Gen secretary Anil Jain and others, PM Modi was garlanded on a small makeshift stage set up near the airport entrance. PM Modi returns from the US after touring Washington and New York - addressing the UN General Assembly (UNGA).

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives at Delhi airport after concluding his US visit. pic.twitter.com/mSAcZaOX1q  ANI (@ANI) September 26, 2021

PM Modi's 3-day US tour

Hitting the ground running in Washington, PM Modi met with 5 top CEOs and had bilateral meetings with US Vice President Kamala Harris, Australian PM Scott Morrison, and Japanese PM Yoshihide Suga. In the meetings, the discussion revolved around COVID, the Indo-Pacific region, foreign investments, cross-border terrorism, defence, and strategic cooperation.

Later, the four QUAD partners - US, Japan, India and Australia, held a joint meeting and vowed to bolster infrastructure, 5G, ASEAN cooperation, COVID vaccine partnership, and announced a new Quad fellowship for STEM.

PM Modi then held his first in-person bilateral meeting with US President Joe Biden and discussed trade, India's permanent UNSC seat, Afghanistan situation, Indo-Pacific challenges, and COVID efforts. PM Modi then addressed the UNGA for the fourth time and later the Global Citizen program, marking an end to his 3-day tour. Accompanying PM Modi, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, and Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla too held bilateral meetings with their counterparts.
Completing his 3-day US tour, PM Narendra Modi landed at Delhi's Palam Technical airport on Sunday at 12 noon. Greeted by BJP chief JP Nadda, VP Jay Panda, Gen secretary Anil Jain and others PM Modi was garlanded by the BJP leaders on a small makeshift stage set up near the airport entrance. PM Modi returns from US after touring Washington and New York - addressing the UN General Assembly (UNGA).

PM Modi arrives in Delhi after US tour

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives at Delhi airport after concluding his US visit. pic.twitter.com/mSAcZaOX1q  ANI (@ANI) September 26, 2021

Lauding the PM for his successful visit, BJP chief JP Nadda said, "On behalf of everyone, I welcome PM Modi. Today, our Delhi public is here since morning and they are very excited. The PM made the entire nation proud. This tour has made clear that the world has started to see India in a different way under PM Modi's leadership."

PM Modi's 5-day visit to the US proves that the world views India differently under the leadership of PM Modi... On behalf of crores of Indians, we welcome him back: BJP President JP Nadda. pic.twitter.com/u5cBPYjQop  ANI (@ANI) September 26, 2021

He added, "PM Modi's friendship with US President Joe Biden is not new, they share an old bond. The same was also reiterated by the US President. PM Modi has established India as a global player with discussion on terrorism, climate change, and how a solution can be brought with everyone's participation." After Nadda's address, PM Modi briefly thanked all the assembled people and exited the area, waving at the assembled supporters who showered flower petals at him. His supporters have reportedly gathered till his residence, cheering him on.

BJP had organised people dressed in traditional Indian clothes showcasing the diverse traditions and culture of the country to welcome the PM, along the lines of its 2019 welcome. As supporters danced and showered petals at the PM, they queued from the airport right up to PM Modis residence, spanning nearly 3 km. In 2019, BJP had celebrated the PM's first US trip after being re-elected in May 2019.

Delhi | From Maharashtra to Punjab, a state-wise display of celebrations outside Palam Technical Airport, ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's return from the US, today pic.twitter.com/HlpkfXq6pu  ANI (@ANI) September 26, 2021

PM Modi's 3-day US tour

Hitting the ground running in Washington, PM Modi met with 5 top CEOs and had bilateral meetings with US Vice President Kamala Harris, Australian PM Scott Morrison and Japanese PM Yoshihide Suga. In the meetings, the discussion revolved around COVID-19, free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region, foreign investments, cross-border terrorism, defence and strategic cooperation. Later, the four QUAD partners - US (Joe Biden), Japan (Yoshihide Suga), India (PM Modi), Australia (Scott Morrison) held a joint meeting and vowed to bolster infrastructure, 5G, ASEAN cooperation, COVID vaccine partnership and announced a new Quad fellowship for STEM.

PM Modi then held his first in-person bilateral meeting with Biden after the latter was elected in 2020 and discussed trade, India's permanent UNSC seat, Afghanistan situation, Indo-Pacific challenges and COVID efforts. PM Modi then addressed the UNGA for the fourth time and later the Global Citizen programme, marking an end to his 3-day tour. Accompanying PM Modi, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla too held bilateral meetings with their counterparts.
On Sunday, September 12, as many as five soldiers and three terrorists were killed when an armed terrorist group attacked a military patrol in central Mali, reported Xinhua news, citing a Malian Armed Forces statement. The ambush was set by the terrorist group on Sunday morning at 11:45 am (local time), to which the army's Operation Maliko patrol team retaliated courageously, the statement said.

It further stated that as many as five vehicles belonging to the army were also set ablaze by the terrorists. It should be noted here that this is the second attack on the Malian armed forces within a month. Last month, on August 19, as many as 15 Malian soldiers were killed in an ambush on National Road No. 6 in central Mali, Xinhua news reported. Following this, the Indian External Affairs Ministry had released a statement condemning the attack. The ministry also extended its deepest condolences to the families of fallen soldiers and to the Government of Mali.

Earlier in the month of August, another terrorist attack had ravaged the country when as many as 51 civilians were killed. The terrorists had torched several homes after storming the villages on motorbikes in the country's northern left side. An army patrol from the Malian military was rushed to the regions following the incident.

Terrorists have continued to carry out deadly attacks, with reportedly hundreds of people killed this year in a series of murders near Mali's border with Niger and in other regions of Africa as well. It is worth mentioning here that the West African country has been witnessing massive crisis at the security, political and also economic levels, reported Xinhua news.

Mali has been marred by violence since 2012

Thousands of people were killed and hundreds of others were forced to relocate because of inter-communal violence and separatist insurgencies in the country since 2012. Meanwhile, according to Moroccan state news agency MAP, armed men killed two Moroccan truck drives and injured another in Malis' Didieni town.

The truck drivers were carrying supplies to Bamako when they were ambushed by a group of armed men on Saturday afternoon, September 11, according to the agency. The report further stated that the armed men were lurking behind trees on the side of the road and also carrying wireless communication equipment. However, they did not snatch anything from the victims, reported MAP.

Image: @eutmmali/Twitter
Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou received a grand welcome to China on Saturday as she ended her three-year-long detention in Canada over allegations of fraud. The tech giant's CFO landed back in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen on Saturday, wearing a traditional red-coloured patriotic dress. Departing the plane, Wanzhou waved to the media and well-wishers who had reached the spot to greet her stating that she was 'speechless' the moment her feet touched the Chinese soil.

The daughter of Huawei Technologies founder was quoted by state-run Global Times as saying, "I'm finally back home. The waiting in a foreign country was full of suffering. I was speechless the moment my feet touched Chinese soil."

While Chinese state media welcomed Meng back in a grand fashion, the communist country remained largely silent about Canadian nationals Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, who were released hours after Meng on Friday. Over the last few years, China-Canada relations had been strained, owing to squabbles over various commodity prohibitions and political feuds related to Meng, Kovrig and Spavor's detentions.

Meng Wanzhou waved at a cheering crowd as she stepped out of a charter plane at Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport in south China on Saturday night https://t.co/zA9ZopSrnG pic.twitter.com/TbdRgTLyNu  China Xinhua News (@XHNews) September 25, 2021

Unusual night. Many citizens went to airport to welcome Meng Wanzhou back home . pic.twitter.com/7NMVLhusUN  Amb. Zhang Lizhong (@PRC_Amb_Uganda) September 25, 2021

Meng Wanzhou released by Canada

Meng Wanzhou had been detained in Canada in December 2018 at the behest of the United States on fraud allegations. Following a trial, Canada's Justice Department issued a statement stating that Meng has now the liberty to leave the nation. She was freed on Friday after reaching an agreement with US prosecutors. After being released from Canadian custody, Meng told reporters that her life has been flipped upside down for the past three years and as a mother, wife, and business leader, it was a challenging time for her.

Meng is accused of deceiving British banking giant HSBC about the actual nature of Huawei's business with Skycom, placing the bank in jeopardy of breaking US sanctions against Iran. The agreement which helped facilitate Wanzhou's release enables her to officially deny guilt on crucial counts while simultaneously admitting America's allegations. As part of the agreement, the Chinese group's CFO admitted to a "statement of facts" acknowledging that she intentionally made false claims and statements to HSBC.
The sources suggest that there are still over 100 Canadians incarcerated in China jails for various reasons after the release of two Canadian nationals, Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor. On Friday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, detained in China over three years ago, were released. After landing in Calgary, Alberta, early Saturday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau hugged diplomat Michael Kovrig and entrepreneur Michael Spavor on the tarmac. The men were arrested in China in December 2018, shortly after Meng Wanzhou, Huawei Technologies' chief financial officer and the company's founder's daughter, was arrested in Canada on a US extradition request.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the United States joins the international community in applauding Chinese authorities' decision to free Canadians Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig after more than two and a half years of arbitrary incarceration. He further said that they are glad that the Canadians are returning to their home.

However, 119 Canadians are currently incarcerated in China for various reasons, according to the National Post. Some have been imprisoned for supposed political or religious "crimes," while others have been imprisoned for drug offences and in the case of Kovrig and Spavor, spying suspicions. According to the Canadian publication, Canadians are being kept in jail, detention centres, or medical facilities in China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, citing an official press release. The remark emphasised that this figure also includes only those individuals known who have made their position known to the Government of Canada.

Huseyn Celil, who has been imprisoned for nearly a decade and a half on terrorism charges relating to his Uyghur advocacy and Sun Qian, who was sentenced to eight years in prison for practising Falun Gong, are two of the handful whose identities have been made public.

China-Canada diplomatic war

In recent years, China-Canada relations have been strained, with squabbles over various commodity prohibitions and political feuds over Meng's and Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor's detentions. Most recently, a House of Commons resolution publicly condemning China's actions against the Uyghur minority, as well as a government effort to urge other countries to denounce "hostage diplomacy," ratcheted up the diplomatic war.

(Inputs from ANI)

Image: Unsplash
Amid rising tensions between Taipei and Beijing, Taiwan recently accused China of bullying after Beijing sent a total of 24 warplanes into its air-defence identification zone (ADIZ). Taking to Twitter, Taiwans Defence Ministry informed that the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, including bombers, fighter jets and anti-submarine planes, entered Taiwans ADIZ in two groups.

Taiwans defence ministry said that 19 PLA aircraft entered the ADIZ on the morning of September 23, followed by five others later in the day.

19 PLA aircraft (J-16*12, Y-8 ASW*2, H-6*2, Y-8 EW and J-11*2) entered #Taiwans southwest ADIZ in the morning of September 23, 2021. Please check our official website for more information: https://t.co/c5EJJFhzKL pic.twitter.com/81fIdFbWFI   Ministry of National Defense, R.O.C.  (@MoNDefense) September 23, 2021

5 PLA aircraft (J-16*2, KJ-500 AEW&C and J-11*2) entered #Taiwans southwest ADIZ in the afternoon of September 23, 2021. Please check our official website for more information: https://t.co/dnE5VagCye pic.twitter.com/GiQEnVdTZM   Ministry of National Defense, R.O.C.  (@MoNDefense) September 23, 2021

The Taiwanese Defence Ministry said in response to the PLA aircraft, radio warnings were issued and air defence missile systems were deployed to monitor the activity, CNN reported.

The incursions came a day after Taiwan officially submitted an application to join the CPTPP free-trade pact. China has signalled its strong opposition to the application. It had also said that Beijing opposes official exchanges between any country and Taiwan, which China views as an inseparable part of its territory.

Taiwan is part of China. China must and will be reunified. This historical trend cannot be stopped by any force. We warn the Taiwan authorities that any attempt to seek independence and reject unification is doomed to fail. pic.twitter.com/qiOzHiCUa3  Lijian Zhao  (@zlj517) September 16, 2021

Taiwan-China ties continue to deteriorate

However, Taiwan has repeatedly said that Taiwan is Taiwan, and it is not part of the Peoples Republic of China. According to CNN, Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated that point earlier this week and noted that the PRC has never ruled Taiwan for a single day. It said that the island should be able to make its own choices when it comes to matters such as joining international trade agreements. Further, the Taiwanese foreign ministry went on to say that the Chinese government only wants to "bully" Taiwan in the international community. It also blamed Beijing for heightened tensions in cross-strait relations.

It is pertinent to mention here that China claims sovereignty over Taiwan, but the people of the island claim autonomy. As the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) marked the 100th year of its foundation on July 1, President Xi Jinping vowed complete unification of China.

Taiwan has been responding to Chinese aggression by increasing strategic ties with democracies including the United States. Earlier this month it was also reported that China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) intruded into Taiwan's ADIZ over 60 times in the month of September. The movement of Chinese military aircraft and flight emissions have also increased. In the month of September, there were just two days when China has not breached Taiwanese airspace.

(With inputs from ANI)
Catalan separatist leader Carles Puigdemont on Saturday vowed to keep travelling throughout Europe to campaign for the region's independence from Spain.

But he confirmed he would appear at a hearing on 4 October to decide whether he will be extradited to Spain to face sedition charges.

Puigdemont spoke to reporters in the Italian city of Alghero, on the island of Sardinia, where he was arrested by Italian police on Thursday.

A Sardinian judge released him a day later and imposed no travel restrictions pending an extradition hearing set for 4 October.

The judge imposed no travel restrictions pending the hearing, suggesting Puigdemont had a green light to leave Italy and close the case.

But on Saturday he confirmed he would attend the hearing, and assumed he would walk free.

My plan is once the Italian justice says 'OK, your duty is finished', I will return to my home in Belgium," he said.

Puigdemont is a member of the European Union's parliament and previously served as president of Spain's restive Catalonia region.

He fled to Belgium in October 2017, fearing arrest after holding an independence referendum for Catalonia that the Spanish courts and government said was illegal.

Although Puigdemont holds a seat in the European Parliament, that legislature stripped him of parliamentary immunity.

He noted he was due in Strasbourg on 4 October for a parliament session, but said he would follow it remotely from his laptop in Sardinia if he had to.

IMAGE: AP

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)
A plane carrying 160,000 doses of coronavirus vaccines arrived in Taiwan on Sunday morning.

The shipment was donated by the Slovakian government as a gesture of good will in response to Taiwan providing various goods to the European nation to help fight the pandemic over the past year.

This is the second vaccine donation that Slovakia has sent to Taiwan.

Taiwan has received vaccine donations from various countries, including the U.S. Japan, Lithuania, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland.

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)
Almost all glaciers in the Swiss Alps could disappear by 2100, and at least 10 per cent have melted in the past 5 years due to the impact of global warming accelerating climate change, a study published by top environmentalists in the journal Nature warned. As the permafrost on snow-capped Alps Mountains has been drastically shrinking, melting the glaciers five times faster than they were in the 1960s, each year, the authorities in Switzerland and European Alps try to limit the impact of the rising global temperature by draping the glacial slopes with large blankets manufactured out of the polyester fleece that bounces sunlight away acting as a reflector.

In the footage, one can see vast white fleece covering stretches of snow mountains over huge areas near the glacier's edge. Some are piled up near the rocks, or on top of few wooden planks with a ladder on its side, that will be used by the workers from the nearby Swiss resorts to cover the snow-capped mountains. They are desperately trying to preserve the Swiss tourist attraction. Scientists have warned about the extreme glacier loss in the years to come as a result of the human-caused climate change. A study revealed that climate change has triggered mass loss of ice on the glaciers in the Southern Alps, Swiss, and European Alps. This melting ice event was at least 10 times more likely in 2018. Another event leading to the loss of giant ice occurred in 2011.

These blankets are keeping things cold in the Alps.



Read more about them here: https://t.co/dvvFApkKON pic.twitter.com/gbSxaf8uJ1  World Economic Forum (@wef) September 4, 2021

Huge scathes of ice from the 3,238-metre (10,623-ft) Mount Titlis, a popular Swiss tourist attraction, have disappeared. Within the next half-century, all of it is expected to melt, according to the World Economic Forum. Workers nearby the Swiss Alp resorts have resort to blanketing the loft snowy peaks with fleece to provide a protective shield from global warming and climate change. Loss of snow in Switzerland would be an existential threat to ski resorts, the workers say, in a report carried by WEF. The Swiss government meanwhile is worried that approximately 90 per cent of the remaining snow-capped peaks, an estimated 1,500 glaciers, will be gone by the end of the century.

[The oldest glacier in the Alps is protected by tarps to prevent it from melting. Credit: AP]

Authorities this year have ramped up the draping of the Titlis Bergbahnen, although year after year, they have witnessed the size of the cover increasing. It takes these workers somewhere between five-to-six weeks to complete the process of the protective polyester fleecing as this year, their task was to blanket 100,000 square meters of the area to prevent the snow from melting. The entire 10,623-foot Mount Titlis is expected to disappear entirely within the next 50 years due to the climate crisis, scientists say.

['Extreme glacier loss events linked to human-caused climate change. Credit: World Economic Forum]

White fleece bounces sun's energy back off 1,076,391 square feet area

White fleece helps radiate the sun's energy back into the atmosphere, thereby preserving some snow on the glaciers until the winters arrive. Each year, the workers remove a layer of snow coating from the fleece and use it to refill the cracks on the glacier's surface. This strategy is applied across 1,076,391 square feet area of the Alps. But as the climate crisis melts away the mountain glaciers and the Arctic polar ice, Swiss authorities were made aware that a drastic step was needed.

It was in 2004 that they came up with the idea of using white tarpaulin over the Gurschenfirn glacier above the Andermatt resort, according to the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow, and Landscape Research (WSL). They then expanded the blanketing strategy to seven other glaciers in the Swiss Alps, and then one other at the Diavolezza resort. Each year there are more glaciers standing in the face of the threat of global climate change, and the experts at WSL, ETH Zurich, and the University of Fribourg tally that it would cost more than $1 billion a year if covering all of Switzerland's glaciers would be needed, one day.

Footage Credit: World Economic Forum

IMAGE: AP
Iran would not accept the United States-desired longer and stronger nuclear deal with the involvement of foreign powers in the negotiations, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian reportedly said on Saturday in a remark to the US-based newspaper NYTimes. He stressed that there has been mounting condemnation about the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action [JCPOA] back home but Tehran still accepted the deal. Iran's Amir-Abdollahian's statement was made amid speculations that the Islamic Republic was going to return to negotiation with the United States on resuming compliance with the 2015 Iran nuclear deal "very soon.

Iranian foreign minister confirmed the reports on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly as he told foreign correspondents that Iran was reviewing the Vienna negotiations files currently and, very soon, Irans negotiations with the 'four plus one' countries will recommence. He also described talks with the Saudi counterparts labelling them as constructive. Furthermore, he added that Tehran had also laid down the dynamic proposals for fostering peace in war-torn Yemen.

In a more transparent statement made with the Iranian state news agency (IRNA) on Saturday, Amir-Abdollahian expressed concerns about the European signatories involvement in the JOCPOA accord. He said, that the EUs haste for returning Tehran to the Vienna talks was due to their worries flaring over Iran reaching a level in our nuclear progress that they consider worrying.

"More than anything they want Tehrans new administration to sit at the negotiation table, Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian told IRNA, adding that the Iranian regime rather desired "tangible results" than rushing "talks for the sake of talking.

Irans Raisi slams US for Kabul military intervention, sanctions

The Vienna P5+1 talks for restoration of the Iran nuclear deal scrapped by former US President Trump unilaterally began in April with the European delegation as chief intermediaries between the US and Iran. The deal would enable Tehran to limit its uranium enrichment program, and control nuclear-stockpiling moves in exchange for lifting economic sanctions slapped by the US that have battered Irans economy during the coronavirus pandemic.

In a pre-recorded video message last week, Irans newly planted President Ebrahim Raisi lambasted the US for sanctions on Iran and military intervention in Afghanistan. From the Capitol to Kabul, one clear message was sent to the world: the U.S. hegemonic system has no credibility, whether inside or outside the country, Raisi said in the broadcast message delivered to the UN General Assembly UNGA. Furthermore, the Iranian leader said that the sanctions were the US new way of war with the nations of the world. He stressed that imposing such an embargo during the pandemic was a crime against humanity.

US President Joe Biden meanwhile stressed in his UNGA speech that the US was ready to return to the JCPOA, provided Tehran promised: full compliance of the deal. The United States remains committed to preventing Iran from gaining a nuclear weapon. We are working with the P5+1 to engage Iran diplomatically and seek a return to the JCPOA, Biden told the UN General Assembly in his maiden speech made first time as the leader of the United States.
Israeli PM Naftali Bennett, Saturday, said that his country extends its hands in peace in response to a recent call by Iraqis to normalise ties with the Zionist state. On Friday, more than 300 prominent Iraqis, both Shias and Sunnis, coalesced to call for peace with Israel and to end decades of fraught talks. Later in a tweet, Bennett opined that the call came from the conflict-hit Iraqi residents and not from the government.

Iraq and Israel have been at war ever since the Jewish state was formed in 1948. However, their relationship hit rock bottom after Baghdad, without any provocation fired 42 scud missiles on Israel during the Gulf War in 1991. While the aim was to prompt Israeli participation in the conflict, the Zionist stopped short of retaliation following a request from the US. Iraq has not yet formally recognised the Israeli state till date.

'Full diplomatic relations'

While the calls to join the Abraham Accords are growing across Iraq, the countrys leaders have staunchly opposed it. We demand full diplomatic relations with the State of Israel and a new policy of normalization based on people-to-people relations with the citizens of that country, Wissam al-Hardan, an Iraqi leader said at the conference held in the Kurdistan region. Calling for communal harmony, he also called the expulsion of Jews from the country as its most infamous act.

While Israel is looking to end deadlock with Iraq, its conflict with Palestine is on the rise. On Friday, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas warned Israel to withdrawal to the 1967 boundaries within one year or face repercussions. Following the six-day war in 1967, Israel occupied the Gaza Strip, West Bank and East Jerusalem. While Palestinians initially objected to it, they later accepted the demarcations under Oslo Accords, allowing the Palestinians to self-govern the captured land. However, over the years, the zionists have increased their influence in the region by building hundreds of settlements and cementing their claim on the land.

Furthermore, Abbas said that he was ready to work throughout this year on delineating borders and solving all final status issues under the auspices of the international Quartet and in accordance with United Nations resolutions. If this is not achieved, why maintain recognition of Israel based on the 1967 borders?" he said. In addendum, he also threatened the Naftali Bennett administration with a complaint in International Criminal Court (ICC) if it continues to stall the peace pact.

Image: AP/NaftalliBennett/Twitter
As many as six civilians died, and 20 sustained severe injuries after Yemen-based Houthi militants launched a ballistic missile in the northwestern Yemeni province of Hajjah. Yemeni civilians were celebrating a public holiday on Saturday night when the terrorist group launched an attack, said a government official, on the promise of unanimity. Hundreds of local residents, along with soldiers, gathered to celebrate the 59th anniversary of the country's 1962 revolution in a public square in downtown Midi city. The Iran-backed hardline Islamist group launched a brutal attack on the coastal city, which is currently under the control of the government. The Houthi fighters have been trying to gain control over the northern province, which falls under Presidential rule. According to a report published by Xinhua, no more casualties have been reported.

Notably, it was after 1962's revolution in Yemen that turned the country into a republic nation. Every year, Yemen observes a public holiday on September 26 to mark the country's democratic establishment, and this year's anniversary was marked by grand celebrations held in government-ruled provinces and cities. Notably, Yemen has been witnessing a massive civil war for eight years, which is being fought between the Yemen government and Iran-backed Houthi militants. Earlier in 2014, the Iran-backed militia group gained territorial control over a large part of the country's northern region, which resulted in the forced removal of Yemen's President. However, four years after the coup, the internationally recognised government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi again took control of Midi Port in 2018, after years of a fierce battle with Houthi fighters.

It is pertinent to mention here that the years of civil war have caused much chaos in the country. So far, more than 10,000 people have been killed and over 4 million have left their homes, displaced internally. The civil war has pushed the country towards an economic crisis, and poor health conditions, causing the nation to stand on the brink of starvation.

Image: AP

With Inputs from ANI
Spokesperson for the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Maryam Aurangzeb, has slammed Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan's government yet again, this time stating that the government is pushing federal agencies like the NAB and the FIA to lie in court against Opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif. According to Dawn, she said that the money laundering cases against Sharif are the same false case that the government tried to force the former DG of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to pursue.

She said that it is Imran Khan's vengeance against Shehbaz that has conjured up all these charges and kept them alive to fuel his political victimisation and keep his dead politics alive. Despite the abuse of power by government entities, she claimed that no evidence of corruption against Shehbaz Sharif could be found in any of the instances.

Cases should be thrown out after being dismissed

Marriyum stated that cases should be thrown out after being dismissed by the High Court as matter of principle. She claimed that the case against Shehbaz had already been probed, and that Shehbaz had provided all the answers. According to Geo News, Pakistan's National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has opened a new investigation into Shahbaz Sharif, accusing him of transferring and allotting land to friends during his time as Punjab province's Chief Minister.

A Pakistani court extended Shehbaz Sharif's and his son Hamza's bail in the sugar fraud case last month. In the sugar crisis, both are accused of money laundering to the tune of Rs 25 billion. NAB has notified an accountability court that properties owned by Sharif's daughter Rabia and son-in-law Imran Ali Yousaf have been attached since they are absconders in the Punjab Saaf Pani Company reference.

Maryam Aurangzeb blasted Imran Khan for his statement of supporting free media

On Friday, Maryam Aurangzeb blasted Prime Minister Imran Khan for a different reason, she claimed that there were no media restrictions or censorship in Pakistan and that his government had granted the media complete freedom. According to The Nation, Marriyum claimed it's beyond comprehension what PM Imran Khan was talking about with the government and media. Imran Khan's statements of supporting free media in Pakistan, according to Marriyum, raise major concerns about his mental health.

(Inputs from ANI)

Image: AP
In another embarrassment for Pakistan, political activists in Switzerland took to protests against the Imran Khan-led nation outside the UNHRC office in Geneva. Protesters largely from Gilgit Baltistan (GB) and PoK demanded that Pakistan dismantle terror groups in the forcibly occupied regions. The country has already been recognized globally for actively aiding and assisting terror outfits such as the Taliban and the Haqqani Network during the fall of Afghanistan.

In the video accessed by Republic TV, activists can be seen protesting outside the UNHRC office in Switzerland with loudspeakers, posters and placards. Posters held by the activists read 'Terror infrastructure must be dismantled', 'Stop land grabbing and occupying hilltops in PoK,' and 'Stop harassing, torturing and killing journalists in Pakistan.'

Political activists from Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Gilgit Baltistan held a series of protests outside the office of UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland, raising anti-Pakistan slogans and demanding "dismantling of terror camps" pic.twitter.com/OTjEdLp8TU  ANI (@ANI) September 26, 2021

Atrocities continue in PoK, Gilgit-Baltistan

Brutality against the citizens of the GB region intensified after Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan granted provisional provincial status to the region and held an illegitimate Legislative Assembly election in November 2020. In March, the so-called G-B Assembly had passed a resolution demanding an interim province status.

A wave of protests against Pakistan began shortly after Islamabad's misrule. Residents of the region revealed that conditions had worsened since Khan's PTI got legislative control of the region. In June 2021, the Pakistan police had resorted to a massive lathi-charge on government employees of several departments in Gilgit-Baltistan who were staging a sit-in protest outside the Chief Minister's house demanding time-scale promotions. Students and locals have also staged a protest in the region revealing that they were devoid of even basic necessities such as pure drinking water.

When it comes to PoK, Pakistan Army's role in land grabbing has been exposed on numerous occasions. Its terror camps in PoK are no big secret either. The Youth of the region are being indoctrinated by the nation to peddle terrorism onto Indian soil. Last month, the Indian Army organised a programme '23 Years of Homecoming' to welcome rescued individuals who were pushed across Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) to be trained as terrorists. It was revealed that men like those rescued, were being forced to go across to PoK to train as terrorists at a young age by Pakistan operatives.
In the face of escalating government repression, a Hong Kong pro-democracy group that used to organise the annual June 4 vigils for victims of the 1989 Tiananmen Square event has decided to disband. According to a report by NHK World, the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Chinese Patriotic Democratic Movements made the decision at an emergency meeting on Saturday.

As a symbol of Hong Kong's lasting liberties, the group holds a candlelight vigil. The alliance was formed in 1989, shortly before the Tiananmen Square incident, to show support for the student demonstrators. When the People's Liberation Army was dispatched to crackdown on protests in Beijing in 1989, hundreds of people perished and the Tiananmen Square massacre sent shockwaves around the world. Hundreds of Hong Kong politicians signed petitions or issued public remarks condemning the incident.

Last year and this year, the group was barred from conducting June 4 vigil

However, many have climbed up the political ladder as pro-Beijing personalities or assumed government jobs over the years, keeping their mouths shut about China's political scar. The Communist Party has yet to account for the occurrence and any discussion of it on the mainland is suppressed. Last year and this year, the group was barred from conducting its traditional June 4 vigil. Leaders of the Alliance, like Lee Cheuk-yan, have been imprisoned for holding demonstrations without permission.

According to NHK World on September 9, police charged the group and three of its senior members including Lee with encouraging subversion in violation of Hong Kong's national security statute. For taking part in the unlawful candlelight vigil in 2020, which was the first time it was outlawed under COVID-19 social gathering regulations, a total of 16 democrats and activists have been convicted to prison or given suspended sentences.

Hong Kong government is targeting civil society organisations

Amnesty International's Asia-Pacific Director, Yamini Mishra, earlier said in an email statement that the alliance's "essentially forced disbandment" proved that the Chinese authorities were attempting to control all discussion of the crackdown in Hong Kong, as they do on the mainland. She said that it is apparent that the Hong Kong government is targeting civil society organisations with broad backing and the potential to mobilise. She added that the government's crackdown on such groups appears to be on the rise.

(Inputs from ANI/ AP News)

Image: AP
Japanese Health Minister Norihisa Tamura on Sunday, September 26, said that the government believes that it is possible to lift the state of emergency in many of the country's prefectures where it is currently in effect due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Presently, the state of emergency in Japan is active in 19 out of 47 prefectures, including Tokyo, Hokkaido, Hiroshima, Osaka, Kyoto, and Okinawa.

Tamura said, We see that the number of new cases continues decreasing. In this situation, we could lift the emergency state by the end of September, I think.

The Japanese health minister further noted that there might still be new risks, such as another wave of the coronavirus. He said, Even if you are fully vaccinated, there's always a risk of getting infected. Because of this, I think there must be certain behavioural tests to soften existing restrictions.

Japan COVID emergency: Govt to take final decision by September 28

Now, the Japanese government is expected to make the final decision on the state of emergency by September 28. It is worth noting that Japan has administered about 157,000,000 doses of coronavirus vaccines so far. It has inoculated 56% of the countrys population against the deadly virus. The government has stated that if the vaccination moves at the current pace it will surpass 60% of people vaccinated by the end of September.

The government aims to fully vaccinate eligible people by November. The country started its vaccination programme in the month of February, this year, with frontline workers first in line followed by people aged 65 and above. After witnessing a rise in the Delta variant cases last month, the frequency of new cases in the country has started decreasing.

PM Suga says COVID situation 'getting better'

On Saturday, Japanese PM Yoshihide Suga said that the nations COVID-19 situation is getting better. According to Japan Times, Suga told reporters accompanying him on a visit to Washington that the COVID-19 situation has certainly been getting better. He added that the government would carry out an analysis again and make a decision by listening to experts opinions.

Meanwhile, the Japanese health ministry has begun reviewing the condition of the nations health care system. The ministry has asked existing medical institutions to secure sufficient hospital beds in preparation for a new possible wave of the COVID-19. Now it also plans to increase the number of temporary medical facilities such as gyms, while also strengthening the coordination of personnel, according to officials.

(Image: Unsplash/@norihisa.tamura.official/Facebook)
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, while speaking at a press conference in New York, slammed the United States for their hasty withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan. He said that the US and the UK had left the country without pondering over the aftermath of their action, resulting in the killing of over 200 Afghans in a bomb blast. Also, the top diplomat criticised the US troops for leaving a huge amount of military equipment in the already war-ravaged country. It is worth noting the Russian diplomat was speaking during a press conference hed ere his speech at the 76th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA).

"Apparently, we all need to make sure that these weapons are not used for non-constructive purposes", news agency Sputnik quotes Lavrov as saying.

Though he said that no country is in hurry to officially recognise the caretaker government recently formed by the Taliban in Afghanistan, he advocated the "goodwill" of and vision of the Talibani to develop the war-torn country. Further, the top Russian diplomat said that the United States, Russia Pakistan and China are working together to ensure the new Taliban rulers keep their promises. He reiterated that the extremist group would form a genuinely representative government that would make sure the soil of Afghanistan would not be used for spreading extremism against any country in the world.

Taliban does not reflect "the whole gamut of Afghan society": Lavrov

Lavrov maintained that the leaders of China, Russia and Pakistan had recently travelled to the Qatari capital of Doha and then to moved to Afghanistans capital in order to initiate discussions with the Taliban and representatives of secular authorities.

By saying secular authorities, he was actually pointing former president Hamid Karzai and Abdullah Abdullah, who headed the ousted governments negotiating council with the Taliban. Lavrov said the interim government announced by the Taliban does not reflect "the whole gamut of Afghan society, ethno-religious and political forces, so we are engaging in contacts, they are ongoing."

Taliban has immensely changed to respect human rights: Russian diplomat

During the wide-ranging press conference before delivering Russias speech at the U.N. General Assemblys high-level meeting, the Russian Foreign Minister said that the current Taliban government was not the same as they were in 1996 to 2001. According to him, the terror outfit led country has changed tremendously in order to respect human rights including women. However, it seems the minister forgot to address the recent moves that suggest they may returning to more repressive policies, particularly toward women and girls. "Whats most important ... is to ensure that the promises that they have proclaimed publicly to be kept," Lavrov said. "And for us, that is the top priority."

(With inputs from AP)

(Image: AP)
On Sunday, the Taliban applauded the United States' recent decision to allow humanitarian assistance to flow into Afghanistan. Abdul Qahar, the spokesperson of the foreign affairs ministry, welcomed the US Treasury Department's recent decision to allow US government agencies as well as international and non-governmental organisations and banks to assist the flow of food and medication to the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), according to Xinhua news agency. He also hoped that all nations across the world, including the United States and international organisations, would continue to strengthen connections with the Afghan government and provide humanitarian aid to Afghans. Meanwhile, on Friday, September 24, the US government, NGOs, and select foreign organisations were granted general licences, allowing them to conduct transactions necessary to give humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan.

Earlier this week, the Taliban's interim foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi had sought friendly relations with the international community, especially neighbouring and regional countries. Notably, on September 14, the Chinese ambassador to Kabul, Wang Yu met Muttaqi and pledged to continue assisting and cooperating with Afghanistan without any conditions. According to Tolo News, China has offered humanitarian relief worth $15 million as well as three million doses of Coronavirus vaccines to the conflict-stricken Afghanistan. This comes after America had announced almost $64 million in additional humanitarian aid for the Afghan people. On Monday, September 13, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had stated that US aid to Afghanistan would bypass the Taliban and go directly to non-governmental organisations and UN agencies providing aid to underprivileged Afghans, reported ANI.

UN terms situation in Afghanistan as 'quite grave'

Meanwhile, on September 18, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi stated that the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan is dire and urged for immediate assistance to the war-ravaged nation. Speaking at a press conference in Pakistan's Islamabad, Grandi had termed the situation in Afghanistan as "quite grave" and stressed the urgent need for food, medicines, shelter and other basics, according to Japan's NHK World. Grandi believes that a deal between the Taliban and the international community is urgently needed to avoid an economic collapse that might lead to violence and disorder, which will in turn spark a mass exodus. According to him, a collapse of Afghanistan's already shaky economy would engulf its neighbours and cause ripples around the world. It's worth noting that the Taliban's announcement of a non-inclusive interim administration drew international condemnation. Governments from all around the world have declared that they will not accept Afghanistan's new authorities until the country has a more inclusive government in place.

Image: ANI
Amid strong opposition from the United States, Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that he will still consider buying a second Russian missile system. In an interview, Erdogan said that Turkey will decide its defense systems on it own, thereby defying the opposition by the United States. In the TV interview, Erdogan remarked that Turkey was not given the option to buy American-made Patriot missiles.

In addition, he also claimed that the United States failed to deliver the F-35 stealth jets despite payment of USD 1.4 billion. Turkey, which is a NATO member was earlier kicked out of the F-35 program and its defense officials were sanctioned after it bought the Russian-made S-400 missile defense system. The United States strongly contests the use of Russian defense systems within NATO it states that the missile system poses a threat to the F-35s. However, Turkey has maintained its position and said that the S-400s could be used independently without being integrated into NATO systems. It has stated that the Russian defence system poses no risk.

US sanctions Turkey for purchase of S-400 missile system

Earlier in 2020, the United States under the administration of former President Donald Trump had sanctioned Turkey after it purchased the S-400 missile system. The US sanctions were slapped under a 2017 law aimed at pushing back Russian influence. It was for the first time that the law, known as CAATSA, was used to penalize a United States ally. Even so, Erdogan has not pulled back and remained defiant.

Of course, of course, yes, Erdogan said after he was asked if Turkey would buy more S-400s. He remarked that Turkey would take its own decisions when it came to defence.

Erdogan and Putin to meet at Sochi Summit

Meanwhile, Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is scheduled to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on September 29 in Sochi. Erdogan will also deliver a speech at the summit after he was invited by Putin. Both sides will discuss several key issues like Syria, Afghanistan and the emanating migration crisis. In addition, Turkey is also carefully monitoring the recent attacks that targeted its soldiers in Idlib.

With AP inputs
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Saturday, September 25, held two separate meetings with Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov.

According to a press release, Guterres and the two Foreign Ministers discussed the situation along the Azerbaijani-Armenian border and talked about efforts to promote regional cooperation and durable peace.

The Secretary-General met with H.E. Mr. Ararat Mirzoyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia. The Secretary-General and the Foreign Minister discussed UN-Armenian cooperation. They also discussed the situation along the Azerbaijani-Armenian border and efforts to promote regional cooperation and durable peace, a UN press release stated

It added, The Secretary-General underlined the UN support for the ongoing dialogue and peacebuilding efforts as well as the efforts by UN agencies in the region. He underlined the importance of protection of cultural heritage.

In meeting with Bayramov, the UN chief also discussed UN-Azerbaijan cooperation, as well as the regional situation. Guterres also commended Azerbaijan on its diplomatic efforts as chair of the Non-Aligned Movement in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic response.

Had a meeting w/ UN Secretary-General @antonioguterres on the sidelines of #UNGA. We exchanged views on #UN-#Azerbaijan cooperation & latest regional developments. Azerbaijan will continue its consistent efforts to contribute to peace & development in the region & globally.  pic.twitter.com/86m9JuSHa3  Jeyhun Bayramov (@bayramov_jeyhun) September 26, 2021

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres met with the Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers on the sidelines of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly. Earlier this week, the French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian had also met with Mirzoyan and Bayramov. The meetings of the ministers in New York was the first direct contact between the two countries at such a high level since the end of the conflict in Karabakh.

Azerbaijan and Armenia clashes

Back in 2020, a conflict had flared up in the Nagorno-Karabakh region, following which Moscow had mediated an agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Russian President Vladimir Putin, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan signed a joint declaration calling for an immediate cease-fire in Nagorno-Karabakh. The Azerbaijani and Armenian sides agreed to hold their positions, and Russian forces were sent to monitor the truce along the engagement line in Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as along the Lachinsky corridor that connects Armenia to the enclave.

Under the agreement, Baku and Yerevan also agreed to exchange prisoners and bodies of the dead. In addition, the Kalbajar, Lachin, and part of the Agdam District were handed over to Azerbaijan. The situation along the Armenian-Azerbaijani border has been tense since May 12, when Armenia's Defense Ministry stated that the Azerbaijani Armed Forces sought to conduct "certain operations" in a border area in Syunik Province in order to "alter the border." Since then, both sides have reported border incidents on a regular basis.

(Image: AP)
Venezuelas government and the opposition have patched up a row that was delaying the latest round of negotiations to end the country's political crisis. The talks, hosted by Mexico, were supposed to begin on Friday but were suspended after the government delegation failed to show up.

This came after Norway's outgoing prime minister Erna Solberg released a pre-recorded speech at the United Nations criticising Venezuela's leader, President Nicolas Maduro. Solberg's speech was perceived as compromising the neutrality of the Norwegian team facilitating the negotiations.

Dag Halvor Nylander, head of the Norwegian facilitating team, was quick to distance the group from Solberg's statement. He insisted the group would deal with the parties in an unbiased way, according to the guidelines, and that they "regret that the recent declaration made at the United Nations could affect our role."

Jorge Rodriguez, head of the Venezuelan government delegation, then declared that the impasse had been overcome. The government delegates and the opposition, led by Juan Guaido, are expected to tackle issues such as conditions for elections, judicial reform and the lifting of foreign economic sanctions imposed on the government.

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)
Addressing a crowd of thousands at the Georgia National Fairgrounds in Perry where he held a rally for a slate of pro-Trump candidates expected to run for office in Georgia in 2022, former US President Donald Trump lambasted the Biden administration and Democrats making unfactual and odd statements. Outlining the disasters that should have never been allowed to happen, the 45th President of the United States launched criticism against the Biden administration for withdrawing troops from Afghanistan, derided Joe Biden for being too compromised on China, and slammed democrats on the migrant crisis, stressing that the travel ban from predominantly Muslim countries should not have been lifted. Former US commander-in-chief accused the Democrats, and the media houses of going after him assuming he has a big mouth but he said that he was just stating the realities.

"They want to go after me because I have, they think, a big mouth. I don't have a big mouth, you know what I have, I have a mouth that tells the truth, Trump told the Georgia rally.

Trump slams Biden for botched-up Kabul withdrawal

Trump condemned President Joe Biden's botched-up and disorderly Kabul troop withdrawal from Afghanistan that cost America the lives of 13 US Marines who died in the ISIS-K bomb blast towards the final days of airlift at the Hamid Karzai International Airport. He slammed the Biden administration for abandoning hundreds of American citizens in the enemy-occupied territory after and for failing to negotiate the deadline with the Taliban. This comes as the evacuations were resumed by the Qatar, UK and the US even after the August 31 deadline. The airlift operations began after Qatar's mediation as the it dispatched a technical team to get the Kabul airport operational after the final US military aircraft flew out of Kabul.

Trump told the crowd about weird exchanges with Taliban co-founder Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar after the Afghanistan withdrawal. He gets a call or a message. He says the military is gone. He said, 'youre crazy' in their language, Trump stated, referring to Baradars own local language. Trump also accused Biden of sending people to Afghanistan to help with the withdrawal who werent even aware of everything," referring to US Marines.

Although earlier, the mother of the fallen Wyoming Marine in Afghanistan blamed politicians, particularly President Joe Biden for her sons death as she said that she processed (the grief) through anger instead of tears.

I just want all you Democrats who voted for him [Biden] legitimately, to know that you just killed my son, Kathy McCollum, mother of the fallen US Marine told a Sirius XM political talk show about president Biden. With a dementia-ridden piece of crap who doesnt even know hes in the White House, who still thinks hes a senator, she lambasted the sitting commander in chief of bomb blast tragedy in Afghanistan. Further, she told host Andrew Wilkow: My son did not die in vain, but guess what? My son did die in vain. This was an unnecessary debacle which could have been handled properly. McCollums son who died in the Kabul blast was a 2019 graduate of Jackson High School and was expecting his first child with his wife.

Trump, who struck Doha deal with the Taliban in February 2019 had previously stalled the withdrawal and the Republicans have widely been accused of sealing the agreement with the terrorist organisation. As Trump on Saturday took centre stage at a rally at the Georgia National Fairgrounds, he lay blame on Dems, and awkwardly launched a scathing attack on Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, and Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan whom he called terrible.

He then weirdly proceeded to deride US Sen. Raphael Warnock whom he labelled a Marxist controlled by the radical leftist Democrats, adding that next year Warnock and every single one of these far-Left lunatics must be routinely and resoundingly and decisively defeated. He attacked Governor Republican Brian Kemp, who had refused Trump for ballot recounting during elections, saying that Stacey Abrams would be a better governor than Kemp as he called the latter a disaster.

In his 90 minute speech, Trump also hurtled the baseless voter fraud claims, saying that the 2020 presidential election was rigged in his speech at Perry. Trump endorsed three Republicans namely Herschel Walker, who launched a Senate campaign recently, Rep. Jody Hice, who he's endorsed to replace Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, and Sen. Burt Jones, who worked to overturn the election results in Georgia, reported AP. Walker took over the stage conveying the election conspiracies questioning the 2020 election results and saying that Trump should still be the president. This comes as only last week Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger noted the accuracy of election results in Georgia. He knows he lost, Raffensperger told the Washington Examiner of Trump, who told the crowd that 2020 elections were the most corrupt election in the history of the country.

Image: AP
United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers on Saturday detained at least fourteen Mexican soldiers for allegedly crossing into US territory in El Paso, Texas, bordering Juarez, Chihuahua. The Mexican soldiers belonged to Ninth Cavalry Motorized Regiment [Noveno Regimiento de Caballeria Motorizado], according to the Mexican press reports. In the images now widely circulating, credited to Mexicos defense ministry, the Mexican soldiers appeared to be handcuffed by CBP agents at the Cordova-Americas International Bridge and were seen directed inside the CBP patrolling vehicle.

US Customs and Border protection also reportedly seized the soldiers military weapons and their vehicles, later returned after the Mexican army officers came for them, reports suggest. About half a dozen Mexican army soldiers were walked via a rope in their full tactical gear then were made to pat down on the side of the road by a border bridge while US CBP agents surveilled them.

The eyewitnesses told on-ground reporters that the soldiers crossed the bridge shortly after midnight in at least two Mexican military trucks as they were intercepted by uniformed US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Agents. Of those, seven soldiers were led to the port of entrys facilities. Videos shared on a public group on Facebook showed a Mexican military vehicle blocked by CBP at the base of the American Bridge just miles from the checkpoint.

Image: Twitter/@CODIGO_NEGROMX/@SEDENAmx/

Image: Twitter/@CODIGO_NEGROMX/@SEDENAmx/

Image: Twitter/@CODIGO_NEGROMX/@SEDENAmx/

One Mexican soldier caught with Marijuana

In a statement released to the Associated Press, US Customs and Border Protection said that the Mexican military vehicles had crossed the bridge that links El Paso to Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, and did not realize they had entered the US. The inadvertent crossings by the Mexican military forces may have been caused because they could be the new recruits sent to the city. The soldiers may not have been well acquainted with the city, residents told ground reporters. The US CBP said in the statement that one of the Mexican soldiers was assessed a civil penalty after US officers discovered a personal use amount of marijuana in his possession. All 14 soldiers, their equipment, and vehicles were returned to Mexico later when enquired by the Mexican Army. Mexicos Defense Department did not immediately respond to comments to the agencies.

Image: Twitter/@CODIGO_NEGROMX/@SEDENAmx/
They were forced by economic hardships to farm again on land already seized for construction, but authorities destroyed their crops.

Police in Cambodia's Kandal province set up roadblocks to prevent villagers from inspecting their land, Sept. 7, 2021.

Hundreds of police officers blocked villagers in Cambodias Kandal province on Tuesday from visiting rice fields seized to build an airport, while displaced farmers vowed to keep fighting for fair compensation, Cambodian sources said.

The land at Kampong Talong village in Kandals Beung Khchang commune was taken three years ago by the Overseas Cambodia Investment Corporation (OCIC), a private Cambodian firm, for construction of the $1.5 billion airport project.

Around 330 families living on the disputed land refused compensation for their fields, saying the amounts offered in payment by the firm were too low.

No injuries were reported Tuesday in the confrontation between villagers and police, village representative Khem Maly told RFAs Khmer Service.

But they wont allow us to see the land that theyre encroaching on. Theyre robbing us, she said.

Authorities are not resolving our issues over the land. They are forcing us to accept the offer of eight dollars per square meter, and are threatening to simply confiscate the land if we dont accept, Khem Maly said.

We wont stop our protests, though, even if we have nothing in our hands to fight them with.

This morning, people were screaming and crying. We are calling for justice. If we dont protect our rice fields, our homes may be next, she said.

Villagers stopped cultivating their land three years ago, but had to start farming again because business shutdowns caused by the spread of COVID-19 in Cambodia have left them without other ways to survive, Khem Maly said.

Authorities have already destroyed this years crop, though, she said.

Attempts to reach Kandal provincial governor Kong Sophoan for comment were unsuccessful Tuesday, but he had previously told RFA that eight dollars per square meter was a fair price for the disputed land.

A fair price would fall more in the range of from $60 to $80, though, said Van Sophat, land monitoring officer for the Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR), speaking to RFA.

The price gap is much too large, Van Sophat said, adding that OCIC had failed to conduct a proper assessment of their projects environmental impact or to consult Kampong Talong villagers on the proposed development.

The villagers hold title to their land and deserve justice and fair compensation, he said.

A key source of social tension in Cambodia and other Southeast Asian countries is the widespread practice of land grabs in which authorities seize land from people for development projects or foreign-invested enterprises without paying them fair compensation for lost crops, property, and livelihoods.

Reported by RFAs Khmer Service. Translated by Samean Yun. Written in English by Richard Finney.
Some say that close confinement and poor hygiene in isolation facilities are making the situation worse.

Cambodian youths carry the belongings of migrant workers as they arrive in the city of Poipet after crossing the Thai-Cambodian border in northeastern Cambodia's Banteay Meanchey province, in a file photo.

Cambodian migrant workers returning from neighboring Thailand amid the coronavirus pandemic say authorities are keeping them in quarantine facilities near the Thai border more than twice as long as required, resulting in the spread of COVID-19 infections in the centers.

Nearly 240,000 Cambodian laborers have returned from Thailand from March 2020 through Sept. 8, according to the International Organization for Migration in Cambodia. Many came back through Oddar Meanchey province in far northwestern Cambodia.

The Cambodian governments coronavirus containment policy calls for 21 days of quarantine for nationals who return to avoid the outbreak of the Delta variant of the virus in Thailand. More than 23,000 Cambodian workers in Thailand have contracted the COVID-19 virus, according to the Thai Ministry of Health.

As of Friday, Cambodia recorded nearly 98,200 total coronavirus cases, including nearly 16,500 imported ones with a large number of them found among migrant workers returning from Thailand, according to the countrys Health Ministry. Cambodia has registered a total of 2,019 deaths, including 12 new ones today.

Complaints about the extended isolation periods surfaced after many workers stuck in the facilities long beyond the mandatory three weeks set by the Health Ministry were infected with coronavirus.

Oddar Meanchey province has 22 quarantine centers temporarily housing thousands of Cambodian migrant workers who have returned from Thailand.

A resident of Kampong Thom province who was working in Thailand and returned to Cambodia via Oddar Meanchey said 10 laborers caught the coronavirus after being quarantined inside Anlong Veng District Stadium during the regular quarantine period.

The 34-year-old worker, who declined to be named, blamed the infections on poor hygiene and authorities who placed them in facilities with others who had tested positive for COVID-19.

It will be too risky if this continues, he said, adding that authorities are keeping him in the facility for another three weeks.

The quarantine period will be almost two months, he said. I wonder if we contracted the virus because we are sleeping closely to each other.

More than 1,000 workers are quarantined in the center, some of whom have had to say there for more than two months, with up to 14 living in cramped rooms with shared bathrooms, he said.

If people stay together for too long, there is a great risk that they may stage protests, the worker said.

No ability to earn income

Another worker who recently returned from Bangkok said she tested negative twice for the COVID-19 virus before arriving in Cambodia.

The 29-year-old mother with a newborn said she contracted the virus while spending 20 days in a quarantine facility in the border area of Oddar Meanchey province, where authorities sprayed no sanitizer to kill germs, even in areas where workers had become infected.

Being stuck inside the centers means that workers cannot earn money to make ends meet, she said.

We face income issues especially now we are stuck like this, so health is key, the woman said.

Another female worker with two infants recently tested positive for the virus, so that workers will end up staying here for months without being able to go back home, the first female laborer said.

Chea Piseth, administrative director of Oddar Meancheys Provincial Hall, told RFA that authorities are preparing quarantine facilities where returning workers will stay for 21 days because they are at risk for carrying the Delta variant.

If they test negative at the end of the three weeks, then authorities will let them go on to their home provinces, he said, but rejected accounts that workers had to remain in isolation longer than the required period.

They are quarantined for three weeks at the Oddar Meanchey base and two weeks at their own base  not a few months, he said. It would never be like that because there is no money to feed them rice. It is in the health rules  Everything is done in accordance with the rules.

Civil society officials say they believe that the authorities should address this issue immediately so that other returning workers do not become infected.

Srey Naren, coordinating officer of human rights organization Adhoc in Oddar Meanchey province, said the extended quarantine periods are putting the migrant workers at further risk of contracting the COVID-19 virus.

Because the virus is so contagious and is spreading faster than it was before, once someone is infected, their health is affected even after recovery, he said.

Reported by RFAs Khmer Service. Translated by Sok Ry Sum. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.
The seven had criticized Prime Minister Hun Sen for his response to the coronavirus.

A court in Cambodias capital Phnom Penh sentenced seven opposition activists to 18 months in prison Thursday for incitement after they used social media to criticize the government for its handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Phnom Penh Municipal Court delivered the sentences to the members of the banned opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), who included one Buddhist monk, in absentia because all seven of them are living abroad. Judge Ouk Reth Kunthea ordered authorities to arrest the activists upon their return to Cambodia.

Ron Chanthy, one of the convicted activists who currently lives in Thailand, refused to accept what he called an unjust verdict, saying the court and Prime Minister Hun Sens ruling Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP) had worked together to prevent him from running in Cambodias commune elections to be held next year and general elections in 2023.

He said that in admonishing the government for its response to the pandemic, he was simply exercising his freedom of speech and not inciting anyone to act against the state.

I will continue to speak out against the government, he told RFAs Khmer Service, adding that he believes it is useless to appeal the verdict.

There is no justice for me because the court is being influenced by Hun Sen.

Cambodias Supreme Court dissolved the CNRP in November 2017 over an alleged plot to overthrow the government. The move came amid a wider crackdown by Hun Sen on the countrys political opposition, independent media, and NGOs that paved the way for his CPP to win all 125 seats in parliament in the countrys July 2018 elections.

The activists had established a Facebook page called CNRP Fighters through which they slammed policies they say led to Cambodias nearly 2,000 deaths and 97,000 infections from COVID-19 since the coronavirus was first detected in the country in early 2020, including 400 deaths and 14,500 cases in the last month alone.

Thursdays verdicts followed an Aug. 26 trial in absentia for the activists and monk, who is currently living in Canada, in which the only person present was a representative of the plaintiff, who is a police officer.

Another of the convicted activists, Mao Vibol, said he believes Cambodias courts are protecting Hun Sens power by unfairly prosecuting his political opponents.

What we have been doing is rightthat is why the public follows us [on Facebook], he said. Our work has rightfully caused Hun Sen concern.

Jailed activists questioned

Also on Thursday, the Phnom Penh Municipal Court Investigative Judge Sin Sovanroth questioned Kong Mas and Khat Bunphengtwo CNRP activists who have been jailed for eight months after being convicted of conspiracy.

The two were arrested in December 2020 for working to facilitate CNRP Deputy President Mu Sochuas return to Cambodia from self-imposed exile to avoid what she says are a string of politically motivated charges and convictions. In January, Mu Sochua and fellow party leaders and activists were prevented from boarding a Singapore Airlines flight to Phnom Penh from Los Angeles because they had been refused visas to enter Cambodia.

Mu Sochua and eight other CNRP leadersincluding acting CNRP President Sam Rainsywere sentenced in absentia in March to between 20 and 25 years in jail. The nine, who were prohibited from returning to Cambodia to defend themselves in the trial, were also banned from voting or running as candidates in future elections.

Speaking to RFA, Am Sam Ath of Cambodian rights group Licadho said that Thursdays questioning of Kong Mas and Khat Bunpheng did not comply with court procedures, adding that the pairs convictions were politically motivated and should be resolved through dialogue.

Without political negotiation, the activists will continue to stay in prison, he said.

The arrests, charges and detentions are politically motivated and have no basis in law.

Attempts by RFA to reach court spokesman and prosecutor Plang Sophal for comment went unanswered Thursday.

Reported by RFAs Khmer Service. Translated by Samean Yun. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.
In a file photo, a North Korean man rests near a farm field along a highway outside the eastern coastal city of Wonsan, North Korea.

With food shortages driving hungry North Koreans to steal crops from fields, authorities have deployed military units to guard farmland during harvest season with orders to shoot crop thieves on sight, sources in the country told RFA.

The campaign to stop crop theft has unfolded amid an extensive investigation into the unprecedented theft of emergency wartime supplies of anti-biotics from a government warehouse,

Chronically short of food, North Korea has seen starvation deaths this year in the wake of the closure of the Sino-Korean border and suspension of trade with China in Jan. 2020 to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

With thievery from farms on the rise nationwide, authorities in the northeastern province of North Hamgyong have ordered the military to patrol the farms there, a military source from the area told RFAs Korean Service Monday.

The 9th Corps have organized groups to patrol the farms day and night because thefts are happening frequently, said the source, who requested anonymity for security reasons.

The General Staff Department ordered them to patrol the farms because cooperative farm thefts are increasing all over the country, said the source.

If the authorities do nothing to prevent this, harvest yields will be greatly reduced, the military source added.

The source said that the farms were tasked with unrealistic production goals at a ruling Workers Party congress at the beginning of this year, which called for a major agricultural windfall as a solution to projected shortages.

Preventing residents intrusion into the farms for stealing crops is also important for the military to secure its own rations, the source said.

The army built guard posts and formed patrol teams of about 20 soldiers that have been authorized to use deadly force, according to the source.

Any illegal trespasser is regarded as an impure element against the government system and is to be shot without warning, so the order is causing tension among the residents living near the farms, the source said.

In nearby Ryanggang province, soldiers are also patrolling farms, said a resident of the provincial capital Hyesan.

When I go to the outskirts of the city these days, it is common to see soldiers carrying weapons and patrolling the crops, so the people avoid those areas, especially at night, said the second source, who requested anonymity to speak freely.

The people are terrified that they could be shot without warning if they merely approach the fields, said the second source.

The local neighborhood watch units and the probate office are pushing an anti-crop theft campaign of education sessions and propaganda, according to the second source.

But the residents are not happy about it. The current food problem is considered to be our countrys worst since the Arduous March, said the second source, referring to the 1994-1998 famine that killed about 10 percent of the countrys population of 23 million.

The people are saying that they have to eat to survive, even if it means stealing food.

Penicillin pilfered

A dramatic theft of penicillin from a warehouse inside a guarded government building last month underscored how chronic medicine shortages have also gotten worse since the pandemic and the closure of the border with China.

In South Pyongan province, north of the capital Pyongyang, police are investigating a large theft from a wartime medicinal storage facility of the antibiotic, which has recently doubled in price.

The military drug management offices no. 4 warehouse here in Songchon county was burglarized, so the judicial authorities are on alert, a resident of the county in South Pyongan told RFAs Korean Service Sept. 5.

That warehouse stockpiles and stores various emergency medicines, including antibiotics set aside for civilians in the event of war, said the third source, who declined to be named.

Governments in every North Korean province, city and county manage reserve warehouses. No. 2 warehouses store food, and No. 4 warehouses store medicine and other necessities. Some municipalities put the warehouses in spent mines or other unused facilities, where they are usually guarded by armed men to prevent theft.

Songchon countys No. 4 warehouse is located inside the drug management office building, under tight security, according to the South Pyongan source.

The thief who broke in cut the lock with some kind of tool and stole hundreds of doses of penicillin from the warehouse. This is the first time that wartime medicine has been stolen, so the militarys judicial authorities have been on high alert and are conducting an investigation, but theres been no progress, the third source said.

According to the third source, the price of 100 milligrams of penicillin recently jumped from 1,500 won (U.S. $0.25 to about 3,000 ($0.50) won.

Another resident from South Pyongan told RFA that the unprecedented theft triggered an all-out investigation.

Individual retailers who have been reported to have sold even one dose of penicillin in the local market or in private are the first to be investigated, said the source on condition of anonymity.

Due to the coronavirus crisis, the operation of pharmaceutical factories was greatly reduced, said the South Pyongan resident.

Even the antibiotic supplies from China are depleted, leading to a big medicine shortage in the market. So, the police are investigating where sellers are getting their penicillin, added the source.

Police investigated one retailer who said he bought penicillin off a merchant from another area a few months ago, according to the South Pyongan source.

They searched the house, checked the production dates on the penicillin doses found in their homes, but not a single dose was found to be stolen from the No. 4 warehouse, the fourth source said.

Even if they catch the thief, the head of Songchon countys drug management office will not avoid heavy punishment.

Though Korean War hostilities ended in an armistice agreement in 1953, North Korea technically remains at war with the more prosperous South.

Reported by Myungchul Lee and Hyemin Son for RFAs Korean Service. Translated by Leejin Jun and Jinha Shin. Written in English by Eugene Whong.
The climb in new cases in Laos is being driven by infected workers trying to get home, officials say.

Lao migrant workers are coming home in large numbers from Thailand but are bringing COVID-19 with them, driving up new infections in Laos, which has recently seen a drop in the number of domestic cases, Lao sources say.

Up to 246,757 Lao workers have returned from Thailand since the pandemic began, with around 150,000 coming back in 2020 and their numbers now increasing day by day, Lao and Thai labor officials confirmed in a virtual meeting held on July 9.

Around 893 returned to Laos on July 11, Sisavath SouthanilaxayDeputy Director General of the Department of Communicable Disease Controltold a news conference that day, while an official in southern Laos Champassak province said on July 8 that around 200 workers had crossed each day into his province in the last five days.

Many of those returning home are bringing COVID-19 with them, accounting for large increases in the numbers of new cases reported in Laos, Sisavath Southanilaxay told reporters in a second conference on July 12.

On Saturday, there were 93 new COVID-19 cases in Laos, with 91 of these imported from Thailand. On Sunday, there were 86 new cases, of which 81 were imported. And on Monday, there were 106 new cases, of which 104 were imported, Sisavath said.

A Lao health worker in the capital Vientiane confirmed the trend. There has been almost no infection in our community at all, so most of these new cases are imported, and are coming from Thailand to Savannakhet and Champassak provinces in the south, he said.

The actual number of COVID-19 infections in Laos is getting lower, agreed a member of the Lao National Taskforce for COVID-19 Control and Prevention, but the number of imported cases is rising.

Unmonitored movements across the border with Thailand are now a particular concern, the taskforce official said.

Were concerned about the illegal crossings of Lao workers from Thailand, with many of them sneaking in by small boat across the Mekong River, he added.

Were campaigning against illegal entry and are patrolling the border with Thailand around the clock, the official said.

To handle the growing numbers of workers coming home, officials in Savannakhet have converted the provincial stadium to a quarantine center housing more than a thousand people, while the governor of Champassak is in talks with the central government to expand the provincial quarantine center and hospital, sources in the provinces said.

The governor is proposing that we use the Southern Finance College as a new quarantine center, one official in Champassak said, adding, We also want to disperse the returnees to other provinces.

Another problem is the shortage of food, so for now were asking parents and families to provide food for their relatives who have returned, he said.

Hoping to return

Lao workers still in Thailand say they hope to return home soon, and are asking for help from their embassy in the Thai capital Bangkok to bring them back.

Ive been infected for several days now, but there are no beds available here in Bangkok, one 20-year-old Lao worker told RFA on July 12. Im having more symptoms like coughing and difficulty breathing, but Im here illegally. I only have my passport, but no visa or permit to work.

I want to go home to Laos where I can be treated right away, he said.

The COVID-19 situation in Thailand is getting more critical, and a lockdown has been in place since July 12, another Lao worker in Thailand said.

We Lao workers have been laid off and are being quarantined in workers camps, and the chances of us getting tested and getting a bed at a hospital are slimmer here than in Laos.

If we stay here in Thailand, we have no job and no income, and we have to pay for our rent and our food, he said. So its better for us to go home.

I think the Lao embassy in Bangkok should be helping us to go back home to Laos because there is no treatment at all here in Thailand and because there are almost 9,000 new cases here every day, another Lao worker said.

Told to stay home

Also speaking to RFA, other Lao workers living in Bangkok described shortages of hospital beds and lack of access to treatment facilities, with one woman saying she and her family, all of them infected, had been told by authorities to remain in their home.

They said that no beds were available and told us to stay in separate rooms in our apartment and take care of ourselves, the woman, who had worked as a cloth vendor in a Bangkok market, said. Were taking medicine provided by the health care workers who sometimes call to check up on us.

We understand the situation. There are no beds available now even for Thai citizens, she said.

Another Lao worker, a housekeeper at a plastics factory working legally in Thailand, said she is now quarantined in her room.

Im covered by the Thai social security system, and Ive been tested at a hospital. Im now waiting for the result, which should come in about three to five days. I have no headache or fever, only a little coughing and a sore throat, she said.

A Lao man working in a Bangkok suburb said that many Lao living in the country have urged their embassy in Bangkok to set up an aid center to help Lao workers, especially those who are sick, illegal, undocumented, or dont know what to do.

A Lao woman died in Bangkok last month after being infected for days with COVID-19 and not being treated in time, he said.

There is infection everywhere, and we cant tell foreigners or Thais when or where beds might be made available, a Thai health worker explained, adding that beds in private hospitals are sometimes available, but only for the rich and famous.

Its overwhelming. We cant treat everyone whos sick. There are just too many of them, he said.

Calls seeking comment from the Lao Embassy in Bangkok rang unanswered this week.

Reported by RFAs Lao Service. Translated by Max Avary. Written in English by Richard Finney.
SOFIA -- Bulgaria's President Rumen Radev has given a third and final mandate to form a government to the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) after two other political parties gave up efforts to set up a coalition following last month's inconclusive vote.

If the third attempt to build a majority in the fractured parliament fails, as expected, Radev will have to dissolve parliament, appoint an interim government, and call new polls within two months -- the third this year.

"We know we are facing a test as a nation. We will try everything," BSP leader Kornelia Ninova said after receiving the mandate on August 27.

The prolonged political uncertainty could hamper the European Union's poorest member state's ability to effectively deal with a fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and tap the blocs multibillion-euro coronavirus recovery fund.

In the July 11 elections, the BSP won 36 seats in Bulgaria's fragmented 240-member parliament -- behind the There Is Such A People (ITN) partys 65 seats and the center-right GERB partys 63 seats.

The GERB party of former long-serving Prime Minister Boyko Borisov returned a mandate to the president on August 20, after the antiestablishment ITN party failed to form a minority government.

Many politicians are already considering holding this years third parliamentary elections together with the presidential polls.

Some members of parliament have said that if a third attempt fails, as most analysts expect, general elections and the first round of a presidential vote should be held together on November 7.

An April general election also resulted in a deadlocked parliament that failed to produce a government, forcing Radev to appoint a caretaker cabinet to lead the Balkan country until the July elections were held.
Hungary's election authority has approved a bid to hold a referendum over the planned construction of a Chinese university in Budapest, the mayor of the Hungarian capital said on August 30.



Mayor Gergely Karacsony said on Facebook that the National Election Committee (NVB) had approved his referendum question.



Karacsony said a drive to collect 200,000 signatures required to trigger the referendum process will begin next month if the NVB's decision is not challenged in court.



Citizens will be asked if they wish to repeal a law adopted earlier this year by parliament, which is dominated by Prime Minister Viktor Orban's right-wing Fidesz party, that gave a green light to the plan.



The plan advanced further in June when Fidesz lawmakers voted overwhelmingly to donate several plots along the Danube River to the Fudan Hungary University Foundation to build the university.



The decision to build the campus by 2024 using a $1.5 billion loan from a Chinese bank has raised concerns about the long-term impact of such a project on the country's higher-education system. There have been demonstrations in the streets of Budapest voicing criticism that the government is getting overly cozy with Beijing.



The government has argued that having a campus of the Fudan University would allow Hungarian and international students to acquire high-quality qualifications.



But critics, including Karacsony, fear a lack of transparency and academic freedom.



Karacsony, 46, plans to challenge Orban in an election early next year.



The 58-year-old prime minister, in power since 2010, backs the project. But he appeared to bow to the mounting clamor for a referendum in June, saying it should happen only after the project's final plans are made public by the end of 2022.

Based on reporting by AFP
On September 26, MiG-29 fighter jets from the Serbian Air Force flew over Kosovo's Jarinje border crossing where ethnic Serb protesters have been blocking the road with trucks for the past week. Members of the Serb minority in Kosovo are demonstrating against Pristina's new directive that incoming cars replace Serbian registration plates with temporary ones. Kosovar authorities say the order is a reciprocal response to a measure enforced by Belgrade since 2008.
Two Serbian warplanes flew close to a border crossing with its former province of Kosovo on September 26 amid an intensifying dispute over license plates as U.S. and European Union officials scramble to calm the situation.



Serbs on September 20 began blocking two main roads leading into Kosovo to protest Pristina's ban on cars with Serbian license plates.

Pristina said its move mirrors a decision by Belgrade more than a decade ago when Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia.



The tensions have boiled up into acts of violence with Kosovo on September 25 accusing Serbs of attacking two offices run by Kosovo's Interior Ministry, including setting one of them on fire.



There were no reports of casualties.



Kosovo's Prime Minister Albin Kurti said both incidents were intentional, accusing Serbia of "encouraging and supporting" attacks on the state of Kosovo.

Pristina has moved special units of the Kosovo police to the two border crossings.



Meanwhile, helicopters serving the NATO peacekeeping force in Kosovo, KFOR, have also been making regular flights over the area since the dispute erupted.



Media reported seeing Serbian jets circling the area on September 25.



In an effort to stem to tide of rising tensions, the U.S. State Department announced it will send Gabriel Escobar, its top official overseeing the Western Balkans, to Brussels this week to participate in European Union-led talks between the two countries.



"The United States is working with the EU, NATO, and the Governments of Kosovo and Serbia on immediate steps to de-escalate the situation and avoid actions which increase tensions, jeopardize progress under the EU-facilitated Dialogue and adversely impact the everyday lives of citizens," the State Department said in a statement to RFE/RL.



"We support the EU's offer to host discussions this week on this and other issues and encourage Kosovo and Serbia to re-engage openly, seriously, and immediately," the State Department said.



Kosovo's ban requires all drivers from Serbia to use temporary printed registration details that are valid for 60 days.



The government in Pristina says the ban resembles measures imposed by Serbia against drivers from Kosovo since 2008.



Tensions between Kosovo and Serbia are now at their highest for years despite an agreement reached last year at the White House to improve economic ties, including allowing the free flow of goods and people between the two countries. .



Kurti has asked Serbia to start recognizing Kosovo car license plates to allow the free movement of people and goods.



Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has said Kosovo should first remove police units sent by Pristina into northern Kosovo to help enforce the license-plate measures.



Kosovo's independence is recognized by 110 countries -- including the United States, Britain, and most Western states.

With reporting by Reuters
The head of Kyrgyzstans security service returned from border talks with Uzbekistan last week claiming that all remaining demarcation disputes between the two former Soviet republics have been resolved 100 percent.

But this week, the same official has been telling residents of some disputed areas that it is not completely a done deal.

Kamchybek Tashiev, the head of Kyrgyzstans State Committee for National Security (UKMK), made the claim on March 26 after two days of talks in neighboring Uzbekistan -- saying the issue of the borders with Uzbekistan has been resolved 100 percent. No issues remain.

Tashiev said agreement was reached for a complicated territorial swap involving land and water rights to settle, once and for all, the border disputes both sides have wrestled with since the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991.

It was a stunning announcement after nearly 30 years of border talks that had appeared deadlocked over several areas where neither side was willing to make concessions.

But during the past week, as Tashiev traveled to Kyrgyzstans southern provinces to discuss details of the deal with residents in the affected areas, it quickly became apparent that the border issue with Uzbekistan is not 100 percent resolved.

In the Uzgen district of Osh Province on May 30, the UKMK chief spoke about the village of Birlik in the Kadamzhai district, which borders the Uzbek exclave of Soh.

Earlier in the day, Tashiev had been to Birlik -- the scene of clashes in May 2020 that destroyed several homes and vehicles and left more than 200 people injured. Tashiev views the cause of the violence to be the shared use of a large spring by inhabitants of the Uzbek exclave and neighboring Kyrgyz villages.

Concerning this area, there was no final decision. To be candid, we did not reach an agreement on this section, including adjacent territory, Tashiev said.

Tashiev mentioned the settlement of Chesme in Kyrgyzstan and the neighboring settlement of Chasma in the Soh exclave. Both were at the epicenter of the May 2020 clashes.

There are villages there in which thousands of people live, and there are thousands of hectares [of land], and the fate of these need to be resolved, Tashiev said.

Of course, if the people are against [the land-swap agreements], it is possible that some will not be implemented, Tashiev also said.

Discontent about the land-swap agreements has already surfaced.

On April 1, Kyrgyz residents of the Kara-Suu district of Osh Province protested against part of the agreement that would hand over 50 hectares of land from the village of Yntymak to Uzbekistan.

Tashiev has stressed that Kyrgyzstan will receive some 13,000 square hectares of disputed land under the agreement he announced on March 26. He also listed those areas involved in the land-swap deal.

This breakthrough came after Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov made an official visit to Uzbekistan on March 11-12 and met with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoev.

Border issues were one of the main topics of their talks. Mirziyoev said the two sides wanted to complete talks on demarcation within three months.

The task of relocating people will be much easier for Mirziyoev because his government has a much tighter grip on society than has been the case with the Kyrgyz government. Japarov came to power after protests in early October 2020 ousted the previous government.

The Kyrgyz presidents legitimacy is still debatable, despite his victory in a snap presidential election on January 10.

Some doubt Japarov can survive his full term in office given the daunting number of problems he faces in a country where protests have led to the ouster of three presidents since 2005.

Japarovs government needs some political victories.

It could be that Tashiev, who once said Kyrgyzstan would never cede even one square centimeter of its territory, has oversold the land-swap deal.

Nevertheless, the agreement represents significant progress for both Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan -- even if it hasnt resolved 100 percent of the remaining border issues.

Upcoming border talks with Tajikistan are unlikely to be as successful as Kyrgyzstans negotiations with Uzbekistan.

Tashievs suggestion on March 26 that Tajikistan might make a land-swap deal over its large Vorukh exclave was met with silence by Tajik authorities.

Then, on March 31, RFE/RLs Tajik Service reported that President Emomali Rahmon had scheduled a visit to Vorukh for April 4.

Rahmon had met in July 2019 with Kyrgyzstans then-President Sooronbai Jeenbekov to discuss their border issues. It was Rahmons first visit to Vorukh in 26 years. So his sudden return there less than two years later raises suspense about the aim of his visit.

Meanwhile, Kyrgyzstans military and security forces on April 1 started a three-day training exercise in Batken Province in the area near the Tajik border.

In the end, none of these border disputes can be finally and peacefully demarcated without the participation and agreement of border area residents.

Tashiev mentioned when speaking about Chesme that part of the problem with exchanging land there is the presence of an old cemetery.

The major obstacles to drawing definitive borders appear to be related to generational ties to the land by local residents -- such as cemeteries or trees planted and agriculture fields tilled by grandfathers and great-grandfathers.

Concerns of residents that the land they receive in a swap deal will not be as fertile as the land they surrender also appear to be a remaining obstacle to finalizing the lines on the map.
CHISINAU -- Former Moldovan Finance Minister Natalia Gavrilita has welcomed her nomination by President Maia Sandu as prime minister-designate after her Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) won snap elections earlier this month.



In a Twitter statement posted early on July 31, Gavrilita said she was "honored and humbled" to be nominated by President Sandu, who is also a member of the pro-Western PAS.



"It is a great responsibility to fulfill expectations of Moldovan people to improve institutions, ensure rule of law, and build economic prosperity," Gavrilita said.



Gavrilita and the cabinet that she proposes is expected to be approved by parliament.



That's because PAS won a parliamentary majority with 63 of the 101 seats in the legislature as a result of the July 11 elections.



PAS had campaigned on a platform of carrying out reforms and tackling corruption. It also advocates closer ties with the European Union and the United States.



The 43-year-old Gavrilita had been Moldova's finance minister in 2019 when Sandu was briefly prime minister in a government that fell in a no-confidence vote within months.



Before that, Gavrilita worked with the British-based consultancy Oxford Policy Management and at the non-profit Global Innovation Fund.



She received her education as an economist at Harvard University in the United States and at Moldova State University in Chisinau.



"I have full confidence that the designated prime minister will put together an integrated and professional team," Sandu wrote on Facebook on July 30.



Wedged between Ukraine and EU member Romania -- with which it shares a common language -- Moldova is one of Europe's poorest states and has long been divided over whether to pursue closer ties with Brussels or maintain its Soviet-era relations with Moscow.

President Sandu defeated her Moscow-backed predecessor Igor Dodon in a presidential election last November and called the July 11 elections in a successful bid to consolidate power.



"People expect a change for the better and for that we need firm actions and competent decisions that will have the interest of our citizens at heart," Sandu wrote on Facebook.

With reporting by Reuters and unimedia.md
Moldovas pro-Western president led the country in celebrating three decades of independence from Soviet rule, vowing to build a prosperous and free Moldova.



Moldova is Europe's poorest state and has struggled with rampant corruption and a mass exodus of workers since gaining independence from the Soviet Union on August 27, 1991.



"The main goal now is to bring home Moldovan citizens who were forced to leave in search of a better life," Sandu said at a ceremony in the capital, Chisinau.



About 1 million of a total of 3.5 million Moldovans live abroad, mainly in the European Union.



Sandu, a Harvard-educated economist, has promised to tackle corruption, boost the economy, and chart a pro-European course.



She defeated her Moscow-backed predecessor, Igor Dodon, in a presidential election in November and called a snap election in July to consolidate power in parliament to pursue a reformist agenda.



The 49-year-old told RFE/RL earlier this month that Moldova wants its relations with Russia to be based on pragmatism, but called for the withdrawal of Russian troops from the breakaway Transdniester region.



Some 1,400 Russian troops are still stationed in Transdniester, which declared independence from Moldova in 1990, ostensibly to protect Soviet-era arms depots.



The anniversary event was attended by her presidential counterparts from the region: Romanias Klaus Iohannis, Polands Andrzej Duda, and Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskiy.



Iohannis said he supports Moldovas process of reform and European integration.

Based on reporting by AP and dpa
CHISINAU -- President Maia Sandu says Moldova wants its relations with Russia to be based on pragmatism and will work to prevent a destabilization of the situation with regard to the frozen conflict between Chisinau and its Moscow-backed breakaway region, Transdniester.



Sandu, who defeated Russia-backed incumbent Igor Dodon in November on a ticket of closer relations with the West, called for the withdrawal of Russian troops from Transdniester in an interview with RFE/RL on the 30th anniversary of Moldova's independence from the Soviet Union, August 23.



"We want a pragmatic relationship with the Russian Federation," Sandu told RFE/RL. "First of all we want peace, we are in a complicated region, we have a frozen conflict on our territory. For me, the most important goal is not to allow a destabilization of the situation, and I will negotiate with whomever necessary to reach this goal."



Some 1,400 Russian troops are still stationed in Transdniester, which declared independence from Moldova in 1990, ostensibly to protect Soviet-era arms depots.



Moldova and Transdniester fought a short war in 1992 over fears that newly independent Moldova would seek reunification with neighboring Romania. The conflict ended with a cease-fire agreement after Russian troops in the region intervened on the side of the separatists.



Several rounds of negotiations under the auspices of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) have failed to bring the conflict to a resolution despite the involvement of the United States and the European Union in the mediation process.



In November, Sandu, a Harvard-educated former World Bank economist, called for Russian troops in Transdniester to be removed in favor of civilian monitors under the auspices of the OSCE, but the Kremlin quickly rebuffed the idea saying it could lead to a "serious destabilization" of the situation.



"Our goal is to preserve our country's territorial integrity, to preserve peace on our land and in the region; our goal is to resolve the conflict with Transdniester and have Russian troops leave the territory of Moldova," Sandu told RFE/RL.



Transdniester's independence is recognized by no country, but Moscow has been unofficially backing the separatist regime.



Sandu, 49, said that it was in Moldova's interest to see the Russian troops leave, but also noted the importance of better economic relations with Moscow and the unhindered flow of Russian gas to the country during winter.



Moldova is heavily dependent on the import of Russian gas, which Moscow has used as leverage in relations with Chisinau.



"Our goal is to solve the Transdniester conflict, to see the Russian troops leave Moldova's territory, to get rid of the munitions stored there, and to improve our bilateral economic relations," she said.



"We're seeking to reach an agreement to facilitate our exports to Russia, and an agreement on the gas exports issue, because we do need natural gas. We're trying to build alternatives, but they won't be ready overnight, Sandu said.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says Moscow supports mutual recognition by countries of COVID-19 vaccines approved by other states.



"COVID-19 is our common enemy," Lavrov said while speaking to the UN General Assembly in New York on September 25. "We support mutual recognition of vaccines approved by national oversight bodies, in the interests of lifting restrictions on international travel of citizens as soon as possible."



Russia primarily uses its domestically produced Sputnik V vaccine, which is also being administered in dozens of countries.

However, Sputnik V has still not been approved by the European Unions medicines regulator and the World Health Organization (WHO), meaning those who have taken the vaccine could face restrictions in countries where it isnt recognized.

Based on reporting by AFP, dpa, and TASS
A top official at Russian natural gas producer Novatek who was arrested in the United States last week on tax charges says he is innocent and will "vigorously" fight the case.



"On Thursday I was indicted for baseless tax charges that I already settled through a voluntary program, and pleaded not guilty. I will vigorously fight these charges and will continue to discuss gas topics as normal," Mark Gyetvay, the deputy chairman of Novateks management board, said in a tweet on September 26.



The U.S. Department of Justice announced on September 23 that Gyetvay had been arrested on tax charges related to $93 million hidden in offshore accounts. He faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.



Gyetvay, who holds passports from both the United States and Russia, was released on a $80 million bond by a Florida judge, according to court filings.



As an American citizen, Gyetvay is required to pay U.S. taxes on his worldwide income even if he spends most of the year in Russia.



The 64-year old has been the face of Novatek to the Western investment community for more than a decade, conducting the quarterly earnings conference calls with stock and bond investors as well as speaking at industry conferences.



Novatek is Russias largest independent natural gas producer and analysts say its phenomenal rise from a bit player in the early 2000s to a $79 billion company today -- not far behind BPs $89 billion market value -- is due in large part to the companys connections to the Kremlin.



Gennady Timchenko, a key Novatek shareholder, is considered a close associate of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Their friendship goes back to the early 1990s.

Gyetvay has been critical of U.S. energy policy toward Russia.



The United States has been seeking to reduce Europes reliance on Russian energy over the years, including blocking the launch of Nord Stream 2, a pipeline designed to carry natural gas directly to Germany via Baltic Sea.



The Nord Stream 2 pipeline will reroute gas currently transiting Ukraine, depriving Kyiv of as much as $2 billion in revenue. The United States has called it a political project aimed at hurting Russias smaller neighbor.

The project was completed earlier this month and is now awaiting certification by German and European authorities, a process that could take several months.



In the meantime, European gas prices have surged to a record high amid a supply crunch. Washington is now accusing Russia of withholding additional natural gas supplies to Europe via Ukraine in order to pressure authorities to certify Nord Stream 2.



"Another laugher!!!" Gyetvay said in a tweet two days before his arrest after a U.S. official expressed concern that Russia was not sending enough gas to Europe. "Who tried to impose relentless sanctions while promoting [U.S. liquefied natural gas to Europe?] Reality -- we need ALL gas. Period."
The four protesters from the provincial city of Kaluga knew their demonstration in the shadow of the Kremlin on Red Square would probably only last a few seconds. Officers of the Federal Protection Service and other security forces constantly monitor every inch of the iconic square in the heart of the capital.



After all, in March, performance artist Ilya Kachayev, from Penza, stripped off his clothes and ran across the square for just 20 seconds before being wrestled to the ground in a protest intended to show the fate of a free person living "in a country of dried-up people."



Nonetheless, on September 15, the four activists walked onto the square and unfurled a banner reading, "Freedom For Navalny! Putin To Prison!"

Eight seconds later, according to a video shot by RusNews correspondent Yevgeny Yevsyukov, the protest in support of imprisoned opposition leader Aleksei Navalny and against the decades-long rule of President Vladimir Putin was over. Security agents sprinted to the scene, grabbed the banner, and whisked the participants away.

WATCH: Footage Of The Red Square Protest In A Report By RFE/RL's Russian Service



The incident was reminiscent of an August 1968 Red Square demonstration in which eight protesters held banners condemning the Soviet-led invasion of Czechoslovakia, including the iconic slogan "For Your Freedom And Ours!" The protesters were rounded up within minutes, and all of them were sentenced to prison, exile, or forced psychiatric confinement.



'I Was Afraid'



"When I went out onto Red Square, I was afraid," Svetlana Lukashova, one of the demonstrators, told RFE/RL. "I was afraid because I knew what kind of country I live in, how they terrorize and destroy all opposition."



Events have also moved swiftly in the days following the protest. Journalist Yevsyukov was fined 20,000 rubles ($275) for violating the laws on unsanctioned demonstrations. His arguments that he was an accredited journalist covering the news did not impress Tver District Court Judge Aleksandr Merkulov.



Two of the protesters, Sergei Rednikov and Ilya Yermakov, were sentenced to 10 days' administrative detention for purportedly disobeying a police officer.



"My husband is in a solitary cell and is quite sick," said Rednikov's wife, Irina. "After his detention, he spent more than two days in a police station at Kitai-Gorod [near Red Square]. An ambulance was called, and he was diagnosed with tonsillitis. Because of his fever, he was transferred to the detention center at Mnyovniki. He was brought to the detention center in a police van in handcuffs and arrived bleeding from the head. They treat him like someone arrested on a criminal charge instead of an administrative one."



Yermakov has told his lawyer that he was beaten while in the police van after his detention. An ambulance was called and a medic documented his bruises and cuts.



Irina Rednikova said her husband was charged with disobeying a police officer supposedly for resisting being pushed into the police van, even though video footage taken by Yevsyukov seemed to refute that.



"The real reason was that when they put him in the police van, an officer inside was using physical force on Ilya Yermakov," she told RFE/RL. "My husband shouted, 'Look what he's doing,' in order to attract attention to the fact that a detainee was being choked."

The other two demonstrators, Lukashova and her husband, Sergei, were written up by police for participating in an unsanctioned demonstration and released.

"We weren't given 10 days' detention because we did not try to video our detention," Lukashova said. "We were very calm and handed over our documents to police immediately."



She added, however, that the next day in Kaluga, officers of the local Interior Ministry department for combating extremism (known as "Center E") were waiting outside their house to hand them a written warning.



"Supposedly they had information we were planning an unsanctioned demonstration," Lukashova said. "That is, they were labelling us 'extremists.' Isn't that intimidation?"



Repeated Warnings



Sergei Rednikov, 38, is one of the best-known opposition activists in Kaluga. He has held numerous one-person pickets in the city of some 325,000 about 150 kilometers southwest of Moscow. When Navalny returned to Russia in January after undergoing medical treatment in Germany for a nerve-agent poisoning he blames on security agents acting at Putin's behest, Rednikov was at the airport to greet him. He participated in mass demonstrations in support of Navalny in Moscow on January 23 and 31.

Navalny was later sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison on a parole-violation charge that he says was trumped up as retribution for his political activity and to sideline him from the recent national legislative elections.



"There aren't very many of us in general and even fewer who are willing to go out and openly state our civic positions," Rednikova said. "People are afraid."



After Navalny's poisoning, she and her husband held demonstrations outside the Kaluga office of the Federal Security Service (FSB) demanding an investigation into the incident. Rednikova said they have both received numerous "warnings" from Center E. Rednikov has been warned that he could face a stiff prison term under a law criminalizing repeated participation in unsanctioned protests.



"We decided to go to Moscow because we knew we would be immediately detained in Kaluga," she said, adding that they tried to hold a demonstration in Kaluga on September 4 in support of freedom of the press but were detained before they could even begin.



On September 8, Rednikov was fined 8,000 rubles ($110) for handing out leaflets promoting Navalny's Smart Voting system for the September 17-19 parliamentary vote.

"The authorities didn't accept even one of the many applications for a demonstration that my husband filed," Rednikova said. "So Sergei Rednikov, Ilya Yermakov, and Sergei and Svetlana Lukashov went to Red Square on September 15 to express their views."



She added that the protesters had a very difficult time finding a printer willing to print their banner.



'No Space For Dissent'



Lukashova said the Red Square demonstration was "a cry from the soul," brought on by the government's stifling of dissent.



"We have a huge pile of rejected applications for demonstrations," she told RFE/RL. "We honestly tried for a long time to get through that wall. But every time we applied, we were rejected. We weren't even allowed to hold one-person pickets. The authorities are providing no space for dissent."



"We just want to live in a law-based society," Lukashova added. "We want freedom of speech and honest elections, and the peaceful transfer of power. We want the authorities to listen to the people and to respect them."



She said she thinks it was "a miracle" that the banner was unfurled at all and that it lasted even a few seconds.



"A lot of people heard our message," she said. "We are watching the social-media comments, and people support us. We see that there are actually a lot of people like us out there."

RFE/RL senior correspondent Robert Coalson contributed to this report.
The Kremlin has said it would respond if the United States imposes new sanctions against Russia.



The U.S. House of Representatives last week passed the 2022 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which includes bills that call for new sanctions against Russia to punish it for what lawmakers say are its malign activities.



The NDAA would need to pass the Senate and be signed by President Joe Biden in order to become law. Biden is seeking to stabilize the tense U.S. relationship with Russia and has opposed some new sanctions pushed by Congress.



We will have to answer wisely, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian state TV on September 26.



He did not say how Russia would respond.



The House version of the NDAA includes a bill to sanction Russias Nord Stream 2 pipeline and a bill prohibiting U.S. investors from buying Russian debt on the secondary market. U.S. investors are already prohibited from buying newly issued Russian debt.

The Biden administration opposes sanctions on Nord Stream 2, which will carry Russian gas to Germany, because it says it will harm relations with Berlin, a key NATO ally.



A third bill calls on the Biden administration to review 35 Russian officials, politicians, and businessmen for possible sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Act.



Peskov is included among those 35 individuals.

With reporting by RBC
DUSHANBE -- Tajikistan's lower chamber of parliament has approved a mass amnesty affecting more than 16,000 people to mark the 30th anniversary of the Central Asian nation's independence on September 9.

Deputy Prosecutor-General Dilshod Talbakzoda, who presented the bill to lawmakers in the Majlisi Namoyandagon (Assembly of Representatives) on September 6, said that of those affected by the amnesty, around 10,700 individuals will be released from penitentiaries or cases against them will be closed.



According to the mass amnesty originally proposed by President Emomali Rahmon, more than 9,500 convicts would be released from penitentiaries of different security levels, probes against some 1,150 individuals will be stopped, and the prison terms of another 5,300 inmates will be shortened.



The presidential service also said at the time the bill was proposed that the amnesty will affect mainly women, individuals younger than 18 and older than 55, disabled people, inmates with serious illnesses, people with state awards, war veterans, and foreign nationals.



The bill still needs to be approved by the parliaments upper chamber, the Majlisi Milli (National Assembly), before Rahmon signs it into law.



It is not clear if the clemency act will affect political prisoners in the tightly controlled former Soviet republic, though previous mass amnesties in Tajikistan have not affected individuals convicted on politically motivated charges.



Individuals sentenced to life in prison, those who committed a crime after receiving a previous pardon, people who committed crimes while serving prison sentences, and inmates who systematically violated prison regulations, will not be included in the amnesty.



Rights groups say Rahmon, who has ruled Tajikistan since 1992, has used the security forces, judicial system, and other levers of power to sideline opponents and suppress dissent.



The last mass amnesty in Tajikistan was announced in October 2019 ahead of the 25th anniversary of the country's constitution that is marked on November 6 each year.
CHORKUH, Tajikistan -- A Tajik border guard was wounded in a shoot-out in an area close to a disputed segment of the Tajik-Kyrgyz border over the weekend, the latest flareup of violence in the volatile region.

Officials of Tajikistan's Chorkuh district told RFE/RL that 19-year-old Private Shuhrat Qurbonov was hospitalized with gunshot wounds after the shoot-outs erupted early in the morning on July 24.

According to the officials, tensions escalated after residents of the Tajik districts started cleaning an area near the border that Kyrgyzstan considers as undefined.

After residents of a Kyrgyz village and representatives of Kyrgyzstan's local authorities confronted the Tajiks, questioning the legality of their activities to clean the area, the sides started throwing stones at each other. The battle escalated to the point where shoot-outs between border guards of the two Central Asian nations erupted.

Officials in Kyrgyzstans Batken region confirmed that the shoot-out on July 24 started after the confrontation between residents of local Kyrgyz and Tajik villages over the activities of the Tajik side to clean the area.

Both sides said that talks regarding the situation were under way over the weekend between Tajik and Kyrgyz officials.

The incident took place less than three weeks after one Kyrgyz border guard was killed and another wounded in a similar skirmish between the two former Soviet republics.

Almost half of the 970-kilometer-long Kyrgyz-Tajik border has not been demarcated, leading to repeated tensions since the two countries gained independence three decades ago.

In late April, clashes that involved military personnel along another disputed segment of the Kyrgyz-Tajik border left dozens of people killed on both sides.

Many border areas in Central Asia have been disputed since the Soviet Union's collapse in 1991.

The situation is particularly complicated near the numerous exclaves in the volatile Ferghana Valley, where the borders of Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan meet.
Relations between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan reached an all-time low at the end of April when the armed forces of the two countries battled over border issues.

More than 50 people were killed and scores wounded, most of them Kyrgyz citizens.

Attempts at reconciliation along their common border produced mixed results, and a visit to Tajikistan by Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov in late June did little to warm relations between the Central Asian neighbors despite talk by Japarov and his Tajik counterpart, Emomali Rahmon, about traditionally friendly ties.

An unexpected opportunity to improve the strained relations came on July 13-14 when 345 ethnic Kyrgyz from Afghanistan's Badakhshan Province chose to flee the increased fighting in their country and crossed into Tajikistan.

Kyrgyz authorities quickly announced they would take the group and the approximately 4,000 livestock they had and resettle them in Kyrgyzstan, as they've done with dozens of other ethnic Kyrgyz from Badakhshan in recent years.

It seemed simple enough.

The Afghan Kyrgyz did not want to live in Afghanistan anymore and Tajik officials did not want them to stay in Tajikistan.

Kyrgyzstan said it would accept them and give them land for their livestock and allow them to make a new home in their ancestral country.

Kyrgyz officials had previously discussed the Afghan Kyrgyz with Tajik officials on the sidelines of international conferences and meetings held in Tashkent and Dushanbe from July 14-16.

On July 16, Kyrgyzstans Foreign Ministry invited the Tajik ambassador for talks on arranging passage for the Afghan Kyrgyz and their herds of animals through Tajikistan to Kyrgyzstan.

But on July 18, Tajikistans Khovar state news agency reported that the Afghan Kyrgyz had been sent back to Afghanistan after Kabul officials guaranteed their safety.

That guarantee is unlikely to satisfy anyone since fighting is raging across Afghanistan and the government cannot realistically guarantee anyones safety, a point hammered home by a rocket attack outside the presidential palace in Kabul on July 20.

WATCH: As Rockets Fall Near Presidential Palace, Fears Rise Among Afghans

The Kyrgyz Foreign Ministry says its offers to help Tajikistan to move the Afghan Kyrgyz to Kyrgyzstan for resettlement went unanswered and Tajik authorities did not inform Kyrgyzstan about the decision to return the group and their animals to Afghanistan.

The Tajik government has, arguably, the worst relationship with the Taliban of all the Central Asian states and does not want to do anything that could further undercut the Afghan governments campaign against the Taliban.

The resettling of Afghan citizens in other countries is a sign of instability and even defeat for Kabul, and it is quite possible Afghan officials asked Tajikistan to send the group of Kyrgyz back to Afghanistan to show that the government and army can still provide security.

The ongoing fighting with the Taliban is still very fluid and, while the Taliban have become quite media savvy and their claims of victories are widely disseminated, many areas and provincial capitals are still contested and government forces and their militia allies retook some districts in counteroffensives in mid-July.

But for people in Kyrgyzstan, the decision to send their ethnic kin back into the Afghan inferno is just another reason for them to believe the Tajik government is no friend of the Kyrgyz people.
Turkeys president has signaled that he is considering buying more sophisticated Russian antiaircraft missile systems, a move that would further irk Washington.



Turkey, a NATO member, was kicked out of the F-35 fighter jet program and Turkish defense officials were sanctioned after Ankara bought the S-400 system in 2019.



The United States says the use of Russian systems within NATO poses a threat to F-35s.



For its part, Turkey says the S-400s could be used independently without being integrated into NATO systems.



Recep Tayyip Erdogan told the U.S. news channel CBS that Turkey has not been given the option to buy American-made Patriot missiles.



And he complained that Washington had not delivered F-35 stealth jets despite Turkey making a payment of $1.4 billion.



CBS released a partial transcript of Erdogan's comments ahead of a full interview to be broadcast September 26.



Military experts have called the S-400 missile defense system one of the most advanced air defense systems in the world



Erdogan is scheduled to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on September 29.

Based on reporting by AP and CBS
ASHGABAT -- Former top Turkmen official Gurbanmukhammed Kasymov has reportedly died of COVID-19 as authorities continue to deny the presence of the coronavirus within the country's borders.

Several separate sources close to the government told RFE/RL on condition of anonymity that Kasymov, once one of the most influential politicians in Turkmenistan, died on September 2 in his native village on the outskirts of Ashgabat.



RFE/RL's Coronavirus Coverage Features and analysis, videos, and infographics explore how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the countries in our region.

Kasymov, 67, used to serve as a deputy prime minister, foreign minister, interior minister, and justice minister after the tightly controlled Central Asian nation gained independence following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.



After leaving the government in 2001, Kasymov served as Turkmenistan's ambassador to China until 2008 and then as the country's ambassador to neighboring Kazakhstan for one year.



There was no official announcement about Kasymov's death.



Last week, sources told RFE/RL that Turkmenistan's current foreign minister, Rashid Meredov, had been hospitalized for COVID-19.



Turkmenistan has not officially reported a single coronavirus infection since the pandemic started in March last year. The government remains steadfast in its zero-infections claim despite signs of outbreaks across the country, such as increasingly overcrowded hospitals and changes to the academic calendar that have extended the summer holiday.

RFE/RL correspondents have reported from across the country that the number of people believed to have died from COVID-19 has increased dramatically and many have to bury their loved ones in plastic bags, as they cannot afford burial expenditures.
ASHGABAT -- Turkmenistan's authoritarian president, Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov, who is also the head of the government in the tightly controlled state, has added another title to his name: the speaker of the newly established upper chamber of parliament, the Halk Maslahaty (People's Council).

State media in the extremely isolated former Soviet republic reported on April 14 that Berdymukhammedov was "elected to the post by secret ballot" by the chamber's members.

During the session, Berdymukhammedov appointed eight additional members to the Halk Maslahaty, bringing the total number of members to 56.

The other 48 members of the upper chamber were "elected" in late March.

With a cult of personality around the 63-year-old authoritarian ruler, dissent is not tolerated in the Central Asian state and all media is under strict state control.

With the exception of turning the parliament into a two-chamber institution, other details of the constitutional changes that Berdymukhammedov signed into the law in September 2020 remain largely unknown.

Berdymukhammedov initiated the constitutional changes in 2019 and led a commission he established that prepared a bill of amendments.

The Halk Maslahaty was created in 2017 as a separate entity on the basis of the Council of Elders. Berdymukhammedov was the body's chairman.

Critics have said that Berdymukhammedov plans to use the constitutional amendments to secure his lifetime presidency and to pass it on to his son and grandchildren.

Before the bill was signed into law last year, dozens of Turkmen citizens held rallies in Washington, as well as in the cities of Houston and Pittsburgh, protesting the plan.

Government critics and human rights groups say Berdymukhammedov has suppressed dissent and made few changes in the restrictive country since he came to power after the death of autocrat Saparmurat Niyazov in 2006.


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Christmas shopping is starting earlier. Meanwhile, women are finding it tougher to get back to work. In addition, unvaccinated patients are driving hospital costs higher.

Start Christmas Shopping NOW

Its beginning to look a lot like  Christmas?

No, it isnt. However, it is time to buy for Christmas.

Some of us have thought Christmas shopping began on Dec. 23 or later. However, that has changed. Pandemic pressures and supply chain snarls require us to shop sooner.

You May Already Be Behind

A survey by CreditCards.com reports 27 percent of shoppers are already buying for Christmas. Moreover, half of those started last month.

A Very Covid Christmas

Christmas shopping was disrupted last year by Covid. Black Friday sales were canceled or curtailed across the country. Similarly, Delta is wreaking havoc this year.

Consequently, more shoppers are going online. CreditCards.com reports 62 percent of shoppers are searching for gifts online.

Another problem is transportation. Certainly, the supply chain has been messed up for many months.

Toy Story

Get out and buy toys now, Ed Desmond, executive vice president of the Toy Association told a Port of Los Angeles news conference. If you see toys you think the kids are going to want for Christmas, pick them up now and tuck them away to make sure you have them.

In addition, the store inventories may be uneven, according to James Zahn, deputy editor of The Toy Book, a trade publication.

This is something we havent really seen in the toy industry before, and thats regional outages on specific items, Zahn told the Los Angeles Times. Something might be plentiful in one state, or even one city; in the next one over, the shelves are completely bare because of how its filtered out within this strange distribution cycle.

She-cession Holds Families Back

The Covid outbreak resulted in a record number of women leaving the workforce. They came home to care for children and other family members. The upsurge in the Delta variant has kept them home.

Beginning of She-cession

The term She-cession was coined in the Spring of 2020 when women began losing more jobs than men.

It is a she-cession, C Nicole Mason said at the time. She is president of the Institute for Womens Policy Research.

What I mean by that is that women have been disproportionately impacted by the job losses over the past couple of months.

Women Left Behind

Fast forward to the present. It is more of the same.

The United States Bureau of Labors latest report shows 235,000 jobs were added in August. Only 28,000 of those were filled by women.

Women will need nearly nine straight years of job gains at last months level to recover the nearly 3 million net jobs they have lost since February 2020, according to a report by the National Womens Law Center.

Women and Children

Inadequate childcare is keeping women out of work, according to a survey for LiveCareers Woment@Work Special Report.

Lack of appropriate child care provision limits womens access to paid work, says the report. Research dating back decades backs this up, not to mention its just a no-brainer.

Treasury Department Finds Childcare Unworkable

Inadequate childcare is hurting women now, according to a United States Department of Treasury report issued last week. However, it also has long-term effects.

Childcare is a textbook example of a broken market, and one reason is that when you pay for it, the price does not account for all the positive things it confers on our society, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said. When we underinvest in childcare, we forgo that; we give up a happier, healthier, more prosperous labor force in the future.

Yellen went on to say, Its past time that we treat childcare as what it is  an element whose contribution to economic growth is as essential as infrastructure or energy.

Overburdened

A family with one or more children under age five spent 13 percent of their income on childcare, according to the Treasury report. On the other hand, The United States Department of Health and Human Services says that figure should be seven percent.

Further, the report found under 20 percent of eligible children were receiving money from the governments Child Care and Development Fund.

Economic Drain of Treating Unvaccinated

Covid-19 deaths in America reached a new milestone last week. The covid death toll passed total deaths from the Spanish flu.

In addition, the preventable cost of treating unvaccinated Americans this summer topped $5.7 billion.

Roughly 675,000 Americans died in the 1918-19 Spanish flu pandemic. Spanish flu deaths are estimated. There was no system for logging such information.

However, a detailed record of reported Covid deaths is available. Johns Hopkins University tracks Covid hospitalizations and deaths daily.

Treating Unvaccinated Costs Us All

Treating unvaccinated Covid patients from June through August was $5.7 billion, reports a Kaiser Family Foundation study. Subsequently, $3.7 billion of those costs came in August alone.

A surge in COVID-19 hospitalizations among people who have not been vaccinated in August is adding billions of dollars in preventable costs to the nations healthcare system, according to a news release from Kaiser.

Who Pays the Bill

The average cost of hospital treatment of unvaccinated people is around $20,000, notes the study. However, only a small share of the cost of a COVID-19 hospitalization is typically paid directly by patients themselves, says Kaiser.

Medicare, Medicaid, and other insurance plans pay the most costs.

An Ounce of Protection

Over 280,000 COVID-19 hospitalizations could have been prevented by vaccination between June to August 2021, according to Kaiser researchers.

Read More:

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Le Premier ministre malien Choguel Maiga a la tribune de l'Assemblee generale de l'ONU a New York le 25 septembre 2021

A la tribune de lAssemblee generale des Nations unies ce samedi, le Premier ministre malien du gouvernement de transition, Choguel Maiga, na pas mache ses mots : il a accuse la France davoir abandonne le Mali en decidant de retirer la force Barkhane. Il na pas apprecie non plus de ne pas avoir ete prevenu par ses  partenaires  que sont Paris et lONU.





Devant la communaute internationale, Choguel Maigua sest plaint de la facon dont sest effectue le retrait de la force francaise Barkhane du Mali. Une decision unilaterale de la France selon lui, que le gouvernement de transition a deplore. Car le Premier ministre laffirme, la situation securitaire au Mali ne sest absolument pas amelioree malgre les forces etrangeres sur le terrain et les habitants continuent a souffrir de ces menaces jihadistes. Du coup, Bamako a fait de la securite sa priorite numero une, encore plus apres avoir ete abandonnee par les hommes de Barkhane.





 La nouvelle situation nee de la fin de Barkhane placant le Mali devant le fait accompli et l'exposant a une espece d'abandon en plein vol, nous conduit a explorer les voies et moyens pour mieux assurer la securite de maniere autonome avec d'autres partenaires de maniere a combler le vide que ne manquera pas de creer la fermeture certaines emprises de Barkhane dans le nord du Mali , a lance le Premier ministre malien.





Pas une fois Choguel Maiga naura confirme etre en contact avec les mercenaires russes Wagner. Cette information a ete chuchotee et commentee cette semaine a New York, mais cest le chef de la diplomatie russe Serguei Lavrov qui la confirmee quelques minutes avant que Choguel Maiga ne prenne la tribune, tout en niant toute implication de Moscou. Le chef du gouvernement malien a aussi demande que le mandat de la Minusma soit elargi pour que la force onusienne soit plus offensive.




KTVU suspended veteran anchor Frank Somerville after the station news director nixed his proposal to add commentary about racial justice to coverage of the Gabrielle Gabby Petito homicide case and then learned that a shortened version of Somervilles verbal tag remained in a subsequent newscasts script, sources at the station told The Chronicle.

Somerville had initially sought to add a 46-second address to note disparities in media coverage of white and Black crime victims.

The Somerville dispute, like the Petito case, has gone viral on social media, spurring outrage from people who see the national interest in the Wyoming homicide as an example of missing white woman syndrome while dismaying some at KTVU, who viewed Somervilles purported defiance of his boss decision as untenable.

The Chronicle reached out to several people at Channel 2 to discuss what happened last week before Somerville was disciplined, but no one, including Somerville and News Director Amber Eikel, would speak on the record. A spokesperson for the station confirmed that Somerville, 63, who joined KTVU in 1991 and began co-anchoring the evening news in 2008, had been suspended pending further review. Its not clear when he might return.

The suspension was first reported by the San Jose Mercury News.

According to the two people, who were granted anonymity in accordance with The Chronicles policy on confidential sources to discuss a sensitive personnel matter, the dispute at KTVU unfolded Tuesday afternoon. Somerville sought to add the 46-second tag to the end of an update about Petito, who was slain during a cross-country van trip with her fiance, Brian Laundrie, whom authorities have identified as a person of interest. Both are white.

Somerville wanted to bring in context on domestic violence and coverage of it, according to the two station sources.

When it comes to domestic violence the numbers are off the charts, the original tag said, according to a copy obtained by The Chronicle. It went on to cite statistics on deaths, showing that Black women are far more likely to be killed, but their deaths are rarely reported and almost never get the kind of national attention that Gabby Petitos death is getting.

Somerville also quoted a professor who was critical of the medias tendency to overlook stories about missing and slain women of color.

Journalist Gwen Ifill coined the phrase missing white woman syndrome to describe news outlets disparate reporting on missing persons cases, with the disappearance of people of color attracting far less attention than cases involving white people, particularly young women.

Anonymous sources The Chronicle strives to attribute all information we report to credible, reliable, identifiable sources. For The Chronicle's policy on presenting information from an anonymous sources, visit sfchronicle.com/anonymous. See More Collapse

Ten minutes before the 5 p.m. broadcast, Eikel told Somerville she planned to cut the tag, indicating that the topic warranted a separate, broader story with visuals, the station sources said. One of the sources said newsroom editors had approached Eikel before the broadcast, expressing misgivings about the tag, including that it seemed to suggest police had concluded Laundrie killed Petito.

In a series of messages sent over the stations internal messaging system, Somerville protested the cut but was overruled, the two station sources said. A producer who was not involved in the initial conversation then saw that an amended, 26-second version of the tag was in the broadcast script prepared for the 6 p.m. show, according to one of the sources.

The producer expressed concerns to the newsroom, the source said. Producers cut the tag again, and that days coverage of the Petito case ran without tags in all KTVU broadcasts. The shorter version of Somervilles address did not include the quote from the professor, the copy obtained by The Chronicle shows.

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.

The next day, a human resources manager told Somerville he was suspended for defying a decision made by supervisors, the two sources said.

Somerville, who is white, has a Black teenage daughter and has posted on Facebook about how fatherhood raised his awareness of racial inequality. Nine years ago, he shared a photo of himself styling his adopted daughters hair that went viral.

His suspension marks the second time he has left the air this year. In June, a spokesperson for Fox Television Stations, the Fox Corp. subsidiary that owns KTVU, said the anchor was going out on medical leave for two months after he appeared to slur his words during a broadcast. Somerville has not commented on the incident.

He had already been disciplined this month for voicing what were deemed by the station to be inappropriate political opinions on Facebook, about the new Texas law that bans almost all abortions and about the anniversary of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. The station barred him from posting on Facebook, the two KTVU sources said.

On Sept. 3, Somervilles Facebook post about his perspective on abortion cited his own life and his two daughters. This Texas abortion law scares me, he wrote. It makes abortion illegal in almost all cases. And I think thats wrong. Then again I have the rare experience of having dealt with this issue personally from both sides.

On Sept. 13, Somerville told his followers on Facebook that he had deleted a portion of a post about 9/11, writing, It just didnt feel right. It was the part about how I lost all respect for bush Cheney  Powell and rice because they never publically said they were sorry for the deaths of thousands of Americans and Iraqis based on false information that Iraq had wmd. I dont know how they live with themselves. But thats a seperate post for another day.

Rachel Swan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: rswan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @rachelswan
The Golden Gate National Recreation Area is considering charging new fees at some park sites in San Francisco and Marin County, with Sunday the last day for the public to submit comments on the proposal.

In August, the Golden Gate National Recreation Area introduced a plan to add fees for parking at Lands End, Sutro Heights, Baker Beach, Rodeo Beach, China Beach, Stinson Beach, Navy Memorial and Fort Cronkhite, which currently do not charge.

The proposed new fee for each lot is $3 an hour with a daily maximum of $10 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Visitors arriving by car outside those hours will not be charged for parking. According to the National Park Service, the fees would align rates with lots at other public lands and urban areas managed by the agency.

The agency also will consider charging for an after-hours tour of the Point Bonita Lighthouse, with adults 16 and over paying $16, seniors paying $8 and children 7-15 paying $10.

The proposal comes after the agency added or increased fees for camping in the Marin Headlands and parking at four lots in San Franciscos Presidio, and required guests to reserve tickets for an evening tour at Fort Point National Historic Site.

The National Park Service said in a press release that the proposed additional fees were due to a dramatic increase in visitation during the pandemic and would help with the high costs associated with critical park operations. The park retains 80% of the fees, which help pay for sanitation services, traffic control for busy weekends and repairing park signs.

The fees will also be used for critical visitor protection services, such as replacing the lifeguard tower at Stinson Beach and removing sand at Ocean Beach for emergency vehicle access.

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.

If approved, the parking fees would be phased in by lot over the course of several years, and implementation could start as early as mid- to late 2022. The fees for the after-hours lighthouse tour would start early next year. Public comments can be sent by email to goga_business@nps.gov or by phone at 415-561-4700.

Kellie Hwang and Sarah Ravani are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: kellie.hwang@sfchronicle.com, sravani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @KellieHwang, @SarRavani
Ask anyone in Californias forested communities whether they would tolerate more power blackouts in exchange for preventing a destructive wildfire. The answer is likely an easy yes.

But residents are complaining that a new, experimental system installed on its circuit breakers in fire-prone areas to cut power more aggressively to prevent wildfires has created an intolerable situation. PG&E reported 329 unplanned blackouts triggered by the new fast trip system since it was installed in late July  an average of about 36 power blackouts each week.

The relentless power disruptions are causing a cascade of spoiled food, lost cell phone service and long waits for the lights to come back on.

Rep. Anna Eshoo, a Menlo Park Democrat whose district includes areas of Silicon Valley and the Santa Cruz Mountains, said her office has been inundated by constituents complaining about an increase in unexpected and disruptive blackouts.

The issue has resurfaced a question vexing Californians years into a wildfire crisis: Can PG&E provide both safe and reliable electric service?

You have to sacrifice reliability as a ratepayer for safety? Thats an unacceptable choice, Eshoo said. PG&E is responsible for both.

In a Sept. 20 letter to PG&E Chief Executive Officer Patricia Poppe, Eshoo asked the company to consider alternatives and restore power more quickly, saying that her constituents are rightly frustrated about the decreasing reliability of electric service in the region.

Safety need not necessarily come at the expense of reliability, she said in the letter.

The problem started in late July when PG&E boosted the sensitivity of its circuit breakers after its equipment came under suspicion for starting the mammoth Dixie Fire, still burning in the northern Sierra Nevada and now the states second-largest blaze on record.

PG&E lawyers told a federal judge they believe the Dixie Fire ignition on July 13 may have been prevented if the companys sensors were programmed to cut power more quickly. Instead, the lines remained energized while a troubleman traveled to the remote area to inspect the lines, arriving nine hours after the problem was detected.

The fast trip mitigation program is designed to cut power automatically when sensors detect something has fallen on the lines. The goal is to prevent fire from starting while employees travel to remote fire-prone areas to inspect the equipment.

Its been implemented across 11,500 miles of power lines where the risk of fires is greatest  impacting 380,000 households and businesses, according to a statement from PG&E in response to questions from The Chronicle on Friday. Technicians must then inspect the lines and other infrastructure from the area of the impact to the end of the line to ensure no issues exist that could cause a wildfire when power is turned back on, the company said.

We recognize the hardship this causes our customers and are making a number of improvements that will lessen the impact, PG&E said in the statement.

But residents now dealing with the routine loss of electric service are pleading with the company to limit these automatic blackouts.

Its this fast-trip system thats now detecting if a bird lands on the line, if a squirrel runs across the wire, said Anthony Webb, a longtime resident of La Honda in San Mateo County. What are we getting down to, butterflies now?

Webb, who has lived in rural San Mateo County for 46 years, said he is accustomed to losing power in the wintertime when rain and wind storms hit his forested community. Hes equipped to handle the disruption, cook over a propane stove and use flashlights or candles. He knows to leave the refrigerator and freezer doors closed and hope for the best. But the recent electricity disruptions  including blackouts the last two weekends  have been extreme.

San Mateo County has, over the years, passed rules making residents more dependent on electricity, such as bans against wood-burning stoves or propane stoves in new construction. Those policies make it harder for residents to make due during increasingly frequent and lengthy stints without power.

This presents problems with everyones food becoming questionable, Webb said. Many people now have resorted to getting generators. The problem with that is they are in of themselves a fire risk ... with everybody firing up generators, its only a matter of time before theres a minor accident that could lead to a serious problem.

PG&E spokeswoman Mayra Tostado told The Chronicle the company believes the heightened sensitivity of its sensors has prevented fires from breaking out on scores of occasions, including an incident Sept. 7 near Coarsegold in Madera County. A healthy tree fell onto power lines, breaking two poles and taking primary wires down, Tostado said. Those lines could have caused a major wildfire if these settings werent in place and the lines had remained energized, she said.

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.

PG&E is aware of the inconvenience that more-frequent blackouts create for its customers. The company hosted town hall meetings this week for people in the Watsonville area and San Lorenzo Valley so company representatives could answer residents questions.

On Thursday, Webb joined others pleading with state regulators to intervene at a virtual meeting before the California Public Utilities Commission. Residents from the North Bay to El Dorado County in the Sierra Nevada to the Santa Cruz mountains pleaded with PG&E officials to re-examine the circuit-breaker program.

A woman identified as Kelly Bates from Occidental in Sonoma County noted the power inexplicably went out in her community after a quarter-inch of rain, limiting the risk for fire and negating the need for such a hair-trigger response by the utilitys sensors.

Is there no human at PG&E who could have overridden this? Bates asked.

A resident of Somerset in El Dorado County said shes lost power at least twice each month for anywhere between 24 and 48 hours at a time, a dramatic increase that she said was incredibly stressful.

Webb raised the alarm that losing power often means losing cell phone service in his rural community, where landlines are increasingly rare. That puts the community at greater risk during emergencies from vehicle crashes to fires, he said.

Two hours after the meeting, Webb said he lost power. Again.

In Santa Cruz County, Craig Chatterton said hes lost power twice in recent weeks and his neighbors have lost power more than a half-dozen times. He said he appreciates PG&Es efforts to reduce wildfire risk but wonders whether the company is taking its efforts too far.

Theyre treating it as binary: You can have safety or you can have power, but you cant have both, Chatterton said.

Julie Johnson is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: julie.johnson@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @juliejohnson
San Francisco Fire Department

One person was sent to the hospital after a fire broke out at a residential building in San Franciscos Mission District on Saturday night, firefighters said.

The San Francisco Fire Department did not immediately return calls seeking comment, but the San Francisco Firefighters Local 798 said on Twitter that one person was taken to the hospital with undisclosed injuries from the fire on Rondel Place. Firefighters were battling the blaze shortly before 11 p.m. Saturday.
GRIZZLY FLATS, El Dorado County  Jennifer McKim-Hibbards dream of a life in this small Gold Rush town keeps slipping through her fingers.

She and her husband closed on a house in December near the tiny post office in Grizzly Flats, just a short drive from her sister and her best friend. She enrolled her 7-year-old son at Walt Tyler Elementary School, where he thrived in an intimate learning environment with 28 children in two mixed-age classrooms.

She took over the parent-teacher organization, joined the board of the Grizzly Flats Fire Safe Council and revived a community burger night that had brought neighbors together for 35 years but languished during the pandemic. Her home was a cacophony of friends and their children after burger nights.

Then in July, faulty electrical wiring set her home ablaze.

I thought that was the worst moment of my life, McKim-Hibbard said, recalling the terror she felt as she rushed home, where her father had been watching her two young children. Seeing flames coming out of my house, not knowing where my children were.

Photos by Bronte Wittpenn / The Chronicle

McKim-Hibbards family escaped the electrical fire unhurt, but the damage to two of their four bedrooms was just a preview of the real destruction in store for Grizzly Flats.

The Caldor Fire started Aug. 14 about 3 miles south of town and burned into the community on its third day, reducing 440 of the 646 homes in the mountain town to heaps of ashen debris.

The yellow clapboard church with lancet windows, the post office, the school, the Pioneer Fire Protection Districts Station 35 and the house for its resident battalion chief  all gone.

Gone, too, was McKim-Hibbards home.

Were more than retirees, were more than hillbillies, we were families, McKim-Hibbard said. I just pray our community can see through this darkness.

Other communities have been ravaged by California wildfires in recent years. Scores of homes and businesses from Cobb to Middletown in Lake County were leveled in 2015. Fires flattened entire neighborhoods in and around Santa Rosa in 2017. And last years lightning fires destroyed forested communities in the Santa Cruz Mountains and razed homes on the outskirts of Vacaville.

But its in places like Grizzly Flats, Greenville in Plumas County, and Paradise and Berry Creek in Butte County, where communities have faced the daunting task of rebuilding when little remains standing.

When you have 70%, 80%, 90% of your community destroyed, thats a much heavier lift, said Charles Brooks, whose family lost its home in Paradise to the 2018 Camp Fire, the deadliest in state history. Brooks now helps run After the Fire, a nonprofit organization that advises communities hit by wildfires on the recovery process.

Rural communities face a difficult set of challenges to rebuild, Brooks said. Construction workers live farther away. Transporting materials is more expensive, adding to building costs that have skyrocketed over the last several years. The terrain can create engineering challenges for structures built in the mountains. Government agencies are smaller, often with part-time elected leaders now charged with orchestrating support for an enormous task.

Your bench isnt deep when youre a small community, Brooks said. But its up to the community to champion and lead their own recovery.

Thats what Tobe Magidson did. Within days of losing his home, Magidson started a Facebook group, calling it the Grizzly Flats Rebuild Coalition.

He is exploring options for homeowners to band together and hire contractors to rebuild groups of homes so materials and labor can be obtained at lower, bulk rates. The social media group has more than 215 members. He and McKim-Hibbard are now formalizing a nonprofit with the same name to help generate financial support for underinsured and uninsured neighbors as well as important community hubs like the church and school.

Like McKim-Hibbard, Magidson said raising his children in Grizzly Flats was a dream. He had struggled without a stable home and job for years, moving his two children from place to place until landing on his feet several years ago and moving into a house on 40 acres he shared with his mother and aunt.

Its just a beautiful place to raise a family, Magidson said.

When the Caldor Fire came close, Magidson did everything he could to preserve his familys homes. He bulldozed firebreaks. He cut down trees. He said he stayed longer than was wise and escaped as embers rained down.

Bronte Wittpenn/The Chronicle

Though he lost his home, he had finally found a place with an intoxicating mixture of privacy and knowing everybodys business.

Together we can get through it, Magidson said. Hopefully, people will want to stay and rebuild the community when we can give them some hope.

The letter H on Tabatha Walkers metal driveway gate on Sciaroni Road stands for home  though the house is now gone. Four years ago, Walker told a real estate agent she wanted to leave the bustle of Citrus Heights for a home in a quiet town within 20 minutes of a freeway. Then she found a listing for a house tucked beneath pine trees with a big yard for her basset hounds.

Her agent was initially skeptical, reminding her Grizzly Flats was a 40-minute drive from Placerville and Highway 50. But Walker was already sold.

It felt like heaven and it will again, said Walker, who moved in with her husband, Jeffrey Walker, and got her real estate license. I know things wont look the same, I know the trees are burned, but its still Grizzly Flats.

The town seems to have a gravitational pull, a force that drew so many to the forested enclave at 4,000 feet of elevation.

Bronte Wittpenn/The Chronicle

Grizzly Flats Community Church Pastor Bill Brown had never been to the town when he took over the church 10 years ago, though he grew up only 15 miles away. He applied for the job while living in Ohio, where hed been for decades, teaching at a Christian school, meeting the woman he would marry and becoming an ordained minister.

He was surprised by the number of people he still knew in the area from his childhood. Gods always taking care of us, he explained.

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.

Brown was one of about a half-dozen people who both lived and worked in the small town, preaching to a congregation of about 40 Sunday worshipers. He offered the church for burger nights when McKim-Hibbard revived the tradition, an event that often brought about 100 people together.

Today, Brown, his wife and their two children are sleeping on a mattress pulled into a chapel at Forward Bible Camp, a 90-minute drive north in the Sierra Nevada. They have no cell service, and Brown must drive miles up the road to make calls, a chore for a fire survivor facing the logistics of starting over.

Bronte Wittpenn/The Chronicle

The Browns home was destroyed, as was the church. They had just received notice their insurance carrier wouldnt renew the policy on their home because of wildfire risk. It was set to expire at the end of September. He knows many others who had already lost their insurance policies. He understands many of his elderly congregants wont return or rebuild.

Brown said his family and church will return. Until then, he and his congregants have been welcomed into Pioneer Bible Church about 15 miles away in Somerset while the community rebuilds.

A tragedy is an opportunity dressed as a beggar, Brown recalled saying to those gathered during his first sermon several weeks after the fire.

El Dorado County Supervisor George Turnboo said he doesnt know the proportion of burned-out residents without property insurance, but he assumes the number is significant.

Turnboo hopes the fire will spur new opportunities to bring in electricity production, a sawmill and selective logging to the community, helping to create jobs and make the county safer. Today, even residents with standing homes face perils brought on by the fire, such as polluted water and hazardous trees.

I really hope that people rebuild their homes in Grizzly Flats, I really do, said Turnboo, an eighth-generation El Dorado County resident. A lot of my friends lived in Grizzly Flats. I would like to see that community thrive again.

Santiago Mejia/The Chronicle

For now, community for McKim-Hibbard is the 49er Village RV Resort in Plymouth, about 45 miles away from her burned home, on a winding road leading down from the mountains into the Shenandoah Valley, wine country of Amador County.

There, a cluster of families taking refuge from the Caldor Fires devastation are unaccustomed to the heat. Theres no towering pine forest to keep summer days mild.

So they shelter in their RVs during the day and escape to the pool around dinnertime. McKim-Hibbards sister is just three sites away. Since they arrived, like nomads in trucks laden with piles of clothes and whatever else they could grab, the cousins have learned to swim, shedding their flotation vests. They have traded the dirt trails in their mountain community for the concrete paths of the RV park.

The calendar had just switched to September when McKim-Hibbard started planning for a community Thanksgiving dinner. She said she will do whatever she can to help people feel like there is still a gravitational pull home, though everyone is so scattered.

She, Magidson and Brown want to rebuild. They want to go home.

It really was a go to your neighbors house for a cup of flour kind of place, McKim-Hibbard said. It will be that again.

Julie Johnson is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: julie.johnson@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @juliejohnson
California voters closed the door on a potentially catastrophic Republican-led recall attempt this month, and Im already stressing about the next one.

Im referring to the recall efforts against San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin.

Since being elected in 2019, Boudin has championed progressive, less-punitive policies related to criminal justice. But critics say hes being too easy on crime.

They launched multiple recall efforts against Boudin in 2021. And in a city where Black and brown residents are already overrepresented among the poor and incarcerated, a lot is riding on what happens next.

Its what brought me to San Francisco on Tuesday, chasing social media reports that Black men like me were being paid to gather signatures for the recall. In Republican-led recall elections, capitalism in this form isnt something I associate with the advancement of Black and brown issues. Even when pro-recall voices tout Democratic support, the reality is that their tactics and rhetoric mimic those of far-right figures like Donald Trump.

Recent months have revealed just how easily Californias broken recall system can be manipulated by wealthy Republicans. Reforming it is possible, according to some local elected officials, but it wont happen overnight.

These recalls are part of a troubling national narrative. Republicans are attacking minority voting rights in Texas and Georgia. It may feel far from home, but the same type of white, affluent, conservative forces behind those efforts are also bankrolling attempts to oust people like Boudin and Gov. Gavin Newsom.

In California, these recalls heavily influenced by Republicans have become an extension of voter suppression.

Since they can exacerbate the plight of Black and Latino people, theyre also a tool of white supremacy.

Think about it. Minorities represent only a fraction of the Republican Partys base. Of Californias likely Republican voters, 69% are white.

Apply this same logic to San Franciscos recall of Boudin. Boudin has promoted decarceration efforts like limiting the three strikes law for repeat offenders. He champions restorative justice initiatives that focus on rehabilitative alternatives to incarceration. Black Bay Area leaders have also supported Boudins stances.

Recalling him would block the progress Black and brown San Franciscans hope to see in their city.

There have been two recall attempts against Boudin this year. The first began in February but failed to get enough support by August. The second, ongoing attempt will end in October and appears to have more support than the first.

White, Republican money is largely behind it all, according to recent state campaign filings. More than half the donors to the dark money political action committee fueling the recall are registered Republicans. Among them is William Duhamel, the founder of a San Francisco hedge fund management firm, who also gave heavily to Republican U.S. Senate candidates, and San Francisco socialite Dede Wilsey, who hosted a fundraiser for Donald Trump in 2019.

Woven into this is a fear of America rapidly becoming more progressive as demographics change. Such fear inspired a mob on Jan. 6 to storm the U.S. Capitol to try to overturn the presidential election. In California, its what fueled conservative radio host Larry Elders rise to prominence as a governor candidate.

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.

With crime issues (in San Francisco), theres all of these kind of inflammatory positions that are held by a certain subset that get spread, Ann Ravel, the former head of the Federal Elections Commission, recently told me. People grasp onto one thing that upsets them, and then they decide they have to recall this person.

Ravel laid out ways the recall system could be reformed, including making it harder to qualify a recall measure. Californias current requirement for statewide offices  12% of the last vote for office  is the lowest of any state that allows recalls. Another step would be to require legitimate reasons for recalls, including a crime or some activity that rises to the level of malfeasance.

But any change wouldnt happen until 2022 or 2024. Meanwhile, Republicans are trying to reshape California, and the Bay Area, into a conservative state. Black and brown voices and votes dont matter in an environment like this.

While driving around San Francisco last week, I thought about how voter suppression requires diminishing Black and brown political power. And how a part of white supremacy is the objectification of Black people, like using capitalism to make them the face of Boudins recall efforts.

Its effectively using the lure of election capitalism to have Black people potentially campaign against their own interests, said Phillip Dupree, a San Francisco resident who in August had a semi-viral Twitter post about meeting Black signature gatherers.

I never came across any that day, but as I left the city, another thought crossed my mind: how as a Black man who grew up in the South, I never experienced the Jim Crow-era voter suppression that my grandparents knew. I guess I also never expected to find another form of it waiting for me in California.

San Francisco Chronicle columnist Justin Phillips appears Sundays. Email: jphillips@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JustMrPhillips
During fifth period at Petalumas Casa Grande High School last week, students scooped tiny, wriggling fish out of a tank.

They werent dealing with classroom pets. Instead, the 17-year-olds were taking care of some the states last remaining coho salmon at a fish hatchery right on the schools campus. Last month, wildlife officials moved around 4,000 endangered coho to the schools cool, indoor tanks after conditions at a hatchery in nearby Lake Sonoma became unhealthy because of the drought. The high school will receive an additional 650 endangered coho trucked in from Santa Cruz in the coming weeks.

Casa Grande students usually raise steelhead trout native to the local watershed, donated by other hatcheries as a learning experience. But this unprecedented drought year is the first time the school has ever rescued a federally endangered species with nowhere else to go.

We have this opportunity to save coho salmon, to see that we can do it, if people put their minds to it, said Cathryn Carlson, 17, president of a nonprofit called United Anglers of Casa Grande, which runs the hatchery. Carlson, who goes by Kate, had just put on boots and waders before hopping into one tanks chest-deep water to scrub its windows.

In some ways, the timing couldnt be better for students starved for in-person instruction after being away from the classroom for almost 17 months.

Take a tour United Anglers of Casa Grande offers tours of the hatchery and will hold its annual fundraiser Nov. 6. For information: www.uacg.org See More Collapse

One of the trainings we did as educators was how do we deal with students as far as coming off of this distant learning model and being so heavily impacted, said Dan Hubacker, a science teacher at Casa Grande who runs the hatchery. These kids are able to bury themselves in something that they can instantly see reward for and know that its right here. Its tangible.

Built in 1993, the classroom and attached hatchery, a slightly larger room with an A-frame roof and blue lights to avoid disturbing the fish, look like a park visitor center, with murals of mountaintop watersheds, and taxidermy grizzly and polar bears flanking the chalkboard. In addition to class, students often come in during free periods and on weekends, since the fish need their sprinkle of fish meal, enhanced with vitamins and minerals, daily. But to get near the tanks, the students first must take a prerequisite class on conservation and biology, and then ace two safety tests.

Photos by Jessica Christian/The Chronicle

Many already plan to go into an environmental field. Carlson wants to work on the political side of conservation, and student Yessenia Oceguera, 17, hopes to get into the Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology Department at UC Davis after community college.

Working with animals is something thats always interested me, said Oceguera, using a plastic pipe fashioned into a vacuum to suction fish poop from the bottom of a tank.

I like being a part of something and feeling like Im helping, said Delaney Ortiz, 17. I worry a lot about the climate.

The fish at Casa Grande are juveniles from several genetically distinct groups of the endangered Central California Coast coho salmon that state and federal wildlife agencies are charged with keeping alive  including from the Navarro and Garcia rivers in Mendocino County, the Russian River in Sonoma County and Scott Creek in Santa Cruz County. Smaller in size than king salmon, coho used to run in the tens of of thousands through Bay Area rivers and streams, but the population has dropped to the triple or double digits in many habitats.

The fish at the high school are brood stock, which are artificially spawned at hatcheries to produce babies and keep the genetic line intact. Warm Springs Hatchery at Lake Sonoma typically houses coho brood stock  fish not released into the wild  throughout their three-year life cycle and releases the young salmon they produce into Russian River tributaries like Dry Creek. But as the drought lowered the lake to unprecedented levels this summer, the water got dangerously warm, which can cause disease and lower reproduction rates.

Water temperatures at the hatchery reached a point in June that we had never seen before, said Manfred Kittel of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. The department and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers operate the hatchery with input from National Marine Fisheries Service. We all collectively agreed we were going to take action.

The group decided that theyd need to move the brood stock when the water reached 63 degrees. But other government-run hatcheries were dealing with the same temperature issues or were too far away. So they visited the Casa Grande. The facility has several raceways, or long rectangular tanks, and a few round ones that collectively hold 32,000 gallons of water. Because its indoors, uses groundwater and has a cooling system, it can be kept at the optimal 53 degrees.

Hubacker oversees the program in a way that does not expose these fish to any undue risk, said Kittel, who said the coho will likely be returned to Warm Springs later this year. We were all very impressed with his professionalism and with the quality of the program, including the students.

Built in 1993 with $500,000 in grants, donations and fundraisers, the hatchery might be the only one of its kind at a high school. It was spearheaded by a teacher who had started a local chapter of United Anglers at the school in 1983. Those students spent years restoring several miles of river habitat along Adobe Creek in Petaluma, which then attracted native steelhead trout after years of absence.

These fish are iconic, critically important symbols, said Grant Davis, general manager of the Sonoma County Water Agency, a supporter of the program that has also joined the Army Corps in spending $50 million over the past decade on native fish habitat conservation programs in Dry Creek. Not only is their life history so compelling, in some ways youre talking about our own survival in the way were protecting these watersheds.

The nonprofit group Monterey Bay Salmon and Trout Project will soon deliver another 650 coho salmon from the Santa Cruz area. The fishs hatchery was badly damaged in last years CZU Lightning Complex fires. The remaining fish there need to be moved before winter because if it rains heavily, debris from denuded river banks of Big Creek and other tributaries near Davenport could form a thick muck that would block the hatcherys water supply, said Ben Harris, the organizations executive director. The Santa Cruz fish could stay at Casa Grande through May or June.

United Anglers has a $100,000 annual budget to run the hatchery, with $75,000 from Jackson Family Wines and $25,000 from Sonoma County Water. Students also hold bake sales, and the program does not receive school funding, nor has it received federal or state financial support for hosting the endangered coho. Kittel said wildlife agencies are working on a way to compensate the school program.

Hubacker sees a parallel between taking care of the young fish in order to keep the larger population of endangered coho salmon going to that of maintaining the welfare of his students during such a difficult period for humankind.

If we want to know what the future holds, what about the kids? How are the children? he said. And, he added, If we can inspire just a handful of these kids, look at the impact that thats going to have.

Tara Duggan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: tduggan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @taraduggan
PASCO, Wash. (AP)  A school bus driver was stabbed after he had picked up students from a Washington state elementary school and died of his injuries at a hospital, police said.

Students from Longfellow Elementary in the city of Pasco were already on the bus Friday when a man got on and attacked the driver, police Capt. Bill Parramore said. After the assault, the driver lost control of the bus, driving over the curb and crashing into some hedges near the school.

The children on the bus and at the school grounds were taken into the school building, Parramore said, and the suspect was still at the scene when officers arrived.

He was taken into custody without incident, police said. The driver was taken to a hospital, where he died.

No students were injured in the attack, and the school called parents to pick up their children, Parramore said. Police did not release any details about a motive for the stabbing.

Pasco police detectives will be processing the crime scene throughout the night, Parramore told reporters late Friday. The Pasco Police Department will work in close partnership with the Pasco School District through this investigation.

He said no additional information would be released until Monday.

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.

We are devastated by the tragic loss of one of our own, Pasco School District Superintendent Michelle Whitney wrote on Facebook. Our focus right now is on supporting our students and staff who are deeply impacted by this tragedy.

Whitney said counselors would be available throughout the weekend and next week for students and staff.

Events like these can trigger strong and unexpected emotional reactions. Please don't hesitate to reach out to your student's school counselor or principal if you or your child need support, Whitney wrote.
BEAUFORT, S.C. (AP)  Crews are getting ready to start restoring windows in a century-old building in Beaufort that were damaged by hurricanes over the past several years.

The work on the 29 windows of the Carnegie Library building is being paid for through a $188,000 federal grant, The Island Packet of Hilton Head reported.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP)  An Albuquerque woman is being treated at a burn center after her male roommate allegedly doused her with gasoline and lit her on fire, according to police.

Police said 39-year-old Lawrence Sedillo was booked into jail Saturday on suspicion of aggravated battery resulting in great bodily harm.
LONDON (AP)  Britons are encouraged these days  though in most cases not required  to wear face coverings in crowded indoor spaces. But Prime Minister Boris Johnson regularly appears in the packed, poorly ventilated House of Commons cheek-by-jowl with other maskless Conservative lawmakers.

For critics, that image encapsulates the flaw in the government's strategy, which has abandoned most pandemic restrictions and is banking on voluntary restraint and a high vaccination rate to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

As winter approaches, bringing the threat of a new COVID-19 surge, Britain's light touch is setting it apart from more cautious nations.

The story of this government in the pandemic is too little, too late, said Layla Moran, an opposition Liberal Democrat lawmaker who heads the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Coronavirus.

She said some U.K. hospitals are already seeing the number of virus patients in intensive care units that they would normally expect in the depths of winter, though overall daily hospital admissions are running at about a fifth of January's peak.

And while cases soared when restrictions were lifted this summer, deaths didn't follow at anywhere near the same pace. But the winter months, when respiratory diseases are usually at their highest, could bring an added challenge.

"Unless the government starts to do something differently, I dont think were going to be able to avert the worst this winter, Moran said.

The government argues that its plan is working so far  and it can change course if needed.

Britain has recorded more than 135,000 coronavirus deaths, the highest toll in Europe after Russia and about the same number per capita as the United States. Yet it also has organized a successful inoculation campaign that has seen 65% of the whole population fully vaccinated.

That relatively high rate led Johnson's government to decide in July that it was safe to scrap restrictions on business activity and daily life: no more social distancing, limits on gatherings or masks required anywhere in England. Businesses can impose their own measures, but otherwise Johnson has encouraged people to be sensible.

In contrast to many other European nations  even some with higher inoculation rates than the U.K.  proof of vaccination is not required in England to eat in restaurants, attend mass events or enter crowded venues such as nightclubs. Scotland, which is part of the U.K. but sets its own health rules, is being more cautious, introducing vaccine passports for nightclubs and keeping mandatory masks indoors.

Pupils and teachers in England's schools don't have to wear face coverings, despite the objections of unions and public health officials  a contrast to European countries including France, Italy and Spain that have kept mask requirements for schools.

While the U.S. has made vaccinations compulsory for millions of workers, Johnsons government requires proof of inoculation only for nursing home staff, and is considering it for health care workers.

Once the U.K. had some of Europe's strictest international travel rules, but it's easing quarantine and testing restrictions for many visitors starting next month.

The U.K. has often gone its own way during the pandemic. Health authorities gambled on a gap of two to three months between doses, rather than the three to four weeks recommended by vaccine makers, in order to speed the rollout. That paid off, with studies since suggesting the longer gap is at least as effective, and possibly more so.

Britain diverged from its peers again on the question of vaccinating kids. When the U.S., Canada and much of the European Union extended inoculations to children between 12 and 15, the U.K. held off, saying the health benefit to kids was marginal. Then Britain decided to vaccinate that age group after all  but initially with a single dose, rather than the usual two.

Britain has also gone further than most nations in giving vaccine booster shots, offering a third dose to everyone over 50. That puts it at odds with the World Health Organization, which has strongly objected to rich nations giving a third round of shots when poor countries dont have enough vaccines for their first. In the U.S., authorities endorsed booster shots for millions of older or otherwise vulnerable Americans.

Johnsons government is counting on vaccines to do the heavy lifting against the virus, supplemented by voluntary common sense behavior.

But after an exceptionally long and strict lockdown earlier this year, it's not clear Britons will freely choose any virus-prevention measures they're not forced to take. When restrictions were initially lifted, just under two-thirds of people said they planned to keep wearing masks in shops and on public transport. Now the number of people wearing coverings has declined sharply on the London Underground, which requires but barely enforces mask use.

Critics say the government has failed to learn from experience and seems to be fueled by optimism rather than evidence.

Stephen Reicher, a University of St. Andrews psychology professor who helps advise the government, recalled that a year ago, Johnson's team was slow to act when scientific advisers recommended a short circuit-breaker lockdown to curb fast-rising coronavirus cases.

Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes

As always happens if you wait and things get out of control, you have to impose greater restrictions, which is why we had a non-Christmas and such an awful winter and spring spent in lockdown, he told Sky News.

Moran, the opposition lawmaker, and other critics argue that moderate measures, such as better ventilation in schools and masks indoors, could avert the need for stringent restrictions this winter.

But the government notes that scientists most pessimistic predictions, which said cases could rise to 100,000 a day by the time schools reopened in September, haven't come true.

The U.K. is now averaging about 140 deaths daily  just over one-tenth of what it saw at the peak  and 30,000 new infections a day.

Johnson said restrictions such as mandatory masks and work-from-home orders could be reimposed if hospitalizations surge. But he hoped it wouldnt be needed.

The result of this vaccination campaign is that we have one of the most free societies and one of the most open economies in Europe, he said. And thats why we are now sticking with our strategy."

Standing beside him at a news conference, Chief Scientific Adviser Patrick Vallance applied the brakes. He said the lesson of the pandemic was that when you make a move, you have to go earlier than you think you want to, you need to go harder than you think you want to.

So if this goes in the wrong direction  its important that the measures are put in place early enough and theyre significant enough, he said.

___

Follow all AP stories on the coronavirus pandemic at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic
SACRAMENTO  As Congress debates spending billions of dollars to build high-speed rail lines across America, state legislators are still squabbling about whether to spend money to continue building the Central Valley line of Californias bullet train.

Legislators ended their session this month without signing off on $4.2 billion in bonds needed to finish construction on the trains initial 171-mile segment from Merced to Bakersfield. Now, any final decision on whether to spend the money, which voters approved for high-speed rail, is postponed until January.

The delay comes as some lawmakers, led by Democrats from the powerful Los Angeles delegation, have pushed to instead carve off funding for commuter rail projects in densely populated urban areas.

Rail officials and advocates say the standoff could hamper their efforts to secure more federal grants for the project and lead to further construction delays. The state was expected to sign contracts this fall to start laying track in the Central Valley  now that part of the project is on hold.

Rick Harnish, executive director of High Speed Rail Alliance, a national advocacy group, said the Legislatures inaction only feeds into the notion that the project is taking too long and harms public support for it.

So many people are complaining about the process taking too long, so they specifically delay it, he said. They should already have trains under order, but the Legislature has stopped them from doing that.

The situation is the latest snag in a decade-long series of delays and political spats that have imperiled Californias vision for high-speed rail.

Gov. Gavin Newsom asked legislators to approve the $4.2 billion as part of his budget for the fiscal year that started in July. The money reflects the remainder of what voters approved in 2008 for high-speed rail, originally pitched as a 220-mph train that could zip passengers between San Francisco and Los Angeles in less than three hours.

But the governors request quickly hit resistance among some powerful lawmakers, who argue the focus on building the trains Central Valley segment first is a far cry from the original vision sold to voters.

Peter DaSilva/Special to The Chronicle

Assembly Member Laura Friedman, a Democrat from Glendale (Los Angeles County) who chairs the Transportation Committee, said the state should instead spend a chunk of the money to improve commuter rail systems that will eventually connect to high-speed rail.

She said legislators havent had a chance to weigh in on the rail systems strategy and many feel that it makes more sense to build inward from L.A.and the Bay Area  rather than building outward from the less-populated Central Valley.

It cant be something that just sits there with nobody riding while they try to find money to finish the rest of the project, Friedman told The Chronicle. They are going to have to go back to the voters.

Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, a Democrat from Lakewood (Los Angeles County), has also pushed to reroute funds for the project. He has said the state should prioritize rail improvements in regions with the most transit riders, where it will meet the greatest need.

Todd Trumbull

We need to maximize the value we get from the bonds, Rendon said in a statement. By holding off on authorization, we buy time to work with the authority to find ways to make that money go further.

Meanwhile, some Republican legislators are pushing to defund the project entirely. Sen. Brain Jones, R-Santee (San Diego County), said the state should stop borrowing money and turn the rail infrastructure it has built, including viaducts and overpasses in the Central Valley, over to local transit authorities.

What weve got today is a complete bait and switch to what the voters approved in 2008, he said. This is a pretty phenomenal boondoggle.

Halting the project now could require California to repay billions of dollars it received from the federal government as part of the 2009 stimulus under the Obama administration.

The debate over what portion of the high-speed rail system should be built first is not new. Newsom stunned many legislators and rail advocates in 2019, when he announced he would focus first on the Central Valley line due largely to rising costs.

But construction on the Central Valley line has been underway for more than six years, and diverting a sizable piece of the funding could complicate efforts to finish the first stretch of track by 2029.

Assembly members whove opposed $4.2 billion in bonds for the Central Valley line havent said how much money they want diverted to local rail. Friedman said she will spend the next few months trying to broker a deal.

Officials at Californias High-Speed Rail Authority said that while they have enough funding to continue construction until at least July, the impasse could cause long-term delays because they cannot sign contracts with private companies that will help lay track, install electrical infrastructure and supply train cars.

It depends what happens come January, to a degree said Boris Lipkin, the authoritys Northern California regional director. Theres a desire for everybody to find a path forward. We have a little bit of time now to iron out whatever disagreements may exist and find that solution.

Peter DaSilva/Special to The Chronicle

The impasse in Sacramento has angered many rail advocates, who say repeated delays threaten to kill the bullet train. One of the chief criticisms of the project has been its repeated delays  trains were originally supposed to start running last year. Now, the agency hopes the Central Valley line will open in 2029, followed by the longer line in 2033. Extensions to Sacramento and San Diego could be many more years off.

But supporters of the project say the biggest risk is that taking money away from the trains Central Valley segment now could put California at a disadvantage as it prepares to compete for major federal infrastructure funding.

Its unclear how much funding for high-speed rail could be part of the infrastructure bill and spending package crawling through Congress, but the state could stand to receive billions.

In July, California Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Alex Padilla urged legislators to release the money. In a letter, they warned showing support for the project is crucial now in light of President Bidens support for rail.

We are going to bat at the federal level for the funding necessary to build this first-in-the-nation high-speed rail system, and we urge the state Legislature to maintain its commitment at the state level, they wrote.

Friedman said concerns that the state could lose its share of federal funds are unwarranted because Congress isnt close to finishing negotiations for how much could be in the package.

Newsoms office said he will negotiate with legislators this fall, but intends to keep pushing to fund construction on the Central Valley line. Daniel Lopez, the governors press secretary, said the plan would position California well for federal funding on the horizon.

Our approach is consistent with the will of the voters and the Biden administrations expectation for transformative, electrified and clean high-speed rail service in California, Lopez said.

Still, rail advocates said fighting over rail funding now is a risky gamble. Dan Richard, a former chairman of the High-Speed Rail Authority Board, said uncertainty about how much the state will approve could discourage investment from both the federal government and private industry.

I worry quite a bit that this funding brouhaha here in California is going to hamper the states competitiveness, he said. This uncertainty is the death of projects.

Richard said it seems many legislators have forgotten the history of high-speed rail funding: More than $2 billion in rail funds have already been allocated to projects that improve connectivity with local transit systems.

Its double-dipping, he said of the push to divert money for local rail. Now, its about cannibalizing money that voters approved for completing a high-speed rail system.

Dustin Gardiner is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: dustin.gardiner@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @dustingardiner
The 2022 campaign in California started 15 seconds after the recall election ended, so lets look forward by examining what some have learned from our 75-day, $276 million-and-counting exercise in democracy  or as history may remember it, a colossal waste of time, money and energy.

Four lessons that have already risen to the top involve Republican messaging, working-class men, Latinos and abortion.

We start with Matt Shupe, one of Californias most connected Republican communications strategists. He was a consultant for the Rescue California campaign, former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconers recall run and the California Republican Party.

Shupes tweet posted in the wake of the recall debacle is an insight into how some Republicans worry about the future of the state GOP.

What will we change moving forward? How will we adapt? We cannot continue to do the same thing over and over and over again hoping that maybe next time it will be different, Shupe wrote. Were not even fighting the last war; were fighting the last centurys war.

The frustrating part to Shupe is that he expressed largely the same views after Newsom shellacked his previous client, San Diego businessman John Cox, in the 2018 governors race. Little has changed.

The recall failed miserably, and the top GOP choice was talk show host Larry Elder, who enraptured the Donald Trump-aligned base of the GOP but few beyond it. Elder won 26% of all votes cast.

The party base is always going to want someone they agree with 100% of the time, Shupe told me. But when registered Democrats outnumber Republicans 2 to 1, we need someone that can appeal to voters that may not agree with you 90% of the time.

Worse, Shupe bemoaned that many Republicans appear not to have participated at all. Only 3.7 million people voted yes on the recall, roughly half as many as backed Trump in 2020 in California. And while some party leaders promised more outreach to Latino voters and campaigns promised better use of social media, not enough of that was done, he said.

So expect a weekend of soul-searching, crying-in-bourbons and  since this is politics  finger-pointing at the three-day California Republican Party convention that begins Friday in San Diego. Shupe prefers to see something more constructive. He wishes the state party would undertake the same type of comprehensive self-examination that the Republican National Committee did to examine why Barack Obama won re-election in 2012.

We really need to be introspective and figure out what we can do better next time, because we keep running these campaigns in the same type of ways, using the same talking points, Shupe said, and the results are actually getting worse.

Chris Stirewalt, a senior fellow with the conservative American Enterprise Institute think tank, saw another warning sign for Republicans in the recall when it comes to what he calls a key part of their constituency: working-class men.

This is what Republicans tell us is their ambition is  to be the lunch-pail party. Well, you know who is a very hard group to get to the polls? Working-class men, Stirewalt said.

The problem is that Elder was eating his own seed corn when it came to those voters. When he complained about widespread voter fraud  of which there has been no evidence  it had the effect of discouraging core GOP voters from casting ballots during an election when one was mailed to every registered voter, Stirewalt said.

According to exit polls, 55% of non-college-educated white voters supported recalling Newsom, while 45% were opposed. That difference could have been wider.

If the Republicans had been smart, they would have been encouraging people (to vote), Stirewalt said. You have a ballot in your house. How hard is it to drop it in the mailbox? Youve already got a stamp on it; just put it in the mail.

California is so massive that statewide campaigns have traditionally relied on TV ads to make their points. Newsoms anti-recall campaign, which raised nearly $80 million or almost four times as much as his top challengers combined, certainly saturated the airwaves with ads. But for well-funded campaigns, the days of mass-media-only campaigns are coming to an end, Oscar Lopez, political director for the 700,000-member Service Employees International Union California, told me.

A key to Newsom surviving the recall was unions partnering with 90 local community organizations on his behalf to have 1.5 million conversations at the door with voters over the last eight weeks of the campaign, said Lindsay Hopkins, who was the coordinated campaign director for the anti-recall campaign, overseeing all the field operations.

Key to reaching voters  particularly voters of color, she said  was having culturally competent messengers from the campaign hold those conversations. The SEIU was a pivotal player in this field campaign, as roughly two-thirds of its members are people of color.

During their conversations, Democrats learned that Latino voters, in particular, supported the strong actions Newsom took against the pandemic. So when Democratic activists return to those same voters to court them during next years House midterm elections, they will remind them that every Republican House member in California voted against the $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief packages that President Biden signed into law this year.

Lopez said the message at the door will be: If Republicans had their way, California wouldnt have had the resources they needed to reopen schools safely.

While many votes still remain to be counted, grassroots efforts paid dividends in key counties, said Sonja Diaz, founding director of the UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Initiative, which is doing deep dives into the Latino vote. In Merced County, roughly 3 in 4 Latino voters opposed the recall, Diaz said, which helped offset the 3 in 4 white voters there who supported it.

Newsom attacked Elders opposition to abortion rights, and it resonated with voters. So look for Democratic House candidates in California to aggressively push their support for abortion rights next year  especially with the Supreme Court scheduled to hear a Mississippi abortion case this term that could effectively cripple the landmark Roe vs. Wade decision.

Its going to be an incredibly compelling issue, said Dave Jacobson, a Los Angeles Democratic consultant who is advising more than a dozen campaigns nationally. including House candidates in California. Democrats should exploit it and essentially make it a wedge issue in a given race.

Stirewalt said opposing abortion rights could hurt Republicans with suburban women, which could affect newly elected GOP House members in Orange County, like Reps. Young Kim and Michelle Steel.

If they dont have suburban white women, they have a problem, and no issue will cut quite so potently on that narrow demographic as the idea of Roe vs. Wade being overturned and abortion being effectively outlawed, Stirewalt said. So this is bad news for Republicans.

Joe Garofoli is The San Francisco Chronicles senior political writer. Email: jgarofoli@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @joegarofoli
In the real world, Joshua Alayon worked as a real estate agent in Pompano Beach, Fla., where he used the handle "SouthFloridasFavoriteRealtor" to urge buyers on Facebook to move to "the most beautiful State."

But online, data revealed by the massive hack of Epik, an Internet-services company popular with the far right, signaled a darker side. Alayon's name and personal details were found on invoices suggesting he had once paid for websites with names such as racisminc.com, whitesencyclopedia.com, christiansagainstisrael.com and theholocaustisfake.com.

The information was included in a giant trove of hundreds of thousands of transactions published this month by the hacking group Anonymous that exposed previously obscure details of far-right sites and launched a race among extremism researchers to identify the hidden promoters of online hate.

After Alayon's name appeared in the breached data, his brokerage, Travers Miran Realty, dropped him as an agent, as first reported by the real estate news site Inman. The brokerage's owner, Rick Rapp, told The Washington Post that he didn't "want to be involved with anyone with thoughts or motives like that."

Alayon told The Post that he does not own the 'racisminc,' Holocaust-denial or other Web addresses but declined to say if he had owned them in the past; the records were hacked earlier this year. But in a screenshot of his Epik account, which he sent to The Post, the information for four other domains he currently owns matches the private records that can be found in the Epik breach.

Asked why his name, email address and other personal information were listed in company invoices for the 'racisminc' and Holocaust-denial domains, Alayon said the data was "easily falsifiable," that he was the possible victim of extortion and that The Post was "fake news."

The breach of Epik's internal records has cast a spotlight on a long-hidden corner of the Internet's underworld, and researchers expect it could take months before they can process the full cache - the equivalent of tens of millions of pages. Many are digging for information on who owns and administers extremist domains about which little was previously known.

Epik, based outside Seattle, said in a data-breach notice filed with Maine's attorney general this week that 110,000 people had been affected nationwide by having their financial account and credit card numbers, passwords and security codes exposed. An earlier data-breach letter from the company, filed to comply with Montana law, was signed by the "Epic Security Team," misspelling the company's name. An Epik spokesperson said it was a simple typo.

Heidi Beirich, a veteran researcher of hate and extremism, said she is used to spending weeks or months doing "the detective work" trying to decipher who is behind a single extremist domain. The Epik data set, she said, "is like somebody has just handed you all the detective work - the names, the people behind the accounts."

"This is like the mother of all data lodes because Epik was at the center of so many of the extremist websites and organizations that people like me study. Epik was the place of last refuge for a lot of these sites," said Beirich, co-founder of the nonprofit Global Project Against Hate and Extremism. "And as the data is analyzed and looked at more deeply, we're going to see this ecosystem in a way that was simply not possible before."

Beirich said the identities of administrators and web developers and "the money flow" - how the sites stay afloat - are the kinds of details that for years have challenged even the most veteran hate trackers. The Epik hack might help connect the dots, she added.

Epik's founder, Robert Monster, who did not respond to requests for comment, said the company's data was hijacked and urged people not to use it with "negative intent."

An Epik spokesperson said in emailed statements to The Post this week that the company has handled hundreds of thousands of domains over the years and some are bound to be offensive. The company declined to attribute the statement to a named spokesperson.

The Epik spokeperson called the hack "an egregious violation against our users" and said the breached data included up to 38,000 credit card numbers.

The spokesperson said the company "offers its services to everyone" and that "domains affiliated with right-wing politics comprise less than 1 percent of users." Epik said it is not aware of its users' intents and "does not consider its role to be censors of free citizens."

"Our long-held policy of content neutrality has made our platform appealing to some in an increasingly polarized landscape," the spokesperson said. "We do not endorse or condone any one particular ideology, and we feel uncomfortable with calls to censor those who use our services."

Though domain registrars, such as Epik, encourage customers to use accurate information when buying a new website address, it is fairly easy to register a domain in somebody else's name, and many registrars don't demand independent proof or confirmation of identity.

Buyers wanting privacy commonly ask their registrar to conceal their information, including, in Epik's case, through an add-on service called Anonymize.

Some basic details about a website domain's owner are publicly available in what's known as a "WHOIS" database. But the Epik breach revealed far more than that information. Materials from the hack reviewed by The Post include not just names and home addresses but full credit card numbers, unencrypted passwords and other highly sensitive data. Many website owners who trusted Epik to keep their identities hidden were exposed, but some who took additional precautions, such as paying in bitcoin and using fake names, remain anonymous.

The Post publicizes material obtained through hacking with caution, only after verifying its authenticity and ascertaining that there is news value in bringing such information to light.

Epik provides Web services to many prominent right-wing fixtures online, including the media group One America News, the video site Bitchute, the social media site Gab and the message board Patriots.win. Other domains show links to targeted harassment campaigns of journalists or activists, including by falsely linking them to allegations of heinous acts.

The company was used last month to register the domain for Strikebackforfreedom.com, a campaign that attorney Lin Wood, a supporter of former president Donald Trump, has said on Telegram was bought by his FightBack Foundation. The site says it is affiliated with Sidney Powell and other prominent purveyors of false conspiracy theories about election fraud and the coronavirus vaccine, and it urged people to "STOP doing business with the enemy," such as companies mandating that employees get vaccinated.

A huge proportion of the 1.8 million domains shown in the breached data appear ordinary, with Web addresses for people interested in real estate, home improvement, vegan cooking, various types of spirituality - as well as the occasional domain devoted to pornography, gaming and cryptocurrency. Many do not appear to connect to active websites.

Hacked documents showing details from nearly a million Epik invoices over the last several years underscore the high-volume, low-dollar nature of the domain registry business. While there are dozens of domains worth hundreds or even thousands of dollars, most are worth far less: Only about 2% of the invoices since 2019 were for more than $10; nearly half were for less than a dollar.

Among the more expensive ones was the domain Patriots.win, now used for the pro-Trump site that sought to replicate a message board, known as TheDonald, after its domain owner shut it down following the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. A man listing an address in Louisville paid $413 for the Patriots.win domain in January, the invoice records show. He did not respond to requests for comment and his identity could not be independently confirmed.

Aubrey "Kirtaner" Cottle, a security researcher and co-founder of Anonymous, declined to share information about the hack's origins but said it was fueled by hackers' frustrations over Epik serving as a refuge for far-right extremists.

"Everyone is tired of hate," Cottle said. "There hasn't been enough pushback, and these far-right players, they play dirty. Nothing is out of bounds for them. And now . . . the tide is turning, and there's a swell moving back in their direction."

Shireen Mitchell, founder of Stop Online Violence Against Women, a group that has tracked online extremism since 2013, said the Epik hack is forcing a long overdue examination of Internet-service companies that haven't drawn the same scrutiny or talk of regulation as social media giants.

While many researchers are using the data to look forward, including to push for consequences for the people behind the most toxic sites, Mitchell said she's left asking questions about why Epik for so long helped give a platform to extremist content on the Web.

"We don't even have a true measurement of it," Mitchell said of the scope of online hate. "We don't know how it started, how small it was, how it is amplified and how big it is. Which would also tell us how big it could get unless we do something about it."

The role of Epik and other alternative Internet-services companies drew mainstream attention in the aftermath of the "Unite the Right" rally in 2017, when white supremacists who organized online converged on Charlottesville Until then, domain registrars and Web hosts had traditionally taken a hands-off approach to content unless it involved explicitly criminal activity, Beirich said, but the weekend's deadly violence sparked calls for tech companies to more aggressively police what they kept online.

One year later, Epik's founder - whose last name, Monster, is confirmed to be real in Washington state voting records and a 1991 court judgment in New York - further involved himself in the debate following a mass shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh.

As the nation recoiled at the attack that left 11 dead, Monster was mulling a different problem: deplatforming. He was deeply concerned that a right-wing social media site, Gab, had been knocked offline because the Pittsburgh shooter had been active there, sharing and spreading anti-Semitic hate until moments before the attack.

In a blog post eight days after the shootings, Monster praised Gab as a "haven for free speech" and said its embattled founder, Andrew Torba, had acted "courageously." Monster pledged that Epik would help Gab get back online, adding, "Let Freedom Ring."

The move - similar to stands Epik would later take after other tragedies, including the live-streamed murders of 51 people in two New Zealand mosques in 2019 - elevated the little-known domain registry in suburban Seattle to the center of a roiling national debate over Big Tech and Internet freedom. It also made Epik a hero to many on the right and a target for many on the left.

The result of this can be seen plainly in the celebratory tone used by the hacker collective Anonymous when it announced the breach, as well as in the excitement of critics - both political opponents and extremism researchers - as they began attempting to reconstruct Epik's business from the vast quantity of stolen data that includes 843,000 transactions over more than 10 years, plus nearly a million invoices. The data, which is hosted online for public download, totals more than 150 gigabytes.

The data includes internal memos describing apparent subpoenas from law-enforcement agencies for information about Epik-registered websites, including two domains, Thedonald.win and Maga.host, in the weeks after the Capitol riot on Jan. 6. The notes do not include details of the subpoenas' targets, the investigating agencies or any alleged crimes.

One of the internal notes, which appeared to have been written by an Epik employee, mentions a grand jury subpoena, a request to preserve records for 90 days and a nondisclosure order - a court-approved document that law enforcement can secure to prohibit tech companies from telling customers what information they'd shared as part of an investigation. "DO NOT tell Registrant," read the note, which did not include further details of the investigation.

Some activists online also pointed to data showing that Monster's name and an Epik email address used for purchasable domains were included on Web addresses such as robmonsterenablesnazis.com and sexynazis.com. The Epik spokesperson said the company has used an automated system to add Monster's name to domains marked for sale or deletion, even though he has never owned the individual domains.

Epik also has a corporate overlap with VanwaTech, a company that, according to online records, has provided Internet services to the neo-Nazi site Daily Stormer and 8kun, the central node for spreading conspiracy theories central to the QAnon ideology.

Epik bought BitMitigate, a cybersecurity service that was protecting the Daily Stormer from online attacks, from VanwaTech's owner, Nick Lim, in 2019. Though Epik reportedly severed its relationship with the neo-Nazi site, Lim became chief technical officer of Epik for a time while maintaining his ownership of VanwaTech, based in Vancouver, Wash.

Lim told The Post he remains a partial owner of Epik, and in a Bloomberg profile of Lim, he called Monster "a kind of mentor." But an Epik spokesperson said the company "does not currently have a relationship with VanwaTech or its owner."

VanwaTech's data was not part of the Epik breach, Lim said. Asked if he still considers Monster a mentor, Lim told The Post: "Everyone in my life is a mentor, whether that is what to do or not to do - you can always learn something from everyone. And not everything about everyone is good or bad. People can do both good and bad things, nobody is perfect."

The domains listed in the Epik hack represent a broad spectrum of far-right extremism, including white supremacists, xenophobic groups and anti-government agitators. Some users appear to have relied on Epik to lead a double life, with several revelations so far involving people with innocuous day jobs who were purportedly purveyors of hate online.

Others, however, belong to high-profile extremist trolls who were "deplatformed" and found their way to Epik, where they continued to harass leftist activists, mainstream journalists and other targets.

Melissa Lewis, a self-described anti-fascist activist and writer in Portland, Ore., said her family spent months feeling "hunted" by far-right troll and convicted hacker Joseph "Joey" Camp, whose name was listed on domain registrations with Epik and who has claimed publicly to have done freelance work for Monster.

Lewis said Camp - whose targets have included not just far-left activists but also conservative favorite Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo. - sent her harassing emails, posted her home address and disseminated photos of her online, resulting in Lewis being added to extremist hit lists. She said Camp also went after her father, an emergency room doctor, by posting the human resources number to his hospital and spinning tales about her dad "letting cops and patriots die" in the ER. Lewis said her father, too, began receiving death threats, prompting the hospital to take security precautions.

Lewis complained to Epik last year with a rundown of Camp's alleged violations of the platform's terms of service. The company responded largely by dismissing her, explaining that there wasn't enough information to identify the harasser and suggesting that she was aligned with militant leftists who have marched "in the street for the past year burning down buildings and celebrating anarchy," according to email exchanges reviewed by The Post.

All of this is why Lewis greeted news of the Epik breach with relief - and a measure of glee. The satisfaction, Lewis tweeted, was "better than any orgasm."

An Epik spokesperson said the company condemns "persecution or targeted harassment" and that it investigates and takes appropriate action after reports of abuse.

The spokesperson said Monster hired Camp for "an unrelated matter in early 2020" and that Epik had no knowledge of Camp's actions. But the spokesperson also said the company had reviewed reports of Lewis's claims and "did not find a violation at that time."

In a phone interview, Camp said he had no comment on whether he had domains registered on Epik and that such information was easily falsified. Camp also denied harassing Lewis or her father. After the call, which Camp recorded and posted online, he boasted of "lying to the Washington Post" and began harassing a Post reporter via text and social media.

- - -

The Washington Post's Alice Crites and Aaron Schaffer contributed to this report.
A Florida school district began collecting federal funding on Thursday after Floridas government withheld state funding to punish the school for implementing a mask mandate and other precautions aimed at reducing the spread of Covid-19.

Alachua County Public Schools, the first district in the country to receive federal funds, is getting $147,719 to compensate school board members whose salaries are being withheld by Gov. Ron DeSantis. The Republican governor is withholding money from members of the board who voted for the mask mandate, which DeSantis banned via an executive order this summer.

The federal funding comes from a Biden administration anti-Covid grant program thats funded by legislation Congress passed this spring.

We should be thanking districts for using proven strategies that will keep schools open and safe, not punishing them, U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said in a statement, adding, Every student across the country deserves the opportunity to return to school in person safely this fall, and every family should be confident that their school is implementing policies that keep their children safe.

Strong leaders deserve support. Today, we awarded the first Project SAFE grant to @AlachuaSchools to cover financial penalties imposed on them for using policies that keep students safe. I spoke with @DrCarleeSimon to let her know: we have her back. pic.twitter.com/CpkJKq2xER  Secretary Miguel Cardona (@SecCardona) September 23, 2021

Dr. Carlee Simon, the Alameda County superintendent, said in a statement that she is grateful to the administration for the funding. But Im even more grateful for their continued support and encouragement of our efforts to protect students and staff and to keep our schools open for in-person learning, she said.

The fight over DeSantiss opposition to mask mandates in public schools is now playing out in court. DeSantis has also recently held events where he invited anti-vaxxers to speak and then stood by while they spread misinformation about vaccines. And he has fought preventative measures to quell the spread of the virus, even banning businesses from asking customers to reveal their vaccination status.

According to Alachua County Public Schools, DeSantiss Department of Education has held back two months worth of salaries for the four school board members who dared implement precautions to keep students safe, totaling $27,000 so far. The state government has withheld school board members salaries from Broward County, which also has a mask requirement.
MILAN (AP)  Five days of womenswear presentations dissolved into more online presentations as Milan Fashion Week began to tail off Sunday, and the fashion crowd prepared to decamp for Paris.

The excitement of live runway shows, the return of celebrities and the blast of fashion parties energized Italys fashion capital for the first time in 19 months, with crowds of young fashion lovers gathering outside of venues to breath the aspiration.

Some fashion brands are cleaning house, pushing out leaner collections, during this season of hopeful relaunch. But any deep change of pace is hard to see.

I dont see any kind of change in reality, said the new creative director of Missoni, Alberto Caliri. It is a bit like someone who says they are giving up fried food, but then in a week is back to eating it again. There is a lot of talk but little action.

Perhaps some of that is due to the sheer desire to be out in the world again.

Gucci creative director Alessandro Michele said he grows tired of people who see fashion as just clothes and shoes, shoes and clothes, with limited dignity.

Fashion is human handiwork. It has a great storytelling capacity, Michele said.

Highlights from Milan Fashion Week of mostly womenswear collections:

___

FRANCESCA LIBERATORES RITES AND MYTHS

On this rainy Sunday morning, the fashion crowd filed into a richly upholstered movie theater for a full-immersion runway show by Francesca Liberatore, combining real models, hologram images and a film projected on the main screen.

The diaphanous looks borrowed richly from the Renaissance, from the flowing trains, puffy sleeves and draping. Organza, ruching and ruffles create a romantic mood, while latex touches bring the looks down to earth. They included a slit-back coat that lifted with each step and body-hugging trousers.

Organza, representing romance, was constantly grounded by more modern elements. A white organza dress was wrapped over a black minidress. A ruched mini dress becomes poetic with a generous organza skirt in umber and built-in cape in heather blue. A transparent organza coat with a delicate ruffle was paired with matching see-through trousers that were worn over high-waisted panties, leaving the bosom free. Another delicate organza dress appears ripped open, a violent gesture that revealed a black garment below.

Liberatore was eager to resume a live experience to preview her collection, while embracing elements from the digital world that became a critical link with the world during periods of lockdown and isolation.

All that we experienced has made us understand that, in reality everything can crumble in front of our eyes, Liberatore said. Here, you have lived the world that has melted down. After that, there is a moment of fear, during which we are unstable. We dont touch the ground anymore.

Still, the collection offers a hopeful message. She took inspiration from figurative paintings representing the four Christian evangelists as a lion, an eagle, a bull and an angel in the apse of St. Michaels church in Ferrara. The deconsecrated church, originally built in the Middle Ages and reconstructed in the Renaissance, is the permanent home of works by sculptor Bruno Liberatore, the designers father.

I was the first to look to rise up, to completely change pace, the designer said. So the beautiful thing with this new adventure was to have bought together with my family the Saint Michael church in Ferrara, to create a cultural center, a mix between art and fashion.

___

MISSONIS NEW FASHION PAGE

The Missoni brand has turned a creative page, tapping a long-time member of Angela Missonis team to replace her as creative director.

The shift to a more youthful, hip vibe was immediately apparent in Alberto Caliris first collection. There was still plenty of fine colorful knitwear for longtime aficionados of the brand, including long floor-sweeping dresses, sexy crop tops and jumpsuits. But the silhouette was bolder than usual, decidedly young and easy to envision at the hippest of beach parties.

Bra tops peeked out of asymmetrical dresses with large cutouts; intricate beading mimicked knitwear patterns on halter tops; silvery bathing suits with floral details were worn with loose trousers. A bikini top had a long trailing train, worn with jeans, for a perfectly updated hippie look. Missoni also picked up on a season trend: straight mini skirts with skimpy bandeau tops, this one in leather with the Missoni logo repeated.

Caliri said he incorporated Angela Missonis view of femininity with her mother Rosita Missonis bold sense of color, including papaya, coral and yellow. The new Missoni woman is someone sure of herself, who takes minimum fuss to get out of the door in the morning.

My job was to trim out all that was possible, to make it the most precious and evidently Missoni, Caliri said. I think any woman would find a piece in this collection.
Our vast, unknowable planet is full of mysterious spots. But the Santa Cruz Mystery Spot has something that the Bermuda Triangle and Stonehenge could only dream of: a very popular bumper sticker.

If youve ever driven in the Bay Area with your eyes open, then youve seen it: MYSTERY SPOT in bold black type over a yellow background. It's probably the most popular bumper sticker in the Bay Area alongside Keep Tahoe Blue and Coexist. It may even be iconic  If you search "Mystery Spot Bumper Sticker," Google Images will also recommend "California Hippie Car Starter Pack." But what is this place, promoted on so many Bay Area fenders?

The Mystery Spot is a gravitational anomaly located in the redwood forests just outside of Santa Cruz, California, the official website says. It is a circular area of effect around 150 feet or 46 meters in diameter. Within the Mystery Spot you will be stunned as your perceptions of the laws of physics and gravity are questioned. To find out more, myself and two SFGATE reporters, Madeline Wells and Joshua Bote, decided to set out for Santa Cruz to experience the mysteries for ourselves.

After an hour and a half drive south from the city, we eventually reached the redwood forests, where there was as much beautiful scenery as there wasnt cell service. We knew wed reached the right place when we pulled into a parking lot with two cars completely covered in the famous yellow bumper stickers.

Jasmine Garnett/SFGATE

The Mystery Spot, established in 1941 by George Prather, was listed as a California Historical Landmark in 2014. The destination  sold as a "tilt-box" or "gravity house" roadside attraction  was one of the first of its type in California and gained popularity in the mid-20th century.

Running past a snack stand and gift shop, we joined our group of about 20 people at the base of a little hill, or what looked like a hill. Our guide was explaining that we were just on the edge of the Mystery Spot, and that we should start expecting gravity and physics to start acting weird past this point.

To demonstrate, she had two people stand on either side of a level board, one half of which was in the boundary of the Mystery Spot. The taller person standing on the outside was looking easily over the head of the shorter person. But once they switched places, the two were somehow looking eye to eye with one another. The crowd murmured in approval. Sorry, no refunds! said our guide.

As we walked up the hill towards a little cabin, our guide explained that the closer we were to the center of the spot, the more our bodies would tilt. At the center of the cabin wed be standing at a 17-degree lean. Thats four times more leany than The Leaning Tower of Pisa. You might feel a little dizzy at first, she said. Madeline, who had consumed between four and six adult beverages the night before, did not look happy.

Jasmine Garnett/SFGATE

Our guide let us loose to take photos once we reached the cabin. Full 17-degree lean activated, we climbed on ladders and tables and swung a giant (mysterious) pendulum around. Walking through the building, Josh said he felt "dizzy and amused." Just walking in a straight line took a lot of effort and felt like I was climbing at a steep incline.

Standing on furniture just amplified the disorienting sensation of feeling like I was constantly about to fall over but never did. Im going to black out, whispered Madeline after climbing down from a table.

Outside, our guide presented dubious theories to explain the miracles of science wed just experienced. Some thought an alien spaceship had crash landed on the site and was buried under the cabin, or maybe it was a hole in the ozone layer? The Mystery Spots website also lists a magma vortex, the highest dielectric biocosmic radiation known anywhere in the world, and radiesthesia as possible causes.

The theory that I know is that it's all just optical illusion, says former Mystery Spot tour guide Kevin Breakstone. Everything is tilted in a different direction, the fences are tilted, the trees are growing on a hill so they're tilted, the cabin you go through is at all different kinds of angles. I think the cabin comes from an old kit that they used to make way back in the day for Mystery Spots.

Jasmine Garnett/SFGATE

"So you're never at a level. And so your idea of what is uphill and what is downhill gets thrown off over time, and then the tour guide is saying certain things to make you think certain things are level or uphill or downhill, and doing things like getting people to stand on a bench in order from height, and then having them flip around and have it look like the shortest person is tall and the tallest person is short, and it's kind of all builds into this idea of the Mystery Spot being this mystical place," Breakstone said.

Breakstone was a tour guide back in 2005. As a student, the Mystery Spot sounded a lot more interesting than a typical temp job. It definitely seemed like he got his wish, as he mentioned that he once passed out during a tour and woke up in the hospital with his front teeth chipped. He learned how to do the job by shadowing other guides and figuring things out as he went along  including the optical illusions, which were never explained.

"They never sat down and said, 'Well the house is tilted this way, this board is tilted this way, it makes it look like this is happening.' You just kind of learn how to do the trick. So as a tour guide at first, you're kind of buying into it. And then over time, you're figuring it out as well. And you're never getting an official explanation."

Once in a while, a visitor would be convinced that the Mystery Spot was real. One doctor, he remembers, told him after a tour that she didnt believe it until she saw it with her own eyes. I wanted to tell her, It's not! But I didn't want to ruin her experience, says Breakstone. Maybe it's better to have that little sense of mystery still there, right? You want there to be some unexplainable things in life.

The Mystery Spot is open 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are $8 and can be purchased in advance at the Mystery Spot's website.
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP)  Raleigh police are investigating after two men were found shot on a busy road in a commercial area.

The Raleigh Police Department issued a news release that officers responding to a report of a shooting found the men wounded around 2:40 a.m. Sunday on a stretch of Milbrook Road near Capitol Boulevard. The area has a number of businesses.
PHOENIX (AP)  Hundreds of thousands of drivers will be getting $32 refund checks from the Arizona Department of Transportation.

About 200,000 checks are going out in the mail this month, worth about $6.6 million, according to ADOT.

The Arizona Republic reported that the refunds involve a controversial public safety fee that was part of vehicle registration costs that was approved three years ago and later rescinded.

Sen. Michelle Ugenti-Rita, R-Scottsdale, told the newspaper that she added the refunds into the state budget for people who paid the fee in June because ADOT should not have charged it that month after its repeal.

It is completely inappropriate for the legislative branch to give taxing authority to an agency, Ugenti-Rita said of the fee. There are a whole host of reasons this was just bad news all around.

Legislators approved the fee in 2018 to pay for the Arizona Department of Public Safety, which runs the state Highway Patrol.

Funding for the department previously had come from money that otherwise would have paid for road repairs and upgrades.

The fee initially was estimated to be $18 a year and was intended to free up money for road repairs. But the amount of the fee was not set in law and was left to ADOT to determine.

After ADOT announced the fee amount of $32, public outcry swelled and Ugenti-Rita and other lawmakers rescinded it the following year.

But the 2019 law repealing the fee left it in place for fiscal 2020 and fiscal 2021. The money all went to the Department of Public Safety and not ADOT.

The states fiscal year runs from July to June. People who register their vehicle in June have valid registrations through the end of June.

Ugenti-Rita said ADOT should have stopped charging the fee at the end of May, according to the Republic.

ADOT still charged the fee to those registering in June. Those people had registrations that were valid through June 30 and should not have paid the fee, Ugenti-Rita said.

Ugenti-Rita said she brought it to the attention of the Governors Office and received Gov. Doug Duceys approval to include refunds for those June registrations added to the state budget.

ADOT spokesman Douglas Pacey said processing the 200,000 refunds is about four-five months worth of work condensed into one month.

He said ADOT had to lease an additional printer to prepare the checks.

They are the ones that messed up, Ugenti-Rita said of the agency. They never should have charged the fee to begin with.
OPELIKA, Ala. (AP)  Catrice Hixon named her new Opelika coffee shop Melanin Cafe, and she wants people to understand the significance of it.

Melanin is the pigmentation in everybodys skin, she said. The difference with that is the amount of melanin. Its something that makes us all the same but different at the same time.

I want to celebrate the melanin thats within all of us.

The coffee shop is located at 1467 Fox Run Parkway and is open Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Its entire purpose, according to Hixon, is to bring peace within the community.

If we learn about each other, we can coexist with each other, she said.

Hixons husband, Jakyra Hixon, may not be an avid coffee drinker, but he wanted to support Catrice every step of the way, so he went from being a Hyundai engineer to a coffee shop co-owner and full-time barista.

Hixons sister, Crystal Slaughter, joined the couple as the cafes baker and serves up brownies, cream cheese danishes, cookies and red velvet cupcakes.

Instead of bearing the usual labels like plain caramel macchiato, every drink has a name associated with lesser-known Black contributors and landmarks.

We learned about Black history in school, but we only got civil rights, Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks, she said. I wanted to bring forward people we dont really know about, people like inventors, scientists and doctors.

The cafe even features local Opelika history on its menu.

The coconut-vanilla flavored Check-Up represents Dr. John W. Darden, Opelikas first Black doctor. His office became a local meeting hub for the community, and he treated patients throughout Lee County as well as inmates in the Lee County Jail.

Hixon recently decided coffee wasnt enough and added smoothies to the menu as well.

For example, the green-based smoothie known as Kowaliga represents an entire community. At the bottom of Lake Martin lies Kowaliga, Ala., a town that had the first ever Black-owned railroad. It flooded when the construction of Martin Dam was complete and Lake Martin was formed.

I just want to bring all of those people to the forefront so we know who they are and what they contributed to this country, Hixon said. Itll inspire us to do things because representation matters. If were not seeing people that look like us do different things, were not really inspired.

The Hixons also want Melanin Cafe to be a safe space for everyone to come together.

I just want this place to be inviting and relaxing. I want people to come check out the vibes and atmosphere, she said. You dont even have to order anything; just come in. All I want to be is a simple community with a sense of family.

Hixon wants to hold book signings and poetry nights. As of now, nothing is set in stone, but future events are in the works.

On top of owning a coffee shop, Hixon is currently a PhD student in biology at Auburn University. When Melanin Cafe closes for the day, she heads to campus.

Her academic background has pushed her to find a way to create a coffee shop that educates others.

Instead of sitting someone down in a classroom and telling them about Black history, I thought about doing it in a fun way, she said.

When customers ask her about a drinks meaning, she is able to give them the history behind the name. The result, she says, has been many positive conversations.

There is also a tab titled Culture Corner on Melanin Cafes website, where visitors can find the backstory of every drink in the shop.

I just want this place to educate people, inspire people and bring everyone together, Hixon said.
CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP)  Waiting on the sidewalk on Broad Street, Margaret Seidler held a copy of the book that led her to the woman she was about to meet.

After months of emails and long phone calls, theyd decided to convene in front of the bronze historic marker that was placed there early this year.

It explains how many of the buildings on that street had been auction houses used for the domestic slave trade. William Payne, who operated his business at that particular spot, brokered the sale of more than 10,000 enslaved people.

Seidler started working on the marker after uncovering something that had been unknown to her all her life: that her ancestors profited greatly from the domestic slave trade. Payne was Seidlers great-great-great-great-grandfather.

Getting the marker placed was one of her goals, with an aim to put more of Charlestons true history in plain view. But she knew she wanted to use her research for another purpose, too: to find and connect with descendants of people who were enslaved by the Payne family.

Going into it, she knew it wouldnt be easy to find them; most records she had of Paynes sales listed only first names.

And even if she found someone, there was no guarantee they would want to talk to her.

But, she figured, it was worth it to try.

THE SEARCH

Placing the marker was a puzzle in and of itself. The streets of downtown Charleston have been renumbered several times over the past three centuries. Actually pinpointing where Payne operated his business required detailed research.

The task of finding descendants was proving to be difficult, too.

It was when she started searching for references to Josiah Payne, Williams son who carried on the business, that she found something. A book on slaveholding in South Carolina mentioned a specific sale he made.

That passage cited names, and those names led to a family-owned funeral home in Bennettsville.

Seidler drafted a message and sent it to the email address listed on the funeral homes website, with the subject line: Historical Connections to the Morris Family.

My hope is to reach out to the Morris family and to explore the lineage of Caroline and Rosana Morris, siblings to Joseph Morris all born in Charleston, she began.

Briefly, she laid out how shed found their names and the connection to her family, whom shed learned werent who she thought they were  poor German immigrants from Charlestons East Side  and were actually traders of enslaved people who had profited greatly from the institution of slavery.

Would like to discuss with those who are interested, she wrote.

Then, she waited.

MAKING CONNECTIONS

When Mia McLeod, who handles communications for her familys funeral home in Bennettsville, received an email from a woman shed never met telling her shed uncovered a link between their families, she didnt really know what to think.

But McLeod dialed the number Seidler left at the bottom of the email, mostly because she knew thats what her late father, who was the family historian, would have wanted.

When Margaret answered the phone, she was elated to hear the call was in response to her email, then surprised to discover she recognized the name of the woman on the other end. McLeod is a state senator who previously served in the S.C. House of Representatives; she recently announced her run for governor.

During that first call, McLeod and Seidler talked for a long time. Seidler shared what she had found and how she found it.

The new information filled out a history that linked McLeods family to Charleston in ways she hadnt known. Up to now, the deepest dive her family had done into their history was what her dad had found. McLeod knew about her great-great-grandfather, Joseph W. Morris.

She knew Joseph was born in Charleston and had started his education there. She knew he went on to attend Howard University, then graduated from law school in Columbia and became president of Allen University in the late 1800s. She knew Joseph had been tapped to serve in the S.C. House of Representatives but had declined the appointment to continue his studies.

Already McLeod had been collecting more and more information about Joseph.

But what Seidler was telling her would change one detail of his story as McLeod had known it: Her family had always thought Joseph was born free.

The truth was more complicated.

THE BOOK

Larry Koger was searching for examples to include in his book Black Slaveowners, when he came across the Morris family.

Records show that in 1849, John Morris, a free Black man, bought his two daughters, Rosana and Carolina, for $300 from Josiah Payne. Then, in 1851, he bought his son, Joseph, and his wife, Grace, from William Bee for $500.

After being bought by their father, Joseph and his mother and siblings technically were still enslaved, but they likely blended into the free Black community.

Even though they had the stigma of slavery on them, they werent treated as slaves, said Koger. They were treated as family, just as you or I would treat family.

John Morris stated that his loved ones were free Blacks for the census, Koger wrote in his book, but he still paid the citys slave taxes.

At that time, an enslaved person could only be freed by an act of the Legislature, so it was a virtual impossibility for John to free his family in a legal sense.

If the laws were changed, he would have freed his family, Koger said.

In May, Koger presented research from his book to the S.C. Genealogy Societys Charleston Chapter via Zoom, and McLeod and some of her family members joined the call. Koger also recently gave a talk about his book to the Charleston Tour Association.

Its interesting, if a little weird, he said, to see a kind of resurgence in interest in his book, which he started working on when he was an undergrad.

Koger, who now is retired from a career mainly in law enforcement, continued working on the research as a graduate student at Howard University and published the book in 1985.

Just a few days before Seidler was supposed to meet McLeod, she serendipitously found Kogers book in the gift shop of the Cotton Museum in Bishopville.

She bought it, so McLeod could have her own copy and wrote an inscription inside, For Mia McLeod, my sister in S.C. history.

MEET AT THE MARKER

Late in the afternoon on Sept. 14, McLeod and Seidler stood together silently as McLeod read the marker for the first time.

Its unknown if John Morris had come to that spot to purchase his daughters from Payne, but its possible, Seidler said. Theres no record of where the sale occurred.

They embraced, and Seidler gave McLeod the book, pointing out a note shed written inside.

I got so much more than what I was expecting when I made that phone call, McLeod said.

She knew her roots in South Carolina ran deep, she said, but she couldnt have expected how her understanding of her family history would change after that first phone call.

Its been a gift, McLeod said. I think anytime we learn more about our ancestors, we learn more about ourselves and who we are and why we occupy the spaces we do.

I cant wait to read this, McLeod said, pointing to the book.

Theres still so much more to learn.
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (AP)  The animals at J.R. Equestrian in LeRoy know that Axel Riordan is different.

They knew his mother first because she works at the facility, but they have come to know her 3-year-old son, too.

The horses, the dogs, the kittens, the chickens  they all know the little boy in the wheelchair is gentle, needs them to be gentle, and will love on them when, and if, he can.

Lexi Worth knew Axel was different when he was about 2 years old. But she couldnt prove it to doctors, who told her there was nothing unusual going on with her son.

Around his second birthday, he started becoming weak while walking and was regressing instead of progressing like normal toddlers would, she told The Pantagraph in an interview. A lot of the doctors we saw turned us away. They said his muscles werent developed yet and this was all normal stuff.

It would take an emergency room visit months later, and a two-week hospital stay, for the right tests to be run on Axel.

In late 2020, he was diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder called metachromatic leukodystrophy. According to the Mayo Clinic, the disease affects the bodys nerve cells, causing symptoms that can include muscle rigidity, seizures and loss of vision. It is progressive and there is no cure.

Estimates project the disease affects anywhere from 1 in every 40,000 to 1 in every 100,000 births in the U.S. Worth only knows of one other family in Illinois whose child has received the diagnosis, and they live hundreds of miles away.

MLD, as the disease is called in short, can be diagnosed via a full panel of genetic testing and magnetic resonance imaging.

Gene test results can take months to get back, but Axels came back in a matter of days, Worth said, since he was hospitalized. Still, the information came too late for the family to do much of anything preventative.

It was Aug. 30, 2020, that we got the answers we were looking for, Worth said. His doctors printed off some papers ... and read a little bit to us: This is everything he is going to lose, theres no cure, theres nothing you can do to stop it, you just have to accept it.

Though Axels disease is rare, MLD Foundation President Dean Surh said his mothers story is not.

My favorite quote is Mom knows, he said. And then the doctor or the pediatrician very commonly will say, Oh, thats a little unusual, lets just keep an eye on that over the next three months.

The problem, Surh said, is that three months can make the difference between whether or not preventative treatment can be administered.

In Axels case, his diagnosis came too late for him to be eligible for any clinical tries or gene therapies.

Once those symptoms have shown up, theyre generally not eligible for therapy, because we dont have a way of fixing the nerves, said Suhr, who had two daughters diagnosed with MLD decades ago. We have a way of stopping more damage, but with fixing the nerves, it takes a while. Once you have one of these therapies... it takes six months or so before your your blood enzyme levels get up to where they need to be to actually stop the disease, or to slow the disease.

As Worth put it: If we would have done this testing maybe a week sooner, maybe he could have gotten (treatment), and thats something we will never know.

Axel sees specialists to treat his nerve pain and other issues. But there is nothing they can do to stop the disease itself, Worth said, so the family has adapted as best they can: They bought a larger vehicle so his wheelchair would fit, they budget extra time to go places and do things, and when they spend time outdoors, they figure out how to bring him along.

Everyone is just like, How do you do it? and Im like, Well, youll do anything for your kids, Worth said.

Worth has reached out to various MLD organizations for support and activism, which includes advocating for full-panel genetic testing of newborns.

Im just out there trying to make sure everyone has heard of MLD and get more people on our side and trying to get newborn screening, Worth said. Knowledge is power and so Im like, Everyone just needs to learn.

Unfortunately, Suhr said full-panel genetic testing is likely a long ways off in Illinois. While every state does screen newborns, the tests required by each state differ.

Its state health departments  the federal government doesnt say you must do this or you must do that in terms of what screens you do, he said. From an advocacy perspective ... we want families to come forward and just talk about the overall benefit of newborn screening; that really helps with getting these new these new screenings launched state by the state.
CAL-NEV-ARI, Nev. (AP)  There isnt much in Cal-Nev-Ari besides a cluster of homes, some businesses and an unpaved airstrip.

But the towns new dominant property owner believes the desert outpost might have something else: an underground river of sorts that doesnt run dry.

Jerry Tyler, president of mining firm Heart of Nature, told the Las Vegas Review-Journal there appears to be something like a river flowing beneath the remote community south of Las Vegas, and that it replenishes when water is pumped out.

We could have an unlimited amount of water, he said during an interview in Cal-Nev-Aris casino and restaurant building. Its not like theres just one amount that once we take it all out, were out.

Tylers group controls a speck of a town off U.S. Highway 95 that many people in Las Vegas, some 70 miles (112 kilometers) away, have probably never heard of or stopped to see. But the buyers could be sitting on plenty of water in a region grappling with drought.

Tyler doesnt know how much water flows beneath Cal-Nev-Ari. But the quality is high, and the natural resource was a big draw for the buyers, he said during a recent telephone interview with the Review-Journal.

The quality of the water, and the potential abundance of it, was a key reason why we bought the town, he said.

Heart of Nature majority owner Universal Green Technology acquired the bulk of Cal-Nev-Ari in late July for $8 million from town co-founder Nancy Kidwell, buying just over 550 acres (220 hectares) of mostly vacant real estate.

The towns water provider, Kidwell-owned Spirit Mountain Utility Co., boasts 32.8 million gallons (124.2 million liters) of annual water rights. It uses far less, having sold nearly 9.5 million gallons (36 million liters) last year, state records show.

Fred Marik, a former listing broker for Kidwells holdings in Cal-Nev-Ari, said the water quality is phenomenal, and he indicated several prospective buyers had viewed it as something that could be sold.

Cal-Nev-Aris water system uses a 200,000-gallon (757,000-liter) main storage tank and a network of service lines. It supplies 123 customers, the vast majority of which are single-family homes, according to a 2019 filing with the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada.

Just 244 people lived in Cal-Nev-Ari as of 2010, the U.S. Census Bureau reported.

Kidwell, who is in her 80s, sold her holdings after years of trying. She told the Review-Journal she never assessed the volume of water underground.

But, she noted, she pumped plenty of water for Nevada Department of Transportation projects, and the wells never drew down.

Kidwell and late husband Everette Slim Kidwell founded Cal-Nev-Ari in the mid-1960s, having noticed its then-abandoned airstrip while flying by. They acquired 600-plus acres (243-plus hectares) from the federal government and named the town after its home state and the two nearby.

Kidwell is selling the water company to Tylers group, a deal that requires approval from the Public Utilities Commission, she said.

The buyers already acquired hundreds of acres of land in Cal-Nev-Ari, including its airstrip, RV park, mobile home park, motel, convenience store and casino and restaurant building.

Tyler, who sells products for the agricultural industry, plans to build a 100,000-square-foot (9,290-square-meter) processing facility in Cal-Nev-Ari and would use water for his business, including for liquid fertilizers.

He also envisions more restaurants, a larger hotel and homes for staffers who work at his plant. He wants to pave the airstrip to attract more pilots.

Water is a pressing issue in the fast-growing desert metropolis of Las Vegas, underscored by the visible bathtub ring at nearby Lake Mead, the countrys largest reservoir.

Lake Mead supplies about 90% of southern Nevadas water and is set to experience its first federally declared water shortage next year, triggered by water level projections that will force Nevada to slash its allocation of Colorado River water in 2022.

In Cal-Nev-Ari, however, Tyler said his group is pretty confident it wont run out of water anytime soon.

When you look at this dry desert, the last thing you think about is water, he said, but theres quite a bit of water under the ground.
WORCESTER, Mass. (AP)  More than 160 people were expected to participate in a charity walk to raise money for the fight against ALS in Worcester.

The goal of the Walk to Defeat ALS on Sunday is to raise $100,000 to bolster no-cost services like support groups, home visits, insurance counseling, referrals to community resources, durable medical equipment loans, the Care Connection program, education and more.
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP)  School districts around Connecticut are holding their breath as more than 200 school bus driver could walk off the job in response to a vaccination mandate that goes into effect Monday.

That could worsen an already problematic driver shortage that is affecting school districts in the state and around the country. School superintendents are warning parents that buses may experience significant delays, and are suggesting parents drive their kids to school, the New Haven Register reported.
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP)  Alabama lawmakers return to Montgomery on Monday to vote on a $1.3 billion prison construction plan proponents say will help address the states longstanding problems in corrections, but critics argue the troubles go much deeper and wont be remedied with brick, mortar and bars.

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey called a special session next week for lawmakers to vote on the construction plan as well as a sentencing and supervision bill. Ivey said Alabama is risking a federal takeover of the prison system.

We are already under several federal court orders that impose certain mandates and Department of Justice is getting ever so close to intervening. These federal mandates take critical funds away from hard-working Alabamians and their families which is something I wont continue to allow to happen as your governor, Ivey said in a speech this week.

Ivey said the main issue is our prison infrastructure is growing worse day by day and is not capable of truly rehabilitating inmates. But advocacy groups and lawmakers say the plan does not address the underlying problems.

Rep. Chris England, D-Tuscaloosa, said unless the state takes on substantive sentencing reform and makes leadership changes, well just have shiny new buildings, with old problems.

The Department of Justice last year sued Alabama, saying the state prisons for men are riddled with prisoner-on-prisoner and guard-on-prisoner violence. The lawsuits came after the Justice Department issued reports describing a culture of violence and listed a litany of incidents including a prison guard beating a handcuffed prisoner in a medical unit while shouting, I am the reaper of death, now say my name! as the prisoner begged the officer to kill him.

The Department of Justice noted in the 2019 report that dilapidated conditions were a contributing factor but emphasized that, "new facilities alone will not resolve the contributing factors to the overall unconstitutional condition of ADOC prisons, such as understaffing, culture, management deficiencies, corruption, policies, training, non-existent investigations, violence, illicit drugs, and sexual abuse.

The state has disputed the Justice Department accusations.

Kenneth Traywick, an inmate who started Unheard Voices OTCJ to push for prison reforms from the inside, said the conditions are horrible, theres no doubt, but said the violence, suicides and overdoses occurring inside wont be solved by new buildings

Weve seen murders. There have been suicides. Ive seen overdoses, left and right, Traywick said.

Traywick said the main problem he sees from living here and watching it and experiencing it is the lack of incentives, such as rehabilitation programs and good time programs, that encourage good behavior. Good time, which can lead to slight sentence reductions, is not available to all inmates and a new program that rewards participation in vocational programs excludes most inmates.

Otherwise, the only thing they can do in here is be in the gladiator type mode all the time, Traywick said.

Stacy George, a corrections officer running for governor in next years election, said prisons are dangerously understaffed and officers are quitting because of the workload. George said the staffing shortage merits calling in the National Guard to get facilities under control.

I have to ask the question: Are we really running the prisons or are the inmates running the prisons? George said.

Prison construction is the centerpiece of the special session call, but it does include two policy changes: proposals to make retroactive both the 2013 sentencing standards and a 2015 law on mandatory supervision of inmates. Bennet Wright, executive director of the Alabama Sentencing Commission, said they are trying to determine how many inmates would be affected, but he expects that the number will much greater than the 200 they estimated last year.

Lawmakers are also looking at buying a vacant private prison in Perry County to house parole violators, instead of sending them back to prison and to provide programs to address substance abuse and mental health issues.

Alabama has been here before.

Alabama prisons were put under federal court supervision in 1972. The state built several new prisons while under court supervision. Nearly 50 years later the state is facing the threat of federal intervention again and is proposing new prisons.

Republican Sen. Greg Albritton said he expects the construction component to win approval next week.

I think there is a recognition in the body that this is the right thing to do. Our prisons are crumbling, falling apart really, Albritton said. But he added that facilities alone will not fix it.

"Weve got to get more people employed, not just guards but the mental professionals, the medical professionals.
LANSING, Mich. (AP)  Michigans Department of Natural Resources has signed an agreement to buy energy for seven state parks and offices in southwestern Michigan.

The deal with South Lyon-based Utopian Power will supply nearly 1 megawatt of clean energy to the parks and offices, the DNR said.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP)  A north Florida sheriffs deputy who was recently shot twice during a traffic stop died Sunday afternoon.

Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper said via Twitter that Deputy Joshua Moyers, 29, died at a Jacksonville hospital.

"Please keep Joshs family and fiance in your thoughts and prayers as we navigate this terrible tragedy, Leeper said.

Meanwhile hundreds of officers were scouring the area trying to find suspect Patrick McDowell, 35, who authorities say shot Moyers in the face and back during a traffic stop early Friday morning in Callahan. They later learned the vehicle was stolen.

The Nassau County Sheriff's Office released photos of McDowell's tattoos on Sunday, including one across his shoulders that reads Death Before Dishonor. Authorities also issued a Blue Alert, similar to an Amber Alert, hoping to seek information on McDowell's whereabouts.

Authorities are warning the public not to approach McDowell, saying he is likely armed and dangerous.

Investigators found a flashlight and a hat they think belong to McDowell. They previously found a gun that they believe was used to shoot a police dog during the search on Friday, The Florida Times-Union reported.

The search for McDowell includes 300 investigators from multiple law enforcement agencies in the state, the newspaper said.

Police organizations including the Fraternal Order of Police and the Florida Sheriffs Association are offering more than $50,000 for information leading to McDowells arrest.
Jim Young/AP

CHICAGO (AP)  A former Northwestern University professor is set to stand trial in the stabbing death of his boyfriend as part of what prosecutors said was a sexual fantasy he shared with another man who was charged in the case.

Jury selection, opening statements and testimony from at least one witness were expected to happen Monday in the trial of 47-year-old Wyndham Lathem, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.
WOODSON TERRACE, Mo. (AP)  The FBI has opened an investigation into the arrest of a Black man in Missouri during which cellphone video shows three white officers allowing a police dog to repeatedly bite him.

Woodson Terrace police Chief Randy Halstead said in an email to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that his department was fully cooperating with the investigations being conducted by the FBI and the St. Louis County prosecutors office into last week's arrest.
TRENTON, N.J. (AP)  Officials in Trenton are asking for help from the public in finding those responsible for a shooting in New Jersey's capital city that killed a 15-year-old girl and wounded three other people over the weekend.

Authorities said the gunfire on Bellevue Avenue near North 25 Housing was reported at about 6:45 p.m. Saturday. Officials said the 15-year-old girl was killed and a 17-year-old was wounded along with a 19-year-old and a 20-year-old.
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP)  Deported from the United States, Pierre Charles landed a week ago in Port-au-Prince, a capital more dangerous and dystopian than the one hed left four years before. Unable to reach his family, he left the airport alone, on foot.

Charles was unsure how to make his way to the Carrefour neighborhood through a city shrouded in smoke and dust, often tolling with gunfire from gangs and police. On the airport road, the 39-year-old laborer tried unsuccessfully to flag down packed buses. He asked motorcycle drivers to take him but was told again and again that the trip was too risky.

Finally, someone agreed to take him as far as a bus stop.

I know there are barricades and shootings, Charles said as he took off into the unknown, but I have nowhere else to go.

_____

This story is part of a series, Haiti: Business, politics and gangs, produced with support from the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting.

____

At least 2,853 Haitians deported from Texas have landed here in the last week with $15-$100 in cash handouts and a good luck out there from migration officials -- many setting foot in the country for the first time in years, even decades.

More than a city, Port-au-Prince it is an archipelago of gang-controlled islands in a sea of despair. Some neighborhoods are abandoned. Others are barricaded behind fires, destroyed cars and piles of garbage, occupied by heavily armed men. On Saturday, a local newspaper reported 10 kidnappings in the previous 24 hours including a journalist, a singers mother and a couple driving with their toddler, who was left behind in the car.

Even before the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in July, the government was weak -- the Palace of Justice inactive, congress disbanded by Moise and the legislative building pocked by bullets. Now, although there is a prime minister, it is absent.

Most of the population of Port-au-Prince has no access to basic public services, no drinking water, electricity or garbage collection. The deportees join thousands of fellow Haitians who have been displaced from their homes, pushed out by violence to take up residence in crowded schools, churches, sports centers and makeshift camps among ruins. Many of these people are out of reach even for humanitarian organizations.

Of the more than 18,000 people the United Nations counts among those displaced in Port-au-Prince since gang violence began to spike in May, the International Organization for Migration only has access "to about 5,000, maybe 7,000, said Giuseppe Loprete, head of the IOM mission here. We are negotiating access to the rest.

This is the Port-au-Prince that awaits the deportees. Here are snapshots of a city that is far from welcoming.

___

Elice Fleury didnt pay much attention to the people running and shouting outside his bakery until he heard the bursts of gunfire. When he looked out the door on June 2, he saw heavily armed masked men pulling people out of their homes and taking control of his Martissant neighborhood.

The main road in Martissant is a strategic artery that connects the Haitian capital with the south of the country. The gang wanted control. They had surrounded the neighborhood that lies between mountains and the sea in a well-planned occupation, and were firing on the police station. When Fleury saw the officers fleeing instead of facing the armed men, he called his wife.

I cant get out, she told him.

Fleury spent that night in a nearby square with other neighbors, talking to his wife by telephone -- their children crying in the background -- as she explained that the gunmen had fired tear gas, searched house by house and were patrolling the streets.

A day later, the family escaped, leaving everything behind, and reunited in a temporary shelter.

Three months later, the Fleurys languish in that temporary shelter, sleeping on the floor of a sports center a few miles from the house to which they neither can nor want to return.

Martissant has become one of the disconnected islands in the capital. Buses carrying people and merchandise from Port-au-Prince to the south of the country form convoys to travel through Martissant, often waiting for hours and sometimes overnight until they pay the gang members for clearance to travel, according to drivers.

Doctors Without Borders was forced to shut down its hospital in Martissant, where the agency had provided care for the last 15 years.

Seidina Ousseni, Head of the mission, describes the situation on the ground of Port-au-Prince in two words: Urban warfare.

Most of the city in different degrees is facing the same circumstances, Ousseni said. Residents organize themselves to defend their neighborhoods and when they are not capable of doing it, they have to abandon the place.

Two weeks after the Martissant attack, gunmen laid siege to an encampment called La Piste along the coast north of the capital, a neighborhood of deaf and disabled Haitians relocated there by the International Red Cross after the 2010 earthquake leveled the capital.

This time it was the police leading an assault at dusk, according to residents and a United Nations account.

My son was playing cards outside when I heard the gunshots, said Marie Jaquesmel, 70. The police entered from different directions and started firing tear gas and shooting, we could only run.

With 139 houses set fire behind her, she lost track of her 28-year-old son, who is deaf and cannot speak. I dont know if he is dead or alive, the only thing I saw is that those men were policemen.

Now she is twice displaced, this time without her son to help provide food. She shares a cramped school with 315 families from La Piste, living in despair. Jaquesmel holds a photo of her son to her forehead and weeps. Can you please help me find him?

Joseph Dieu Faite, 56, a blind leader of the displaced residents of La Piste looks toward the horizon with eyes wide open, as if he were seeing a monster. The attack, he explains, was police retaliation against civilians living in a gang-controlled neighborhood.

There were some gangsters there, I have to acknowledge that, but the police did not ask, did not say a word, did not make a difference, just evicted us and then took matches and gasoline and burned our houses one by one, Faite said.

___

Justin Pierre June, 31, an articulate law student who arrived in Port-au-Prince on the first deportee flight last Sunday stood up to the IOM officers receiving them at the airport.

This is not the right moment to deport us to Haiti. Haiti is not ready to receive deportees because its situation is chaotic, he shouted. This country is in a political, social, security and economic crisis, we are surrounded by gangs from all sides. ... We should have been allowed to apply to become refugees

More than 100 fellow deportees clapped in support. His sentiments were seconded 72 hours later by Philipo Grandi, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, who questioned the US mass expulsions of individuals...without screening for protection needs. Grandi said that international law forbids the return of individuals to a country in such dangerous chaos.

The US has had a checkered history with the nation since Haitians freed themselves from slavery and French colonial rule at the start of the 19th century. Americans occupied Haiti for nearly two decades in in the 20th Century. Since then, through coups and earthquakes, US leaders and the international community have both contributed to chaos and tried unsuccessfully to rebuild the country.

All the while, Haitian immigrants made their way to US shores by sea to Florida or through Mexico to Texas.

On Thursday, the US Special Envoy to Haiti, Dan Foote, resigned, saying he could not defend a policy of deporting Haitians back to a country where American officials are confined to secure compounds because of the danger posed by armed gangs to daily life. The policy will backfire, he said: Surging migration to our borders will only grow as we add to Haiti's unacceptable misery.

___

There could be as many as 100 gangs in Port-au-Prince; no one has an exact count and allegiances often are violently fluid. One of the most powerful groups is the G9 coalition of gangs led by Jimmy Cherizier, alias Barbecue, a former policeman turned gangster. His power seems to have increased since the assassination of the president last July, which he condemned, and there is even talk he may enter politics.

Downtown, Barbecues gang coalition controls the empty streets around the judiciary and legislative buildings, and all streets east to the coast. They open and close movement through the city center at will. Not far from the National Palace, residents of the adjoining Bel Air neighborhood dont support Barbecues gang any more than they do the police, so they defend themselves against both.

Jean Baptiste Nevelson, 49, a spokesperson for Bel Air, nods toward the sea and G9s territory and says, We are afraid of the group down there, they put pressure on us every day.

Nevelson, who holds no weapon but gives orders to some men who do, adds, We do not trust any government, we do not trust the police. We only have ourselves ... to be honest, we arrived at a point where this neighborhood can only be defended by our weapons.

In half an hour of conversation, punctuated by several rounds of gunfire not too far away, he links the violence they are suffering to poverty and politics. The state does not provide, we have no water, no schools, no electricity, no jobs. Many people used to go sell in the market and now they have been cut off by our enemies and cannot get there, so they stay here jobless. They are hungry.

-----

Gangs control access to and from the port -- and, therefore, 80% of everything consumed in the island nation, according to port and business leaders. Merchandise coming out of the port is consolidated into convoys that must cross gang-controlled areas and face daily assaults as well as extortions. Sometimes groups of teenagers jump onto one of the trucks and cut the plastic, sending bags of cement and other goods to the street, where they are whisked away to houses.

The drivers dont dare stop.

The wealthy of Port-au-Prince live in the hillside eastern suburb of Petion-Ville in gated and privately guarded homes, largely protected from the violence and cost of payoffs. But the poor suffer rising prices and bottlenecks. When food and fuel deliveries are stalled, prices rise and lines at gas stations grow into the hundreds.

In La Saline, in front of the main port entrance, a neighborhood partially burned by a gang two years ago, dozens of kids are barefoot, even naked, and beg for food and water. Warehouses and police stations have been looted. Traffic circles have burned tires and material piled up for barricades.

The citys main food market, Croix des Bosalles, extends from the southern entrance of the port to the parliament, on ground where enslaved people were sold before independence. To enter the market today, one must walk through a gang gauntlet. First, one passes half a dozen young men with long weapons, phones in hand, earphones in one ear. Then, by a larger group sitting atop of the burned-out box of a trailer.

The floor of the market is thick with decomposing trash and, in some places, small fires of burning trash. Each footstep on the spongy ground seems to release fumes of decay into already fetid air.

Although the market is crowded, only about a third of the previous vendors and shoppers have been able to make their way out of their neighborhoods or through downtown to get there. The atmosphere is dense, angry, and full of resentment. Women alternately shout go away from here, or beckon an outsider to take a closer look: How can a person live in these conditions?

In a matter of minutes, a 30-year-old man dressed in black and dreadlocks identifies himself as security and offers a guided walk through areas that would not be possible to access without his company. Andy -- he only gives one name -- points to bananas, carrots, lettuce or lemon. They are sold from broken stalls or piles on the ground, not far from discarded chicken feet, entrails and empty plastic water bags. Look at how we live in Haiti. The government has left us in this state. No human being deserves this. Thats why we have to organize ourselves, Andy said.

His polite tour comes to an abrupt end when other security men approach and tell him to stop. His tone changes just as suddenly. There could be an attack at any moment, you cant be here, go away, go away, go away, go away.

Indeed, it seems that violence can breakout at any time, in any random corner of the city. Angry mobs gather and dissolve, reunite and prepare for a new confrontation, while bystanders await the unexpected. They do not foresee a better life.

Nevelson, the Bel Air community leaders prediction: The future will be bad, chaotic, violent.
OLATHE, Kan. (AP)  A suburban Kansas City school district is investigating after a student asked a girl to homecoming using an offensive sign referencing Black people.

A picture of two white students holding the sign and smiling that was posted online drew sharp criticism on social media, according to the Kansas City Star.

School officials in Olathe, Kansas, said they are working to contact everyone involved, including the parents of the students.

The type of behavior displayed in the social media post does not meet the expectations of our core values," Olathe South High School Principal Dale Longenecker said in a letter sent to parents. "Any behavior like this will be immediately addressed in accordance with our Student Code of Conduct.

A copy of the photo posted on Twitter was criticized by Arizona Cardinals Isaiah Simmons, who grew up in Olathe.

This is disgusting. Sad that people think this is funny or acceptable, he wrote. Very disappointing and honestly just sad to see this kind of stuff happening in my hometown. I hope this is handled in the correct manner.
WASHINGTON (AP)  Rep. Liz Cheney says she was wrong to oppose gay marriage in the past, a stand that once split her family.

Cheney, R-Wyo., a fierce critic of fellow Republican Donald Trump, also tells CBS News' 60 Minutes that she views her reelection campaign as the most important House race in the nation as forces aligned with the former president try to unseat her. She voted to impeach Trump over his role in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.

In the interview aired Sunday night, Cheney said she had little affection for President Joe Biden, who she believes has embraced harmful polices for the economy and national security with the Afghanistan withdrawal. But the alternative cannot be a man who doesnt believe in the rule of law, and who violated his oath of office, Cheney said.

The daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney was an ascendant Republican leader before the Jan. 6 riot, yet she is increasingly defined by her public opposition to Trump and his hold on the GOP. Cheney, 55, noted that she still talks with her father every night and that they share the same views on rejecting Trump.

Liz Cheney famously broke with her family in 2013 by opposing gay marriage ahead of a failed Senate bid. Her objections caused a rift with her sister, Mary, a married lesbian. Mary's spouse, Heather Poe, posted on Facebook that year that Cheney's position was offensive and that I always thought freedom meant freedom for EVERYONE.

In the interview, Cheney said her opposition to gay marriage was misguided and she channeled her sister-in-law's Facebook post in explaining why she changed her position.

I was wrong. I was wrong," she said. Its a very personal issue  and very personal for my family. I believe that my dad was right. And my sister and I have had that conversation ... Freedom means freedom for everybody.

While still opposed to gun control, abortion and the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, the Wyoming congresswoman finds herself on the outs for voting to impeach Trump after his Jan. 6 rally preceded a mob storming the Capitol in hopes of overturning his reelection loss to Biden. Trump continues to falsely claim election fraud in spite of results being certified by states and Republican election officials and courts rejecting dozens of legal challenges.

After voting to impeach Trump, Cheney lost her leadership post as chair of the House Republican Conference. Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi put her on a nine-person committee to investigate the Jan. 6 assault and she serves as vice chair.

Trump has vowed to defeat Cheney in next year's primary election by backing Republican Harriet Hageman, an attorney. Cheney, seeking a fourth term, said nothing less than the authority of the Constitution is at stake.

I think its going to be the most important House race in the country in 2022. And  and it will be one where people do have the opportunity to say, We want to stand for the Constitution, Cheney said. A vote against me in this race, a vote for whomever Donald Trump has endorsed, is a vote for somebody whos willing to perpetuate the big lie, somebody whos willing to put allegiance to Trump above allegiance to the Constitution, absolutely.

The Wyoming congresswoman criticized House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy of California for sticking with Trump after the assault on the Capitol.

What hes done is embrace Donald Trump, she said. And if I were doing what hes doing, I would be deeply ashamed of myself. I dont know how you explain that to your children. When you are in a situation where you have somebody who did what Donald Trump did, it is absolutely clear he cannot continue to be somebody you embrace.
NEW ORLEANS (AP)  The Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities is inviting people to join the new state poet laureates first public reading through two online venues.

Mona Lisa Saloy will read her work at 7 p.m. Wednesday. People can watch on Facebook or register for a public meeting on Zoom, the endowment said in a news release. Either way, the reading is free.
PORTLAND, Maine (AP)  Maine's wild blueberry growers had a bounce-back year this summer after struggling with low prices and small crops sizes in recent seasons.

The only commercial-scale wild blueberry growers in the U.S. harvest the fruit in Maine, mostly in the rural Down East region. The 2020 crop was less than 48 million pounds, and that was the lowest number since 2004.

But the 2021 season, which ended recently, appeared to be much better, said David Yarborough, emeritus professor of horticulture with the University of Maine. He said the crop was likely about 90 million pounds, which would be the most blueberries since 2016.

Growers had a better year in part because of the cool, wet July, Yarborough said. Hot summers and droughts have hurt the crop in recent years. It was also a good season for pollinators, Yarborough said.

Prices were also up to about 70 cents per pound to farmers, which would be an improvement of 10 cents from last year and more than twice the number from 2017, when prices cratered, he said.

A pretty good blueberry crop relative to the years we have had, Yarborough said. The growers should be happy - they haven't been happy for a long time, let me tell you.

Wild blueberries are smaller than cultivated blueberries, and they serve a slightly different niche in the market. While many cultivated blueberries are sold fresh, the vast majority of the wild blueberry crop is frozen. The berries are also used extensively in processed food products.

The U.S. competes in the industry with Canada, which also produces the fruit. The market has sometimes been rocky in recent years, with the price to American farmers falling to about 25 cents per pound in 2017 after several years of very large crops.

The wild blueberry industry faces numerous other threats, including that wild blueberry fields appear to be warming faster than the rest of the state of Maine. That could imperil future crops.

But the strong 2021 season is good news, said Eric Venturini, executive director of the Wild Blueberry Commission of Maine. The commission is working on strategies to help growers cope with future droughts, he said.

It was a very good year. We're looking at excellent quality berries this year. And record demand, Venturini said.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP)  Police in Virginia say a man suffered a life-threatening wound in a late-night shooting in a residential area.

The Chesterfield County Police Department said in a news release that the shooting happened late Saturday in a residential area southwest of Richmond.

Officers responding to a report of gunfire found the man with at least one gunshot wound. He was transported to a hospital.

Police didn't immediately release further details about what may have led up to the shooting.
GREENWOOD, Ind. (AP)  Another Indiana school board meeting was disrupted when residents refused to wear face masks while objecting to the districts requirement.

Sheriffs deputies were called to the Center Grove school board meeting Thursday night after those not wearing masks wouldnt leave so the meeting could start, the (Franklin) Daily Journal reported. Those protesting left after two deputies arrived.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP)  Police in Winston-Salem said a woman was wounded when suspects drove up to her house and opened fire before fleeing.

The Winston-Salem Police Department said in a news release that the shooting occurred early Sunday morning in a neighborhood northeast of downtown.
In April, employees in the office that runs elections in western Colorado's Mesa County received an unusual calendar invitation for an after-hours work event, a gathering at a hotel in Grand Junction. "Expectations are that all will be at the Doubletree by 5:30," said the invite sent by a deputy to Tina Peters, the county's chief elections official.

Speaking at the DoubleTree was Douglas Frank, a physics teacher and scientist who was rapidly becoming famous among election deniers for claiming to have discovered secret algorithms used to rig the 2020 contest against Donald Trump. Frank led the crowd in a rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner" and spent the next 90 minutes alleging an elaborate conspiracy involving inflated voter rolls, fraudulent ballots and a "sixth-order polynomial," video of the event shows. He was working for MyPillow chief executive Mike Lindell, he said, and their efforts could overturn President Joe Biden's victory.

Being told to sit through a presentation of wild, debunked claims was "a huge slap in the face," one Mesa County elections-division employee said of the previously unreported episode. "We put so much time and effort into making sure that everything's done accurately," the employee told The Washington Post, speaking on the condition of anonymity out of fear of retaliation. Peters, the elected county clerk, had expressed sympathy for such theories in the past, the employee said.

Over the course of the past month, in a lawsuit filed by the state's top elections official, Peters and her deputy have been accused of sneaking someone into the county elections offices to copy the hard drives of Dominion Voting Systems machines. Those copies later surfaced online and in the hands of election deniers. The local district attorney, state prosecutors and the FBI are investigating whether criminal charges are warranted.

The events in Mesa County represent an escalation in the attacks on the nation's voting system, one in which officials who were responsible for election security allegedly took actions that undermined that security in the name of protecting it. As baseless claims about election fraud are embraced by broad swaths of the Republican Party, experts fear that people who embrace those claims could be elected or appointed to offices where they oversee voting, potentially posing new security risks.

"I've always worried, working in this space, about people who want to harm our elections or sabotage them from the outside - the foreign actors trying to hack elections," said Mike Beasley, a lobbyist for the Colorado County Clerks Association. "I've never until now had to worry about what goes on on the inside. And now we've crossed that threshold."

Trump in recent months has endorsed several proponents of the "big lie" to become secretaries of state in key battlegrounds. And experienced election administrators at the local level have been fleeing their jobs amid skyrocketing stress and threats to their personal safety.

"If these local offices become weaponized in a way that subverts the free and fair election, then we no longer live in a healthy democracy," said Tammy Patrick, an election-administration expert and senior adviser to the Democracy Fund, a nonpartisan private foundation that seeks to strengthen voting systems.

The lawsuit was filed by Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold, a Democrat whose office supervises elections run by county clerks. It seeks to strip Peters and her deputy, Belinda Knisley, of their election powers, arguing that they were responsible for an "unprecedented security breach." For that reason, Griswold argues, Peters cannot be permitted to have access to county voting equipment.

Griswold alleges that an unauthorized person was given a key card and that Peters's office falsely claimed that that person was a county employee. Security cameras in the elections offices were turned off, Griswold alleges, before Peters and the unauthorized person swiped in on May 23 - a Sunday, the day the hard drive was copied for the first time.

After those events became the subject of an investigation, Peters stopped going to her office, saying she feared for her safety. From an undisclosed location, she urged one of her employees in an email not to speak with investigators - and to spread that message to other employees, according to the email, which was among numerous documents The Post obtained for this story through public records requests.

Neither Peters nor Knisley agreed to be interviewed for this story, and neither answered questions sent by email. Their lawyers have argued that at worst the two women committed "several technical violations of election regulations, none of which justify removal of an elected official." They have said that the two were within their rights to bring in a consultant, and that Peters and Knisley never authorized confidential data to be published online.

Speaking last week on a podcast aimed at conservative Christians, Peters acknowledged that she "commissioned somebody to come in" to copy the hard drives. The idea was to make one copy before a planned software update and another copy after, she said, and then to compare them to determine whether files necessary to investigate past elections were deleted.

Peters insisted her actions were necessary to protect election security - and she called on county clerks elsewhere to follow her lead and copy their own voting-machine hard drives. She alleged that she has become the target of powerful forces that do not want her to get to the truth.

"They will stop at nothing to shut this up," she said. "I'm willing to go as far as it takes to do what needs to happen. I mean, God's called me, He'll sustain me and He's surrounding me with His people. So, I feel very good."

Lindell told The Post that in recent weeks he has paid for Peters's lodging, security and lawyers. He hopes that other elections officials will come forward to join the fight.

"We want to get more Tinas," Lindell said recently on his twice-daily online show. "We need more Tinas out there."

- - -

Peters, who is in her mid-60s, spent years running a family construction company and at one point sold magnets and other alternative wellness products through Nikken, a multilevel marketing firm, according to her YouTube channel and an archived version of her website. In 2017, she decided to run for clerk in Mesa County, a Republican stronghold on Colorado's Western Slope.

Peters campaigned during the 2018 primary on a promise of shorter lines at the motor vehicle department. She beat her opponent, a longtime employee of the clerk's office, and was not opposed in the general election.

But the following year, Peters's office - beset by staff turnover - failed to collect and count 574 ballots that had been left in a drop box during a November 2019 election. Residents mounted an unsuccessful recall effort, the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel's editorial board called for her resignation, and the secretary of state sent a monitor, former Eagle County clerk Teak Simonton, to oversee the county's administration of a primary in the summer of 2020.

In a report to the secretary of state, Simonton wrote that Peters had been "distrusting, frequently rude and antagonistic," but that her staff was cooperative, hard-working and committed to integrity.

Simonton told The Post that while she found Peters to be difficult to work with, "there was nothing that I saw that gave me an impression that the election was being run illegally or unethically or with a slant toward certain candidates and not others."

After the 2020 presidential election, Peters initially declared that she was proud of the smooth, secure election her office had run. But her tone shifted as Trump and his GOP allies repeated baseless claims of fraud.

On Jan. 2, Sen. Patrick Toomey, R-Pa., published a series of tweets affirming Biden's victory and criticizing his Republican colleagues who planned to challenge it on Jan. 6. "UR Dirty or ignorant," Peters tweeted in response, the Daily Sentinel reported at the time. "You would be wise to learn the Constitution that you swore to uphold and to protect us from enemies 'foreign and domestic.' "

In early April, Grand Junction held a municipal election for four nonpartisan city council seats. The winners did not include any of the candidates endorsed by Stand for the Constitution, a far-right group that has unsuccessfully urged county officials to declare the county a "constitutional sanctuary" where federal laws do not apply. The outcome stoked suspicion in some quarters that the election results could not be trusted.

"When I started having citizens come to me and tell me that something didn't seem right ... I said you know what? If there's a 'there' there, we'll find it," Peters later recalled at a symposium Lindell organized to push election-fraud claims.

Seventeen days after the Grand Junction City Council election, Douglas Frank came to town. At the DoubleTree event, he said that Lindell had paid for his trip.

In an interview, Frank said that before his public talk, he met privately with Peters and members of her staff - one of a hundred meetings he estimated he has held in recent months with election administrators across the country. He said he told Peters that voter rolls in Mesa County included people who had died or moved elsewhere, and that fraudulent ballots have been cast in those people's names, a claim for which no evidence has been offered publicly.

"I sat down with her and showed her how her election was hacked, and she brought in all of her employees, one after the other," he said.

Frank said he spoke to Peters about an upcoming Dominion software update that he believed could delete the data they needed to prove the election had been rigged. He said he told her that she had a responsibility under federal law to preserve election records, including data from the machines.

"She said 'Well, how do I do that?' " Frank recalled. "I said, 'I'll put you in touch with people who can help you.' "

He said he relayed her request for aid to someone in Lindell's circle.

- - -

Because voting machines are not connected to the internet, their software must be updated manually, a tightly controlled process called a "trusted build." In Colorado those updates require passwords set by officials at the Colorado Department of State, the agency led by Griswold. Mesa County was scheduled to undergo its trusted build on May 25.

Peters wanted to let members of the public observe, but state officials denied that request, citing concerns about security and covid-19, emails show. The only people who could attend were authorized county election staff and officials from the department of state and from Dominion, a favorite target of election deniers.

On May 14, emails obtained by The Post show, Knisley requested that a county email address be created for a "Gerald Wood," a person she described to county IT staff as a "temp person for the Elections Department." She indicated that he should receive the same computer permissions as Sandra Brown, a manager in the elections division.

On May 18, a week before the trusted build, Brown told her contact in the state department that she would be one of the county staffers to attend the trusted build and that Wood would be the other. She listed his position as "administrative assistant," according to an email obtained by The Post.

According to county officials, no one by that name was actually hired as an employee or contractor. Brown did not respond to voice-mail messages. County officials have suspended her with pay pending the outcome of the investigations.

At some point before the trusted build, security cameras were turned off, an action that was "outside of the normal business practice of Mesa County," according to Griswold's lawsuit. Documents obtained by The Post show that the director of the elections division asked the IT help desk in early June why the cameras were not working properly. She was told that Knisley had requested that the cameras be turned off until the end of July, the documents show.

Lawyers for Peters and Knisley have not disputed that the cameras were turned off but have said turning them off during that period was permitted under state election rules.

On Sunday May 23, the day Griswold says the hard drive was first copied, key cards assigned to Peters, Brown and Wood were swiped to enter the election division area of the clerk's office, according to security logs. Each card was used to access that area multiple times, with the first swipe just before 11 a.m. and the last at 8:38 p.m., the logs show.

Two days later, officials from Dominion and the state department visited Mesa County for the trusted build. Brown and Peters were there, security logs show, as was the person known as Gerald Wood. In a filing as part of the lawsuit, Griswold alleged that Peters falsely told state officials that Wood was a staffer transitioning to elections from the motor vehicles division.

During the trusted build, someone made a video recording and still photos, Griswold's lawyers later asserted in a court filing. Lawyers for Peters wrote that while she took a video and photographs, she never authorized any imagery from the trusted build to be posted online.

On May 26, another copy of the Dominion hard drive was made, according to a consultant's report filed in court by Peters's and Knisley's attorneys. Security logs show that key cards belonging to Peters, Brown and other county employees were used to access the elections room on that day. The card belonging to Wood was not.

In the weeks that followed, election deniers in Colorado began spreading the idea that Dominion and the secretary of state were wiping out data that was necessary to prove that prior elections had been fraudulent.

"Right now these people who've done this are covering their tracks, and they're doing it in a very quick manner," Sherronna Bishop, a Peters ally, told fellow activists during a June video conference call in which they discussed pressuring county clerks across the state to delay their software updates. The Post obtained a recording of the call.

In response to a request for an interview, Bishop, a former campaign manager for Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., asked for a list of questions to which she then did not respond.

A Gerald Wood who lives near Grand Junction also did not respond to several messages left on his home phone. Investigators have not disclosed if they believe Wood is the person who accessed the elections offices. His Facebook account shows he has liked one page: Bishop's.

- - -

The first public inkling that someone had leaked information from inside the Mesa County elections office came on Aug. 2. Ron Watkins, the former administrator of the 8kun message board where the QAnon conspiracy theory has been promoted, began to publish photographs of election equipment, images he said he had obtained from a whistleblower. He called the person who provided the images a "hero" who "went to excruciating effort to detail and archive everything possible."

Some of the photographs showed pages from a manual for upgrading Dominion machines, while others showed images of Dominion server screens. Watkins warned that he had to redact the images carefully, as a "minor slip-up could potentially dox the whistleblower."

Watkins wasn't careful enough. An image he posted showed a spreadsheet of sensitive passwords used to access various Dominion computers and servers. The passwords had been set by state officials, and they were unique to machines in Mesa County.

A week later, the two hard-drive copies appeared online.

The impact of the leak on the wider election-security landscape is a matter of debate. Some experts said hackers could use the leaked material to try to find vulnerabilities in widely used Dominion machines, while others said malicious actors probably already know how voting-machine software works. Either way, Colorado, like many states, uses paper ballots that can be counted to make sure that machine tabulations are accurate.

Inside the county, the impact of the leak quickly became clear. On Aug. 9, Griswold demanded that state officials be permitted to inspect Mesa County's equipment. Three days later, she ordered the decertification of 41 pieces of equipment. Five days after that, citing the breach, she appointed a supervisor to oversee the county's elections, and she barred Knisley and Brown from any involvement in county elections work.

During that same period, Peters was becoming a minor celebrity among election deniers. On Aug. 10, according to an email Peters wrote, Lindell had sent his private plane to pick her up in Colorado and take her to the symposium starting that day in South Dakota.

Lindell billed the 72-hour symposium as the venue where he would finally reveal detailed cyber evidence to back up the claims he had been making for months about the 2020 election.

No such evidence was presented, according to independent security experts who attended the symposium. But the event served as a coming-out party of sorts for Peters, who was cheered as a hero when she appeared onstage the first night. She claimed that the secretary of state, who had sent civil servants to inspect Mesa's equipment earlier in the day, had "raided" her office.

"In Colorado, we know we are a red state. We know we are," said Bishop, speaking alongside Peters. "We have 64 counties in Colorado, and we have one clerk who would stand up for us and fully investigate."

The following day at the symposium, discussion of the two Dominion hard drives from Mesa County was briefly interrupted by Watkins, who said his lawyer had advised them to stop talking because the hard drives may have been stolen from Mesa County. With the event streaming online, Watkins said his lawyer, Ty Clevenger, said they may have been stolen by Conan James Hayes - a former pro surfer who started working for Lindell earlier this year, Lindell told The Post.

Peters immediately took to the stage to deny that. "There was nothing, no hard drives that belong to our equipment that were taken off the premises," she said, "unless it happened during the raid."

A few moments later, Watkins again interrupted. He had more news. Clevenger had just told him that Hayes "did have permission to take the hard drive, but did not have permission to upload it." Clevenger had heard this update from Bishop, Watkins said.

Clevenger told the news outlet Vice that Hayes was Watkins's source for the hard drives. In an interview with The Post, Clevenger said he was no longer commenting on the matter publicly.

The drives' metadata show that the copies were created by a computer using the initials "cjh," two cybersecurity specialists who reviewed the hard-drive copies told The Post. Lindell told The Post he did not know anything about whether Hayes was involved in copying Mesa County's hard drives.

Attempts to reach Hayes were unsuccessful. Lindell said he would pass on a reporter's interview request to Hayes but warned that Hayes was unlikely to speak to The Post.

As Peters's national profile was rising in South Dakota, officials at home were obtaining search warrants to examine her cellphone data, take DNA swabs from election machines, remove Dominion equipment from Mesa County's offices and obtain records to determine who had had access to the secure tabulation room since Frank's visit in April, according to copies of the warrants reviewed by The Post.

The U.S. Election Integrity Plan, a group that has served as a key engine for election-fraud claims in Colorado, posted online copies of what it said were court documents related to the investigation. The records detailed a search during that same period of the home near Grand Junction where Gerald Wood lives. Investigators seized cellphones and other electronics, according to the document.

In a statement to The Post, the district attorney's office said: "We suspect the document you saw online is of the search warrant inventory but cannot confirm its authenticity as the case is sealed."

On Aug. 23, county officials suspended Knisley with pay after multiple complaints that she engaged in "inappropriate, unprofessional conduct in workplace behavior," according to documents filed in court. She was ordered to stay away from her office, and her access to the county's email and computer systems was disabled, documents show.

But two days later she was found in the clerk's office, where someone had used Peters's credentials to log in to her computer and tried to print documents, according to an affidavit from an investigator with the district attorney's office. Knisley was later charged with felony burglary and a misdemeanor cybercrime offense.

On Aug. 27, an employee in the clerk's office told Peters via email that she had been advised to alert the county's human resources department if Knisley showed up again. She asked Peters whether she should pass that guidance along to the rest of the staff. Peters advised her to "hold off" on spreading that message - and to instead spread another.

"No one has any obligation to speak to any law enforcement and are encouraged not to do so," Peters wrote. "They need to refer all to me and I will have our attorney be in touch with them."

By then, Peters had not been in her office or appeared publicly in Grand Junction for more than two weeks. In one email to a local television reporter, she claimed she had been advised to work remotely because of threats to her safety.

In an exchange with the county attorney, Peters wrote about her concerns that her computer had been removed from her office. The county attorney responded that he was surprised to hear from her given her long absence.

"You assume too much," she replied. "I am closer than you think."

- - -

On Sept. 16, Peters made a triumphant return home at a rally organized by Stand for the Constitution, the group that has sought to have Mesa County declared a "constitutional sanctuary."

After 38 days away, Peters arrived at a Grand Junction church in a black Suburban with dark tinted windows. She slipped in the church's side door and stood before a large wooden cross as about 250 maskless rallygoers jumped to their feet, clapped, waved and cheered wildly.

"This is all for you," she said, breaking into tears. "You're the ones who came to me and said 'something's not right.' "

The next day, lawyers representing Peters and Knisley countersued Griswold. They filed in court a report by their own cybersecurity consultant. It claimed the copied hard drives showed that during the trusted build, election records had been "DESTROYED IN VIOLATION OF THE LAW."

"There is nothing further from the truth," lawyers for Griswold's office wrote in their response. Some files were deleted during the trusted build, as would be expected during such an update, but they were not election records and were not required to be preserved, they wrote. Griswold's office had explicitly instructed officials in Mesa County and across the state to back up their elections files prior to the trusted build so those files wouldn't be lost, emails show.

The county's next election will be in November. Ballots will be cast on Dominion machines. Mesa County's three commissioners, all Republicans, recently voted to extend their contract with Dominion through 2029, saying they had seen no evidence of fraud.

Still, the ballots will be electronically tabulated twice, once on Dominion machines and once on machines made by another company, ClearBallot. They also will be hand-counted. Finally, images of the ballots will be posted online for all to see. Those steps were necessary to reassure voters, the commissioners decided, because of the suspicions roiling Mesa County.

- - -

The Washington Post's Jon Swaine, Magda Jean-Louis and Jennifer Jenkins in Washington and Nancy Lofholm in Grand Junction, Colo., contributed to this report.
Andrea M./Yelp.com

DES MOINES, Wash. (AP)  Authorities say three people were killed and three others injured in a shooting early Sunday outside a bar in Des Moines, Washington.

Police said shots were fired after a dispute between two people inside the La Familia Sports Pub and Lounge, just before 2 a.m.
NORWICH, Conn. (AP)  A Willimantic man was expected to face criminal charges after a car he was driving launched off a stone wall and flew through the air, crashing into the second floor of a multifamily home where someone was sleeping.

The crash occurred early Saturday in Norwich, police said. No serious injuries resulted from the incident even though the SUV came to rest a few feet from a bed and sprayed debris throughout the room, they told The Day. The person was taken to the hospital with minor injuries, police said.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP)  Florida authorities are investigating the death of a 9-month pregnant woman whose body was found Saturday in a city park.

First Coast New reports the body of Felicia Jones, 21, was found by someone walking in Jacksonville's Riverview Park. Investigators with the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office said they are treating the case as a suspicious death with foul play expected. They didn't say what led them to that belief.
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP)  Police in Raleigh say they've arrested a suspect in a shooting that resulted in the death of a 46-year-old man.

The Raleigh Police Department issued a news release Sunday saying that Jordan Delacey Andrews, 33, was charged with murder in the shooting early Friday morning. Jail records showed he was being held without bond.
HELSINKI (AP)  Police in Norway on Sunday reported dozens of disturbances and violent clashes including mass brawls in the Nordic countrys big cities after streets, bars, restaurants and nightclubs were filled with people celebrating the end of COVID-19 restrictions that lasted for more than a year.

The Norwegian government abruptly announced Friday that most of the remaining coronavirus restrictions would be scrapped beginning Saturday and that life in the nation of 5.3 million would return to normal.

The unexpected announcement by outgoing Prime Minister Erna Solberg to drop coronavirus restrictions the next day took many Norwegians by surprise and led to chaotic scenes in the capital, Oslo, and elsewhere in the country.

It has been 561 days since we introduced the toughest measures in Norway in peacetime," Solberg said on Friday at a news conference. Now the time has come to return to a normal daily life.

Rowdy celebrations by hundreds of citizens across Norway started Saturday afternoon and lasted until the early hours of Sunday. Police said unrest was reported in several places, including in the southern city of Bergen and the central city of Trondheim, but the situation was the worst in Oslo.

Long lines were seen outside Oslos nightclubs, bars and restaurants late Saturday and police registered at least 50 fights and disturbances during the night. Neither vaccination status certificates nor negative test results are required to enter such venues in Norway.

Thats exactly what I predicted would happen, angry nightclub manager Johan Hoeeg Haanes in Oslo told Norwegian newspaper VG. It was a life-threatening situation in the city because they (government) didnt give us at least a few days advance notice. This was a dangerous situation, as police said all places were packed.

Among other incidents, Norwegian media reported that police received an alert about a man carrying a machete on a bus in Oslo and people fainting while waiting to get into pubs in Trondheim.

There was a significantly greater workload (Saturday) than during the summer. There were a lot of people out already in the afternoon and it continued during the night, Oslo police spokesman Rune Hekkelstrand told the Norwegian public broadcaster NRK.

Solberg responded to criticism of the sudden move to reopen society by saying that Norwegian health experts had supported the measure.

We shall not have strict (coronavirus) measures unless they are professionally justified. People must be allowed to live as they wish, Solberg told VG late Saturday.

Norway is the second country in Nordic region to lift COVID-19 restrictions after Denmark did so on Sept. 10.

More than 76% of Norways population have received one vaccine dose, and nearly 70% have had both shots, according to official figures.

___

Follow all of APs pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic
KIGALI, Rwanda (AP)  Theoneste Bagosora, a former Rwandan army colonel regarded as the architect of the 1994 genocide in which more than 800,000 ethnic Tutsi and Hutus who tried to protect them were killed, died in a hospital in Mali on Saturday.

His son Achille Bagosora announced the death in a Facebook post: Rest in Peace, Papa.

Bagosora was serving a 35-year sentence after being found guilty of crimes against humanity by the then-International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. Bagosora, 80, had been sentenced to life in 2008 but on appeal his sentence was reduced to 35 years in prison.

Known as a hardliner within the National Republican Movement for Democracy and Development party of Rwandan President Juvenal Habyarimana, Bagosora in 1993 was appointed cabinet director in the defense ministry and took control of military and political affairs in the country.

The position made him answerable only to the president. When the president died in a plane crash, Bagosora took over the affairs of state and ordered the massacre of Tutsi, Donat Rutayisire, a genocide survivor who knew him, told The Associated Press.

Canadian Gen. Romeo Dallaire, head of United Nations peacekeepers in Rwanda at the time, described Bagosora as the kingpin behind the genocide.

After the genocide, Bagosora fled into exile in Cameroon. He was arrested there in 1996 and flown to face trial in Arusha, Tanzania in 1997. His trial began in 2002 and lasted until 2007.

Bagosora was found guilty in connection with the killing of 10 Belgian peacekeepers and responsible for the deaths of the Rwandan prime minister and head of the constitutional court. He was also found responsible for organized killings of Tutsi at numerous sites in Rwandas capital, Kigali, and in Gisenyi in the west of the country.

Reacting to the news of Bagosoras death, Rwandas ambassador to the Netherlands, Olivier Nduhungirehe, said Bagosora didnt show remorse for his crimes.

The main reasons against Bagosoras request for early release were that he never accepted responsibility for genocide, showing no sign of remorse or regret; and that he is a man with a forceful personality who at times is unable to control himself, Nduhungirehe said in a Twitter post.

Bagosoras application for early release was turned down earlier this year, with the judge ruling that he had failed to demonstrate rehabilitation.
UNITED NATIONS (AP) 

Russias top diplomat on Saturday defended the Mali government's right to hire a private Russian military company to help fight terrorists, accusing French troops in the country of failing to get rid of them and scolding the European Union for demanding that the Russian mercenaries leave.

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the company has a legitimate right to be in the West African nation because it was invited by the transitional government, and insisted Russian government is not involved.

France and Germany have both objected to the presence of mercenaries from the Wagner Group, which reportedly is linked to the Kremlin, in Mali, which also hosts a more than 18,000-strong U.N. peacekeeping mission. Wagner has been accused of human rights abuses in the Central African Republic and involvement in the conflict in Libya.

Lavrov said France has announced it is reducing its force fighting extremists in Mali and the region. And in a stinging rebuke of their performance, he said, the French forces should have been combating terrorists who have established a presence in Kidal (in northern Mali), but they didnt manage to do that.

Terrorists continue to reign in that area, he told a news conference on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly's annual meeting of world leaders.

Mali has been trying to contain an Islamic extremist insurgency since 2012. Extremist rebels were forced from power in Malis northern cities with the help of a 2013 French-led military operation. However, the insurgents quickly regrouped in the desert and began launching frequent attacks on the Malian army and its allies fighting the insurgency.

The extremists have expanded their reach well into central Mali, where their presence has inflamed tensions between ethnic groups in the area.

Lavrov said the European Union has been announcing that Russia will be pushed away, deterred and engaged with.

So, he said, he asked EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell at a meeting on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assemblys high-level gathering: What will you engage in with us?

In June, Col. Assimi Goita was sworn in as president of a transitional government in Mali after carrying out his second coup in nine months. Mali faces increasing isolation from the international community over the juntas power grab.
LONDON (AP)  The deputy leader of Britains main opposition party refused Sunday to apologize for calling the governing Conservatives scum.

Labour Party lawmaker Angela Rayner called members of the government a bunch of scum  homophobic, racist, misogynistic during a reception Saturday at the partys annual conference. The comment drew a reprimand from Labour leader Keir Starmer, who said he would not use such language and will talk to Angela about it later on.

Conservative Party chairman Oliver Dowden said politicians should make politics better, not drag it into the gutter. Lets see if we get an apology.

But Rayner defended the comments, saying she had used street language to convey frustration with Prime Minister Boris Johnsons Conservative government.

Anyone who leaves children hungry during a pandemic and can give billions of pounds to their mates on WhatsApp, I think that was pretty scummy, she told Sky News, referring to controversies over support for poor families and the awarding of government contracts during the pandemic.

Rayner said she would only apologize if Johnson said Sorry for his past comments that are homophobic, that are racist, that are misogynistic.

Johnson has a long record of offensive comments, including calling Papua New Guineans cannibals and comparing Muslim women who wear face-covering veils to letter boxes.

The left-of-center Labour Party is holding its annual convention in the English seaside city of Brighton, seeking to chart a way back to power after more than a decade in opposition.

Starmer was elected party leader in April 2020, replacing the more left-wing Jeremy Corbyn, who had led Labour to two heavy election defeats. A lawyer from the partys center-left wing, Starmer has struggled to make an impact while the countrys attention was consumed by the coronavirus pandemic.

Hes now caught between two wings of the fractious party. Corbyn supporters want him to stick to his predecessors socialist policies of nationalization and spending hikes. But many Labour lawmakers think the party must veer to the center to win, as it did under former Prime Minister Tony Blair, who won three successive election victories.

Labour has been out of office since 2010, a decade that has brought the country three Conservative prime ministers -- David Cameron, Theresa May and Johnson.

Starmers conference speech on Wednesday is regarded as a key moment for the leader to unite the party  or face increasingly loud calls for his removal.
MADISON, Wis. (AP)  With more than 40 million doses of coronavirus vaccines available, U.S. health authorities said they're confident there will be enough for both qualified older Americans seeking booster shots and the young children for whom initial vaccines are expected to be approved in the not-too-distant future.

The spike in demand  expected following last week's federal recommendation on booster shots  would be the first significant jump in months. More than 70 million Americans remain unvaccinated despite the enticement of lottery prizes, free food or gifts and pleas from exhausted health care workers as the average number of deaths per day climbed to more than 1,900 in recent weeks.

Federal and state health authorities said current supply and steady production of more doses can easily accommodate those seeking boosters or initial vaccination, avoiding a repeat of the frustratingly slow rollout of COVID-19 vaccines across the country early this year.

I hope that we have the level of interest in the booster ... that we need more vaccines, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said Tuesday. That's simply not where we are today. We have plenty of vaccines.

Robust supply in the U.S enabled President Joe Biden this week to promise an additional 500 million of Pfizer's COVID-19 shots to share with the world, doubling the United States' global contribution. Aid groups and health organizations have pushed the U.S. and other countries to improve vaccine access in countries where even the most vulnerable people haven't had a shot.

Among the challenges states face is not ordering too many doses and letting them go to waste. Several states with low vaccination rates, including Idaho and Kansas, have reported throwing away thousands of expired doses or are struggling to use vaccines nearing expiration this fall.

While most vaccines can stay on the shelf unopened for months, once a vial is opened the clock starts ticking. Vaccines are only usable for six to 12 hours, depending on the manufacturer, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Moderna vaccines come in vials containing 11 to 15 doses. Pfizer vials contain up to six doses and Johnson & Johnson vials five doses.

We are going to see more doses that go unused over time, said Wisconsin's health secretary, Karen Timberlake. They come in multidose files. They dont come in nice, tidy individual single-serving packages.

State health officials said they have tried to request only what health care providers and pharmacies expect to need from the federal supply. Those numbers have dwindled since the vaccines became widely available in early spring.

But U.S. officials  holding out hope that some of the unvaccinated will change their minds  are trying to keep enough vaccines in stock so all Americans can get them.

That balancing act is tricky and can lead to consternation around the globe as the U.S. sits on unused vaccines while many countries in places such as Africa can't get enough vaccines.

Somebody sitting in a country with few resources to access vaccines, seeing people in the U.S. able to walk into a pharmacy and get that vaccine and choosing not to, Im sure thats causing heartache, said Jen Kates, senior vice president and director of global health and HIV policy for the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Dr. Marcus Plescia, chief medical officer of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, which represents the public health agencies of all 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories, said officials anticipate that on-hand doses of COVID-19 vaccines and manufacturers ability to supply more will meet needs across the country.

I think states have tried to plan as if everybodys going to be offered a booster, he said, suggesting they will be overprepared for the more narrow recommendations issued by the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

California, for example, estimated earlier this month that it would need to administer an extra 63 million doses by the end of 2022  if initial shots for children under 12 were approved and boosters were open to everyone.

U.S. health officials late Thursday endorsed booster shots of the Pfizer vaccine for all Americans 65 and older  along with tens of millions of younger people who are at higher risk from the coronavirus because of health conditions or their jobs.

California, with nearly 40 million residents, has the lowest transmission rate of any state and nearly 70% of eligible residents are fully vaccinated. That leaves nearly 12 million people not vaccinated or not fully vaccinated.

Dr. Mark Ghaly, California's health secretary, said the state will rely largely on pharmacies and primary care providers to give boosters to seniors while some large counties and health care groups will use mass vaccination sites.

In Pennsylvania, more than 67% of residents older than 18 are fully vaccinated. Alison Beam, acting secretary of health, said health authorities now have two missions: Continuing to persuade people to get vaccinated and serving those eager to receive a booster or initial shots.

Pennsylvania is going to be prepared, Beam said. "And were going to have the right level of vaccine and vaccinators to be able to meet that demand.

___

Foody reported from Chicago. Associated Press writers Scott Bauer in Madison, Wisconsin; and Patty Nieberg in Denver contributed.

___

Nieberg is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
ATLANTA (AP)  Atlanta's transit authority plans to host a nonpartisan voter registration event at several of its rail stations.

The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority, or MARTA, is set to host local nonprofit organizations who will help people register to vote at seven rail stations from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, according to a news release.

Voter registration will be available at the following stations: Five Points, College Park, Doraville, H.E. Holmes, Kensington, West End and Lindbergh Center. People wishing to register should bring a driver's license or state ID card or be prepared to give the last four digits of their Social Security number.

The effort is being organized in honor of National Voter Registration Day, which is observed on the fourth Tuesday in September.
KENOSHA, Wis. (AP)  A Kenosha pastor is fasting for climate change.

The Rev. Jonathan Barker, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church, stopped eating on Saturday and said he will continue the protest until Congress passes a climate bill.

Democrats pushed a $3.5 trillion, 10-year bill through the House Budget Committee that strengthens social safety net and climate programs. It's likely headed to full debate in the House.

The measure is a once-in-species-moment," Barker said.

As a Christian, I am called to be on the side of love for neighbor," Barker said. Love for neighbor means making sure my neighbor has a livable future, a family-sustaining green job, clean air to breathe, and clean water to drink."

Barker said he planned not to eat until the bill passes, but indicated he would take precautions. He said he will give up the fast if he drops to 6% body fat, the Kenosha News reported.

Im hoping the big climate bill will pass on Monday or early this week and then Ill be done, he said. If that doesnt happen, Im going to take this one week at a time and closely evaluate how I am feeling each week as I discern whether or not I can continue."
By Tran Nguyen

San Jose Spotlight

The hospitalization rate for unvaccinated Santa Clara County residents is 23 times higher than those immunized against COVID-19, new county data shows.

Between July 29 and Sept. 3, 464 people were hospitalized in the county due to COVID-19. This includes both county-run and private hospitals.

County officials told San Jose Spotlight 360 patients either were not fully vaccinated or unvaccinated. The county treated 104 fully vaccinated patients.

Unvaccinated patients skew younger, with a median age of 55, county officials said. In contrast, the median age among fully vaccinated patients is 73.

"This is consistent with everything we've seen," Dr. George Rutherford, a professor of epidemiology at UC San Francisco, told San Jose Spotlight.

According to an August federal study that focused on Los Angeles, unvaccinated people are 29 times more likely to be hospitalized than those who are inoculated.

The new data continues to reflect the trend that breakthrough cases are uncommon and are mostly driven by older residents and those with underlying health issues, county officials said. Breakthrough cases are when fully vaccinated people get infected with COVID-19.

"The underlying conditions... almost certainly made the vaccine less effective than in the normal population," said Dr. Julie Parsonnet, an infectious disease doctor at Stanford University.

People are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after getting their second shot of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or two weeks after getting the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

As of Friday, 83.5 percent of the eligible population, or more than 1.4 million people, are fully vaccinated in Santa Clara County. Data also shows 1,793 county residents have died from COVID.

Booster shots might help

Health experts credit the low number of breakthrough COVID-19 hospitalizations in the region to the high vaccination rate and mask wearing. The vaccines authorized in the U.S. remain highly effective in preventing serious illness, hospitalization and deaths.

But as the number of infections--including breakthrough cases--driven by the Delta variant surged this summer across the country, emerging data indicates the vaccines' effectiveness declines over time for some, especially older people or those with compromised immune systems.

This week, both the Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention approved the emergency use of a Pfizer booster dose for several groups of people: seniors 65 and older, residents of long-term care facilities and people between the ages 50-64 with underlying health issues.

CDC Director Rochelle Walensky overruled her agency's recommendation Thursday in order to also make the booster doses available to younger people with high-risk jobs, such as health care workers and teachers.

"(The booster shot) will have an impact on breakthrough hospitalization cases, especially with the vulnerable population," Dr. B. Burt Gerstman, an epidemiologist and professor emeritus of public health at San Jose State University, told San Jose Spotlight. "To what extent, I don't think anybody can quantify that yet."

But to effectively curb COVID hospitalizations--and eventually get out of the pandemic--the answer lies with the unvaccinated population.

"We need the unvaccinated people to get the vaccine," Rutherford said. "(The booster shot) takes care of a medium-size problem, but it doesn't address the root issue."

Residents now eligible for a booster shot can find a walk-in clinic or book an appointment here https://myturn.ca.gov/.

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.
After a giant price slice weeks ago, the star of The Bourne Identity, Matt Damon, identified a buyer for his long-time pad in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles, the New York Post reported. Last on the market for $17.9 million, the mansion is now marked as a pending sale.

The swanky spot failed to attract a buyer for months, after initially landing on the market at the beginning of the year for $21 million.

However, a $3 million discount renewed interest in the contemporary retreat and quickly sealed a deal. The A-lister picked up the property in 2012 for $15 million, still leaving him with a significant upside from the sale.

Now that the home is coming off the market, heres one last chance to take a peek at the movie stars posh property.

Atrium (Realtor.com)

Living room (Realtor.com)

Open kitchen (Realtor.com)

Formal dining area (Realtor.com)

Family room (Realtor.com)

Screening room (Realtor.com)

Expansive bedroom suite (Realtor.com)

Outdoor dining area (Realtor.com)

Wine storage and tasting room (Realtor.com)

Pool and sundeck (Realtor.com)

Built in 2004, the ultraprivate contemporary spans a roomy 13,500 square feet, and includes seven bedrooms and 10 bathrooms.

The large layout, featuring masterful craftsmanship and exceptional amenities, is set around a central atrium, and incorporates wood, natural stone, and natural light, for a warm feel to the Zenlike retreat.

Carefully considered details include 35-foot mahogany ceilings, glass doors that lead outside, and plentiful indoor-outdoor flow.

___

Watch: Leonardo DiCaprio Selling L.A. Tudor He Bought From Moby

___

The main area features a living room with a fireplace, a dining room that opens outside, and a family room that adjoins a chefs kitchen.

Upstairs includes the luxurious master suite, with dual dressing rooms, a private terrace, massage room, and spalike bathroom.

A neutral palette throughout features white walls and dark wood on the floors and ceilings.

Other highlights include include a game room, bar, office, gym, media room, staff quarters, as well as a wine storage and tasting room worthy of an "Ocean's 11" cameo.

Outside, the resort-style backyard comes with a pool, spa, waterfall, koi pond, and Hawaii-style lanai, along with dining and lounging terraces. At over a half-acre, the estate is among the most spacious homesites in Upper Riviera.

Plus, the ultraprivate and serene green space is also minutes to The Palisades Village and The Riviera Country Club.

Damon may be trading in La La Land for the Big Apple. In 2018, the actor reportedly nabbed a Brooklyn Heights triplex penthouse with a roof deck at the swanky Standish for $16,745,000, a price that reportedly set a record at the time.

The Academy Award winner can be seen in the movie Stillwater. Hes also starred in countless films, including the Jason Bourne franchise, the Oceans trilogy, and stand-out dramas including, The Martian, Ford v. Ferrari, and The Talented Mr. Ripley.

Eric Haskell with The Agency holds the listing.

The post Sold! After Slashing $3M From Pacific Palisades Pad, Matt Damon Finds a Buyer appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com.
You have not experienced San Francisco until youve zipped down its crowded streets in a Filipino tricycle while belting Earth, Wind and Fire at the top of your lungs.

This scenario played out on a recent Thursday afternoon in SoMa, when I joined artist Michael Arcega and filmmaker Paolo Asuncion on a joyride from St. Josephs Art Society to SFGATEs offices at the San Francisco Chronicle building and beyond (SFGATE and the San Francisco Chronicle are both owned by Hearst but operate independently of one another).

I sat in the sidecar of what the artists have dubbed the TNT Traysikel, a traditional Filipino motorbike with a covered sidecar. Im told its one of only four in North America, though a common sight on the streets of the Philippines.

Unlike most traditional tricycles, this bike comes equipped with a karaoke system, hence the belting as we zoomed down the streets. The ride was bumpy  in the sidecar you can really feel every nook and crevice of the road  but I hardly noticed as I went through my karaoke repertoire of Britney Spears, Marvin Gaye and Radiohead. I didnt stop smiling the entire time.

Courtesy Paolo Asuncion

Funded by a grant from the San Francisco Arts Commission, the tricycle is a thing of joy and laughter and song, but its meaning goes much deeper than that, especially to Filipino Americans for whom the bike is a relic of home (as is karaoke, a fixture at Filipino parties and gatherings, I'm told).

It marks the presence of the Filipino American community in the United States, Arcega told me a few weeks before the joyride. The more we outwardly project that, the more non-Filipino Americans will be inured to the idea that we are also Americans.

Indeed, dozens of people stopped to take photos and videos as we rode, every single one of them with a smile or perplexed look on their faces. Some people in cars or on motorcycles even danced or sang along with us.

People will try to get to us almost aggressively, make sure they get our attention, said Arcega. It's often a Filipino person going, oh, a tricycle, and wanting to take a picture. They stop us in the middle of traffic to get a picture, and cars behind us get upset sometimes.

Michelle Robertson/SFGATE

TNT Traysikel, which was gorgeously hand-painted by artist Michelle Meng Nguyen, stands as a very visible cultural marker in an area some San Franciscans may not know is the SOMA Pilipinas Filipino Heritage District.

Filipino Americans have made many significant contributions to both California and San Francisco. They helped kick off the United Farm Workers strike and forever changed the approach to affordable housing with the International Hotel strike in San Francisco during the 1970s. The TNT Traysikel serves as an essential, visible and mobile reminder.

Michelle Robertson/SFGATE

If its not zipping down San Francisco streets, you can find the TNT Traysikel at the St. Joseph's Arts Society, an art piece of its own, where Arcega and Asuncion host office hours on Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. (when you can try karaoke out for yourself). They also host regular MASSes  aka More Awareness Something Something  at St. Josephs, which, before it became deconsecrated, served a large community of Filipino Americans in San Francisco.

Upcoming MASSes, which I recommend you dont miss, include an Oct. 3 event focused on Filipino food, as well as an Oct. 17 event looking at Filipino performing arts, including comedy, comics and theater. To RSVP for contact tracing and food quantity, email info@saintjosephsartssociety.com.

Michelle Robertson/SFGATE

Currently, Asuncion and Arcega are working on a documentary about the tricycle. The film collects stories from Filipino Americans (and of course clips of them singing karaoke). Storytelling, Arcega told me, serves as a postcard to home for many.

Michelle Robertson/SFGATE

People will always tell stories when they see the tricycle, like, Oh the last time I was on a tricycle it was in the Philippines. Oh, my uncle is a tricycle driver. Oh, this woman that was like my family owns a bunch of tricycle, Asuncion said. Those anecdotal stories got us thinking that we need to start collecting narratives.

Recently, the tricycle went viral in the Philippines when a video of it crossing the Golden Gate Bridge was posted to social media, Arcega said.

We were fielding interviews weekly. We were on national television a bunch of times, talking about how this humble tricycle is so ubiquitous, its almost hated, Arcega said.  And suddenly, its on this incredibly iconic American bridge.
I had hoped to get an earlier start, but as we pulled out of my East Bay home and set off for a weekend in the Sierras, the Google map on my cars screen display was a messy web of bright red routes out of the city. My plan was to escape the city by Thursday, instead of the Friday, of Memorial Day weekend, so that my friend Rachel and I would avoid the Bay Area-to-Tahoe area traffic that Ive come to expect, and dread, in recent years.

But within moments of our departure, it became clear that the Interstate, I-80 in this case, would be a torturous, grinding crawl. I felt claustrophobic just looking at color-coded hours of stop-and-start pavement ahead of us.

Taking the road less traveled

Maybe the last year has done something to my, and maybe most of our, ingrained inclination to get where were going as quickly as possible. But when I noticed that an alternative non-freeway route would take roughly the same amount of time as the more direct I-80 that I typically take through Richmond and past Vallejo, Fairfield and Vacaville, I instinctively opted in.

Freda Moon

That drive, which Ive done many times, is typically about 25 minutes faster than the meandering route I impulsively took last weekend. That 25 minutes, Ill grant, makes a difference when Im itching to get as far as possible from the Bay  all the way to Tahoe or the Sierra foothills after work and before dark. But that itch, that desire to run as fast and furiously as one can, is a habit I encourage you to break.

Its a habit that feels ingrained in the dominant U.S. culture and our collective approach to travel, but one that it's time to shake. And not because of the pandemic, though thats certainly why a lot of us have upended our approaches to travel. But more because its a better, richer, fuller way of experiencing the world.

The interstate system is a quick way to deliver goods across the country and an ultra-fast way to get from one major city to another. Its also a terrible way to experience California.

In the case of my weekend away, Im convinced my three days in the Sierras were so much better and more fun than they otherwise would have been because I cut myself off from the pressure to get there now, now, now.

Rachel and I meandered along two-lane roads, atop levees, and through small towns.

Though we left late on a Thursday afternoon, it could have been a non-holiday Friday and the same advice would apply. I dipped out of work just a couple hours early (around 3 p.m.), but instead of trying to make it all the way to the mountains, our plan  from the get go  was stop for the night in Sacramento, the states woefully underappreciated capital.

Rachel was in town from New York City; however, she wasn't new to California. We met in college in Santa Cruz, but she hadnt spent time in this part of the state. For me, the stopover felt like an excuse to flaunt the many ways California defies stereotype and categorization.

Freda Moon

The trip we took  up over the Oakland hills on State Route 24, through the Caldecott Tunnel, and quickly through Concord, Pittsburg and Antioch  landed us in a place that looks less like the outer reaches of the Bay Area suburbs and more like another part of the country entirely. The Sacramento River Delta, with its elaborate levee system built largely by Chinese immigrant laborers, has a deep history and a compelling, unexpected beauty.

Unlike speeding along on the I-80, this route offers at least an introduction to the places we passed through, something I dont get while flying past Vacaville at 70 miles-per-hour. That city, one Ive driven by hundreds of times, remains a true stranger to me. But the places  small, historic riverside towns like Isleton and Locke  Rachel and I drove through, also in passing, on those two-lane roads, are places I have a sense of and an interest in. I dont know them. But I want to. This, for me, is the value of taking a breath  of taking a trip just a little bit slower, and of indulging in the occasional detour.

We stopped for fresh cherries  a buckets worth for $10 at a roadside farmstand  and sucked on them as we drove past historic farmhouses and narrow main streets lined with two-storey facades with Chinese architectural embellishments and old Western adornment. We passed marinas of Delta-style houseboats and riverfront parks crowded with multigenerational families, kids cannonballing into the muddy waters.

I would have loved to linger even longer, which is just a way of saying that Ill be back to those places. And who doesnt love the feeling of wanting more of somewhere?

Cruising into Californias Capital

By the time we re-emerged from these small side roads and caught back up to the interstate system at the I-5, it was nearly 5 p.m. It was still hot in the valley, but it wasnt painfully, scorchingly so.

Id reserved a room at the Kimpton Sawyer Hotel in downtown Sacramento. The hotel had been built as part of a massive new development, which included the Sacramento Kings' Golden 1 Center arena complex. Having first fallen in love with Californias capital a few years ago, reporting a story on the city for the New York Times while that big downtown project was still underway, I was both excited and, Ill admit, a bit apprehensive to experience both the hotel, and the citys downtown.

But in this case, Sacramento was not our destination  though Im certain it will be this summer. It was a deliberate stopover, a place to break up our trip and to sit out the hours of grueling traffic that would have awaited us on a drive into the mountains on what AAA had warned would be the busiest road-tripping weekend in some time.

If I was going to be sitting anywhere after work, heading into a holiday weekend, why shouldnt that place be poolside?

Freda Moon

Its all about the hotel pool

My fantasies about the Sierras always include clear, crisp water, my Turkish towel thrown over a quiet stretch of rocky shoreline, a cold drink and a picnic sandwich stashed into my beach bag. But there is virtually no way to leave the Bay Area in the afternoon and reliably make it to the mountains  to Tahoe or even the somewhat closer foothills  in time to satisfy that itch that same day.

My answer, over the last few years, is to find a reasonably priced hotel with a pleasant pool. It can be a cheap spot, like the Greens on Del Paso in Old North Sacramento, which is a recently and modestly renovated roadside motel with consistently affordable prices and a small, but pleasant pool. Or it can be someplace like the Sawyer, where the pool is on a roof surrounded by cabanas and overlooking the Capital building on one side and Sacramentos gleaming, golden Tower Bridge on the other. Both options, as far as Im concerned, beat the hell of racing toward the Nevada state line as if your life depended on it.

At the Sawyer, there was a complimentary wine hour at the poolside bar, where they served not-great but free and perfectly drinkable Pinot Grigio, and a pretty mediocre menu of snacks  including a pickled vegetable platter that was almost entirely dill pickles. I tried to argue that they werent that terrible, but Rachel  a New Yorker, remember  wasnt having it.

They taste like they came straight from a jar of supermarket Clausens, she insisted. And, while she may be a bit of a pickle snob, she wasnt wrong.

But I wasnt at the Sawyer for the food. I was here for the stress-free afternoon, the soft white hotel towels, sunshine and lounge chairs. I was there for the fact that I could eat a real dinner at one of Sacramentos great restaurants  Binchoyaki is a personal favorite, where we grabbed take-out that night and ate it on our rooms good-sized patio while drinking sake  and wake up the next morning, rested, with plenty of time to be in the Sierras by mid-morning. To me, its a no-brainer.
A storm system over the Pacific Northwest on Sunday will gradually dry up as it moves into California Monday. While the far reaches of Northern California will likely receive rainfall, in the San Francisco Bay Area only northwest Sonoma County may see drizzle.

There's a 30% to 40% chance of rain in northwest Sonoma compared to a 10% to 20% chance in the rest of the Bay Area, the National Weather Service reported.

"The best chance will be northwestern Sonoma County, but it's not looking like a lot, maybe a few hundredths along the coast and in the coastal mountains," said Anna Schneider, a meteorologist with the weather service. "If it did rain in San Francisco, it would be a trace to a hundredth."

Amid a drought marked by two consecutive dry winters, any rain is beneficial.

The region saw light scattered rain a week ago and that, combined with this upcoming system, are signaling the start of the rainy season. Weather service forecaster Roger Gass explained that these early season storms often lose energy and dissipate as they move from the Pacific Northwest into Northern California.

"This system looks like that," he said. "Most of the rain will stay north of us and in the Pacific Northwest."

To the north, Fort Bragg is forecast to receive 0.1 to 0.25 inch, Eureka 0.25 to 0.5 inch, Mount Shasta 0.1 to 0.2 inch and even farther north near the Oregon border, Crescent City may get 0.5 to 1 inch.

Temperatures across the Bay Area will drop with the incoming system. By Tuesday, even inland locations will peak in the upper 70s and in the low- to mid-60s along the coast.
A worker is harvesting rubber

According to the Ministry of Industry and Trades Export -Import Department, Vietnam became the 11th largest rubber supplier of the US in the period, accounting for 2.2 percent of the USs total imported rubber, up slightly from 1.5 percent in the same period last year.

Notably, Vietnam is the fourth largest supplier of natural rubber to the US with 23,460 tonnes worth $41.65 million, up 60.8 percent in volume and 92.9 percent in value over the same period of 2020.

According to statistics of the United States International Trade Commission, the US imported 1.09 million tons of rubber with a total value of $2.19 billion in the period, a year-on-year increase of 12 percent in volume and 27.6 percent in value. Indonesia, Thailand, Canada, the Republic of Korea and Ivory Coast were the largest suppliers of the product to the US.
When the attack occurred late Saturday night, hundreds of local residents and soldiers were believed to be attending an event marking the 59th anniversary of the country's 1962 revolution in a public square in downtown Midi City, which is under government control, the official told Xinhua news agency.

Sanaa, Sep 26 (IANS) At least six people were killed and more than 20 others injured when crowds celebrating a public holiday in the northwestern Yemeni province of Hajjah were hit by a ballistic missile launched by Houthi rebels, a government official said on Sunday.

Besides the unnamed government official, no other sources have confirmed the casualties.

Yemen's 1962 revolution turned the country into a republic.

Its anniversary is a Yemeni public holiday that falls on September 26, and this year's anniversary was marked by celebrations held in government-controlled cities and provinces.

Yemen has been mired in a civil war since 2014 when the Iran-backed Houthi group seized control of much of the country's north and forced the internationally recognized government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi out of the capital Sanaa.

The government army recaptured Midi in 2018 after years of fierce fighting with Houthi rebels.

The Yemeni civil war has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced 4 million, and pushed the nation to the brink of starvation.

--IANS

ksk/
Tel Aviv, Sep 26 (IANS) Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has announced that he will hold his first meetings with senior Gulf Ministers in New York.

On Saturday night, Bennett left for the US to address the UN General Assembly on Monday, his office said in a statement.

On Sunday, he is expected to meet Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Minister of State Khalifa Shaheen Almarar, Xinhua news agency quoted the statement as saying.
Kim Yo-jong made the remark in a statement on Saturday carried by Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency, urging the South to drop its double-standard attitude, such as denouncing the North's "self-defence" weapons tests as "provocations" while beautifying its own arms build-up.

Seoul, Sep 26 (IANS) North Korea could declare a formal end to the Korean War as suggested by South Korea and even discuss holding an inter-Korean summit if Seoul treats Pyongyang with "impartiality" and mutual respect, said Kim Yo-jong, the sister of leader Kim Jong-un.

The statement came a day after she said South Korean President Moon Jae-in's recent proposal to declare a formal end to the 1950-53 Korean War is an "admirable idea" and the North is willing to discuss improving inter-Korean relations if Seoul ceases to be hostile toward it, reports Yonhap News Agency.

"I felt the atmosphere of the South Korean public desiring to recover inter-Korean relations from a deadlock and achieve peaceful stability as soon as possible is irresistibly strong," Kim Yo-jong was quoted as saying in her statement on Saturday.

"We, too, have the same desire."

Kim Yo-jong said it is only when "impartiality and the attitude of respecting each other are maintained" that there can be "smooth understanding between the North and the South".

Under such circumstances "can several issues for improving relations, the re-establishment of the North-South joint liaison office and the North-South summit, to say nothing of the timely declaration of the significant termination of the war, see meaningful and successful solutions one by one at an early date through constructive discussions", she added.

Kim Yo-jong, however, noted all she said is merely her "personal view", suggesting the statement was issued without a direct order from her brother.

On September 15, North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea, raising concerns the latest launch could ratchet up tensions on the peninsula.

Hours later on the same day, South Korea announced it successfully tested a homegrown submarine-launched ballistic missile and President Moon said the weapon could be a deterrent to North Korean provocation.

Inter-Korean relations have significantly chilled since North Korea blew up the liaison office and cut off all cross-border communication lines in June last year.

The communication lines were back online briefly in late July, but Pyongyang did not respond to Seoul's regular calls again in protest of summertime joint military drills by South Korea and the US, which the North usually denounces as a rehearsal for invasion.

The two Koreas are still technically at war, as the 1950-53 Korean War ended in a ceasefire, not a peace treaty.

--IANS

ksk/
New Delhi [India], September 26 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday returned to New Delhi after concluding his three-day US visit, where he addressed the United Nations General Assembly and attended the first in-person Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD) Summit.



Bharatiya Janata Party National President Jai Prakash Nadda along with party General Secretaries Arun Singh and Tarun Chugh, Former Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, Delhi BJP President Adesh Gupta and senior party functionaries were present at the airport to receive PM Modi and welcomed him with 'Dhol' and 'Nagadhas'.

During his US visit, PM Modi was hosted by President Joe Biden at the White House with whom he held a bilateral meeting. This was the first in-person meeting between the two leaders after Biden took over as US President on January 20.

PM Modi also held bilateral meetings with Vice President Kamala Harris and CEOs of several American companies.

He also met and held bilateral meetings with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Japan Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on the sidelines of the first in-person Quad summit after the COVID-19 pandemic. During the summit, PM Modi proposed a common international travelling protocol involving mutual recognition of the COVID-19 vaccination certificate.

PM Modi also addressed the General Debate of the High-Level Segment of 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York during his US visit.

The US visit marked the first visit of the Prime Minister beyond the neighbourhood since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla had earlier described that PM Modi's visit to the US has been "very successful". (ANI)
Electric vehicle maker Tesla, which officially started deliveries of its Model 3 in Europe late last month, is facing some delays as several buyers were turned away from its Tilburg factory despite being invited to collect their vehicles.



Tesla Founder and CEO Elon Musk took to Twitter on Thursday to explain the delay: "Sorry, many unexpected challenges with cars coming through Zeebrugge first time. Cars will start moving out in volume tomorrow."



The EV maker is expected to push up to 3,000 Model 3 vehicles through Belgium's Zeebrugge port every week in the coming months to fulfil high demand from European buyers.



"Tesla has officially started deliveries in Europe today -- though only in low volume as they ran into some issues during their first day. As we reported earlier this week, the first massive shipment of Tesla Model 3 vehicles arrived at the Zeebrugge port in Belgium.



"Many Model 3 buyers were surprised to be quickly invited to take delivery of their vehicles in Belgium and the Netherlands," the Electrek reported.



The carmaker announced Model 3 as its mass-market offering at $35,000 with a new Mid-Range battery pack that is expected to go about 200 miles.



The Long-Range Battery version of the car is priced a bit higher at $49,000 and can go 310 miles on a single charge.



The company received almost 14,000 Model 3 orders in Europe early January.



With the launch of the new battery pack option, Tesla is making several changes to the Model 3's option structure.



In major changes the rear wheel drive option is now available only with the new Mid-Range pack and the Long-Range pack only comes with a dual motor all-wheel-drive powertrain.

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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.
Its too easy to miss brilliant streaming shows, movies and documentaries. Here are the ones to hit play on or skip.

Conviction: The Case of Stephen Lawrence 

Paramount+, from Monday

The title card sets the scene: On 22 April 1993, 18-year-old Stephen Lawrence was murdered in an unprovoked racist attack. The police failed to catch his killers. A public inquiry found the Metropolitan Police to be incompetent and institutionally racist. In 2006, 13 years after their sons murder, his parents are still fighting for justice.

Hugh Quarshie, Steve Coogan and Sharlene Whyte star in Conviction: The Case of Stephen Lawrence.

Then, this gripping miniseries shows, things started to happen. At the centre of it all is the initially unlikely figure of Steve Coogan as real-life Detective Chief Inspector Clive Driscoll, who succeeded in convincing his superiors that he should be allowed to reinvestigate the case from the very beginning.
Nancy Pelosi, the US Speaker of the House, last week inadvertently gave Labor a preview of its worst nightmare.

Standing next to our Prime Minister, Pelosi delivered a fairly bland statement about working on critical priorities, including so many other things in terms of cooperation on security but also strengthening our relationship with regard to trade and commerce. On this list she included climate change  and thank you for your leadership in that regard.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison, left, shakes hands with US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Credit:Bloomberg

It was a ridiculous thing to say, as Pelosis colleagues would have known  in recent months the Biden administration has made clear Australias inadequacies on climate. But Pelosi went even further the next day, citing Morrisons slogan of meeting and beating the Paris targets as proof Australia, along with Britain, was leading the way. Whether Australia was doing enough (its not) and whether those targets still mattered (they dont) didnt seem to come into it  Morrison had a slogan and that was enough.

That Pelosi could say such things should terrify Labor, because of how closely it reflects the likely position going into the election. There is a very good chance Morrison will not have done much more on climate than he has now. He will, however, have a slogan, which will be accepted, by a remarkable number of people, as an acceptable substitute for reality  just as it was in America last week.
Cancer June 22-July 22 Progress may be a little slower than usual today as youre likely to be pleasantly distracted. This could perhaps be because youre thinking about a passion project, new love interest or lost in other romantic reveries. Get all of the tasks at hand out of the way so that you can enjoy yourself and revel in flights of fancy! Leo July 23-August 22

With the stars, specifically loving Venus, promoting creativity and inspiration youve probably been channelling all of your energy and enthusiasm into a hobby or project. If not, dont waste any more time and get involved in artistic endeavours. If youre also yet to express your feelings towards someone you like, dont waste any more time and strike up a conversation! Virgo August 23-September 22 Its time to examine your inner workings, Virgo, and explore certain things that hit a nerve. Certain aspects of your character that have been hidden within the depths of your subconscious may surface today. Exploring childhood events perhaps by talking to a family member or deep reflection will fill in a few gaps bringing insight and peace of mind. Libra

September 23-October 22 Its a good thing you can be flexible when need be, because over the next fortnight therell be some chopping and changing in regards to your daily timetable. See this as a time to take care of the finer details so you can then make giant leaps. Critical thinking and analysis will get you through problems. Save your energy for things youre passionate about. Scorpio October 23  November 22 Showing an open and generous spirit will have its rewards today on so many levels. The stars are encouraging you to count your blessings and reprioritise your values in order to feel good about yourself. Your creative juices will be flowing so throw yourself into artistic projects  theyll be satisfying and therapeutic. Dont shun detours. Take the scenic route!

Sagittarius November 23-December 20 If you feel as though youre being misrepresented or not showing yourself in the most flattering light its time to step back and regroup. Think about what sort of image you want to project or the message youre trying to convey while remaining true to yourself. Meanwhile, resist being overly opinionated during conversations and listen. Capricorn December 21-January 19

Getting the go ahead regarding a special project or getting a backstage pass may not prove as difficult as you initially anticipated. Pouring on that trademark Capricorn charm and implementing an extra dose of creativity will give you the courage, confidence and peer support to get ahead. It will also help if you try a different tack. Aquarius January 20-February 18 Youre usually the one dishing out shock value but today brace yourself for a gobsmacking surprise! Anything can and will happen today, especially within your work environment, whatever that may be, so get ready to expect the unexpected and embrace it, if you can. This could come in the form of an outburst or an astonishing piece of news. Pisces
The state governments plans for a $100 million transport interchange at fast-growing Macquarie Park have been labelled as little more than a fancy bus stop, and a missed opportunity to rejuvenate an area dominated by cars.

Ryde Council is irate that two designs it proposed for the interchange and precinct upgrade have been discarded by Transport for NSW, which is pressing ahead with its plans for the area in Sydneys north.

Transport for NSWs concept plan for the bus interchange at Macquarie Park. Credit:Transport for NSW

The council wanted the project to incorporate major improvements to the centre of Macquarie Park, including a public plaza where Herring Road meets Waterloo Road. It would have enabled a traffic-free pedestrian link between train station entrances on opposite sides of Herring Road.

Despite its protests, the council said it had been notified by Transport for NSW that the agency was pursuing plans that exclude a pedestrian plaza and would result in the installation of bus-only lanes on Herring Road.
The state government has quietly settled on a consortium led by property giant Lendlease for a major revamp of Sydneys Circular Quay, six years after the government unveiled plans to upgrade the areas ferry wharves.

It has prompted Labor to demand the government reveal details of the plans to upgrade an area lauded as a gateway to Sydney Harbour and the central city.

Circular Quay is lauded as a gateway to Sydney Harbour and the central city. Credit:Louis Douvis

Two sources close to the proposal confirmed that a rival consortium comprising of infrastructure investor Plenary and contractor John Holland has been dropped, leaving Lendlease and partner Capella Capital in the box seat for the upgrade if the government proceeds with the project.

The government shortlisted the Lendlease and Plenary consortia in early 2019. Designs later submitted by the two groups have not been released, sparking concerns about a lack of public insight into the process.
Your columnist neglects to mention any views from Australias Defence establishment, which in all likelihood supports the AUKUS treaty, particularly as it is more than just a submarine deal. It is a tripartite security deal with Australias closest allies. Judging from the bipartisan response of congressional leaders in the US as well as countries such as Japan and India, the Prime Minister is now at the centre of the world stage in international security matters. This is far cry from being all at sea. Riley Brown, Bondi Beach One wonders what some of the serious minds within DFAT think of it all. Were they ever asked? Morrison has pointedly told the public service that he and his minions do the thinking and that the service just carries it out. If this is an example of that idea, we are in trouble. Did anyone point out to our PM that having three of the permanent members of the UN Security Council as friends and even allies might just be useful for a small nation? But since Morrison is never quite sure if he likes international norms or prefers jingoistic populism, such fine points might pass him by.

Tony Sullivan Adamstown Heights Morrison is tone deaf. George Megalogenis writes of that diplomatic error of addressing the world with his partisan domestic voice, but even at home we cringed when Morrison adopted that wheedling tone, trying to paint the French as hurt and disappointed as if language suitable for a kindergarten dispute came anywhere close to recognising the enormity of the offence. Try outraged and insulted. Margaret Johnston, Paddington Australia is a global leader on climate change, says the US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, considered to be the most powerful woman in US political history (Pelosi believes Australia is leading the way on climate, September 25-26). Was that part of the submarine deal with our fellow down under?Anne Wagstaff, Oatley Too many not doing their job

It is indicative of where we have got to when the IMF suggests that the regulator needs to restrict lending to cool the property market (Act now to cool house market, warns IMF, September 25-26). But that isnt the regulators job. Their role is to reduce the risks faced by lenders from inappropriate lending, not to achieve economic policy that should be done by others. They should be worried about the risks of the bubble bursting, not trying to prevent it inflating themselves. Legitimate borrowers will be constrained as a result. All this because others have refused to do their job over many decades of reforming the tax system. David Rush, Lawson I have a question. A pump-primed housing market locks a whole generation out of home ownership. There is no investment in research and development, and 17,000 scientists and academics  denied JobKeeper  have lost their jobs during the pandemic. Young people are saddled with debt in the form of HECS before they even realise theyll never own their own home. We are unprepared for climate change and unready to engage in a new world economy of clean technologies. Who has been in charge while all this has happened? Is this a market failure, bureaucratic incompetence, political negligence, orp all of the above? Asking for a young friend. Andrea Wilson, Greenwich A seat at the table

After I retired almost 11 years ago, I turned my mind to further education and undertook the company directors course, both to broaden my understanding of good governance and hopefully equip myself for a future role at the boardroom table (The network effect, September 2526). The former chair of the ACCC is probably correct in his assessment when he says often boards are looking for a name. Perhaps now is the time to give aspiring directors an opportunity to serve on a board under the mentorship of a more experienced member. Just as we seek to have diversity on boards through gender mix so too boards should be cognisant of the need to help shape the quality of those who will eventually gain a board appointment. I might not be a name, but my role on the board of a small community-based not-for-profit enables me to make a difference. Allan Gibson, Cherrybrook Burning anger Politicians must shudder when they hear that a former senior public servant is publishing a book (Former NSW fire chief refuses to play down the effects of climate change, September 25-26). Bushfire fighter Greg Mullins tried to warn federal and state governments in early 2019 that adequate preparations should be made to counter a terrible summer, and arranged for a group of 22 former emergency service chiefs to request a meeting with the PM to discuss escalating climate-change risks. As the fire season took off as predicted in early 2019, NSW Deputy Premier Barilaro said that anybody who spoke about climate change during a bushfire crisis was a bloody disgrace, and the PM refused to meet the fire chiefs. Mullins book Firestorm may prove to be just that for politicians who are still dragging their feet on climate change. James Moore, Kogarah Lights out Resources Minister Keith Pitt is misguided in his optimism about future coal exports for the Australian economy (Black hole: smart money says times up for coal, September 25-26). Coal is an outmoded energy source and a global pollutant. It is no longer viable, either domestically or for export. Chinas recent decision to cease funding overseas coal-fired power stations is one example of the global trend away from coal. Research has shown that the transition to renewable energy will have considerable long-term economic benefits. Our politicians need to take a strong and unequivocal stand on emissions reduction, for the benefit of all Australians and the planet. This includes phasing out coal. Anne OHara, Wanniassa (ACT)

Not small fry What a shame that the charming and iconic fish-and-chip shop at Palm Beach was bulldozed to be replaced by a three-storey monstrosity; the proposed new building will be totally out of character with the surrounding area (Hopes are battered as crunch time comes for beloved chippy, September 25-26). If the Northern Beaches mayor and Planning Minister are sincere in their comments about the destruction of this icon, they should shoulder arms and stop the planned new development and ensure the old chippy is replaced by a building that restores the village atmosphere of Palm Beach. Frank Adshead, Mona Vale Value cut short On behalf of Khmer international students and Cambodians Student Associations in Victoria, NSW, Queensland and Canberra, we would like to express our deepest disappointment with an article you published, which is misleading and biased (Foreign interference from Cambodia? Yes, and thats what Ill tell Australian MPs, September 13). The article negatively affects our Cambodian-Australian community and particularly new students who have just received their visa and are planning on coming to Australia in the near future. Students are painted in a degrading light, and their value as academic representatives of Cambodia to Australia is dampened. We have never been given any instruction, threat or compulsion to attend any political functions as stated by the article. Further, we have not been bribed or incentivised with illicit conduct or threats. The availability of student associations, without ties to any parties and operated on a volunteer basis, has helped many students into a range of student support services, such as finding accommodation, volunteering and job opportunities and arranging legal documents. Sannvirek Ou, Melbourne, President of the Cambodians of Victoria Student Association Give punt ads the boot

Too right, Tim Costello (Sportsbet ad bill revives call for clamp, September 25-26). Australia should ban gambling advertising outright, and the sooner, the better. That the peak body for the online wagering industry can call itself Responsible Wagering Australia is a classic sick joke. Col Shephard, Yamba Nasal depravity Despite my two years voluntary service in a special forces unit in 1966-67, I am not particularly chauvinistic or blindly patriotic (Letters, September 25-26). But I do find it offensive to see the Prime Minister using our national flag as a face mask to contain his nasal exudate and potentially viral breath. My friends in UK, Europe, USA and Canada express surprise at what they see as a desecration at worst, misplaced patriotism at best. Did Samuel Johnson describe it as the last refuge of the scoundrel? Adrian Bell, Davistown Our daily dose Its all very well for NSW Health to have a day off from the 11am press conferences. The Premier and others in her department should take note that there are many in lockdown and isolation who count on a daily personal update of care and concern to get them through. The vaccinations and decreasing COVID-91 cases may be a joy to the Health Department but the rest of us just want to be remembered. Mary Julian, Glebe
Our early estimates are that it could cost the state around $500 million, Mr Perrottet said.

He said the Delta lockdown had caused significant disruptions to the states $108 billion infrastructure pipeline, which would inevitably impact project costs.

Sydneys Delta outbreak will add about $500 million to the cost of the states major infrastructure projects. Credit:Nick Moir

As Sydneys construction sector prepares to surge back to full capacity from Monday, Treasurer Dominic Perrottet revealed the state estimated the Delta outbreak would add hundreds of millions to the states major builds.

Sydneys Delta outbreak and two-week construction ban will add about $500 million to the cost of the states major infrastructure projects, with the NSW Transport Minister saying COVID restrictions could also impact timelines of some mega projects.

NSW Treasury is working with clusters across government to determine an accurate estimation of the costs to projects but, given the sheer number of projects, its obviously going to be significant.

Sydneys construction industry was put on ice for two weeks in late July as the city battled to contain the rapid spread of the COVID-19 Delta strain. Since then, it has operated at 50 per cent capacity, with those restrictions set to be lifted on Monday.

Transport Minister Andrew Constance said while time lost to the 2021 lockdown and construction restrictions could be made up on some of the states flagship infrastructure projects, timelines on others could be affected.

In many cases there are ways to catch up, but were working in a global environment so we are going to see disruption to some things there is no doubt because of the way in which the international supply chains go, Mr Constance said.

Major construction is still underway on the governments mammoth metro rail projects across western and south-western Sydney, while road headers are also continuing to churn beneath inner Sydney on the states signature WestConnex motorway.
A Chinese detainee at Sydney's Villawood immigration detention centre has been rushed to hospital after being on hunger strike for eight days.

Refugee Action Coalition (RAC) spokesman Jamal Daoud said that Ms Yuan Huimil, 54, was still refusing to eat despite being hospitalised.

"She is very frail and weak and her health is deteriorating rapidly," Mr Daoud said.

"She was taken to hospital about six o'clock tonight."

Mr Daoud said Ms Huimil, a Falun Gong practitioner, was taken by NSW Ambulance to an unspecified hospital.
If you dont give people a stake in your decision-making, they are more likely to drive a stake through your decisions.

While public attention this week was on the violent protests which stained Melbournes streets and some of our most cherished monuments, one of the more significant revelations was a fracturing around the state governments inner and outer decision-making.

Victoria Police members arrest a protester along the St Kilda foreshore on Saturday. Credit:Justin McManus

In a crisis such as a pandemic, any government will struggle if it cannot become, and remain, a trusted source of information and direction. For that reason, a report earlier this week that there is mounting division within the Andrews government over the interpretation and application of health advice was significant for two reasons.

First, that among the crisis cabinet of eight ministers there was disagreement is likely to be understating the potential division across the full cabinet and indeed throughout the Labor caucus.
Les Cameron roams the maze of rooms of his big, old country pub, the Commercial in Terang, inviting you to imagine a creative sanctuary in the making.

The western Victorian hotels rooms, in these COVID-19 days, are all but empty.

But Cameron, who bought the hotel in 2018 and transformed it into a popular cultural and social venue, sees a future when the Commercial is alive with resident artists, writers, musicians and performers, all of them freed of financial care.

Les Cameron will welcome artists-in-residence to the Commercial Hotel in Terang. Credit:Justin McManus

Here is a gallery and dining room; there a performance space that doubles as a cinema. An office is set up to record podcasts; another is a guitar-strewn music recording studio. There are lounges for dreaming. Kitchens for sustenance. Upstairs are comfortable bedrooms.
English rock musician and founder of Status Quo band Alan Lancaster has died following a battle with multiple sclerosis. He was 72.

Lancaster died on Sunday morning at his Sydney home, surrounded by his family.

Alan Lancaster has died aged 72. Credit:Facebook

Entertainment journalist Craig Bennett paid tribute to Lancaster on social media at the request of the bassists family.

[I] am heartbroken to announce the passing of Alan Lancaster, British born music royalty, guitar God and founding member of iconic band, Status Quo, Mr Bennett wrote.
Scott Morrison has confirmed he is developing a plan to achieve net zero emissions but the Prime Minister still faces considerable pushback from some Nationals MPs who are deadset against the target while one senior figure has temporarily quit the party room.

Nationals MP Darren Chester on Sunday morning announced his shock decision to quit the Nationals party room for at least a month, which could make Mr Morrisons bid to win support from his own side for a plan to reach net zero emissions by 2050 more difficult.

The former cabinet minister is taking a break from federal party meetings over his leader Barnaby Joyces repeated failure to rein in Nationals Senator Matt Canavan and MP George Christensen.

Barnaby Joyce backer Matt Canavan (left) opposes the net zero target. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Mr Chester and former Nationals leader Michael McCormack have been urging party colleagues to back greater climate action to ensure Australia can remain relevant on the international stage.
The Prime Minister has challenged state and territory leaders to commit to reopening borders before Christmas, once 80 per cent of the eligible population aged 16 and over has been fully vaccinated.

Scott Morrison reiterated the public health measures that have kept the nation safe but separated during the pandemic had a use-by date on them.

The federal government wants to see internal border closures dumped at 80 per cent fully vaccinated, so families can reunite over the holidays. Credit:Paul Jeffers

Once you get to 80 per cent of your population thats vaccinated, well, its very clear. I cant see any reason why Australians should be kept from each other, Mr Morrison said in an interview with Channel Seven.

My message is more to Australians that what Id like them to have for Christmas is their lives back. And thats within the gift of governments. And thats a gift Id like to see us give them.
Senior NSW minister Andrew Constance says Liberal MPs should be allowed a conscience vote on voluntary assisted dying and the issue finalised this year in a significant move which will further deepen internal divisions.

Mr Constance is the first Liberal minister to speak publicly in support of a conscience vote on the private members bill which independent Sydney MP Alex Greenwich will introduce to Parliament next month.

NSW Minister for Transport Andrew Constance says there should be a conscience vote on voluntary assisted dying. Credit:Louise Kennerley

NSW is the only state not to have legalised assisted dying, with Queensland passing legislation this month.

Mr Greenwich signalled in December that he would introduce the bill, however it will cause angst within the Liberal Party, with right-wing MPs insisting they had been promised no more conscience votes this term.
School principal Mahmuddin. Then they are dispatched to elementary and high schools to talk about the values theyve learnt and the crooks theyve tried to chase down. Our seniors  anti corruption activists from Gerak  left the social movement one by one because they joined political parties or became expert staff at government agencies, Mahmuddin said. We thought we have to continue the movement. The younger generation must carry on the movement. But it is a David versus Goliath battle.

More than two decades after the fall of Suhartos New Order and the start of the Reformasi era, the worlds third-largest democracy is still rife with corruption. On Transparency Internationals latest Corruption Perception Index, Indonesia ranked 102th out of 180 countries, down 17 places since 2020 and level with Gambia, a brutal dictatorship until only five years ago. Former Indonesian President Suharto, right, salutes after announcing his resignation in 1998. Credit:AP In [Sukarnos] Old Order, corruption was carried out under the table, former Indonesian president Abdurrahman Wahid, known as Gus Dur, once said. In the New Order era it was on the table. In the Reformasi era the table was corrupted.

Gus Dur died in 2009 but his words ring true 12 years on. Just last month, former social affairs minister Juliari Batubara, a member of President Joko Widodos cabinet until December, was sentenced to 12 years prison for accepting 32.5 billion rupiah ($3 million) in bribes from companies supplying food aid packages. Former Indonesian social affairs minister Juliari Batubara, right, with President Joko Widodo. Juliari was jailed for corruption last month. Credit:Getty Images Four weeks earlier, Edhy Prabowo, the minister for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries until November 2020, was jailed for five years over graft related to the export of lobster larvae. Now, in the latest major probe announced this month, Azis Syamsuddin, the deputy speaker of Indonesias lower house and a senior figure in the Golkar Party, which holds the second most seats in Parliament, is being investigated over alleged bribery.

The tentacles of corruption run far and wide, from the corridors of ministerial offices to district, city and village bureaucracies. This week Indonesia Corruption Watch, a non-government organisation, reported there had been 62 new corruption cases identified in the first half of this year alone in villages which receive 72 trillion rupiah in government funding a year, as well as 60 cases at district level and 17 in city administrations. Old problem: Students hold up posters reading Clean the country of corruption during an anti-government protest in Jakarta in 1977. Credit:AP But the countrys ability to fight corruption has been severely curtailed by the significant weakening of its Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), which was established in 2002 and which has had no shortage of its own high-profile scalps among near 1000 convictions. Top KPK officials have been arrested over the past decade and more recently, and leaders and investigators have been targeted physically for doing their job.

Investigator Novel Baswedan sustained permanent damage from an acid attack four years ago. Credit:AP Among them was a senior investigator, Novel Baswedan, who was in 2017 doused with acid on his way home from a mosque, leaving him blind in one eye. Others have been assaulted or had guns pointed at them. Then, two years ago, the homes of KPK chief Agus Rahardjo and deputy Laode Syarif were targeted with homemade bombs. Counter-attacks carried out by corrupters have been going on for a long time, however they are more systematic and intensive in the past couple of years, Novel said. The KPK could continue carrying out investigations as usual until a controversial revision of a law in 2019. The revision limited the commissions powers in areas such as wire-tapping, decreed that cases could be dropped after two years and, crucially, removed the watchdogs independence, rolling it into the civil service.

As part of that transition the KPKs 1300 staff were subjected to a civic knowledge test by intelligence agencies in which they were asked a range of bizarre questions including about their sex lives and whether they thought all Chinese were the same, all Japanese were cruel and whether homosexuals should be given corporal punishment. A total of 75 staff members, including some top investigators, failed what amounted to a test similar to an entrance exam and 57 of them were suspended. Novel was among those who didnt pass and has been fighting to be reinstated. This is a very serious issue, he said. They carried out a profiling on people who were targeted to fail in the tests. I suspected in the beginning that I would be removed but I didnt expect they would do it like this because it is so ridiculous to use [the tests] to get rid of us. The tests have been slammed by Indonesias National Commission on Human Rights but their validity has been upheld by the Supreme Court and the employees face dismissal unless the President, known as Jokowi, himself intervenes. There has also been criticism of new appointments to the KPK leadership since 2019, most notably the chairman Firli Bahuri, a former South Sumatra police chief who was handed the reins by Parliament despite misconduct allegations over his acceptance of 600 free tickets to a concert by Irish boy band Westlife.

Loading Novel labels the current leadership the worst in the watchdogs two decades and deplores its propensity to drop off investigations now. He said they were prevented from digging deeper in the case of jailed social affairs minister Juliari, stopping them from exposing a network of other corrupt officials. The [network of] corrupt practices ... its a huge case that should have been uncovered more broadly, he said. Those arrested were just people on the surface. Zaenur Rohman, an anti-corruption researcher at Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta, believes the KPK is being eroded from the inside and corruption in Indonesia is getting worse.

He takes aim at Joko, also known as Jokowi, a political outsider who rose to the presidency in 2014 on a platform of liberal reform but whose commitment to fighting corruption has come under serious question. Loading All facts show that President Jokowi does not make corruption eradication a priority in his second term of office because his main agenda is once again the economy, infrastructure development and investment including the relocation of the capital city, he said. (Joko has vowed to move the capital from Jakarta to a city to be developed on the island of Borneo.) Analysts cite the decline of the countrys anti-corruption apparatus as symptomatic of a general democratic regression during Jokos seven years in the presidential palace. Max Lane, a visiting senior fellow with the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Indonesia, argues it is reflective of continuing stagnation, which was a key takeaway of the two terms of Jokos predecessor, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, according to critics.

He directs blame not at the current President specifically but the political landscape in Jakarta. Youve just got two parties outside the government now and theyre not opposition parties because they mostly vote with the government. Its almost an all-party government, Lane said. I think that the real challenge for Indonesia on the corruption issue is for a revival of a political situation where theres some political alternatives being offered in the electoral scene. Without that some of these institutions will steadily weaken. The current student cohort at the SAKA anti-corruption school in Banda Aceh, Indonesia.

Lane believes the key blow to the nations corruption fighting capacity was not the amendment of the KPK legislation itself, but the message sent by the almost unanimous support of it in Parliament and Jokos the backing of it. The protests that followed the law change, with tens of thousands taking to the streets, have done little to arrest the slide in the two years that have followed. Back in Aceh, the SAKA anti-corruption school has faced its own challenges during the coronavirus pandemic, as it was forced to teach online only. But school principal Mahmuddin hopes it can keep doing its part, however small, in tackling the more long-standing epidemic in Indonesia. We need young people to continue voicing [the] anti-corruption spirit, he said.
Madrid: As the daughter of the Russian female double agent who inspired Ian Flemings first and most glamorous Bond Girl, Liana Romero knows about the subtleties of espionage.

But the 88-year-olds view that female spies should seduce, and that misogyny, not sensitivity, is the real characteristic of Bond, may leave some both shaken and stirred.

Vesper Lynd (played by Eva Green in the 2006 version of Casino Royale.

Seduction is the most powerful weapon a woman spy has, said Ms Romero, daughter of Larissa Swirsky, a Russian-born double agent on whom Ian Fleming based Vesper Lynd.

Her comments come after the director of the new Bond film called Connerys 007 basically a rapist for his forceful approach to women that wouldnt fly today.
Police in Norway reported dozens of disturbances and violent clashes including mass brawls in the Nordic countrys big cities after streets, bars, restaurants and nightclubs were filled with people celebrating the end of COVID-19 restrictions.

The Norwegian government abruptly announced last Friday that most of the remaining coronavirus restrictions would be scrapped and that life in the nation of 5.3 million would return to normal.

The move included the lifting social-distancing rules and capacity limits on businesses, as well as reopening nightclubs.

The unexpected announcement by outgoing Prime Minister Erna Solberg to drop coronavirus restrictions the next day took many Norwegians by surprise and led to chaotic scenes in the capital, Oslo, and elsewhere in the country.
London: When Andrew Neil swings he rarely misses  the giant of British broadcasting is famed for skewering countless public figures over a 50-year career anchored by long stints as a BBC presenter and editor of The Sunday Times.

He now has two new targets: GB News  the television channel he helped launch just 15 weeks ago  and the networks boss Angelos Frangopoulos, the Australian media executive who ran Sky News Australia for nearly two decades.

Andrew Neil in the GB News Paddington studios during the networks launch. Credit:PA

All sides agree GB News got off to a rocky start. The launch was plagued by technical glitches, gloomy lighting and the absence of chemistry between some presenting duos. In one incident that damaged the channels pro-free speech mission, journalist Guto Harri was suspended after taking the knee on-air during a discussion about racist abuse of black English footballers. He later quit, and the director of programming and a senior executive producer followed him out the door.

The early technical glitches have been rectified and the channel is pushing ahead  just without Neil.
Reykjavik: Icelands ruling coalition is headed for an unexpectedly strong endorsement from voters after steering the tourism-dependent north Atlantic economy through a pandemic-induced slump.

Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdottirs coalition uniting parties from left to right is expected to boost its majority to win a combined 39 seats in the 63-seat parliament, the Althingi, with about half of the votes preliminarily counted, according to public broadcaster RUV.

Polls had predicted the three-party bloc would struggle to keep control of the legislature amid calls for more healthcare spending and worries over climate change. While the ruling parties had signaled before the polls that they could opt to continue with the current set-up, there was little indication of their preferred solution immediately after the vote.

Back in power: Icelands Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdottir. Credit:AP

The land of fire and ice, which provided the stunning backdrops to Game of Thrones, has sought to diversify its economy to avoid the repeat of recent boom-bust cycles. Tourism soared in the past decade to become the growth engine after the 2008 global financial crisis triggered a collapse of the countrys outsized banking sector.
The Walking Dead Out of the Ashes was written by LaToya Morgan and directed by Greg Nicotero. The episode is divided into four storylines. Each reflects the title in a different way. The Commonwealth is a society that has risen from the ashes of civilization  but is it all it seems? Maggies (Lauren Cohen) plan rises from the ashes when Gabriel (Seth Gilliam) and Elijah (Okea Erne-Akwari) show up. Judith (Cailey Fleming) is having a hard time finding her place in the new Alexandria without the help of her family  can she emerge from the ashes of her family? But its Aarons (Ross Marquand) storyline about going to the literal ashes of Hilltop that really encapsulates the title. Can the former Whisperers rise from the ashes of their group like a phoenix and become something new? Even more importantly, however, Carols (Melissa McBride) hope rises from the ashes when they finally get news of Connie (Lauren Ridloff)  herself a phoenix who has risen from the ashes but lets take a closer look.





The episode enters with Aaron lost in a forest with Gracie (Anabelle Holloway). Hes met by the ghosts of all the groups hes fought before, but this time he ends up losing Gracie and being killed by them. Meanwhile, its morning

Jerry (Anderson Cooper) tiptoes over all the people sleeping on the floor to use the bathroom, and while there, he looks out and sees that walkers have broken into Alexandria. He raises the alarm. Before Aaron goes out to help, he makes sure that Gracie promises to hide in the basement until he comes back. She has a whistle to call for help. Theres a flurry of activity as the group gets the fallen panel back in place and others kill the walkers whove gotten in.

Its clear that the walls are getting weaker. They are also getting low and food and tools. Carol suggests a run to Hilltop to try to scavenge any tools left there. Aaron, Jerry, and Lydia (Cassady McClincy) decide to go. Carol suggests they might hunt on the way there and back. Rosita (Christian Serratos) points out that they have to start thinking of other options, but Aaron insists that Alexandria is their home and hes not ready to abandon it without a fight.

The group takes the horses to Hilltop. It looks like its been picked clean. They recognize their own people as walkers  its another great job by Nicotero with many hero walkers! They set about killing their friends. Anderson is particularly good here as Jerrys distress is clear on his face.

Lydia notices a group of walkers that are being herded. Aaron says Whisperers! and attacks. He finds one (Brad Fleischer), rips off his dead face and is about to kill him when Lydia says she knows him.

We see Aaron and Jerry from Keiths perspective as they begin to interrogate him. Aaron asks him name, and Jerry adds Dont give us any of that Alpha-Beta garbage! He tells them Keith right away and hes clearly terrified. He tells them hes not hurting anything and that hes the only one left. Aaron is positive hes lying because hes never met a Whisperer who wasnt. Lydia is right there  and McClinchys reaction here is terrific. Shes clearly a bit stunned and hurt by the remark, but Lydia doesnt use herself to challenge Aaron, instead reminding him of Mary  who Aaron really got killed for telling the truth. But it gives Aaron pause, and he and Carol want to know why she thinks Keith is telling the truth.

She tells them that he wasnt part of Alphas inner circle  in fact, he was afraid of Alpha. Aaron points out that that just proves he had eyes. I mean, who wouldnt be afraid of that psycho! Keith insists that he snuck food to Lydia during the long winters when Alpha wasnt looking, but shes not sure  they all wore masks after all. Lydia cant convince the others that hes not lying and it might not be a trap. They decide to lock him in the cellar  and they find more Whisperers there. Aaron finds another mask and goes after Keith, wanting to know how many more there are. The others are cowering in a corner and Lydia tries to get Aaron to stop, pointing out how scared they are and insisting that they are just trying to be people again.

Jerry finds one of Nabilas scarves and thats it for him. Proof that they were in Alexandria and burned down their home. Keith grabs a knife and slashes at Aaron, allowing the others to get away. I loved that Carol is the one to punch Keith and put him on the ground. Aaron then grabs the knife and holds it to Keiths throat declaring its his turn.

Aaron strings Keith up and threatens him with a walker that hes skewered on an antler. Carol isnt happy and Lydia is clearly really disturbed. Carol is also clearly worried about Lydia. Jerry is holding the rope as Aaron keeps asking how many and where are they. Keith yells for help, and then tells Aaron that they pretend to be better than the dead, but at least the dead are honest  his friends are better off  being dead! And thats it for Aaron, he lets the walker bite Keith and tells him hed better talk or they wont cut off his hand to save him. First, he taunts him asking if he feels better off now. Lydia is utterly appalled.

Lydia tells him to stop, and Aaron insists he just needs the truth, but Lydia sees that he really wants revenge and declares she doesnt have to watch and leaves. Jerry is clearly at the point of enough and begs Keith to tell the truth. And like all torture victims, Keith says hell say anything  he just wants to know what Aaron wants to hear. Carol just takes action and shoots the walker in the head.

Aaron is furious, but Carol tells him shes stopping him from doing something hell regret. He insists that hes just trying to protect everyone and insists that Carol of all people should understand it. This is a great scene between Marquand  who is criminally underused in the series  and McBride. He points out that they are standing on the ashes of their home and Gracie is going hungry  and Coopers face here is great  he has no lines but we clearly see Jerrys emotions  he feels the same way. Aaron insists that there are people in the world who cant be saved and hes not going to let them show up on his doorstep. This is such a sad moment for Aaron, who was the one going out to try to save people when we first met him. It also dovetails back to his dream at the beginning. Hes tried again and again to save people only to have it blow up in his face.

Carol stops him. She confesses to him how she felt after Henry and the dark path she let it take her down. She tells him that with everything she does now, she carries the guilt of what she did. She tells him its a path he doesnt want to go down. She tells him to let Keith go. Jerry releases Keith to the ground and Aaron tells him that he can cut Keiths hand off or he can do it himself.

While the others are away from Alexandria, Judith is drilling the other kids on basic self defense against walkers. She notices some other, older kids tormenting a child walker  played incidentally by Gus Morgan  the sun of Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Hilary Burton Morgan! Its both cruel and dangerous, so Judith tries to put a stop to it. Shes used to being listened to  and really as the daughter of Rick and Michonne, shes also used to being treated with deference  but they are gone now, and clearly forgotten by or not known by these nasty kids.

When Judith tells the leader that if they dont stop shell tell Rosita, he pushes her down, telling her she talks to much and its no wonder her mother abandoned her. At first it looks like Judith is going to cry  which is no doubt what he expects. What he doesnt expect is for her to jump up and hold her katana to his throat, telling him to say it again. Gracie steps in and tells her not to. The bully calls her a psycho and tells her to stay away from him. Judith walks off, but its clear that she is holding back the tears. Once again Fleming owns the scene  shes just brilliant.

Judith arrives home to where all the kids seem to congregate and finds the boards with her and Carls handprints broken on the floor. She accuses the bully from before, and he denies it. Gracie, RJ (Antony Azor), and Hershel all offer to help her put it back together. Its a nice metaphor for helping her put her home back together. Its also a nice shout out to the next generation of leaders who will help to bring order out of chaos.

Rosita comes upon Judith looking at the pieces and tells her she remembers when they were made  when Judith was so small. She tells her that Carl wanted her to have them as a memory together. Fleming just kills in this scene. She tells Judith that now they are broken and Carl is gone  like everybody  her eyes filling with the tears that she cant hold back now.

Rosita tells her that she misses them all too. She doesnt lie and say it gets easier. Judith worries that shell forget about them. Rosita tells her that she never knew her Dad and that her Mom died when she was about Judiths age. She says that for a long time it was just the two of them and they moved around a lot, but she always kept them going. Rosita sees know that she was teaching her to be ok and survive on her own  and Carl and Rick did the same for Judith, so she could get through the tough times. Pieces of wood are nice, but she doesnt really need it to remember them. Rosita tells her that shes really good at fixing things  and shell help.

Luckily, Rosita and Judith are right by the radio fixing the boards when Eugene makes contact on the radio. Eugene tells them that they are all safe. Rosita tells him that the war is over, Alpha and Beta are dead, but Alexandria is trashed and they are running out of food. And then they lose the signal.





The Commonwealth storyline begins with a cheesy  and pretty glitchy  sales video for the Commonwealth, hosted by Director of Operations, Lance Hornsby (Josh Hamilton). We learn that Pamela Milton is their leader  and did anyone else immediately think of Milton  the Governors right hand man? I wonder if they are any relation? Yumiko (Eleanor Matsuura), Princess (Paola Lazaro), Eugene (Josh McDermitt), and Ezekiel (Khary Payton) watch the video and are then handed pieces of paper with their work and housing assignments. Eugene has been assigned to the high school teaching pool as his work assignment, Princess gets her 2 dollar bill back and sees it as a good sign. When they question it, the guy (Ryan Vo) keeps telling them to talk to their case supervisor. And heres where the story falls apart. Eugene tells him that they werent looking to take up permanent residency and to the others he reminds them that they are only there to get help Um, what? All along theyve been denying they are from a larger community and now they are going to ask for help for the non-existent community????

Princess has been assigned retail clerk  and shes thrilled. Ezekiel is assigned to animal control. The roles are a pretty good fit, but totally underestimate the abilities of all of them. Ezekiel points out that the jobs are based on what they did before the fall. Yumiko, however, has been given an invitation to meet with someone and explore the opportunities withing their community. Eugene insists they stay on mission. Ezekiel decides to go see their case supervisor, and Princess decides to tag along to see more of the Commonwealth. Eugene goes to meet with Stephanie (Chelle Ramos), and Yumiko asks the paper pusher for help. When he sees her letter, hes all ready to help  and sets to work to find her Tomi (Ian Anthony Dale).

Yumiko ends up in an amazing bakery  which is where her brother is working! Hes so surprised to see her that he drops the wedding cake that he just made. Hes not even the boss

Stephanie buys Eugene an ice cream. As shes being served, shes interrupted by someone from Pamela Miltons office who is there to pick up Miltons order. Theres clearly a very well-defined hierarchy. Stephanie waits while their ice cream melts, and when Eugene asks if one of the flavors is Rocky Road, the woman just looks at him like hes beneath her. It doesnt look like Eugene got Rocky Road, so is the best also reserved for those in the top tier of this society? And why doesnt she speak would her voice be familiar to him? Is she the real Stephanie???

Eugene enjoys his ice cream anyway and tells Stephanie that the place has all kinds of creature comforts that he didnt even know he missed. Their idyllic date and idyllic town square with families is undercut by the armed guards standing around and the recruitment posters and posters about regulations lining the streets behind them. Eugene tells her that hed like to stay, but thats not who he is anymore. He has to go back and help his friends. Stephanie wishes she could help cut through the red tape, but shes not sure how.

As they sit on a bench, Eugene looks at the radio tower. Stephanie suggests that hed feel better if he could talk to his friends at home but he was afraid to ask. Which now begs the question of how she was ever able to contact him if its so difficult? Was the whole thing a set up after all? He tells her he doesnt want to get her into trouble. She tells him that she works in Comms but to get official access would take a couple of weeks.

Ezekiel and Princess join them and say that they found the Deputy Supervisor, but it will take five weeks to see their boss. Which is ridiculous and makes no sense. Eugene then asks Stephanie if there is a non-official version of her offer. I loved her little smile as a yes. Eugene gives Princess whats left of his ice cream  and shes thrilled. They all follow Stephanie  but Mercer (Michael James Shaw) is watching.

They all go into an official looking building. Im pretty sure that this is also the building they used as the Museum a few seasons ago. Stephanie and Eugene head to the radio room while Princess and Ezekiel take up watch in the lobby. There are Stormtroopers everywhere!

Meanwhile, Yumiko and Tomi catch up. She tells him about her prowess with bow and arrow and slingshot. She asks him how he even found the Commonwealth. Hed fled from Chicago and headed for Washington at the very beginning, met up with some good people, and has been there since the start. He gives all the credit to the Miltons (so clearly there is or was more than just Pamela). He tells her that it started as just a few secure blocks and expanded Sounds like it could have been Woodbury or Alexandria Tomi tells her that he almost forgets whats going on outside the walls  and thats clearly the point. Keep most of the populace happy and compliant and theyll be easier to rule

She cant believe that hes just making cakes when he was a surgeon. He tells her that he likes baking. And that she hasnt changed  shes still trying to run other peoples lives. She insists that she just wants whats best for him  clearly, according to her. He asks when shed ever seen him happy and contented? He clearly likes his life now much better than he liked being a surgeon. This tells us everything we need to know about him  and what his likely storyarc is going to be. He doesnt want to be in charge, he doesnt want to help other people, and he doesnt like the responsibility of helping people. Its clear to me that not only is Yumiko going to blow up his life, shes also going to get him killed. Alternatively, he could become Alexandrias doctor  but thats a death sentence too! Yumiko asks if the Commonwealth is as good as it seems and he says better. She then asks about getting help. He tells her anything is possible as long as she follows the rules.

Princess sees Mercer coming  clearly on a mission  and tries to distract and delay him at the least. First, she clearly flusters him by complimenting his abs. Then she tells him that she wants to thank him for getting her two dollar bill back to her. He tells her theres no need. He was just returning her property  and then he calls her Princess  its adorable  and I thought she had chemistry with Eugene! He then asks if theres anything else, and she says yeah he has really beautiful eyelashes! OMG! I LOVED this scene! Once again Shaw nails it. Just a quick blink and look to one side convey his discomfort  and pleasure in the compliment!

Mercer bursts in and arrests Eugene and Stephanie right after Eugene loses the signal  and isnt that convenient. That tiny broadcast gives them the name of Alexandria and whats going on  theyve been at war and need help  clearly not a thriving community. Eugene is pushed to floor and zip-tied while Stephanie just stands with hands up. When Eugene gets up, we see Ezekiel and Princess have also been arrested.

They are taken to a supervisors (Franco Barberis) office and told they are being charged with a bunch of offenses and have a hearing within the hour. Apparently their justice system doesnt take five weeks to do everything! It all smacks of a set up to get rid of them. They are dangerous  they are independent thinkers! Eugene tries to explain, but the Supervisor tells him to tell it to the judge. He suggests its useless as theyve been there less than a day and broken several laws  it will mean they are taken far outside the boundaries and will be forbidden to return

Princess then pipes up and wants their lawyer. Ezekiel says shes a good one, and if they like rules so much, they have to let them have one. The Supervisor says rules are for citizens and they are Asylum seekers  which is clearly what their defence will be! If the rules dont apply, then neither should the laws that they arent aware of though ignorance of the law is never a defence.

Eugene asks to talk to Stephanie who will vouch for them. The Supervisor tells him that shes also being charged  as a citizen. And then Stephanie comes in with Hornsby, who tells the Supervisor to let them go. He says he cant as theyve been charged. Hornsby tells him not to move them and goes to find Mercer. The Supervisor and some of the Stormtroopers also leave. Stephanie tells them they can trust Hornsby. Eugene thanks her, but she tells them that Hornsby can keep them from getting banished but one way or another, theyll have to pay for what theyve done. Eugene looks worried.

Maggie and Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) continue fighting their way to the safe house and the rendez vous. Theres a great shot of them tag-teaming a walker. Negan again suggests that they might be the only ones left. He points out that the only way it works is if they trust each other. Maggie asks him why she would ever do that! He points out that they both want to stay alive. She tells him that if she stays alive it will be in spite of him. He turns to her and says he doesnt know why she hasnt just put him down already  and then she whips out a knife and throws it  narrowly missing him to kill the walker behind him. She tells him she asks the same question every day  and he knows she means it.

Negan and Maggie make it to the safe house. There are weapons and food. Negan wants to take the food back. Maggie asks him how long hed like someone to wait for him, and she insists that the food is nothing when they have to feed an entire community. Negan tells her that she needs to know when to cut her losses, and she points out that the losses are her people. He reminds her of Hershel (Kien Michael Spiller), and she tells him, Hershel is why shes doing this. Negan suggests that they give it to sundown  and if the others havent shown by then, they arent going to.

Negan packs up and is ready to leave, declaring the mission over. He and Maggie get into a bit of a shoving match, but before it can really escalate, Gabriel and Elijah arrive. Maggie fills them in on what they know of the others. Gabriel declares they wait, and Maggie is clearly happy to have someone else in her corner. Negan reluctantly sits back down to wait.

In the final scene, Lydia bandages Keiths hands. Hes pretty philosophical all things considered. He says he understands and that if Alpha were there, she would have done worse! Carol leaves him with a bag of food  mushrooms. And I was left to wonder what kind Keith thanks her for the food and her words, saying that they werent all like Alpha. Some of them just wanted to survive. He then says that they dont think theyve changed. Jerry says its not for him to say.

And then Keith drops a bomb to prove it. He tells them that they saw a woman come out of the cave  and shes alive. Lydia recognizes the cave he talks about. Carol is ready to go after Connie right away. Aaron insists that its getting dark. They can start at first light, and Carol agrees. They take the wagon full of tools and head back to Alexandria as the other Whisperer survivors come out of where they were hiding to join Keith in the ruins of Hilltop.

This felt like a somewhat disjointed episode, but we do finally get to see some movement on a couple of storylines. Now that things are heating up, I expect we will see more dedicated episodes to one or the other of them. It looks like we will finally catch up with Connie. How long will Maggie and company wait? How will Alexandria feed itself, and Judith really needs to put that bully finally in his place. Well need at least an episode or two to sort out whats going on with Daryl (Norman Reedus). And what is going on with the Commonwealth? Im betting things really arent as rosey as they are made out to be. There are tiny little hints after all. And of course, the big rumor out there is that this is an imposter Stephanie  and theres ample evidence to support that. What did you think of the episode? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!




Bir Lehlou (Sahrawi Republic) 3 September 2021 (SPS) - The President of the Sahrawi Republic and Secretary-General of the Frente POLISARIO, Mr Brahim Ghali, addressed a letter to the UN Secretary-General, Mr Antonio Guterres, regarding the extremely serious situation of human rights activist, Sultana Sid Brahim Jaya, and her family in the city of Bojador in the territories of Western Sahara under the Moroccan illegal occupation.

In his letter, of which an identical copy was addressed to the current President of the Security Council, the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Ireland, Ambassador Geraldine Byrne Nason, the President of the Republic noted that the latest information and reports received from the family of Sid Brahim Jaya indicate that Sultana Sid Brahim Jaya, and her sister, Umm al-Muminin Sid Brahim Jaya (Bouta), have been infected with COVID-19 at the hands of security agents of the occupying state of Morocco.

The President called upon the UN Secretary-General and the Security Council to act urgently to save the lives of Sultana Sid Brahim Jaya and her family and to provide protection to all other Sahrawi human rights activists and political prisoners who are languishing in the jails of the occupying sate of Morocco in deplorable conditions.

The full text of the letter as received by SPS.

H.E. Mr Antonio Guterres

United Nations Secretary-General

United Nations, New York

Bir Lehlou, 3 September 2021

Mr Secretary-General,

I am writing to you with great urgency and concern to draw your attention and the attention of the members of the Security Council to the extremely serious situation of human rights activist, Sultana Sid Brahim Jaya, and her family in the city of Bojador in the territories of Western Sahara under the Moroccan illegal occupation.

According to the latest information and reports received from the family of Sid Brahim Jaya, Sultana Sid Brahim Jaya, and her sister, Umm al-Muminin Sid Brahim Jaya (Bouta), have been infected with COVID-19 at the hands of security agents of the occupying state of Morocco.

As reported by the family, on 22 August 2021, the house of the family was again broken into and ransacked by a group of Moroccan security agents. During the attack, a security agent violently grabbed Sultana and forcibly placed a rag over her mouth and nose. She was almost asphyxiated because of this brutal action. Afterwards, Sultana started feeling ill and having muscle pain, dyspnoea, and other symptoms associated with COVID-19. Her sister Umm al-Muminin Sid Brahim Jaya (Bouta) suffers from the same symptoms, and it is most likely that other members of the family are also infected.

As we have drawn your attention and the attention of the members of the Security Council in our previous communications (S/2021/162; S/2021/475; S/2021/698, among others), the house of the family of Sid Brahim Jaya in the occupied city of Bojador remains under tight siege since 19 November 2020. Moreover, we have vehemently denounced the continued terrorising actions carried out by Moroccan security agents against human rights activist Sultana Sid Brahim Jaya and her family on account of their peaceful protest and raising the national flag of the Sahrawi Republic (SADR) daily over their house.

Mr Secretary-General,

The house of the family of Sid Brahim Jaya has been under a forcibly imposed quarantine and tight restrictions on freedom of movement since 19 November 2020. The only elements who frequently and forcibly access the house of the family are the agents of the Moroccan security services and state-sponsored thugs who often spill and spray foul-smelling substances all over the house, purposefully exposing the family to serious health hazards. The authorities of the occupying state of Morocco are therefore guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of deliberately perpetrating this recent criminal act against human rights activist Sultana Sid Brahim Jaya and her family.

Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and Front-Line Defenders, among others, have also been sounding the alarm about the situation of Sultana Sid Brahim Jaya and her family as they continue to endure daily the most horrific forms of physical and psychological violence at the hands of Moroccan security agents. Moreover, the situation of Sahrawi political prisoners, including Gdeim Izik Group, continues to be highly alarming because of the inhumane and degrading conditions in which they are being held in the prisons of the occupying state of Morocco where they are deprived of their basic rights, including their right to medical care and family visits.

The UN Secretariat and the Security Council cannot therefore maintain their passive complicit silence and continue to simply stand by in the face of the criminal and atrocious actions perpetrated daily by the occupying state of Morocco against defenceless Sahrawi human rights activists and defenders in the Occupied Territories of Western Sahara.

Mr Secretary-General,

The life-threatening situation of Sultana Sid Brahim Jaya and her family is becoming worse and worse with each day that goes by as they continue to suffer the most acute consequences of COVID-19 without any access to necessary medical care because of the siege imposed on the house of the family by the authorities of the occupying state of Morocco since 19 November 2020. Their life is in real danger unless the situation is urgently addressed.

We therefore call upon you and upon the Security Council to act urgently to save the lives of Sultana Sid Brahim Jaya and her family and to provide protection to all other Sahrawi human rights activists and political prisoners who are languishing in the jails of the occupying sate of Morocco in deplorable conditions.

In concluding, the Frente POLISARIO affirms once again that no peace process will ever be possible as long as the occupying state of Morocco persists, with complete impunity, in its atrocious actions and retaliatory war against Sahrawi civilians and human rights activists, in addition to its attempts to forcibly impose a fait accompli in the Territory. We hold the occupying state of Morocco fully responsible for any consequences to which its criminal acts may lead in the Occupied Territories of Western Sahara.

I should be grateful if you would bring the present letter to the attention of the members of the Security Council.

Please accept, Mr Secretary-General, the assurances of my highest consideration.

Brahim Ghali

President of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic

Secretary-General of the Frente POLISARIO". (SPS)

090/500/60 (SPS)
Brussels, 4 September 2021 (SPS) - The appointment of a new special representative for the occupied Western Sahara will have no impact on the process of resolving the conflict in this non-self-governing territory because "the key to the final resolution is in the hands of the UN Security Council," said the Polisario Front representative in Europe and the European Union, Oubi Bouchraya Bachir.



If the appointment of the Russian, Alexander Ivanko, is good news for the management of internal technical affairs of the Minurso, it is not for the resolution of the conflict in Western Sahara, in accordance with the resolutions of the UN Security Council, said Oubi Bouchraya to Sputnik.



According to the Sahrawi diplomat, this is a technical position and not political as is the case of the special envoy who has "the power and prerogatives" to implement "solutions to the conflict and conduct negotiations between the two parties to the conflict, (Polisario Front / Morocco), federating the necessary international support for the advancement of negotiations.



Oubi Bouchraya accused Morocco of delaying the appointment of a new personal envoy since the resignation of Horst Kohler in May 2019, "in order to maintain the status quo in Western Sahara that has lasted for over 30 years.



For him, "Ivanko arrives at the head of the Minurso at a time when this UN mission has lost all credibility as to the organization of a referendum on self-determination of the Sahrawi people" because of the laxity of the Security Council, which holds the "key to the final resolution of the conflict in Western Sahara. He said that the Security Council must enforce international law.



The Security Council "must impose on Morocco the respect of the resolution relating to the organization of the referendum of self-determination of the Sahrawi people", reaffirms the Sahrawi ambassador. (SPS)



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Dili, (Timor-Leste) 25 September 2021 (SPS) - A Campaign was launched last Thursday by various Organisations from the Civil Society in Timor-Leste calling for urgent actions to save the life and free Sultana Khaya and her Family.



The Title of the Campaign is Morocco must free now the Saharawi human rights defender, Sultana Khaya from house arrest and together we can free and save life of Sultana.



Sultana Khaya and her family have been under arbitrary home arrest since last November 2020 in their home in city of Boujdour, Western Sahara imposed by the Morocco security.



This unlawful detention is part of a wider crackdown by the Moroccan authorities on Sahrawi activists and critical voices within Western Sahara against the illegal occupation of the last colony in Africa.

The Timorese Organisations in their Campaign focus on:

- We add our voices to many others calls including Human rights watch and Amnesty international that Morocco must immediately lift the arbitrary house arrest against the Saharawi human rights defender, Sultana Khaya and her family.



- We condemn Moroccos human rights violations against Saharawis peacefully calling for self-determination and independence in illegally occupied Western Sahara.



- We call upon the International Committee of the Red Cross to take "urgent steps" to ensure the security and safety of unarmed Sahrawi citizens and to urgently send a medical mission to the city of Boujdour to examine the ongoing violations of the international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions against Sultana Khaya family.



- We call upon Morocco to free release all the Saharawi human rights activists including Gdeim Izik Group



062
The Midwest is refining the innovation process by bringing together academia and defense partners to solve national security challenges. Experiential learning opportunities are available to outstanding schools across the region with an educational infrastructure that supports engineering, innovation and entrepreneurship students through intriguing interactions with national labs and defense technologies. Stimulating student excitement for dual-use innovations is more accessible when direct interactions with cutting-edge inventions and brilliant inventors create futuristic technologies to protect the United States.

Over fifty students from Midwestern universities participated in the NSIN X Force Fellowships for placements in labs, such as the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division (NSWC) in Crane, Indiana. Faculty also participate from numerous schools to consult with Department of Defense customers to develop new collaborations with academic institutions benefiting from funding to advance research. Washington University, for example, receives $500,000 per year through the National Security Academic Accelerator (NSA2) to develop dual-use med-tech startups with defense applications and allows faculty researchers to focus on advancing technologies with this financial support, rather than the distraction of developing grant proposals.

Dual-use technologies that can serve commercial and defense applications are hot in the Midwest. The momentum of millions invested in innovation ecosystems is growing with the new National Science Foundation I-Corps Great Lakes Hub selection announcement. The University of Michigan is leading this renowned program that offers experiential entrepreneurial training to academic researchers in STEM. Universities from Wisconsin, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri and Iowa represent the Midwest to advance innovation on a national scale.

The Heartland may not have coasts, but it boasts excellent research institutions, deep talent pools of highly-educated STEM professionals, and entrepreneurs eager to change the world from "flyover country." The National Geospatial Intelligence Agency took notice of the advantages of the Midwest and is building a $1.7 billion western headquarters near downtown St. Louis, and will redefine the region as a geospatial leader for decades to come.

Related: 3 Ways a Midwest Mindset Can Build a Better Business

2. Entrepreneurial support organizations are integrating defense tech into the startup scene

Past success from unicorn companies emerging from the Heartland has attracted attention from investor networks on the coasts, and the momentum is growing across the Midwest. Being entrepreneurial and patriotic makes defense-funded innovations fun to build and contributes to advancing America's interests by building solutions in stealth, surrounded by crops rather than venture capitalists.

A startup that I co-founded has already benefited from the excitement for dual-use technologies by receiving the GeoSeed grant from the National Security Innovation Network (NSIN) and the Technology Entrepreneur Center (T-REX) in St. Louis, Missouri. T-REX is home to the nation's first geospatial innovation center and Moonshot Labs. The National Geospatial Agency (NGA) Accelerator and Capital Innovators have funded over a million and a half dollars, with $100,000 invested into sixteen geospatial startups. Entrepreneurs across the country have noticed, and relocating to the Midwest is much more appealing when entrepreneurs have a supportive community with funding to advance deep tech dual-use ventures.

Related: Hacking for Defense

3. Inclusive and collaborative innovation is the future

St. Louis has ignited interest in inclusive innovation and excitement for equitable entrepreneurship across the Heartland. More female founders are starting companies in St. Louis than in any other city in the United States. The startup scene is growing faster than ever because of this dedication to diversity by welcoming all founders to attract the best talent, teams and technology startups to the area. Still, the Midwest has untapped human capital networks, which is particularly true in the national security space, where the Heartland has historically underperformed compared to other regions.

Our best path is to provide an innovative infrastructure to the region by creating a pathway for solutions to be quickly developed and implemented to solve security problems. The future is bright for American defense innovation as entrepreneurs and national labs develop dual-use technologies with support from academia. Blending business, academic and government research with significant funding has the level of excitement for defense tech at an all-time high.

Entrepreneurship is accessible to everyone in America with a great idea and the passion for pursuing it, no matter where they build their business. The Midwest supports startups by extending the runway long enough for new ventures to reach escape velocity and soar. It is the dawn of a new era in which entrepreneurs and innovators call the Midwest home.

Related: These 8 Heartland Cities Are Essential to the Future of American Innovation

Copyright 2021 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
BROOKFIELD  As a reaction to the statewide bus shortage, John W. Barile, the towns superintendent of schools sent a letter to parents Sunday to make them aware of a possible interruption of bus routes Monday morning and all this week.

According to the letter, the shortage is due to about 300 bus drivers across the state who may not meet the Governors Executive Order regarding getting vaccinated by Monday against COVID-19.

In the letter, which was developed in collaboration with the Western Connecticut Superintendents Association, Barile said although All Star Transportation (the district bus company) is experiencing a reduction in the number of its drivers, including substitute drivers, we have been able to manage thus far. Additionally, Mr. Post, our Director of Business Operations, has worked closely with All Star to monitor the Governors Executive Order requiring vaccinations for all district employees and for contracted service providers to comply with the Monday, September 27th deadline.

The letter said the majority of All Stars drivers have already complied with the governors order ahead of Mondays deadline.

However, the letter assured parents that Brookfield students will be transported to and from school regardless of the bus driver shortage.

Additionally, the letter said if a driver shortage should occur for any of the districts buses, parents and caregivers will be notified by email, as early on Monday morning for those families of students who may be affected (bus route without a driver). All Star has no way of fully assessing the situation or impacted routes until drivers show up or not for work on Monday morning.

The districts plan is to inform affected families by about 6:45 a.m. Monday and to share alternative plans (rescheduled time for later pick up following completion of other routes), or to allow families to arrange for their own transportation.

The letter, however, said the district is anticipating all buses in Brookfield will run on time and without interruption Monday morning.

Other districts in the state that have been experiencing bus shortages, include Danbury, where the district has had to pay staff to supervise students after school as they wait for their buses.

Additionally, Mike Cummings, the superintendent of Fairfield Public Schools, said in a notice to parents that he does not know exactly how many drivers, or who, will be absent Monday. Though the district is looking at alternative plans, he said there could be significant delays in transportation.
GREENWICH  Maria Scrivan is a big believer in synchronicity  like the time the best-selling authors yoga instructor asked her to visualize herself in sixth grade.

Tucked into childs pose, she could remember her classroom. Heck, she could remember her childhood phone number. But she couldnt remember the name of her sixth-grade teacher no matter how much she tried.

After class, she headed to a favorite writing spot on Todds Point and  who should come walking down the beach.

Mrs. Lomazzo! said Scrivan, who hadnt seen her former teacher in decades. That was her name! And she was right there! It was unbelievable. It all came back to me.

Young readers are the beneficiaries of such serendipity in Scrivans life. Her popular graphic novels  Nat Enough, Forget Me Nat and her latest, Absolutely Nat  often hinge on the type of awkward exchanges and experiences she remembers from her own years at Central Middle School.

I really think theres a large amount of healing we go through as writers, said Scrivan, who has loved the craft since her days in Mrs. Lomazzos class. It helps you process things to write. And I cant help but add humor to everything.

Absolutely Nat (Graphix, 2021) is the third book in the Nat Enough graphic novel series that follows the trials and triumphs of Natalie, a middle schooler learning to make friends and survive a crush and summer camp with equal aplomb. Written in a refreshing, honest tone paired with Scrivans comic strip-style drawings, the books have been a hit since the first was published at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020.

Named one of the Most Anticipated Graphic Novel for 2020 by The Washington Post, that book is now part of a boxed set, Definitely Nat, due for sale in October.

Maria writes funny, Maria draws funny and Maria does it with a ton of heart, said Jim Davis, the creator of Garfield, one of Scrivans all-time favorite comic strips.

Raised in Greenwich, Scrivan studied fine arts at Clark University before starting a career as a graphic designer. She took a self-described windy path to Half Full, her syndicated comic that has been appearing in newspapers daily for about eight years.

With her book career taking off, Scrivan said she is beginning to see writing seven comics a week as almost sort of a rest day.

Though drawn from her adventures at Central Middle School  the front of her fictional Midway Middle School even looks a bit like Central  Scrivan said she hopes her books offer a universal and positive message for her young readers.

Theyre about self-worth and self-acceptance, she said. How you surround yourself with people who lift you up and dont bring you down.

Her plan seems to be working. Scrivan said she gets a steady stream of emails and letters from fans, some of whom proudly tell her that her graphic novels are the first theyve read cover to cover.

One young girls letter has a place of honor in her writing space.

Every time Im scared or sad, I start reading your books, the fan wrote.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP)  Cannon Air Force Base is starting work with nearby landowners to test their water and soil for a group of chemicals known as PFAS.

Tests will help the military determine where an underground contamination plume migrated off the base, the Albuquerque Journal reported.

But complex federal legal requirements have made the cleanup process of toxic chemicals that leaked into the Ogallala Aquifer frustratingly slow, Clovis dairy farmers and residents recently told Cannon officials.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, leaked into the ground from firefighting foam used in military training exercises. Similar problems have been reported at military bases and industrial sites across the country.

John Kern, director of the community group Clean Water Partnership at Cannon, said he is concerned that a short-term water treatment solution will not be operational until 2023.

Much of the community considers that to be a woefully inadequate response to the problem, Kern said during Cannons quarterly virtual public meeting.

Chris Segura with the Air Force Civil Engineer Center said the $16.6 million on-base project of three wells and a filtration system is a necessary step.

This is bounded by law, Segura said. Flexibility and our agility to be able to manage this under a different framework just is not there. So our hands are tied.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency links PFAS to cancers and low birth weights.

Col. Terence Taylor, who became commander of the 27th Special Operations Wing at Cannon in June, said he understands that Department of Defense project timelines dont always match up with the urgency the community wants.

My family lives here on the installation, as well as over 500 military families, Taylor said. Were all interested in ensuring that we have clean, consumable water for the health and well-being of everyone. We are not looking for ways to halt progress. In fact, were trying to speed things up as best we can.

The toxic plume spread in the aquifer from Cannons southeast corner.

Art Schaap at nearby Highland Dairy euthanized at least 1,000 cows because of PFAS in the animals meat and milk.

I know that you guys are going to get to the bottom of this, and were going to get to a resolution here someday, Schaap said. Im just wondering why we dont just have filters on all those contaminated wells that are being used right now to feed our animals, to water our crops, our homes. Weve had to pay for all that ourselves.
BERLIN (AP)  Germany's center-left Social Democrats won the biggest share of the vote in a national election Sunday, narrowly beating outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel s center-right Union bloc in a closely fought race that will determine who succeeds the long-time leader at the helm of Europe's biggest economy.

The Social Democrats candidate Olaf Scholz, the outgoing vice chancellor and finance minister who pulled his party out of a years-long slump, said the outcome was a very clear mandate to ensure now that we put together a good, pragmatic government for Germany.

Despite getting its worst-ever result in a federal contest, the Union bloc said it too would reach out to smaller parties to discuss forming a government, while Merkel stays on in a caretaker role until a successor is sworn in.

Election officials said early Monday that a count of all 299 constituencies showed the Social Democrats received 25.9% of the vote, ahead of 24.1% for the Union bloc. No winning party in a German national election had previously taken less than 31% of the vote.

Armin Laschet, the governor of North Rhine-Westphalia state who outmaneuvered a more popular rival to secure the nomination of Merkels Union bloc, had struggled to motivate the partys base and suffered a series of missteps.

Of course, this is a loss of votes that isn't pretty, Laschet said of results that looked set to undercut by some measure the Union's previous worst showing of 31% in 1949. But he added that with Merkel departing after 16 years in power, no one had an incumbent bonus in this election.

Laschet told supporters that we will do everything we can to form a government under the Unions leadership, because Germany now needs a coalition for the future that modernizes our country.

Both Laschet and Scholz will be courting the same two parties: the environmentalist Greens, who were third with 14.8%; and the pro-business Free Democrats, who took 11.5% of the vote.

The Greens traditionally lean toward the Social Democrats and the Free Democrats toward the Union, but neither ruled out going the other way.

The other option was a repeat of the outgoing grand coalition of the Union and Social Democrats that has run Germany for 12 of Merkel's 16 years in power, but there was little obvious appetite for that after years of government squabbling.

Everyone thinks that ... this grand coalition isn't promising for the future, regardless of who is No. 1 and No. 2, Laschet said. We need a real new beginning.

The Free Democrats' leader, Christian Lindner, appeared keen to govern, suggesting that his party and the Greens should make the first move.

About 75% of Germans didn't vote for the next chancellor's party, Lindner said in a post-election debate with all parties' leaders on public broadcaster ZDF. So it might be advisable ... that the Greens and Free Democrats first speak to each other to structure everything that follows.

Baerbock insisted that the climate crisis ... is the leading issue of the next government, and that is for us the basis for any talks ... even if we aren't totally satisfied with our result.

While the Greens improved their support from the last election in 2017, they had higher expectations for Sunday's vote.

The Left Party was projected to win only 4.9% of the vote and risked being kicked out of parliament entirely. The far-right Alternative for Germany  which no one else wants to work with  received 10.3%. This was about 2 percentage points less than in 2017, when it first entered parliament.

Due to Germanys complicated electoral system, a full breakdown of the result by seats in parliament was still pending.

Merkel, who has won plaudits for steering Germany through several major crises, wont be an easy leader to follow. Her successor will have to oversee the country's recovery from the coronavirus pandemic, which Germany so far has weathered relatively well thanks to large rescue programs.

Germany's leading parties have significant differences when it comes to taxation and tackling climate change.

Foreign policy didn't feature much in the campaign, although the Greens favor a tougher stance toward China and Russia.

Whichever parties form the next German government, the Free Democrats' Lindner said it was good news that it would have a majority with centrist parties.

All of those in Europe and beyond who were worried about Germany's stability can now see: Germany will be stable in any case, he said.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez sent early congratulations to Scholz.

Spain and Germany will continue to work together for a stronger Europe and for a fair and green recovery that leaves no one behind, he wrote on Twitter.

In two regional elections also held Sunday, the Social Democrats looked set to defend the post of Berlin mayor that they have held for two decades. The party was also on course for a strong win in the northeastern state of Mecklenburg Western-Pomerania.

For the first time since 1949, the Danish minority party SSW was set to win a seat in parliament, officials said.

___

Associated Press writer Kirsten Grieshaber and Karin Laub contributed to this report.

___

Follow APs coverage of Germanys election at https://apnews.com/hub/germany-election
SHELBYVILLE, Ind. (AP)  A steady stream of smiling children came through the doors at SENSES gym in Shelbyville on a recent Tuesday morning, and it wasnt hard to see why. The play place, a sensory gym for kids of all abilities ages 6 and under, is a haven for a busy-minded preschooler.

The main room features a bounce castle, play house and tactile wall covered in knobs, gears and gadgets to explore. Theres a macaroni table for tinkering, tunnels for crawling and a ramp for climbing. Under the loft and slide sits a forest made of pool noodles. In the dark room, a large Lite Brite-like board and colorful tubes that sends colors swirling.

Holly Forville and her family founded SENSES, now located adjacent to the Golden Bear Preschool near State Road 44, around five years ago, after her daughter suggested they create a sensory gym for her son  Forvilles grandson  who has autism spectrum disorder. They now serve hundreds of children from the community and Shelbyville schools each year.

Its not the first contribution the family has made to the Shelbyville  or Indiana  disabilities community.

At 86, Forvilles father, Don Collins, has spent over half his life advocating for Hoosiers with disabilities, inspired by his daughter, Vickie, who was born in 1970 with Down syndrome.

Seeking to create better opportunities for his daughter, Collins joined The Arc of Shelby County, part of a statewide and national organization seeking to improve the quality of life of individuals with developmental or intellectual disabilities.

Together, Collins and his colleagues pushed to establish and grow the inclusion of special needs students in public schools. He was later The Arc of Indianas board president from 1976-78 and has continued to work with the agency in some capacity ever since  most recently at SENSES gym, supported by The Arcs local chapter.

Hes a pioneer, Forville said. Those years were knocking down the walls, and he had the sledgehammer.

Collins is one of thousands of Hoosiers who have contributed to building more inclusive communities over The Arc of Indianas 65-year history.

Since its founding in 1956, The Arc of Indiana has empowered Hoosiers with disabilities to be self-sufficient, supported families and worked to create more inclusive statewide policies.

Conditions have changed drastically for disabled Hoosiers in that time  Indianas last institution was shuttered in the mid-2000s, education and employment opportunities have increased and the Self-Advocates movement has given IDD Hoosiers a seat at the table alongside state policymakers.

In the more than 20 years since CEO Kim Dodson joined The Arc of Indiana, major strides have been made: newborn screening tests to allow early diagnosis and intervention; health benefit mandates and supported decision making, which gives individuals with disabilities more flexibility to make decisions for a self-directed, independent life.

We are never satisfied with the status quo, Dodson said. We are always going to push for more.

The Arcs local chapters grew in the early 1960s, after state legislators approved the use of a local property tax to fund community programs. By 1977, Glenda Hall, of Shelbyville, became the first person with a developmental disability appointed to The Arcs board.

Its a moment in the agencys history that continues to impact members. Established in 1990, Self-Advocates of Indiana is an organization led by and for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Now, when you look at a room talking about issues, Dodson said, the people with disabilities are actually there, as well  which is exactly the way that it should be.

Shortly after Vickie Collins birth, doctors alerted the family she may have Down syndrome. The family had previously adopted a daughter born with craniofacial differences, including a cleft palate and lip, so when they learned of Vickies diagnosis, they were perhaps more emotionally prepared than other families, Collins said.

On the car ride home from the hospital, Collins remembers telling his wife: Our life has just been altered, and well make it for the better.

If Collins and his wife were breaking down the walls, Vickie was right alongside them. She was a prolific reader, Collins said. She enjoyed poetry, movies and music, insistent upon listening to ABBAs Dancing Queen each morning as she made her bed. She was prompt  if they told her snack time was 10 a.m., she would be by their side within seconds if it wasnt served exactly at the top of the hour. Vickie was kind and positive and optimistic and fiercely loved her family, Forville said.

She never had anything negative to say, ever, she said. She was just a light.

Lessons from the early days of Collins work with The Arc impact visitors to SENSES, perhaps without them even realizing it. Inclusion efforts in school have changed the experiences of students with disabilities, Forville said, and SENSES is introducing children to inclusive play long before they enter a classroom.

If you start them at this age and someone may be in a wheelchair, kids dont see that (as different), Forville said, theyre going to continue to include people with disabilities because theyve been taught that from the very beginning.

Melody Cooper, a Self-Advocate specialist and the groups former president, said she never expected shed travel around the state and meet others living with disabilities.

Growing up in Georgia, Cooper, who has cerebral palsy, felt like an outcast.

I felt like nobody else knew what I was going through, Cooper said. My teachers at school, my classmates, nobody knew who I was. And it took me a while to understand myself, to get to know, OK, there is a life.

At the suggestion of her aunt, Cooper moved from Georgia to Indianapolis in 1990. She worked at Meijer for over a decade, but she knew she wanted more.

In 2002, she took a class offered by The Arc called Partners in Policymaking that opened her eyes to the possibility that she may be able to use her experience to inspire change and serve others. Within about a decade, Cooper was president of Self-Advocates and working part-time at The Arcs downtown Indianapolis office.

Cooper, 52, has done almost all the things she never dreamed could be possible.

(Self-Advocates) gave me the opportunity to know that Im human, she said.

Shawn Fulton, the current Self-Advocates president, went from doing piece-rate labor in a sheltered workshop (these facilities employ individuals with disabilities, often paying below minimum wage) to working alongside state legislators.

The 48-year-old, originally from Marion, Indiana, was at the workshop for 20 years before moving to Indiana to work for The Arc about three years ago. Hed started attending Self-Advocates meetings in Marion around 2004, where he found his passion for advocacy: They couldnt get me to shut up.

Fulton said Self-Advocates representatives sit on over a dozen statewide committees to ensure Hoosiers with disabilities are in the rooms where decisions are being made.

We just sit on all sorts of boards to help people with disabilities to make sure that change is done right, he said, and (its) not harmful for people with disabilities.

At SENSES, the pandemonium of play continued.

A woman stuck her head into Forvilles office, apologizing for the intrusion: My child spilled the macaroni everywhere.

Forville was unfazed. No problem  all part of the learning and playing process.

Forville said she always saw the gym as her grandsons legacy, but SENSES is, in a way, Vickies legacy, too. After all, without Vickie, Collins and his wife likely never would have done the work that changed all their lives.

She was incredible, Forville said. She was the best teacher we ever had.

Vickie died in 2008 after a lifelong battle with rheumatoid arthritis and recurring respiratory infections. As she got older, the arthritis had to have caused excruciating pain, Forville said, but Vickie was never bitter. The worst she would do was say she hated the ailment. Her favorite phrase: I love this life.

Hoosiers have made progress over the last 50 years of his career, but Collins said the work is far from over.

Its a struggle that will probably never end, Collins said.

When her father finally retires  for real this time  Forville said she looks forward to taking up the mantle, continuing to knock down obstacles, whatever they may be.

To learn more about The Arc of Indiana and how you can get involved, visit arcind.org.

For hours, location and more information about SENSES gym, visit sensesgym.org.

__

Source: The Indianapolis Star
HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. (AP)  Police officers shot and killed an armed man in the sand in front of dozens of terrified witnesses, many who had gathered at Huntington Beach for the U.S. Open of Surfing.

Officers responding to reports of a man with a gun made contact with him Saturday afternoon and when he refused to comply with numerous commands they opened fire, the city's police spokeswoman Jennifer Carey said in a statement.
For the last few years, Hungary, a country of fewer than 10 million people, has occupied an outsize place in the imagination of American liberals and conservatives. If you think the American right is sliding toward authoritarianism, you cite Viktor Orbans nationalist government as a dark model for the GOP. If you think an intolerant progressivism shadows American life, you invoke Orban as a figure whos fighting back.

In this running debate, sharpened by the recent Tucker Carlson visit to Budapest, I was struck by an observation from The Atlantics David Frum, a fierce critic of the rights Orban infatuation. As part of a Twitter thread documenting corruption in Orbans inner circle, Frum wrote, I visited Hungary in 2016. Again & again, I witnessed a gesture I thought had vanished from Europe forever: people turning their heads to check who was listening before they lent forward to whisper what they had to say. They feared for their jobs, not their lives  but still  

This is a useful tweet for thinking about the fears motivating Hungary-watching Americans, left and right. On the one hand, theres the fear that Trumpian populism will someday gain enough power to make its critics fear for their livelihoods. On the other, theres the fear that progressivism already exerts this power in the United States and that what Frum describes in dire terms, the cautious sotto voce conversation, is an important part of American life right now.

You can document this fear of sharing strong opinions, especially ones that conflict with progressive orthodoxy, by looking at opinion polls. For example, a 2020 survey conducted by the Cato Institute found that 62% of Americans felt uncomfortable sharing their views because of the political climate, and strong liberals were the only ideological group where the majority felt free to speak their minds. To the question, Are you worried about losing your job or missing out on job opportunities if your political opinions became known? highly educated Americans were the most anxious, with 44% of respondents with a postgraduate degree and 60% of Republicans with a post-grad degree saying yes.

Alternatively, you can document this fear by just keeping up with the ever-lengthening list of people who have had careers derailed for offenses against progressive norms. (Often they are heterodox liberals rather than conservatives, because conservatives are rare in elite institutions and less interesting to ideological enforcers.) Or by observing the climate of denunciation and abasement in various cultural spaces, from academic journals to law schools to the publishing industry. Or just by having everyday conversations in professional-class America; Ive experienced more versions of the speak-quietly move  or its dont share this email equivalent  in the last few years than I have in my entire prior adult life.

This fear is different from the fear that Frum discerned in Hungary, in the sense that nobody in the United States is afraid of criticizing the government. The censorious trend in America is more organic, encouraged by complex developments in the upper reaches of meritocratic life and imposed by private corporations and the ideological minders they increasingly employ. If this is left-McCarthyism, it lacks a Joe McCarthy. If you pushed your way into the inner sanctum of the inner party of progressivism, you would find not a cackling Kamala Harris but an empty room.

For anyone on the wrong side of the new rules of thought and speech, though, the absence of a McCarthy figure is cold comfort. Whatever his corruptions, Orban might lose the next election, if the fractious opposition stays united. But where can you go to vote for a different ruling ideology in the interlocking American establishment, all its schools and professional guilds, its consolidated media and tech powers?

One answer, common to old-fashioned libertarians, is that you cant vote against cultural forces; you just have to fight the battle of ideas, at whatever disadvantage, with a Substack if your media colleagues force you out, or from suburban Texas if you feel uncomfortable in the groves of academe.

For others, though, this seems like a naive form of cultural surrender  like telling a purged screenwriter during the Hollywood Blacklist, Hey, just go start your own movie studio. Which is part of how a figure like Orban becomes appealing to American conservatives. Its not just his anti-immigration stance or his moral traditionalism. Its that his interventions in Hungarian cultural life, the attacks on liberal academic centers and the spending on conservative ideological projects, are seen as examples of how political power might curb progressivisms influence.

Some version of this impulse is actually correct. It would be a good thing if American conservatives had more of a sense of how to weaken the influence of Silicon Valley or the Ivy League, and more cultural projects in which they wanted to invest both private energy and public money.

But the way this impulse has swiftly led conservatives to tolerate corruption, whether in their long-distance Hungarian romance or their marriage to Donald Trump, suggests a fundamental danger for cultural outsiders. When you have demand for an alternative to an oppressive-seeming ideological establishment but relatively little capacity to build one, the easiest path often leads not toward renaissance but grift.

ROSS DOUTHAT is a columnist for The New York Times.
The Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) supports any demarche that has as an end "the ousting of the Citu Cabinet," if the censure motion that they initiated does not pass, said, on Sunday, at Prima TV, deputy George Simion, co-chair of AUR.

"We sign, we vote any demarche that has as an end the ousting of the Citu Cabinet, not only Florin Citu. I don't know if the others remain, I see that faults have been created and can't be reconciled, after which they appear again at the head of the Government. I don't see how such a censure motion wouldn't pass if the PSD [Social Democrat Party] doesn't side with them visibly," said Simion.

Asked how he thinks the current political crisis will be resolved, Simion stated that AUR desires a national union government, according to the percentage in Parliament, or early elections. He rejected as options the restoration of the coalition or a minority government supported by the PSD," Simion said.

"We don't want either, neither of the two options is good for the country. We want a government of specialists. Eventually, in accordance with the percentage in Parliament, a national union government. If this isn't possible and Klaus Iohannis stubbornly insists to not discuss with anyone and do only what he wants, early elections (...) I would count on a large majority, if not all our MPs, voting and being willing to have early elections for the good of Romania with a new parliamentary majority, to correspond to the will of Romanians," Simion claimed.

Simion also said that the party has received around 2 million euro as subsidy from the Permanent Electoral Authority in the eight months since the party is in Parliament, and requested the party be allowed to build a burns hospital, as they are not using it, Agerpres informs.
The chairman of the National Liberal Party (PNL), Prime Minister Florin Citu, stated on Sunday, referring to the way in which he will manage to still govern, that he will discuss with all parliamentary parties that don't desire a political crisis in Romania, mentioning that he prefers the option of PNL joining the Save Romania Union - Party of Liberty, Unity and Solidarity (USR PLUS) and the Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania (UDMR) and the national minorities.

"We will discuss with all those in the Romanian Parliament that will support a government and don't want a political crisis in Romania (...) With all parties. On the one hand, we have the USR, which is negotiating with PSD [Social Democrat Party] and AUR [Alliance for the Union of Romanians], and then you have no options, we don't negotiate with anyone (...) At this time, we have a PSD-AUR-USR alliance in the Romanian Parliament, which wants to oust the Government. Mathematically, I told you my preference and I say that the variant that has the best chances is the one in which we continue with a PNL-USR-UDMR Government and minorities' votes. That's what I want, what I will fight for, what I'll negotiate in the Romanian Parliament. As long as USR maintains its opinion that it wants to take down the Government, together with AUR and PSD, it's complicated to discuss with them. After they decide if they want to be with PSD and AUR still, then we'll talk to them," said Citu, Agerpres informs.
What Is VP9?

This is another installment in our series of "What Is...?" articles, designed to offer definitions, history, and context around significant terms and issues in the online video industry.

VP9 is an open-source codec from Google that was developed from technology acquired from On2 Technologies in February 2010 for an estimated $124.6 million. The first codec Google released from this acquisition was VP8, which was paired with the Vorbis audio codec in the WebM file structure. VP9 is the next iteration of the codec, which became available on June 17, 2013. VP9 will be the last VPx-based codec released by Google, as the company contributed all codec technology to the Alliance for Open Media in September 2015.

Both VP8 and VP9 are available under a free BSD license that enables users to deploy encode or decode capabilities in both proprietary software and open-source software without disclosing their source code in either instance.

Technical Overview of VP9

VP9 development started in late 2011. Coding tools include multiple prediction block sizes, from 64x64 down to 4x4; up to 10 intra predictors, sub-pixel interpolation; three different transform types; and entropy encoding. The codec supports a maximum resolution of 8192x4352 at up to 120 fps and multiple color spaces, including Rec 601, Rec 709, Rec 2020, SMPTE-170, SMPTE-240, and sRGB. A technical paper detailing these codec components and operation is available here.

VP9 Performance

In terms of performance, VP9 has been compared to HEVC and H.264 multiple times by multiple researchers with wildly varying results. For example, in "Comparison of compression efficiency between HEVC/H.265 and VP9 based on subjective assessments," by Martin Rerabek and Touradj Ebrahimi, the authors concluded that, "objective-based measurements shows that HEVC achieves average bitrate savings of 39.6% versus AVC and 35.6% versus VP9, [while] subjective scores show an average bitrate reduction of HEVC by 52.6% in comparison to AVC and 49.4% in comparison to VP9." In other words, HEVC was significantly better than VP9, which really was no better than H.264.

Next up is the paper entitled "Comparative Assessment of H.265/MPEG-HEVC, VP9, and H.264/MPEG-AVC Encoders for Low-Delay Video Applications," authored by Dan Grois Detlev Marpea, Tung Nguyena, and Ofer Hadarb. Here, the authors found, "According to the detailed experimental results, the coding efficiency of VP9 was shown to be inferior to H.265/MPEG-HEVC with an average bit-rate overhead of 32.5% at the same objective quality for the 1-pass encoding, and 32.6% for the 2-pass encoding. In other words, HEVC produced the same quality as VP9 at a data rate of about 32% lower.

Other tests were more positive. Iain Richardson, founder of Vcodex and author of four video compression books, produced a comparison in September 2014 largely based upon ratings by ten subjective non-expert viewers. He concluded, "At the higher end of the quality scale (i.e. lower compression), both HEVC and VP9 achieve a similar viewing quality to H.264 with a 40-45% reduction in file size." In other words, HEVC and VP9 were at relative parity.

In April 2015, Streaming Media published comparative results showing that HEVC and VP9 produced virtually identical quality on the nine test samples. This was followed in November 2015 by the first HEVC comparison released by the prestigious Moscow State University (MSU) Graphics and Media Lab. In its study, MSU found that HEVC produced the same quality as x264 at 82% of the data rate, with VP9 close behind at 87%, ahead of all other HEVC codecs.

Figure 1. Moscow University found VP9 very close behind the x265 HEVC codec.

Most recently, on May 24, 2016, in an article entitled "Netflix Discusses VP-9 Related Development Efforts," David Ronca, Netflixs director of encoding technologies, disclosed the companys preliminary findings regarding VP9 quality. Specifically, he stated "we are seeing very good results with VP9 vs. x264. Our current data suggests that VP9 is less efficient than HEVC, but still very good. We are currently conducting codec comparisons, and will publish our results around the end of summer."

In real-world trials, in April 2015, VP9 and H.264 files downloaded from YouTube revealed that YouTube encoded VP9-based 1080p streams at a 43% lower data rate than H.264, with 720p streams about 35 percent lower, all with similar subjective quality. In encoding trials performed by JW Player prior to their release of VP9 in their online video platform, the company reported savings over H.264 of about 50% over their entire encoding ladder.

Encoding efficiencies have been criticized by multiple parties, including Netflix, who stated, "VP9 is considerably slower than x264...[and] we believe that the current libvpx VP9 encoder would benefit from some optimizations." In tests performed by Streaming Media, while the codec proved very inefficient in a multiple-core environment, deploying multiple encoder instances on the same computer produced encoding speeds only about ten percent slower than x264.

Encoding VP9

You can encode/decode VP9 in the command line using executables (vpxenc.exe) supplied by Google. Alternatively, you can use FFmpeg if compiled with libvpx support as described here. Using FFmpeg is simpler because the tool accepts many more input formats and provides much greater overall functionality.

Documentation for VP9 encoding with either executable is sparse. You can encode using variable bitrate, constant quality, constrained quality, constant bitrate, or in lossless mode, as defined here. The most detailed explanation regarding VPX encoding is available on the VP8 Encode Parameter Guide, which addresses issues like encode quality vs. speed, but most specific recommendations use VP8 in the command line arguments, so the applicability of the documented techniques to VP9 are unclear.

The WebM Wiki supplies some VP9-specific recommended settings for VOD, DASH, constant quality, and constrained quality here, but in Streaming Media tests, these settings proved very slow and the output quality was lower than presets supplied for our testing by JW Player. The JW Player-based presets used the capped CRF encoding mode, and were substantially faster than Googles recommended settings as well as outputting superior quality.

As discussed above, the other issue with VP9 encoding with either command line tool is very low utilization of available CPU resources, particularly on computers with a very high number of cores. Developers seeking to build their own VP9 encoding systems will have to experiment to find the optimal settings, and deploy multiple simultaneous encoding instances to achieve commercially acceptable performance and quality.

Producers seeking to buy or license a third party encoder, or encode in the cloud, can find a list of commercially available VP9 encoding tools/services here, though the list includes tools that support VP8 encoding and VP9 encoding, not just VP9. Known VP9 supporters include the JW Player Online Video Platform (OVP), Zencoder, and Amazon Web Services cloud encoding platforms, Wowza Transcoder, and Telestream Vantage, though this list should quickly expand.

Single file VP9-encoded files are typically distributed in the WebM format. YouTube distributes adaptive bitrate files encoded in VP9 using the DASH container (Figure 2). To help promote consistent packaging of VPX-encoded files, Netflix has published a draft specification entitled VP Codec ISO Media File Format, which details DASH packaging and common encrytpion via ISO/IEC 23001-7 Part 7.

Figure 2. YouTube distributes VP9 encoded video in the DASH container format.

VP9 Playback Support

VP9 playback is available on the most current versions of browsers Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Opera. VP9 playback is also available in Android versions 4.4+.

In terms of hardware support, Wikipedia maintains a list of chips, CPUs, GPUs, and SoCs that accelerate VP9 decoding available.

As of the date of this writing, the list includes multiple CPUs from Intel, the Mediatek MT6795, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750 SE/950/960 (GM206 GPU), NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070/1080 (GP104 GPU), NVIDIA Tegra X1, Qualcomm SnapDragon 820, Rockchip RK3188, Samsung Exynos 7 Octa 7420, and Samsung Exynos 8 Octa 8890.

Google has made VP9 (and HEVC) support mandatory for Android TV devices, and VP9 playback is now starting to appear on many 4K Smart TVs like the Samsung Performance Bundle 48". Many pundits and industry observers have predicted that YouTubes support for VP9 will compel most Smart TV manufacturers to support VP9 in 2016 and beyond. Beyond Smart TVs, the Roku 4 Media Player also supports VP9 (and HEVC) playback.

Deploying VP9

YouTube is by far the largest distributor of VP9-encoded videos, distributing more than 25 billion hours of VP9-encoded video by April 2015. In conversations with Streaming Media, YouTube executives have stated that though the service currently streams 4K videos in both H.264 and VP9 formats, they ultimately plan to drop H.264 and distribute UHD videos solely in VP9.

JW Player will be the first OVP to deploy VP9, with trials starting in April 2016, and plans to start commercial streaming with VP9 before the end of summer of 2016. Brightcove has announced VP9 encoding support in their cloud encoding service Zencoder, with plans to deploy VP9 in their OVP by early 2017.

Intellectual Property Issues

In March 2013, MPEG LA and Google entered into agreements granting Google a license to technologies that "may" be essential to VP8 and one "next-generation VPx" codec, which turned out to be VP9. In return, MPEG LA dropped their plans to form a VP8 patent pool. Nokia, which was a member of the MPEG LA H.264 patent pool, but didnt sign the aforementioned agreement, later sued Android licensor HTC, claiming that VP8, as used in the Android operating system, infringed on one or more of its video compression-related patents.

At the time, Florian Mueller, owner of the authoritative Foss Patents blog, stated that the royalty picture for VP8 is far from clear. In an email Mueller wrote, "Claims that VP8 is now free from per-unit or per-implementer license fees are grossly exaggerated. There are simply too many video technology patents out there, and the backers of WebM/VP8 are primarily companies whose own patent portfolios are too weak to resolve patent infringement issues through royalty-free cross-licensing." Nokia ultimately lost the suit, and in April 2016, Mueller commented that, "At this stage I'm not aware of any pending lawsuit over VP9."

Alliance for Open Media

On September 1, 2015, the Alliance for Open Media announced its formation, consolidating the efforts of open source codec developers Google, Mozilla, Cisco, Microsoft, and Intel into one codec, AV1, which is expected to ship by the end of March 2017. As with VP8 and VP9, the AV1 codec will be completely royalty- and disclosure-free. The AV1 codec is largely based upon VP10, and Google has stated that they will not deploy VP10 internally or release it publicly, making VP9 the last of the VPX-based codecs to be released by Google.

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EDMONTON, Alberta, Sept. 23, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Alberta tech entrepreneurs and startups will soon have access to an accelerator with worldwide reach that will help them grow their businesses.

Alberta Innovates chose Plug and Play Alberta as one of four proposals to receive funding under an unprecedented entrepreneurial initiative for Alberta  the Alberta Innovates Scaleup and Growth Accelerator Program (Scaleup GAP). The program is intended to fill a scaleup gap in the provinces innovation system by helping local tech companies grow, and to attract global firms and investment to the province.

Plug and Play, headquartered in Silicon Valley, is a tech investor and accelerator firm with an international network of more than 30,000 startups and 500 corporations, and hundreds of venture capital firms, universities and government agencies across multiple industries. Plug and Play invests in more than 200 startups per year globally.

Plug and Play Alberta will deliver programs in Calgary and Edmonton and bring ventures from around the world to Alberta. They will offer sector-agnostic and sector-based accelerator programs in digital health and sustainable clean resources across the province, from their main Alberta office in Calgary and a satellite office in Edmonton.

In total, the four chosen accelerators, including Plug and Play, will provide services in Alberta with the support of a funding consortium led by Alberta Innovates. Three orders of government are investing about $35 million for the overall accelerator program in Alberta. This includes funding from the Alberta Ministry of Jobs, Economy and Innovation to Alberta Innovates to lead and manage the overall Scaleup and Growth Accelerator Program. The Government of Canada, through Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan), has invested to expand funds available to not-for-profit business accelerators. Additional funding is coming at the municipal level from Innovate Edmonton, and the Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund (OCIF) also intends to invest.

QUOTESPlug and Play has a unique business model that will connect the best startups with international corporations to bring technology to market faster and is a key player in creating syndicated technology investment deals. We are happy to have the power of its networks working for Albertans and our innovation system. Thanks to funding from our government partners, the scope of the scaleup and growth accelerator program and the quality of the global programming is unparalleled for Alberta and a tremendous opportunity.

Laura Kilcrease, CEO, Alberta Innovates

We are committed to becoming a central pillar of Albertas economy through establishing and building a long-term presence and an integrated, collaborative system. This will not only attract top technology and investment to the region but will drive innovation and help Alberta entrepreneurs to scale and grow.

Saeed Amidi, CEO and Founder, Plug and Play

"The startup community that exists in the Alberta region is innovative and resilient, presenting several opportunities for growth. We at Plug and Play, are dedicated to helping the community, bringing our values and vision to create an ecosystem that is vibrant and unique from other environments around the world.

Michael Olmstead, Chief Revenue Officer at Plug and Play

As part of our global innovation strategy, BASF has long partnered with Plug and Play in Stuttgart, Silicon Valley, Shanghai, and in June 2020, we announced our anchor partnership and shared Canadian office space in Canada (Ontario). Today, we congratulate Plug and Play on their announcement, where BASF has a significant presence and sees market, partnership and innovation potential. We look forward to continued collaboration and engagement with innovators within Plug and Plays ecosystem.

Irene Yang, Director, Business Development & Innovation, BASF Canada

Attracting Plug and Play to Alberta is game changing for Edmonton and our province. They will connect Edmontons entrepreneurs with the support they need to scale, grow and to compete on the world-stage in todays impact economy. Locally, Edmontonians will benefit from job growth, new investment and economic diversity.

Catherine Warren, CEO, Innovate Edmonton

"As we work to develop a diverse economy driven by innovation in Calgary and Alberta, there is a critical role for leading business accelerators to collaborate with existing local stakeholders to support local entrepreneurs and emerging companies that are applying technology to solve global challenges These accelerators will increase the pace of scaling and success for our next generation of companies that will drive both economic growth and diversification."

Mark Blackwell, Executive Chair, Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund

BACKGROUND & FAQs:

Q: Who is eligible to participate?

A: This program is open to ventures from anywhere in Alberta, Canada and around the world. Companies will be selected accordingly to criteria set by Plug and Play.

Q: Why should we fund non-Alberta companies?

A: One of the goals is to highlight Alberta capability to the world and make Alberta a preferred technology destination for entrepreneurs and investment. We want to attract international firms to Alberta and create a global mindset in our local innovation ecosystem.

Q: Is there a fee to apply?

A: There will be no fees to apply or participate.

For more information about this accelerator, contact:Allison RomeroDirector of MarketingPlug and Playallison@pnptc.com

About Alberta InnovatesAlberta Innovates is the provinces largest and Canadas first provincial research and innovation agency. For a century we have worked closely with researchers, companies and entrepreneurs  trailblazers who built industries and strengthened communities. Today we are pivoting to the next frontier of opportunity in Alberta and worldwide by driving emerging technologies across sectors. We are a provincial corporation delivering seed funding, business advice, applied research and technical services, and avenues for partnership and collaboration. Learn how Alberta Innovates.

About Innovate EdmontonHeadquartered in Albertas capital city, Innovate Edmonton leverages, unites, and promotes home-grown innovation as a gateway to solving the worlds most pressing problems. We harness the power of the public and private sectors, ground-breaking academic research, and purpose-driven investment to build a shared prosperity and open international markets. From sustainable climate solutions to public health and digital education, Edmonton is a leading global centre for inspiration, ingenuity, and inclusion. Learn more about Innovate Edmonton and Startup Edmonton, a division of Innovate Edmonton.

About Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund was created as a wholly owned subsidiary of The City of Calgary in 2018 to support catalytic investments within the city to help diversify and transform the economy. The fund is administered by Calgary Economic Development and has a volunteer Board of Directors. For more information, visit our website.

About Plug and PlayPlug and Play is the leading innovation platform, connecting startups, corporations, venture capital firms, universities, and government agencies. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, we're present in 35+ locations across five continents. We offer corporate innovation programs and help our corporate partners in every stage of their innovation journey, from education to execution. We also organize startup acceleration programs and have built an in-house VC to drive innovation across multiple industries where we've invested in hundreds of successful companies including Dropbox, Guardant Health, Honey, Lending Club, N26, PayPal, and Rappi. For more information, visit plugandplaytechcenter.com.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f70d2f91-cbce-4b64-ac36-4fc7a70838e2

Plug and Play Alberta Partnership Plug and Play Alberta Partnership

Source: Alberta Innovates
Herzliya, Israel and Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - September 24, 2021) - Innocan Pharma Corporation (CSE: INNO) (FSE: IP4) (OTCQB: INNPF) (the "Company" or "Innocan"), hereby announces the filing by Ramot of a new patent application for a unique Cannabinoids exosome delivery platform - CLX, developed by Ramot and their researchers from Tel Aviv University. InnoCan holds worldwide exclusive option agreement to develop and commercialese the CLX and noticed Ramot on the intention to execute the option into full license agreement. The new patent application covers the ability and applications of a loaded exosome with Cannabinoids, enabling its precise release to target organs. This novel technique may allow better drug efficiently targeting different indications.

Exosomes have emerged as promising nanocarriers for drug delivery and targeted therapy. Exosomes can act as "guided missile" targeting specific damaged organs and have an important role in cell-to-cell communication. Exosomes can be loaded with therapeutic ingredients to enhance their potential.

The CLX (Cannabinoids Loaded Exosome) may hold the potential to provide a highly synergistic effect of tissue such as regeneration and anti-inflammatory properties targeting among other potential indications the recovery of infected lung cells and the Central Nervous System - (CNS) diseases.





Figure #1: Prof. Dani Offen, of TAU, Iris Bincovich InnoCan CEO

To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6922/97538_6dd2926e941c8ba8_002full.jpg.

Prof. Offen of Tel Aviv University stated that, "The ability of loading a Cannabinoid to an exosome is not trivial and presented major challenges, which we have now overcome. The ability of such loading technique may open the door to treat a wide-range of different indications where the exosome and Cannabinoids each have therapeutic potential separately and together given their synergistic effect."

"Innocan Pharma continues to lead the advanced development of delivery platforms that will shape the skyrocketing market of Cannabinoids-integrated Pharma," says CEO Iris Bincovich, "Our exceptional diversified team combined with the unique research capabilities are leading InnoCan to the stage-front of the Cannabinoids-Pharmaceutical industry."

Innocan's relationship with Tel Aviv University

Innocan Pharma Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, notified Ramot at Tel Aviv University, the technology transfer company of Tel Aviv University, of its election to exercise its option to enter into a worldwide exclusive license and research agreement with respect to CBD (or other cannabinoids) loaded exosomes, pursuant to the licensing terms already agreed on and set forth in the option agreement which was signed on April 17th 2020. The research and development initiative is led by Professor Daniel Offen, head of the Neurology Laboratory at Tel Aviv University in the Department of Human Genetics and Biochemistry. Professor Daniel Offen published over 150 original scientific papers on neurodegenerative diseases and is a co-inventor on over a dozen patents. He is a co-founder of several biotechnology companies developing gene and cell therapies for neurological disorders.

Ramot is excited about the fruitful collaboration with Innocan and believes that the new patents and their tremendous potential will lead to new breakthroughs in the field of drug loading and delivery in therapeutics, said Keren Primor Cohen, Ramot's CEO.

About Innocan

Innocan Pharma is a pharmaceutical tech company that focuses on the development of several drug delivery platforms containing CBD. Innocan Pharma and Ramot at Tel Aviv University are collaborating on a new, revolutionary exosome-based technology that targets both central nervous system (CNS) indications and the Covid-19 Coronavirus using CBD. CBD-loaded exosomes hold the potential to help in the recovery of infected lung cells. This product, which is expected to be administered by inhalation, will be tested against a variety of lung infections.

Innocan Pharma signed a worldwide exclusive license agreement with Yissum, the commercial arm of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, to develop a CBD drug delivery platform based on a unique-controlled release liposome to be administered by injection. Innocan Israel plans, together with Professor Berenholz, to test the liposome platform on several potential conditions. Innocan Israel is also working on a dermal product that integrates CBD with other pharmaceutical ingredients as well as the development and sale of CBD-integrated pharmaceuticals, including, but not limited to, topical treatments for the relief of psoriasis symptoms as well as the treatment of muscle pain and rheumatic pain. The founders and officers of Innocan Israel each have commercially successful track records in the pharmaceutical and technology sectors in Israel and globally.

For further information, please contact:

For Innocan Pharma Corporation:

Iris Bincovich, CEO

+972-54-3012842

info@innocanpharma.com

Lytham Partners, LLC

Ben Shamsian CPA | Vice President

Direct: 646-829-9701; Cell: 516-652-9004`Shamsian

shamsian@lythampartners.com

NEITHER THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER HAVE REVIEWED OR ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

Caution regarding forward-looking information

Certain information set forth in this news release, including, without limitation, information regarding research and development, collaborations, the potential for treatment of conditions and other therapeutic effects resulting from research activities and/or the Company's products, requisite regulatory approvals and the timing for market entry, is forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. By its nature, forward-looking information is subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, some of which are beyond Innocan's control. The forward-looking information contained in this news release is based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by Innocan, including expectations and assumptions concerning the anticipated benefits of the products, satisfaction of regulatory requirements in various jurisdictions and satisfactory completion of requisite production and distribution arrangements.

Forward-looking information is subject to various risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results and experience to differ materially from the anticipated results or expectations expressed in this news release. The key risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to: general global and local (national) economic, market and business conditions; governmental and regulatory requirements and actions by governmental authorities; and relationships with suppliers, manufacturers, customers, business partners and competitors. There are also risks that are inherent in the nature of product distribution, including import/export matters and the failure to obtain any required regulatory and other approvals (or to do so in a timely manner) and availability in each market of product inputs and finished products. The anticipated timeline for entry to markets may change for a number of reasons, including the inability to secure necessary regulatory requirements, or the need for additional time to conclude and/or satisfy the manufacturing and distribution arrangements. As a result of the foregoing, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking information contained in this news release concerning the timing of launch of product distribution. A comprehensive discussion of other risks that impact Innocan can also be found in Innocan's public reports and filings which are available under Innocan's profile at www.sedar.com.

Readers are cautioned that undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking information as actual results may vary materially from the forward-looking information. Innocan does not undertake to update, correct or revise any forward looking information as a result of any new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable law.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/97538.
Prize Program Celebrates Expansion with New Emerging Conservationists Award

INDIANAPOLIS, Sept. 25, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Indianapolis Prize  the world's leading award for animal conservation celebrated the world's preeminent animal conservationists at the Indianapolis Prize Gala presented by Cummins Inc.

Dr. Amanda Vincent, the 2021 recipient and eighth Winner of the Prize, which is awarded biennially by the Indianapolis Zoological Society, received a $250,000 grant  the largest unrestricted monetary award given for the successful conservation of endangered or threatened species. Ocean conservationist and the Sovereign Prince of Monaco His Serene Highness Prince Albert II received the 2021 Jane Alexander Global Wildlife Ambassador Award.

"On this night, we celebrate the victories of the world's leading conservationists whose work to save species has an undeniable impact for our planet's wild things and wild places," said Dr. Rob Shumaker, President & CEO of the Indianapolis Zoological Society, Inc. "It is an honor to recognize these heroes and hope their stories will inspire action to protect our planet and all who inhabit it."

Dr. Vincent is a professor at the Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries at The University of British Columbia, where she directs Project Seahorse. Vincent is credited as being the first biologist to study seahorses in the wild, document their extensive trade and establish a project for seahorse conservation.

Vincent has dedicated her career to advocating for seahorses and is credited with bringing the world's attention to the 44 known species of seahorses and developing an effective approach for their conservation. With a relentless dedication to conservation, Vincent generated 35 marine protected areas  dedicated areas of the ocean where fishing is not permitted  where the populations of seahorses and other marine life are thriving.

"It is a great honor to be named the 2021 Indianapolis Prize Winner. This prestigious global award allows me to advocate for vastly more attention to the ocean  which accounts for 99 percent of the living space on Earth  and all the species on which the marine ecosystem depends. Through the perspective of seahorses, we have inspired many, many people globally to safeguard ocean life. The Indianapolis Prize now gives us an even bigger platform to invite and empower people to take meaningful conservation action."

Vincent was selected from a group of six Finalists by a Jury comprised of distinguished scientists and conservation leaders. The Finalists are: Dr. Christophe Boesch (Wild Chimpanzee Foundation); Dr. P. Dee Boersma (University of Washington and Center for Ecosystem Sentinels); Dr. Sylvia Earle (Mission Blue and Deep Ocean Exploration and Research); Dr. Gerardo Ceballos (Institute of Ecology of the National Autonomous University of Mexico); and Dr. John Robinson (Wildlife Conservation Society). Each Finalist received $10,000.

At the Gala, HSH Prince Albert II was honored with the Jane Alexander Global Wildlife Ambassador Award for his dedication to preserving the world's oceans. Accepting the award on His Serene Highness' behalf was the president of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, John B. Kelly II.

"I am extremely honored to be receiving such an important award, a truly significant one in the field of animal conservation," said HSH Prince Albert II. "Please allow me to take this award as an additional encouragement to pursue my action and stick to my convictions. It will help me keep on my commitments and my contributions to the preservation of the oceans, the conservation of coral reefs and marine protected areas, and strive to protect endangered marine species."

An exciting new initiative of the Indianapolis Prize program was also announced during the evenings program. The Emerging Conservationist Award  made possible through a grant from the Sidekick Foundation  is a biennial award recognizing conservationists under 40 years of age who are beginning to make significant strides in saving an animal species or group of species. Nominations for this award will be accepted on Sept. 27, 2021 through Feb. 25, 2022. The inaugural Emerging Conservationist Award will be presented at the 2023 Indianapolis Prize Gala in downtown Indianapolis. To learn more about this exciting new award visit IndianapolisPrize.org/emergingconservationist.

The Indianapolis Prize Gala was hosted by NBC News' chief environmental affairs correspondent Anne Thompson and ocean activist and science communicator, Danni Washington. The Gala puts an international spotlight on the conservation heroes who share their stories and inspire audience members to Take a Step for species survival.

A History of Indianapolis Prize Winners The Indianapolis Prize was first awarded in 2006 to Dr. George Archibald, the co-founder of the International Crane Foundation. The 2008 Winner was George Schaller, Ph.D., known as one of the founding fathers of wildlife conservation, and both a senior conservationist for the Wildlife Conservation Society and vice president for Panthera. In 2010, Iain Douglas Hamilton, Ph.D., founder of Save the Elephants, received the Prize for his pioneering research in elephant social behavior and for leading the way in the fight against the poaching of African elephants. Steven Amstrup, Ph.D., chief scientist for Polar Bears International, received the 2012 Prize for his work on the world's largest land carnivore. In 2014, Dr. Patricia C. Wright, founder of Centre ValBio, became the first woman awarded the Indianapolis Prize for her dedication to saving Madagascar's famed lemurs from extinction. Dr. Carl Jones received the 2016 Indianapolis Prize for his species recovery success on the island of Mauritius, including the echo parakeet, pink pigeon and Mauritius kestrel. Russ Mittermeier, Ph.D., Chief Conservation Officer of Re:wild earned the 2018 Prize for championing the concept of biodiversity hotspots and protecting the endemic species relying on those critical habitats. Dr. Amanda Vincent, co-founder of Project Seahorse and professor at the Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries at The University of British Columbia became the first marine conservationist to win the Prize in 2021 for her work on seahorse ecology and conservation.

ABOUT THE INDIANAPOLIS PRIZEThe Indianapolis Prize recognizes and rewards conservationists who have achieved major victories in advancing the sustainability of an animal species or group of species. Winners receive an unrestricted $250,000 award. Remaining Finalists each receive $10,000. Since 2006, the Indianapolis Prize has administered more than $1.3 million in unrestricted cash awards. The Indianapolis Prize is a signature conservation initiative of the Indianapolis Zoological Society, Inc.

MEDIA NOTEPhotos and video from the VIP reception will be available via this link by 9 pm ET. Other images that accompany this story are available for download on the Indianapolis Prize website here. Connect with the Prize on Facebook and Twitter.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/2021-indianapolis-prize-gala-celebrates-world-renowned-animal-conservationists-301385113.html

SOURCE Indianapolis Prize
A gate section is shown on South Post near Highway 16 on Aug. 1, 2021, at Fort McCoy, Wis. (Scott T. Sturkol/U.S. Army)

(Tribune News Service)  U.S. Reps. Gwen Moore and Ilhan Omar praised conditions for the nearly 13,000 Afghan refugees housed at Fort McCoy, commending the state of medical care and vetting at the military base in western Wisconsin during a visit Saturday.

Moore, of Milwaukee, and Omar, of Minnesota, detailed their tour of the base alongside members of the Milwaukee Muslim Women's Coalition, who brought a truckload of new clothes to donate to the Afghans currently housed at the base. The congresswomen had previously called for an investigation into conditions at the base after reports of neglect and mistreatment.

The Wisconsin State Journal reported earlier this month that many refugees had not received new sets of clothes, with women facing harassment by Afghan men at the base. An official with the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the refugees at the base, has said those problems have since been addressed.

There had also been reports of refugees waiting for several hours for meager allocations of food.

"It was for us an interest in doing our oversight work as members of Congress, to try to see what was actually happening here in the military base of Fort McCoy," said Omar.

The congresswomen, both Democrats, also rebuked criticism of refugee vetting made by Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, of Oshkosh, who said the base was a national security concern after two Afghan men were charged in federal court for separate incidents of alleged assault and sexual abuse of children.

"I know there are a lot of people who are fearmongering for political reasons, but these are probably the safest neighbors we can have in our communities," Omar said.

Moore seconded the thoroughness of vetting at the base, saying the group met children and Afghans with advanced degrees during the tour.

"We really did not run into criminals," Moore said.

The clothing donated on Saturday included winter coats, gloves and hats, sorely needed by the refugees as cold weather fast approaches in Wisconsin.

One member of the Milwaukee Muslim Women's Coalition, Inshirah Farhoud, said many refugees they met at the base had yet to receive unused clothing.

While at the base, which is about 40 miles east of La Crosse, the congresswomen were briefed by State Department and Homeland Security officials and later toured refugee facilities. Moore said that 24/7 medical care was available at the base, noting that cases of measles at the base had been treated and that other refugees with medical conditions had been taken to area hospitals.

"The number of people who are falling ill is diminishing every single day, which tells us this community is becoming more and more healthy," Moore remarked.

The House of Representatives authorized more than $6 billion for Afghan resettlement earlier this week, which includes a new timeline for the refugees to claim asylum. At the base Saturday, Moore said that Afghans are expected to begin resettling in the United States around Thanksgiving.

(c)2021 The Wisconsin State Journal (Madison, Wis.)

Visit The Wisconsin State Journal (Madison, Wis.) at www.wisconsinstatejournal.com

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Anthony Munoz died on Sept. 7 on his first day of boot camp at Parris Island, S.C. His body was escorted back to the city on Thursday. A wake was held Friday evening, followed by a funeral and burial at St. Marys Cemetery with full military honors. (Facebook)

LAWRENCE, Mass. (Tribune News Service)  Just moments after the mother of Anthony Munoz was handed the American flag that covered her son's casket, the 21-year-old Marine's remains were lowered into the ground at St. Mary's Cemetery.

Munoz, 21, was buried right next to his cousin and close friend Leonel Rondon, the 18-year-old Lawrence man who was the single fatality in the Merrimack Valley gas explosions on Sept. 13, 2018.

More than 100 people, including family, friends, Marines and veterans, attended the burial late Saturday morning.

Some wore T-shirts and buttons with Munoz's picture. They took turns placing white roses on his silver casket.

The 2018 Lawrence High School graduate died on Sept. 7 on his first day of boot camp at Parris Island, S.C.

His body was escorted back to the city on Thursday. A wake was held Friday evening, followed by a funeral and burial at St. Mary's Cemetery with full military honors.

Munoz was the son of Bartolome Munoz and Alexandra Santos of Lawrence.

Bartolome Munoz spoke during the burial service, thanking the community as well as family and relatives for not leaving the family's side at this terrible time.

He also praised the Marines for not leaving his son alone since his death. For that, he said, he will be forever grateful.

Marines in dress blues folded the American flag on Munoz's casket. Others conducted a three-volley salute followed by a Marine bugler playing taps.

A flock of birds flew overhead during the service, an unprompted event that captured the crowd's attention momentarily.

Veterans who are members of the Patriot Guard Riders stood throughout the entire service holding a Marine corps flag and numerous American flags.

Funeral director Louis Farrah and Lawrence Veterans Director Jaime Melendez thanked the Patriot Guard Riders for attending the burial.

Melendez told the men that the Marines didn't leave Munoz alone and neither did they.

Munoz was assigned to Lima Company, 3rd Recruit Training Battalion, Recruit Training Regiment. Lima Company was on Training Day 1 when the death occurred, according to officials.

According to several media accounts, Munoz fell off a balcony at the barracks.

The incident is under investigation by the Naval Criminal Investigation Service, a Marine official said previously.

Munoz's death came just days after Marine Sgt. Johanny Rosario, also of Lawrence, was killed in action in Abdul, Afghanistan.

Rosario, 25, was killed by suicide bombers on Aug. 26.

A public vigil, wake and military burial service was held in the city for her.

Rondon was killed on Sept. 13, 2018 when a chimney fell onto a car he was in during an explosion fueled by natural gas.

Rondon attended the Phoenix Academy Charter School in Lawrence. He had just gotten his driver's license hours before the accident that killed him.

(c)2021 The Eagle-Tribune (North Andover, Mass.)

Visit The Eagle-Tribune (North Andover, Mass.) at www.eagletribune.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Avoid the red, U.S. Forces Korea tweeted Friday, Aug. 27, 2021, referring to its new map of restricted districts in South Korea. When in doubt, mask up. (U.S. Forces Korea)

CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea  U.S. Forces Korea announced Friday it is implementing a new method for mitigating the coronavirus spread while allowing service members to travel more freely across the peninsula.

USFK  the command responsible for about 28,500 U.S. troops in the country  is regulating travel to roughly 230 South Korean districts based on the number of COVID-19 cases in each area. Troops are prohibited from visiting districts with 50 or more confirmed COVID-19 patients per 100,000 people over a seven-day period, according to a press release.

Among the seven red-zoned areas is Pyeongtaek, home to a large concentration of troops at Osan Air Base and Camp Humphreys. The others are Gangnam and Yeongdeungpo in Seoul, Goesan, Uiseong, Uiryeong and Yeoncheon.

Those who live or work in these areas can travel freely within their district but are encouraged to minimize activities to the greatest extent possible, the release said. The command is expected to update its incidence rate map on Wednesday evenings.

The new policy, which took effect Saturday, represents a more dynamic method of regulating travel on the peninsula during the pandemic, USFK spokesman Col. Lee Peters said in a Facebook video Friday. It allows service members to freely visit districts based on the rate of COVID-19 infections while limiting trips to a few hotspot areas.

Previously, USFK personnel were banned from traveling to wide-ranging areas in the country, such as the greater Seoul area. Those who have not been fully vaccinated are still prohibited from visiting bars, clubs, bathhouses and off-post gyms  even in districts with low incidence rates.

Avoid the red, USFK tweeted Friday, referring to its map indicating restricted districts in South Korea. When in doubt, mask up.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency reported 1,841 new coronavirus cases Friday, down from a daily high of over 2,220 cases earlier in August.

Over 80% of USFK personnel are fully vaccinated, the command said in a statement Monday, adding that it remains at a high level of readiness with less than 1% of its active-duty troops currently infected with COVID-19.
Mensah Montant, center, and his wife Virginia Salazar visit with a Haitian migrant at an apartment in Ciudad Acuna, Friday, Sept. 24, 2021. Montant knows how it feels to be a stranger in a strange land: He arrived in Mexico as an immigrant himself nine years ago, and now works as a tailor. (Fernando Llano/AP)

CIUDAD ACUNA, Mexico  Some of the thousands of Haitian migrants who briefly formed a camp in the Texas border town of Del Rio have found a helping hand across the river in Mexico's Ciudad Acuna.

While U.S. officials announced the camp on the U.S. side had been cleared, an undetermined number of migrants remained in Ciudad Acuna, afraid to step foot in the streets after Mexican immigration agents raided a small hotel and ringed a similar camp on the Mexican side with agents.

Some Ciudad Acuna residents took in Haitian families, while others provided food and water. Virginia Salazar, a Mexican woman, and her husband Mensah Montant, from the African nation of Togo, were among those who responded to the Haitians' needs.

The couple brought rice to one home, medicine to another, and they're looking for a mattress for one Haitian family. Montant knows how it feels to be a stranger in a strange land: He arrived in Mexico as an immigrant himself nine years ago, and now works as a tailor.

"I come from a family of migrants," said Salazar, who works as a cleaner. "There's my husband, and I have one sister who has documents and another who is illegal," she said of relatives in the United States. "This comes naturally to me."

They have helped about a dozen Haitians personally, but don't know how many may still be in hiding here after U.S. authorities cleared the camp on the other side.

U.S. officials closed the crossing on Sept. 17 after an encampment of mostly Haitian migrants formed around the border bridge span. The camp was completely cleared of migrants on Friday.

Many of those migrants face expulsion because they are not covered by protections recently extended by the Biden administration to the more than 100,000 Haitian migrants already in the U.S.

About 2,000 Haitians had been rapidly expelled on 17 flights over the last week and more could be expelled in coming days.

The possibility of being returned to Haiti led many to seek shelter on the Mexican side, even as thousands more are believed to be travelling up from South America in a bid to reach the U.S. border. But Mexico has begun busing some Haitians back to the southernmost part of its own territory and preparing to send others back to Haiti.

Helping them is not without risk for Ciudad Acuna residents, who last week saw thousands of Haitians walk across the river to Del Rio, and later return to the Mexican side to buy food and other necessities.

Montant had been about to bring ice to Etlove Doriscar, 32, when Mexican immigration agents surrounded him at his home. "What's happening, wait! I have my papers," he said, showing them his Mexican residency.

Montant and Salazar met Dorsicar when they were handing out food earlier in the week at a smaller encampment that sprang up on the Mexican side.

When agents showed up to surround that camp, Dorsicar, his wife and their 3-year-old daughter hid in the riverside brush until they could reach the couple's home.

Montant and Salazar found them a house where they could rent a room, a table and a fan for $50 per month. It means the world to the family and a Haitian woman who shares the other room.

"For the first time in days, I didn't have to sleep with one eye open," said Dorsicar.

Andrea Garcia, a 24-year-old hairstylist, has put up six Haitian families in various homes her family owns in Ciudad Acuna.

"They arrived at my house alone, with their babies and asked to help; they said there was no place they could go," recalled Garcia.

"Yes, I am worried, afraid because Mexican immigration agents are going into people's houses and are not giving them a chance at the process" to gain residency, Garcia said. "But it is more sad than scary to see how they pray when they see an immigration van."

To remain longer, the Haitians need to apply for refugee or asylum status, and that is done in the southern Mexico city of Tapachula. Because that process is so backed up, many Haitians feel Tapachula has become a trap for them and have tried to walk north, only to be stopped by checkpoints and National Guard troops.

"Tapachula has a lot of migrants, a lot, and they are not working, and they are not getting documents," Dorsicar said.

The Mexican government has tried to convince private bus companies not to carry Haitians north, and even taxi drivers in Ciudad Acuna are feeling pressure not to transport them.

Taxi driver Eliseo Ortiz no longer picks up Haitians, after he was fined about $900 three months ago. "They accused me of being an immigrant trafficker," Ortiz said, noting other drivers paid bribes to police to continue carrying them.

Manuel Casillas, 65, the owner of a Beatles-themed restaurant near the border bridge, has seen the Haitians come and go.

"This all makes me feel bad, not to be able to help them or give them work," Castillas said. Though things have quieted down for now, he said, "I think there will be another wave."
A Haitian woman and girl walk down the street in Quilicura, a neighborhood in Santiago, Chile, known as Little Haiti. (Tamara Merino/For The Washington Post)

SANTIAGO, Chile  Along empty streets lined with shuttered businesses, there's little sign of the bustle that just a few a years ago earned the neighborhood of Quilicura the nickname "Little Haiti."

Increasingly restrictive migration policies here, and a belief that the United States has grown more welcoming to immigrants under President Joe Biden, have led a wave of Haitians to abandon the country they once saw as a land of opportunity.

"There's hardly anyone left here now," said 24-year-old Wilbert Pierre, pointing across the dusty road into the Tawtaw barbershop, where he is training to be a hairdresser. "Of all the people I've known in my four years in Chile, more than 100 have gone to the U.S. since March alone."

Tens of thousands of Haitians came to Chile, Brazil and other South American nations after the 2010 earthquake near Port-au-Prince that killed more than 220,000 people. Now feeling growing pressure here, thousands in recent months have traveled north. After spending months in southern Mexico, they began moving toward the U.S. border this month by the busload. An estimated 14,000 gathered at a camp in Del Rio, Texas.

The United States has deported thousands, not back to the South American nations they left but to Haiti, a country reeling from a presidential assassination and another earthquake on top of endemic poverty and gang violence.

Pierre says he is grateful for the opportunities he has had in Chile. But he also says employers and landlords take advantage of Haitian migrants, who often cannot speak Spanish when they arrive. He paid around $100 to apply for residence, but after two years of silence, he was told his application had been rejected.

Many Haitians here have arrived at the same dead end.

The government has announced that on Oct. 17 it will close its "regularization" window for migrants, which had allowed anyone who entered Chile at an official border crossing before March 18, 2020, when the coronavirus arrived in the country, to gain legal status here.

But the process required applicants to show copies of their criminal records  a relatively simple procedure in most countries, but a long and costly one for Haitians living abroad. Many have given up on settling permanently.

Emmanuel Louis, a 36-year-old artist from Port-au-Prince, arrived in Santiago with his family at about the same time as Pierre.

"It's often easier to buy bullets than food in Haiti," he says. "We were looking for somewhere safe to raise our son, so we came to Chile  the 'oasis' of South America.

"But we found that although Chileans themselves are good people, the system is racist, classist and elitist."

Pierre says he has faced discrimination and racial slurs from co-workers. Others in Quilicura say they are routinely referred to only by their skin color.

In January 2020, Louis said, his 6-year-old son, Emmaus, fell into a crowded municipal swimming pool and drowned. There was no lifeguard on duty and the supervisors were all elsewhere, he said, leaving a 13-year-old girl to pull his body from the water.

Louis campaigns for justice outside the municipal offices in Quilicura, but the investigation remains ongoing and he feels that the case has been disregarded by authorities.

Emmanuel Louis paints in the backyard of his home in Quilicura. (Tamara Merino/For The Washington Post) Velleda Louis Pierre Louis and Emmanuel Louis hold a portrait of son Emmaus. (Tamara Merino/For The Washington Post) Haitians in Quilicura. (Tamara Merino/For The Washington Post) Jean Claude Pierre-Paul came to Chile to study in 2008, married a Chilean woman and stayed. He advocated for the rights of Haitian migrants. He lost his job in Quilicura three months ago. He was never legally hired and was not given severance pay for the years he worked. (Tamara Merino/For The Washington Post) Wilbert Pierre came to Chile four years ago in search of opportunity. He now has a Haitian girlfriend he met in Chile and a 7-month-old daughter, and is training to be a hairdresser. (Tamara Merino/For The Washington Post)

According to Chile's national statistics institute, there were nearly 1.5 million immigrants living in the country in 2020  double the number recorded in the 2017 census.

Chile began to receive migrants from Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador in the 1990s, and in the 21st century many more came from Colombia, the Dominican Republic and Cuba. Arrivals from Venezuela and Haiti followed in greater numbers.

Discrimination is nothing new, according to sociologist Maria Emilia Tijoux.

"During the early years of the Chilean state, the 'right' type of migrants were sought from Europe to populate the country," said Tijoux, a professor at the University of Chile. "We are seeing something similar now: Although the Haitian arrivals are young and hard-working, they are constantly discriminated against both culturally and legally."

Indeed, a 2018 decree differentiated visas according to nationality. As Venezuela lurched deeper into political and economic chaos, Chilean President Sebastian Pinera created a new visa specifically for Venezuelans.

But no special treatment was offered to Haitians. The Chilean government established a system that year that required visas to be approved in Port-au-Prince before Haitians could board a flight  and prohibited recipients from working in Chile.

From then on, the government promoted repatriation flights, and flew more than 800 Haitians home on the condition that they would not return to Chile for nine years.

Haitian community organizations estimate that as much as 60 percent of the population has left since a 2018 peak. Still, Haitians remain Chile's third-largest foreign-born population, after Venezuelans and Peruvians.

The country's outdated migration laws have been unable to cope with the influx. Until Pinera signed new legislation in April, the entry of foreigners was regulated by a 1975 decree signed by the military junta led by dictator Augusto Pinochet.

The uptick in departures speaks of the gulf between expectations and reality for the Haitians who have come to Chile  and the bitter misfortune that has befallen many over the last two years.

"Since October 2019, when anti-inequality protests began in Chile, many immigrants started to lose their jobs  and straight after that the pandemic started," says Sandro St. Val, 30, a prominent member of the community here.

"Many people started selling goods informally on the street, but couldn't rely on the government support  or weren't eligible  so they had no way of supporting themselves."

The minimum wage in Chile is around $427 per month, which is barely enough to cover basic living expenses. The difficultly acquiring documentation leaves immigrants open to exploitation, and informal, underpaid work is often the only stopgap.

"Without an ID card, you're Mr. Nobody in Chile," said Jean Claude Pierre-Paul, 39, a social worker who arrived in 2008 and worked at the municipality in Quilicura until recently.

"The first thing they ask you wherever you go is your ID number, rather than how your day has been."

Without residency or a national ID card, which often expires before residency is approved, migrants cannot work, open a bank account or formally rent a property.

"We pay all of our taxes and contribute our labor and culture, yet we are treated differently and discriminated against," Pierre-Paul said. "The message is that they're not going to accept us as residents, so can you blame people for moving on?

"Most Haitians would rather be undocumented in the U.S. than down here in Chile. At least they'd be closer to home."
Buy Photo Forty people associated with U.S. Forces Korea, including military family members and contractors, tested positive for COVID-19 on Aug. 26-27, 2021. (Stars and Stripes)

CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea  U.S. Forces Korea on Tuesday announced the fastest surge of new coronavirus cases among its personnel, surpassing a record set in July.

Forty people, including U.S. military family members and South Korean contractors, tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday and Friday, the command said in a news release. The previous record was 37 infections over a three-day span between July 5 and 7.

Fifty-one USFK personnel tested positive between Aug. 23 and Friday, which is, so far, fewer than the previous record of 58 cases during a weeklong period in July.

USFK releases its number of COVID-19 cases at irregular intervals throughout the week. The figures only represent personnel who were already stationed in South Korea and do not include recent arrivals into the country.

Nearly half of the recent cases are service members at Osan Air Base, roughly eight miles north of Camp Humphreys, the largest U.S. military base overseas. Nineteen of the 40 positive cases originated at the air base, while two cases were reported at Humphreys.

The remaining cases include one contractor and 18 service members on temporary duty in South Korea. USFK did not specify where those individuals are posted; the command does not publicly discuss specific details about confirmed cases, according to a statement to Stars and Stripes on Tuesday.

All of the infected personnel were moved to isolation buildings at Humphreys, Osan or a South Korean medical facility.

Osan came under scrutiny following a party at an enlisted club on Aug. 21. Video footage reviewed by Stars and Stripes showed dozens of military personnel drinking and dancing at the club-like event without masks or regard for USFKs social-distancing policy. According to that policy, service members in indoor common areas on military facilities are required to wear a mask.

USFK on Tuesday said it remains at a high level of readiness with over 80% of its personnel being fully vaccinated and less than 1% of its active-duty force confirmed positive.

The command, which is responsible for about 28,500 U.S. troops in South Korea, updated its travel guidelines Saturday. The new regulations allow troops to travel more freely throughout the country but bans them from entering a few hotspot districts that are defined by the number of COVID-19 cases there over a weeklong period.

Meanwhile, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency on Tuesday reported 1,372 new cases in the country, down from a daily high of about2,221. The country has been in a daily downtrend for new cases for the last six days.
The Japan Defense Ministry's budget request for the coming fiscal year includes upgrades to twodestroyers to accommodate F-35B Lightning II stealth fighters along with another 12 F-35s and space-related projects. (Japanese Air Self-Defense Force)

TOKYO  Japans Defense Ministry has requested nearly $50 billion for the coming fiscal year, a spending plan that includes upgrades to two destroyers to accommodate F-35B Lightning II stealth fighters along with another 12 F-35s and space-related projects.

As surrounding countries strengthen their military power significantly by increasing their defense budget, the security environment surrounding Japan is growing increasingly severe, Tuesdays budget request stated.

Japans defense budget has risen each year for nine consecutive years, starting when former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe took office in 2012 for a second term. Abe expanded the role and capabilities of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, a trend his successor, Yoshihide Suga, continued with a record defense budget for fiscal 2021.

Japan faces, among many other challenges, assertive claims by China over the Senkaku Islands northeast of Taiwan that Japan administers. North Korea, which has a history of test-firing ballistic missile tests over Japan, may have restarted the reactor it uses to produce plutonium for nuclear weapons, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Regional powers are challenging the status quo by eroding non-proliferation and developing missiles, Gen. Yoshihide Yoshida, chief of staff for the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force, told reporters Monday. Yoshida spoke during a meeting with Gen. Charles Flynn, commander of U.S. Army Pacific, at the defense ministry headquarters on Camp Ichigaya in Tokyo.

I recognize that the security environment surrounding Japan is very severe, Yoshida said, without mentioning any other states, because there are regional powers and neighbors that are willing to change the status quo.

The ministry asked for the same amount for fiscal 2022 that it requested for the current year, 5.49 trillion yen, or $49.97 billion. For fiscal 2021, it received 5.3 trillion yen, or $48.7 billion.

Japan has focused recently on building up its defense in new domains, including space, cyberspace and the electromagnetic spectrum.

For space-related projects, the ministry requested 84 billion yen, or $765 million, to acquire space situational awareness laser-detecting capability and to establish a second squadron in its Space Operations Group, which works closely with U.S. Space Command.

Japan needs to strengthen necessary defense power significantly and build multi-domain defense force, the ministrys budget proposal states.

The ministry requested 77.9 billion yen, or $709 million, to purchase eight F-35As and 52.1 billion yen, or $474 million, for four F-35B Lightning II stealth fighters.

The B model is capable of short takeoffs and vertical landings, making it suitable for Japans flattop destroyers. To accommodate the aircraft, the ministry asked for 6.7 billion yen, or $61 million, to refurbish the flight decks on the JS Izumo and JS Kaga.

The ministry hopes to test the Izumo with U.S. Marine Corps F-35Bs by March, Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi said in July.

The budget request left blank the amount it seeks to upgrade the Self-Defense Forces fleet of F-15 Eagle fighters. Japan announced in August that it scrapped a plan to outfit the fighters with expensive, U.S.-made anti-ship missiles. Negotiations with the U.S. over the amended project cost are still underway, ministry officials said.

The budget request did not specify the cost to realign U.S. forces in Japan, which include shifting some Marine aviation assets from Okinawa to Guam. The ministry asks 202.9 billion yen, or $1.8 billion, to support U.S. forces, which may change with further negotiations between the two countries.

The agreement that specified Japans share of that cost expired in March, according to the budget request.

Stars and Stripes reporter Alex Wilson contributed to this report.
This photo from the state-run Korean Central News Agency shows a missile launch at an undisclosed location in North Korea, March 29, 2020. (KCNA)

CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea  North Korean officials have railed against a recent joint military exercise between the U.S. and South Korea, calling it "the most vivid expression of a hostile policy.

The Aug. 16-26 drills consisted of computer simulations and a smaller number of troops than the thousands of ground forces used in large-scale field exercises of the past.

North Koreas Foreign Ministry frequently complains about the allies military exercises and on Saturday alleged the most recent drill was fueling up the instability of the situation.

The drills were the most vivid expression of the U.S. hostile policy against [North Korea], which is aimed at stifling our state by means of force, according to the ministry statement.

North Korea may continue bolstering the national defensive power and preemptive strike capabilities which can strongly contain and eliminate the outside threats," the statement reads.

The statement comes a day after the United Nations nuclear watchdog issued a report indicating the regime restarted its Yongbyon nuclear reactor in July. The International Atomic Energy Agency said North Koreas nuclear activities continue to be a cause for serious concern and described the evidence as deeply troubling.

The agencys findings corroborate an analysis from the Center for Strategic and International Studies think-tank in April that said the regimes activity is likely an indicator of a new reprocessing campaign designed to expand North Koreas inventory of fissile material for nuclear weapons.

President Joe Biden is aware of the UNs report and is closely coordinating with allies, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Monday.

This report underscores the urgent need for dialogue and diplomacy so we can achieve the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, Psaki said at a press briefing. We continue to seek dialogue with [North Korea] so we can address this reported activity and the full range of issues related to denuclearization.

South Koreas Ministry of Unification mentioned Pyongyangs statement during a press briefing Monday and said it will thoroughly prepare for all possibilities without forejudging the attitude of the North.

The Unification Ministry will keep trying to rebuild trust and reinstate relations between South and North Korea as early as possible, spokeswoman Lee Jong Joo said in the briefing.

Stars and Stripes reporter Yoo Kyong Chang contributed to this report.
A South Korean lawmaker claims that President Moon Jae-in has directed several military units to test whether soldiers become immune to COVID-19 variants by having them remove their masks. (Pixabay)

CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea  The South Korean military is denying an allegation it has implemented an experimental no mask policy to test troops herd immunity against the coronavirus.

National Assembly member Ha Tae Keung, of the conservative Peoples Power Party, raised the claim during a press conference on Aug. 27. He said President Moon Jae-in directed several military units to test whether soldiers become immune to COVID-19 variants by having them remove their masks.

The policy, Ha alleged, was to observe and test the efficacy of herd immunity, responsiveness to variants, fatality rate, and so on.

Ha did not disclose the source of his claim but provided a list of military units that allegedly received the directive. He said Moon made the order without consulting the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, the government body responsible for researching infectious diseases and illnesses.

It is a very shocking thing that the president, who is the commander-in-chief, directed the military to carry out virtually the [experiment] at the risk of the military personnels health and safety, Ha told reporters. If [this is true], I hope the president immediately makes a direct apology to the people and soldiers of the whole force.

The Blue House did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday.

Ha is among a dozen candidates running for his partys nomination for the next presidential election in March.

The Ministry of National Defense denied the allegation and described it as misleading, in a statement to Stars and Stripes on Tuesday. The statement did not mention whether Moon had specifically given an order and the ministry did not elaborate on the matter.

The military has considered easing COVID-19 restrictions for the welfare of its troops and to normalize unit activities in military compounds, the statement said. Expressing this as experiment  is to belittle the militarys efforts to normalize.

The current COVID-19 regulations have been more debilitating for troops than to ordinary people, the defense ministry said, adding that discussions to loosen the rules were considered due to an accumulation of soldiers senses of fatigue.

While most of the country waited to receive a coronavirus vaccine earlier this year, South Korean service members were prioritized under government orders. Roughly 94% of troops are vaccinated compared to 33% of the general population.

Measures to ease guidance on infection prevention and control partly has not been decided yet, the Defense Ministrys statement said. They will be settled after close discussions between [the ministry] and health authorities.
CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea  A woman from the Philippines is under arrest on suspicion of beating to death the 3-year-old son of a U.S. soldier left in her care, according to South Korean police.

Police declared the child dead after finding his bruised body Sunday morning at a home in Pyeongtaek city, near Camp Humphreys, a South Korean criminal investigator told Stars and Stripes on Monday.

Arrested the same morning, the unidentified woman, 30, told police she had beaten the child to death in order to send him to heaven because the child was possessed by an evil spirit, the investigator said.

Police responded first to a disturbance call from local residents who said they found another child, a 7-year-old boy, crying outside a home, the officer said. My younger brother appears dead, the boy told the residents, according to the investigator.

Inside, the local residents found the younger boy unresponsive and contacted police. After declaring the boy dead, police found bruises on his face, back and other parts of his body, the investigator said. He said the older boy did not appear physically injured.

Police responded around 7:30 a.m. to a separate call of a naked, incoherent woman wandering the streets for about 40 minutes.

After taking her into custody, Pyeongtaek police learned the boys father, had left them with her around 10:20 p.m. Saturday, the investigator said. The father, whose name the police did not release, was expected to pick them up Sunday morning.

Government officials in South Korea customarily speak to the media on a condition of anonymity.

The woman knew the soldier from a bar near Camp Humphreys where she worked, according to police. The investigator said the woman arrived in the country after marrying a South Korean man in 2019. The couple later divorced.

Eighth Army and the 2nd Infantry Division in an email Tuesday to Stars and Stripes described the incident as a terrible tragedy and said they will do everything possible to care for the family in this time of profound grief and loss.

The U.S. commands will cooperate with the Korean National Police investigation, according to the statement.

Buy Photo The main gate entrance sign for Camp Humphreys, South Korea, is shown in this 2014 file photo. (Stars and Stripes)
The House version of the fiscal 2022 National Defense Authorization Act provides $75 million to continue development of the Homeland Defense Radar-Hawaii, shown here in an artists conceptual rendering. (Missile Defense Agency)

(Tribune News Service)  U.S. Rep. Ed Case said the House passed a defense policy bill that "expresses the sense of Congress" that Hawaii should have discrimination radar coverage against intercontinental ballistic missiles equivalent to Alaska's long-range discrimination radar.

The House version of the fiscal 2022 National Defense Authorization Act provides $75 million to continue development of the beleaguered Homeland Defense Radar-Hawaii and calls on the Missile Defense Agency to request "adequate funding" for the radar in future budget planning.

"The HDR-H is a critical state-of-the-art radar system designed to protect our country and state from ballistic missile threats from countries like North Korea and was strongly supported by our Indo-Pacific military leaders," Case said in a release.

On Thursday the House passed a $778 billion authorization  about $25 billion more than the Biden administration proposed  as part of the fiscal 2022 defense policy bill.

In February 2020 the Hawaii radar, which now is approaching a cost of $2 billion or more due to delays, was postponed by the Pentagon. In two subsequent budget years, no funding was sought amid attention increasingly focused on sophisticated Chinese and Russian ballistic and maneuvering hypersonic and cruise missiles.

As a result, a missile tracking gap persists in the Pacific. While the Sea-Based X-Band Radar now spends more time at sea and Navy destroyers have tremendous capability, some additional sensor is likely needed for the defense of Hawaii, the Center for Strategic and International Studies said.

The $75 million request for the big Hawaii radar, which would have an 85-foot face and likely be located at the Pacific Missile Range Facility on Kauai, keeps the proposal moving ahead at a basic planning level.

Case successfully added an amendment in the bill relating to the inspection of piping and support infrastructure at the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility.

"The continued availability and use" of the fuel farm "is a matter of national security," the Hawaii Democrat noted in the amendment language.

But past leaks also "raise significant questions whether the facility is being operated and maintained to the highest standard possible."

"My amendment requires a significantly enhanced inspection standard for Red Hill's pipeline system and other supporting infrastructure and appurtenances," said Case, a member of the House Appropriations Committee.

Case said the bill also directs the Defense Department to identify the architecture and acquisition approach to implement a "360-degree integrated air and missile defense capability to defend the people, infrastructure and territory of Guam from advanced cruise, ballistic and hypersonic missile threats."

The bill provides $6.2 billion  $1.1 billion more than the president's budget request  for the Pacific Deterrence Initiative that represents defense requests to counter China's assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region.

The Defense Department said in late May that its budget "prioritizes the China threat as the department's pacing challenge." Adm. Phil Davidson, former head of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command headquartered on Oahu, had outlined $4.68 billion in required investment in fiscal 2022.

"The most important action the U.S. can take to increase the joint force's lethality" is to introduce 360-degree air defense capability in Guam, which Davidson described as "our most crucial operating location in the Western Pacific."

The assessment also called for a tactical multimission over-the-horizon radar in Palau, a "constellation of space-based radars," enhanced intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance and "highly survivable precision-strike fires" that can support air and maritime movement from distances greater than 300 miles.

Case said other approved amendments include:

 Hawaii military land leases: Requires an annual report to Congress on progress by the Defense Department to renew each military land lease and easement in Hawaii.

 Marine Corps infrastructure: Requires a report from the Marine Corps identifying what infrastructure is needed to directly support the Corps' realignment in the Indo-Pacific. "This will support efforts to improve the aging infrastructure at Marine Corps Base Hawaii," Case's release said.

 Investigation into lasers used against military aircraft in Hawaii: Requires an official investigation into these incidents and offering means of mitigating the risk to military aircraft and personnel.

 Military presence in Palau: Expresses the sense that Congress is receptive to Palau's request that the United States establish a regular military presence there for defensive purposes.

(c)2021 The Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Visit The Honolulu Star-Advertiser at www.staradvertiser.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2021 at U.N. headquarters. (EDUARDO MUNOZ, pool/AP)

ISTANBUL  Turkey's president has said he would consider buying a second Russian missile system in defiance of strong objections by the United States.

In an interview with American broadcaster CBS News, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey would have to decide its defense systems on its own.

Speaking to correspondent Margaret Brennan in New York this past week, Erdogan explained that Turkey wasn't given the option to buy American-made Patriot missiles and the U.S. hadn't delivered F-35 stealth jets despite a payment of $1.4 billion. Erdogan's comments came in excerpts released in advance of the full interview being broadcast Sunday.

NATO member Turkey was kicked out of the F-35 program and defense officials were sanctioned after it bought the Russian-made S-400 missile defense system. The U.S. strongly objects to the use of Russian systems within NATO and says it poses a threat to the F-35s. Turkey maintains the S-400s could be used independently without being integrated into NATO systems and therefore pose no risk.

The U.S. also sanctioned Turkey in 2020 for its purchase under a 2017 law aimed at pushing back Russian influence. The move was the first time that the law, known as CAATSA, was used to penalize a U.S. ally.

But Erdogan has remained defiant. "Of course, of course, yes," Erdogan said after stating Turkey would make its own defense choices, in response to Brennan's question on whether Turkey would buy more S-400s.

Before departing New York, Erdogan told journalists that relations with President Joe Biden hadn't started well despite what he called his good work with previous U.S. leaders during his 19-years at Turkey's helm.

"I cannot honestly say that there is a healthy process in Turkish-American relations," state-run Anadolu news agency quoted Erdogan as saying Thursday.

Erdogan also told Turkish media that Turkey would buy new missile defense systems if needed and that it was already developing its own.

The issue is one of several sticking points in Turkish-American relations that also include U.S. support for Syrian Kurdish fighters who Turkey considers terrorists, and the continued U.S. residency of a Muslim cleric accused of plotting the failed coup attempt against Erdogan's government in 2016.

Erdogan is scheduled to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sept. 29.
A member of the commandos unit of the Syrian Democratic Forces stands on a sand berm in the eastern part of Syria's Hasakah province during what was thought to be a security threat on the road between Raqqa and Dashisha on Aug. 3. (Nicole Tung/for The Washington Post)

DASHISHA, Syria  The pair of young women had been missing for hours when troops searching for them heard gunshots in the desert night. Two quick booms, then two again. They found the bodies by the roadside.

Staring down at them, soldiers from the Syrian Democratic Forces had no doubts about who kidnapped the women, both local government workers, and shot them dead. These killings were a message to everyone, the SDF commander, Shvan Selmo, recalled thinking.

The slayings near the remote, sun-scorched village of Dashisha bore the hallmarks of the Islamic State.

Two and a half years after its self-declared caliphate was extinguished amid a blitz of U.S.-led coalition airstrikes in the palm groves of Baghouz, further to the south, the militants in northeastern Syria are down but not defeated. They have melted back to their insurgent roots, seeding sleeper cells across the region, as well as in neighboring Iraq, and using improvised explosives and small arms to target security forces and government employees.

This part of Syria is run by a Kurdish-dominated authority and secured by the SDF, a force armed and trained to carry the fight against ISIS. Some 900 U.S. troops are still in the area, patrolling oil infrastructure and supporting the SDF in its operations against the jihadist group.

The U.S.-led coalition estimates that between 8,000 and 16,000 ISIS fighters still operate in Syria and Iraq. And with the militants digging in for the long haul and young men still being recruited, though on a smaller scale than before, local officials now watch their backs as they work. In the rural communities, fearful residents turn a blind eye when fighters come out of the desert.

The militants who dragged Hind Latif al-Khadir, who was about 20, and her friend Sada Faysal al-Hermas from their homes early this year, trucking them through the desert and to their deaths, had seemed confident that no one would even track them.

One of the ISIS fighters, a teenage recruit named Ibrahim, had boasted days earlier that they felt untouchable. We move freely here, he told his cousin, according to voice messages shared by the SDF, which said they had been recovered from the young mans phone. Dont worry, nobody even knows who we are.

A photo of Hind Latif al-Khadir is shown on a cellphone by her sister at their home in Dashisha. (Nicole Tung/for The Washington Post) Rusil Latif al-Khadir, 4, and Hiyam Latif al-Khadir, 22, the daughter and sister, respectively, of Hind Latif al-Khadir, stand beneath a portrait of her at their home in Dashisha, close to Syria's border with Iraq. (Nicole Tung/for The Washington Post) An 18-year-old suspect in the killings of Hind Latif al-Khadir and Sa'da Faysal al-Hermas is seen in an interview room at a detention center in the town of Shaddadi in Hasakah province on Aug. 8. (Nicole Tung/for The Washington Post)

- - -

Ibrahim later recalled that he had been recruited into ISIS by a man named Abu Omar, known to Ibrahims family as a member of the group. Interviewed while in detention at the Shaddadi prison in the presence of a guard, Ibrahim, 18, said he had simply been looking to earn some money.

But SDF intelligence officers said he asked from the start to join the groups armed operations and that he had been watching ISIS online propaganda for a while. They declined to provide details. An officer in the Shaddadi prison, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk with the press, said the young mans trajectory was common among those arrested for involvement in ISIS sleeper cells: They have poor education. Their morale is low. They see holding guns as a way of finding power.

Ibrahims introduction to the group began with twice-weekly religious lessons, he said, describing a curriculum that demonized individuals who fought the group or joined local government.

Soon, he was tapped for missions. Initially, he was asked to transport motorcycles and bags through the desert, he said. During the next operation, a man was killed, apparently as punishment because he had been a member of the SDF.

Ibrahim described himself as a bystander in that attack, with no advance warning of the cells intention. But in phone message from several days later, heard by The Washington Post, Ibrahim sounds giddy as he says that he was the one to shoot the gun. I didnt stop until I could see his brains, he tells a cousin.

Returning home late at night after that killing, Ibrahim remembers thinking to himself that there was no turning back. I just had this feeling that I was in it now, he said.

Ibrahims cell began planning the young womens deaths days later, according to him and SDF officials. The women were both involved in a local government-sponsored program for female empowerment.

On a January night, members of the cell assembled. Ibrahim said he did not recognize most of the men. One of them gave us a location in the desert, he said. There were six of us.

- - -

SDF commandos are trained specifically to thwart attacks, especially from Islamic State sleeper cells, as the extremist group ramps up its activities in the eastern part of Syria. (Nicole Tung/for The Washington Post)

Local SDF troops learned of Sadas kidnapping first. She had been pulled from her house in the early evening and thrown into a Bongo pickup truck, they were told. Piling quickly into their vehicles, the soldiers gave chase.

But even as they scrambled toward the site of the abduction, the assailants were racing toward their next target. They arrived at Hinds house at 7 p.m., her family said.

First came the bang at the door. Then the men burst inside, wearing masks, and screams filled the air.

The attackers separated Hind from her sister Hiyam and put a gun to Hiyams head. In the next room, someone was restraining Hind and shouting at others to find the familys gun.

Then the militants fled with Hind, hopes for her survival fading with her muffled yells. Sometimes you just know who has come to your door, Hiyam said. She broke down in jagged sobs as the truck pulled away and the night felt deadly still, she recalled.

A picture of her sisters body, dressed in the black velour tracksuit she had bought to wear at home, reached Hiyams phone in little more than an hour.

Hiyam concluded that their home had been watched for weeks, but she wasnt sure whether it had been the militants or their own neighbors who had been spying on them. They were asking for details that no one else could have known, she said. How can we trust anyone here now?

Ibrahim was arrested days later based on coalition-provided intelligence, according to SDF officials at the Shaddadi prison. Wed been tracking them for a while, said one official, adding that the rest of Ibrahims cell was killed in an airstrike the following week.

- - -

SDF commanders say their forces have rolled up scores of sleeper cells in recent months, often on the basis of intelligence from the U.S.-led coalition or with coalition air support.

But in remote areas such as Dashisha, the terrain is on the militants side. The village, located near the Iraqi border, is surrounded by desert for miles, and checkpoints are few and far between. Along the Syrian-Iraqi frontier, ISIS fighters shelter in hidden tunnels or in buildings emptied by U.S.-led coalition bombing.

When reporters recently traveled to the area with an SDF escort, troops were visibly wary, scanning the horizon for threats. At one point, the soldiers slammed the brakes and fanned out along the sand dunes on foot. What they had seen, it turned out, was just an abandoned motorcycle.

The militants who stalk Dashisha are often local or from neighboring Iraq, according to SDF officials, and cells like Ibrahims typically comprise around half a dozen men. They generally make decisions among themselves that adhere to the propaganda of the now largely leaderless group. Although there is some communication among cells, they are mostly isolated, and this can make them hard to track.

ISIS cells are also active across the Euphrates River to the southwest, in territory held by the Syrian government forces of Bashar Assad. Coalition officials say government forces have made only weak efforts to tackle the militants, giving them a base to reconstitute.

SDF and coalition officials also warn that the local cells could one day be bolstered by escapees from the weakly defended prisons and displacement camps run by the SDF elsewhere in northeastern Syria that house thousands of former ISISfighters and their families. Officials say that men and women have been smuggled out from both camps and prisons, with some rejoining the fight.

The coalition said in a report released last month that ISIS activists have already tried to recruit among the hundreds of Syrians who have recently been released, but provided no evidence.

- - -

The area around Dashisha is chronically underserved, with scant access to water or government electricity. While such dire conditions have led some locals to sign on with ISIS, those hardships had helped convince Hind to join the local government, according to her family. She wanted to help people and she wanted to provide for us, Hiyam said.

The family home is a squat, concrete structure, spartan on the inside. No furniture was visible on the day reporters visited. On the wall by the door, someone had etched rose buds into the concrete and painted them pink.

Hinds 4-year-old daughter, Rusil, scrolled through Hiyams cellphone photo gallery, past pictures of her smiling mother in a scarlet party dress to the image of her lying in a pool of blood. Rusil kept pointing to the photo and saying, Mama.

Hinds family doesnt go out much anymore. Last month, a young man approached her nephew in the street and told him that the family should wait and see what happened next. They took it as a warning.

In neighboring villages, few wanted to discuss the killings. Its hard for them to speak, observed SDF commander Selmo, gazing toward the dusty roadside where Hind and Sadas bodies had been found.

But when villagers were asked why it happened, they said they had little doubt. Well, they worked for the local council, said Hamid Aboud Mohammed, Sadas neighbor. People dont do that around here.

Meanwhile, Ibrahims fate remains uncertain. The SDF says it does not have the capacity to try him. He has been detained for seven months and has no lawyer.

When asked if he had been informed of when he might face trial, the young man simply looked down and shook his head.

The Washington Posts Mustafa al-Ali contributed to this report.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrives for a briefing in the East Room of the White House in Washington on May 21, 2021. (Erin Scott/Bloomberg)

"We inherited a deadline. We did not inherit a plan."

- Secretary of State Antony Blinken, remarks during a House hearing, Sept. 13

___

Blinken, appearing on Capitol Hill to defend the administration's chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan, made this comment in response to questions by Rep. Brad Sherman, D-Calif.: "Did the Trump administration leave on your desk a pile of notebooks as to exactly how to carry out that plan? Did we have a list of which Afghans we were going to evacuate? Did we have a plan to get Americans from all over Afghanistan to Kabul and out in an orderly way? How meticulous was the planning for the Trump administration declared May 1 withdrawal?"

Blinken's response - "We inherited a deadline. We did not inherit a plan" - appeared to crystallize the Biden administration's explanation for what happened: It had inherited a bad situation from the Trump administration, which had cut a deal with the Taliban and greatly reduced the number of troops in the country. It certainly elicited laughter from Sherman, who exclaimed, "No plan at all. It's amazing that it wasn't much, much worse."

But is this really a fair statement?

- - -

The deadline that Blinken referenced was May 1. That's the date enshrined in the deal struck between the Trump administration and the Taliban on Feb. 29, 2020.

"The United States is committed to withdraw from Afghanistan all military forces of the United States, its allies, and Coalition partners, including all nondiplomatic civilian personnel, private security contractors, trainers, advisers, and supporting services personnel within fourteen (14) months following announcement of this agreement," the agreement said.

The agreement said that at the time there were 8,600 U.S. forces in Afghanistan and the drawdown would begin within 135 days. It also called for the Afghan government - which was not a party to the agreement - to release 5,000 Taliban fighters from its prisons. The government eventually did that after intense pressure from the Trump administration.

According to an Axios report, President Donald Trump on Nov. 11 signed a decision memo that would have ordered the withdrawal of all U.S. troops by Jan. 15, five days before President Joe Biden took office. But Trump backed down after his top national security advisers erupted in fury and "painted a vivid picture of Kabul falling to the Taliban if U.S. forces withdrew precipitously in the final days of the Trump presidency."

President Joe Biden heads to Marine One as he departs the White House on Monday., Sept. 20, 2021. (Demetrius Freeman/The Washington Post )

Instead, Trump and the military compromised and agreed to reduce U.S. troops from 4,500 to 2,500 by the end of Trump's presidency - a number that was far below what many national security experts thought was necessary. That was the number of troops left in the country when Biden took office 11 months after the U.S.-Taliban agreement was signed. (The actual number ranged toward 3,500 when classified and some other units were included, U.S. military officials told the Wall Street Journal.)

Obviously, it takes planning to reduce troop presence in the country. The Pentagon is filled with people who churn out plans.

"It's true that the military had done some retrograde planning," said a senior defense official. But he said that was only one piece of the puzzle. "There was little evidence of a diplomatic strategy" to accomplish the withdrawal, he said, while outgoing Trump administration officials refused to provide any insights into whether the Taliban was complying with the agreement.

"There was zero visibility on the Doha negotiations," he said, referring to the deal inked with the Taliban.

The Doha agreement was posted on the Internet when it was signed. But a State Department official noted that the Trump administration also announced that the implementing agreements are classified documents. "They are classified because information relating to the movement of U.S. troops and operations against terrorists are sensitive matters, and publicly sharing this information at this time could put American and coalition lives at risk," the Trump administration said.

Former Trump officials, however, say that contrary to Blinken's remarks, they did have a diplomatic strategy and a withdrawal plan - though their recollections conflict with the Axios reporting that Trump at one point ordered a full withdrawal within two months.

Chris Miller, Trump's last acting defense secretary, claimed that Trump's vow to leave Afghanistan was actually a ruse to convince then-Afghan President Ashraf Ghani to quit or accept a power-sharing agreement with the Taliban.

"The whole policy strategy going forward was 'Ghani is going to have to deal with the Taliban.' And it wasn't going to be a 50-50 split between the Afghan government and Taliban. We knew that. It was going to be 75-25 [majority Taliban], and then you flip this thing into an interim government," he told Defense One.

He also said that Trump planned to keep 800 troops in the country to wage a counterterrorism mission and provide logistical support to the Afghan military. "We were going to jam Ghani hard and make him cut a deal with the Taliban," he said. "It would have been ugly. It wouldn't have been great. But there was no plan to just leave."

Kash Patel, who was installed as Pentagon chief of staff in the waning days of the administration, said he crafted a withdrawal plan under orders from Trump.

"The Afghan government and the Taliban were both told they would face the full force of the US military if they caused any harm to Americans or American interests in Afghanistan," he wrote in the New York Post. "Next, both parties would negotiate to create an interim-joint government, and both sides had to repudiate al-Qaida. Lastly, a small special-operations force would be stationed in the country to take direct action against any terrorist threats that arose. When all those conditions were met - along with other cascading conditions - then a withdrawal could, and did, begin."

"There was a plan, if he [Blinken] chose not to read it, that's on him," Patel said in a text message to the Fact Checker. "The DoD left extensive paperwork regarding the plans during transition, again they refused to meet with leadership, but the plans are still there. You cannot withdraw from a theater of war without a multitude of DoD components moving their machinery, and that can't happen without paper."

Biden administration officials, for their part, said they received little cooperation and virtually no useful information from their counterparts. They say they had to start all over again.

"You have to remember that Trump said both publicly and privately that he wanted all troops out of Afghanistan by Christmas. And it was only because the military and National Security Council threw sand in the system that there wasn't a complete withdrawal," the State Department official said. "So there were no clear operating instructions - it was a battle merely to avoid what the president had decreed. The military always engages in contingency planning, but it is accurate to say that we did not inherit a plan upon taking office. In fact, the plan even evolved after we developed it."

At early State Department media briefings, the spokesman repeatedly said officials were studying the Doha agreement to determine a path forward. "When it comes to the U.S.-Taliban agreement, we are reviewing what has been negotiated, including that agreement," Ned Price said on Feb. 3.

After a policy was developed, Blinken also tried to jam Ghani. In a letter in early March, leaked to the Afghan media, he urged the completion of a peace agreement between the government and the Taliban and the creation of a "new, inclusive government."

"We are considering the full withdrawal of our forces by May 1st, as we consider other options. Even with the continuation of financial assistance from the United States to your forces after an American military withdrawal, I am concerned the security situation will worsen and that the Taliban could make rapid territorial gains," Blinken wrote, saying he was making the point so that Ghani could understand "the urgency of my tone."

Ultimately, on April 14, Biden announced that he would withdraw all troops by Sept. 11, a date later advanced to Aug. 31 after the military moved faster than expected.

The Biden administration settled on a plan that would have kept 600 troops in Afghanistan, mainly to protect the U.S. Embassy. The military told Biden that far more troops would be needed to both control Bagram air base and protect the embassy, so Biden signed off on a plan that focused on keeping open Kabul's airport and closing Bagram.

Patel said the Trump plan, with 800 troops, would have retained control of Bagram air base. He did not respond to a text message asking whether those troops were also tasked to protect the embassy.

At a hearing on Sept. 14, Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, noted that while Blinken had said the administration said it had inherited a date, it actually did not stick to it.

"You didn't inherit the date, the date was May 1st, and you push it to August 31," Romney observed. "Why didn't you push it much later . . . I don't understand why a date was actually not inherited, and a date was not selected, that would be sufficient to actually remove people from the nation in a way that would be in keeping with our moral commitment to honor our citizens, our green-card holders, as well as those who've worked with us over the years."

"The military told us that in order to do its retrograde, its drawdown from Afghanistan in a safe and orderly way, it needed three to four months," Blinken replied.

"Our expectation was that beyond August 31, beyond the military drawdown, the government, the security forces, were going to remain in control of Kabul, of the major cities, our embassy was fully planned to remain up and running." Blinken added. "We were leaving about 600 military behind to make sure that we could secure the embassy, so that it continues to operate. . . . What was not, what we did not anticipate, was that 11-day collapse of the government security forces. That's what changed everything."

- - -

We are faced with the conundrum of dueling narratives. Blinken's line was rather glib, as there are always plans being developed in the military - and it's not as if the Biden plan worked at all as planned.

But at the same time, our experience with the Trump administration shows that any plans that might have been on the shelf or even developed were subject to the whims of a mercurial president. After all, he replaced the top leadership of the Defense Department just months before he left office and, at one point, even ordered a two-month drawdown of all troops in Afghanistan.

Was there a Trump plan and would it have unfolded as planned? That's uncertain. When Biden announced that troops would depart by September, Trump even criticized him for moving too slowly, saying, "We should keep as close to that [May] schedule as possible."

This dispute reminds us of the debate over whether Trump had eliminated a global-pandemic office within the National Security Council, thus contributing to the administration's sluggish response to the coronavirus outbreak. It was not a debate that could be resolved. As one former administration official told the Fact Checker, "there isn't any organizational chart in the U.S. government that makes any difference in the Trump administration. Trump is more likely to say to Jared [Kushner], 'What do you think we should do?' That's the big problem."

That column resulted in no rating and we will render the same verdict here as well.
Maulana Abdul Aziz, the Red Mosque cleric and member of the Taliban negotiating team shows religious books in Islamabad, Pakistan, on Feb. 7, 2014. (B.K. Bangash/AP)

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - For years, the Red Mosque in Pakistan's capital has stood as a bastion of religious defiance, a nerve center of radical Islamist preaching that has drawn thousands of worshipers to hear rabble-rousing sermons by its longtime pro-Taliban leader, Maulana Abdul Aziz.

In 2007, the mosque, also known as the Lal Masjid, and its next-door Islamic seminary, or madrassa, for girls were the site of a bloody siege by Pakistani security forces after a week-long standoff with armed militants inside the compound, which left at least 100 dead. Since then, Aziz has faced numerous criminal charges but has never been convicted.

Now, with the sudden Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, Aziz says his followers' crusade has been vindicated and their moment has arrived.

"The coming of the Taliban was an act of God," the white-bearded cleric, 58, said in a rare interview this week at the girls' madrassa, Jamia Hafsa. He no longer preaches at the mosque, under an agreement he made last year with the government.

"The whole world has seen that they defeated America and its arrogant power," Aziz said. "It will definitely have a positive effect on our struggle to establish Islamic rule in Pakistan, but our success is in the hands of God."

Madrassas in Pakistan have long played a major role in fostering militant Islamic groups, mostly aimed at foreign targets. The Afghan Taliban movement was spawned in a radical madrassa in Pakistan's northwest border region, and Lashkar-e-Taiba, a violent anti-India insurgency, was incubated in madrassas in Punjab province.

But one such homegrown group, known as the Pakistani Taliban, waged war against the Pakistani government for years and is still active in Afghanistan. Officials here fear that the Taliban takeover in Kabul could embolden such extremists to launch a new holy war at home. A surge in religious fervor has sparked violent riots by one group that seeks a crackdown on blaspheming against Islam.

Since last month, Aziz and his followers have periodically raised white Taliban flags on the Jamia Hafsa roof, defying government orders. The third time, on Sept. 18, police cordoned off the area amid growing alarm among nearby residents. Veiled students stood on the roof, shouting taunts.

Police said Aziz threatened them and brandished a gun. He was initially charged with rioting, sedition and other crimes under federal anti-terrorism laws, but the charges were dropped the next day.

"We have resolved the issues through dialogue, to keep the situation in the federal capital normal," Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed told a news conference Monday. Of the more than 500 madrassas and 1,000 mosques in Islamabad, he said, "we have an issue with only one."

He said Aziz "comes up with an issue every day, and every day we try to resolve it."

The kid-gloves treatment afforded Aziz stems in large measure from the still-lingering controversy over the 2007 Red Mosque siege, which was ordered by the military government of Gen. Pervez Musharraf after unsuccessful efforts to negotiate with the mosque's leaders.

The assault ignited a national outcry in the majority-Muslim country and sparked a wave of suicide bombings and attacks by the domestic Taliban militants that took years to quell. Aziz, who tried to escape from the besieged compound wearing a burqa, was caught and sent to prison.

He was ultimately acquitted by the Supreme Court on charges of murder and other violent crimes, citing a lack of evidence and failure of witnesses to testify. Over the years, he has faced 27 legal proceedings and spent several stints in prison, but the charges have never stuck.

Meanwhile, the government rebuilt the badly damaged mosque, an imposing redbrick compound located near government ministries, embassies and the headquarters of the national intelligence agency. It has remained a hotbed of extremist fervor, with a new library named after Osama bin Laden, but it has never again violently challenged the government's writ. In return, Pakistani authorities have tolerated its activities, up to a point, in a tacit and strategic peace agreement.

"The Red Mosque operation was and still is a sensitive issue," said a former security official in Islamabad, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the matter freely. In recent years, he said, Pakistan has been relatively free of terrorist attacks, and the government wants to keep it that way. "Whenever a problem arises now, the authorities try to settle it peacefully," he said.

At the moment, Pakistan is trying to find a similar balance in its response to the Taliban in Afghanistan. Senior officials have resisted Western pressure to hold the new authorities in Kabul to account for abuses such as beating peaceful protesters, insisting that the more urgent need is to prevent a humanitarian crisis that could spill across Pakistan's border.

In an address Monday at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York, Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said it had been a mistake to isolate Afghanistan in the past. According to a statement by the Foreign Ministry, he said the "immediate priority" is to help its suffering people and that a stable government in Kabul would be "more effective at denying space to terrorist groups."

Aziz declined to say what steps he and his followers might take now, only that they will continue the "struggle" to establish Islamic rule in Pakistan. In the past, he has openly called for an "Islamic revolution" against the state. Some see the recent Taliban flag skirmishes as a bargaining chip in the group's relations with the government, as both sides wait to see what happens next in Kabul.

Speaking softly and surrounded by religious books, Aziz blamed Pakistan's problems on selfish greed by the ruling elite, saying its members "live in luxury while the people are starving" and follow misguided Western values of "loving the world more than loving God." He praised the new leaders in Kabul but said they should strive to live "even more simply" in power.

"They should not meet in offices and live in palaces," he said. "They should operate from mosques."

Other Islamist groups here have welcomed the Taliban takeover, as did Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan. But the groups must function within a long-established democracy and a more heterogenous and developed society than Afghanistan. Pakistan has sizable minorities of Christians and Shiite Muslims and a preponderance of moderate Sunni Muslims, although the influence of fundamentalist groups is spreading.

"Most people in Pakistan do not endorse their approach," one Muslim scholar said of Aziz and his associates, speaking on the condition of anonymity to be candid. He said Aziz is "exploiting the moment" as well as his location in the capital. "The government cannot control that group," the scholar said, "but it should ask other like-minded groups to help deal with them."

While Aziz was circumspect in his comments this week, his daughter Tayyiba Ghazi, 30, the vice principal at Jamia Hafsa, proudly described its female students as "religious warriors" in the battle for Islamist values.

Most of the 1,500-plus students are from the same ethnic Pashtun group as the Taliban and come from the northwest region bordering Afghanistan. Girls as young as 5 are sent to live there by poor families who pay no tuition. Many remain through their 20s. Male students are taught at a separate madrassa across the city.

In recent years, older students have acted as moral vigilantes, attacking music stores and kidnapping suspected prostitutes.

"We are all soldiers of Allah," Ghazi said as she showed a reporter around the facility. Sounds of droning recitation came from dimly lit classrooms, where girls of all ages were hunched over low desks with their heads covered, memorizing the Koran.

Ghazi said the staff "teaches our girls to be brave, and they are not scared of anyone, not the police or other forces."

In the recent past, she said, the group has been "balancing its actions" in public to avoid confrontation. But she complained that the government "calls us terrorists and won't let people support us."

"We don't even have a bank account," she said.
This photo shows a scene after an Israeli army operation that left a few Palestinian men killed, in the West Bank village of Beit Anan, west of Ramallah, Sunday, Sept. 26, 2021. (Nasser Nasser/AP)

JERUSALEM  Israeli troops conducted a series of arrest raids against suspected Hamas militants across the occupied West Bank early Sunday, sparking a pair of gun battles in which five Palestinians were killed and two Israeli soldiers were seriously wounded.

It was the deadliest violence between Israeli forces and Palestinian militants in the West Bank in several weeks. The region has seen an increase in fighting in recent months, with tensions fueled by Israeli settlement construction, heightened militant activity in the northern West Bank and the aftermath of a bloody war between Israel and Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip last May.

The Israeli military said it had been tracking the Hamas militants for several weeks and that the raids were launched in response to immediate threats.

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said the militants were about to carry out attacks in real time. He praised the Israeli forces, saying they acted as expected. They engaged the enemy and we back them completely.

In a statement, the military said it launched five simultaneous raids and soldiers opened fire after being shot at in two locations. It said five militants were killed and several others were arrested.

It also said an officer and a soldier were seriously injured, possibly inadvertently by Israeli fire.

The Palestinian Health Ministry said two Palestinians were shot dead near the northern West Bank city of Jenin and three others were killed in Biddu, north of Jerusalem.

Hamas confirmed that four of the dead, including all three killed in Biddu, were members of the Islamic militant group. Palestinian officials said a 16-year-old boy was also among the dead, though it was not immediately known if he was a militant.

The Palestinian Authority, which administers semi-autonomous areas in the West Bank, condemned the killings and said the Israeli government was fully and directly responsible for this bloody morning and the crimes committed by the occupation forces.

But Hamas also criticized the Palestinian Authority, which maintains security coordination with Israel in a shared struggle against the Islamic group.

Hamas spokesman Abdulatif al-Qanou said that recent meetings between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli officials encouraged the occupation again to pursue the resistance.

Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip after seizing it from the Palestinian Authority in 2007, praised those killed as heroic martyrs. It called on its supporters to devise tactics and means that harm the enemy and drain it with all possible forms of resistance.

Also Sunday, Israel released Khalida Jarrar, a prominent Palestinian lawmaker, after nearly two years in prison. Jarrar, a senior figure in the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, has been in and out of Israeli prisons for years  often without being charged.

The PFLP has an armed wing and is considered a terrorist group by Israel and Western countries, but Jarrar has not been implicated in attacks. She was sentenced to two years in prison in March for membership in a banned group but given credit for time already served. She was freed several weeks before her sentence was to end.

Recent months have seen a rise in violence in the West Bank, with more than two dozen Palestinians killed in sporadic clashes with Israeli troops and during protests.

Many of the clashes have occurred near Beita, a Palestinian village where residents regularly demonstrate against an unauthorized settlement outpost, and near Jenin, which is known as a militant stronghold.

Last month, Israeli troops clashed with Palestinian gunmen during a late night raid in Jenin, killing four Palestinians. Sundays clashes came a week after Israel recaptured the last of six Palestinian fugitives who tunneled out of a maximum-security Israeli prison earlier this month. The escapees were from Jenin, and two were caught there after an extensive search.

Israel captured the West Bank in the 1967 Mideast war and has established dozens of settlements where nearly 500,000 settlers reside. The Palestinians seek the West Bank as part of their future state and view the settlements as a major obstacle to resolving the conflict.
Democrats pushed a $3.5 trillion, 10-year bill strengthening social safety net and climate programs through the House Budget Committee on Saturday, but one Democrat opposed the measure in an illustration of the challenges party leaders face in getting the near unanimity theyll need to push the sprawling package through Congress. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP)

WASHINGTON  Democrats pushed a $3.5 trillion, 10-year bill strengthening social safety net and climate programs through the House Budget Committee on Saturday, but one Democrat voted "no," illustrating the challenges party leaders face in winning the near unanimity they'll need to push the sprawling package through Congress.

The Democratic-dominated panel, meeting virtually, approved the measure on a near party-line vote, 20-17. Passage marked a necessary but minor checking of a procedural box for Democrats by edging it a step closer to debate by the full House. Under budget rules, the committee wasn't allowed to significantly amend the 2,465-page measure, the product of 13 other House committees.

More important work has been happening in an opaque procession of mostly unannounced phone calls, meetings and other bargaining sessions among party leaders and rank-and-file lawmakers. President Joe Biden, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., have led a behind-the-scenes hunt for compromises to resolve internal divisions and, they hope, allow approval of the mammoth bill soon.

Pelosi told fellow Democrats Saturday that they "must" pass the social and environment package this week, along with a separate infrastructure bill and a third measure preventing a government shutdown on Friday. Her letter to colleagues underscored the pile of crucial work Congress' Democratic majority faces in coming days and seemed an effort to build urgency to resolve long-standing disputes quickly.

"The next few days will be a time of intensity," she wrote.

Moderate Rep. Scott Peters, D-Calif., joined all 16 Republicans on the Budget committee in opposing the legislation. His objections included one that troubles many Democrats: a reluctance to back a bill with provisions that would later be dropped by the Senate.

Many Democrats don't want to become politically vulnerable by backing language that might be controversial back home, only to see it not become law. That preference for voting only on a social and environment bill that's already a House-Senate compromise could complicate Pelosi's effort for a House vote this week.

Peters was among three Democrats who earlier this month voted against a plan favored by most in his party to lower pharmaceutical costs by letting Medicare negotiate for the prescription drugs it buys.

Party leaders have tried for weeks to resolve differences among Democrats over the package's final price tag, which seems sure to shrink. There are also disputes over which initiatives should be reshaped, among them expanded Medicare, tax breaks for children and health care, a push toward cleaner energy and higher levies on the rich and corporations.

Democrats' wafer-thin majorities in the House and Senate mean compromise is mandatory. Before the measure the Budget panel approved Saturday even reaches the House floor, it is expected to be changed to reflect whatever House-Senate accords have been reached, and additional revisions are likely.

The overall bill embodies the crux of Biden's top domestic goals. Budget panel chairman John Yarmuth, D-Ky., cited "decades of disinvestment" on needs like health care, education, child care and the environment as the rationale for the legislation.

"The futures of millions of Americans and their families are at stake. We can no longer afford the costs of neglect and inaction. The time to act is now," Yarmuth said.

Republicans say the proposal is unneeded, unaffordable amid accumulated federal debt exceeding $28 trillion and reflects Democrats' drive to insert government into people's lives. Its tax boosts will cost jobs and include credits for buying electric vehicles, purchases often made by people with comfortable incomes, they said.

"This bill is a disaster for working-class families," said Rep. Jason Smith of Missouri, the committee's top Republican. "It's a big giveaway to the wealthy, it's a laundry list of agenda items pulled right out of the Bernie Sanders socialist playbook."

The unusual weekend session occurred as top Democrats amp up efforts to end increasingly bitter disputes between the party's centrist and progressive wings that threaten to undermine Biden's agenda.

Biden conceded Friday that talks among Democrats were at a "stalemate," though Pelosi and Schumer have been more positive in an apparent effort to build momentum and soothe differences. A collapse of the measure at his own party's hands would be a wounding preview to the coming election year, in which House and Senate control are at stake.

To nail down moderates' support for an earlier budget blueprint, Pelosi promised to begin House consideration by Monday of another pillar of Biden's domestic plans: a $1 trillion collection of roadway and other infrastructure projects. Pelosi reaffirmed this week that the infrastructure debate would begin Monday.

But many moderates who consider the infrastructure bill their top goal also want to cut the $3.5 trillion social and environment package and trim or reshape some programs. They include Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz.

In response, progressives  their top priority is the $3.5 trillion measure  are threatening to vote against the infrastructure bill if it comes up for a vote first. Their opposition seems likely to be enough to scuttle it, and Pelosi hasn't definitively said when a vote on final passage of the infrastructure measure will occur.

With each portion of the party threatening to upend the other's most cherished goal  a political disaster in the making for Democrats  top Democrats are using the moment to accelerate talks on the massive social and climate legislation. The party can lose no votes in the Senate and a maximum of three in the House to succeed in the narrowly split Congress.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Congressional Democrats on Sunday hurtled toward a political showdown over President Joe Bidens roughly $4 trillion economic agenda. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)

WASHINGTON  Congressional Democrats on Sunday hurtled toward a political showdown over President Joe Biden's roughly $4 trillion economic agenda, as long-simmering feuds among the party's liberal and moderate lawmakers threatened to scuttle a series of critical House votes as soon as this week.

With the chamber set to return to work Monday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., sought to make the case for swift action: She stressed that Democrats needed to adopt their packages to improve the nation's infrastructure and overhaul federal education, health care and tax laws, describing the two legislative efforts as "transformative."

"Overwhelmingly the entirety of our caucus, except for a few whose judgment I respect, support the vision of Joe Biden. And we will make progress on it this week," Pelosi told ABC's "This Week."

But both proposals remain unsettled politically even a day before the House is set to start considering them, essentially thrusting the whole of Biden's agenda into political limbo.

Centrist Democrats have pushed most forcefully for a roughly $1 trillion bipartisan proposal to improve the nation's roads, bridges, pipes, ports and internet connections, after securing from Pelosi an earlier commitment to begin debating the measure on Sept. 27. But the timeline has angered liberals, many of whom have said for months they would not support the infrastructure bill until the House first adopts a second, roughly $3.5 trillion plan that raises taxes on wealthy Americans and corporations to pay for a slew of new federal safety net programs.

The Democratic divisions have put Pelosi in a political bind, as she looks to satisfy two disparate party factions in the midst of a fast-ticking clock. Adding to her challenge, lawmakers also have only five days left to adopt a measure to fund the government, preventing a shutdown in the middle of a pandemic.

The House speaker still tried to project some confidence on Sunday, stressing she believes the House can finish its work on time  and "pass the bill this week" that improves the nation's infrastructure. In the same breath, however, she also told ABC she would never bring a measure to the floor "that doesn't have the votes," reflecting the vast uncertainty in the days ahead.

Pelosi also acknowledged that the $3.5 trillion tax-and-spending package is likely to be reduced in size, describing its whittling down as "self-evident." Yet she dismissed the idea that the "few people not in agreement" evince a party that is divided, insisting even Democrats "who want a smaller number support the vision of the president."

The legislative frenzy in the House comes as Biden himself increasingly acknowledges the political challenge in enacting an agenda he has described in historic terms since the spring. Speaking at the White House on Friday, the president said the policymaking process on Capitol Hill is "just going to take some time," suggesting at one point it could lapse into next year  before shifting course and saying it could still occur more quickly.

No matter the timeline, though, the task ahead for Democrats is gargantuan  requiring them to resolve policy differences that source back to the very election that helped them secure their narrow Washington majorities in the first place.

The current stalemate stems in part from an agreement between Pelosi and a group of nine centrists led by Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J. The bloc held up the House earlier this year in an attempt to secure a swift vote on infrastructure reform, resulting in a commitment from the speaker to begin considering the bill on Sept. 27.

The public-works proposal puts forward massive new investments to improve the nation's roads, bridges, pipes, ports and internet connections, delivering on long-sought promises of politicians past, including former president Donald Trump. The package cleared the Senate on an overwhelmingly bipartisan basis in August, and a House vote as soon as this week would send it to Biden's desk for a signature.

Appearing on CNN, Gottheimer on Sunday stressed he feels "very good" about getting a vote on the measure this week, citing its urgency at a time when his region is still reeling from the aftermath of Hurricane Ida.

"When it does come to the floor, we will have the votes," he said.

But the bill is at risk of defeat in the chamber. Republicans have mobilized to prevent Biden from attaining a victory, even if it benefits their home districts, and even some Democrats have taken aim as part of a broader fight over the president's agenda. Liberal-leaning lawmakers have warned Pelosi for months against bringing it for a vote before the House finishes work on another, roughly $3.5 trillion spending package, a threat that Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., the leader of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, essentially repeated on Sunday.

"Our point is just we're ready to vote for both ... and we will vote for both, but we need to actually get the ($3.5 trillion bill) done," she told CNN in a separate interview.

The still-forming, $3.5 trillion proposal would expand Medicare, invest new sums to combat climate change, and boost a slew of tax credits and other programs that help families, students and children in need. Democrats intend to pass it using a process known as reconciliation, which allows them to avoid a GOP filibuster in the Senate.

But the maneuver only works if Democrats remain united, an increasingly difficult task given the objections raised by Sens. Joe Manchin III, D-W.Va., and Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., who have sought to lessen its price tag considerably. Talks between the Democratic factions continued with the White House over the weekend, days after Biden personally convened lawmakers to hammer out an agreement over its spending scope and the tax hikes lawmakers have included to pay for it.

House Democrats this weekend still took the procedural steps necessary to tee it up on the chamber floor. A panel of lawmakers led by Rep. John Yarmuth, D-Ky., advanced it to the next stage on Saturday, though the generally routine process further exposed divisions among Democrats' own ranks.

One panel Democrat, Rep. Scott Peters, D-Calif., voted against its advance. Peters previously has opposed its inclusion of prescription drug pricing reforms, siding with the pharmaceutical industry in arguing Democrats' current plan could curtail cutting-edge research. His stance offered a sign of the stakes Pelosi and the rest of the party face in navigating a delicate legislative process with so few votes to spare.

The tensions set the stage for a frenetic next few days for Democratic lawmakers, who also face the added challenge of staving off a government shutdown. A shutdown will occur on Friday if members of Congress don't pass a new bill to fund federal agencies. If a shutdown occurs, there will be a significant interruption in government operations and the pay of hundreds of thousands of workers will be frozen in the middle of a pandemic.

Democrats have pledged to pass a spending bill before that deadline, but their ability to do so depends on Republicans supporting such a measure before funding lapses Thursday night. GOP lawmakers are expected to scuttle a related measure in the Senate that would prevent a shutdown because it is coupled with a related plan to raise the country's borrowing limit  a must-pass item that Republicans oppose in an attempt to undermine Biden's economic agenda.
Mexican National Guard soldiers patrol the border between Downtown El Paso and Juarez in 2019. (Mark Lambie, El Paso Times/TNS)

EL PASO, Texas (Tribune News Service) A group of 14 Mexican soldiers was detained Saturday after inadvertently crossing the border at the Bridge of the Americas in El Paso, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesman said.

The soldiers were returned to Mexico after being detained by CBP for about five hours. One of the soldiers was issued a civil fine for being in possession of a personal-use amount of marijuana, CBP said.

The incident occurred shortly after midnight Saturday when CBP officers saw two Mexican military vehicles cross the international border line on the middle of the bridge, CBP said.

The bridge is also known as Puente Internacional Cordova de las Americas and as the Puente Libre, or free bridge, because there is no bridge toll charge.

CBP officers approached the military trucks and temporarily detained the soldiers and secured their weapons and equipment.

Photos shared on social media showed soldiers sitting on the asphalt and a military pickup stopped near the CBP checkpoints at the foot of the bridge on the El Paso side.

The soldiers told CBP that they did not realize they had entered U.S. territory. CBP contacted Mexican military leadership who soon arrived at the international bridge.

Shortly before 5 a.m., all the soldiers, equipment and vehicles were returned to Mexico, CBP said.

Similar border incidents have occurred over the years, often involving Mexican soldiers or federal police from other parts of Mexico who cross the borderline into the U.S. at the middle of the international bridges in El Paso.

The Mexican military has patrols and a security presence in Juarez, including at the border crossings.

dborunda@elpasotimes.com

2021 www.elpasotimes.com.

Visit elpasotimes.com.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Brian McElhiney
U.S. Army chaplain Fr. Emil Kapaun died in a prisoner of war camp in Korea on May 23, 1951. On April 11, 2013, former President Barack Obama posthumously awarded Kapaun, credited with saving hundreds of soldiers during the Korean War, the Medal of Honor. (U.S. Army)

WICHITA, Kan. (Tribune News Service)  The most decorated U.S. Army chaplain came home to Kansas, 70 years after his death at a North Korean prisoner of war camp.

The remains of The Rev. Emil Joseph Kapaun, a recipient of the Medal of Honor who is a candidate for sainthood at the papacy in Rome, arrived on Saturday at Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport.

Family members, members of the U.S. military and Bishop Carl Kemme, of the Catholic Diocese of Wichita, accompanied the remains, which were in an unmarked grave in Hawaii and not identified until earlier this year.

Kapaun served as a priest in the Catholic Diocese of Wichita before he became a U.S. Army chaplain during World War II and the Korean War. Many accounts exist of how Kapaun risked his life to save others on the battlefield, always bolstering their faith.

In November 1950, Kapaun was captured and became a prisoner of war in North Korea. Although locked up with little food and afflicted with lice, he continued to inspire others, telling them they must never lose hope.

The Diocese of Wichita has gathered documentation of miracles ascribed to Kapaun. They are now awaiting word from Rome as to whether he will become a saint.

Nick Dellasega, of Pittsburg, was one of Kapaun's miracles.

"My heart stopped. People prayed to Father Kapaun. I was gone, flatlined, and then I wasn't," Dellasega said. "He saved my life and interceded."

Dellasega watched as Kapaun's remains exited the plane at around noon. He said God had the timing right  Kapaun lived, died and came home at the right moment.

Bishop F. Richard Spencer is with the Archdiocese of Military Services and serves in Washington, D.C. He was a military chaplain for 34 years, often praying for Kapaun's intercedence.

"I walked the ground where he was held prisoner," Spencer said. "I prayed at that location five times."

Spencer, who was present at the tarmac to welcome the beloved priest home, said this is an extraordinary moment.

"I am really humbled now to be at his homecoming," Spencer said. "This is a moment of bliss."

The Rev. Kapaun's remains were placed in a casket, draped by a U.S. flag. His great niece, Christina Kapaun Roberts, of the U.S. Air Force, stood by the casket. Her sister watched as the casket was handed off to military pallbearers.

"We are extremely proud," Cindy Kapaun said. "This is very emotional."

Kapaun's remains rode in a hearse to his home parish of St. John Nepomucene in Pilsen for a private homecoming. From Pilsen, he will be brought back to Wichita to the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, where his remains will stay until the rosary, vigil, Mass, procession and burial beginning on Tuesday.

Vigil Service will be at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Hartman Arena. Tickets are needed for the free event.

Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at Hartman Arena. Tickets are needed for the free event. The funeral may be livestreamed as well.

Procession to the Cathedral will take place from 1:30 to 2 p.m. Wednesday. Following the Mass of Christian Burial at Hartman Arena, Father Kapaun's remains will be transported by horse-drawn carriage from Veterans Memorial Park to the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, where he will be laid to rest. Taps and a 21-gun salute will be given.

Participants may line the route beginning at Central Avenue just east of Veterans Memorial Park and proceeding east until Main Street. The final stretch from Main Street to Broadway will be reserved for students from the Diocese of Wichita.

(c)2021 The Hutchinson News (Hutchinson, Kan.)

Visit The Hutchinson News (Hutchinson, Kan.) at www.hutchnews.com

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A farmer who underfed nearly 300 cows and heifers has been fined $9,000, ordered to pay vet costs of $1,763 and faces permanent restrictions on the number of animals he can own.

Nigel George Rowan, 74, pleaded guilty to three charges under the Animal Welfare Act at the Hamilton District Court on Thursday.

The charges related to underfeeding 178 milking cows, 50 dry cows and a mob of 60 rising one-year-old heifers.

In addition to the fine and costs, Mr Rowan has been disqualified from having more than 250 cattle over the age of 6 months and 60 calves under the age of six months on the farm.

The court heard that the situation could have been managed, but Mr Rowan allowed conditions on his farm to deteriorate. Between 2018 and 2020, he received advice and a plan to improve the body condition of his animals from a number of parties, including his industry bodies and a farm consultant.

MPIs Animal Welfare and NAIT Compliance Regional Manager Brendon Mikkelsen says people in charge of animals have responsibility for their welfare.

Mr Rowan failed his animals by not taking opportunities to address the issues, says Mikkelsen.

Our Animal Welfare Inspectors, backed by a veterinarian, inspected all 288 cattle at the property and found the farm low on pasture.

Supplementary feed was available but it wasnt being fed out at a level that would improve the situation for his animals.

The body weight of many of the milking mob was too low for milking and some of these animals had become emaciated, while others showed signs of stunted growth, says Mikkelsen.

Most animal owners take their responsibility to their animals very seriously. Our advice to farmers who detect issues is to take action early and reach out for help if needed.

"We strongly encourage any member of the public who is aware of animal ill-treatment or cruelty to report it to the MPI animal welfare complaints freephone 0800 00 83 33.
Police are reminding Aucklanders not to breach their bubbles as the city enjoys the first day of Daylight Saving Time.

At the end of the first weekend of Level 3 Restrictions in Auckland Police are satisfied with an overall high level of compliance.

"However, a driver was stopped at the Mercer Southern Checkpoint at about 7pm last night in breach of their 24-hour bail conditions,' says a Police spokesperson.

Police located another person hiding in the rear of the vehicle trying to get through the checkpoint.

Neither had appropriate documentation to leave Auckland.

Both the driver, a 31-year-old male, and the passenger, a 27-year-old female, were arrested and will appear in court tomorrow to face drugs charges along with Breach of the COVID order.

Approximately 30 minutes later, Police dealt with a fleeing driver at the same Mercer Southern Checkpoint.

The vehicle was located a short time later and the driver charged with breaching COVID restrictions and failing to stop for Police.

The 30-year-old male will appear in court at a later date.



At the Northern border a farmer located a man driving up his water race to avoid the checkpoint at Vipond Road.

When located by Police the 55-year-old man was arrested and will appear on charges of driving while disqualified, giving false details and a breach of COVID order.



"Its important to remember that travel across an Alert Level Boundary remains restricted and you will be turned-away if you dont have the required evidence for permitted travel, as outlined on the Covid-19 website."

Police are reminding people to keep their movements local, keep their bubbles tight and maintain physical distance from others when exercising outdoors, accessing essential services or collecting takeaways.

"While it may be tempting to visit friends and relatives, under Alert Level 3 you must ensure your bubble remains as small as possible."

Since Alert Level 3 came into place, in Auckland and Upper Hauraki three people have been charged with a total of three offences as at 5pm yesterday, Saturday September 25.

Of these, one is for Failing to Comply with Order (COVID-19), one is for Failure to Comply with Direction/Prohibition/Restriction, and one is a Health Act Breach.

In the same time period, one person was formally warned.

Police have received a total of 691 105-online breach notifications relating to businesses, mass gatherings or people in Auckland and Upper Hauraki.

Updated checkpoint data will be available on Monday.
Social isolation and loneliness may be putting seniors health and wellbeing at risk, say the co-founders of an easy-to-use tablet for seniors.



With Grandparents Day on October 3, the frequency and restrictions of lockdowns due to Covid-19 has seen the pandemic be dubbed as the loneliness epidemic - especially for seniors who are feeling more disconnected and isolated than ever before but are often too embarrassed or physically unable to do much about it.

According to research conducted by the University of Auckland in partnership with Age Concern, approximately ten per cent of people over the age of 65 in New Zealand are lonely all or most of the time, and this rises to 50 per cent amongst those aged over 80.

In the most serious cases, one in five frail adults is chronically lonely with almost a quarter of these people more likely at risk of premature death.

Previous research has equated the reduction in life span as a result of severe loneliness to smoking 15 cigarettes a day while loneliness and social isolation are twice as harmful to physical and mental health as obesity.

For one family, finding appropriate technology to keep in touch became vital.

Lois Caldwell had been happily using an iPad for years, but as she reached her 90s with family throughout the country and overseas all wanting to stay in touch, she was less able to keep up with all the changes in technology.

Loiss daughter, Julie Caldwell was frustrated with the lack of easy-to-use tech in the market that provided the simplicity they were looking for. So together with Julies colleague Julie Blackwell, they took their inspiration from Lois and began a project more than three years in the making to produce Kitcal, a simple and secure tablet specifically designed for seniors.

The two co-founders of Kitcal say they applaud the attention on researching how the digital divide has been affecting seniors. They are exasperated at the slow reaction from corporates whose customers are affected.

The need for practical action is urgent, they say, as our most at-risk-seniors are also the least able to advocate for themselves. Those who are at the forefront of advocacy, such as Age Concern, Grey Power, Senior Net and Digital Seniors, are doing all they can but the profit before people business focus of many corporates is frustrating. They seem to give lip service to digital inclusion but so far that hasnt translated to anything tangible for our seniors.

We hope our Kitcal tablets will help create a more digitally inclusive Aotearoa. Kitcals mission is to reconnect seniors with their families and other support structures, so that they are less lonely and more confident about their remaining years, says Julie Caldwell, co-founder of Kitcal. Its vital that our seniors keep in touch with their whanau and friends in this pandemic - especially during a lockdown. Closing the digital divide is an important step towards reducing the physical and mental toll of social isolation and loneliness.

Julie Blackwell and Julie Caldwell. Photo: Supplied.

For seniors living independently, Kitcal can provide the confidence to stay in their own homes with a way to keep in touch with their families. For those already in care, when family contact often decreases as life management is taken over by the care provider, Kitcal can give back the opportunity to independently reconnect with their own families.

The tablet is designed for those who find current technology difficult or who have little or no tech skills. They can now keep in touch without worrying about email scams or fraudulent websites.

Kitcal co-founder Julie Blackwell adds that family and friends can download the free Kitcal Companion app on their own smartphone to communicate with the Kitcal tablet.

Companions are encouraged to keep in touch with their seniors via the Kitcal tablet as frequently as they do with the rest of the family to help them stay in the loop with day-to-day news, which strengthens and maintains close relationships.
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Estonia Tops Tax Foundation's Tax Competitiveness Index

by Mike Godfrey, Tax-News.com, Washington

29 October 2018

Estonia has topped the Tax Foundation's International Tax Competitiveness Index for the fifth successive year, being deemed to have the "best tax code in the OECD."

The 2018 ITCI, published on October 23, 2018, seeks to measure the relative competitiveness and neutrality of each tax regime in the OECD grouping. It finds that the most competitive tax systems are the ones with the lowest marginal tax rates and the least amount of distortionary taxes.

"In today's globalized world, capital is highly mobile," the Tax Foundation said. "Businesses can choose to invest in any number of countries throughout the world to find the highest rate of return. This means that businesses will look for countries with lower tax rates on investment to maximize their after-tax rate of return. If a country's tax rate is too high, it will drive investment elsewhere, leading to slower economic growth. In addition, high marginal tax rates can lead to tax avoidance."

Citing research from the OECD, the Foundation said that corporate taxes are the most harmful for economic growth, with personal and consumption taxes being less detrimental, and immovable property taxes having the least impact on an economy.

The Foundation therefore attributes Estonia's top score in the 2018 index to four key factors: a 20 percent corporate tax that only applies to distributed profits; a flat 20 percent tax on individual income that does not apply to personal dividend income; a property tax that applies only to the value of land, rather than to the value of real property or capital; and a territorial tax system that exempts 100 percent of foreign profits earned by domestic corporations from domestic taxation, with few restrictions.

Rounding out the top-ten in the 2018 ITCI are (in descending order): Latvia (2nd), New Zealand, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Sweden, Australia, the Czech Republic, and Austria (10th).

France, which has a headline corporate tax of 33.33 percent, lies at the foot of the index, with the Tax Foundation observing that the country has not kept up with global trends towards lower and simpler taxes.

"Over the last few decades, France has introduced a number of reforms that have significantly increased marginal tax rates on work, saving, and investment. For example, France recently instituted a corporate income surtax, which joined other distortive taxes such as the financial transactions tax, a net wealth tax, and an inheritance tax," the Foundation noted.

While France plans to gradually lower its corporate tax to 25 percent over the next few years, the Foundation argued that "many more changes are necessary for France to have a competitive tax code."

Following the passage of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which reduced the US headline federal corporate tax rate from 35 to 21 percent and improved capital investment expensing rules, the United States has improved its ranking from 28th place to 24th.

Belgium was another significant mover in the 2018 index after adopting a tax reform package that included a reduction in the statutory corporate tax and an increase the participation exemption from 95 to 100 percent. As a result, Belgium is ranked 19th in the 2018 ITCI, up from 25th in 2017.
Artyom BHPian



Join Date: May 2020 Location: Bengaluru Posts: 416 Thanked: 778 Times

Dealer refusing Cashless Claim if insurance isn't bought from them We are planning for a CSUV for my dad who is a senior citizen after selling our 13-year-old Honda City which served us well.

After a lot of searching and understanding the requirements, we have finalized the Venue (DCT) SX+ Version.

The vehicle has to be purchased in Punjab and we have already enquired with the Hyundai dealers for the same and they are ready to accept the order.



As far as insurance is concerned their quote (Hyundai Assurance Program) is way higher when compared to Insurance companies outside.

I told them that the Insurance will be bought from outside unless they are ready to match the figures in which case I will buy it from them.

The dealer cannot match the price and is Ok with us buying it from outside BUT has put a clause forward ie



1. In case of a claim they will not be clearing Cashless claims for us. Repairs will be billed to us by the service center and then we will have to get them claimed from the Insurance agency.



2. Dealer claims that when it comes to cashless claim settlement with the Insurance company it takes them ages and that causes them inconvenience so they don't entertain outside cashless claims.



The response I had for was:-



1. When the Insurance company website itself states their service station as the Authorised service center how can they reject a cashless claim->No response received from Dealer

2. Upon arguing that end of the day it will be some or the other Insurance company who will settle the claim what difference does it make if the Insurance is bought through them or offline.->No response received from Dealer





The dealer is hellbent that we have to buy the insurance through them if we want a cashless settlement through them OR we have to pay the damages upfront and then get it settled with the Insurance company ourselves. It's like they are outrightly rejecting the claim just because it's not through them.



Now even for a second if we go ahead with the Insurance through the dealer during the renewal next year the same point will be put forward and we have to end up shelling more money.



I can't digest the fact that a service center that is authorized by an Insurance company can outrightly reject the claims. I don't want my dad to run pole to post to get a claim approved at this age. Period.



I have never heard something like this and even when I bought my vehicle 2 years back this was the least of my concern and the dealer was fine with it.



Is there a need for a complaint I should raise against the dealer to Hyundai or the Insurance company to get it sorted?



Appreciate the forum's help.
NASA's Landsat 9, the most powerful satellite to observe the Earth, is launching into orbit on Sept. 27 atop ULA's Atlas V Rocket after it faced a delay due to liquid nitrogen shortage.

As per Space.com, the Landsat 9 is launching from the Vandenberg Space Force Base by 2:12 pm.

NASA Landsat 9 to Launch on Sept. 27

In a press conference on Saturday, Sept. 25, the launch director of NASA, Tim Dunn, himself assured the public that "the spacecraft, the Atlas V rocket, all range equipment, are ready."

On top of the Landsat 9, the ULA Atlas V Rocket will also be transporting four CubeSats into orbit, two of which will fly for the United States Space Force in a classified mission.

Meanwhile, the other two will observe both the exoplanet atmospheres and solar wind for further NASA studies.

On the other hand, the Landsat 9, the most advanced and powerful satellite to study our home planet from orbit, will look into the natural occurrences in the Earth, such as powerful storms, wildfires, and other extreme weather.

Not to mention that the latest satellite will also observe the climate change on Earth, which previous Landsats have been studying since 1972.

NASA Landsat 9 Launch Delay Due to Liquid Nitrogen Shortage

Initially, the NASA Landsat 9 was expected to launch last Sept. 16.

However, as per Gasworld, Landsat 9 had an issue with the supply of liquid nitrogen last Sept. 1 due to the raging wrath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As such, the NASA Landsat 9 was moved to a later date, or on Sept. 23 to be exact.

Last Aug. 27, NASA announced that the Landsat 9 is supposed to launch by Sept. 23 to serve as a satellite that helps observe the national resources of Earth from its orbit.

But, yet again, the Landsat 9 faced another hurdle concerning high winds, leading it to another delay to Sept 27.

Read Also: NASA GOES-U Mission: Elon Musk's SpaceX Wins Contract; Falcon Heavy Rocket to Fly in April 2024

Liquid Nitrogen Shortage

Last Aug. 27, NASA first announced that the supply of liquid nitrogen is facing an unprecedented shortage due to the increasing COVID-19 variant due to the more transmissible Delta variant.

It is worth noting that liquid nitrogen is not only used to lift off the satellite in orbit. It is also an essential component for the survival of COVID-19 victims battling the severe effects of the novel coronavirus.

As such, COVID-19 patients use oxygen for their ventilators when their breathing suffers from the severe symptoms of the virus.

On the other hand, the space industry is also highly dependent on liquid oxygen as it serves as an oxidizer for rocket propellants.

It explains why rocket launches are paired with excessive steam as hydrogen reacts with oxygen to turn into water.

Related Article: NASA Small Business Administrator's Cup Award Goes to Kennedy Space Center | Check Out This Year's Accomplishments

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Teejay Boris

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Windows 11's "Seamless Updates," which seeks to make its updates less of a hassle than its predecessor, gets a detailed explanation from Microsoft on how it works.

Windows 11's 'Seamless Updates

As per XDA-Developers, the tech giant, Microsoft, claimed as it unveiled the next-gen operating system last June that updates on the Windows 11 will be 40% smaller than Windows 10.

Microsoft mentioned the massive change on Windows 11 just minutes after the launch event began, noting that the updates will occur silently in the background.

As such, it was expected that Microsoft will be delivering Windows 11 updates in a less painful manner for its users with its smaller and quieter update method.

It is worth noting that Windows 10 users are faced with a much-complicated updating process, requiring them to restart their PC while a blue screen pops up for a couple of minutes.

With that latest development on Windows 11, it seems that Microsoft was aware of the problem all along, taking this opportunity to work on the hassle update process.

However, the tech giant behind the Windows software did not elaborate as to how the smaller update will work during the announcement.

Microsoft Explains Windows 11's 'Seamless Updates'

According to WindowsLatest, Microsoft has finally explained how the "seamless updates" of the latest Windows work.

The new "seamless updates" are made possible by multiple factors that Microsoft intentionally changed for improvement.

Although Windows 11 still follows the same servicing model of its previous generation, which rolls out new updates every month, the new OS boasts something different--an annual feature update model.

As such, Windows 11 users will get lesser feature updates, making the monthly updates even smaller and lighter. Thus, users will only be receiving updates related to features once a year.

What's more, Microsoft will also deliver the updates in the background.

However, to avoid eating up bandwidth or computing performance, it will be downloaded automatically while users are not actively using their machines.

The tech giant will be able to detect the inactive hours of users via the AI/ML tech introduced on Windows 11. This new feature will help Microsoft to live up to its promise of less impactful updates.

On top of that, the update engine of Windows 11 also received some improvements in terms of optimizations.

One of which allows the update engine to determine which files are already available in the PC that is a duplicate of what is in the new package. That said, the size of the patch could go as low as 40%.

Read Also: Microsoft Relaunches Compatibility Tool That Can Tell If Your PC Can Run Windows 11, But it Has Some Problems

Windows 11 Release

Windows 11 is slated to hit "general availability on Oct. 5, which eligible and current Windows 10 users will be getting for free.

Not to mention that from Oct. 5 onwards, pre-built PCs and laptops will start releasing with Windows 11 installed.

Related Article: Firefox's Notification Will Now Ask Users If They Want to Make it as Default Browser on Windows 11

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Teejay Boris

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
One man is dead as the result of a shooting Saturday on Marigny Circle in Lafayette Parish, according to a statement from Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office.

Devon Johnson, 33, was killed during the shooting, which occurred in the 600 block of Marigny Circle.

Sheriff's deputies responded to a call about the shooting at approximately 12:35 p.m. Saturday.

Johnson was located at the scene and was unresponsive. He was transported to a local hospital where he was later pronounced dead.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Ida, Lafourche Parish School District Superintendent Jarod Martin surveyed the damage at his schools in a helicopter, gazing through the peeled back roofs of the most severely damaged buildings at exposed desks, toppled furniture and rain soaked classrooms.

The schools in Lafourche and Terrebonne parishes mirror the communities: Some schools escaped with only cosmetic damage or prolonged power outages, while others suffered severe structural damage that will require long-term repair, if the campuses are even salvageable, just like the homes and businesses of the families they serve.

Schools leaders in the region said they have one mission: to ensure the safety of schools and get students back into classrooms as quickly as possible.

How the return looks will vary by school, whether it requires doubling up on campuses, alternating campus use, transitioning supplemental spaces into classroom space, or using only livable campus space while the remainder is rebuilt, they said.

Ida latest blow to public schools, 'Never have I experienced or seen such damage' For the third time in 18 months Louisiana public school students are engulfed in turmoil, this time because of Hurricane Ida.

What matters is that theyre present, Martin said, especially after more than a year of disrupted learning because of the COVID-19 pandemic, which remains a concern in the community.

My concern for seniors is of course profound but my concern for a 5-year-old learning how to read is even higher. You cant get those formative years back and those skills that were developing in 5- and 6-year-olds are paramount for future success. Every day that we dont have Galliano Elementary up and running is a 5-year-old not learning how to read, Martin said.

Leaders hope that reopening schools will provide a safe, comfortable environment for children that will offer stability and a routine in an emotionally trying time, supporting students physical and mental wellbeing while giving some relief to parents and freeing them to care for their personal needs post-Ida.

+14 After Ida, commercial fishers in Louisiana's coastal villages anticipate six-figure losses Darrell Domangue remembers the hurricane that ripped apart his home and his livelihood in vivid scenes as if watching a movie.

Compassion, patience and flexibility are the focus right now, Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux Schools Superintendent Suzanne Troxclair said. Nearly 30 days post-Ida, many families are still in disaster recovery mode and havent begun the shift into recovery; they dont need a perfect reopening, they just need safety and support, she said.

You rewrite the playbook every time you have something like this. The best of plans are never going to be perfect, Troxclair said.

Weve got to remember these few things: compassion and common sense. Lets just run everything through that filter first and if we can help somebody, we will, Terrebonne Parish School District Superintendent Philip Martin said.

Helping families includes limiting stressors around the return to school, Philip Martin said.

+14 'COVID isnt their priority': Bayou parishes struggle to get testing, vaccinations back on track For Cecile Neil from Chauvin, COVID-19 became an afterthought when Hurricane Ida forced her and her younger brother to sleep in a truck for days.

Uniform regulations have been loosened and schools are working to provide uniforms to students in need, while teachers have been cautioned to relax homework policies or avoid homework altogether because students may not be living in an environment conducive to learning, he said.

Sometimes we have to remind our administrators  dont look at our kids world through your eyes, we have to look at it through their eyes because our eyes are not seeing the same thing they are...Staying in touch with the reality our community is dealing with and being responsive to that is going to be critical, he said.

A compassionate approach is needed for employees too, many of whom are living the same struggles as their students, the school leaders said. Terrebonnes public schools employed 2,300 people before the storm, Lafourches public schools employed 2,000 people and the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux employed 700 people in its schools.

+9 6 million meals, 280,000 tarps: How a remote National Guard base sprung into action after Ida Since thousands of Louisiana households lost power to Hurricane Ida, basic commodities have flowed to their aid through a remote National Guar

Each leader said theyre working with school administrators and their central office teams to try to connect employees with resources when possible, like food, generators and temporary housing, and work out employment when theyve lost their vehicle, residence or both. Not every employee situation has a clean cut answer and many will need to be handled on a case-by-case basis, Jarod Martin said.

Reopening schools requires more than just sheer will  its a logistically complex process where each step hinges on the next, the school leaders said. Electricity is critical, especially to gain a full picture of damage to the campuses and support cleanup.

Cleanup entails waterproofing buildings with temporary roofing, drying the buildings, clearing damaged and water-soaked sheet rock, flooring, ceiling tiles, classroom furniture and materials, ensuring the structural integrity of the buildings, sanitizing everything and launching environmental assessments, looking for mold, mildew, asbestos and related contaminants.

+3 Catholic Charities says Lafourche, Terrebonne help may take months to complete Catholic Charities of Acadiana and other partners in the region are continuing efforts to assist victims of Hurricane Ida in Lafourche and Ter

At the same time, architects are surveying to determine what spaces are beyond repair and what the construction picture will look like. The full picture of recovery for each district and the associated cost is still being pieced together.

Before even making permanent repairs, I can tell you the cleanup will be in the many millions. Weve got a team of over 200 contractors working nearly 24 hours a day to clean these buildingsJust South Lafourche High School is over 200,000 square feet, Jarod Martin said.

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If one piece falls short or completion is delayed, the reopening timeline changes, they said.

Keeping everyone informed about the shifting plans can be difficult when thousands of people still lack electricity and WiFi access, Jarod Martin said. The district cant lean on typical districtwide text, phone and email callouts, so theyre updating their Facebook page and website frequently to give people centralized sources of information.

Lafayette schools preparing to take in displaced students; here's how to enroll in LPSS schools Lafayette Parish schools are preparing to take in students displaced by Hurricane Ida while recovery gets underway in parishes to the east, wh

The Lafourche Parish School District plans to reopen their first schools on Monday, with Terrebonne Parish School District following on Wednesday; both districts are taking a tiered approach to reopening focused on standing up the least damaged schools first and making their way down the list through mid-to-late October.

As of Friday, eight of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodauxs 11 schools had already returned to classes.

Generally, in each district, the damage to schools worsens the farther south you move.

In Terrebonne Parish, South Terrebonne High in Bourg, Ellender High in Houma, Upper Little Caillou Elementary in Chauvin and Grand Caillou Elementary in Houma will require the most long-term repairs, Philip Martin said.

Fewer than half of Lafayette students vaccinated as UL campus compliance trails others in system Fewer than half of University of Louisiana at Lafayette students have been vaccinated by this week, according to a statement issued Wednesday 

Ellender students will move to Terrebonne Highs campus, South Terrebonne students will move to H.L. Bourgeois Highs campus, Upper Little Caillous grades will be divided between Village East and Montegut elementary schools, and Grand Caillous grades will be divided between Honduras and Dularge elementary schools, per the districts reopening plan.

In south Lafourche Parish, Jarod Martin said the damage is tremendous.

I have schools that dont have roof damage, they dont have roofs. I have not just houses that dont have roofs, but in some cases streets that dont have houses, he said.

The district is getting creative to bring students back to class in the southernmost schools, with a hoped for return of mid-October between Oct. 13 and Oct. 20, per their released plan.

+8 UL Lafayette research center called out by animal rights group after 5 monkeys die of dehydration An Ohio-based animal rights organization is again calling for federal fines to be levied against the University of Louisiana at Lafayette afte

Golden Meadow Middle will move into Golden Meadow Upper Elementary, while those students will double up at Golden Meadow Lower Elementary. North Larose Elementary students will convert supplementary spaces, such as counseling and intervention rooms, into classroom space after losing six to eight classrooms to damage. South Lafourche High students will revert to a hybrid schedule, with half the student population alternating in-person learning each day, because its estimated only half the school might be usable by mid-October, the superintendent said.

The Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux has schools in the Lafourche, St. Mary and Terrebonne civil parishes, and like its neighboring public school districts, the diocese saw the worst damage in more southerly schools, Troxclair said.

Students from Vandebilt Catholic High in Houma are temporarily attending E.D. White High in Thibodaux while repairs are made, students from Holy Savior Catholic School in Lockport are moving into the former St. Hilary School campus in Raceland, Holy Rosary Elementary students in Larose may move to an alternate site and St. Gregory Elementary students will use religious education spaces at St. Ann Catholic Church in Bourg as classrooms, Troxclair said.

Having the flexibility to lean on diocesan church parishes for alternate spaces has been a game changer, she said, as they try to get the students at Holy Savior, Holy Rosary and St. Gregory back into learning environments.

The support of students, parents, staff, parishioners and other Catholic schools nationwide whove offered helping hands has been key to the quick turnaround of most diocesan schools. Many students and their families turned out to help clean up debris on campuses, Troxclair said.

When you see the devastation firsthand, its incredibly overwhelming. Then you have the outpouring of support from our families throughout the diocese and from communities outside the diocese whove come to help, and things have happened very quickly. We may show up at a school for a clean up and something that you think would take two days, may be done in two hours. People have been eager to help each other, she said.

UL doubles research and development money over five years, President Savoie reports Research and development money at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette has soared by more than double over the past five years, President 

Once students are back in school, the two public school superintendents said theyll have a more reliable estimate of how many students have enrolled elsewhere after being displaced with their families. Pre-Ida, Terrebonnes public schools enrolled 17,600 students and Lafourches public schools had 14,200 students enrolled, the district leaders said.

Philip Martin said its clear the district has a growing homeless student population, which did not exist before, but how many may have been forced from their homes is unknown, as well as the number that have enrolled elsewhere. Jarod Martin estimated hundreds of students have enrolled elsewhere, if not thousands, based on records requests from other districts.

Its very difficult to get an accurate assessment, he said.
Advocate readers may submit stories of about 500 words to The Human Condition at features@theadvocate.com. There is no payment, and stories will be edited. Authors should include their city of residence, and, if writing about yourself, a photo.
The search for a missing Baton Rouge toddler extended into Saturday evening, with police reporting no updates on the girl's whereabouts.

At the apartment complex where 2-year-old Nevaeh Allen lives with her mother and siblings and where she was last seen a day earlier, some members of the family  a grandmother, aunt and an uncle  told The Advocate they were still waiting for answers.

Before they could share more, however, they were interrupted by a call about a public agency possibly taking custody of other children in the family. The group frantically disbanded, rushed to their cars and drove away.

After they left, neighbors expressed concern for the child, who they would often see walking outside with her mother.

Stara Vidaurreta said she was at work Friday evening when her children texted her that police were in the complex parking lot.

Worried for her own children's safety, Vidaurreta said she rushed home only to learn that the missing child was Nevaeh.

"We always see that little girl," Vidaurreta said, "It just broke my heart. I don't know what I would do. I got four of my own and a grand-baby. I would literally go nuts."

Top stories in Baton Rouge in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up

Nevaeh was last seen around 1 p.m. Friday after her stepfather set her down for a nap in their Belaire neighborhood apartment, the girl's family told police.

When her siblings returned from school after 4 p.m., they said the apartment door was open and Nevaeh was gone.

Friday night, Louisiana State Police announced a statewide search for the girl, who was last seen without shoes and wearing a yellow dress with pineapples.

She is believed to be in imminent danger, LSP said in an advisory.

By Saturday morning, the FBI got involved, BRPD spokesman Sgt. Ljean McKneely said, because of the nature of the investigation, involving a missing 2-year-old.
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The Louisiana Judiciary Commission is recommending that 71-year-old Baton Rouge City Court Judge Johnell Matthews be removed from office or involuntarily retired, which is a complete reversal of what a commission-appointed hearing officer decided earlier this year.

The nine-member commission -- a panel of judges, lawyers and laypersons -- contends Matthews is constitutionally barred from office because she reached the state's mandatory judicial retirement age of 70 before her election last year.

Matthews and her attorney, Mary Olive Pierson, strongly disagree  as did the hearing officer, retired Orleans Parish Civil Court Judge Carolyn Gill-Jefferson, in May.

+2 A 70-year-old Baton Rouge judge is not too old to serve, hearing officer says. What's next? A hearing officer has rejected arguments that a Baton Rouge City Court judge is constitutionally barred from office because she reached the st

Matthews was 69 when a primary election was scheduled to take place, but the vote was twice delayed because of the coronavirus pandemic  and she turned 70 in the interim.

In its recommendation filed at the Supreme Court, the Judiciary Commission called Matthews' situation "extremely unique and exceedingly unfortunate"

"While the Commission is sympathetic to (her) situation and realizes that pandemic-related delays were out of her control, her argument did not provide any legal authority for the Commission to ignore what it deemed clear and unequivocal jurisprudence that constitutionally bars her from serving as a judge," commission special counsel Michelle Beaty and assistant special counsel Lantz Savage argue in the filing.

+3 70-year-old Baton Rouge judge is 'constitutionally barred' from staying in office, panel says A Baton Rouge judge who reached the state's mandatory judicial retirement age before her coronavirus-delayed election last summer has brought 

Only the state Supreme Court has the power to grant Matthews a COVID-19 related exception, they added.

The commission's recommendation, which came by a vote of 8-1, is now in the hands of the Supreme Court, which has scheduled a hearing Oct. 20. The high court is the only body that can remove a sitting judge.

"After winning numerous legal battles in every level of courts and even winning the totally correct decision by the Commission appointed Hearing Officer, to say that the Commission decision was a shock and disappointment would be a gross understatement," Pierson said.

In her May recommendation to the commission, Gill-Jefferson wrote that it "is clear that had the election proceeded as planned, Judge Matthews would have assumed judicial office before her seventieth birthday on June 7, 2020 without any issue."

"But due to the pandemic, and through no fault of her own, she did not take office until September 9, 2020  after her seventieth birthday," the hearing officer wrote.

Sitting judges who turn 70 during a term can serve out the rest of that term.

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Pierson notes that the COVID-19 election delays "were the single cause of her situation."

"A situation, by the way, that the Supreme Court has already granted several exemptions to others negatively affected by the Court and Executive ordered delays," she says.

In support of her pandemic-related argument, Pierson has cited two state Supreme Court decisions last year -- one involving Baton Rouge state district Judge Chip Moore and the other the state bar exam -- in which the justices took the pandemic into consideration in their reasoning.

Louisiana Supreme Court says coronavirus-stricken judge can skip election paperwork for now Campaign officials for an East Baton Rouge district judge incapacitated by the novel coronavirus filed paperwork Friday to place him on the No

Moore was hospitalized due to the virus and was unable to personally sign his qualifying papers by the July 24, 2020, deadline, but the high court ruled that the extraordinary pandemic should not knock Moore out of his reelection bid.

The justices allowed Moore's campaign chairman to sign the judge's papers so Moore could appear on the Nov. 3, 2020 ballot. The justices said Moore only had to sign them by the day before that election, which he ultimately did. Moore was then reelected after his two challengers dropped out.

The Judiciary Commission's lawyers noted in their filing to the Supreme Court that the case involving Moore is distinguishable from Matthews' because it involved "a state statute concerning a ministerial action and not a Constitutional provision."

In the bar exam matter, the Supreme Court announced in summer 2020 that it would grant "diploma privilege" to some recent law school graduates, allowing them to practice law without taking the July 2020, exam, which the court canceled due to logistical difficulties caused by coronavirus-driven restrictions.

Gill-Jefferson also rejected the commission's claim that Matthews has brought the judiciary into disrepute by continuing to serve.

Matthews soundly defeated lawyer Whitney Higginbotham Greene in an August 2020 runoff. Greene is the daughter of retired state 1st Circuit Court of Appeal Judge Toni Higginbotham and former 19th Judicial District Judge Leo Higginbotham.

Baton Rouge state District Judge William Morvant, the 1st Circuit and the state Supreme Court have all previously ruled in Matthews' favor. The high court previously voted 5-2 not to suspend Matthews while the Judiciary Commission matter is pending.

State voters reaffirmed their support for the judicial age limit in 2014.
The body of a Baton Rouge 2-year-old who was reported missing Friday was found in the remote Logtown area of Hancock County on Sunday, a local coroner confirmed to the Sun Herald.

The FBI, in conjunction with the Hancock County Sheriffs Office, shut down Logtown Road off Mississippi 604 in Pearlington on Sunday to search for the body of Navaeh Allen, who was reportedly last seen in Baton Rouge neighborhood when her stepfather put her down for a nap on Friday.

Missing Baton Rouge toddler is presumed dead; stepfather arrested for allegedly disposing of body Update: Navaeh Allen's body was found in the remote Logtown area of Hancock, Mississippi, a local coroner told the Biloxi Sun Herald.

Pearl River County Coroner Derek Turnage confirmed Allens body was found by authorities on Sunday.

Navaehs body will be turned over to Louisiana authorities for autopsy, Turnage said.

Baton Rouge police spent two days searching for Allen after she was reported missing, according to The Baton Rouge Advocate, but arrested the toddlers stepfather Sunday afternoon after an interview with detectives.

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The Advocate reports that 30-year-old Phillip Gardner was arrested on charges of unlawful disposal of remains and obstruction of justice.

Navaehs family told The Advocate that Gardner and the babys mother, Lanaya Cardwell, had a toxic relationship that was marked by violence, sometimes involving the child.

Marcus Allen, Navaehs father, told The Advocate that he last saw his daughter on Wednesday before dropping her off to spend the rest of the week with her mother and stepfather. He described Navaeh to the newspaper as the perfect 2-year-old who loved animals and the park.

Hancock County Sheriff Ricky Adam told the Sun Herald earlier Sunday that the Logtown area will remain closed until the FBI completes their investigation. Turnage said the case will be turned over to Louisiana authorities.

This story originally appeared on SunHerald.com. The Sun Herald, The Times-Picayune and NOLA.com are news partners.
State police called on the public for help finding 2-year-old Nevaeh Allen, who was last seen the afternoon of Friday, Sept. 24, 2021, after her stepfather set her down for a nap at their Baton Rouge home, police said.
No one is exactly sure when quilting began, but from evidence found in the Temple of Osiris at Abydos, Egypt. It seems that people wore quilted clothing as many as 5000 years ago. An ivory carving in the British Museum depicts the first Egyptian Dynasty king wearing a quilted mantle scarf.



The history of quilts began long before newspapers and books and certainly before European settlers arrived in their New World. We need to be aware that quilt history pre civil war from 1619-1865 did not yet have the guidelines for good quilt history research that is used today.

Oral history has been around longer than written history. Quilts served as clothing, bedding, window and door coverings and freedom for African slaves.

If it is not documented, it did not happen but African slave history was not recorded. Quilt names have always had meaning and how enslaved men and women made encoded quilts, then used them to navigate their escape on the Underground Railroad according to Ozella McDaniel Williams, and printed by the authors Jacqueline Tobin and Raymond Dobard of Hidden in Plain View: A Secret Story of Quilts and the Railroad.

Fabric is lifeless but in the hands of African slaves quilting fabric symbols became a means of freedom and a political statement. The Underground railroad 1830-1862 slaves made coded quilts and then used them to navigate their escape. Slaves would use the quilt to memorize the code to freedom. No documentation of coded Underground Railroad quilts existed in print until the late 1990s when a South Carolina flea-market quilt seller, Ozella McDaniel Williams told her oral family history to the world.

The coded pictures were as follows:

Monkey Wrench pattern  First publication in 1884 as the Double Wrench in Farm and Fireside magazine. The Monkey Wrench pattern was a signal to slaves to get ready for the journey physically, mentally and spiritualty.

Wagon Wheel pattern- This quilting pattern goes by many names such as the Dresden Plate originating from Dresden, Germany. "The circular pattern commonly called the Dresden Plate would seem to be an easy pattern to date if it weren't for Anna Tuels' mother who made that 1785 quilt." - Barbara Brackman The Quilt Detective: Clues in Pattern, 2007. This pattern told slaves to pack their belongings because they were about to go on a long journey.

Bow Tie or Hour Glass- Was a symbol for slaves to know the Underground Railroad conductor was here and its time to get ready to leave. The pattern was first published by the Ladies Arts Company in 1895; the International Quilt Museum displays a quilt named The Ohio Star date range made between 1850-1860.

Bears Paw pattern - Directed slaves whether traveling North or South to the swamps and marshlands to follow the literal footprints of the bear since bears always go to water, berries, and other natural food sources.

Drunkards path pattern  Whether traveling North or South to freedom, evil spirits follow a straight line, the drunkards path was a visual reminder to take a zigzag route to elude pursuing slave catchers and their dogs.

Flying Geese pattern  Slaves were to follow the geese flying north.

Log Cabin pattern  Hung on the fence of a safe house it symbolized danger or safety. The center square of the block was sewn in black, red or yellow to represent as the focal point of the quilting design. The name, Log Cabin, comes from the narrow strips of fabric, or logs arranged around the center square. Each fabric strip or log was added to the pattern in much the same way logs were stacked to build a cabin. There are intriguing stories of how quilting was used to help the slaves escape through the Underground Railroad. A Log Cabin quilt hanging in a window with a black center for the chimney hole was said to indicate a safe house. Underground Railroad quilts, a variation of Jacob's Ladder, were said to give cues as to the safe path to freedom.

These stories of coded freedom quilts have been told from generation to generation filling our imagination with visions of quilting being a part of the fight for freedom. While some historians say to take these stories with a grain of salt and it is unlikely that quilts were ever used in the Underground Railroad simply because there are no surviving quilts or written documentation, there is a flip side.

There is a reason the Underground Railroad was so successful, people knew how to keep a secret, the world was not supposed to know. People very lives were at stake, then it stands to reason that there would be no trace of interpreting quilts symbols would be written down by anti-slavery people.

We need to be aware that quilt history pre civil war from 1619-1865 did not yet have the guidelines for good quilt history research that is used today.

Adinkra symbols, pictures used as words and phrases is nothing new to Africans.

The Akan have an ancient and rich cultural heritage that includes the extensive use of pictorial symbolism in the writing system known as Adinkra, which was created by the Ashanti craftsmen of Ghana. Sankofa Ashanti or Asante Adinkra symbol represented either by a bird with its head turned backward taking an egg off its back, or as a curvy heart shape.









The Akan believe that the past illuminates the present and that the search for knowledge is a life-long process. The Sankofa symbol illustrates the quest for knowledge and the importance of learning from the past.





Sankofa Means: san means to return + ko means to go + fa means to look to seek and take= Sankofa Sankofa means return and get it, symbolizing the importance of learning from the past. Sankofa also stands for; you can always correct your mistakes or with wisdom use past experiences to build a promising future. Know your history is to know yourself.







There are many similarities between the coded language of West African Adinkra symbols and African American slave quilt coded symbols. Adinkra symbols are coded pictures that relate to the history, beliefs, and philosophy of the Asante people. Adinkra symbols are well-known visual symbols that have a hidden meaning, deciphering.
Bundjalung man Raymond King says fear prompted him to change his mind about getting vaccinated against COVID-19, as he watched cases rise among residents of his neighbourhood in Sydneys inner south.

It was the fear factor, thats the honest truth. In all honesty, I was against [the vaccine]. I was against for a long time because I believe in keeping myself healthy and all natural, Mr King said.

Raymond King gets his COVID-19 jab at the pop-up clinic set up at the Waterloo social housing estate in Sydneys inner south. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer

I was just scared. I was scared of the side effects, and from the bad publicity that got into my head, that got into everyones heads.

Mr King was among residents who got jabbed at a pop-up clinic at the Waterloo public housing estate after health authorities detected a rising number of COVID-19 cases among tenants in Redfern and Waterloo.

The Reverend Bill Crews Foundation and Aspen Medical set up the Pfizer vaccine clinic, for residents aged 12 to 59, outside the estates 30-storey Turanga building.

Mr King, who lives in Redfern-Waterloo, said he was motivated by the increasing number of coronavirus cases in the area and his desire to set an example for his nine children.

Its getting serious around here. The past two days Ive been walking around the park, umm-ing and ahh-ing about it, and I just woke up today and went thats it, and went and got it.

If people dont start taking responsibility, were going to get stuck in this time warp of who is vaccinated, who isnt vaccinated. I cant wait to buy a new pair of shoes, I want to get a haircut. Its the little things.

Today was about me and my family leading the way.

Celebrity chef Kylie Kwong teamed up with Aboriginal elder Aunty Beryl Van-Oploo to cook a meal of braised beef brisket with jasmine rice, native Warrigal greens and bush mint, grown at an Indigenous rooftop garden near her Lukcy Kwong eatery in South Eveleigh, to provide to residents getting their jabs.

The project was also supported by Sydney lord mayoral candidate Yvonne Weldon, a Wiradjuri woman, and the Addison Road Community Organisation, which distributed care packs to tenants.
In 1865, renowned British economist William Stanley Jevons wrote a seminal book about his nations reliance on coal. In truth [it] stands not beside but entirely above all other commodities, he wrote. It is the material energy of the country ... the factor in everything we do. With coal almost any feat is possible or easy; without it we are thrown back into the laborious poverty of early times.

For more than 250 years, the industrial and domestic life of the modern world has been largely powered by an abundant and cheap supply of coal. It is somewhat paradoxical then that the very life of the planet has now become reliant on ending coals long reign.

As The Ages national environment and climate editor Nick OMalley reported over the weekend, there is a rapidly growing global movement to put the brakes on the coal industry as soon as possible in a desperate attempt to slow the warming of the planet.

Climate experts are hoping that this new push will culminate in world leaders agreeing to support an announcement before or during the COP26 global climate talks in Glasgow in November to rapidly phase out coal-fired power. The cost, complexity and contradictory forces at play make it a challenge on a scale the world has rarely faced.
Three of the deceased were from south-western Sydney, four were from western Sydney, one person was from Sydneys inner-west and one was from the eastern suburbs.

The nine deaths include six men and three women. Eight of the nine people were unvaccinated and one person had received one dose of a vaccine.

The state is expected to reach a 60 per cent double-dose vaccination rate in the next 24 hours, Premier Gladys Berejiklian said on Sunday, with more than 85 per cent of eligible people in the state having received at least one dose.

Ms Berejiklian said the government would this week release its roadmap for easing restrictions once 80 per cent of the state is fully vaccinated.

There is not long to go before NSW starts approaching that 70 per cent double dose figure and I ask everybody to please hold the line, its really important we work hard now so that when we do start opening up at 70 per cent, we are able to do so safely and by bringing everyone together, she said.

I do want to foreshadow that the NSW government is very close to finalising our roadmap for 80 per cent double dose but also our roadmap as to when unvaccinated people will be able to participate in greater activity and we will be releasing both this week.
Queensland Deputy Premier Steven Miles has criticised the Prime Minister for giving people false hope about the state opening its borders in time for Christmas.

Speaking to the media on Sunday, Mr Miles said Scott Morrison needed to focus on his job instead of discussing what should happen in Queensland in 90 days time.

Deputy Premier Steven Miles says he doesnt think Queenslanders want to let COVID into the state for Christmas. Credit:Matt Dennien

Frankly, I think the Prime Minister should be more focused on the health and wellbeing of people in New South Wales and Victoria, and on international affairs, than what might happen in Queensland in a few months time, he said.

This bloke should focus on his job. You know, diplomacy is his job, international trade is his job, vaccination should be his job but were doing it.
The head of nursing at Melbourne University has warned that the pandemic is leaving Victorian nursing staff too overworked and burnt out to contemplate the further study required to become a qualified intensive care nurse.

Teams working in intensive care units in Victorian hospitals are also too stretched to support postgraduate students on placement, despite the extra demand for qualified intensive care nurses, the director of postgraduate studies in nursing at Deakin University says.

An ICU nurse and an anaesthetist attend to a COVID-infected patient inside the ICU ward of Western Healths Footscray Hospital last year. Credit:Penny Stephens

Professor Marie Gerdtz, the head of the Department of Nursing at the University of Melbourne, said the COVID-19 pandemic was having an impact on the capacity of nurses to take up the further study required to work in critical and intensive care.

As of Sunday, there are 325 people in hospital with COVID-19. Seventy-three people are in intensive care, with 54 people on ventilators.
Victoria Police has charged two Box Hill North residents over an alleged assault on two women in front of their children in a Blackburn North park last Thursday.

Whitehorse crime investigation unit detectives charged a 35-year-old woman with two counts of unlawful assault and one count of affray. A 44-year-old man was charged with two counts of wilfully urging a dog to attack and one count of affray.

The charges came as a second anti-lockdown protester was revealed to have tested positive for COVID-19 after attending rallies while infectious last week and as demonstrators went mostly quiet after a week of noise and fury.

The confrontation in Blackburn North reportedly started because the two womens 12-year-old daughters noticed the other group, which also included some children, tearing down COVID-19 QR codes at Slater Reserve where they were having a picnic.
Home COVID-19 testing will become widely available as soon as the medical regulator approves its use, with the federal government eager for self-testing to become another layer in the communitys protection against the pandemic as the country opens up.

Health Minister Greg Hunt said the federal government wants rapid antigen tests available for home use as soon as the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has given the all clear. Mr Hunt said early signs the regulator would change the regulation for the tests was very good.

Currently, rapid antigen tests can only be performed under medical supervision. Credit:Kate Geraghty

Subject to effectiveness against Delta, we would like to see these available by Christmas if not well before, Mr Hunt said.

The Health Minister said rapid antigen testing (RAT) would complement the gold-standard PCR test and other public health measures.
The Lancet medical journal has been accused of sexism after describing women as bodies with vaginas on the cover of its latest edition.

A tweet of the front page prompted a wave of criticism, with academics cancelling subscriptions and resigning as reviewers, doctors condemning the phrase as dehumanising and activists suggesting the term was unhelpful for broader debates about inclusivity.

The cover refers to an article, titled Periods on Display, that reviews an exhibition at Londons Vagina Museum on the history of menstruation. The writer refers to women four times in the piece, but uses the phrase bodies with vaginas once.

It is a quote including this latter phrase that The Lancets editors chose to use on the front page. Historically, the anatomy and physiology of bodies with vaginas have been neglected, it says.
Analysts say the inflammatory rhetoric risks violence, pointing to the fatal shooting of a young gas station worker in Germanys west over the weekend, after she requested that a customer wear a mask. Loading So far the strategy does not seem to be helping the party in the polls. According to the latest from pollsters INSA, the AfD is projected to win just 11 per cent of the vote. Its a lot, but its not a danger for democracy, said Hajo Funke, a German academic who focuses on right-wing extremism. They will remain completely isolated, he said of the fact that all other parties have vowed not to co-operate with AfD. But the picture is different in Germanys east, including Gorlitz in the state of Saxony, where the AfD is the strongest political force and came close to voting in the partys first mayor two years ago.

Loading We can count like this: one, two, AfD, local Jan Kessens said as he pointed at random passersby from a park bench. Its every third person here in this city. The party is projected to win around 26 per cent of the vote in Saxony, according to INSAs polls. That figure is comfortably ahead of Merkels Christian Democrats and just one point off its 2017 result. In Gorlitz, the AfD won 33 per cent four years ago. Kessens attributes the AfDs support here to low employment prospects in east Germany generally, which lag the national average. Theres no work, nothing to do, no discos, no parties, theres nothing, he said.

Nearby, the crowd gathered to watch Weidel and the partys other lead candidate, Tino Chrupalla. A former painter and decorator, Chrupalla, 46, emerged as one of the AfDs stars after unseating a member of parliament from the Christian Democrats in 2017. Sylvia, 55, who had traveled from a nearby town to watch them, said that it was unchecked immigration that had prompted her to switch support from Merkels Christian Democrats to the AfD in 2017. Loading Then there was also the corona pandemic, she said, declining to give her last name even as she described herself as open about her support for the party. The AfD is the only party talking about violations of the Grundgesetz, she said, referring to Germanys Basic Law, the closest thing it has to a constitution. Complaints about perceived violations of the rights it enshrines are fodder for the anti-lockdown movement.

Germanys decision to do away with free coronavirus testing to put a financial burden on the unvaccinated is unfair, she said. The COVID-sceptic messaging plays well here: Saxony has the lowest vaccination rate of any of Germanys 16 federal states. But analysts say the number of receptive ears are limited. And for Frank Klingebiel, the conservative mayor of Salzgitter in Lower Saxony, hes more concerned that the AfD is the only party addressing issues of integration that he says is still of concern to his electorate. His city of around 100,000 people had long hosted asylum seekers, including a sizable community of Syrians. But the abrupt influx of more than 6000 people in Salzgitter between 2015 and 2017 overwhelmed schools and social services, he said. And in 2017, support for the AfD surged and it captured 13 per cent of the vote in the city. In 2017, I was for the first time in my career worried about social peace in the city, said Klingebiel. The mayor successfully campaigned German authorities to effectively ban new arrivals from settling in the city and Salzgitter ultimately received additional funding.

Klingebiel said that his goal was not to push Merkels conservative party closer to the far-right. He is in favor of more integration support for asylum seekers and worries about the momentum the AfD is experiencing in his city. The mayor said that he is concerned Germanys more mainstream parties have moved on - but that many voters havent. In Gorlitz, Chrupalla warned the crowd that Germany is facing a new wave of immigration, attempting to whip up fear that the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan could send new refugees to Europe. Earlier, a former police superintendent had railed about alleged crimes committed by new Germans, he said, or asylum seekers who were granted citizenship. Petra Muller, 60, says it is the fact that no other parties are willing to talk about problems integrating new migrants that had pushed her to vote for the AfD for the first time with this election. Im not against foreigners, but I dont find it pleasant anymore, she said, adding that avoiding the immigration discussion is not honest and not good for the country.
Jerusalem: At least four Palestinian gunmen were killed in shootouts with Israeli security forces during a sweeping West Bank arrest operation cracking down on the Islamic militant group Hamas on Sunday, the Israeli military said.

Sundays violence was the deadliest between Israeli troops and Palestinian militants in the occupied West Bank in recent weeks and came amid heightened tensions following this years 11-day war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

The Palestinian Health Ministry said a Palestinian was shot dead near the northern West Bank city of Jenin and three others were killed in Biddu, north of Jerusalem.

A protester flies a Palestinian flag during clashes with Israeli troops in Nablus this month. Credit:AP

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said in a statement that Israeli security forces in the West Bank operated against Hamas operatives that were about to execute terror attacks in the very immediate future.
A 75th Birthday Hike With Smokey Bear

People are funny about birthdays. Some like to ignore them completely, others crave a big celebration, while still others (whether they like it or not) have them sprung on them by surprise.

For many years, a critical part of my birthday observance has required hiking in nature. It has offered a chance to observe, take stock and push myselfsort of a physical and mental gut check.

A year ago, I set out to do a 10-mile hike on the Cottonwood Lakes Trail in the Sierra Nevada Mountains out of Lone Pine, California. It was Aug. 27. The nation was firmly in the grip of the COVID-19 pandemic, and smoke from numerous wildfires was polluting the air. Sadly, in the course of a year, little has changed.

This year, I was lucky enough to receive an invitation to visit Grand Lake, Colorado, and celebrate my birthday hike in the Rocky Mountains accompanied by the perfect guidea former forest ranger and decorated Vietnam War veteran named Roger Rood, who also turned 75 this year. During his years as a ranger, Rood (who stands about 6 feet, 2 inches) was often called upon to appear for the public dressed in the full furry costume and smiling head of Smokey Bear. (FYIthat is Smokeys official namenot Smokey THE Bear, and this year is his 75th birthday, too.)

So, in a sense, Roger and Iand at least the spirit of Smokey Bearwent off together for a hike in the woods.

The author celebrates his 75th birthday with a hike in the Rocky Mountains near Grand Lake, Colo. (Jim Farber)

When I received the invitation to visit Grand Lake (gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park), my host, Gaylene Ore of Ore Communications, asked what I was most interested in doing. When I said hiking and wilderness, she connected me with Roger.

I couldnt have asked for a more perfect guide. As a backcountry ranger, Roger knew every trail, as well as the best trout streams and the meadows where we were most likely to spot moose. But it was Rogers affability on the trail that made that day as well as the subsequent hikes we shared so memorable. A born ambassador of the trail, he greeted every person we met.

Hi. Hows your day going? Whered you hike to? Catch any fish? Many people up that way? OK. You have a great hike.

One of the things I love about real high-country hiking is that its a totally egalitarian pastime. There are no class distinctions on the trail. Its about the shared, soul-enriching experience of being in the wilderness. It certainly didnt take long for Rogers affable spirit to become contagious.

When it was just the two of us, the conversation was as expansive as the landscape as we walked through verdant meadows cut across by a lazy meandering stream with the towering bald summit of Mount Craig (well above timberline) in the distance.

Roger Rood, a retired forest ranger, proved to be an excellent guide when hiking the Rocky Mountains near Grand River, Colo. (Jim Farber)

We shared our observations about how we have watched the natural world suffer during our lifetime: Water that was once as clear as crystal is no longer safe to drink; drought and insect infestations are killing pine forests and providing fuel for ever-larger wildfires; once-plentiful species are on the decline. We agreed that every moment spent in the wilderness now is to be cherished.

As we made our way up the East Inlet trail, our fellow hikers were a wonderfully mixed bagfrom family day-strollers to seasoned backpackers inward and outward bound. There were also long periods spent without conversation as the wind whistled through the pines, first from far off, then coming nearer and nearer. We also listened to the sound of a creek cascading over the rocks and a shrill cry from a hawk, all accompanied by the footfalls of our boots and the click, click, click of our trekking poles.

We finally shed our packs and looked far off down the canyon wed just come up. We savored lunch; then, it was time to reverse course and start back to the trailhead.

Over the next three days, I would hike some 20 miles with Roger, never at a loss for new topics to explore based on our many years of mountain memories. Roger also spoke openly about his experience as a combat sergeant in Vietnam. He said he was convinced that his decision to go into the Forest Service and the healing quality of the time he spent in nature allowed him to recover in ways many of his fellow soldiers have never been able to do.

I would later discover that just a few weeks before I arrived, the sky that during that birthday hike had seemed bluer than blue had been all but obscured by the smoke of raging wildfires. I wonder what the world will be like when I set out for my 76th anniversary hike.

When You Go

VisitGrandCounty.com

Jim Farber is a freelance writer. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at Creators.com. Copyright 2021 Creators.com
Team USA captain Steve Stricker greets fans on the second hole during a Ryder Cup singles match at the Whistling Straits Golf Course in Sheboygan, Wis., on Sept. 26, 2021. (Jeff Roberson/AP Photo)

Americans Win Ryder Cup in a Rout, Send Europe a Message

SHEBOYGAN, Wis.The Americans won back the Ryder Cup and perhaps a whole lot more Sunday, sending a strong message to Europe with a powerful performance from their youngest team in history.

Scottie Scheffler, one of six Ryder Cup newcomers for the Americans, took down the No. 1 player in the world with a 4-and-3 victory over Jon Rahm as the scoreboards around Whistling Straits quickly filled with American red.

The final blow came from Collin Morikawa, at 24 the youngest player on the team and already a two-time major champion. He holed a 3-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole that assured the Americans at least the 14 1/2 points they needed.

Then it was a matter of the final margin.

I woke up this morning and I was trying to tell the guys, Lets get to 20 points, because this is going to be the next era of Ryder Cup team for the U.S. side, Patrick Cantlay said, finishing an unbeaten week with a win over Shane Lowry.

Weve got a lot of young guys. I think theyre going to be on teams for a long time, and I wanted to send a message.

Tony Finau had said on the eve of these matches that this was the big one because Europe had won nine of the last 12, and the Americans had so many fresh faces without any lasting scars from watching Europe celebrate so much over the years.

The big one became one big rout.

The Americans were young, yes, and very good, with four of the top five in the world ranking. The difference is they finally played like it.
Arizona Senate Told of Multiple Inconsistencies Found in Election Audit

Arizona attorney general says his office will review findings

This article was updated with the findings presented during the Arizona Senates hearing and the auditors report provided to the Arizona Senate.

Arizona lawmakers were told during a Sept. 24 hearing of inconsistencies uncovered during a forensic audit of the 2020 election conducted in the states most populous county.

The Maricopa County audit was commissioned by Republicans in the Arizona Senate.

Senate President Karen Fann, a Republican, issued a letter on the same day to Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich recommending further investigation following the audits findings. In the letter, she raised concerns over signature verification on mail-in ballots, the accuracy of voter rolls, the securing of election systems, and the record-keeping of evidence related to the elections.

I am therefore forwarding the reports for your offices consideration and, if you find it appropriate, further investigation as part of your ongoing oversight of these issues, Fann told Brnovich in the letter.

Brnovich, a Republican who is running for the U.S. Senate, said in a statement, I will take all necessary actions that are supported by the evidence and where I have legal authority. Arizonans deserve to have their votes accurately counted and protected.

His office said that its Election Integrity Unit will thoroughly review the Senates information and evidence. Specific allegations cannot be commented on until the review is complete, the office added.

Fann said at the hearing that the audit had faced unnecessary obstruction from Maricopa County officials, who went to court in a bid to block the audit and subpoenas from the state Senate. While the forensic audit didnt uncover a significant difference in the total vote talliesthe difference was only hundreds in the final report evidence was uncovered of numerous other anomalies, including statutes being broken and chain of custody not being followed, Fann added.

Cyber Ninjas, a Florida-based company hired by the state Senate to conduct the audit, said its review involved more than 1,500 people and a total of over 100,000 hours. While the company said it only found in the recount a vote discrepancy of 994 in the presidential race and 1,167 in a U.S. Senate race, the report highlighted potential issues with a combined total of 53,305 ballots.

Maricopa County on Sept. 24 issued a series of statements on its Twitter page in response to findings laid out in a purported draft audit report of Cyber Ninjas forensic audit that had been released ahead of the Senate audit hearing.

The draft audit reports figures didnt entirely correlate with that of Cyber Ninjas final report. Fann said at the hearing, As you know, somebody leaked one of the draft reports out over the last 24-48 hours. It was a draft report, so I can tell you that whats in that is not entirely whats in the final report.

However, some key allegations in the draft report regarding ballots did match that of the final report.

23,344 Mail-In Ballots Voted From Prior Address

According to the Cyber Ninjas final report, 23,344 mail-in ballots were received from voters previous addresses.

Mail-in ballots were cast under voter registration IDs for people that may not have received their ballots by mail because they had moved, and no one with the same last name remained at the address. Through extensive data analysis, we have discovered approximately 23,344 votes that may have this condition, the report states.

Cyber Ninjas noted in its report that if ballots are sent by forwardable mail, that would violate the Arizona Elections Procedures Manual.

The Senate should consider referring this matter to the Attorney Generals Office for a criminal investigation as to whether the requirements of ARS 16-452(C) have been violated, the company stated in the report.

Maricopa County refuted the allegation on Sept. 24, saying, Mail-in ballots are not forwarded to another address. It also asserted that voting from a previous address is legal under federal election law, such as in the case of American military and overseas voters. The county also said it had 20,933 one-time temporary address requests for the 2020 general election.

9,041 More Ballots Returned by Voters Than Sent

Cyber Ninjas found that 9,041 more ballots were returned by voters than were sent to them.

According to the report, 9,041 more ballots show as returned in the EV33 Early Voting Returns File for a single individual who voted by mail than show as sent to that individual within the EV32 Early Voting Sent File. In most of these instances, an individual was sent one ballot but had two ballots received on different dates.

Auditors later noted they were told that some of the discrepancies could be due to the protected voter list, but were not able to validate that. Maricopa County released a statement to similar effect.

The county disputed the finding on Twitter, saying the majority of times when there are multiple entries in the EV33 file are when voters returned a ballot without a signature or with a signature discrepancy, and in such cases, election staff contacts the voter.

Cyber Ninjas: Voters Potentially Voted in Multiple Counties

Cyber Ninjas noted that some 5,295 ballots were affected by voters who potentially voted in multiple counties.

The company said that it had compared Maricopa Countys list of all its voters who cast a ballot in the election (also referred to as the VM55 Final Voted File) to the equivalent files of the other 14 Arizona counties, to find a total of 5,047 voters with the same first, middle, last name, and birth year, representing some 10,342 votes among all the counties.

The Ballot Impacted was calculated by the total number of votes (10,342) and subtracting the number of maximum number of potential unique people (5,047). This yielded 5,295, the report said.

Separately, the company found that the number of ballots tallied in the official Maricopa results was 3,432 more than the total number of people who voted.

The official result totals do not match the equivalent totals from the Final Voted File (VM55), Cyber Ninjas said.

Cyber Ninjas said the finding is significant because the number of individuals who showed up to vote should always match the number of votes cast. The company recommended that legislation that would require the Official Canvass to fully reconcile with the Final Voted File should be considered.

Cyber Ninjas said in another finding that there were 2,592 more duplicate ballots than original ballots sent to duplicationa process for replacing damaged or improperly marked ballots with a new ballot that preserves the voters intent.

This is probably one of the more interesting parts  that we had more duplicates than original ballots, Cyber Ninjas CEO Doug Logan said in his presentation on Sept. 24. According to our counts from our audit, we had 26,965 original ballots and we had 29,557 that were duplicate ballots, and those numbers should be the same.

Based on the numbers received from Maricopa County, we should have had 27,869 of both originals and duplicates and they should have matched up perfectly, he added.

Other findings of the ballots affected included 2,382 in-person voters who had moved out of Maricopa County, and 2,081 voters who moved out of state during the 29-day period preceding the election. Responding to the findings, the county said it had completed separate spot checks and found no discrepancies for either of the figures.

Cyber Ninjas also reported that there were 1,551 votes counted in excess of voters who voted, as well as a slew of other categories of findings that affected a smaller number of ballots, such as 397 mail-in ballots sent without there being a record of them having been sent, 393 ballots that had incomplete names, 282 votes cast by individuals who were flagged as deceased, and 198 votes cast by individuals who registered to vote after the Oct. 15 deadline, among other smaller categories.

17,322 Duplicates of Early Voting Ballot Return Envelopes

Shiva Ayyadurai, who was commissioned by the Senate to check the signatures or lack thereof on the early voting ballot (EVB) return envelopes, said during the Sept. 24 presentation that the audit reveals anomalies raising questions on the verifiability of the signature verification process.

Ayyadurai said that his team was hired only to verify whether the envelopes contained a signaturenot whether the actual signature matched that of the voter in question.

Of the 1,929,242 return envelopes provided by the Senate, 17,322 duplicates were found, with some voters having cast the same ballot three to four times, according to Ayyadurais report (pdf). He noted that Maricopas canvass report, meanwhile, didnt report any duplicates.

In response to duplicated ballot allegations, Maricopa County wrote on Sept. 24, Re: duplicated ballots. Every time a voter has a questioned signature or a blank envelope, we work with that voter to cure the signature. Thats our staff doing their job to contact voters with questioned signatures or blank ballots. Only one ballot is counted.

Among other several key findings, Ayyadurai noted that over 25 percent of the duplicate ballots were received between Nov. 4 and Nov. 9, 2020.

Allegations of Deletions

Auditors stated in their report that according to the Master File Table (MFT) of the drives, a large number of files on the Election Management System (EMS) Server and HiPro Scanner machines were deleted.

These files would have aided in our review and analysis of the election systems as part of the audit, the report reads. The deletion of these files significantly slowed down much of the analysis.

Maricopa denied the allegation in a Twitter post, saying, Maricopa County strongly denies claims that @maricopavote staff intentionally deleted data. The county also said it has backups for all Nov. data & those archives were never subpoenaed.

While auditors finished the part of the audit that deals with the ballots, they say an evaluation of voting machine equipment is ongoing.

Because the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors and the Arizona Senate have recently settled their dispute concerning outstanding subpoena items, this portion of the audit is not yet complete, the Cyber Ninjas report states.

Response to Findings

Jack Sellers, chair of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, said in a statement in response to the Senate audit hearing, The Cyber Ninjas opinions come from a misuse and misunderstanding of the data provided by the county and are twisted to fit the narrative that something went wrong.

Once again, these auditors threw out wild, damaging, false claims in the middle of their audit and Senate leadership provided them the platform to present their opinions, suspicions, and faulty conclusions unquestioned and unchallenged. Todays hearing was irresponsible and dangerous.

Arizona Democrats, meanwhile, pounced on the auditors report.

The Cyber Ninjas embarrassed Arizona for months, violated voters trust, refused transparency, and stuck AZ taxpayers with a multi-million dollar bill. Whatd they find? Biden won, Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, a Democrat who has frequently criticized the audit and is trying to become Arizonas next governor, wrote on Twitter. The so-called leaders who allowed and encouraged this need to be held accountable in 2022.

But Fann has long said that the goal of the audit was to improve Arizonas election system and wasnt designed to overturn the results.

Our No. 1 goal is to make sure those laws are followed, Fann said during the hearing, adding that there are a lot of people with questions about the states election integrity. Citing a poll, Fann said that 45 percent of Arizonas voters had significant distrust in the election system.

Ahead of the official release of the report on Sept. 24 by the state Senate, Trump said the audit uncovered significant and undeniable fraud in the 2020 presidential election.

The audit has uncovered significant and undeniable evidence of fraud! he said in an emailed statement. I have heard it is far different than that being reported by the fake news media.

Trump added, Until we know how and why this happened, our elections will never be secure. This is a major criminal event and should be investigated by the Attorney General immediately.

Arizona was one of several key swing states, including Georgia, Pennsylvania, Nevada, Michigan, and Wisconsin, that were certified for Biden during the Nov. 3 election. Trump won those states, with the exception of Nevada, in 2016. According to official results, Biden won Arizona over Trump by a margin of just over 10,000 votes.

Maricopa County officials didnt immediately respond to a request by The Epoch Times for comment.

Correction: A headline error on Arizona Senate President Karen Fanns comments has been corrected. The Epoch Times regrets the error.

Jack Phillips Senior Reporter Follow Jack Phillips is a reporter at The Epoch Times based in New York.
People work at the scene of an Amtrak train derailment in North Central Montana on Sept. 25, 2021. (Kimberly Fossen via AP)

At Least 3 Dead, Multiple Injured After Amtrak Train Derails in Montana

At least three people have been declared dead and multiple injured after an Amtrak train derailed on Saturday afternoon in North-Central Montana, an official at a local sheriffs office said.

The Empire Builder train, which departed from Chicago for Seattle, derailed around 3:55 p.m. local time near the small town of Joplin, Amtrak spokesman Jason Abrams said in a statement. Abrams said that multiple people were injured.

The train was traveling on a BNSF Railroad main track at the time, just 30 miles from the Canadian border.

About 146 passengers and 16 crew members were on board, Abrams said.

Seven of the trains ten cars were reported to have derailed.

An ambulance is parked at the scene of an Amtrak train derailment in north-central Montana on Sept. 25, 2021. (Kimberly Fossen via AP)

One train passenger told The New York Times that three of the cars at the end of the train had completely fallen off the tracks and were detached from the train.

She said the fatal incident felt like extreme turbulence on a plane.

Images posted to social media showed sunny skies, and it appeared the accident occurred along a straight section of tracks. Some showed several cars on their sides. Passengers were standing alongside the tracks, some carrying luggage.

People wait at the side of train tracks at the scene of a train derailment near Havre, Montana, on Sept. 25, 2021. (Courtesy of Jacob Cordeiro/Social Media via Reuters)

Evacuated passengers were transported to two sites, including the Liberty County Senior Center. Individuals with questions about their friends and family aboard this train should call 800-523-9101, Amtrak said in a statement.

The cause of the incident was not immediately clear.

The National Transportation Safety Board will send a 14-member team, including investigators and specialists in railroad signals and other disciplines, to investigate the crash, spokesman Eric Weiss said.

Amtrak said Empire Builder trains scheduled to leave on Saturday have been canceled between Minot, North Dakota, and Shelby, Montana. The westbound Empire Builder train on Sunday will now terminate in Minneapolis, while the eastbound Empire Builder train will depart from Minneapolis.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
Avoiding Secession Through an Amendments Convention

Commentary

The national divide has gotten so deep that even the brilliant Roger Simon has broached the subject of succession: I never thought Id be writing about secession or anything close. Not in a million years.

After reciting his love of country, Simon continued:

But the times being what they are and the man occupying the presidency being who he is, not to mention those surrounding him being who they are, plus the issues that divide us  I feel compelled to discuss secession or division as if they were a real possibility worth considering.

Simon has picked up on the secession talk Ive heard bubbling through the grassroots.

I know Im not alone in thinking about what was once unthinkable, he wrote. Indeed, from what Ive heard, even in the halls of Congress there are those so concerned with the inability of the red and blue to speak or reason together, who see a gulf between both sides so wide it will never be bridged, that some of our politicians are beginning to whisper about secession or the like as well.

Secession movements are responses to national policies imposed over strong objections from particular regions of the country. The first major secession movement arose in the New England states during the War of 1812. The federal government, then dominated by officials from other states, had declared war on Great Britain. The war destroyed the New England fishing and commercial economy.

The second major secession movement was, of course, the exodus of Southern states in 1860 and 1861. The South resented federal tariffs and feared that the central government would act against slavery. The immediate trigger was the election of a president whose party had pledged to end slavery in the federal territories. If that happened, the slave states would be hemmed in and their peculiar institution potentially doomed to extinction.

As with previous secession movements, modern secession sentiment derives from regional dissatisfaction with national policy. However, the current sentiment differs from previous movements in at least four ways:

First, in previous movements, the national policies causing dissatisfaction were few in number. Today theres much more to complain about: The central government has been forcing all states and citizens (except those with political pull) to bend their necks to arbitrary and stupid diktats governing health care, immigration, education, marriage, social policy, land use, and many other subjects.

Second, during the War of 1812, New England contained only five of the 18 states (Maine was still part of Massachusetts). In 186061, only 11 of 34 statescontaining just 27 percent of the populationseceded.

Modern dissatisfaction is more geographically widespread. In recent years, a majority of states have sued to upend Obamacare, vaccination mandates, and other federal policies. In 2020, half of the states voted for Donald Trump. Sixty percent of them have Republican legislatures and a majority have Republican governors.

Third, it was awkward to make a moral case for New England commerce and particularly difficult to do so for slaveryalthough some people tried. By contrast, many of the policies now issuing from Washington are deeply offensive to traditional morality.

Fourth, the centralized policies of 1814 and 1861, wise or not, were constitutionally legitimate. The Constitution grants Congress the power to declare war and (despite the absurd ruling in the Dred Scott case) the power to govern federal territories. By contrast, many current national policies are, under any honest reading of the Constitution, far outside federal authority. Some of them, such as the Biden administrations failure to enforce immigration statutes, actually defy federal law.

One might argue that these four differences make secession more practical than in 1814 or 1861. But a better way of looking at it is that those differences give the dissenting states certain advantages, and more viable options, than merely submitting or seceding. The best optionand the key to saving the countryis decentralization.

The Founders understood the advantages of decentralization. Thats why they created a federal, rather than a unitary, government. History had shown that free republics endure only if they govern small territories. Republics occupying large areas degenerated into despotism, because holding together regions with disparate interests and cultures requires a strong man or military oligarchy. An obvious example was the Roman Republic, which couldnt adapt to territorial expansion and therefore degenerated into autocracy. Another example is Russia today.

John Dickinson in his Fabius essays and Alexander Hamilton in Federalist No. 9 noted that the Constitution met that challenge by creating a decentralized system. The overwhelming majority of policy issues would be resolved at the state or local level; divisive national controversies would be limited to tariffs, foreign affairs, the post office, and a few other subjects.

Weve ignored this wisdom and the Constitution that enshrined it. Federal functionaries and their media and special interest allies have nationalized every issue. Thats the leading cause of our bitter divisions: We fight over everything because the feds are trying to control everything.

How do we restore decentralization? The Constitution gives us a tool for that purpose. Article V of the Constitution permits two-thirds (34) of the state legislatures to force Congress to call a convention for proposing amendments. At a convention for proposing amendments, each state has an equal voice: Its one species in a larger class of assemblies known as the conventions of states. State lawmakers can direct this assembly to propose amendments limiting federal power, after which the states then decide whether to ratify them.

This is the procedure that the Founders recommended for correcting central overreach. George Mason, a Constitutional Convention delegate from Virginia, insisted on it as a remedy in case the central government became oppressive. Samuel Rose, a leading New York ratifier, noted that the procedure prescribed for the states a mode of restraining the powers of government, if upon trial it should be found that they had given too much. Tench Coxe, the author of some of the most widely read essays in support of the Constitution, wrote:

The sovereign power of altering and amending the constitution  is vested in the several legislatures and [ratifying] conventions of the states, chosen by the people respectively within them. The federal government cannot alter the constitution, the people at large by their own agency cannot alter the constitution, but the representative bodies of the states, that is their legislatures and conventions, only can execute these acts of sovereign power.

As the federal legislature cannot effect dangerous alterations which they might desire, so they cannot prevent such wholesome alterations and amendments as are now desired, or which experience may hereafter suggest.  If two thirds of those legislatures require it, Congress must call a general convention, even though they dislike the proposed amendments, and if three fourths of the state legislatures or conventions approve such proposed amendments, they become an actual and binding part of the constitution, without any possible interference of Congress.

The number of states with Republican legislatures (governors have no role in the process) already approaches the necessary two-thirds. Because the Biden administrations power lust is matched only by its incompetence, after the 2022 election, the tally of Republican legislatures may soon be higher. Surely a convention dominated by conservative state legislatures can draft amendments popular enough to be ratified by 38 states. There are, after all, sensible liberals appalled by federal excess and the danger of national breakup.

We have everything to gain from a convention of states and nothing to lose (claims that an amendments convention is uncontrollable or could be controlled by Congress are myths without historical or legal basis). Accordingly, we have a moral and legal obligation to employ that constitutional tool before splitting up the country.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Paramilitary police walk outside the Museum of the Communist Party of China, near the Birds Nest national stadium in Beijing on June 25, 2021. (Noel Celis/AFP via Getty Images)

Beijing Responsible for Largest Transnational Crackdown in the World to Muzzle Diaspora, Report Finds

The Chinese regime has mounted the largest transnational crackdown in the world to ensure that Chinese communities globally toe the Party line, according to a recent report.

The expansive campaign targets dissidents who have fled China and those who hold a different point of view from the regime. Beijings tactics include spying, threatening, harassment, physical assaults, and piling pressure on relatives who remain in China, according to the nearly 650-page report by the Institute for Strategic Studies of Military Schools (IRSEM), an independent agency affiliated with the French Ministry of Armed Forces.

The report presents a comprehensive look into Chinese influence operations worldwide.

The regime also directly places pressure on at least nine foreign states, demanding the arrest of individuals in those countries who are wanted by Chinese authorities.

About 60 million ethnic Chinese live outside of China, with the United States seeing the fastest-growing Chinese population, according to the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office, an administrative body under Chinas cabinet-like State Council that liaises with overseas Chinese.

To the regime, that population is a priority target for influence operations, because they have easier access to uncensored views critical of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and are likely to spread such information to their relatives in mainland China, according to the report.

Despite a vast majority of them having foreign citizenship and therefore not being considered Chinese nationals, Beijing has maintained that all Chinese nationals overseas are members of one big Chinese family bound by blood ties, while branding those who step out of line as traitors.

On Aug. 23, 2019, the Chinese ambassador to Lithuania and Chinese embassy officials took part in counterprotests to disrupt a pro-Hong Kong rally in support of the citys democracy movement in Vilnius, Lithuania. After police intervened and arrested two Chinese citizens, several Chinese diplomats approached police with their embassy badges demanding that the detainees be released. Lithuania later protested by summoning the Chinese envoy, saying that the Chinese embassy staff were involved in organizing unlawful actions.

Protesters try to stick photos of missing booksellers, one of which shows Gui Minhai (L), during a protest outside of the Hong Kong Liaison Office on Jan. 3, 2016. (Vincent Yu/The Associated Press)

In Sweden, two businessmen representing the Chinese state had attempted to silence activist Angela Gui, daughter of Chinese-born Swedish bookseller Gui Minhai, who Beijing sentenced to 10 years in jail in 2020. During a February 2019 meeting in Stockholm, the businessmen promised to secure her fathers release if she stopped talking to the media, according to the report.

One of the men told her that if she didnt cooperate with them, it was possible that she might never see her father again.

What is most important to you? Your values or your father? she recalled him saying.

The meeting was initiated by Swedens ambassador to China, Anna Lindstedt. After a public outcry in Sweden, the country recalled Lindstedt from Beijing and placed her under investigation.

Gui is just one of many overseas Chinese to experience threats from the CCPs agents.

Miss World Canada Anastasia Lin speaks to her supporters at an event in her honor at the Spoke Club in downtown Toronto on Dec. 15, 2015. (Matthew Little/Epoch Times)

Canadian actress Anastasia Lin drew Beijings ire for being a practitioner of the persecuted faith group Falun Gong and her outspokenness on human rights. She found herself declared persona non grata by Beijing and was refused a Chinese visa.

After she was crowned Miss World Canada in 2015, she received a call from her father, who ran a major business in the Hunan Province of southern China, telling her that he had been visited by Chinese security forces. Under pressure from authorities, Lins father pleaded with her to stop her activism.

It Can Happen to Anyone

Intimidation is another tactic used by the CCP, the report states. Targets have received abusive phone calls at midnight, while activists and politicians who take a critical stance on China are also blackmailed.

The regime has also sought to discredit dissidents by impersonating them, such as by sending insulting emails to foreign officials in the name of the dissident, according to the report.

Chinese Canadian politician Richard Lee, the deputy speaker for the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, was detained for eight hours upon his arrival at a Shanghai airport in 2015 over activities endangering national security. The police examined both his personal and government phones before expelling him from Chinese territory.

Lee revealed his experience in 2019 and said he believed that it was linked to his vocal support for human rights in China, including his annual participation in a candlelight vigil to commemorate those killed during the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre.

The fact that a high-profile official such as Lee could be harassed means that, as he says himself, It can happen to anyone, the researchers wrote.

The report states that the happenings in Canada had unfolded in all liberal democracies with a large Chinese diaspora.

Targeting Falun Gong

In the bid to wipe out the Falun Gong spiritual group, which became the target of a sweeping persecution campaign by the CCP in 1999, Beijing has recruited more than 1,000 agents in Canada, including Chinese Canadians, businessmen, and students, the report states, citing Hao Fengjun, a former police officer from the Gestapo-like 610 Office set up specifically to persecute Falun Gong.

The regime had set up informant networks targeting Falun Gong practitioners in Australia and the United States, according to Chen Yonglin, former first secretary for the Chinese consulate in Sydney, whose job was to monitor and persecute Falun Gong, the report states. Diplomats were also given directives to identify practitioners and put them on a blacklist, preventing their return to China, according to Chen, who defected to Australia and obtained asylum in 2005.

Former Chinese diplomat Chen Yonglin, at a press conference in Sydney after being granted a protection visa, warned of the Chinese communist agenda to influence Australians. (Greg Wood/AFP/Getty Images)

Informant networks of a similar scale described by Hao also exist in the United States and Australia, Chen said.

In 2004, Pan Xinchun, deputy consul-general of China in Toronto, was convicted of libel for using slanderous words to attack a Falun Gong practitioner, while two staff members of the Chinese consulate in Calgary were seen distributing hate literature against the practice at the University of Alberta.

Suppressing Overseas Media

Some journalists with The Epoch Times network also have fallen victim to the regimes bullying campaign. In 2010, Tao Wang, a reporter for the Chinese-language NTD, a sister outlet of The Epoch Times, revealed that he had received phone calls from Chinese agents issuing death threats.

The threats escalated after he refused to comply with their demands.

They said, You actually think there is nothing we can do to you because you are in Canada? They also mentioned, If you ever go public on this, you arein Chinese wordsseeking death, Tao told local media at the time.

Tao, who also had a company in China, learned that Chinese agents also had visited his customers, telling them that Tao was was participating in illegal activities in Canada that harm Chinas national security. The same day after he received that phone call, his companys bank accounts in China were frozen.
A U.S. Customs and Border Protection patch is seen on the arm of a U.S. Border Patrol agent in Mission, Texas, on July 1, 2019. (Loren Elliott/Reuters)

CBP Temporarily Detains 14 Mexican Soldiers at El Paso Border Bridge

A group of 14 Mexican soldiers was reportedly detained early Saturday morning for several hours by border agents after crossing into El Paso, Texas.

The incident occurred shortly after midnight Saturday when border agents saw two Mexican military vehicles cross the border line on the middle of an international bridge connecting El Paso and Mexicos Ciudad Juarez, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said in a statement to Reuters.

The soldiers said they did not realize they had entered the United States, and border agents secured their weapons and equipment for safety and processing, said the CBP, adding that Mexican military leadership was contacted.

Photos shared on social media appear to show soldiers handcuffed behind their back standing at the side of the road before they were escorted away by CBP officers for processing.

Thirteen of the 14 Mexican soldiers were processed without incident, but one soldier was issued a civil fine for possessing a personal-use amount of marijuana, according to Reuters.

All the soldiers, along with their equipment and vehicles, were returned to Mexico before 5 a.m. on Saturday morning.

The incident comes after Del Rio, a small Texas border town, was overwhelmed by an influx of mostly Haitian individuals who sought to illegally enter the United States. At least 14,000 illegal immigrants had taken shelter underneath the border bridge connecting Del Rio to Ciudad Acuna, Mexico, before the U.S. government started to clear their makeshift camping site and fly some of them back to Haiti.

The Homeland Security Department has been transporting illegal immigrants from Del Rio to El Paso, Laredo, and other locations along the Texas border via buses, while others were put on flights to Tucson, Arizona, according to The Associated Press. The criteria for deciding who is flown to Haiti and who is released into the United States remains unclear.

Daniel Foote, the Biden administrations special envoy to Haiti, on Wednesday resigned from his post, calling the deportation of illegal immigrants to their Haitian homeland disappointing and inhumane.

I will not be associated with the United States inhumane, counterproductive decision to deport thousands of Haitian refugees and illegal immigrants to Haiti, a country where American officials are confined to secure compounds because of the danger posed by armed gangs to daily life, he wrote in a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Our policy approach to Haiti remains deeply flawed, and my policy recommendations have been ignored and dismissed, when not edited to project a narrative different from my own.

The State Department responded in a statement, pushed back against Footes claim that his policy suggestions were overlooked.

This is a challenging moment that requires leadership, spokesman Ned Price said in the statement. It is unfortunate that, instead of participating in a solutions-oriented policy process, Special Envoy Foote has both resigned and mischaracterized the circumstances of his resignation.
CCP Is Carrying Out Cold Genocide Against Falun Gong, Professor Says

The atrocities committed by the Chinese regime in its decades-long persecution against Falun Gong practitioners amount to a cold genocide, according to a Canadian professor.

Maria Cheung, associate dean at the Faculty of Social Work at the University of Manitoba, spoke at the fifth session of the World Summit on Combating and Preventing Forced Organ Harvesting on Sept. 25.

David Matas, a Canadian human rights lawyer; Dr. Torsten Trey, executive director of U.S. based advocacy group Doctors Against Forced Organ Harvesting; and Cheung were among the four authors that published a 2018 paper, Cold Genocide: Falun Gong in China, in Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal.

Cheung said that what the communist regime has done against Falun Gong practitioners in Chinawhile meeting the classical definition of genocideis different, given the length of the persecutionnow in its 22nd year.

It is a genocide by attrition, which is a slow process of annihilation that reflects the unfolding phenomenon of mass killing of a protected group under disguisethe public dont see an immediate unleashing of violent death, she said.

She noted that she and her co-authors called it a cold genocide, which is hidden and lingers for over two decades without much notice.

Standing in contrast to cold genocides are hot genocides, which the authors defined in their paper as destructive acts of high intensity which annihilate the victim group in a short time span.

Practitioners of Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline thats also known as Falun Dafa, have been heavily persecuted in China since 1999. According to the Falun Dafa Information Center, millions of practitioners have been detained inside of prisons, labor camps, psychiatric wards, and other facilities in China, with hundreds of thousands facing torture while incarcerated.

While the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has been harvesting organs from executed prisoners since the early 1990s, the mass incarceration has offered a large, vulnerable population to provide organs upon demand for organ transplants. Shortly after the persecution of Falun Gong began, Chinas organ transplant industry began to boom.

Many Falun Gong practitioners have shared how they were nearly victims of Chinas organ harvesting. Theyve recalled being repeatedly asked to undergo physical examinations, including blood tests, while they were in detention.

In my recent research data from three countries on the torture experienced by refugees who practice Falun Gong in China, about 75 percent have been subjected to these selective screening procedures for forced organ harvesting when theyre detained in China, Cheung said.

In 2019, a London-based peoples tribunal published a report concluding that forced organ harvesting was happening on a significant scale in China, with Falun Gong practitioners being the main source of organs.

Cheung said Chinas cold genocide against Falun Gong adherents isnt only about the physical destruction of the group, which is what the forced organ harvesting representsits also about psychological and social destruction.

Sleep deprivation, forceful feeding of psychotropic drugs, and watching Chinese propaganda films nonstop are some of the known brainwashing tactics that Chinese guards deploy against detained Falun Gong practitioners in an effort to force them to renounce their faith.

The social destruction comes in the form of financial persecution, as Chinese authorities have forced companies to fire Falun Gong practitioners or deprive them of their pensions. Chinese officials have also attempted to isolate practitioners in society by forcing family members to turn against their loved ones and co-workers against their colleagues.

Social death and spiritual death, unlike physical massacre, are silent and bloodless, but they achieve a similar, profound effect in the pursuit of eradication, Cheung said.

We are facing a totalitarian regime that tries to achieve annihilation of a victim group [Falun Gong] over time under a cloak of inattention, ignorance, or apathy. It is not a matter for just the victim groups, or the Chinese people, but also to the global citizens.
Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, testifies during a U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing to examine the COVID-19 response, focusing on an update from federal officials, on Capitol Hill in Washington on March 18, 2021. (Susan Walsh/Pool via Reuters)

CDC Director Doesnt Necessarily Have the Answer on Yearly COVID-19 Booster Shots

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Rochelle Walensky said she doesnt have the answers on whether COVID-19 booster shots will be mandated on a yearly basis.

I want to emphasize that our goal right now is to stay ahead of the virus. We want to boost now so we dont end up in a vulnerable place, said Walensky in answer to a question by a CBS News anchor about whether people should be prepared for annual booster doses. Your question is an important one, and it is one we dont necessarily have the answer for yet. We are working to stay ahead of the virus, she added.

In August, Walenksy said that she does not expect annual booster doses to be commonplace.

I dont want to say never, but we are not necessarily anticipating that you will need this annually, she said at the time.

Several days ago, Walensky overruled a CDC advisory panels recommendation and made it possible for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 booster available to those aged 65 and older and some individuals who work in certain jobs that may expose them to the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus. Some critics have said that Walenksys decision was not based on recommendations made by a panel of scientists but was instead designed to adhere to the Biden administrations COVID-19 agenda.

When pressed about her decision last week, Walensky said that it was a close call and was handed down because of all the evidence we reviewed both at the [Food and Drug Administration] FDA and at the CDC. She added, I felt it was appropriate for those people to also be eligible for boosters.

The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is prepared for administration at a vaccination clinic in Los Angeles, Calif., on Sept. 22, 2021. (Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images)

During a briefing on Sept. 24, the CDC director said she didnt overrule the committee when she rejected a recommendation not to allow boosters for 18- to 64-year-olds who are at a higher risk of exposure to the CCP virus due to their living situation or workplace. Some panel members said that Walenskys recommendation could apply to virtually anyone in the United States.

If I had been in the room, I would have voted yes, and that was just how my recommendations came out after listening to all of their scientific deliberations, she said last week. To the extent that people are concerned about confidence, I would say they should listen to the deliberations themselves. We did it publicly, we did it transparently, we did it with some of the best scientists in the country.

CDC committee member Dr. Matthew Zahn, a pediatric infectious diseases specialist, said he had concerns about the difficulty of implementing boosters for people between the ages of 18 and 65 who work in a job or other setting that has a high risk of COVID-19 exposure. Another member, Dr. Matthew Daley, told the panel that the potential guidance would be broad enough that it could limit access to other groups.

Earlier this month, an advisory panel with the FDA recommended against providing Pfizer boosters for people under the age of 65, as some experts expressed concern about potential side-effects from the additional doses among younger Americans. Some panelists also asserted that Pfizer did not provide enough data to support its claim that its two-shot vaccine series is now offering waning protection.
Thousands of illegal immigrants, mostly Haitians, live in a primitive, makeshift camp under the International Bridge that spans the Rio Grande between the United States and Mexico while waiting to be detained and processed by Border Patrol in Del Rio, Texas, on Sept. 21, 2021. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times)

DHS Secretary: As Many as 12,000 Illegal Haitian Immigrants Released Into the US in Recent Days

Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas said on Sept. 26 that a significant number of Haitian illegal immigrants who had amassed along the U.S.Mexico border last week are being released into the United States.

About 12,400 of 17,000 Haitians are having their cases heard by immigration courts, Mayorkas said, adding that some 5,000 are being processed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Only about 3,000 are in detention, he said.

Approximately, I think its about 10,000 or so, 12,000, Mayorkas told Fox News Sunday when he was asked about the number of Haitian illegal aliens who have been released into the interior of the United States. The number could rise as 5,000 more cases are processed, he said.

Mayorkas said the number of those being released could be even higher and that the number that are returned could be even higher.

What we do is we follow the law as Congress has passed it, Mayorkas said, adding that the U.S. immigration system is broken.

Legislative reform is needed.

The Department of Justice estimated in 2017 that about 43 percent of illegal aliens released into the United States miss their immigration court hearings. When asked about what will happen to those of the 12,000 who were released in the past week and miss their hearings, Mayorkas said that it is our intention to remove those aliens.

We have enforcement guidelines in place that provide that individuals who are recent border crossers who do not show up for their hearings are enforcement priorities, and will be removed, he said.

Last week, more than 15,000 Haitians congregated underneath a bridge in Del Rio, Texas, and essentially constructed a shantytown before numerous local officials sounded the alarm that a humanitarian crisis was brewing.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas updates reporters in Washington on the effort to resettle vulnerable Afghans in the United States on Sept. 3, 2021. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo)

DHS officials, including Mayorkas, said on Sept. 24 that the encampment under the bridge had been cleared out. A day later, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said that the Texas border crossing will be partially reopened.

The agency also said its planning to continue flights to Haiti throughout the weekend, ignoring criticism from Democratic lawmakers and some progressive groups.

The number of people at the Del Rio encampment peaked last weekend, as migrants driven by confusion over the Biden administrations policies and misinformation on social media converged at the border crossing. While Mayorkas and other White House officials have asserted that the border is closed, Republicans have said that the administrations decision to rescind a number of Trump-era immigrant orders has triggered a surge of illegal immigration.

Mayorkas and other senior officials have also dedicated a significant amount of time in news conferences condemning some Border Patrol agents who were seen on horseback near Haitians who had crossed the border illegally. The photographer who shot those pictures last week said that the agents werent whipping the migrants, as some officials and Democratic lawmakers had claimed.

Some of the Haitian men started running, trying to go around the horses, photographer Paul Ratje told local station KTSM, explaining the situation on the ground.

Ive never seen them whip anyone. He was swinging it [the reins], but it can be misconstrued when youre looking at the picture.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Dozens of Massachusetts State Troopers Submit Resignations Over Vaccine Mandate

Dozens of Massachusetts state troopers have submitted their resignations ahead of a deadline to comply with the states mandatory COVID-19 vaccination mandate.

Many of these troopers are going to be returning to their previous municipal police departments within the state that allow for regular testing and masks, State Police Association of Massachusetts President Michael Cherven said in a statement. To date, dozens of troopers have already submitted their resignation paperwork.

Throughout COVID, we have been on the front lines protecting the citizens of Massachusetts and beyond, he said. Simply put, all we are asking for are the same basic accommodations that countless other departments have provided to their first responders, and to treat a COVID-related illness as a line of duty injury.

The action comes as a Massachusetts Superior Court judge rejected the unions request to delay the vaccine mandate, which goes into effect on Oct. 17. Exemptions are granted, under an order issued by the governors office, to those seeking religious or medical exemptions to the vaccine.

We are disappointed in the judges ruling; however, we respect her decision, Cherven said. It is unfortunate that [Gov. Charlie Baker] and his team have chosen to mandate one of the most stringent vaccine mandates in the country with no reasonable alternatives.

The State Police Association of Massachusetts recently filed a lawsuit saying the Oct. 17 deadline would cause troopers irreparable harm and sought more time to negotiate the terms and conditions of their employment. They also had sought to have troopers who are not vaccinated instead submit to regular COVID-19 testing and wearing a mask on the job.

But the judge, Suffolk County Superior Court Associate Justice Jackie Cowin, said that delaying the vaccine mandate wouldnt serve the publics interest.

The public interest is, unquestionably, best served by stopping the spread of the virus, in order to protect people from becoming ill, ensure adequate supply of medical services, and curtail the emergence of new, deadlier variants of the virus, according to her ruling.

At the federal level, the Biden administration earlier this month issued an order mandating that all federal workers and contractors, including law enforcement personnel, get a COVID-19 vaccine. Earlier, the federal government stipulated that federal employees and contractors who didnt get the shot would have to instead wear masks, socially distance, and undergo routine testing.

A few dozen federal employees, including U.S. Secret Service members, have filed lawsuits against the Biden administration over the mandate. Some argued that a prior COVID-19 infection should preclude them from receiving the vaccine, while others said that mandatory vaccines would violate their religious freedom.

Gov. Bakers office didnt immediately respond to a request by The Epoch Times for comment.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The logo of Essar group is seen at its headquarters in Mumbai, India, on Aug. 21, 2017. (Danish Siddiqui/Reuters)

Essar Oil in Talks to Extend January UK VAT Payment Deadline

ReutersEssar Oil UK, the operator of Britains Stanlow oil refinery, is in talks with UK authorities over extending a January deadline to repay hundreds of millions of pounds in deferred taxes, the company said on Sunday.

Essar Oil said it still needed to pay 223 million ($305 million) to HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) by January, confirming an earlier report in the Sunday Times newspaper, which said the company had used the governments pandemic VAT deferral scheme last year.

Essar, in response to a Reuters request for comment, said that it had already repaid HMRC 547 million ($749 million) out of a total of 770 million ($1.05 billion).

The company had agreed to an accelerated schedule with HMRC to make the rest of the payment, which it has not been able to meet due to a slower than expected recovery from the pandemic.

In a statement to Reuters, Essar said it is in discussions with HMRC over a short extension to make the deferred VAT payments.

Those discussions are positive and EOUK looks forward to a resolution soon, it added.

It also said that the company had returned to positive EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation) and therefore is in a much stronger position to weather the continued challenge presented by the pandemic.

Essar in May secured more than $850 million in financing for the Stanlow refinery after hitting short-term financial difficulties.

Stanlow, which employs 900 people directly and a further 800 contractors on-site, supplies road fuel to northwest England, and jet fuel to Manchester and Birmingham airports.

Lengthy queues of vehicles have been snaking their way to gas stations in Britain where an acute shortage of truck drivers has led to fuel rationing in a number of garages and some pumps running dry, and prompted the government to consider issuing temporary work visas.
Falun Gong practitioners raise awareness about the persecution of their spiritual practice by the Chinese Communist Party in China, outside the U.N. building in New York, on Sept. 25, 2021. (Enrico Trigoso/The Epoch Times)

Falun Gong Practitioners Gather Outside UN Building to Protest Against the CCPs Crimes

NEW YORKAs world authorities gathered in Manhattan to participate in the 76th session of the United Nations (U.N.) General Assembly at its headquarters this week, a group of Falun Gong practitioners quietly meditated and held banners raising awareness about their persecution by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a spiritual practice that includes meditation exercises and teachings based on the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance. It grew in popularity during the 1990s, and 70 million to 100 million people were practicing in China by the end of the decade, according to official estimates at the time.

The CCP felt threatened by its popularity and launched a systematic elimination campaign in July 1999. Since then, millions of practitioners have been detained inside prisons, labor camps, and other facilities, with hundreds of thousands tortured while incarcerated, according to the Falun Dafa Information Center.

Jacek Krzywinski, one of the people protesting outside the U.N. building, said he wants to raise awareness about whats happening in China. Because they have  no voice over there, so we are over here. We are their voice over here in America.

Krzywinski stated that he hopes the U.N. would do something about what is going on in China. He said, they probably know whats going on in China.

Falun Gong practitioners raise awareness about the persecution of their spiritual practice by the Chinese Communist Party in China, outside the U.N. building in New York, on Sept. 25, 2021. (Enrico Trigoso/The Epoch Times)

Tom Tang, a Falun Gong practitioner who now lives in New York, told The Epoch Times that they have been outside the U.N. building this week to tell the people all over the world about the persecution. We just want the U.N. to help to stop the persecution of Falun Gong. And help to stop the Chinese government [from doing] evil, Tang said.

One of the evils Tang referenced was the CCP forcibly harvesting organs from detained Falun Gong practitioners, which was confirmed after an extensive review of available evidence by a peoples tribunal in 2019. The Chinese regime then uses the organs in its lucrative organ transplant industry.

Tom Tang raising awareness about the persecution of the Falun Gong by the Chinese Communist Party in China, outside the U.N. building in New York, on Sept. 25, 2021. (Enrico Trigoso/The Epoch Times)

Helen Huang was standing at a crossroads a block away from the U.N. building, asking people to sign a petition to end the CCP.

Huang said that if the CCP ends, First, the Chinese people will have freedom, and more importantly, practitioners of Falun Dafa in China will be free. Many of them are in prison now.

Falun Gong practitioner Helen Huang raising awareness about the persecution of their spiritual practice by the Chinese Communist Party in China, outside the U.N. building in New York, on Sept. 25, 2021. (Enrico Trigoso/The Epoch Times)

One of her friends from Shenzhen was imprisoned, she said. The guards shaved off all her hair and she believes added unknown drugs to her food to break her down mentally.

Her husband divorced her because of the persecution. She refused to give up her spiritual belief.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee attends The National Museum Of African American Music Grand Opening at The National Museum of African American Music in Nashville, Tenn., on Jan. 18, 2021. (Jason Kempin/Getty Images)

Federal Judges Block Tennessees School Mask Opt-out in 2 More Counties

Federal judges granted injunctions on Sept. 24 in two more Tennessee counties against the enforcement of Republican Gov. Bill Lees executive order requiring that school districts allow parents to opt their children out of school mask mandates.

The two U.S. District Court judges blocked Lees order from being enforced in Knox and Williamson counties, as well as the Franklin Special School District.

The rulings bring the number of counties where Lees executive order has been enjoined to three. On Sept. 17, a federal judge temporarily blocked the enforcement of the order in Shelby County.

The Sept. 24 rulings stem from two separate lawsuits brought by students with disabilities or chronic illnesses. Both lawsuits claimed that the executive order was in violation of the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990, arguing that allowing some students to opt-out of the masking requirement made the plaintiffs children unable to safely attend schools compared to their healthier peers.

In addition to prohibiting Lee from enforcing the opt-out order in Williamson County and the Franklin Special School District, U.S. District Court Judge Waverly Crenshaw ordered the two localities to enforce their mask policies without exception to the order, according to the memorandum opinion (pdf). The court injunction will last until Oct. 5, unless the court extends it.

Neither a school district in Williamson County nor the Franklin Special School District opposed the injunction prior to its issuance.

The record at this stage shows that temporary universal mask mandates adopted by the Williamson County and Franklin school systems have been, and likely would continue to be, effective in curbing the spread of COVID-19, Crenshaw wrote in his decision.

Evidence on whether mask mandates can help reduce the spread of COVID-19 remains a matter of dispute. A 2021 preprint study of data in Florida, New York, and Massachusetts found no correlation between school mask mandates and COVID-19 case rates.

In the case in Knox County, U.S. District Court Judge J. Ronnie Greer prohibited the Knox County Board of Education from enforcing its vote against a mask mandate in the countys schools and ordered the board to enforce a mask mandate, according to the memorandum opinion (pdf). Greer also prohibited Lee from enforcing the opt-out order.

The judge wrote that the risk from COVID-19 to the plaintiffs and any other similarly situated individual with a right of access to Knox Countys school buildings is neither speculative nor theoretical. It is real, and likely.

The dispute over school mask mandate is split sharply along political lines, with most Democrats staunchly defending the mandates and most Republicans opposing them.

The administration of Democratic President Joe Biden has gotten directly involved in the local battles over the mandates. The administration has begun repaying school districts for the funds theyve lost by defying local- and state-level bans on school mask mandates. The U.S. Department of Education is also conducting several directed investigations into bans on school mask mandates.
Foreign HGV Driver Visa Plan Insufficient to Fix Christmas Supply Chain Issues: UK Government Warned

The UK governments plans to offer 5,000 three-month visas for foreign lorry drivers are insufficient to address supply issues in the lead up to Christmas, according to business groups.

The government has announced a temporary visa scheme that will see 5,000 heavy goods vehicle (HGV) drivers and 5,500 poultry workers allowed to take up employment in the UK until Christmas Eve, in a bid to keep supermarket shelves stocked with turkeys and tackle delivery difficulties at petrol stations.

The intervention came amid scenes of lengthy queues at petrol stations after a shortage of fuel tanker drivers forced some retailers to shut their pumps and ration sales.

But the British Retail Consortium and the British Chamber of Commerce criticised the scope of the package of measures revealed by Transport Secretary Grant Shapps on Saturday, which were seen by some as a step back from the prime ministers ambitions to create a high-wage, high-skilled post-Brexit economy.

Shapps said the changes, with short-term visas available from next month, would ensure preparations remain on track for the festive season.

Chamber president Baroness McGregor-Smith, however, said consumers and businesses faced another less than happy Christmas due to the visa offer being insufficient.

Retailers had previously warned the government that it had just 10 days to save Christmas from significant disruption due to a shortfall of about 90,000 drivers in the freight sector.

Even if these short-term opportunities attract the maximum amount of people allowed under the scheme, it will not be enough to address the scale of the problem that has now developed in our supply chains, The Conservative peer said.

This announcement is the equivalent of throwing a thimble of water on a bonfire.

Andrew Opie, a director at the British Retail Consortium, said the limit of 5,000 HGV visas would do little to alleviate the current shortfall and called for visas to be extended to all sectors of the retail industry.

He added: Supermarkets alone have estimated they need at least 15,000 HGV drivers for their businesses to be able to operate at full capacity ahead of Christmas and avoid disruption or availability issues.

Motorists queue for petrol and diesel fuel at a petrol station off of the M3 motorway near Fleet, west of London on Sept. 26, 2021. (Photo by Adrian Dennis/AFP via Getty Images)

The relaxation of immigration rules was welcomed by other industry groups, however, with Food and Drink Federation chief Ian Wright calling the measures pragmatic, while Logistics UK said it showed the government had listened to hauliers concerns.

Richard Walker, managing director at Iceland supermarket, called the announcement critical and pushed for shop staff and other key workers to be fast-tracked past petrol pump queues.

The supermarket boss said: Until this eases, key workers including food retail workers need to be prioritised at the pumps so that we can keep hospitals operating and food shops open, and the nation safe and fed.

As well as the visa changes, the Department for Transport (DfT) said it planned to train 4,000 more lorry drivers through both a 10 million ($13.68 million) investment in skills camps and established adult education budgets, with some of those studying for HGV licences eligible to have their courses paid for by the state.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) will be stepping in to provide examiners for lorry driving tests as ministers look to steadily increase the size of the workforce.

Officials said the loan of MoD examiners to work alongside Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) employees would help put on thousands of extra tests over the next 12 weeks.

The coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated a global shortage of lorry drivers, although there have been long-term issues in the UK with vacancy numbers amid an ageing workforce, low wages, and poor truck stop conditions.

In a drive to encourage people to return to the industry, nearly one million letters will be landing on the doormats of people with HGV licences in the coming days enticing them to give the job another go.

The letter will set out the steps the haulage sector is taking to improve industry conditions, including increased wages, flexible working and fixed hours, according to the DfT.

Officials said the government was focused on raising pay and improving working conditions and diversity of the workforce, rather than relying on cheap foreign workers to fill vacancies in the long run.

The DfT said it recognised that importing foreign labour will not be the long term solution to the problem and that it wanted to see investment poured into establishing a robust domestic workforce.
Tens of thousands of people attend a candlelight vigil at Victoria Park in Hong Kong on June 4, 2015. (Kin Cheung/AP Photo)

Hong Kong Tiananmen Massacre Vigil Group Disbands After Leaders Arrested

The group behind the annual Tiananmen Massacre vigil in Hong Kong has officially announced its dissolution, 32 years after its establishment when Beijing cracked down on student-led protests in 1989.

The Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China voted to disband on Sept. 25, after local police arrested five of the groups leaders in early September. Core members voted 414 in favor of disbandment at a meeting, drawing an end to more than three decades of activism.

Jailed Alliance leaders Albert Ho and Lee Cheuk-yan had sent letters to its members calling for disbandment, according to a letter disclosed by the group prior to the vote.

Following approval of the resolution, the Alliance said it wasnt clear how the events of 1989 would be commemorated in the future.

We still think that in the coming future, Hong Kong people will use different ways to stand up and commemorate, Alliance spokesperson Richard Choi said.

Richard Choi, spokesman of Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, speaks to the media after the group announced that it has disbanded in Hong Kong on Sept. 25, 2021. (Yu Gang/The Epoch Times)

Thirty-two years ago, the Alliance assisted fleeing student leaders and activists from Tiananmen Square, providing shelter and financial support. In 2014, it opened a Tiananmen Square massacre museum, the first such museum in the world. However, it was shut in June and was recently raided by the police.

The secretary of security had given the Alliance two weeks to explain why it shouldnt be struck off the Companies Register, according to a letter issued on Sept. 10. Otherwise, the group would be dissolved.

The polices national security department had also frozen $283,000 of assets belonging to the group in early September.

The Incompatibility

Even if it was not formally disbanded, it would exist in name only, China expert professor Feng Chongyi, of the University of Technology in Sydney, told The Epoch Times.

Feng said the aims of the group were incompatible with the one-party rule in mainland China.

In the past decades, the group had organized the commemorations on June 4 to honor those who died under Chinas military carnagemaking those commemorations the only large-scale public candlelight vigils on Chinese soil each year.

The assemblies always attracted as many as hundreds of thousands of people every year, until authorities banned it in 2020, citing anti-pandemic measures. Yet Beijing has seen it as one of the largest challenges to its centralized power, despite its promise of free speech regarding Hong Kong.

An estimated 180,000 people gather in Hong Kongs Victoria Park for a candlelight vigil memorializing the victims of the Tiananmen Square massacre and calling for the overthrow of the Chinese Communist Party on June 4, 2014. (Phillipe Lopez/AFP/Getty Images)

Police had notified the Alliance in August that it was under investigation for suspicion of collusion with foreign forces. The group denied the accusation and refused to cooperate. A Hong Kong court has to date charged three leaders of the group with subversion, a vaguely defined crime under the Beijing-imposed national security law.

The law punishes anything Beijing deems as subversion, secession, terrorism, and collusion with foreign forces with up to life in prison, as shrinking space for dissents has stoked widespread anxieties.

The group said in July that it had laid off staff members to ensure their safety and that half of its committee members had resigned.

Although the pro-Beijing government in Hong Kong has denied that there has been a crackdown on civil society, the Alliance was one of the few outspoken pro-democracy groups remaining in Hong Kong.

Many pro-democracy organizations have disbanded because of safety concerns, including the Civil Human Rights Front, the organizer of a massive anti-government rally in 2019 that attracted more than 1 million people in the city.

Protesters hold banners as they take part in a march against a controversial extradition bill in the Sha Tin district of Hong Kong, on July 14, 2019. (Anthony Kwan/Getty Images)

Nine activists were sentenced to six to 10 months imprisonment on Sept. 15 for participating in a candlelight vigil in 2020.
A screenshot from a video released by Ambazonia rebels showing an armored personnel carrier on fire on Sept. 14 in the Northwest region of Cameroon. (screenshot Ambazonia rebel video/The Epoch Times)

Is Rebellion in Cameroon a Bellwether for Nigeria?

News Analysis

A recent strike by rebels in northwestern Cameroon has sparked speculation that separatist groups in Nigerias Southeast and Cameroons border areas are on parallel tracks.

The English-speaking rebels in Cameroons mountainous border zone with Nigeria are fighting for national independence from the Francophone majority under the banner of a self-proclaimed nation of Ambazonia. Their cause resonates with the separatist movement in Nigerias southeast that is seeking an independent Biafra, feeding speculation that both nations are heading toward breakups.

After five bloody years of guerilla strikes in Cameroon and brutal responses, both sides in the conflict stand charged with serious human rights violations, according to Voice of America.

The conflict reached a grim milestone last week, when the armed rebels, using improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and an anti-tank rocket launcher, ambushed two convoys of Cameroons elite force in the Northwest, killing 15 soldiers. The Cameroonian military reportedly said on Sept. 22 that anti-tank rockets smuggled from Nigeria had been used for the first time, and 13 civilians were also killed.

The war in the two English-speaking regions of Camerooncalled the Northwest and the Southwest regionshas left more than 4,000 people dead, while close to a million others have been displaced internally. More than 60,000 others have sought refuge in neighboring Nigeria.

The worsening humanitarian crisis resulting from the conflict has pushed some U.S. lawmakers to petition the Department of Homeland Security to designate Cameroon for Temporary Protected Status, which means Cameroonian migrants entering across the southern U.S. border cant be refused entry.

All serious pro-separatist groups pick inspiration from those that have succeeded before them with a similar template, according to David Otto, a native Cameroonian and the director of counterterrorism for the Geneva Centre of African Security and Strategic Studies.

The red area on the map shows the area claimed by the revolutionary government of Ambazonia. (Wikiwand)

There is already an existing alliance between some Ambazonia separatist leaders and Biafra leaders which makes it much easier for both separatist groups to benefit from each other. Depending on how these leadership alliances are sustained, there is no doubt that the independence of one could easily translate to a moral and support boost for the independence of the other, despite not having the same underlying case for separation, Otto added.

This battlefield connections and sympathy for the cause provides a huge morale boost for separatist leaders and supporters to feed off each other in the region. This ideological contamination is made easy by the existing sharing of strategic, operational, and tactical expertisea real case of coordination and collaboration. In conflict dynamics, where sustainability and survival are crucial, unlike parties can easily become regular bedfellows. I see this happening between Ambazonia, Biafra, and the southwest clamor for separation, Otto told The Epoch Times.

A two-week lockdown on the two Anglophone regions announced by the secessionist groups since Sept. 15 is meant to assert their control over the territory.

The Cameroon government had hoped to present itself to the United Nations General Assembly this month to tell the world that they had control over the conflict and that the war is dying down, but the rebel ambush Sept. 16 has embarrassed them, Chris Anu, communications secretary of the U.S.-based interim government of Ambazonia, told The Epoch Times.

Its time for the Cameroon government to initiate genuine talks with separatist groups both in the two regions and with leaders abroad. The government must move away from the promise by the Cameroon military that it can defeat the separatist groups using military might. It wont happen, Otto said.

Anu said, The government of Cameroon is fighting a lost battle.

They blundered. We did not ask them for war. If the international community thinks that they can stay quiet and demoralize Ambazonia or from attaining its independence, that can only prolong the duration of the conflict. That is not going to stop us from pursuing and prosecuting this war. Ambazonia at the end of the day will be a free country. Nothing is stopping us.

Cameroons military insists that victory over the rebels is certain.

The Cameroonian army remains determined to eradicate all forms of violence in the Northwest, Southwest, and Far North, according to Atongfack Guemo Cyrille Serge, spokesman for the Cameroonian military, said in a statement.

But a Cameroonian academic made the case for Ambazonian independence.

Cameroon is laboring like a pregnant womanit may be the labor phase of a new nationand we should honor it because it is part of governance, democracy, and human rights, Wilson Tamfu, professor of public and international law at the University of Buea, told The Epoch Times. The University of Buea is in the Southwest region of Cameroon.

If people cannot stay together for certain reasons, and they have tried to stay together, its not working, there is nothing wrong in the creation of new states. People can live together, love one another, enrich one another; but if another group feels oppressed, disadvantaged, you have to take stepsby revising the constitution for instance. Europe broke away into states; the former Soviet Union broke away into 18 independent states. This is not a disloyalty or a crime.
Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov after addressing the 76th Session of the U.N. General Assembly in New York City, on Sept. 25, 2021. (Eduardo Munoz/Pool/Reuters)

Lavrov Says Russian Government Not Involved in Mali Deal With Private Russian Military Company

UNITED NATIONSMali has asked a private Russian military company to help it fight against terrorists, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said on Saturday at the United Nations.

Malis year-old military junta is close to a deal to recruit the Russian private military contractors the Wagner Group, sources have told Reuters, triggering opposition from France, which has said it was incompatible with a continued French presence in the West African state.

They are combating terrorism, incidentally, and they have turned to a private military company from Russia in connection with the fact that, as I understand, France wants to significantly draw down its military component which was present there, Lavrov said of Malis junta during a news conference.

Lavrov said the Russian government had nothing to do with any deal between the private military company and Mali.

The French defence ministry declined to comment. Paris has started reshaping its 5,000-strong Barkhane mission to include more European partners and earlier this month began redeploying from bases in northern Mali.

Malis military junta has said it will oversee a transition to a voting democracy leading to elections in February 2022.

Malis Prime Minister Choguel Maiga told the U.N. General Assembly on Saturday that his country felt abandoned by the French move and signaled they were seeking other military help to fill the gap which will certainly result from the withdrawal of Barkhane in the north of the country.

The new situation resulting from the end of Operation Barkhane puts Mali before a fait accompliabandoning us, mid flight to a certain extentand it leads us to explore pathways and means to better ensure our security autonomously, or with other partners, he said.

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Friday that he told Lavrov and his counterpart from Mali this week in New York that the potential deployment of the Wagner Group would be a red line for the European Union, and it would have immediate consequences on our cooperation.

EU foreign ministers discussed the issue on Monday during a closed-door meeting on the sidelines of the annual gathering of world leaders for the U.N. General Assembly in New York.

By Michelle Nichols. The Epoch Times contributed to this report.
Lithuanian Chainsaw Artist Carves Huge Eagle Spreading Its Wings in Flight out of Logs

Lithuanian artist Vidas Nugaras, whos been carving wood since he was a child, describes the feeling of sculpting with a chainsaw as being like riding a Harley.

The 45-year-old lives in a village and works sharpening wood tools in a shop by daywhile using power tools to create commissions and partake in chainsaw carving competitions on the side.

Over the summer, Vidas took on a monumental chainsaw art project: to sculpt a massive, soaring eagle with its wings stretched out, banking steeply at 90 degrees. The completed work depicts the eagles beak agape as if to let out a peal cry, echoing throughout some misty mountain valley.

It was very hot weather in Lithuania, so it was a challenge, Vidas told The Epoch Times of the carving endeavor. One of my clients wanted special work. I created such eagle which nobody [has] in our country. So I fulfilled my clients dream.

The huge eagle sculpture stands 3.1 meters in height. The artist used two oak logs which he glued together to carve the bird.

This sculpture was high and big, that is why I needed to work on the ladder with heavy chainsaw, Vidas said. I did this work almost only with chainsawabout 99 percent.

Vidass summer eagle project is somewhat unique in his country, he added, though its eyes, which he rendered in dark toneshis trademarkare something locals are familiar with.

The artists Facebook page presents his extensive portfolio, and is filled with photos of his other animal creationsbirds, mice, owls, rabbits, bearsas well as fantastically dreamt up charactersgnomes, sprites, goblins, and more. An element of humor subsumes all of Vidass carvings.

I didnt finish any art school, I learned to work with wood myself, he said. Im doing it until now.

Im curious person, so Im looking for a new information about wood carving regularly. So, I found chainsaw carving. This type of carving is more interesting, impressible, more attractive.

The Lithuanian is not only prolific in creating art, but he also competes regularly in chainsaw carving competitions which draw talented artists to his home country from across the world.

I have attended in the few international competition of chainsaw carving in Lithuania, he added. I have a lot of friends-woodcarvers in the all over 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
Former diplomat Michael Kovrig embraces his wife, Vina Nadjibulla, upon his arrival at Toronto Pearson International Airport on Sept. 25, 2021. (DND-MDN Canada/Cpl. Justin Dreimanis)

Michael Kovrig: Its Fantastic to Be Back in Canada

Michael Kovrig expressed his gratification for finally being back in Canada as he arrived in Toronto Saturday afternoon, after having been arbitrarily detained in Chinese prisons for over 1,000 days.

Its fantastic to be back in Canada, and Im immensely grateful for everybody who worked so hard to bring [me and Michael Spavor] back home, the former diplomat told reporters at Toronto Pearson International Airport.

Well have much more for you later, he said.

Kovrig and Spavor landed in Calgary early on the morning of Sept. 25 after the Beijing regime released the two on Sept. 24 in a deal that saw Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou allowed to return to China the same day.

After they touched down in Calgary aboard a Royal Canadian Air Force Challenger jet, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Global Affairs Minister Marc Garneau personally greeted them at the airport.



Spavor remained in Calgary where his family lives, while Kovrig continued on to Toronto.



After Kovrig embarked from the plane in Toronto, he and his wife, Vina Nadjibulla, hugged and cried. He then hugged his sister Ariana Botha.



The three posed for photos with the military crew and Canadian ambassador to China Dominic Barton, who had accompanied Kovrig and Spavor on the flight from China, before speaking to reporters very briefly and then leaving in a black SUV.



Kovrig and Spavor had been held captive in China since Dec. 10, 2018. Their detention came a few days after Meng was arrested in Vancouver on Dec. 1, 2018, on a U.S. extradition request. Prior to their detention, Beijing had warned Canada of dire consequences if Meng was not released.



During the early stages of their imprisonment in China, the two men were held in solitary confinement and underwent repeated interrogation. The lights were kept on in their cells day and night which can lead to sleep deprivation, recognized as a form of torture by human rights organizations.



Meng, who was charged with bank and wire fraud relating to violating U.S. sanctions on Iran, reached a deferred prosecution agreement with the U.S. Justice Department on Sept. 24. A Canadian court lifted her bail conditions on the same day, allowing her to leave Canada.


Missing 21-Year-Old Florida Woman Found Dead in South Carolina: Family

A missing 21-year-old woman from Florida was found dead in South Carolina, officials said over the weekend.

Sheridan Wahl traveled to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, last week but never made it there, authorities and her family members said.

Florence County Coroner Keith von Lutcken confirmed that Sheridan Wahls body was discovered, WIS-TV reported. Her cause of death has not yet been released.

The body was found Sept. 21 behind a fire station in Pamplico, South Carolina, about an hour west of Myrtle Beach, officials told KMOV.

Please help me find my daughter. Last seen at 300 S. Ocean in Myrtle Beach. We havent heard from her since 1p and her phone is not picking up. She could have been driving back from Myrtle Beach to Tampa. Let let me know if anyone has seen her. Otherwise please pray she comes home to us safely! her mother, Kelly DeArment Wahl, wrote on Facebook.

Days later, her mother issued an update about Wahls death.

We are heartbroken beyond belief to share the news that our beloved Sheridan Lynne Wahl has passed. Sheridan was our cherished and loving daughter, sister, niece and friend. She will be missed more than words can ever express, she wrote on Sept. 23. Please note that the case has yet to be closed  and details have not been confirmed. A full statement will be released pending more information. In the meantime, the family graciously requests that their privacy be respected and deeply appreciates the outpouring of love and support from all.

Her roommate, Elizabeth Echenique, wrote on a GoFundMe page that Wahl had a heart of gold.

She was an amazing musician and many times would sit down to make music for fun and relaxation alone and with friend, she added.

Other details about her death were not disclosed.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul speaks at the New York State Capitol in Albany, New York, on Aug. 24, 2021. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

New York National Guard May Replace Unvaccinated Health Care Workers: Governor

New York state might resort to using National Guard members to replace health care workers who havent received the COVID-19 vaccine.

In a statement on Sept. 25, Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, said that options to deal with hospital staffing shortages include deploying medically trained members of the National Guard. The situation would allow her to declare an emergency to increase the supply of health care workers to include licensed workers from other states, other countries, and retired nurses.

We are still in a battle against COVID to protect our loved ones, and we need to fight with every tool at our disposal, she said in a statement. I am monitoring the staffing situation closely, and we have a plan to increase our health care workforce and help alleviate the burdens on our hospitals and other health care facilities.

According to her office, about 16 percent of the states 450,000 hospital staff members, or about 72,000 workers, havent yet been vaccinated.

Meanwhile, her office said that health care workers who are terminated after not getting the vaccine cant receive unemployment insurance unless theyre able to provide a valid doctor-approved request. The statement made no mention of religious exemptions.

A federal judge based in Albany on Sept. 14 temporarily ordered New York state officials to grant religious exemptions to the state vaccine mandate.

The plaintiffsincluding doctors, nurses, a medical technician, and a physicians liaisonwere facing termination, damage to their careers, and other losses unless they submitted to the vaccine mandate in contradiction of their religious beliefs, the lawsuit said.

What New York is attempting to do is slam shut an escape hatch from an unconstitutional vaccine mandate, attorney Christopher Ferrara, Thomas More Society special counsel, said in a statement. And they are doing this while knowing that many people have sincere religious objections to vaccines that were tested, developed, or produced with cell lines derived from aborted children.

Hochul Health Commissioner Howard Zucker, and Attorney General Letitia James last week filed court documents arguing that the state doesnt need to require religious exemptions.

Reducing the number of unvaccinated personnel who can expose vulnerable patients to the potentially deadly disease in the healthcare setting is of utmost importance. Time is of the essence, they argued in a court filing.

Days after the Albany judge blocked the mandate, a requirement for New York City school teachers and staff to receive the vaccine was temporarily blocked by an appeals court. The court set the next hearing date for Sept. 29.
Australias most populous state, NSW, will in the coming week reveal its roadmap for 80 percent vaccination coverage, with the premier wanting international travel to resume at the earliest opportunity.

The state recorded nine additional deaths in the 24 hours to 8 p.m. local time on Saturday. None of the nine people, aged from their 40s to their 80s, were double jabbed.

The death toll for the states current outbreak now stands at 297. There are currently 1,146 COVID-19 cases in hospital in NSW, with 222 people in intensive care and 117 on ventilators.

The number of people infected on average by each positive case in that weekknown as the epidemic growth rate or Rdipped to 0.98, falling below one for the first time since the outbreak began in mid-June.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian on Sunday told reporters the governments plans for 80 percent double-dose vaccination coverageexpected in roughly late Octoberwill be revealed in the coming days.

The government has said its will return freedoms to fully vaccinated Australians commencing at 70 percent vaccine coverage.

It is likely to include larger gathering caps, larger major event crowds, auctions, and the resumption of community sport. But it may also involve the government delaying the resumption of regional NSW travel from 70 percent to 80 percent coverage.

Berejiklian has already promised to rapidly increase international flight arrival caps for stranded Australians overseas.

On Sunday, she expressed her hope that outbound travel, currently banned by federal authorities, would also be allowed again imminently.

It comes a day after Berejiklians Queensland counterpart Annastacia Palaszczuk expressed her strong aversion to the resumption of international travel any time soon.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has previously expressed his support for NSW residents resuming international travel before other states.

Other states may not be ready for that yet but thats OK, NSW is moving fast and if we feel its safe to do so, of course well allow our double vaccinated citizens to move freely, Berejiklian said.

Id like NSW residents who are fully vaccinated to be able to go overseas at the earliest opportunity  if theyre double vaccinated and have those plans, and the airlines are flying in, why not?

Freedoms for the unvaccinated will be also restored at an unspecified later date, Berejiklian said, but not in the short term.

Greater Sydney has now been in lockdown for more than 13 weeks, with some residents given marching orders after large crowds gathered at beaches in Bondi and Manly on Friday.

Police issued three fines for breaching public health orders and a number of move-on directions as they dispersed the throngs.

I ask everybody to please hold the line. Its really important we work hard now so when we do start opening up at 70 percent, were able to do so safely and by bringing everyone together, Berejiklian said.

All of us would like to think that once we get to that 80 percent double dose, it will be back to living without COVID, but it will not be.

It will be a new COVID normal but we will enjoy so many more freedoms than what we have today and we will all adjust our lives.
Taliban fighters patrol along a road on the backdrop of a mural pained on the wall of a flyover in Kabul on September 26, 2021. (Hoshang Hashimi/AFP via Getty Images)

Post-War Afghanistan Opens Door for Beijing-Tehran Collaboration: Experts

The U.S. departure from Afghanistan has opened the doors for greater cooperation between Beijing, Moscow, and Iran in the Central Asian country, experts say.

Both Beijing and Moscow have interests in the estimated $1 trillion worth of minerals in Afghanistan. Yet analysts caution that it may be a long time before any economic goals can be realized.

Im not sure China or Russia will be able to take advantage of Afghanistans minerals, Gordon Chang, China expert and author of The Coming Collapse of China said. The reason is political instability.

Beijing holds a 30-year lease on a major copper mine in Afghanistan, but it still has not produced copper there due to security risks in the area, Chang said.

While Beijing and Russia may pursue short-term goals in the country, it would be many years before they could realistically do this long-term, he added.

Meanwhile, security issues from the Taliban takeover have raised the possibility of closer defense cooperation between China, Iran, and Russia.

Iran-Beijing Cooperation

Both Beijing and Moscow, who are concerned with Sunni-backed militias in the region, can look to Iran as a regulator of Islamist uprising, analysts said, noting that Tehran is a supporter of Shiite militias such as the Khorasan branch of the ISIS terrorist group.

Sunni fundamentalists are a problem for governments in both China and Russia but none of these governments have a problem with the Shiites, said Mitra Jashni, the executive director of Farashgard Foundation, an advocacy group for Iranian liberty and democracy. One of the goals of Moscow and Beijing is to use Shiite fundamentalists to control Sunni fundamentalists.

Any cooperation between the three countries would be buttressed by growing economic ties, especially between Beijing and Tehran, which has served as a lifeline for an Islamic regime crippled by Western sanctions.

China agreed to invest $400 billion in Iran over 25 years in exchange for a steady supply of oil to fuel its growing economy under a sweeping economic and security agreement signed in March of earlier this year, Jashni said.

The economic relations of the Islamic Republic with China are the main factor in maintaining the mullahs regime.

Jashni added that both China and Russia have an enormous amount of influence in keeping the Islamic Republic afloat.

In recent years, as Western pressure on the Islamic Republic has increased, the Islamic Republic has become more militarily dependent on the East, especially in the purchase of military weapons from Russia, she said.

Beijing, Russia, and Iran also have reportedly worked behind the scenes in recent years to bypass Western sanctions.

China and Iran are strategic partners in a massive effort to push back against American influence worldwide; therefore, they help each other in the face of U.S. sanctions and other punishments, said Reza Parchizadeh, a political theorist and analyst affiliated with Indiana University.

Parchizadeh noted that while Beijing and Russia are currently cooperating with the Taliban, they dont necessarily see eye-to-eye with the group. The pair, though, are likely to cooperate and work with whatever party can force Western influence out of the region, Parchizadeh said.

Iran, meanwhile, was also happy to see the departure of U.S. forces from Afghanistan.

American presence in Afghanistan posed a challenge to the CCPs [Chinese Communist Party] Belt and Road Initiative as well as the Iranian regimes expansionism towards Central and Southeast Asia, Parchizadeh said.

So, they both benefit from U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, because it removes a longstanding geopolitical obstacle to their expansionist agenda, he said.

Whats basically happening here is that the extremist Taliban and their Islamist confederates are shrinking the American influence in one of the most strategically important spots in the world, and Iran and China are facilitating it, he added.
A Taliban fighter stands guard along a street near the Zanbaq Square in Kabul on Sept. 23, 2021. (Wakil Kohsar / AFP via Getty Images)

Taliban Hangs Four Bodies in Public Square in Western Afghanistan: Witnesses

The Taliban hung four dead bodies in a public square in western Afghanistan, according to local witnesses, in a sign that the group is returning to some of its harsh punishments of the past.

Several residents of Herat, identified as Mohammad Nazir and Wazir Ahmad, said they saw the Taliban displaying the bodies in the citys public square. Ahmad told The Associated Press that three of the bodies were then moved to other parts of the city for public display.

When I stepped forward, I saw they had brought a body in a pickup truck, then they hung it up on a crane, Nazir told Reuters.

An Associated Press video showed crowds gathering around the crane and peering up at one of the bodies as some men chanted.

The aim of this action is to alert all criminals that they are not safe, an alleged Taliban member told the AP in the square. The unidentified member said that the bodies belonged to kidnappers.

Ziaulhaq Jalali, a Taliban district police chief in Herat, told Al Jazeera that the groups members rescued a father and son who were abducted by four kidnappers. A Taliban member and a civilian were injured by the alleged kidnappers in a shootout, Jalali said.

Taliban leader Mullah Nooruddin Turabi in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Sept. 22, 2021. (Felipe Dana/AP Photo)

Since taking over Afghanistan last month after U.S. troops were pulled out, some high-ranking members of the Taliban, designated by several U.S. intelligence agencies as a terrorist group, said they have changed their ways since the Taliban previously ruled the country between 1996 and 2001.

However, Mullah Nooruddin Turabi, who now heads the so-called Ministry of Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, suggested that public executions and other strict punishments, including hand amputations, will be meted out.

Everyone criticized us for the punishments in the stadium, but we have never said anything about their laws and their punishments, Turabi told AP last week. No one will tell us what our laws should be. We will follow Islam and we will make our laws on the Quran.

In recent days, human rights groups such as Amnesty International have sounded the alarm.

In just over five weeks since assuming control of Afghanistan, the Taliban have clearly demonstrated that they are not serious about protecting or respecting human rights. We have already seen a wave of violations, from reprisal attacks and restrictions on women, to crackdowns on protests, the media, and civil society, said Dinushika Dissanayake, Amnestys deputy director for South Asia, in a statement.

The U.S. State Department, in response to Turabis comments, said the United States wouldnt accept the Taliban if it carries out harsh punishments.

We condemn in the strongest terms reports of reinstating amputations and executions of Afghans, State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters last week, adding that amputations and executions would constitute clear gross abuses of human rights, and we stand firm with the international community to hold perpetrators  accountable.

AP contributed to this report.
President Joe Biden (R) greets Texas Governor Greg Abbott and his wife Cecilia Abbott (2nd L) at Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base in Houston, Texas, on Feb. 26, 2021. Also welcoming the president is Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (L). (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)

Texas Governor Vows to Hire Any Border Patrol Agent Fired by Biden Administration

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said he would hire any Border Patrol agent fired by the Biden administration after several top White House officials said the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) would investigate images of agents on horseback blocking Haitian illegal immigrants from entering the United States.

DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said his agency would probe claims that the agents whipped Haitian aliens with the horses reins, despite Border Patrol union officials and the Getty photographer who captured the images saying they didnt whip anyone.

Those agents, Abbott said, wouldnt have been in that situation had the Biden administration enforced the immigration laws.

If President Joe Biden takes any action against them whatsoeverI have worked side by side with those Border Patrol agentsI want them to know something, Abbott said. If they are [at] risk of losing their job by a president who is abandoning his duty to secure the border, you have a job in the state of Texas. I will hire you to help Texas secure our border.

During a news conference on Sept. 24, Mayorkas dedicated a significant amount of time answering questions about the images of agents on horseback, while White House press secretary Jen Psaki previously said that horseback patrols would be suspended. The agents were responded to a surge of illegal immigrants from Haiti who had amassed in Del Rio, Texas, and camped underneath a bridge before DHS moved them elsewhere.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection mounted officers attempt to contain migrants as they cross the Rio Grande from Ciudad Acuna, Mexico, into Del Rio, Texas, Sunday, Sept. 19, 2021. (Felix Marquez/AP Photo)

I promise you, those people will pay, Biden told reporters at the White House hours before Mayorkas held his press conference. There will be consequences. Its an embarrassment. But beyond an embarrassment, its dangerous. Its wrong.

In describing the scene near a river crossing area in Del Rio, Getty photographer Paul Ratje said that Haitian men were running and trying to go around the horses.

Ive never seen them whip anyone, he told KTSM, referring to the agents. He was swinging it, but it can be misconstrued when youre looking at the picture.

Brandon Judd, an official with a Border Patrol agent union, told The Epoch Times in an interview last week that the agents did not use those reins in any way, shape, or form to try to strike anybody.

Meanwhile, the Biden administration has received significant criticism from progressive and pro-immigration activists, who claim that DHSs plan to deport some illegal immigrants back to Haiti violates U.S. protocols on refugees. However, Republicans and local elected officials who represent municipalities along the Texas border have said the Biden administrations messaging and policies are confusing and are triggering the surge in illegal immigration.

Mayorkas, during an interview with Fox News on Sunday, confirmed that more than 12,000 Haitian illegal immigrants who have been moved from the bridge area were relocated to other parts of the United States for processing.
The Bigger Threat Is Coming From China: Anders Corr on the AUKUS Submarine Deal

In this special episode, we sat down with two guests, Dr. Anders Corr, publisher of the Journal of Political Risk, and Rick Fisher, senior fellow at the International Assessment and Strategy Center. They touch on the AUKUS deal between Australia, the UK, and the United States, the blowback from France, and what it means going forward.

Anders said, First and foremost, the deal is for new nuclear submarines for Australia. Those are not nuclear weapon submarines, per se.  Their engines are powered by U.S. nuclear plants. And those submarines can go much farther and stay out much longer at sea than the traditional diesel-electric submarines that were going to be provided by France. So France is upset because theyve lost a multi-billion dollar deal to produce more than 12 submarines for Australia. And then there are other elements to the AUKUS deal. For example, cybersecurity, and closer intelligence sharing. So because of this, France feels shut out of the alliance, and they feel that this was done behind their back. However, Biden initially went to France and Germany and asked for a closer alliance on China. And they refused. So the current upset from France is really is a bit of, you know, tempest in a teapot.

Fisher said, AUKUS came about largely because of mounting threats from China to Australia. For the last 20 years, China has been trying to gradually create an economic dependence in Australia, dependence based on commerce with China. And about five to eight years ago, it started blatantly using that advantage, or political and economic leverage, and in the last few years, has tried to turn that leverage into coercive power. The Chinese Communist Party has infiltrated Australias political system, and has engaged in quite blatant and loud and consistent economic threats and even military threats.

Watch the full episode on EpochTV.

Have other topics you want us to cover? Drop us a line: chinainfocus@ntdtv.org

And if youd like to buy us a coffee: https://donorbox.org/china-in-focus

Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more first-hand news from China.

For more news and videos, please visit our website and Twitter.

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UK Says It Has Evidence of Ships Breaching North Korea Weapons Sanctions

The British navy said on Sunday that multiple ships of various nationalities have broken U.N. sanctions targeting North Koreas Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) and ballistic missile programmes.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said its Type 23 Royal Navy frigate HMS Richmondwhich was detached from the Carrier Strike Group 21 (CSG21) to take part in U.N. sanctions enforcement operations in the Indo-Pacific regioncaptured evidence of ships apparently breaching U.N. sanctions and collected updated intelligence on other ships of interest. The MoD said the evidence has been submitted to the U.N. Enforcement Coordination Cell.

The CSG21, which consists of nine ships, 32 aircraft, and 3,700 personnel, and is led by Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth, was deployed in May for a 28-week deployment ending in the Indo-Pacific region.

Undated photo of HMS Richmond. (Royal Navy/Handout via PA)

Commander Hugh Botterill MBE, commanding officer of HMS Richmond, said the enforcement activity was a critical moment of the CSG 21 deployment.

HMS Richmond is proud to have participated in the effort to curtail DPRKs [Democratic Republic of Korea] WMD programmes, reporting on vessels of interest and providing valuable imagery and contact data, Botterill said in a statement.

My team located multiple ships of various nationalities apparently acting in contravention of United Nations Security Council sanctions, and located, tracked, and approached a number of ships that hadnt previously been identified to the Enforcement Coordination Cell, he said.

British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said: North Koreas ambitions to acquire Weapons of Mass Destruction destabilises the region and poses a threat to the world. This vital activity, part of the Carrier Strike Group deployment to the region, has frustrated those ambitions.

The MoD added that the CSG 21s series of exercises with Japan, the United States, and South Korea signalled the UKs enduring commitment to the Indo-Pacific.

HMS Richmond is currently conducting a routine maintenance programme with Janan.

North Korea is under strict international sanctions imposed over its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes. Talks aimed at persuading Pyongyang to give up those weapons in return for lifting sanctions have been stalled.

Earlier this month, a U.S.-based research group said in a report that smugglers suspected of evading sanctions on North Korea have turned to schemes to create fraudulent identities for sanctioned ships.

Reuters contributed to this report.
Vermont Supreme Court Rebukes Border Patrol, Excludes Seized Evidence

Evidence seized by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) agents in a warrantless vehicle search near the international border with Canada cannot be used in state prosecutions, a divided Vermont Supreme Court ruled on Sept. 24.

Vermonts high court rebuked the CBP.

Article 11 of the Vermont Constitution, which protects individuals from unreasonable searches or seizures by any officer or messenger, guarantees individuals the right to privacy in their vehicles and to containers within those vehicles, Justice William D. Cohen wrote for the court in the 32 decision.

Justice Karen Carroll authored the dissenting opinion, which Justice Harold Eaton Jr. joined. They held that the courts majority opinion conflicted with case law from Vermont and other jurisdictions.

Defendants Phillip Walker-Brazie and Brandi-Lena Butterfield were in a car on Aug. 12, 2018, driving to their home in Richford, Vermont, when a border patrol officer pulled the vehicle over in a remote area about 2 miles from the U.S.Canada border, which is used to smuggle people and drugs. Such officers conducting roving patrols near the border are authorized by federal law to carry out warrantless searches, Cohen wrote in the court opinion.

The officer smelled a strong odor of marijuana coming from the car and thought the occupants seemed nervous. The defendants denied the officer permission to search the vehicle, but other border patrol agents subsequently searched the car. They discovered and seized marijuana and a bag of hallucinogenic mushrooms. The feds gave the evidence to the Vermont State Police, and the defendants were charged with drug possession in Orleans County in Vermont state court.

The defendants argued that this federal search authority isnt consistent with Article 11 of the Vermont Constitution. That provision would have required a Vermont police officer to secure a warrant before searching the car without their consent.

The search of defendants car was an unreasonable intrusion into this privacy interest, and we have previously determined that the appropriate remedy for such violation is exclusion of the evidence that was gathered.  The intrusion into defendants privacy was not somehow lessened because the search was conducted by a federal agent, the court opinion states.

Excluding such evidence from state proceedings is essential, the opinion states, because allowing the State to use evidence gathered in violation of the Vermont Constitution simply because it was gathered by federal law enforcement officers might implicitly encourage federal officers to engage in searches that Vermont officers cannot, so that Vermont officers will reciprocate by passing along information regarding immigration violations.

Jay Diaz, general counsel of the ACLU Foundation of Vermont, which represented the defendants, hailed the court decision in a statement.

This critically important ruling means that local police and prosecutors cannot use [the] Border Patrol to do an end run around Vermonts Constitution.  The strong privacy and dignity protections embedded in our state constitution are a source of state pride and the Courts decision reaffirms and expands those rights, Diaz said.

Attorney General T. J. Donovan, a Democrat who filed a friend-of-the-court brief in support of the defendants, said in a statement: I applaud the Courts decision.

The Vermont Constitution protects Vermonters regardless of federal government involvement.
PONTOON BEACH  The Illinois Department of Transportation announced that intermittent lane restrictions will begin Monday on Route 111 between Horseshoe Lake and Collinsville roads, weather permitting.

Crews will conduct pavement repairs and place a new asphalt driving surface. The work is expected to be completed by the end of November. Two-way traffic will be maintained through the work zone by the use of flaggers.
Authorities crackdown on scam texts

BANGKOK: The Ministry of a Digital Economy and Society, the telecom regulator, and the police are now cracking down on illegal gambling and loan scam websites, plus their SMS invitations sent to general phone users. Involved parties are now asked to block these messages from being sent, or face punishment should they fail to do so.

technologycrime

By National News Bureau of Thailand

Sunday 26 September 2021, 09:30AM

Image: NNT

Deputy Government Spokesperson Rachada Dhanadirek says the government is addressing complaints from the public on the spread of text messages sent to mobile phone users by unknown senders, with links to gambling, scam, or pornographic websites, reports state news agency NNT.

Many mobile phone users in Thailand have recently received the text messages without having signed up or subscribed to any of these services, causing much annoyance and concern over data privacy.

Ms Rachada said those who send out these messages are considered punishable by law, as their action is considered an economic crime.

She said these operations are considered especially damaging to low-income people, who are already affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since Thursday (Sept 23), the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) has urged network providers to block the scam messages from being sent.

The commission has also outlined punishments for any licensed telecom operators found involved in sending out these messages, starting with a formal warning, and leading to fines, license suspension, or termination and legal charges.

The Ministry of a Digital Economy and Society has opened a center to receive complaints about illegal websites and texts, including online gambling. Members of the public can submit a link to such websites on the DESMonitor page on Facebook, or call the ministrys 24-hour call center 1212.

Information gathered by the center will then be forwarded to the police for further investigation, which could lead to the termination of such websites.

The Royal Thai Police has warned that people involved in online gambling websites, from site managers, players, inviters, as well as those involved in websites offering illegal loans are considered violators of the law.

They are encouraging the general public to report any activities or people related to these websites by calling the Police Cyber Taskforces 1599 hotline.

The deputy government spokesperson said the government is concerned that the general public might fall victim to these scammers, leading to the loss of their money.

She said people seeking to take out loans should contact a legitimate financial institution, or first check the status of pico-finance and nano-finance loan providers on www.1359.go.th first.

Ms Rachada added that the Prime Minister has ordered related agencies to proactively suppress illegal websites, and cut down the cycles of gambling debt and informal debt.
Phuket Opinion: Enough rope

PHUKET: If anyone was still looking for evidence that the COVID infection figures provided by some officials in Phuket were not adding up, this past week  not once, but twice  they have had that evidence served to them on a plate.

Sunday 26 September 2021, 09:00AM

Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew (right) has the latest statistics explained to him at the Aunjai Clinic in Phuket Town on Friday (Sept 24). Photo: Radio Thailand Phuket

Plenty of suspicions about the veracity of the figures published each day in the daily COVID situation report for Phuket have been abound for a long time, yet this past week those suspicions were confirmed by none other than the official reports themselves.

The daily COVID situation report for last Sunday marked four deaths attributed to COVID-19. However, as marked by the notice announcing the details of those four deaths, three of the four cases were assigned a Case Number that was issued only in the preceding 24 hours  the same 24-hour period that the death was recognised.

On that information alone, officials may claim that they had no idea that these three were infected with COVID-19 until their bodies were brought to a hospital. But as the case of the 24-year-old from Phuket Prison dying after contracting COVID-19 highlights, at the time of his death he was already under care at Thalang Hospital after being diagnosed as COVID positive during testing at the prison on Sept 4  some two weeks earlier.

The only other two explanations Phuket officials could offer are: 1) the victims died instantly from COVID-19, not exactly a plausible explanation considering the worldwide scientific data available; or 2) they could admit that the case numbers and number of people confirmed as infected in the daily report each day include cases that health officials already knew about long before and for whatever reason decided to not add them in the daily total at the time.

Of note, the death of the 24-year-old inmate was one of the three deaths reported by officials last Sunday. Oddly, and make of this what you will, the case numbers for the deaths for the next day, Monday, were dropped from the notice posted the next day. By coincidence, publicly posting the death details notice on Monday, when the case numbers were not included, took officials an extra 12 hours.

Yet, the case numbers returned to the death details notice posted on Tuesday, when normal service resumed  except for one of the five deaths recognised in a report yesterday.

That was not the only evidence gifted to reality-based sceptics this week. The progress report by health officials of the nine Phuket Comprehensive COVID-19 Response teams (Phuket CCR) deployed to test people in communities across the island also exposed further oddities in the daily report.

The teams tested 1,581 people on Tuesday (Sept 21) by using antigen test kits (ATKs), with 97 returning positive results. The teams tested a further 2,593 people on Wednesday (Sept 22), with 115 returning positive results.

However, the daily report for Tuesday (Sept 21) marked only 93 cases confirmed positive by ATK, a large spike compared with the usual numbers, indicating that the CCR teams efforts had been included, but only a further 35 cases were confirmed as ATK positive in the daily situation report on Wednesday (Sept 22).

Even allowing 24 hours for the CCR team reports to come in, the daily reports over the three days marked 214 cases confirmed by ATKs, compared with the 212 confirmed by the CCR teams themselves.

That allows for only two more people to be confirmed positive by ATK over three entire days. The only way that is possible is that if the checkpoint onto the island and every other official are no longer testing for COVID while the CCR teams are conducting their tests. It also discounts any people testing positive by ATK at home and contacting the much-trumpeted Aunjai Clinic (Peace of Mind Clinic) set up at the conference hall of the still-incomplete new Provincial Hall on the south side of Phuket Town, at a cost of at least B1.2 million.

The numbers just arent adding up, and yet it is not surprising anyone. All this harks back to Patient 26 last year, for those Phuket readers who remember.

Patient 26 was a Chinese national confirmed as infected with COVID-19 in Phuket in February last year, at a time when no officials would publicly confirm that the virus was on the island.

Deputy Director-General of the national Department of Disease Control (DDC) Dr Kajohnsak Kaewjarus flew to Phuket from Bangkok expressly to face the press, but only refused to confirm or deny whether the Chinese tourist had been confirmed as infected with COVID.

Dr Kajohnsak claimed he had inspected and checked the report issued by the DDC marking the COVID infection, but dismissed it as an internal report that was not for public release.

In short, what health officials know that may directly affect public health  and an individuals safety  is for them to decide. They will tell us what we are worthy of knowing.

With that understanding of public policy of hiding vital information about the pandemic in Thailand, and specifically in Phuket, officials might as well learn one more thing: If youre going to lets not say lie, lets just say manage statistics being reported, you have to manage all of them. Otherwise it just looks stupid.
Stolen 72-year-old jumbo found at Phuket elephant camp finally goes home

BANGKOK: Stolen 18 years ago and found working at an elephant camp in Phuket, the 72-year-old elephant Pang Yo was reunited with her overjoyed owner in their native Surin province on Saturday (Sept 25).

animalstourismcrime

By Bangkok Post

Sunday 26 September 2021, 11:00AM

Pang Yo was kept at the Amazing Bukit Safari Camp in Chalong while the custody battle played out. Photo: The Phuket News / file

Pang Yo was kept at the Amazing Bukit Safari Camp in Chalong while the custody battle played out. Photo: The Phuket News / file

Pang Yo was kept at the Amazing Bukit Safari Camp in Chalong while the custody battle played out. Photo: The Phuket News / file

Pang Yo was kept at the Amazing Bukit Safari Camp in Chalong while the custody battle played out. Photo: The Phuket News / file

Pang Yo was stolen from Chob Riang-ngern on Jan 25, 2003 and subsequently sold to an elephant camp in Phuket for B1.4 million.

Mr Chob gathered documents to prove his ownership of the elephant and showed them to the kraal owner in Phuket who refused to return the pachyderm, reports the Bangkok Post.

Ownership of Pang Yo led to an arduous court battle that finally ended on Wednesday when the Supreme Court ordered the elephant be returned to its rightful owner.

After a 25-hour journey by road, Pang Yo arrived back in Surin to a joyful reunion with Mr Chob, who said the elephant will not be used as a beast of burden.

Shes old now. She needs to take it easy, he said, his eyes brimming with tears of joy.

Pang Yo has been moved to an elephant study centre on the Surin campus of Rajamangala University of Technology. It will be her permanent home where she will be a living example for the study of elephants.

We may have grown apart just a bit but its well worth the 18 years of waiting. No one will ride her and she wont be put to work, Mr Chob said.

While the custody battle was fought in court, Pang Yo was kept at the Amazing Bukit Safari Camp in Chalong, where before the COVID pandemic she worked providing tourist rides.

The elephant was at the camp when Somsak Reangngern from Surin province filed his claim of ownership, in March 2017, claiming that the elephant was stolen, somehow arrived in Krabi, and sold from there. (See story here.)

The camp has always maintained that the elephant is called Nampetch and presented registration documents of their own to prove ownership.

Col Thada also confirmed that the criminal court is still hearing the charge of presenting false documents in order to claim ownership of the elephant.

At last report in 2018, Lt Col Thada Sodarak of the Chalong Police confirmed that the criminal court is still hearing the charge of presenting false documents in order to claim ownership of the elephant.

My job is working on a criminal charge of making fake documents, as filed by the owner of Namphet, Mr Pichai Pausuphachareu, he said.

See also:

Phuket elephant fight turns into paperchase (Mar 29, 2017)

Hey, thats my elephant in Phuket; says Krabi mahout (Mar 24, 2017)
Southern Pines, NC (28387)

Today

Cloudy in the morning, then thunderstorms developing later in the day. High 78F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Showers and thundershowers during the evening will give way to steady rain overnight. Low around 65F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%.
Demonstration against government health measures on May 1st outside of the Olympic Stadium in Montreal. The vaccine clinic needed to close for the day as demonstrators flooded the area making it impossible for the clinic to operate for the day.
ALTON  Two people were injured in separate gunshot incidents Saturday night in Alton.

Just after 10:30 p.m., Saturday, Alton Police  while in the general proximity of downtown Alton  began receiving reports of shots fired in front of a business in the 200 block of West 3rd Street, according to Alton Police Chief Marcos Pulido.

Officers arrived at the scene and learned that a gunshot victim had just been transported by a person to an Alton area hospital. The gunshot victim was later transported to a St. Louis area hospital.

Pulido said the victim appeared to have suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

Preliminary investigation has revealed that this was not a random act of violence. and the subjects involved were generally familiar with each other, he said.

At about the same time, Alton Police  with the assistance of surrounding area police departments  also responded to the area of Ridge Street and East 7th Street in reference to a shooting.

At that location, a person in a vehicle also sustained a non-life-threatening gunshot wound.

Police have not released the names of the victims and, as of Sunday afternoon, no arrests had been made in connection to the two shootings. Pulido said both cases are being investigated separately by the Alton Police Criminal Investigations Division.

When violent crime happens anywhere in Alton, we will use all of our available resources to investigate, he said. Even if victims and witnesses do not want to cooperate, we will still thoroughly investigate because violent crime negatively affects our community.

We have exceptional officers and a Criminal Investigations Division who will ensure a thorough investigation is conducted, he said, The Alton Police Department also has a fantastic relationship with the Madison County States Attorneys Office, and we will definitely encourage that all defendants receive a strong sentence allowed by law.
MEG BEAL, Westerly volleyball, senior: Beal had 13 aces and 28 assists in three Westerly victories. Beal also contributed 15 digs for the Bulldogs.

ZOOT BOSCHWITZ, Chariho football, senior: Boschwitz completed 14 of 16 passes for 176 yards in the Chargers 42-6 win over Central Falls/Blacksone Valley Prep. Boschwitz threw three touchdown passes.

MADDIE PERKINS, Wheeler girls soccer, senior: Perkins scored two goals and assisted on another in the Lions 3-0 victory against Tourtellotte.

WILL SAWIN, Stonington boys soccer, senior: Sawin, a senior, scored four goals and assisted on three others in a pair of Stonington victories. For the season, Sawin has 11 goals and 10 assists for the Bears.

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Tens of thousands of people are having companies set up in their name by fraudsters who then use the details to take out loans or swindle consumers.

Victims forever live in fear of debt collectors and the police linking them to dodgy companies and loans.

This growing type of fraud, part of a wider criminal epidemic sweeping the country, is being met with no resistance from Companies House, the country's official register of more than four million limited companies.

Despite promises by the Government to beef up its powers, Companies House is powerless to check the veracity of information supplied by anyone forming a new company.

Increase: Tens of thousands of people are having companies set up in their name by fraudsters who then use the details to take out loans or swindle consumers

The result, one expert told The Mail on Sunday, is a fraudster's paradise.

Fraud is now reaching shocking levels in the UK. The amount stolen through such scams surged by 30 per cent in the first half of this year to 754million.

For months, the MoS has campaigned for urgent action to 'Nail the Scammers', including co-ordinated action by the police, Government and banks to tackle the crimewave head on.

Identity fraud  the type being perpetrated by those setting up companies in the name of innocent consumers  has surged.

Recorded cases are up a quarter in the first half of this year. Experts believe this is in part due to fraudsters finding ways to get their hands on financial assistance offered to legitimate struggling businesses during the pandemic.

One victim is Michael Waller, 77, a director of a specialist print company in Kent.

'I was shocked to receive a letter from Companies House in May congratulating me on becoming the director of newly-formed business Capital Financing Ltd,' he says. 'It said that as director, I was legally responsible for running it.'

Michael had never heard of Capital Financing, does not know what it does (if anything), or who is behind it, and now faces a battle to get his details removed. So far, Michael is not aware of any loans taken out in his name. But he fears it is only a matter of time.

How can this happen?

Facilitating this increase in identity fraud is the ease with which anyone can set up a company in the UK.

Someone is able to register a business at Companies House in minutes for just 12  without having to provide proof of identification. There is also little to stop fraudsters inputting any information they like  for example, details about the alleged directors of the business and their addresses.

The register is littered with false and fraudulent information. A quick search reveals that registered company directors include Adolf Tooth Fairy Hitler and Stalin Stalin. Companies House simply registers whatever information is provided  it has no legal power to check or question it.

In fact, Martin Swain, director of strategy, policy and external communications at Companies House, recently admitted: 'Even though, sometimes, we know that the information is incorrect or potentially fraudulent, the registrar is legally required to register it.'

After Michael Waller was fraudulently registered as a company director, he decided to set up a company himself to see how easy it was to do.

He was not asked for identification and with help from his computer-savvy grandson, the firm, called Fraud Prevent Limited, was registered in 29 minutes.

Tony Hetherington, The Mail on Sunday's consumer champion, says: 'The flaw with Companies House is that it is no more than a library. It relies on everyone being honest, which is not the case.'

Informing Companies House that information about a registered company is incorrect is a waste of time, he says.

Once information is accepted by Companies House, it gains an air of legitimacy.

Banks, for example, will often use it to help them verify details about a company, its accounts and directors.

Helena Wood is an associate fellow at the Centre for Financial Crime and Security Studies at the Royal United Services Institute in London. She says: 'The Companies House register is not fit for purpose and we need action to fix it.

'There has been a lot of heel-dragging from the Government which has left victims exposed to identity fraud. It has compromised the UK's reputation as a place to do business.'

There is a plan to beef up the powers of Companies House. Wood says details must be included in the Queen's Speech next year.

She adds: 'Either the Government doesn't understand that poor Companies House oversight is fuelling a fraud issue, or it does understand, but is willing to prioritise the ease of doing business in the UK.'

Wood believes more people will discover they have companies fraudulently registered in their name in the coming months.

'It is likely companies were set up in other people's names to fraudulently claim billions of pounds of bounce back loans and other financial support during the pandemic,' she says. 'It would not have been as easy to abuse the system if Companies House could have carried out proper checks.'

Lenders do not normally rely on Companies House data to award a loan. But during the pandemic, when it was vital to provide a cash lifeline to struggling businesses, standards dropped. Loan fraud will cost taxpayers tens of billions of pounds, the Public Accounts Committee of MPs has warned.

How fraudsters operate their scams

Once a fraudster has set up a company in someone else's name, a wealth of opportunity for criminal activity suddenly opens up.

They may use the new company to apply for loans or bursaries they have no intention of repaying.

The fraudsters remain anonymous, so they will not be on the hook for the loans.

Thankfully, victims will not be asked to pay the loans back once they show that their information was fraudulently used without their knowledge.

But if someone appears to be associated with a bogus company, it can compromise the reputation of any genuine business of which they are a director.

WE NEED ACTION TO STOP SCAMS NOW If Companies House verified the information it received from those wishing to set up a business, it would go a long way to cracking down on fraud. Readers' Champion Tony Hetherington believes that anyone who registers a company should be required to provide their National Insurance number. Companies House could then use this to check with Revenue & Customs that they are who they say they are. 'It would also stop fraudsters registering company directors who are dead or emigrated years ago, as happens today,' he says. James Jones, at credit reference agency Experian, says anyone worried that their personal information may have been used to commit a fraud can contact fraud prevention service Cifas to ask for a warning flag to be added to their credit file  held by the main credit reference agencies. He adds: 'A warning flag can delay a genuine application for credit, but it may be worthwhile if it prevents someone fraudulently taking out a loan in your name.' Companies House offers a free service, PROOF, that allows directors to protect their firm from unauthorised changes to its records.

Victims also face a struggle to have fraudulent details removed from the register. In some instances, Companies House will delete information, although it takes weeks. Some fraudulent information can only be removed with a court order.

Amber Burridge is head of financial intelligence at fraud prevention service Cifas. She warns there is a second sinister reason why fraudsters may set up companies in someone else's name.

She says: 'Criminals may use the listing of a company at Companies House to add an air of legitimacy to a fraud campaign they are running.

'Many consumers trust organisations which are listed. So, by registering a business, criminals can often defraud more individuals.'

At most risk are genuine company directors, of whom Michael Waller is one.

They are targeted because they often have good credit records  so a loan applied for in their name has a high chance of approval.

Company directors also have their personal details  full name, address, month and year of their birth  listed at Companies House. These are freely available for anyone to see and use.

Almost one in five victims of impersonation fraud are company directors, according to research by fraud prevention service Cifas.

Helen Shorthouse, 59, from London, is a director of several legitimate property companies. She recently discovered she had been fraudulently named the director of a new company, Helen ST Ltd.

She's now very worried that a loan will be taken out in her name  or that the police will knock on her door because she is the director of a fraudulent company.

'It has been upsetting,' she says. 'I contacted Companies House, but it would not take responsibility. It directed me to Action Fraud, but it was uninterested because no crime had yet been committed.'
We have to create a more robust economy. In the past few days, we have had more small energy companies go bust, a huge surge in gas prices, warnings of a rise in food prices at Christmas from Tesco, BP petrol stations running out of fuel and warnings of food shortages.

We have also had fears there won't be enough fireworks for bonfire night or enough Christmas trees and, to cap it all, two crumpet factories having to shut down because of the shortage of CO2.

This is ridiculous. It is all very well to talk of our electricity industry being hit by several problems at the same time: the rise in global gas prices, a fire that has put one of the connecting cables with France out of action, too little wind, nuclear plants undergoing maintenance and so on.

Rethink: If the shelves really are empty over Christmas, Government will get the blame

However, that begs a string of questions, such as why have we not built more gas storage? Is it really a good idea to import so much power from France? Why are delivery drivers not paid more? And, so on. Besides, we all know that the wind sometimes does not blow.

It was all very well to try to introduce more competition into the gas and electricity industries but the way it has been done is to allow lots of tiny enterprises, often with inadequate financial backing, to offer cut-price deals to gullible customers, only to go under when things turn tough.

And it is all very well to blame the shortage of HGV drivers on supply problems, but this is a longstanding problem as not enough young people have been taking up licences. Maybe they should be paid more.

This is not just a matter for Britain. All around the world there are supply-chain issues. German car plants have had to cut production because of shortages of computer chips.

Bank of America has just warned about the problems in the US, saying that 'Christmas for retail will very much be about empty shelves'.

One of the reasons why Russia is restricting its gas exports to Europe is that it has to rebuild domestic stocks first, as they have been run right down.

So what's to be done?

Companies all over the world have spent 30 years and more focusing on squeezing down costs rather than building security of supply.

So small local plants have been shut in favour of some giant factory on the far side of the world. Warehouses have switched to just-in-time operations, and stocks have been minimised.

The UK has been particularly hard hit, with the relentless rundown of manufacturing for a generation, but we did not realise how fragile things were until the pandemic struck.

Now the mood has changed. There are three main ways in which companies are trying to reorganise themselves. One is to buy locally.

Of course, there are some products we will always have to import. You can grow pineapples in a heated greenhouse in UK, but it makes more sense to import them from somewhere warmer.

But there are lots of products that are made here and one of the side-effects of Brexit disruption has been to encourage local suppliers.

A second way of tackling one aspect of the problem, labour shortages, is to invest in more automation, something made easier by 5G telecom networks.

A third is for companies with any spare logistical capacity to sell that to other enterprises, making the whole distribution system more efficient.

All this will take time and cost money. Greening the economy is admirable, but that takes time and costs money too.

A whole generation of managers who have spent their careers trying to screw down costs have to learn the new trick of creating a more robust, and more local, network of suppliers.

There will be winners, including firms that manage their logistics skilfully, and specialist suppliers of top-end products. And there will be losers, companies that can't cope. It won't just be the third-rate energy companies that go under.

The really big message here for businesses is that globalisation, the dominant force driving the world economy, is changing direction. Things had started to go more local before the pandemic struck, but now the shift has massively speeded up.

The big message for governments is that they need to think about the consequences of every bit of legislation they bring in: does this make our economy more robust or less so? If the shelves really are empty over Christmas, they will get the blame too.
Tony Hetherington is Financial Mail on Sunday's ace investigator, fighting readers corners, revealing the truth that lies behind closed doors and winning victories for those who have been left out-of-pocket. Find out how to contact him below.

M. M. writes: You reported in January on the mystery of where investors' money had gone after it was put into bonds issued by Global Water Group.

On paper, the firm looked safe and promising, but it went into liquidation and the liquidators have not been able to trace its assets.

Have there been any developments?

Convincing: Ross Perry ran Global Water, which lured investors in with carefully prepared adverts

Tony Hetherington replies: Global Water Group, based in Cambridge, has graduated from a mystery to a scam.

Questions that were unanswered in January have gradually produced answers that show the whole business was based on lies and false claims.

It did indeed look good on paper, describing itself as a powerful network that included governments, academic institutions and pension funds.

It is now clear there never was any such network. And it marketed interest-bearing bonds with the promise that investors' funds would be used to develop water technology. Instead, the money disappeared.

The company only ever had two bosses. The first was Michael Livesey from Basildon in Essex.

In October 2019 he handed over to Ross Perry, also from Basildon. And in May last year, Perry put the company into liquidation.

There was no surprise in seeing a company linked to Perry going bust. He was a director of a scam carbon credit investment firm called London Green Financial, which collapsed in 2013.

Before that, he was linked to Elite Asset Exchange, which marketed storage units as investments. It went bust in 2015.

However, Global Water Group did get as far as filing accounts at Companies House. These showed the firm had paid 500,000 for an option to purchase land.

There was nothing to say who had been paid this, or where the land was located, and it is now clear that the accounts  signed by Livesey  were false.

The land deal was fictitious, designed to make the company look solid when in fact it was paper thin.

The fake balance sheet and the false promises were simply bait to attract investors, who poured hundreds of thousands of pounds into the business.

According to liquidator Carter Clark, the company has debts of 888,000, but only 85,621 was found in its bank accounts. It has instructed solicitors to see if they can recover any more money.

So where did investors' cash end up? At least part of the answer is that 350,000 went to Perry who gambled with it and lost  allegedly  though I know that some investors suspect a large slice of their money has been salted away somewhere.

The liquidator has handed its findings to Essex Police and assured me that they will co-operate with enquiries.

It added: 'The issue of criminal proceedings is now one entirely for the police and a matter which is outside the control of the liquidator.'

Officers at Essex Police themselves confirmed: 'We are investigating a suspected fraud and money laundering allegation in relation to the conduct of a business trading as Global Water Group Limited.'

Anyone with information or evidence can contact me at The Mail on Sunday and I will pass it on to the investigation team.

The police are not alone in taking a close look at this. The Insolvency Service has just slapped a ban on Michael Livesey from acting as the director of any company.

The ban began on Tuesday and is in place for the next 11 years. Investigators found that while Livesey was in charge, investors pumped 640,275 into his business, of which 444,648 was withdrawn with no proper explanation.

Perry and Livesey were both invited to comment, but said nothing and offered no answers.

Short-changed: A. T. accepted Travelodge's suggestion of a credit voucher instead of a cash refund.

Travelodge won't take vouchers it refunded

A. T. writes: When cancelling a booking with Travelodge at Helensburgh, I accepted its suggestion of a credit voucher instead of a cash refund.

But when I made a new booking, and then a further one, I was told the credit voucher could only be used once, and anything not spent on my first new booking was forfeited.

Tony Hetherington replies: Lockdowns and travel restrictions have brought a surge in complaints from customers whose plans had to be put on hold.

Your Helensburgh booking cost 234, which you could have reclaimed in cash, but Travelodge offered a voucher for 293, which you accepted.

You told me that what Travelodge did not point out was that its terms and conditions say the voucher has to be spent all at once.

You found this out the hard way, when you booked a trip to Harrogate costing 129, and were then told that even though you had originally paid 234 to Travelodge, the Harrogate visit was all you would get.

Travelodge insists that its voucher terms are clear, but it has told me that as a gesture of goodwill it has refunded 105, the difference between the 234 you paid for the cancelled Helensburgh trip and the 129 you actually spent on the later Harrogate booking.

If you believe you are the victim of financial wrongdoing, write to Tony Hetherington at Financial Mail, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TS or email tony.hetherington@mailonsunday.co.uk. Because of the high volume of enquiries, personal replies cannot be given. Please send only copies of original documents, which we regret cannot be returned.
Sandy Chadha did not do well at school. Subjected to bullying and stymied by dyslexia, he left with no qualifications and joined his father's firm, Supreme, selling radios and watches in Manchester.

That was just over 30 years ago  and the business was struggling. Today, Supreme turns over more than 120million a year, it is valued at 220million and Chadha is determined to turn it into a 1billion business, following a listing on the London Stock Exchange's junior AIM market in February.

The shares are 1.87 and should increase substantially in price as Chadha strives to achieve his ambition.

Spending a fortune: Supreme's latest, and perhaps most ambitious, venture is a foray into the world of vitamins and wellness

Chadha's big break came in the early 1990s when he started selling batteries.

Whereas watches and radios were only stocked by certain retailers, batteries could be found in shops large and small, from corner stores to major DIY groups.

Chadha sold his wares to as many as he could and Supreme prospered.

The group then moved into licensing, signing contracts with the likes of Philips and JCB so batteries could be sold under these well-known firms' names. The deals, which persist to this day, give consumers the comfort of buying branded goods at a cut-price rate.

The idea worked so well that Chadha moved into lightbulb licensing, with firms such as Eveready and Energizer.

Today, Supreme sells more than 1,000 products under licence to thousands of stores, including discounters such as B&M and Home Bargains, as well as supermarkets such as Tesco, Morrisons and Asda.

Some business owners would have been happy to stop there. But Chadha is a born entrepreneur and, in 2014, he came upon vaping, at that time still in its infancy.

Calculating that this was another area where he could make a mark, Chadha decided to create Supreme's own brand, 88vape.

The group is now a leader in the field, with 30 per cent of the market and growth of more than 10 per cent per year.

From its headquarters in Trafford Park, Manchester, Supreme churns out about 300,000 bottles of vaping liquid a day, helping millions of smokers quit the habit.

Supreme even counts the Prison and Probation Service as one of its leading customers. After a ban on smoking in jail sparked riots among nicotine-addicted convicts, the service agreed to allow e-cigarettes.

Star supporter: Davina McCall promotes Supreme's vitamins

With almost 100,000 inmates across the UK, at least 80 per cent of whom would count themselves as smokers, demand for vaping products is huge and prisoners' brand of choice is 88vape.

Supreme's latest, and perhaps most ambitious, venture is a foray into the world of vitamins and wellness.

British consumers were spending a fortune on vitamins and supplements even before the pandemic. Now they are buying even more, with sales of almost 1billion expected this year.

Most of these pills and potions are vastly overpriced, so Chadha felt that the market was ripe for revolution.

Having set up an online business for 88vape, he has done the same with vitamins, offering a year's supply of popular vitamins in plastic-free pouches for just 5.

The company has created its own wellness brand, Sealions, and sales are growing at more than 30 per cent a year.

Protein shakes and bars are on the agenda too and Chadha confidently expects to create a thriving online health shop in the next couple of years.

At the same time, the company is launching a vitamin range for its retail customers.

Known as Millions & Millions and fronted by TV personality Davina McCall, the brand is already on offer at discount stores and should be rolled out more widely later this year.

To some observers, Supreme may seem to be moving too fast and in too many directions. But the group's results are strong and brokers are optimistic about the future.

Turnover in the year to the end of March 2021 rose 33 per cent to 122million and the group is forecast to generate sales of 128million in this financial year, rising to 137million in 2022-3.

Pre-tax profit fell slightly year on year to 13million, largely on the back of costs related to the listing on AIM in February, but the figures are expected to bounce back strongly.

Supreme also intends to pay a dividend in this financial year and brokers have pencilled in 6.6p, rising to 7.6p the year after.

Midas verdict: Supreme has grown steadily for three decades, never making a loss and borrowing almost nothing from the bank. But the best is yet to come.

Chadha, who is in his early 50s, is a man of formidable energy and drive, his team is well chosen and the listing on AIM gives the business further impetus. At 1.87, the shares are a buy.

Traded on: AIM Ticker: SUP Contact: supreme.co.uk or 0161 872 5151
Cash grab: The hike in dividend taxes will eat into the income of many households who rely upon divis to supplement their finances

Shareholder dividends from UK listed companies are in bounce-back mode after the ending of lockdown restrictions and a recovery in the economy.

But the prospect of an improved income from shares in the coming months and years has been dampened somewhat by the Government's latest tax assault on dividend income.

Announced this month as part of measures to boost the National Health Service, the hike in dividend taxes will eat into the income of many households who rely upon regular divis to supplement their finances.

It comes into force at the start of the new tax year in April.

Moira O'Neill, head of personal finance at wealth manager Interactive Investor, describes the Government grab as 'a tax on the time poor and on the bereaved widow left with a pile of share certificates to sort through'.

She says it will be the over55s  the biggest holders of dividend-friendly companies such as AstraZeneca, BP and GlaxoSmith -Kline  who will take the biggest hit.

Analysis of the impact of these changes has been conducted for Wealth by wealth manager AJ Bell.

Not only has it looked at the negative impact of the higher tax rates that kick in from April 6 next year, but it has also quantified the cumulative cost of tax changes to dividends  and a reduction in the annual tax-free dividend allowance  since the tax year starting April 2016.

It does not make for pleasant reading. Once the latest changes kick in from April next year, the tax plundered from dividend income will have increased in some cases by more than 80 per cent, with basic rate taxpayers taking the biggest hit.

For the tax year starting April 2016, investors enjoyed an annual dividend tax free allowance of 5,000.

This meant that all dividend payments below this amount were protected from further tax  and even then sums above it could still be tax-free if an investor had any remaining personal allowance available (the amount of income a person is allowed to receive without paying tax on it).

On dividends above 5,000  and assuming no available personal allowance  the tax rate varied according to whether an investor was a basic, higher or additional rate taxpayer. The rates were 7.5 per cent, 32.5 per cent and 38.1 per cent respectively.

In April 2019, the tax rates stayed the same, but the annual dividend allowance was squeezed to 2,000.

From April next year, the allowance stays the same, but the tax rates jump to 8.75 per cent, 33.75 per cent and 39.35 per cent respectively.

AJ Bell has calculated (see table) that a basic rate taxpayer with 10,000 annual dividend income will have had to pay 375 of tax on this sum in the tax year starting April 2016, jumping to 600 in April 2019.

In the next tax year, the tax bill will rise again to 700  an increase since the 2016 tax year of 87 per cent. For higher and additional rate taxpayers, the respective increases are 66 and 65 per cent.

Laura Suter, AJ Bell's head of personal finance, says many investors are now facing a 'double tax squeeze' on their dividend income.

It's a tax hit that Tom O'Brien, financial planner at wealth manager Brewin Dolphin, says investors should not underestimate.

'Commonly, the change has been announced as a 1.25 per cent increase, but in reality it is a tax increase of 16.67 per cent.'

Jason Hollands, of wealth manager Tilney Smith & Williamson, is 'disappointed' to see taxes on dividends rising.

'We need to encourage long-term investing in the UK if we want a dynamic economy to flourish,' he says.

Yet, he says many investors can avoid these higher taxes by transfering shares or funds into wrappers such as Isas and pensions  where dividend taxes do not apply.

This process is called 'bed and Isa' or 'bed and pension', but there are costs involved and capital gains tax may be payable.

Married couples and civil partners can also switch shares and funds between each other so as to take advantage of two sets of dividend allowances.

These are called 'interspousal transfers'  and can be easily arranged by a wealth manager or broker.
China's state-owned energy firm is set to be booted out of Britain's 20billion Sizewell C nuclear power project 'within weeks', insiders say.

Senior industry sources told The Mail on Sunday that Ministers are poised to formally bar any further Chinese involvement in the plant in Suffolk over security concerns.

Losing the investment pledged by China's General Nuclear Power Group (CGN) would create a multi-billion pound funding hole for Sizewell C, which is 80 per cent owned by France's EDF.

Change of plan: Losing the investment pledged by China's General Nuclear Power Group would create a multi-billion pound funding hole for Sizewell C

It is understood the Treasury is examining plans for pension funds to plug the gap. The attraction for asset managers would be steady long-term returns once Sizewell C starts producing electricity.

The decision comes with Britain in an energy crisis caused by soaring gas prices. Energy experts say the chaos has been caused, in part, by unusually light winds and underlines why the UK must build nuclear plants to provide a reliable source of clean energy.

The future of China's involvement in the Sizewell C plant has been in doubt for some time. This month's Aukus security pact between Australia, the UK and US  aimed at countering China  is understood to have inflamed tensions further.

Relations between Britain and China have soured since 2015, when Beijing committed to funding Sizewell and a proposed plant at Bradwell-on-Sea in Essex.

Security concerns led to a ban on Chinese telecoms firm Huawei, which was followed by the approval of the National Infrastructure and Investment Bill, which aims to scrutinise foreign investment in the UK, notably from China.

Officials are understood to be keen to publish a decision on the future of Sizewell C ahead of next month's Spending Review and the UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow in November.

Ministers are believed to have become concerned about China's CGN running its own designed reactor in the UK.

A senior industry source said: 'The Chinese will not be involved at Sizewell. This is part of a long journey and is politically much bigger than just one plant. Sizewell could prove to be the straw that broke the camel's back in a trade war which started with Huawei.

'There is also a question whether China actually want to be involved in this project any more.

'No one in the CGN management team that was there at the time of the deal being struck is still there  and many believe the UK market is not attractive for the Chinese.' It is understood that ratings agency Moody's claimed that pulling out of the UK could be 'positive' for CGN's credit rating.

Exactly how CGN will be frozen out of Sizewell is unclear. CGN has a 20 per cent stake in development of the project and an option to remain once it is built. CGN is also involved in Bradwell where progress is understood to have stalled.

CGN's involvement in the EDF-led Hinkley Point has complicated the Government's decision with over half CGN's likely 8billion total spend on the 22billion project already invested. It is due to be completed in 2026.

Sizewell C could generate 3.2 gigawatts of electricity, and provide 7 per cent of the UK's needs. It is designed to be a copy of Hinkley Point C, reducing design costs.

Treasury officials have studied several options to replace China's funds in Sizewell C. Sources said the favoured option is a regulated asset base (RAB) model, which has been used in other big infrastructure projects such as the Thames Tideway and requires legislation.

RAB guarantees backers an early return through milestone payments before a plant is operational, reducing the risk. But critics claim the risks of rising costs and delays are moved to the taxpayer.

City sources said pension funds and sovereign wealth funds are keen to invest in nuclear to hit environmental, social and governance (ESG) quotas, but debate is raging over whether the energy source will be classed as green. Nuclear's detractors say it creates hazardous waste and carries safety concerns.

Mike Clancy, leader of the Prospect union, which has 12,000 members in the industry, said: 'If any investor is going to be ruled out for geopolitical concerns, it's even more important the RAB is delivered so investors have a clear basis on which they can invest.'

Last week, it emerged that Ministers are in talks with the US nuclear reactor manufacturer Westinghouse over a proposal to build a new plant in Anglesey, North Wales. Separate proposals have been mooted for a series of small modular reactors (SMRs) to complement larger plants, including a programme led by Rolls-Royce.

The Government has committed to making a final investment decision on at least one large nuclear project during this parliament.

A spokeswoman said: 'CGN is currently a shareholder in Sizewell C up until the point of the Government's final investment decision. Negotiations are ongoing and no final decision has been taken.'
The US corporation behind fertiliser giant CF Industries handed shareholders almost 50million just weeks before it accepted a British taxpayer-funded subsidy worth 'tens of millions' of pounds, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

UK Ministers stepped in after the firm stopped making industrial carbon dioxide (CO2) following a sudden rise in the price of natural gas.

The firm produces around 60 per cent of UK's industrial CO2as a byproduct of fertiliser manufacture. The gas is used primarily by the food sector, where it is injected into the packaging of perishable foods, such as meat and salad, to inhibit bacterial growth.

Bailout: UK Ministers stepped in after CF Industries stopped making industrial carbon dioxide following a sudden rise in the price of natural gas

The Government said on Tuesday that the agreement would 'ensure the continued supply of CO2', which it described as 'an essential component of the national economy'.

The deal, details of which have been kept secret, was hailed as an 'exceptional, short-term agreement' with the US firm to cover a three-week period that would see taxpayers' cash used to provide 'limited financial support'.

George Eustice, the Environment Secretary, admitted the cost was likely to rise to many millions and 'possibly tens of millions'.

However, documents seen by The Mail on Sunday show that just a month before the deal was brokered, CF Industries said it would make a $65million (47.4million) payment to its investors  who include chief executive Tony Will, who owns 488,789 shares.

A further payment is due to be made to shareholders in the next two months.

The company, which is listed in the US and is worth $12billion, was approached by phone and by email on the matter.

But it did not respond to questions on whether it thought accepting UK taxpayer money was appropriate in light of the shareholder handouts or whether the UK contribution would be paid back.

It closed production at its Cheshire and Teesside plants after a rise in gas prices made fertiliser production uneconomical. The crunch in CO2 production prompted fears that products from food suppliers already facing shortages may disappear from shelves altogether.

The firm  which employs 20 per cent of its staff in the UK  will restart production at its Billingham complex in Teesside, where it has a dedicated CO2 plant, until alternative supplies can be found.

A food industry commentator said last week that it 'can't be right that a company whose products are so critical to the food and drink supply chain can be allowed to close without adequate warning'.

But Will told the Financial Times he had been 'completely unaware' how critical the firm's CO2 production was to the UK food industry.
Gatwick is set to become the centre of a fierce battle between airlines as British Airways axes short-haul flights from the airport.

BA had planned to launch a new short-haul airline based at Gatwick from next summer to allow it to compete with easyJet and Wizz Air in the European holiday market.

But BA pulled the plug on the proposed airline days after The Mail on Sunday last weekend revealed a stand-off with trade unions over pilots' pay.

The surprise move  coming just weeks after BA announced its plans  leaves bosses at Gatwick facing a drop in passenger numbers and revenues just as the airport fights to cut costs to save jobs.

Battle: Wizz Air, easyJet and Jet2 have all said they are keen to take over BA slots at Gatwick

Last night, Gatwick said it would lobby Ministers to scrap a waiver introduced during the pandemic that allows airlines to keep their lucrative take-off and landing slots even if they go unused.

It is understood that Gatwick has had a number of approaches in recent months from airlines keen to take over slots. Wizz Air, easyJet and Jet2 have all said they are keen to expand at Gatwick.

Data from ACL, which controls UK airports' slot allocations, shows that it received slot requests from 17 airlines this summer, including Air China, airBaltic and Icelandair.

Gatwick wants pre-pandemic rules  when airlines had to use their slots for 80 per cent of each flying season or return them to the 'pool' to be redistributed to other carriers  to be reintroduced for the 2022 summer flying season starting in April next year.

The Department for Transport is expected to start consulting on next summer's slot rules in November.

Jonathan Pollard, chief commercial officer at Gatwick, said: 'To ensure a swift conclusion on the use of slots, we call on the Government to remove any form of slot waiver as we move into next year.

'Europe has already removed its waiver and is growing back twice as fast, while the UK lags behind.

'While the waiver remains, we will continue to see passenger choice significantly restricted, despite the strong interest expressed by numerous airlines who are keen to operate at Gatwick using the slots not being operated by others.'

BA is the second-largest airline at Gatwick after easyJet, operating about 16 per cent of flights. BA has not disclosed how many slots it has, but industry sources said it had about 116 short-haul slots a day in peak summer 2019.

BA could try to lease its slots before April to other airlines, potentially raising millions of pounds, or allocate them to sister airlines in BA's parent IAG, such as Vueling.

Wizz Air, the aggressive Hungarian carrier, has made no bones about its ambitions to expand rapidly at Gatwick, and is understood to remain keen to snap up any slots that become available.

It is thought that Wizz Air would prefer to take over slots free of charge through a reallocation process should BA forfeit them. The nofrills airline, led by Jozsef Varadi, has been a vocal campaigner for scrapping the waiver on slot rules to allow it to do this.

Industry insiders said easyJet, with 40 per cent of Gatwick's slots, would also be 'front of the queue' if BA slots become available.

In a coded statement of intent for its slots, easyJet said this month that part of the funds raised through its 1.2billion rights issue will fund expansion as 'legacy airlines restructure short-haul operations'.

Aviation consultant John Strickland said Gatwick had always been a 'hot and cold' base for BA, which has struggled to make money from the holiday-focused airport.

It expanded in recent years by buying slots after Monarch and Thomas Cook went bust.

Strickland said BA's short-haul presence at Gatwick is important strategically to compete in the large, but pricesensitive leisure market, led by easyJet and a likely significant expansion by Wizz Air, and warned there were likely to be job losses among BA's staff based at Gatwick if it cuts back to a long-haul operation.

BA operated 47 short-haul routes before the pandemic and has so far restarted just a handful of longhaul routes.

Strickland said: 'I am sure that BA management have their eyes on Wizz's likely expansion.

'It has one of the lowest cost bases in Europe, allowing it to compete very effectively by offering very low prices.'

Sean Doyle, BA's chief executive, said this month that BA could sell its short-haul slots at Gatwick if its plans to launch its new BA-branded airline at Gatwick failed to get off the ground.

On Friday, BA confirmed it would ditch the plans after tensions with the pilots' union Balpa escalated.

The two sides had reached agreement on a proposal, which was put to the vote among more than 3,000 BA pilots.

Sources said the deal had been 'finely balanced', but Balpa ended the talks after its pilots refused to vote for changes to pay and conditions.

Industry insiders suggested the two sides could yet reach agreement, meaning BA's short-haul airline at Gatwick could still take off.

'I wouldn't assume it's the end of the story,' one source said. But it is understood BA has told Balpa that it will not come back to the negotiating table. Balpa said it 'remains open to future negotiations'.

Pollard said: 'A wide range of other airlines, including easyJet and Wizz Air, are well positioned to take up the spare short haul capacity as demand picks up over coming months.'

BA said: 'After many years of losing money on European flights from the airport, we were clear that coming out of the pandemic, we needed a plan to make Gatwick profitable and competitive.

'With regret, we will now suspend our short-haul operations at Gatwick, with the exception of a small number of domestic services connecting to our long-haul operation, and will pursue alternative uses for the London Gatwick short-haul slots.'
Barclays-backed green consultancy SaveMoneyCutCarbon is set to raise 'tens of millions' for growth after rising demand for its services.

The firm, which has seen 'significant' investment via Barclays' Sustainable Impact Capital initiative, expects to appoint corporate finance advisers in coming weeks.

Chief executive Mark Sait said it had delivered on more than 1,000 consultancy projects across the UK, advising businesses such as Manchester Airport and hotels, as well as schools and hospitals on saving energy and water.

Going green: The fundraising coincides with the UN Climate Change Conference, known as Cop26, in Glasgow in November

The fundraising coincides with the UN Climate Change Conference, known as Cop26, in Glasgow in November.

Sait said two-thirds of the business is generated from projects each contributing 50,000 to 1million in turnover.

The business has been growing by up to 70 per cent annually, although growth slowed during lockdown, when it was impossible to access sectors such as hospitality.

Sait said: 'We look to educate businesses and staff to change behaviour. We look at quick wins  changing lightbulbs, taps, water flow rates  then bigger things, whether electric vehicles or solar. It depends on your appetite. We show you all the things you can do and what gives the fastest payback.'

It has also started a website for smaller firms, a shop and a club advising households.
Former Tesco boss Sir Dave Lewis is the new chairman of a firm that plans to lay thousands of miles of undersea cable to supply the UK with renewable energy from Africa.

The project aims to supply seven million homes in the UK with 'near constant, low-cost clean energy' via the 3,800km of undersea cable.

Lewis said the audacious plan will link to newly built solar and wind power generators in Morocco and help drive Britain towards its ambitions of 'a reliable, net zero electricity system by 2035'.

New challenge: Sir Dave Lewis Lewis is credited with turning round Tesco after he arrived in 2014 to find a 263m black hole in its accounts

Lewis is credited with turning round Tesco after he arrived in 2014 to find a 263million black hole in its accounts. Since he left last year there has been constant speculation about his next major role.

His new firm, Xlinks, was set up in 2018 by entrepreneur and the firm's chief executive Simon Morrish.

It will manufacture the HVDC (highvoltage direct current) cable for the project in Britain, creating around 1,350 jobs.

It will generate 3.6gigawatts of energy in Morocco spanning 1,500km.

It says the reliability of the Moroccan sun and desert winds will help deliver a smoother supply for the UK, where power from wind and solar can be highly variable.

Lewis said: 'We're heading into an era of unprecedented growth in offshore wind farms around the world.

'Investing in a British-owned and valuable, high growth export industry serving decarbonising economies across the world will create thousands of regional manufacturing jobs and stimulate demand for British made steel and aluminium for decades.'
The week began with an energy crunch, as households woke up to the problems sending gas prices spiralling - and the impact that could have on their bills.

It ended with a needless rush on petrol, as people were told there was no need to panic buy fuel and some promptly panic bought it.

The petrol issue were told is to do with a shortage of HGV drivers to deliver fuel, the gas problem is unfortunately far more complex.

The immediate impact for households is that some are finding their energy supplier has gone bust and they are being transferred elsewhere, others are discovering they cant switch, and many are staring down the barrel of a potential big imminent price cap rise followed by another next spring.

In this podcast episode, This is Moneys energy and consumer correspondent Grace Gausden explains whats happening and Georgie Frost and Simon Lambert discuss the implications with her.

In the second part of the podcast, Tanya Jefferies joins to talk about the National Audit Office report into underpaid womens state pensions, which highlighted her and our columnist Steve Webbs work in exposing the fiasco,

Tanya updates us on their investigations and what may happen next.

And finally, theres a new bank in town: Chase. Well its actually a very old one, because its JP Morgan launching current accounts in the UK under the Chase brand.

Its got 5% interest, with a catch, 1% cashback and some nifty features. Is it worth getting?

Small energy suppliers are collapsing as gas prices soar and they struggle with the price cap
The Government is being urged to act on its promise to safeguard access to cash on the high street as a matter of urgency.

This follows a promise made by Chancellor Rishi Sunak in early 2020 to protect cash usage in the wake of the surge in contactless and mobile payments  and the continued closure of free-to-use cash machines and bank branches.

Since July, the Treasury has been seeking views from the financial services industry on proposals to ensure nationwide access to cash.

Keeping the pound in your pocket: Chancellor Rishi Sunak made a promise in early 2020 to protect cash usage in the wake of the surge in contactless and mobile payments

The plans are mainly built around requiring banks to guarantee consumers and small firms access to banking facilities nearby: whether via a bank branch (possibly shared), ATM, or post office.

The consultation period ended on Thursday, but some fear that unless Ministers legislate now, the UK's cash infrastructure will wither as banks shut ATMs and unprofitable branches  a process already in train as a result of lockdown and the undermining of high streets.

Campaigner Derek French is among those who believe urgent action is required. He fears that any legislation stemming from the Treasury's consultation will not be introduced until 2023, giving the big high street banks sufficient time to 'rationalise' their branch and cash machine networks before restrictions are imposed on them.

French wants any legislation to support the creation of nationwide banking hubs or shared branches.

He says such hubs would meet the cash and banking needs of the 'larger bankless urban communities and their rural hinterlands'.

Two such hubs are being trialled, but French believes the pilot should incorporate at least 20  maybe 50.

Meanwhile, ATM operator Cardtronics is calling on the Government to ensure all retailers accept cash 'so the underbanked are not left behind and to safeguard the public's right to choose how they want to pay'.

Many shops stopped taking cash in the wake of the pandemic and have shown little inclination to change their stance. The Mail on Sunday has long fought to keep cash on the high street.
The announcement of the reopening of flights to the US last week encouraged investors to climb back aboard airline stocks after the latest bout of Covid turbulence for the sector.

Short-haul operator easyJet was among the beneficiaries and hopes of a takeover have also boosted sentiment.

An offer from Hungarian low cost carrier Wizz Air has already been snubbed.

Turbulence: A 1.2billion rights issue to raise cash to pay down debt and make investments, potentially in more aircraft, has shaken some confidence

However, a 1.2billion rights issue to raise cash to pay down debt and make investments, potentially in more aircraft, has shaken some confidence. It also appears to have tempted in a clutch of hedge funds hoping to profit from a fall in the share price.

Short sellers, including AQR Capital, LMR Partners and Gibraltar-based Guevoura, have upped their bets against the airline in recent days.

The company is now the fourth most shorted FTSE stock with 6.2 per cent of the shares out on loan according to ShortTracker. Brace, brace.

Holidaymakers shunning breakfast booze

The taste of a 6am pint in an airport Wetherspoons may be synonymous with holidays for some, but analysts warn not enough are back on the breakfast booze.

Broker Peel Hunt says airline passenger volumes are still at 65 per cent of pre-pandemic levels, weighing on the pub chain's earnings.

This week's results should give an idea whether the dent, and rising costs, are likely to hit profit expectations.

McCabe faces rough ride at AO World AGM

AO World's Shaun McCabe could face a rough run through the spin cycle at the washing machine seller's annual meeting this week.

Shareholder adviser Glass Lewis has urged investors to vote against the reappointment of McCabe to his role as a non-executive director.

McCabe is also on the board of Boohoo  whose governance has been in the spotlight over allegations of slave labour  and is chief finance officer at Trainline, which saw shares punctured by a rail review this year.

Glass Lewis argues McCabe is overstretched and should retain 'some spare capacity in case of a crisis'.

With AO shares down 45 per cent this year after last year's Covid rally, perhaps that time is imminent.

Lord Wolfson set to present Next results

Expect Lord Wolfson to provide a typically grounded view amid the chaos when he presents first-half results for Next this week.

The Tory peer has developed a reputation for calm prognosis, which could prove handy amid freight woes, labour shortages and environmental concerns in the retail trade.

Strong online trading has pushed the fashion flogger's shares to near all-time highs, and investors will be keen to assess the outlook for the dividend.

The City favourite has just paid out 140million to shareholders and a 100million payout is due in January, provided Christmas goes to plan.

Annual profits are expected to hit 750million, so the payouts should keep rolling off the shelves.
Israeli troops killed four Hamas militants in gun battles during raids on Sunday against one of the groups cells in the occupied West Bank, an Israeli military spokesperson said.

An Israeli officer and a soldier were critically wounded in one of the incidents, the spokesperson added.

The shootouts marked the most serious violence between Israel and Hamas since an 11-day Gaza war in May and threatened to raise tensions along the Israeli border with the coastal enclave and in the West Bank.

Israeli officials have long voiced concern that Hamas, which runs the Gaza Strip, intends to gain strength in the West Bank and challenge its rival there, the Western-backed Palestinian Authority (PA), heightening security risks for Israel.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, whose Fatah party lost control of Gaza to Hamas in internal fighting in 2007, accused Israel in a statement of field executions against our people.

Hamas called on Palestinians in the West Bank to escalate resistance against the occupier in all areas after the raids. A Hamas spokesman said the four men belonged to the group, which Israel and the West regard as a terrorist organisation.

An Israeli military spokesperson said troops carried out five raids in the West Bank in order to stop a Hamas terrorist organisation cell from operating and launching attacks.

Three Hamas terrorists were killed in crossfire in the village of Biddu, southeast of Ramallah, the spokesperson said.

During the attempted arrest of a wanted suspect in the village of Burqin, a shootout evolved. One terrorist was killed, the spokesperson said, adding that then Israeli officer and soldier were hurt in that incident.

Four other Palestinians were arrested, the spokesperson said.

The Palestinian health ministry said four Palestinians were killed in the central and northern West Bank. The Palestine Red Crescent ambulance service said four other Palestinians were wounded.

En route to New York, where he addresses the U.N. General Assembly on Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said the Hamas men were about to carry out terrorist attacks.

He said Israeli forces engaged the enemy, and we back them completely.

Israel captured the West Bank and Gaza in a 1967 war. It withdrew troops and settlers from the Gaza Strip in 2005.

The PA, which seeks a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza, exercises limited self-rule in the territory under interim peace deals with Israel.

SOURCE: REUTERS
ALBANY - Larger cargo volumes shipped to the United States are making 2021 the Port of Albanys busiest year since 2018, activity that comes despite a volatile market and record-setting bottleneck stagnation at larger American ports.

Supply chain disruptions that have forced a historic number of cargo ships to become stuck, awaiting entry to the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports, dont appear to be having as severe an impact on the much smaller Albany entryway.

Richard Hendrick, Port of Albany chief executive officer, is happy about the year's performance so far and said it looks like it will have a strong finish, and strong activity for next year.

At this time last year, the port moved about 183,000 tons of cargo. Now, two-thirds into 2021, Hendrick estimates that about 239,000 tons have come through.

Hendrick believes the supply chain disruptions havent hindered the ports operations as much as those in California because of its size. Although the Port of Albany is expanding to take on more, its operations dont scale up to other ports such as those in California and the New York Port Authority.

Steve Rossetti, president of the American Logistics Association, said ports such as those in California are suffering tremendous backlog because of the massive volume, limited capacity and a pretty tight funnel for all of this volume to run through.

As demand skyrocketed and converged for at-home and away-from-home products during different waves of the pandemic, companies became overwhelmed with the need to meet consumers fluctuating desires, according to Rossetti. It produced a disruption in the demand cycle and fostered congestion at large-scale entries.

Yet, ports problems only begin there. Even when companies can get products through, theyre facing trucking issues with a limited supply that can move the goods out of the port, further prolonging the process.

The BBC reported that the New York Port Authority was up against transit complications beyond the port. Amanda Kwan, senior public information officer for the authority, said it was related to moving cargo out of the port via freight rail and trucks because of the high volume.

Kwan also told the Times Union the port authority is working to keep operations fluid even as it has endured 13 consecutive months of record cargo activity driven partly by the COVID-19 pandemic, changing consumer spending habits and trends, and the ongoing economic recovery both regionally and nationally.

Rossetti believes there will be a ripple effect from the backup.

The receiving companies and shipping companies are very creative, so they will gravitate toward the port that can give them the quickest entry, he said, noting its possible theyll divert shipments to smaller ports.

The Port of Albany experienced commodity shifts in the pandemic that made up for materials that lagged. Usually heavy lifting and project cargo  oversized parts for onshore windmills  account for a heavy portion of the ports tonnage, but those supplies transport slowed last year as fewer contracts were arranged.

Molasses and fertilizer, also popular stock, came over in weaker amounts. Last year, the port raked in about 14,000 tons of it through one terminal, up from the 11,026 tons handled in 2018. Hendrick said that starkly changed in 2021 since little to no fertilizer or molasses has been shipped. He believes international firms are finding it more cost-effective to ship their products to different ports farther away and complete the move via trains and trucks.

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Hendrick said lease safeguards obligating companies to pay for the terminals use regardless of the amount of tonnage shipped stabilized the ports revenue against the decline.

Two commodities that lifted the port with high demand were lumber and wood pulp. A company that typically moved its lumber to big box stores through a port in South Philadelphia switched over to moving about 60,000 tons of cargo through Albany for a short time in early 2021, which contributed to the local boost.

Approximately four months later, the company course-corrected again and pivoted back to the Pennsylvania port, according to Hendrick. Lumber arrived in an abbreviated stint, but the Port of Albany was able to take advantage of the gap.

The pulp, imported from Switzerland, was processed through the port to mills where it was used to make toilet paper and paper towels. Demand for these two items was incredibly high as consumers bought large amounts amid panic-buying sprees and shortages at pandemic peaks.

And since the lull in heavy lifting cargo, activity for onshore windmill projects has picked back up, more than doubling what it was in 2020, according to Hendrick. The Port of Albany is also managing an 80-acre expansion into Bethlehem, where it hopes to manufacture and store offshore wind turbine parts that would help develop wind energy off of Long Islands coast.

Port of Albany officials have gauged their success in handling the elevated activity by measuring longshore hours logged and budgeted wharfage fees collected. Longshore hours pertain to the time put in by personnel working and loading cargo onto trains, trucks and ships.

Last year the port documented 32,000 hours worked for the year. The 2021 longshore hours have already surpassed that total reaching 33,900 hours. Part of Albanys wharfage fees  their tariff for cargo coming across and using the facilities  was projected at $320,000 in September 2020.

Looking at next years budget, port officials are predicting $400,000 in wharfage income against the $288,000 it originally planned for this year, or about $112,000 more, Hendrick said.
The Rev. Dana Horrell of Cooperstown United Methodist Church has just published a free handbook packed with tested tips and empathetic advice on how pastors can save lives by convincing worshippers to get vaccinated. It will be published by The Parish Paper (www.theparishpaper.com), a monthly newsletter for church leaders that Horrell co-edits. It has a circulation of 6,500 congregations, mostly in the Northeast and Midwest.

Horrell shared an advance copy of the guide (which will be widely available Sept. 29) with the Times Union. It's called "Mobilize Vaccine Turnout! a Handbook for Congregations." The advice is valuable for rabbis, imams, Hindu priests and Buddhist monks faced with vaccine-hesistant worshippers.

While New York congregations may not display anti-science or anti-federal government reasons for avoiding the vaccine, Horrell says there is still what he calls "vaccine reluctance" due to fear of an allergic reaction or other dangerous mishap.

"I haven't heard anyone in the Northeast cite scriptural reasons for avoiding the vaccine," Horrell said. "In our area, trust is so important. People may not trust what the government tells them. But having someone they trust like a pastor or deacon who is well informed and has accurate information is so important."

And the handbook guides pastors through ways to allay congregants' fears and another obstacle  vaccine exhaustion. Horrell understands that people are sick of worrying about the virus. The handbook guides church leaders through how to organize events like hosting Community Health Sundays where the church can become a forum with trusted advisers and accurate information.

Horrell's guide emphasizes how crucial it is for church leaders to set examples. He was happy to hear Albany's Macedonia Baptist publishes photos in its weekly e-bulletin of groups  deacons, choir musicians, various families  within the church showing their vaccination cards

Horrell gave a copy of the guide to Cheryl Lasher, development director of Albany's Refugee and Immigrant Support Services of Emmaus Inc.

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She emailed her feedback, praising his inclusiveness and saying: "My organization's biggest challenge is vaccine hesitancy. It's important to be able to educate outreach volunteers on what fears there may be and how to discuss while respecting people's perspective. Our population comes from all over the world, especially refugee camps  We have to meet people on their own ground. Having large families is hugely important to various cultures so concerns about affecting fertility is a big fear. Just telling people that something isn't true isn't enough. They don't fully trust big systems to have their best interest at heart. The peer to peer model is very important for our clients."

While Horrell encourages compassion and patience with the fearful, he doesn't believe denial of science or the spread of disinformation should be encouraged. He admires the stance taken by National Institutes of Health director Francis Collins who doesn't believe the media or anyone holding public trust should present outright lies about the vaccine's safety as a viable viewpoint. Collins is quoted in the handbook saying: "The church, in this time of confusion, ought to be a beacon, a light on the hill, an entity that believes in truth  No matter how well intentioned someones opinions may be, if theyre not based upon the fact, the church should not endorse them.

"Mobilizing Vaccine Turnout!" can be downloaded at www.vaccineturnout.com. Anyone interested in webinar training for congregations or community organizations may contact Dana Horrell at danahorrell@theparishpaper.com.
CLIFTON PARK  Melissa Grattan spent months grocery shopping for a woman she has never met.

Grattan was one of more than 175 volunteers in town who stepped up at the start of the COVID crisis last year. Some of them delivered hot meals from Ravenswood, which donated hundreds of meals over the course of the shutdown. One person set up nearly 1,000 vaccine appointments for people who didnt have computers or couldnt navigate the various vaccine websites. Others drove people to get their vaccine.

They were all honored at an event Saturday.

It started with elderly residents calling the towns senior center for help. Slowly, the town collected a list of people in need. Volunteers were also calling Town Hall to see if they could help, and town officials helped connect everyone. Volunteers were given a list of policies to follow, including wearing masks and gloves.

It was nice to be part of the solution, said Grattan, who filled another persons grocery list when she did her own shopping each week. It was the only time she left her house.

It just felt so helpless back in the beginning. It was such a pleasure to help someone, she said.

She shopped for months, leaving groceries at the door and picking up money left for her, until grocery stores began enforcing masks and offering special hours for elderly customers only. Then the woman said she felt comfortable doing her own shopping again, and that was the end.

I never met her. I never saw her face-to-face, Grattan said.

Most of the volunteers never knew the people for whom they spent many hours last year.

Rachele Koegl of Ballston Spa set up nearly 1,000 vaccine appointments after getting lists of names from Clifton Park Town Hall.

My mom drives the senior van (for the town). She had a couple people calling the town desperate for appointments, she said. I started with a couple names. Then it was, how about five more? Then, how about 20 more?

Word got around that she knew how to snag appointments. She would hit the CVS website at 1 a.m. when its appointment block opened. Friday afternoons were the sweet spot for getting appointments at the state sites. Eventually she became so well known on social media that she helped New Jersey residents get appointments in their state.

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Koegl is a neonatal nurse at Albany Medical Center, caring for sick newborns. She was vaccinated as soon as vaccines were approved. But when the vaccine became available to the oldest residents, it was clear the system was too difficult.

There was no way a senior would, first of all, have access to a computer, and secondly, do it quick, she said. You had to make an account, have an email  they didnt have email!

Helping them became a passion, and she took a game-like pleasure in figuring out strategies to win appointments. She would work on it late at night, after midnight, when most people werent competing for the next slot.

She also has three young children at home, one of whom was born just before the pandemic hit. So she felt she couldnt do many of the things other people were doing, like driving vans of seniors to their vaccine appointment.

I didnt want to do any face-to-face things because I do have kids. I didnt want to bring it home to them. This is a way I could help people but still be on the sidelines, she said.
It was an under-the-radar move that drew little attention.

On Dec. 29 last year, the state's chief administrative judge, Lawrence Marks, adopted 29 new uniform rules for state Supreme and County courts based on similar requirements in the state's Commercial Division. The changes for civil cases took effect Feb. 1, on a day when the state was being socked by a nor'easter and the inside baseball of the court system was not perhaps first and foremost on most New Yorkers minds.

Nearly eight months later, attorneys around the state warn that the changes are concerning -- and can cost litigants' wallets, restrict lawyers time for depositions and pose legal problems in the state's rural areas.

Contending the rules were imposed hastily and without input from necessary stakeholders, the New York State Bar Association asked for a one-year stay of the rules changes in April. The court system said no. Top court officials were, however, open to changes in the rules.

A NYSBA task force compiled a 61-page report and sent it to top state court officials asking for all but six of the 29 rules to go.

"A proliferation of rules adds cost to the proceeding," the report stated. "The time necessary to ensure compliance with all rules is either passed on as cost to the client or is to be borne by the lawyer. Unless additional rules are necessary in order to ensure that civil actions proceed efficiently and fairly, the additional rules are harmful to the process."

Lucian Chalfen, a spokesman for the state court system, told Law Beat that court officials have reviewed the recommendations and expect to incorporate some of them.

"However, the fact that this will increase costs is complete false," Chalfen added. "It will actually reduce litigation costs. An example is how it enables judges to decide motions more expeditiously and limits the number of depositions and interrogatories."

Depositions are limited to 10 people and no more than seven hours per person. Memos, affirmations and affidavits are limited to 25 pages, with replies no more than 15 pages. Attorneys must disclose lists of all witnesses in the order in which they will testify and give their expected length of testimony at a pre-trial conference.

And those are just a sample of new rules.

The changes drew concern from Washington County-based Appellate Justice Stanley Pritzker, who co-chaired a task force on rural justice in 2020 with Taier Perlman, a staff attorney with Legal Services of the Hudson Valley. In a letter, they told the NYSBA task force examining the rules changes that lawyers in rural areas often lack the ability and technology to transmit papers electronically and comply with other requirements in the rules. They said lawyers in rural areas could be exposed to potential malpractice claims or simply decline to take on cases.

"Rural access to justice and the plight of rural practitioners is already hard enough," Pritzer and Perlman said. "There is no need to make things harder."

For Manhattan attorney Brett Kimmel, the new rules were "offensive and unnecessarily stress-provoking" in tone..

"The rules are written in a manner that seems to view lawyers as a problem that needs to be handled," Kimmel told the task force. "The first time I read the rules, I felt like I was being lectured to and scolded for no reason other than that I went to law school and make my living as a litigator. It makes me question, 'do I need this in my life?'."

An unnamed Westchester County-based attorney said he would be reluctant to represent a client in a case valued at $30,000 because it was "not worth the time and effort" for the amount of money a client could recover after attorney fees and added costs. Other lawyers in matrimonial law said their clients were "people not corporations" and would have a harder time with additional expenses. Still others saw the new rules being easier to adhere to in and around New York City.

"It is recommended that significant changes to the rules be made, with recommendations that most of the rules be either eliminated or significantly amended," stated the task force report.

The NYSBA task force, chaired by attorney Richard C. Lewis of Binghamton, included two Albany attorneys, Matthew J. Kelly and Margaret C. Lynch. The panel included Vincent E. Doyle III and Sharon Stern Gerstman, both of Buffalo; Jonathan B. Fellows of Syracuse and Michael E. Getnick of Oneida County.

Not everyone who opined on the changes wanted them gone. Michael Chartan, a lawyer in Jericho on Long Island. said the changes were a "welcome change to existing practice," adding, "To a large extent, the new rules will serve

clients and attorneys well by replacing the hodge podge of litigation practices currently in use".

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Adding to the confusion is the manner in which the rules changes were implemented. In 2018, the court system's Advisory Committee on Civil Practice found wholesale adoption of Commercial Division rules for all civil cases not warranted, said it could add to litigation costs and put additional strain on court resources. It suggested the court system only adopt nine of the rules, the NYSBA task force report said.

Court system counsel John W. McConnell put the committee's recommendations up for public comment on the court system's website. Committees with NYSBA, the New York City Bar Association and other groups commented until the period for input ended in January 2019.

Nothing else came forward until late December 2020, when Marks announced that all 29 rules changes would be adopted on Feb. 1, 2021.
The Adirondack Park isnt widely known for farming, but almost 104,000 of its 6 million acres are in agricultural districts. Much of that is in the Champlain Valley, where sunny fields spread out between dark mountains to the west and sparkling Lake Champlain waters to the east.

In that expanse, solar panels are fast becoming the trendy new cash crop. Because of their potential to change the regions views, its wildlife habitat and its way of life, some are calling for comprehensive planning on where they're being planted.

Former governor George Pataki lives in Essex, on Lake Champlain. He runs a farm, its fields producing mostly hay for cows. He is also an attorney for Norton Rose Fulbright, specializing in renewable energy and environmental law.

The Republican is a proponent of wind and solar power. Its the future, he said, not just for the United States but for the world. Its broad deployment in protected natural areas, however, is something he cant support.

It is utterly inappropriate in the Adirondack Park, he said.

Infuriated by the topic, Pataki drove a reporter to a business with one large solar panel in a field nearby. He pointed to the panels underside, describing how ugly he thought it was. He grimaced at the thought of the whole field taken up by the panels and wires, something that is already happening in fields and near wetlands in the Adirondacks.

I dont want to be driving by a 70-acre field full of solar panels when Im bragging about the wild nature of the Adirondack Park," Pataki said. "And its not just about bragging. I think its the consequences to the wild nature of the park, and I think theyre all negative. Period.

Farm fields are not wilderness, but many worry about the fate of the agriculture that persists in the park. Some solar proposals go beyond the fields and require tree-cutting. Others, such as a 20-megawatt solar facility to be built on a former Adirondack mine, have received little to no criticism and instead garner praise from groups across the park.

Knocking on the door

The hodgepodge of project locations so far approved in the park has given some local leaders pause. The state and federal push for more renewable energy has solar developers knocking on Adirondackers doors, but some are wondering if large solar projects belong in the park and, if so, where.

Even stalwart environmentalists are unsure. Bill McKibben, leader of the climate campaign group 350.org and an Adirondack devotee, called the issue fascinating. In an email, he said he had not given it huge thought.

At first glance it doesnt seem like the ideal place for a solar hub, given distance from large-scale consumption, weather (and) heavy tree cover, McKibben said.

Leroy Walston Jr. had a similar impression. Walston is an ecologist at the Argonne National Laboratory in Illinois. He and his colleagues work with the U.S. Department of Energy, focusing on reducing environmental barriers for solar development. That includes making fields of solar panels look better to those with more critical eyes.

We wouldnt really want to advocate for the placement of these facilities in areas that have ecological or environmental value in and of themselves, Walston said. We advocate (using) disturbed, marginal lands first.

Though Pataki is wholly against fields of solar panels in the park, he criticized the Adirondack Park Agency, which is charged with overseeing public and private development within the blue line, for its lack of strategy and long-range planning for solar.

They should have a vision of what theyre looking to do as opposed to just letting developers come in willy-nilly and do it by a project-by-project basis, Pataki said.

The agency did make an attempt at adopting a renewable energy policy in 2018. A draft released for public comment said it would consider natural, historic and aesthetic resources. But the APA dropped that effort in the spring of 2019, telling the Adirondack Explorer that the policy updates were not needed to meet our goal to integrate the wise use of renewable energy resources and implementation of energy conservation measures to help contribute to the reduction of global atmospheric carbon levels and climate change.

It appears, however, that current APA board members want to revisit the issue, at least for solar.

APA staffers showed a map of approved and proposed projects during a May meeting. The agency had approved two 5-megawatt solar projects and had more than a dozen in the application or pre-application stage. In all, 39 percent were in farm fields and 56 percent were in wooded areas.

At that same meeting, the board approved a 5-megawatt solar project in the town of Moriah to go up on farm fields. The plan also involved cutting about 15 acres of trees. Board member Art Lussi noted the project would have a tremendous impact on a pretty area of land. Later in the meeting, Jerry Delaney, executive director of the Adirondack Park Local Government Review Board, said he found it disturbing that the APA did not take as much time to consider the visual impacts of solar projects as it has done for cellular communication towers.

I understand we need as a world, not just as a region or a country, we need these projects, Delaney said. But we should not look at it with a different eye.

At a July meeting, board member Zoe Smith asked if the staff was looking at the cumulative effects of solar projects. Rob Lore, deputy director of regulatory programs at the APA, said staff are following individual projects because thats what we have control of.

A 2-megawatt community solar project in the Adirondacks went up in Saranac Lake earlier this year  something that was not initially on the APAs radar. The project was built on 10 acres on the edge of the village, where the APA encourages development and has fewer regulations. The APA had no jurisdiction.

In Lores list of applications, the largest proposed solar project so far is 20 megawatts on 100 acres in Ticonderoga. He mentioned another proposal for 5 megawatts in Johnsburg, which would involve some tree clearing on about 19 acres.

APA Executive Director Terry Martino said the staff could continue updating the agencys map of solar projects, in response to Smiths concerns. Board member Andrea Hogan said the board worried about the loss of farmland and effects on wildlife, as well as views.

APAs legal counsel interjected at times to remind board members that the agency approved permits on a project-by-project basis. By the end of the meeting, board member Mark Hall brought the matter front and center.

We were created in 71 by the (state) Legislature to develop long-range land use plans for both public and private lands, Hall said. As an agency we need to start looking forward to do that long-range planning that were charged to do.

The APA has assisted nearly a dozen Adirondack municipalities with reviewing zoning and planning laws for solar. Many towns are finding their zoning and comprehensive plans are behind the times.

Towns take the lead

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In the spring of 2020  amid the pandemic  Warrensburg Supervisor Kevin Geraghty reviewed a solar proposal from Cipriani Energy Group. The Colonie-based developer wanted to cut about 17 acres of trees near Blister Hill, a former ski area at the base of Hackensack Mountain. The project would have also involved moving part of the mountains trail system farther east, Geraghty said. It was proposed on town-owned property, and Geraghty was primarily interested in the revenue it could generate. Over about 25 years, he said, the town stood to receive about $900,000.

The town board hadnt heard much objection to it at first, but then, Geraghty reasoned that the pandemic was also on peoples minds. As the proposal progressed, residents came out  completely against it.

People say, OK, we like solar  but not here, Geraghty said. We listened.  It stirred up the pot here from February 'til May. I feel as a leader, you know, we made the right decision.

Cipriani Energy Group did not respond to the Adirondack Explorers request for comment.

Now Geraghty and the town board are looking to designate the Blister Hill area as parkland so it will be protected from certain developments, solar included.

About 40 miles north, the town of Ticonderoga has also grappled with an influx of solar proposals. It is the site of the first APA-approved solar project, and the site of many upcoming APA reviews.

Supervisor Joseph Giordano said as proposals were rolling in, the towns comprehensive plans zoning and siting laws dated back to the 1970s and 80s, before anyone considered solar developments. He and the town board worked to update the regulations, and passed a new zoning law in 2019.

The town focused on protecting views and planning for when solar projects are decommissioned. The regulations require that the developer must put up a bond to pay for removal when the solar panels become outdated. The town also requires vegetation screening to help maintain views.

So far, Giordano said, residents have appeared satisfied with the regulations. But he worries about loss of farmland, and he would like to see the APA or the state assist with a feasibility study for the Adirondacks.

One of the approved projects in the Champlain Valley is on a site many would consider ideal for solar  an empty industrial park. Another one that is moving through the process is on farm fields, but the soil is contaminated.

Those projects dont concern Carly Summers. Its the ones being sited on prime farmland that bother Summers, an agricultural support official with the Cornell Cooperative Extension for Essex County. The Moriah project that the APA approved, for example, was on good agricultural soils.

Its a growing problem across the state. The majority of todays farmers, Summers said, are approaching retirement age and many of them dont have a succession plan. She called it a perfect storm, where some farmers dont know how they will retire so they look for reliable income through a solar check.

Summers said municipalities should support land trusts more so that farmers might sell the development rights to their land. The resulting conservation easements, Summers believes, are a better answer to saving good farmland soils and providing some income to retiring farmers.

The Lewis County Industrial Development Authority has taken its own path to protect farmland. It created standard payment-in-lieu-of-taxes agreements for solar projects, but the developers rate is better when they choose sites with lower-quality soils.

The Argonne National Laboratory aims for balance in solar projects. Walston, the ecologist there, said all over the country people have the same concerns as in the Adirondacks  worries about farmland preservation, viewsheds and wildlife corridors.

Its all about proper siting of these projects, Walston said. Once a project is in place, Walston and his colleagues look at how else the site can be enhanced. He suggests planting pollinator habitats, buffering a solar panel field with trees, or adding livestock, like sheep, to naturally cut the grass. Developers can also install special fencing that allows smaller wildlife through.

One way or another, he said, theres going to be a lot more solar coming. By 2050, the country will likely be covered in about 10 million acres of solar panels, he added, which is one reason why were so involved in this. We want to make sure its not going to be just 10 million acres of panels, but 10 million acres of panels and something elsepanels and agriculture, panels and livestock grazing.

This story first appeared in the Adirondack Explorer, a nonprofit news organization that covers issues in and around the Adirondack Forest Preserve.
DEL RIO, Texas (AP)  The Texas border crossing where thousands of Haitian migrants converged in recent weeks will be partially reopened late Saturday afternoon, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said.

Federal and local officials said no migrants remained at the makeshift encampment as of Friday, after some of the nearly 15,000 people were expelled from the country and many others were allowed to remain in the U.S., at least temporarily, as they try to seek asylum.

In a statement, officials said trade and travel operations would resume at the Del Rio Port of Entry for passenger traffic at 4 p.m. Saturday. It will be reopened for cargo traffic on Monday morning. CBP temporarily closed the border crossing between Del Rio and Ciudad Acuna, Mexico, on Sept. 17 after the migrants suddenly crossed into Del Rio and made camp around the U.S. side of the border bridge.

CBP agents on Saturday searched the brush along the Rio Grande to ensure that no one was hiding near the site. Bruno Lozano, the mayor of Del Rio, said officials also wanted to be sure no other large groups of migrants were making their way to the Del Rio area to try to set up a similar camp.

The Department of Homeland Security planned to continue flights to Haiti throughout the weekend, ignoring criticism from Democratic lawmakers and human rights groups who say Haitian migrants are being sent back to a troubled country that some left more than a decade ago.

The number of people at the Del Rio encampment peaked last Saturday as migrants driven by confusion over the Biden administrations policies and misinformation on social media converged at the border crossing.

The U.S. and Mexico worked swiftly, appearing eager to end the humanitarian situation that prompted the resignation of the U.S. special envoy to Haiti and widespread outrage after images emerged of border agents maneuvering their horses to forcibly block and move migrants.

Many migrants face expulsion because they are not covered by protections recently extended by the Biden administration to the more than 100,000 Haitian migrants already in the U.S., citing security concerns and social unrest in the Western Hemispheres poorest country. A devastating 2010 earthquake forced many from their homeland.

The U.S. government expelled 2,324 Haitians on 21 flights to Haiti from Sunday through Friday, according to the Department of Homeland Security. On Friday, the government operated four flights from Del Rio with 375 Haitian migrants; two flights to Port-au-Prince and two to Cap-Haitien. The department said the flights will continue on a regular basis" as people are expelled under pandemic powers that deny migrants the chance to seek asylum.

The Trump administration enacted the policy, called Title 42, in March 2020 to justify restrictive immigration policies in an effort to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The Biden administration has used it to justify the deportation of Haitian migrants.

A federal judge late last week ruled that the rule was improper and gave the government two weeks to halt it, but the Biden administration appealed.

Officials said the U.S. State Department is in talks with Brazil and Chile to allow some Haitians who previously resided in those countries to return, but its complicated because some of them no longer have legal status there.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said the U.S. has allowed about 12,400 migrants to enter the country, at least temporarily, while they make claims before an immigration judge to stay in the country under the asylum laws or for some other legal reason. They could ultimately be denied and would be subject to removal.

Mayorkas said about 5,000 are in DHS custody and being processed to determine whether they will be expelled or allowed to press their claim for legal residency. Some returned to Mexico.

A U.S. official with direct knowledge of the situation said seven flights were scheduled to Haiti on Saturday and six on Sunday, though that was subject to change. The official was not authorized to speak publicly.

No migrants were left Saturday morning in the camp on the Mexico side of the border. Local authorities had moved the last migrants to a walled, roof-less facility in downtown Ciudad Acuna where the Mexican immigration agency put some tents.

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That shelter had 240 people as of Saturday morning, according to Felipe Basulto, the secretary of the municipality. The Mexican government has been moving migrants by land and air to the south of the country and was planning to begin flying some to Haiti in the coming days.

The Mexico office of the U.N.s International Organization for Migration released a statement late Friday saying it is looking for countries where some Haitians have residency or where their children have citizenship as an alternative to allowing them to be deported to Haiti.

Luxon, a 31-year-old Haitian migrant who withheld his last name out of fear, said he was leaving with his wife and son for Mexicali, about 900 miles (1,450 kilometers) west along Mexicos border with California.

The option was to go to a place where there arent a lot of people and there request documents to be legal in Mexico, he said.

At the Val Verde Border Humanitarian Coalition in Del Rio, migrants stepped off a white Border Patrol van on Friday, many smiling and looking relieved to have been released into the U.S. Some carried sleeping babies. A toddler walked behind her mother wrapped in a silver heat blanket.

A man who drove nearly 1,300 miles (2,092 kilometers) from Toledo, Ohio, hoping to pick up a friend and her family, scanned the line of Haitian migrants but didnt see them.

___

Verza reported from Ciudad Acuna, Mexico. Associated Press writers Sarah Morgan in Del Rio; Ben Fox and Nancy Benac in Washington; Elliot Spagat in Los Angeles; and Tammy Webber in Fenton, Michigan, contributed to this story.
Reflecting on the series of climate-related events witnessed in 2021 can be a bit overwhelming.

Early in the year, Texas suffered a cold snap that killed nearly two dozen people and caused extensive suffering. A derecho storm assaulted Iowa causing $11 billion in damages. The fire season in the West has spawned dozens of fires that have burned millions of acres. A dangerous fire has neared the treasured Sequoia National Park. Hurricane Ida savagely assaulted Louisiana and then killed more than 50 people in the Northeast. Tropical depressions continue to develop in the Atlantic.
The Latest: New Zealand to allow home isolation to travelers

New Zealands prime minister says the government will start a pilot program of home-isolation for travelers, ahead of what she expects to be increasing vaccination levels
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[September 26, 2021] CBD COP15 NGO Parallel Forum to be held soon

KUNMING, China, Sept. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- According to The China Environment News: As one of the eight parallel forums of the The Fifteenth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CBD COP 15) to the Convention on Biological Diversity, the NGO Forum will be held in Kunming from 27 to 28 September 2021. More than 400 representatives of government, enterprise, NGO, Youth group, Women group, local community and indigenous peoples from more than 30 countries on five continents participate in the forum online and offline, sharing their cutting-edge views, actions and cases around the negotiation of Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, biodiversity mainstreaming, and voluntary commitments from non-state actors, etc. NGO forum will bring together stakeholders from all walks of life to contribute to the official CBD COP15 meeting on October 11 and the Kunming Declaration to be released at that time. 1. Live Streaming Chinese:

https://weibo.com/l/wblive/p/show/1022:2321324685441587609873



English:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjpSs1uejVAkz6Zw5YRp-FPVhJCScVX1V 2. Forum Overview

2.1 Organizers Organized by: Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, the China NGO Network for International Exchanges Supported By: China Environmental Protection Foundation (CEPF), Civil Society Alliance for Biodiversity Conservation (PFI, SEE, GEI, and ShanShui), All-China Environment Federation(ACEF), Client Earth, CI, China Eco-Civilization Research and Promotion Association (CECRPA) 2.2 Brief Agenda September 27 9:00-10:30 Opening Ceremony and Roundtable 10:30-12:00 Forum-1: Nature-based Solutions to Climate ChangeASEAN-China Mangroves Ecological Corridor 14:00-16:00 Forum-2: Environmental NGO's Role in Biodiversity Conservation Mainstreaming 16:30-18:30 Forum-3: Release of the "Global Biodiversity Conservation Best Practices 100+ " and Discussion 19:30-21:30 Biodiversity Carnival Night September 28 9:00-11:30 Forum-4: Independent Contributions from Non-state Actors and the Post-2020 Goal for Biodiversity Conservation 13:00-16:00 Forum-5: Foundations Contributing to Biodiversity Conservation 16:30-17:30 Closing Ceremony: Signing of the Independent Contribution Initiative by Non-State Actors View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cbd-cop15-ngo-parallel-forum-to-be-held-soon-301385131.html SOURCE The China Environment News

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[September 25, 2021] CCTV+: Xi calls for global sci-tech innovation cooperation at opening of 2021 Zhongguancun (ZGC) Forum

BEIJING, Sept. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Chinese President Xi Jinping called for global cooperation in scientific and technological innovation at the Zhongguancun Forum in Beijing on Friday. Addressing the forum's opening ceremony via video link, Xi said countries in the world should ramp up sci-tech opening-up and cooperation, and explore approaches and means to tackle pivotal global issues through concerted efforts in sci-tech innovation. "It is more imperative than ever for all countries to ramp up sci-tech opening-up and cooperation, and explore approaches and means to tackle pivotal global issues through concerted efforts in sci-tech innovation. All countries should stand in solidarity to confront the common challenges of the times and jointly push forward he lofty cause of human peace and development," he said.



"China attaches great importance to sci-tech innovation and has been committed to global cooperation in this regard. Looking ahead, we will strengthen international sci-tech exchanges with a more open attitude, actively engage in the global innovation network, and join hands with other countries to promote basic research. We will promote the commercialization of research results, cultivate new impetus for economic development, enhance the protection of intellectual property rights, create a first-class innovation ecosystem, and foster the concept of 'science and technology for good' so as to serve the ultimate purposes of improving global sci-tech governance and bettering the wellbeing of mankind," said Xi. "Zhongguancun is China's first national pilot zone for independent innovation. The Zhongguancun Forum is a national-level platform for international sci-tech exchanges and cooperation. China supports Zhongguancun to start a new round of reforms, accelerate the building of a world-class sci-tech park, and make new contributions to global sci-tech innovation and cooperation. I hope the forum participants will have in-depth exchanges and pool wisdoms to offer insights on how to advance global sci-tech innovation and cooperation and how to build a community of shared future for mankind," said Xi.

This year's forum is scheduled to be held from Sept 24 to 28. Themed "intelligence, health and carbon neutrality", it aims to demonstrate China's resolve in promoting development through science and technology, building ecological civilization and enhancing international cooperation in climate change. Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftSujLjG0sc SOURCE CCTV+

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[September 26, 2021] CGTN: Tech, politics and ambition: How Huawei's Meng Wanzhou stepped into a perfect storm between China and U.S.

Meng Wanzhou's release reveals Washington's attempt to prevent its stiff competition with Beijing from veering into a conflict, but it's far from being a reversal in bilateral tensions. BEIJING, Sept. 26, 2021 /CNW/ -- "I'm finally back home," Huawei's chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou said when landing at the Shenzhen airport Saturday evening. After nearly three years of being held under house arrest in Canada, Meng and her legal team reached a deal with the U.S. Justice Department on Friday which allowed her to return to China. The moment marked the end of a prolonged legal and political saga which took place amid rising tensions between Beijing and Washington. Shortly after the deal was reached, Meng boarded a charter Air China flight headed to the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen where Huawei is based. Meng, 49, has not pleaded guilty to fraud charges. Under the agreement, she will not be prosecuted further in the U.S. and the extradition proceedings in Canada will be terminated, according to a statement released by William Taylor III, one of the lawyers representing Meng. "Facts have already proven that this is a political persecution against a Chinese citizen and its aim is to suppress Chinese high-tech companies," said China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying on Saturday. What happened three years ago? On December 1, 2018, Canadian authorities arrested Meng at the request of the U.S. government which accused her of wire fraud and sought her extradition. The incident took place as the Trump administration adopted an aggressive approach in dealing with China on a variety of issues including trade and technology. Four months before Meng's arrest, the U.S. government fired the opening salvo against Chinese high-tech companies by issuing a ban on the federal government use of products by Huawei and ZTE  two leading Chinse providers of telecom equipment, citing security concerns. The following year, Huawei was added to the U.S. Commerce Department's Entity List, which effectively banned American companies from doing business with the Chinese tech giant.



Why now? Over the past three years, Meng's detention has been a thorny issue between Beijing and Washington. Tensions that were unfathomable years ago have taken an incendiary crescendo.

There are two factors that facilitated her release, according to Guo Changlin, a former senior diplomat at the Chinese Embassy in the U.S. "U.S. President Joe Biden is looking to meet with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping at the upcoming G20 summit in person. [Also] Justin Trudeau has just been re-elected as Canadian prime minister [by a narrow margin] and is eager to fling off Meng's case, which after all has been a protracted bone of contention between China and Canada," Guo told CGTN during a phone interview. Despite Washington's hardline China policy, Biden himself developed a close relationship with Xi when the two were vice presidents. Biden has been to China four times and the two met 11 times in person, noted Li Cheng, director of the John L. Thornton China Center at the Brookings Institution. "My point was that when I came back from meeting with him [Xi] and traveling 17,000 miles with him   that's how I got to know him so well," Biden remarked during a February town hall meeting. "They have a personal friendship but how far Biden could go in light of nationwide anti-China sentiments remains to be seen," said Guo. Li believes that Biden has to flex his muscles since the U.S. voter base is increasingly embracing the anti-China messaging. "He's not that confrontational himself," he added. What does Meng's release mean to China-U.S. ties? The release shows Washington's attempt to prevent the stiff competition from spiraling out of control, but it falls short of being a reversal in bilateral tensions, according to Guo. The charges against Huawei remain in place, and the tech giant is still on the U.S. blacklist. The tech war is brewing. The U.S. pioneered the third industrial revolution and it's been at the very top of the pyramid over the decades. However, on the threshold of the 21st century, China and the U.S. have become fierce contenders in the fourth industrial revolution, which is dominated by chips and algorithms. The White House listed China as "the only competitor potentially capable of combining its economic, diplomatic, military, and technological power" in its Interim National Security Strategic Guidance. "The end of the engagement era could date back to 2010 when China became the world's second largest economy," said Guo. When China's GDP exceeded 60 percent of that of the U.S. in 2014, hostility further grew, with containment policies ranging from trade to human rights over the years. Washington's attempt to contain Beijing in the high-tech realm predates Donald Trump's trade war and continues to this day. A hi-tech decoupling looks inevitable. To view the original article, click HERE. (https://news.cgtn.com/news/2021-09-25/How-Meng-Wanzhou-stepped-into-a-perfect-storm-between-China-and-U-S--13QK0CBqAYE/index.html ) View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cgtn-tech-politics-and-ambition-how-huaweis-meng-wanzhou-stepped-into-a-perfect-storm-between-china-and-us-301385145.html SOURCE CGTN

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[September 26, 2021] Spirit of Wipro Run Brings Together Participants From Over 35 Countries

Wipro (News - Alert) Limited (NYSE: WIT, BSE: 507685, NSE: WIPRO), a leading global information technology, consulting and business process services company, today organized the 16th annual 'Spirit of Wipro' (SOW) Run, drawing thousands of participants from over 35 countries to run together in spirit. For the past sixteen years, Wiproites around the world have come together to celebrate Wipro's core values. The annual SOW run aims to inspire employees to be responsible citizens of the world. This year's theme was "Together. To greatness," inspired by the resilience demonstrated by Wiproites in a year of unprecedented disruption. Along with outperforming across all business parameters, Wipro teams have remained committed to supporting their colleagues and creating a lasting social impact across communities. Like last year, this year's race was also virtual, and runners strictly adhered to the local COVID-19 guidelines and safety protocols while participating in the event. Even under these conditions, enthusiasm was high. Participants used the freely available Strava app to track their progress and keep connected with fellow runners around the world. Wipro also encouraged employees to share selfies and videos leading up to and throughout the day of the race, which the company curated and shared on internal channels and on social media. Every year, all proceeds from the Spirit of Wipro Run are matched 100% by Wipro and is utilized by Wipro Cares, the community initiatives arm of Wipro Limited. In the past, these donations went primarily to support the education of disadvantaged children. In 2020, most of the proceeds were directed towards the pandemic relief efforts and will continue for this year as well. Through these contributions and the company's larger community impact, Wipro continues to work towards its vision of creating a more equitable and sustainable society for all. After participating in the event, Thierry Delaporte, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Wipro Limited said, "Wipro's commitment to progress goes beyond digital innovation and business transformation. The Spirit of Wipro Run is a testament to that. We are a global family driven by a shared commitment - that of supporting one another, of pursuing healthier futures, and giving back to our communities." Saurabh Govil, President and Chief HumanResources Officer, Wipro Limited said, "After such a humbling year, it is moving to see Wiproites across the world coming together, albeit virtually. The Spirit of Wipro Run embodies the values and culture that make us a resilient, purpose-driven organization. We believe the contributions from the event will help create a positive impact on local communities across the countries where we operate."



About Wipro Limited Wipro Limited (NYSE: WIT, BSE: 507685, NSE: WIPRO) is a leading global information technology, consulting and business process services company. We harness the power of cognitive computing, hyper-automation, robotics, cloud, analytics and emerging technologies to help our clients adapt to the digital world and make them successful. A company recognized globally for its comprehensive portfolio of services, strong commitment to sustainability and good corporate citizenship, we have over 200,000 dedicated employees serving clients across six continents. Together, we discover ideas and connect the dots to build a better and a bold new future.

Forward-Looking Statements The forward-looking statements contained herein represent Wipro's beliefs regarding future events, many of which are by their nature, inherently uncertain and outside Wipro's control. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding Wipro's growth prospects, its future financial operating results, and its plans, expectations and intentions. Wipro cautions readers that the forward-looking statements contained herein are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results anticipated by such statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties regarding fluctuations in our earnings, revenue and profits, our ability to generate and manage growth, complete proposed corporate actions, intense competition in IT services, our ability to maintain our cost advantage, wage increases in India, our ability to attract and retain highly skilled professionals, time and cost overruns on fixed-price, fixed-time frame contracts, client concentration, restrictions on immigration, our ability to manage our international operations, reduced demand for technology in our key focus areas, disruptions in telecommunication networks, our ability to successfully complete and integrate potential acquisitions, liability for damages on our service contracts, the success of the companies in which we make strategic investments, withdrawal of fiscal governmental incentives, political instability, war, legal restrictions on raising capital or acquiring companies outside India, unauthorized use of our intellectual property and general economic conditions affecting our business and industry. The conditions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic could decrease technology spending, adversely affect demand for our products, affect the rate of customer spending and could adversely affect our customers' ability or willingness to purchase our offerings, delay prospective customers' purchasing decisions, adversely impact our ability to provide on-site consulting services and our inability to deliver our customers or delay the provisioning of our offerings, all of which could adversely affect our future sales, operating results and overall financial performance. Our operations may also be negatively affected by a range of external factors related to the COVID-19 pandemic that are not within our control. Additional risks that could affect our future operating results are more fully described in our filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, including, but not limited to, Annual Reports on Form 20-F. These filings are available at www.sec.gov. We may, from time to time, make additional written and oral forward-looking statements, including statements contained in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and our reports to shareholders. We do not undertake to update any forward-looking statement that may be made from time to time by us or on our behalf. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210926005038/en/

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[September 26, 2021] Global Semiconductor Market Size Growing at 6.81% CAGR, Says SpendEdge

NEW YORK, Sept. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A targeted strategic approach to Semiconductor can unlock several opportunities for buyers. This report also offers market impact and new opportunities created due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Download free sample report Key Highlights Offered in the Report: Information on how to identify strategic and tactical negotiation levels that will help achieve the best prices.

Gain information on relevant pricing levels, detailed explanation on pros and cons of prevalent pricing models.

Methods to help engage with the right suppliers and discover KPI's to evaluate incumbent suppliers. Get a free sample report for more information Insights into buyer strategies and tactical negotiation levers: Several strategic and tactical negotiation levers are explained in the report to help buyers achieve the best prices for the Semiconductor market. The report also aids buyers with relevant Semiconductor pricing levels, pros, and cons of prevalent pricing models such as volume-based pricing, spot pricing, and cost-plus pricing and category management strategies and best practices to fulfil their category objectives. For more insights on buyer strategies and tactical negotiation levers, www.spendedge.com/report/semiconductor-sourcing-and-procurement-intelligence-report



Key Drivers and Trends Fueling Market Growth: The pressure from substitutes and a moderate level of threat from new entrants has resulted in the low bargaining power of suppliers.

Price forecasts are beneficial in purchase planning, especially when supplemented by the constant monitoring of price influencing factors. During the forecast period, the market expects a change of 6.00%-8.00%. Identify favorable opportunities in Semiconductor TCO (total cost of ownership).

Expected changes in price forecast and factors driving the current and future price changes.

Identify pricing models that offer the most rewarding opportunities. Some of the top Semiconductor suppliers listed in this report: This Semiconductor procurement intelligence report has enlisted the top suppliers and their cost structures, SLA terms, best selection criteria, and negotiation strategies. Intel Corp

Toshiba Corp

Texas Instruments Incorp To get instant access to over 1000 market-ready procurement intelligence reports without any additional costs or commitment. Subscribe Now for Free Table of Content Executive Summary

Market Insights

Category Pricing Insights

Cost-saving Opportunities

Best Practices

Category Ecosystem

Category Management Strategy

Category Management Enablers

Suppliers Selection

Suppliers under Coverage

US Market Insights

Category scope

Appendix Get instant access to download 5 reports every month and view 1200 full reports. With every purchase, we also offer complimentary research add-ons and Covid-19 impact assessments  Purchase Now! About SpendEdge: SpendEdge shares your passion for driving sourcing and procurement excellence. We are the preferred procurement market intelligence partner for 120+ Fortune 500 firms and other leading companies across numerous industries. Our strength lies in delivering robust, real-time procurement market intelligence reports and solutions. Contacts

SpendEdge

Anirban Choudhury

Marketing Manager

Ph No: +1 (872) 206-9340

https://www.spendedge.com/contact-us View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/global-semiconductor-market-size-growing-at-6-81-cagr-says-spendedge-301384686.html SOURCE SpendEdge

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[September 26, 2021] $JETOKEN is on Track to Set New Standards in the Cryptocurrency Space

Boynton Beach, FL, Sept. 26, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As interest in cryptocurrency is becoming more mainstream, it seems that now is the perfect time for us to discuss a promising upcoming project! Enter $JETOKEN, a new innovative project with real utility, backed by JETOKEN LLC a U.S based corporation. Founded by aerospace professionals, developed by an in-house team of blockchain specialists, and supported by an ever-growing community, JeToken is well on its way to set a new standard in the cryptocurrency space.

The founder of JeToken recently stated that The popularization and constant innovation of blockchain technology will inevitably revolutionize the aviation and hospitality industry. Indeed, implementing $JETOKEN within the aviation industry will result in many key improvements to the travel sector. For example, blockchain technology would allow for a substantial increase in the accuracy, efficiency, and security of flight data and passenger-related information. JeToken looks to capitalize upon the technological advancement of blockchain technology and promises to solve real-world pervasive issues in the aviation and travel-related industries. $JETOKEN is set to disrupt the contemporary travel industry regarding the ways in which important data is secured, stored, and managed. This will be achieved through the implementation of smart contracts; blockchains innovative and secure electronic agreements which execute and operate automatically in line with their predetermined rules. The integration of smart contracts alone would revolutionize the travel industry, making financial transactions among various airlines, travel agencies, and their customers effortless andefficient.



JeToken will also provide airlines with the ability to accurately track and recall aircraft maintenance records from an immutable digitized record which will securely operate on the blockchain. This will prove extremely desirable among commercial airlines. Particularly in cases where the ownership of an aircraft has changed numerous times making the once time-consuming and tedious process of tracking maintenance history seamless and effortless without compromising the quality and accuracy of such data. Additionally, JeToken will also create DApps (decentralized applications) which will harness the power of blockchain technology and allow users to effortlessly and accurately track as well as redeem frequent traveller loyalty points. JeTokens DApps will also allow passengers and authorities to track and locate luggage with ease. Further benefits include a more seamless travel experience as a result of the ability for passengers to digitize and securely store their important travel documentation such as tickets, passports, and visas on the blockchain. Furthermore, JeTokens users will be rewarded simply for using their DApps and services through its unique loyalty program.

JeTokens buy-back system fundamentally ensures that investors interests are preserved. This mechanism operates by collecting $JETOKENs via the projects 6% buy-back transaction tax and converting them into BNB BEP-20 (Binance Smart Chain) tokens which are then locked into the buy-back contract where they cannot be withdrawn by anyone. In the second part of the process, $JETOKENs are automatically bought back from the market and instantly burnt to decrease supply and subsequently increase its value. Furthermore, JeToken investors also benefit from the 2% static reflection rewards coded into the contract which redistributes profits from every transaction among JeToken investors. Led by aerospace professionals working alongside blockchain specialists, backed by a strong community and soon to be partnered with notable airlines, resorts, and hotels, JeToken is a force to be reckoned with. Make sure to follow JeTokens social media accounts to stay up to date. Website: https://jetoken.net

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jetoken1

Telegram: https://t.me/Jetokenbsc

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jetoken Media Contact



Company Name :- JeToken

Email Id :- contact@jetoken.net

Company Website :- https://www.jetoken.net/ PR Contact - Name - Ron von Dyck

Email - Care@360prwire.com

Company - 360PRWire, LLC Source Link





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[September 26, 2021] Genesis Executes the First OTC Trade of an Innovative New Bitcoin Futures Product with Akuna Capital

Genesis Global Capital, LLC, a part of Genesis, a digital asset industry pioneer and leader in digital currency prime brokerage, today announced that it has executed the first ever OTC block trade of a BTIC (Basis Trade at Index Close) transaction on CME Bitcoin futures with Akuna Capital, a leading options market maker specializing in derivatives market-making and sophisticated modelling. A commonly used equities product, BTIC has now been made available for cryptocurrencies for the first time. The execution of this trade demonstrates new ways traditional finance participants and markets are adapting to meet the demand for crypto products and services. "BTIC fills a hedging need for our counterparties who are benchmarked to the Bitcoin Reference Rate and we are proud to be the first firm to trade this pioneering product," said Joshua Lim, Head of Derivatives at Genesis. "Genesis is committed to offering the most innovative products to our trading partners as the market matures." "This is the first time we're offering BTIC for our cryptocurrency futures and we're pleased Genesis is able to support and provide liquidity for BTIC on day one," said Tim McCourt, CME Group Global Head of Equity Index & Alternative Investment Products. "This is another example of how we're providing innovative solutions to clients who want to gain exposure to CME Bitcoin and Ether futures. BTIC enables market participants to more efficiently trade the basis while providing a regulated marketplace for real-time price discovery and enhanced trading precision for institutional participants who want to optimize holdings between the futures and spot markets." Genesis is a liquidity provider for CME Grop for Bitcoin futures, Bitcoin options, Micro Bitcoin futures and Ether futures. In the second quarter of 2021, the Genesis counterparty base grew by 15%, including the notable addition of large institutional investors looking to enter the crypto derivatives market for the first time, according to the Genesis Q2 2021 Market Observations Report. During Q2 2021, Genesis traded $29 billion of spot volume, a year-over-year increase of 487%, and $8.5 billion of derivatives volume.



Learn more about emerging trends across institutional digital asset markets and download the Q2 2021 Market Observations Report. "As one of the first firms to trade Bitcoin futures at CME Group, Akuna is excited to execute the first BTIC trade on CME Bitcoin futures with Genesis," added Trevor Bernard, Head of Digital Liquidity at Akuna Capital. "Akuna welcomes another avenue for the developing Bitcoin market to manage risk and express a view."

About Genesis Genesis is a full-service digital currency prime brokerage providing a single point of access for select qualified individuals and global institutional investors. Genesis combines unrivaled operational excellence, a seamless user experience, and best-in-class client service to provide the full suite of services global investors require to manage their digital asset portfolios. The firm offers sophisticated market participants a fully-integrated platform to trade, borrow, lend, and custody digital assets, creating new opportunities for yield while increasing capital efficiency for counterparties. Genesis is a wholly owned subsidiary of Digital Currency Group (DCG), one of the largest private investors in blockchain and digital asset companies. For more information on Genesis, please visit genesistrading.com and follow @GenesisTrading on Twitter (News - Alert) . About Akuna Capital Founded in Chicago in 2011 with a focus on options market making using its industry-leading proprietary technology, Akuna now employs over 450 people with offices in Chicago, Sydney, Shanghai and Boston. Akuna has been trading cryptocurrency since 2017 with teams trading spot, futures and options. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210926005057/en/

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The Border Wall of former Prez Trump has fallen and now activists seek local solutions to a growing Kansas City population of refugees.



Recently Mayor Q has invited Afghan refugees to KC.

The city hall honcho has also welcomed Haitians.

After a shooting earlier this year Mayor Q extended his love to the local Somali immigrant community.

Whilst Mayor Q has rebuked the longstanding Latino residents of Kansas City, he has a penchant for newer Mexican and Central American arrivals . . . His Spanish is actually quite good and is only outdone by his salsa dance moves.

However . . .

Kind words aren't enough to please local activists.

Remember . . .



As part of his "racial justice" campaign platform, Mayoral Winner Quinton Lucas promised to work toward a KCMO Municipal ID Card that provides residents identification regardless of immigration status

With growing refugee populations in KCMO . . . Now might be the time for that power move along with some form of assurance that new arrivals will not be targeted for non-violent offenses.

The term "sanctuary" city is out of favor and activists now prefer the term "safe cities" . . . An explanation:

Theres no single definition of what is a sanctuary city, but generally speaking, its a city (or a county, or a state) that limits its cooperation with federal immigration enforcement agents in order to protect low-priority immigrants from deportation, while still turning over those who have committed serious crimes. This is why we prefer the term safe cities.

Accordingly . . . Expect to see this terminology in future immigration pronouncements from Mayor Q as Kansas City welcomes new friends from around the world.



Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com news links . . .

VP compares images of agents pushing back Haitian migrants to slavery Harris said she was 'outraged' by images she saw She compared it to behavior 'used against African Americans during times of slavery' Images showed border agents using horses to push back Haitian immigrants who gathered in Del Rio, Texas Biden in his own comments Friday called the images 'horrible to see' Also said 'we have to do more' but did not provide specifics on asylum Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday compared images of US Border Patrol Agents seeking to push back Haitian immigrants gathered in Del Rio Texas to the brutality of slavery.

Chinese Propaganda Machine Capitalizes on Concocted Border Patrol 'Whip' Narrative | National Review The crisis at the southern border has proven to be not only a humanitarian disaster and logistical problem for border states and federal government, but a propaganda coup for America's adversaries. Seizing upon misleading coverage and the apologetic Biden administration's rhetoric, the Global Times, the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) English-language outlet, has taken to comparing the actions of Border Control agents to those of 19th century slave owners.

Judge says Florida ban on 'sanctuary cities' unconstitutional (Reuters) - A federal judge has ruled that a Florida law banning municipalities from adopting "sanctuary" policies for immigrants in the U.S. illegally is unconstitutional, with her decision relying in part on support for the law among "anti-immigrant hate groups." U.S.

Border Patrol Outraged by Biden's Scapegoating: 'He Just Started a War' President Biden earned the ire of Border Patrol agents on Friday after endorsing the false claim that they were recorded "whipping" migrants who were attempting to cross the Rio Grande into Del Rio, Texas, earlier this week.

Climate change is intensifying the US border crisis. It will only get worse Climate migration will become more likely as the planet warms and people seek places they consider safer and more economically stable.

Developing . . .
Luckily the prizes are good for career advancement and not based on dwindling ad sales, subscriptions and circulations as the written word become far less important in the age of social media stalking former high school enemies.



Accordingly . . .



Here's a bit of awards season braggadocio that was mostly unnoticed outside of a small clique of news junkies who also read this blog for giggles.



Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com news links . . .

Kansas City Star wins first place for best investigative reporting and news series The Kansas City Star was recognized by the Missouri Press Association for the Better Newspaper Contest Awards in 34 categories including best investigative reporting and best news series. Reporters Laura Bauer and Judy Thomas received first place in investigative reporting for their work on faith-based residential facilities, which are allowed to operate without a license in Missouri.

The Independent wins nine journalism awards in annual Missouri Press contest * Missouri Independent The Missouri Independent won nine awards Saturday - including two first place awards for coverage of government and breaking news - in the annual Missouri Press Association Better Newspaper Contest. The awards were presented at the association's annual convention in Excelsior Springs. The Independent competed in the Dailies Class 2 category.

Developing . . .
Right now we share a "moment" with hottie Adriana who has inspired this blast of pop culture, community news and top headlines.

Check the www.TonysKansasCity.com collection . . .

Deadly Blast Aftermath

1 killed in explosion Saturday afternoon KANSAS CITY, Mo. - One person was killed in an explosion Saturday at AM Auto Shop, according to Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department Sgt. Jonathan Rivers. Officers were dispatched to the 3800 block of E. 9th Street just before 1 p.m. on a reported explosion.

IT DOESN'T!!!

Learn how city government works By John Sharp Neighborhood leaders and other KCMO residents who want to learn more about how city government works and how they can access city programs and services to help their neighborhoods should seriously consider participating in this fall's free Community Engagement University (CEU).

Another Gunfire Report

Kansas City police investigating life-threatening shooting at gas station KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department is investigating a shooting at a gas station near east 31st Street. Officers responded to a shooting call just before 6 a.m. on Saturday morning. A KSHB 41 News photographer reported a scene at the gas station but it wasn't immediately clear if the shooting happened there.

Golden Ghetto Cope With Ongoing Plague Impact

How Johnson County Hospitals Are Trying To Cope With Staffing Shortages And Nurse Burnout As COVID-19 transmission in Johnson County continues to remain high, area hospitals and their staffs are still working around the clock to treat and discharge patients, roughly a year-and-a-half into the pandemic. The struggle to endure long shifts and multiple days working can be physically taxing and mentally draining, health officials say.

Show-Me New Sickness Arriving

Missouri wastewater samples used to track Mu variant of COVID-19 ST. LOUIS (KMOV.com) - A team in Missouri collects sewage samples weekly to track COVID-19 trends. Throughout the pandemic, wastewater trends were used to detect COVID variants, like Delta, before we started seeing more cases. Missouri's Bureau Chief of Environmental Epidemiology Jeff Wenzel told News 4 they are monitoring wastewater samples for the Mu variant.

Celebrating Panty Pivot

Adriana Lima Trades Her Angel Wings for New Savage x Fenty in a Daring Lace Set Adriana Lima is proving once and for all why she is the ultimate lingerie model. The former Victoria Secret Angel traded her wings for Rihanna's Savage x Fenty line this week, posing in pieces from the brand's Vol. 3 show on Amazon Prime Video.

Hotness Is Universal

The Internet Has Thoughts About Adriana Lima's Cultural Appropriation And hella inappropriate Instagram caption. Adriana Lima is getting some heat after posting racially insensitive photo to Instagram. On Thursday, the former Victoria's Secret angel posted a pic with a braided hairstyle that the internet is calling out as cultural appropriation.

FREE MONEY FINALE!!!

Opinion: Biden's presidency comes down to this Biden's agenda could come apart at the seams next week as Democrats face a looming government shutdown, the threat of a federal debt default and the potential implosion of either the infrastructure bill or the $3.5 trillion spending package, writes Julian Zelizer.

MAGA Demands Secrecy



Executive privilege fight poses hurdles for Trump Former faces significant hurdles in his effort to use executive privilege to block the Jan. 6 committee's subpoenas for executive branch documents and testimony from his former aides. After the panel issued a new round of subpoenas Thursday night seeking testimony from his former advisers, Trump renewed his threat to fight the investigative demands using claims of executive privilege.

Immigration Debate Uncancelled

Fresh calls for Fox News to fire Tucker Carlson over 'replacement theory' After the Anti-Defamation League renewed its call for Tucker Carlson to be fired from Fox News for voicing the racist "great replacement" theory about immigration, the primetime host had a pithy response: "Fuck them." Carlson was speaking to the former Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly on Sirius XM.

German Socialism Rises Again



Germany's election race is too close to call as Socialists' poll lead narrows With just a handful of days until Germans vote in the federal election on Sunday, the latest poll shows the gap narrowing between the top two contenders. While Germany's Social Democratic Party (SPD) remains in front, a new poll by Insa for the German newspaper Bild has found the gap is narrowing.

Latest Peace Plan Develops

In Reversal, Israel's New Government Engages With Palestinian Authority The government has held high-level meetings with Palestinian officials and aided the Palestinians economically, a sharp change from the previous government. Since the government took office in June, other ministers have met with their Palestinian counterparts and Israeli officials said they were taking an array of concrete steps to benefit Palestinians economically, increase security cooperation and to change some policies that had been denounced as discriminatory.

Today's Tabloid Distraction

Gabby Petito homicide: For Dog the Bounty Hunter, search for Brian Laundrie is personal FIRST ON FOX: Dog the Bounty Hunter arrived at Brian Laundrie's parents' home Saturday, knocked on the door and met silence - but he's already picked up a scent. "The reason I went to Mr. [Christopher] Laundrie is I carry a reputation with me," he told Fox News Digital moments later.

Diva Displays Virtuosity

Latto Faces Off Against "Big Energy" Critics: "A B*tch Show Versatility" - Rap Basement Her fans are reveling in her "Big Energy" single as the track seems to usher in a new season for the rapper. After dropping her "Mulatto" moniker following years of controversy, Big Latto stepped out earlier this year and announced she switched things up.

Disclosure: Sex Life Before Bubba

My ex was sleeping with Monica Lewinsky before she bedded Bill Clinton In 1997, Kate Nason, then Bleiler, found out her husband Andy Bleiler was having two affairs: one with a colleague and another with a family friend named Monica Lewinsky. Yes, that Monica. "I had suspected my then-husband was having an affair with a co-worker," Nason told The Post.

Getting Saturday Steps

Hispanic Heritage Month: Ballet Folklorico the lessons behind dance For more than 30 years, this dance studio has been teaching students of all ages the culture of Mexican Ballet Folklorico dance.The sound of music and heels clicking is a small part of what goes into traditional Mexican Ballet Folklorico. Director at Baila Baila!

Congressman E.C. Shares More Free Cash From D.C.

Rep. Emanuel Cleaver visits KCMO Emergency Rental Assistance Center's first weekend session Kansas City opened the Emergency Rental Assistance Center earlier this month to help residents walk through the rental and utility assistance application process - 81% of the $12 million given to the program by the federal government has been used. About 136 people have been helped so far.

Kansas City Pop Culture Victory

Why Jackie Nguyen is planning a permanent stop, safe space for Cafe Ca Phe in Columbus Park Cafe Ca Phe, known for its mobile Vietnamese cafe and specialty drinks containing flavors of ube and matcha, has built its name within the local pop-up community - either organizing or attending more than 80 events in the past 12 months, Nguyen noted. "The pop-up culture has been our bread and butter," she shared.

Golden Ghetto Doggies Play Nice

Overland Park repealing pit bull ban a 'tremendous win' for shelters KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Fifteen years after it was put in place, breed-specific legislation banning pit bulls from the City of Overland Park has been repealed - partly because of a petition started by a then 17-year-old Blue Valley girl. Taylor Walton filed a petition in 2018 to repeal the ban, and thousands of people rallied in support.

Katie Shares Weekend Forecast

A nice fall day before the heat returns Hide Transcript Show Transcript SIGNS ARE POINTING TO FALL IN THGNS ARE POINTING TO FALL IN E AIR THE PLAZA ART FAIR KATIE FRIDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL BUT HOMECOMINGS, BUT SUMMER IS STILL STICKING AROUND SAYING NO. NO, NOT THEM WITH ME. YET NOW TODAY IS GOING TO BE A BEAUTIFUL AUTNUM DAY.

Latto - Big Energy is the song of the day and this is the OPEN THREAD for right now.
A quick peek at headlines we're checking from around the metro . . .



Check the TKC Sunday compilation . . .

This Day Trip Won't Save Your Doomed Marriage Or Unhappy Family, But It'll Be Fun Anyhoo



Don't miss these fall festivals and events in the Kansas City area by: Makenzie Koch Posted: / Updated: KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The weather is cooling down in Kansas City, and it's officially fall. Soon, we'll see the leaves start changing color, and we'll be turning our heaters on. The fall calendar is full of things to do, especially if you're a fan of apple cider, craft fairs, jousting knights or warm chili.

Coffee Tradition Explored

Yerba Mate Offers a Mellow Buzz and a Sense of Community Miel Castagna-Herrera of Cafe Corazon lines up four gourd-shaped thermal cups containing dusky green and straw-colored yerba mate blends from Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay to demonstrate an age-old ritual.

Last Picture Show Shut Down

KCMO City Council's Neighborhood Planning and Development passes project for Boone Theater Wednesday KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The Kansas City, Missouri, City Council's Neighborhood Planning and Development Committee passed a project that will redevelop the historic Boone Theater in the 18th and Vine District. The plans for the theater include an outdoor event space and co-working space on vacant land to the east of the lot, according to a release from the city.

Golden Ghetto Gets More Expensive

Mission voters approve sales tax increase by: Sydnie Holzfaster Posted: / Updated: MISSION, Kan. - Mission voters have approved a city-wide sales tax increase that will go into effect next year. With 1,631 votes cast in the mail-in election, voters approved increasing the city's current 1/4-cent sales tax to a 3/8-cent tax to fund city street maintenance.

She's Gone

Raytown resident fighting to keep 'goose woman' display in yard RAYTOWN, Mo. - Is this an eccentric art project or a public nuisance? That's a difference of opinion between a Raytown woman and the city. Hanna Albina says she got tired of receiving what she calls petty code violations from the city, so she decided to create a goose woman display in her front yard.

Doing Biz In The Dotte

One-stop-shop for entrepreneurs opens in KCK KANSAS CITY, Kan. - A new Entrepreneurial Resource and Training Center opened in Kansas City, Kansas, on Wednesday. It will offer a myriad of resources for potential business owners, from training classes to financial advisors to small business loans. There are also 10 office spaces for rent.

Food Help Info For Kansas

Increased food assistance is here to stay; How much are you eligible for? Increased food benefits in Kansas are now permanent, according to the Kansas Department for Children and Families. The department announced this week that residents who receive food assistance will benefit from a permanent increase in the maximum benefit amount beginning Oct. 1.

Show-Me Drought Strategies

Strategies To Meet Future Water Demands and Improve Drought Resiliency Identified in Upper Missouri River Basin Study The Bureau of Reclamation released the Missouri River Headwaters Basin Study that provides options to meet the increased water demand and a change in the timing of the snowmelt runoff in the Missouri River Basin above Fort Peck Reservoir. The basin covers about 50,000 square miles and is the primary

More Cash For Inner Suburbs

Blue Springs adopts $15 minimum wage for municipal employees KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The city of Blue Springs will now pay its employees a $15 minimum wage after the City Council adopted an $83.5-million budget for the 2021-22 fiscal year Monday. The budget, which goes into effect Oct. 1, also includes increased funding for several road projects, additional infrastructure improvements and outlines the next phase of projects at municipal parks.

Nice Story About Paul

Hispanic Heritage Month: Meet the Kansas City community leader who mobilized Latinos to vote As part of Project Community and Hispanic Heritage Month, KMBC 9 News is highlighting people across the country who are celebrating their heritage and history.One Kansas City community leader mobilized Latinos to vote and run for office. Paul Rojas was also the first Latino elected to state office in Missouri.His last name, Rojas, is proudly displayed around his home on Kansas City's westside.

Blue Line Bar Celebrated

'More than a bar and winery': Lee's Summit business survives COVID serving higher purpose Headquarters Micro-Winery & Pub in Lee's Summit serves Military and First Responder community

Game Day Forecast

FORECAST: Kansas City will have perfect tailgating weather Sunday morning Temperatures will drop into the 60s overnight with many areas waking up in the mid to upper 50s by daybreak Sunday. Sunday afternoon offers up a mostly sunny sky, breezy southwest winds and warmer temperatures. Highs will climb into the mid to upper 80s for most.

No Doubt - Sunday Morning is the song of the day and this is the OPEN THREAD for right now.
Cross the border into Germany to discover the picture-perfect Bavarian Alps and the gravity-defying Eagle's Nest. Marvel at the scenic beauty of Germany's Obersalzberg region and take a leisurely stroll on the enchanting cobbled streets of Berchtesgaden. Listen as your guide describes the key role this region played during World War II before embarking on a specialized bus to the Eagle's Nest. After a gravity-defying bus trip and a speedy lift ride, you reach the mountain's summit, 6,017 feet (1,834 m) in the air. Presented to Hitler as a gift on his 50th birthday, the Eagle's Nest was used as a conference center and then as an Allied command post after World War II. Explore the old conference room, dining area, and small tea room, and take in the stunning view from the terraces. Once refreshed by the mountain air, continue to Berchtesgadena postcard-perfect town considered among the most scenic towns in Europebefore making your way back to Salzburg.
Hi

I am to travel to croatia next week with British Airways and I was wondering if Croatia would accept antigen self test from a private company like chronomics or randox etc ?

The UK govt website mentions an antigen test 48 hours before or PCR test 72 hours before arrival.

However, through further research I came across a document on the Croatian website which lists approved manufacturers accepted by EU and also mentioned that antigen self tests are not recognised. Has anyone travelled to croatia from UK with an antigen home self test for entry to croatia?

My friend went to Croatia recently and told me that they don't even look at your result so I am wondering if they would care if its a at self administered at home test?
Good for: Special Occasion Dining, Bar Scene, Business meetings, Romantic, Groups

Dining options: After-hours, Dinner, Reservations

Neighbourhood: Central Area/City Area

Description: CUT at the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore is the third location for master chef and restaurateur Wolfgang Puck's critically acclaimed steakhouse concept. Providing the finest range in beef selections, grilled over hard wood and charcoal, CUT is home to the true steak connoisseur. Choices from around the globe include USDA Prime, Australian Angus, and Wagyu selections from United States, Australia and Japan, and currently offering the uniquely marbled Snow Beef from Uenae Lake Farms, Hokkaido Japan. Our sophisticated menu is complemented by a range of produce and ingredients sourced directly from the Santa Monica's Farmer's Market in Southern California giving guests in Singapore an unparalleled experience of fine food, all while served in a hip, contemporary atmosphere. CUT also features a bar & lounge providing a menu spanning over 50 original, handcrafted cocktails and our "Rough CUTs" lounge menu of delectable bar snacks: open daily from 5:30 P.M. Onward.
Neighbourhood: Marina Centre

Description: Located on level three of The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore, the name Colony alludes to the seafarious voyage that the British took to travel to the East Indies for trade and commerce in the late eighteenth century. Vintage maps and postcards which adorn the walls and decorative ornate leafing evoke the nostalgia of a bygone era, while eight different open concept kitchens, coupled with 'live' culinary showmanship, will bring diners on a multi-sensory journey through Singapore's heritage cuisines including Malaysian, Indonesian, Indian, Chinese and Western, with dishes that reflect the flavours of the nation's rich colonial past. Colony can seat a maximum of 260 persons and boasts a dynamic space that can be configured to accommodate groups of various sizes. The restaurant will offer breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner daily, and vintage Champagne brunch on Sundays.
This was not a tour. It was not organized. It was like going with a friend and lets see if this place is open or not. First stop BBC good choice. Then, we go to the next place. It was closed. So we walk for 50 minutes to another bar in the drizzle. Drinks were good but guide didnt know the menu and how to order. Guide left when she came back says good news , the other two places are open. Nice guide, but this is what I think. Google will take me from bar to bar without paying $43 dollars . A professional tour should have prepared in advanced the tour and foreseen what is ahead.

I have taken several tours with Viator , which were good. This one didnt meet the expectations.
Some online classes for forms four to six have ceased in Tobago. This, as a directive has co
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba has received a Kenyan delegation, which is currently visiting Ukraine.

The meeting took place in the context of intensifying our state's relations with African countries in order to fulfill the tasks of Ukraine's Foreign Policy Strategy, the ministry's press service,

"Ukraine and Kenya are united by long-term ties of friendship and mutual respect. Our country is already well known among Kenyans due to quality education. We have all the prerequisites to strive for more: to strengthen political dialogue, increase trade, and fulfill tourism potential, Kuleba stressed.

Kuleba extended an invitation to his Kenyan counterpart to pay a visit to Ukraine as soon as the epidemic situation stabilizes.

In addition, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Senik and Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kenya Ababu Namwamba held political consultations. They discussed in detail the steps to intensify relations between Ukraine and Kenya in the political, trade, cultural, educational, tourism, and humanitarian spheres, and carried out an audit of draft bilateral agreements that are under consideration by the parties.

An important topic of political consultations was the interaction between Ukraine and Kenya within international organizations, in particular in the context of Kenya's presidency of the UN Security Council in October 2021.

The parties also paid special attention to the increase in trade. They agreed on a visit of a Ukrainian business mission to Kenya in order to establish direct contacts between Ukrainian and Kenyan businesses. The business mission will be organized via the Council of Exporters and Investors at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.

Senik also confirmed Ukraine's interest in increasing the number of Kenyan students.

As a reminder, the first round of political consultations at the level of deputy foreign ministers of Ukraine and Kenya took place in Nairobi on December 1, 2016.

In 2020, the volume of trade in goods and services between Ukraine and Kenya amounted to USD 92.1 million. Ukraine's positive balance was USD 65.1 million. In the first half of 2021, the volume of trade in goods and services between the countries amounted to USD 56.2 million.

According to the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, 132 Kenyan citizens studied in higher education institutions of Ukraine in 2020.

ish
Ukraine can be economically attractive in various industries, including digital services.

This was stated by Deputy Minister of Economy, Trade Representative Taras Kachka who spoke at the YES Brainstorming Forum in Kyiv on Saturday, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"In the future, well also offer digital services because they are in our portfolio and they are greater than energy resources. We profit twice as much off of digital services compared to gas transmission," Kachka said.

He also stressed Ukraine's role in ensuring food security.

In addition, Ukraine can be a partner of the United States and European countries in metallurgy, including in steel production through eco-friendly technology.

"In any sector of the economy, we have a lot to offer and discuss with the world at large. That is why Ukraine is becoming more economically attractive," Kachka said.

The trade envoy believes the application of European rules in Ukraine can help localize production of major corporations in the country.

As reported, the Ministry of Economy believes that involving the private sector in public-private partnership projects will in the coming years contribute to a significant increase in investment in various sectors of Ukraine's economy.

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Presidents Office chief Andriy Yermak on Friday had a phone call with U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, Robin Dunnigan.

Thats according to the press service of the Presidents Office, Ukrinform reports.

Yermak greeted Dunnigan with the new appointment and wished success in her endeavor. The interlocutors exchanged views on the results of the visit of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky to the United States and next steps to implement the agreements reached and further strengthen the strategic partnership between Ukraine and the United States. They also discussed preparations for the meeting of the renewed Strategic Partnership Commission, the report says.

The parties also discussed further cooperation in the energy sector, while Yermak stressed Russias use of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline as a weapon.

During the call, the parties touched upon the issues of corporate governance reform in Ukraine. Yermak briefed the U.S. official of the governments intention to announce in the coming days a competition for the posts of four independent members of the Supervisory Board at NJSC Naftogaz of Ukraine.

Also, Yermak shared Ukraine's views on the current state of negotiations toward a peaceful settlement in eastern Ukraine and discussed with Dunnigan the security situation along Ukraine's borders.

It is noted that Dunnigan thanked Ukraine for the effective cooperation on the evacuation from Afghanistan, including of at-risk individuals. Yermak assured the interlocutor of the countrys readiness to further coordinate efforts and cooperate on the Afghanistan issue.

As reported earlier, U.S. President Joe Biden's administration had tapped Robin Dunnigan, a career diplomat with a background in energy, to oversee policy for Central and Eastern Europe at the Department of State.

Dunnigan, who served as deputy assistant secretary for energy diplomacy in the State Department's Bureau of Energy Resources from 2014 to 2017, will help craft policy toward Ukraine, Belarus, and Moldova, as well as Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic.

She had been serving at the U.S. Embassy in Vienna for the past three years, first as deputy chief of mission and most recently as charge d'affaires to Austria.

Dunnigan was an early critic of Russian plans to lay the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.

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Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, Oleksiy Danilov, says the Ukrainian Army is capable of liberating the occupied east of Ukraine by military means and go for hostilities to regain Crimea, while the Ukrainian government is not yet going to take such a step.

The statement came during Danilovs interview with Radio Svoboda, Ukrinform reports.

Our Armed Forces are capable of purging the territory of Donetsk and Luhansk regions. We can fight for the territory of Crimea. But we must keep in mind that we cant allow tens, hundreds of thousands of people dying in such military missions. Thats because we just have an understanding of where that limit is. But this doesnt mean that we wont do this if required, Danilov said.

The security official has explained that the NSDC has so far approved five scenarios for the developments in Crimea and Donbas. So far, Ukraine adheres to the first one: it is trying to regain own territories through political and diplomatic means.

Next well see what happens, said the official.

He added that Russia is currently failing to fulfill any agreements, including those adopted in Paris in 2019 on the opening of crossing checkpoints.

Read also: MPs call on the world to condemn new wave of repression in occupied Crimea

As Ukrinform earlier reported, the SBU recorded a mass illegal issue to Ukrainian citizens in certain districts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Russian passports, organized by the occupation authorities to ensure higher voter turnout in September elections to the Russian State Duma.

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A total of 28 new shelters for victims of domestic violence will be opened across Ukraine this year, along with daycare centers and an emergency response service.

Thats according to Ukraines First Lady Olena Zelenska who spoke in an interview with Korrespondent, Ukrinform reports.

According to the presidents spouse, in Europe regulations mandate a place in the shelter for every 10,000 population, while Ukraine earlier this year had only 16 shelters across the country, and not even in every region.

"In 2021, were making a real leap  according to the action plan approved by the Cabinet of Ministers, 28 new shelters are to have been set up by December. In addition, daycare centers will be established: so that if someone hasnt made up their mind to leave home, it is possible to come for a consultation so that none of the neighbors or family are aware. A rapid response service is being created: 40 mobile teams that are supposed to deal with domestic violence exclusively. Forty cars will be purchased for their needs, "said the first lady.

Zelenska recalled that in mid-summer, the government allocated a subvention of about UEH 275 million (nearly US$ 10 million) to finance the launch of shelters, daycare centers, and special services within the police.

In addition, the head of state's spouse stressed that psychological assistance should also be provided to victims of domestic violence.

"A victim of domestic violence is welcome to call the 15-47 hotline. They can call social services. And then they will be offered to contact a shelter. Another option is where the social service calls the police and they take her to the shelter. Over there, persons are able to receive first legal aid, especially if they simply have no IDs. They are allowed to stay there for three to six months. They have everything necessary for children," Zelenska explained.

The first lady said that the current trend of domestic violence is "frightening", having become especially apparent amid lockdown.

The first lady stressed that in Ukraine, its mostly women who become victims of domestic violence. Although recently we are starting to find out that many men are also exposed to physical violence by women in families. Its psychological violence, above all," she said.

Zelenska stressed that the governments task in this area is to protect victims and punish perpetrators, and also to change victims attitude to the problem, explaining that speaking up about violence is nothing to be ashamed of and that violence is not the norm.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, on April 14, the government approved the National Barrier-Free Strategy and established a Council to control and monitor its implementation.

Ukraine received the official status of a member of Biarritz Partnership, an International Initiative for Equal Rights and Opportunities, in September 2020.

The accession to the Partnership for Peace was initiated by the First Lady of Ukraine in December 2019.

The national strategy for creating a barrier-free space, initiated by Olena Zelenska, is aimed at creating conditions for equal access to public space for citizens with temporary or permanent limited mobility and other challenged categories.

Photo: Olena Zelenska, Facebook

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Ukraine has successfully delivered the last batch of humanitarian aid to the Republic of Lithuania.

The Ukrainian Ministry for Foreign Affairs reported this on Twitter, Ukrinform reports.

Ukraine has successfully delivered to  the last portion of the humanitarian assistance provided according to the President @ZelenskyyUas Decree. We are always ready to help our strategic partners.  &  - always together! pic.twitter.com/BSKijoGDeK  MFA of Ukraine  (@MFA_Ukraine) September 15, 2021

Ukraine has successfully delivered to Lithuania the last portion of the humanitarian assistance provided according to the President Zelenskys Decree. We are always ready to help our strategic partners. Ukraine and Lithuania are always together! reads the report.

As reported, on August 12, Ukraine sent the humanitarian cargo for the security needs of the Republic of Lithuania.

In late May, Alexander Lukashenko stated that Minsk would no longer detain illegal immigrants trying to enter the European Union through Belarus. In early July, Vilnius declared a nationwide state of emergency in the country. Lithuania was the first to accuse Minsk of "hybrid aggression."

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Suabo, a midwife from Quissanga district in Mozambique's Cabo Delgado Province, was forced to flee violence in her home village in November 2020.  UNHCR/Juliana Ghazi

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, remains gravely concerned for the safety of civilians in northern Mozambique as armed conflict and insecurity in the coastal city of Palma continues to displace thousands of people, two and a half months after a brutal attack by non-state armed groups. People are fleeing daily in a desperate search for safety both in Mozambique and across the border in Tanzania.

Those fleeing have told UNHCR staff that the situation in Palma remains very unstable, with regular gunfire at night and torching of houses.

Some 70,000 people have fled Palma since 24 March, bringing the total number of displaced in Cabo Delgado province to nearly 800,000 according to humanitarian estimates.

UNHCR continues to advocate for the internally displaced to receive protection and assistance in Mozambique and for vulnerable people seeking safety in neighbouring Tanzania to access asylum.

The ongoing insecurity has forced thousands of families to seek refuge in the south of Cabo Delgado and Nampula provinces. The districts of Nangade, Mueda, Montepuez, Ancuabe, Metuge, Balama, Namuno, Chiure, Mecufi, Ibo and Pemba continue to register new arrivals every day.

Thousands of others are reported to be stranded in very insecure areas around Palma with restricted humanitarian access. However, UNHCR and partner agencies were recently allowed access to some remote areas to help displaced people living in dire conditions. UNHCR continues to work with partners to assess their needs and provide life-saving assistance. We have distributed relief items to some 10,000 displaced people.

Many others have attempted to cross the river that marks the border with Tanzania to seek international protection.

According to Mozambican border authorities, more than 9,600 of them have been forcibly returned through the Negomano border point since January this year. Some 900 were pushed back into Mozambique in just a few days from 7 to 9 June. UNHCR teams have been supporting people arriving in a desperate condition, many separated from their family members.

Those pushed back from Tanzania end up in a dire situation at the border and are exposed to gender-based violence and health risks as many are sleeping in the open at night in extreme cold without blankets or a roof over their heads. There is an urgent need for emergency relief items including food.

UNHCR reiterates its call for those fleeing the conflict to have access to territory and asylum, and, in particular, for the principle of non-refoulement (no forced return) to be respected. Refugees must not be forced back into danger.

For more information on this topic, please contact:
On 13 January, Paul woke up to the sound of gunfire as rebels reached Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic (CAR). He knew it would not be long before they got to his neighbourhood.

It was happening again, said Paul, 28, who realized he would be forced to flee CAR for the second time.

Paul has now joined thousands of other refugees in Zongo, a town across the river from Bangui in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Insecurity and violence erupted in CAR after last Decembers presidential and parliamentary elections, forcing close to 250,000 people to flee. Most refugees  around 90,000  are in DRC, according to local authorities there. Others have fled to neighbouring Cameroon, Chad, and the Republic of the Congo, while more than 130,000 people remain displaced inside CAR.

Paul sits with his family as Pascaline prepares food over a fire outside their shelter.  UNHCR/Adrienne Surprenant

Pascaline gives her young son's face an early morning wash shortly after waking up.  UNHCR/Adrienne Surprenant

Pascaline and her children emerge from their shelter after a night's sleep.  UNHCR/Adrienne Surprenant

The first time Paul and his family were forced to flee was in 2014, a year after rebels ousted former President Francois Bozize, sparking reprisal attacks and years of brutal violence across the country.

Back then, Paul joined hundreds of thousands of others who fled their homes. He crossed the Ubangui river along the border of CAR and the DRC, watching in horror as overloaded boats capsized before people could reach safety.

I saw how people died in the water, he said.

Paul found safety in the DRC and spent six years living as a refugee in Mole, a camp in the countrys north. In February 2020, the family decided to return home with support from UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, as part of a voluntary repatriation programme. Paul crossed the same river  this time calmly and safely  to return to CAR.

"I could see people falling down dead."

For almost a year, Paul and his wife Pascaline supported their four children by producing and selling traditional palm wine. When the violence reached the capital that January night, he was afraid.

I could see people falling down dead. Some of them were my friends, Paul said.

Fleeing meant going back to a life of fear and uncertainty. For a few nights the family slept under the stars with no shelter. Paul worried his children would fall ill. They were always hungry, but the sound of gunshots on the other side of the river stopped Paul from going back to the fields they left behind.

These weapons always have an impact on the population, he said, staring down at an empty cooking pot as thin rays of light pierced the dry palm leaves that form the roof of his simple shelter. Look at the way we sleep with the children on the floor.

UNHCR is working with the government and partners to relocate thousands of refugees to safer, better equipped sites further from the border. The first site, which can house up to 10,000 refugees in Modale village, near Yakoma in North Ubangi province, is already under construction. A similar site close to Zongo is being identified.

See also: UNHCR to relocate thousands of Central African refugees to safer locations

When people come here, they have no shelter and are not far from the river. It is very cold, said Tiaani Kawa, an information management officer with UNHCR in Zongo. We are registering about 1,000 people a day, and then we give them blankets and other non-food items such as mosquito nets and mats to sleep on. The situation here is very precarious.

UNHCR is also taking steps to prevent the spread of COVID-19; distributing soap and buckets to refugees all along the border, as health and basic hygiene remain a major concern. As of 8 March, UNHCR and the government of DRC had registered close to 50,000 refugees newly arrived from CAR since January.

Paul helps other refugees build shelters and search for wood to earn a little money to buy food.

What I believe in my heart is that peace should return, because if there is no peace, there is no way we will go back to our village.
Zara, 30, arrived with her four children at the Doholo refugee camp. They fled violence in Central African Republic.  UNHCR/Simplice Kpandji

As fighting between government forces and rebel groups approached their home in Central African Republic (CAR), Zara and her husband made a quick decision. She would take the four children to the town of Markounda, a days walk away near the border of Chad, and he would meet them.

Once there, however, Zara, 30, had no time to wait. As armed men drew closer, she took the children across the border into Chad. There, in Doholo refugee camp in the town of Choda, she and her children set up a shelter made from branches and straw  and Zara got straight to work, selling crepes and doughnuts.

I had some savings which I took with me, and I was already selling crepes back in my country, Zara said. I needed to do something to cover the needs of my children, to feed them, put clothes on them. I need to give them a better future, even if we are in exile.

Surviving in exile ( Simplice Kpandji, Edith Champagne, Insa Diatta)

Fighting first erupted in CAR in 2013, after rebels ousted President Francois Bozize. Since then, the country has experienced sporadic but devastating violence that has forced close to 1.5 million (or nearly one in three Central Africans) to flee. The latest violence came after last Decembers presidential and parliamentary elections and displaced 250,000, many within their own country. Others, like Zara, have sought refuge in neighbouring countries such as Chad, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and elsewhere.

See also: Race against time to help thousands of Central African refugees

Despite COVID-19, Chadian authorities have kept the countrys border open and allowed access to asylum to some 8,500 refugees who fled since the beginning of this year.

After two weeks of quarantine in a centre built for the recent influx of refugees, 5,000 refugees were settled in Doholo, a nearby refugee camp already hosting 6,000 Central Africans who fled earlier violence in 2014.

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency is working with the government and partners to relocate thousands of refugees to safer, better equipped sites further from the border. UNHCR also provides refugees with core relief items, such as mats, mosquito nets and kitchen utensils, and helps refugee children enroll in schools.

"I need to give them a better future, even if we are in exile."

Zara, whose eldest daughter helps her after school, earns nearly US$ 1.5 daily, a small sum she supplements by selling sugar, spices and peanuts. It is barely enough for her family to get by, having fled with almost nothing. She would like mats for the family to sit on, as well as larger buckets so they could store enough water to not have to constantly fetch more. She also needs blankets as well shoes and school supplies for the children.

As the conflict drags on, Zara knows she will not be able to return home any time soon.

But until peace comes, she hopes at least to reunite with her husband, so our family can be whole again.
Under the shade of nodding acacia trees outside the University of Botswanas School of Medicine, first-year medical students Linda and Xolile*, relax after their final exam  and discuss a future that until recently did not seem possible.

The women are the only refugees in their university class  recipients of newly established scholarships that are providing opportunities to refugees living in Botswanas capital, Gaborone.

Life feels more secure than it did before coming to universitywe can make plans for the future, said Linda, who left Burundi as a baby with her mother in 1998 for South Africa. Ten years later, they fled to Botswana to escape unrest affecting foreign nationals in their Johannesburg neighbourhood.

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and its partner, Skillshare, have advocated to expand opportunities for high-performing refugee students, and are partnering with higher education institutions and the private sector in Botswana to offer scholarships to a growing handful of foreign students who, like Xolile, 19, and Linda, 22, receive high marks in secondary school.

Life feels more securewe can make plans for the future.

Refugees in Botswana attend local primary and secondary schools alongside Batswana children. Many excel in their studies, but their options after secondary school are limited. The government offers higher education scholarships to cover all or part of tuition costs for Batswana students whose marks meet the required threshold, and some universities offer scholarships to students from lower income families. But refugees have traditionally not received these opportunities. Most come from families who cannot afford higher education, so they end up back in the Dukwi refugee camp, where almost all of the 1,010 refugees in Botswana live. There, they have few job opportunities.

Zimbabwean refugee, Haskins, reads a book at Botho University's library in Gaborone, Botswana where he is doing Business Studies.  UNHCR/Kate Pond

Its hard being a kid in a refugee camp, said Xolile,19, who fled social unrest in Zimbabwe in 2008 with her mother and sister. My friends are all gone. Theyve been resettled to a third country, or theyve gone back to Zimbabwe. Our future is here, as doctors.

In the last year, the number of university places offered to refugees has multiplied. Last September, 15 refugee students were able to enrol with scholarships. Its a small number, but it represents a huge shift in how refugee students are treated in this country of 2.3 million.

It also serves as a reminder of the demand for higher education opportunities from displaced people around the world, which the non-profit, public and private sectors could help to fill.

In refugee communities across the world, the thirst for learning is as evident as it is in Dukwi. Progress lags behind demand, and while more than 77 per cent of refugee children are enrolled in primary school, that portion drops to 31 per cent in secondary school and only 3 per cent of young refugees enrol in higher education.

The COVID-19 pandemic threatens to reverse the small gains made. For girls in particular, the situation is bleak. Worldwide, many families feel forced to push their daughters into early marriage or to work in order to alleviate economic suffering.

Haskins, 25, fled Zimbabwe in 2008 and dreams of giving back to the country that gave his family shelter. Hes now the only foreign-born student in his class at Botho University in Gaborone, where he studies business management. After graduating, he hopes to say in the capital and provide for his mother and younger brother.

I want a better life for all of us, he said.

Haskins is the first refugee to receive a scholarship from Botho University but the school plans to offer more.

Golekanye Setume, the Deputy Pro-Vice Chancellor, sees these scholarships as an investment in the community and the future of Botswana.

I see Haskins integration into the almost-entirely Batswana student body as a successful first step. Next year, with UNHCRs support, one place will become two, he said.

Haskins, Linda and Xolile now feel invested in Botswana, and see their time at university as a transition towards a more secure future, plying their chosen trades in the capital.

I feel like a Motswana, Haskins said.

*Only first names have been used for protection reasons.
(@FahadShabbir)

ABU DHABI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 26th Sep, 2021) Mohamed Helal Al Mheiri, Director-General of the Abu Dhabi Chamber, and Michal Kovac, Ambassador of Slovakia to the UAE, have discussed enhancing UAE-Slovakia trade cooperation and economic relations.

During a meeting at Chamber's headquarters in Abu Dhabi, Al Mheiri said that Abu Dhabi Chamber is ready to increase joint cooperation between businesses in Abu Dhabi and their counterparts in Slovakia to achieve high growth rates, as well as benefitting from the new opportunities in digital innovation, modern technologies, research and development (R&D) and entrepreneurship.

He underscored Abu Dhabi Chamber's efforts to identify real investment opportunities for its members in Slovakia to increase trade exchange between their countries.

For his part, Ambassador Kovac praised the efforts of Abu Dhabi Chamber in providing all the necessary support to push the economic cooperation with his country forward. He highlighted the increased efforts in exploring new cooperation opportunities in many sectors of shared interest, including healthcare, energy, sustainable development, industry, infrastructure, innovation, future technology, and the fourth industrial revolution.

The Ambassador expressed high hopes in increasing visits between Emirati entrepreneurs and Slovakian counterparts to achieve shared objectives in growth and development.
ABU DHABI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 26th Sep, 2021) Abu Dhabi National Insurance Company (ADNIC) has contributed AED3 million to the Social Investment Fund, administered by the Authority of Social Contribution - Maan, to support the Abu Dhabi community in addressing its most pressing social challenges.

ADNICs contribution will help finance further social impact programmes and be used towards tackling key social causes such as health, employment, education, family and community and the environment, helping build a thriving third sector in Abu Dhabi and creating a lasting impact for people.

These priorities have been identified by the Department of Community Development  Abu Dhabi with the Fund being Abu Dhabis official Government channel to receive contributions from the public and private sectors and civil society.

Launched in 2020, the Fund is a key pillar of Maans work in driving social innovation with all contributions invested into providing sustainable funding that supports social challenges and needs. It is also part of the Authoritys on-going efforts to bring together the government, the private sector and civil society to solve key social challenges and contribute to the development of strong, active, inclusive and collaborative communities.

Ahmad Idris, CEO of ADNIC, said, "Cooperation is one of the key components of the Abu Dhabi and UAE community when it comes to addressing social challenges. Supporting social initiatives is one of our countrys long-standing values and we are continuously prioritising community work at ADNIC.

Salama Al Ameemi, Director-General of Maan, commented, "I would like to express my deep gratitude to Abu Dhabi National Insurance Company for their generous contribution towards the Social Investment Fund which will go a long way in making a meaningful difference to people that need our support to thrive."

ADNIC has supported more than five initiatives since the start of the year, alongside its ongoing partnerships with organisations across the UAE including the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation. The company also launched its wellness programme for employees to help support their mental, emotional and physical wellbeing.
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

DUBAI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 26th Sep, 2021) Dubai Airshow 2021 is set to host pitch competitions in partnership with major local and global aerospace entities, including Etihad Airways, Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC), Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Boeing Applied Innovation.

The partnerships aim to provide disruptive startups with an opportunity to showcase their innovative technologies and creative ideas, in support of initiatives launched by the aerospace entities.

The VISTA pitch competitions will run across three categories covering areas that are key for the continued growth of the industry: sustainability, space, and innovation. Startups will be offered the opportunity to present their solutions to the aerospace ecosystem, tech leaders and investors, across two days of live pitches, in a bid to work with the industrys leaders.

The sustainability challenge, held in conjunction with Etihad Airways, targets startups who can provide solutions that can lead to the reduction of indirect emissions, which occur throughout the entire supply chain of Etihad Airways ground and air operations, including cargo. The winner will be given an exclusive opportunity to pilot their idea live on Etihads Ecoflights plus 3 return business class tickets to any destination served by the Etihad Greenliner. The space challenge held in conjunction with MBRSC and AWS, invites startups to develop an end-to-end deep learning or machine learning model to automatically detect all the palm trees from RGB aerial imagery, with efficient computational time. The winners of the space challenge will be given AWS credits starting from the value of US$2,500 up to US$25,000. In addition, the VISTA Innovation Cup, invites ground-breaking startups from across the globe to pitch their product or solution to have a chance to win the title of the most Innovative Startup at Vista 2021.

Tim Hawes, Managing Director at Tarsus F&E LLC, organisers of Dubai Airshow 2021, said, "Through collaborating with some of the biggest Names in the aerospace industry for holding the VISTA competition, we provide startups with an unparalleled opportunity to learn from industry leaders. Entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to take part in supporting projects launched by global aerospace players, taking part in shaping the future of the aerospace industry, and paving the way to burgeoning their emerging startups."

Ayal Somech, Director at Boeings Applied Innovation team, the Strategic Sponsor for VISTA, said, "The aerospace and defence industries thrive on innovation and Boeing is committed to finding and funding startups with the potential for developing ground-breaking technology. As a sponsor of VISTA, we look forward to meeting with and mentoring startup teams that represent the future of our industry; the innovative work they do is vital to the future of aerospace."

The judging panel for the competitions represent global industry experts, including: Mariam AlQubaisi, Head of Sustainability and Business Excellence at Etihad Aviation Group; Turky Alhammadi, Head of Product Development and Delivery at Etihad Airways; Alya AlMaazmi, Head of Remote Sensing Applications Unit at MBRSC; more details can be found by the Dubai Airshow website.

VISTA, co-located within Dubai Airshow 2021, is the regions only event dedicated to aerospace startups. Launched by Dubai Airshow 2021, in partnership with Boeing Applied Innovation, VISTA will provide entrepreneurs with an unrivalled opportunity to connect with investors, partners, and mentors to launch, scale and grow their startups, and bolster the growth of the aerospace and defence industries.
ABU DHABI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 26th Sep, 2021) Etihad Airways will be operating more flights to Seychelles from October to provide holidaymakers and families with convenient travel options to the tropical island.

The national airline of the UAE will upgrade its Seychelles service from four to five weekly flights from 7th October, as well as operate seven additional services between 15th and 24th October to coincide with the half-term holidays.

Martin Drew, Etihads Senior Vice President Sales and Cargo, said, "Seychelles is a one-of-a-kind destination, and with vaccinated travellers in the UAE being able to fly there and back without quarantine, it is the perfect destination for a short getaway or a longer family holiday."

Travellers will need to present a negative PCR test before boarding Etihad Airways flights.
SHARJAH, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 26th Sep, 2021) The 10th edition of the International Government Communication Forum (IGCF), organised by the Sharjah Government Media Bureau (SGMB) at Expo Centre Sharjah, hosted a panel discussion titled Nature of storytelling and function in discourse on Sunday, September 26, to highlight the effectiveness of storytelling in successfully translating government discourses to communities.

Moderated by Lebanese television presenter, Malek Maktabi, the panel highlighted the role of storytelling in government communications and reviewed examples of successful storytelling strategies from the government. Speakers at the session included Al Saad Al Menhali, Editor-in-Chief, National Geographic Al Arabiya; Rashed Al Falahi, Advisory committee member - Dignified Storytelling; Nayla Al Khaja, Emirati writer, director, and producer; and Will Storr, bestselling author, storytelling speaker.

Highlighting credibility as the most important factor in government messaging, the panel discussed the other aspects that make for good storytelling. "It should have a human element that delves into the heart and gets instilled in peoples minds. Credibility, empathy and the impact it has on the target audience are the key factors here," said Al Menhali.

Al Falahi offered a short story to illustrate what makes for good strategies in government communication. His example highlighted a fundraising effort for disadvantaged children led by members divided into two groups  one that distributed a brochure with all facts and figures about the childrens problems, and the second, which shared an additional story about a child in Mali. The second group received twice as much funding as the first one.

"To be successful, the storytelling effort must be sticky  it must stick in our minds long after weve heard it," said Al Falahi. "In the context of government communications, you can publicise all the policies and projects you want, but its how you narrate the story of these policies, why they have come about and the ability to convey it to the right target audience, that makes for good promotional strategy.

"

For his part Storr said: "What storytelling adds is the right emotion, which is why its such an effective vehicle for delivering the message. Facts and figures are not the language of the heart. A key element of storytelling is understanding who we are communicating with, and an underrated one is specificity. For instance, how are you going to make the world a better place with your idea or policy?"

Transparent channels and efficient systems of creation and delivery also underpin the storytelling effort, said Al Khaja. "Working with government entities, I noticed something specific about what guarantees faster and better communication. The ones that give its managers the most freedom have the best end products. The message must also be clear without any excessive additions. The most important thing is to create a simple story, especially if you have to deliver it in less than two-minute segments for social media."

The panel highlighted the "Smile, you are in Sharjah" slogan and H.H. Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah's many books and media interviews, which are always enhanced with a personal touch on the topics, as great examples of storytelling.

The use of storytelling by the UAE government also revolves around the messages it seeks to present through the narrative, the panelists said. While establishing ministries for the Youth or Tolerance itself is a winning one in the first place, it also makes for a highly intuitive and interesting approach to governance. The UAE has also been using storytelling as a platform to spread soft diplomacy, Al Falahi noted.
ABU DHABI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 26th Sep, 2021) The UAE will celebrate World Tourism Day on 27th September, held this year under the theme, "Tourism for Inclusive Growth," as the country remains a comprehensive and inspiring model in addressing the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic, and has become one of the fastest recovering countries from the crisis.

The UAE is expecting a promising tourism season as Expo 2020 Dubai, which is one of the most important and momentous events in the world, transforming the country for six months into a leading global destination that will attract millions of visitors from over 190 countries.

The UAE has gradually resumed regular activities in the tourism sector and started welcoming tourists from around the world. It also announced that fully vaccinated tourists will be allowed to enter the country.

The high occupancy rate of tourism establishments underscores the recovery of the countrys tourism sector and the significant trust in its procedures, aimed at ensuring the highest levels of health and safety for tourists.

Industry statistics have shown a significant increase in the total revenues of hotels, as well as their occupancy rates, reaching AED11.3 billion and 62 percent occupancy in the first half of 2021, compared to AED8.6 billion and 53.6 percent in the first half of 2020.

The total number of hotel guests in the first half of 2021 amounted to 8.3 million from around the country, a 15 percent increase compared to the same period in the previous year, while local hotel guests in the first half of 2021 numbered 2.3 million, compared to 1.3 million in the same period of 2020.

The UAEs tourism sector is a key income source for its diversification policy, contributing over AED161 billion to GDP, which is expected to rise to AED234.2 billion in 2027. Domestic tourism contributed AED41 billion to the national economy last year with expectations that it will continue to increase.

The UAE recently adopted several decisions and procedures aimed at modernising the tourism and travel sector and accelerating its recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, including the launch of long-term and multiple entry visas.

The UAE also launched a joint action plan between the Ministry of Economy and local tourism departments and authorities, aimed at increasing the number of international tourists and opening new tourism markets by launching widespread promotional campaigns promoting promising destinations.

Coinciding with the countdown to Expo 2020 Dubai, hotel reservations around the country witnessed a surge in demand, with many hotels located near the event having a 100 percent occupancy rate.

For the first time, the UAE recently obtained the support of member states of the World Tourism Organisation Regional Committee for membership in its Executive Council.

The impact of COVID-19 on tourism will cost the world economy US$4 trillion. Developing countries will be among the most affected ones, according to World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO).

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a massive social and economic impact. Both developed and developing economies have been hit. And marginalized groups and the most vulnerable have been hit hardest of all. The restart of tourism will help kickstart recovery and growth. It is essential that the benefits this will bring are enjoyed widely and fairly.

Tourism is a recognised pillar of most  if not all  the Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs), particularly Goals 1 (no poverty), 5 (gender equality), 8 (decent work and economic growth) and 10 (reduce inequalities).

On this World Tourism Day, the COVID-19 pandemic represents an opportunity to rethink the future of the tourism sector. Tourism has a unique ability to make sure nobody is left behind, as recognised by the Second Principle of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its SDGs.
NEW DELHI, 26 Sept (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 26th Sep, 2021 ) :- Ecologists in India feel the thrust for huge river valley projects and multipurpose dams is jeopardizing the country's already imperiled rivers and uprooting indigenous people.

Under the current regime, various laws are being violated and amended to ease projects which are unconstitutional and inhuman and they assault the riverine population without ensuring that they get their life with primacy, said India's leading environmental activist.

"That's why displacement is taking place. This is an indirect displacement when their sources of livelihood are getting affected," Medha Patkar, who is the founder of Narmada Bachao Andolan (Save Narmada River) told Anadolu Agency to mark World Rivers Day.

World Rivers Day is celebrated on the fourth Sunday in September every year to increase public awareness about rivers and to encourage conservation.

- Farmers losing means of livelihood Patkar, who founded the NGO in 1985, has advocated for causes of farmers, tribes and women. "The forest dwellers are getting affected, the boatmen are getting affected, the fishermen are getting affected and the farmers who have been using river water all through are losing their means of livelihood," she said.

Narmada Bachao Andolan is a movement spanning more than three-and-a-half decades, against dam projects on the Narmada River in the states of Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. Thousands of people have been displaced because of the construction of big and small dams.

Patkar not only is opposed to the construction of dams but fought for displaced people who were not compensated or properly rehabilitated despite apex court decisions. During her fight, she has been arrested several times and observed fasts in support of her demands.
Los Llanos de Aridane, Spain, Sept 26 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 26th Sep, 2021 ) :The airport on the Canary island of La Palma reopened on Sunday after a 24-hour closure because of ash emanating from the Cumbre Vieja volcano, but flights remained suspended until conditions improve, operators said.

A clean-up operation was carried out overnight, the airport management company AENA tweeted, adding that flights would be able to resume with the "prior agreement" of air traffic control authorities.

But Spanish carrier Binter said on Sunday afternoon that its flights to and from La Palma were still suspended.

"We are maintaining the temporary stoppage of flights at La Palma until conditions allow for safe flight," Binter tweeted.

The Canaryfly airline also said its La Palma flights were temporarily suspended.

The Cumbre Vieja volcano came to life a week ago and has intermittently spewed out lava and ash.

On Friday, a large cloud of thick, black ash forced several airlines to cancel flights.

Then on Saturday AENA announced the full closure of the airport.

New evacuations were also ordered as large explosions and new openings were reported at the volcano on Friday.

So far, more than 6,200 people have been evacuated. However 160 evacuees were allowed to return to their homes on Sunday, the authorities said.

The cancellations have forced some travellers to leave the island by ferry to neighbouring islands, including Tenerife.

- Volcano pressure decreases - The Involcan volcanology institute said on Sunday that the pressure inside the volcano had decreased in the previous 24 hours.

"This does mean that the eruption is nearing its end," the institute said.

According to the European Union's Copernicus Earth Observation Programme, lava has so far destroyed 461 buildings -- 41 more in the past 24 hours -- and covered more than 212 hectares (523 acres) of land.

Ash has affected 1,314 hectares of land, the programme added.

Miguel Angel Morcuende, the technical director of the Pevolca volcanic emergency plan, told a press conference on Sunday that the ash had fallen in populated areas near the volcano, as well as other areas in the island's east.

"All this does not affect the air quality of the inhabited area of the island," he said. "The air quality is still good." No casualties have been reported so far but the damage to land and property has been enormous, with the Canaries regional head Angel Victor Torres estimating the cost at well over 400 million Euros ($470 million).

The island's main economic activity is banana cultivation.

The eruption on La Palma, home to 85,000 people, was the first in 50 years.
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Washington, Sept 26 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 26th Sep, 2021 ) :Multiple people were injured when a train derailed on Saturday in the US state of Montana, rail operator Amtrak said.

"Amtrak is working with the local authorities to transport injured passengers, and safely evacuate all other passengers," the firm said in a statement, adding around 147 passengers and 13 crew were on board. Local media has reported several fatalities in the accident.
Southampton, United Kingdom, Sept 26 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 26th Sep, 2021 ) :Raul Jimenez scored an emotional first goal since his horrific head injury in November as Wolves earned a 1-0 win over Southampton on Sunday.

Jimenez feared he would never play again after suffering a fractured skull in a clash with David Luiz at Arsenal last autumn.

The Mexico striker only returned to action at the start of this season and had gone without a goal in his first five games.

Jimenez had shown signs of frustration with the supportive headband he now wears to protect himself, even angrily removing it after a missing a headed chance against Brentford last weekend.

But 30-year-old enjoyed a cathartic moment as his second half strike fired Bruno Lage's men to their second Premier League win this season.

Jimenez had never gone six Premier League games without a goal since he arrived at Molineux in 2018.

In the 61st minute, he danced through the Southampton defence, twice eluding Jan Bednarek and leaving Mohammed Salisu bewildered on the turf, before calmly slotting past Alex McCarthy.

The end of Jimenez's 336-day wait to score sparked a joyous celebration with his team-mates.

He was also embraced by the club's travelling fans in one corner of St Mary's after the final whistle.

The uplifting scenes that greeted Jimenez's decisive contribution were a stark contrast to the mood among Southampton supporters.

Ralph Hasenhuttl's side remain winless after six league matches and were booed off at full-time.

The scoreline could have been even worse for listless Southampton if McCarthy hadn't denied Jimenez a second goal with a fine save in stoppage-time.
Damascus, Sept 26 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 26th Sep, 2021 ) :Hospitals in the Syrian capital Damascus and the coastal province of Latakia have reached capacity due to rising coronavirus admissions, a health official said Sunday.

"We have started transferring Covid-19 patients from the province of Damascus to the (central) province of Homs, and from Latakia to the province of Tartus," Tawfiq Hasaba, a health ministry official, was quoted as saying by Syrian state tv.

The move came after "hospitals in these areas reached capacity because of a large spike in coronavirus cases," he added.

Syria on Saturday logged 442 new coronavirus infections in government-held areas -- a new daily record for a conflict-hit country that has documented more than 32,580 cases, including 2,198 deaths in regime controlled territory, since the start of its outbreak last year.

"It is the first time the number of cases reaches 400" in one day, Hasaba said, adding that the number of new infections was highest in Damascus, Aleppo and Latakia.

Coronavirus cases have been on the rise across Syria since mid-August, including in the northwest and northeast, large parts of which fall beyond government control.

According to the World Health Organization, only two percent of Syria's population has been at least partially vaccinated.

Syria's conflict has since 2011 killed nearly half a million people and ravaged a healthcare sector struggling to cope with a mass outflux of professionals.

Around 70 percent of the country's pre-war medical staff have left since the start of the war.
ISTANBUL ,26 Sept (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 26th Sep, 2021 ) -:Aiming to improve Turkish language skills among Arab students in Turkey, a group of Yemenis took the initiative to establish the Lisan Club, a voluntary initiative affiliated with the Academic Committee of the Yemeni Students Union in the country.

Ahmed al-Amri, the club's head, told Anadolu Agency that it was established in April in the Selcuklu district of Konya province, south of the capital Ankara.

The club has organized online lessons for a period of two months, as well as in-person classes, to improve the Turkish skills of Arab students amid restrictions imposed to stem the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

"The club has four different classes to develop conversation skills in Turkish for students from Yemen, Syria, Sudan, Somalia, Iraq, and Palestine," he said.

The Turkish language is widespread across the world and is spoken in various dialects and accents throughout Europe and Asia.

Al-Amri said the initiative has attracted 50 students, including 20 women, for two lessons a week.

The initiative was welcomed and supported by the local community as the municipal Youth education Center of Konya provided venues, while the International Students Association and Turkish and Foreign Languages Research and Application Center (TOMER) provided volunteer teachers.

Al-Amri said the initiative provides Arabic lessons to local students, as well. Twelve such students attend weekly lessons to boost their Arabic conversation skills.

Asmaa Faihan, a second-year Iraqi student in the Faculty of Islamic Sciences at Selcuk University in Konya, said the initiative provides an important place for students to exchange cultures and learn from each other.

"I face great difficulty in making conversation with the locals. Knowing the grammar rules was not enough to speak. The conversation lessons provided by the club were really very useful to me," Faihan said.

Before joining the club, Faihan said she was "very confused when speaking to locals," but after taking advice from the teachers at the Lisan Club, "I almost overcome the stage of confusion and I can interact with the locals more easily." Faihan assured that learning how to deal with local people provided her with deeper understanding of Turkish culture too.

Every year, Sept. 26 is celebrated as Language Day in Turkey as the anniversary of the first Turkish Language Convention in 1932.

The Turkish language is spoken in the Azeri, Turkmen, Tartar, Uzbek, Baskurti, Nogay, Kyrgyz, Kazakh, Yakuti, Cuvas, and other dialects.
RAWALPINDI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 26th Sep, 2021 ) :The Security Forces on Sunday conducted area clearance operation in Dossali, North Waziristan District on reported presence of terrorists.

A terrorist during exchange of fire with the Security Forces got killed, said an Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) news release.

The Forces also recovered weapon and cache of ammunition from the area during the clearance operation.
UNITED NATIONS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 26th September, 2021) UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has met with Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad to discuss the situation in the country, the United Nations informs.

"The Secretary-General encouraged further progress in the United Nations-mediated political process, and reiterated the United Nations' commitment to ensure that the much-needed assistance reaches all in need," the UN said on Saturday.

Earlier this week, Mekdad told Sputnik on the margins of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) that the United States should withdraw from Syria or face the same humiliation as it did in Afghanistan.

The Syrian foreign minister said he had a great meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at the UNGA during which they talked about their coordinated efforts.
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Haiti's leader told the UN Saturday that migrants would continue to try to reach more prosperous countries despite disturbing images of Haitians being detained on arrival in the United States

United Nations, United States, Sept 25 (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 25th Sep, 2021 ) :Haiti's leader told the UN Saturday that migrants would continue to try to reach more prosperous countries despite disturbing images of Haitians being detained on arrival in the United States.

"In recent days, the images of the treatment of several of my compatriots on the border between Mexico and the United States have shocked more than one," acting Prime Minister Ariel Henry said in a pre-recorded video speech to the General Assembly.

"Without wishing to contest the right of a sovereign state to control the accession of foreigners to its territory, or to send them back to their country of origin those who enter it illegally, we believe that many now prosperous countries have been built by successive waves of migrants and refugees," he added.

Tens of thousands of migrants, mostly Haitians, have arrived in Texas at the border between Mexico and the United States since early September.

Violent scenes of US border guards on horseback confronting the migrants this week drew widespread criticism against Joe Biden's administration.

"This problem of migrants must remind us that human beings, fathers and mothers, will always flee misery and conflicts, and seek to fine better living conditions for their children," Henry said.

"Migration will continue as long as there are areas of prosperity on our planet while most of the world population lives in precariousness, sometimes extreme, with no prospect of a better life," he added.
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MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 26th September, 2021) Tajikistan is interfering in the internal affairs of Afghanistan, Abdul Ghani Baradar, the acting deputy head of the Afghan government formed by the Taliban (banned in Russia as a terrorist group), said on Sunday.

"Tajikistan interferes in our affairs, for every action there is a reaction," Ghani Baradar said in an interview with al Jazeera tv channel.

A day earlier, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said on Twitter that the movement had sent thousands of fighters to the Afghan province of Takhar, which borders Tajikistan. According to Mujahid, this was needed to counter security threats.

Earlier this month, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon suggested creating "a security belt" around Afghanistan to prevent the potential expansion of terrorist groups.

Rahmon was speaking at a joint summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Collective Security Treaty Organization, which was focused on the recent developments in Afghanistan.

The Taliban began ramping up their offensive in the spring when foreign troops started their withdrawal from Afghanistan. On August 15, as foreign forces were still in the process of departing, the Taliban entered Kabul. By August 31, the US troops left the country, ending the nearly 20-year mission. Several days later, the Taliban announced the composition of its interim government.
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UNITED NATIONS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 26th September, 2021) UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres met with Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei to discuss the situation in Belarus and the region, the United Nations informs.

The meeting took place on Saturday.

"The Secretary-General and the Foreign Minister discussed UN-Belarusian Cooperation, including the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.

They further exchanged views on developments in Belarus and in the region," the United Nations said.

Last week, Makei said after a joint meeting of executive bodies of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) that Belarus was against some western states' trampling on international law.

At a meeting on behalf of the CSTO, a statement was adopted urging all member states to adhere to the spirit and letter of the UN Charter and other documents in the field of international law.
The Rector of the Catholic University of Mozambique (UCM), Professor Father Filipe Sungo, has called for more investment in science and technology training that would be harnessed in service of the common good.

Rogerio Maduca Junior - Beira, Mozambique

Father Sungo made the remarks recently in Mozambique. In an online presentation that brought together members of the university board, lecturers, staff and students, the University Rector outlined ideals that a Catholic university should aspire to.

It is important to overcome the gap between scientific progress and spiritual values, Fr Sungo said. When used to serve individualistic tendencies, science and technology inevitably generate conflict and wars in society. he said

Draw inspiration from St Augustine

We must promote university training in science and technology that is always at the service of the common good, as inspired by the ideals of St. Augustine, he said.

During the same event, Jesuit Professor Virgilio Domingos, SJ, the Director of the UCM Extension studies, gave a lecture on The relationship between Reason and Faith in the light of the encyclical Fides et Ratio of Pope John Paul II.
Slovaks are surprised by Pope Francis energy, despite his age, exhorting all to live their faith, says the spokesman of the Slovak bishops.

By Robin Gomes

Despite the age and health of Pope Francis, Slovaks are inspired by his energy and exhortation to live their faith caring for others in need. Its an encouragement to see the Pope so strong, encouraging everyone, remarked Father Martin Kramara, the spokesperson of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Slovakia (KBS).

The 84-year-old Pontiff who suffers from sciatica underwent intestine surgery in July. He is on the 34th Apostolic Journey of his pontificate, visiting Slovakia, September 12 to 15, after concluding the 52 International Eucharistic Congress in the Hungarian capital Budapest on Sunday.

Speaking to Vatican News, Fr. Kramara explained that when people saw the busy schedule of the Pope in Slovakia, they were wondering whether he would make it. But seeing him in the cathedral, at the presidential palace and at the nunciature was just fantastic, he said.

Listen to Fr. Martin Kramara of the Slovak bishops conference.

He said Slovak Catholics are happy to see this encouragement in faith because it is the successor of Peter coming to them to show the way in times of incertitude, in times of Covid, when many people have lost their direction. The Pope comes and encourages us, not to look on ourselves but to look at others who may be left behind and need our help. The Slovak bishops spokesman said, Its so enlightening for the country not to think about ourselves and of our own problems, which many times are problems of the first world, but to see brothers and sisters in need and helping them find the way to Christ.

Recalling the motto of the Popes Apostolic Journey to Slovakia - With Mary and Joseph on the Way to Jesus  Fr. Kramara said that this is really the way the Holy Father is showing the way of faith in Christ. It is a faith that brings fruits, that is not selfish and closed in itself. The priest said that it is also a faith of good humour, as we have seen these days, a faith that is so fresh and vivid. He said the Pope speaks of a faith that makes people see others around, not just themselves. This is an encouragement not only for Catholics but for the whole country, which is talking about the Holy Father but also of Jesus and things of faith.
At the Angelus address on Sunday, Pope Francis reflects on Jesus exhortation to put aside judgements by pruning our inflexibility toward others.

By Devin Watkins

Pope Francis prayed the Angelus on Sunday with pilgrims in St. Peters Square, and reflected on the days Gospel (Mk 9:38-41), in which Jesus admonishes His disciples for seeking to hinder those who are doing good.

In the Gospel, the Apostle John speaks for the other disciples who had seen a man cast out a demon in Jesus name, even though he was not formally one of Jesus followers.

In response, Jesus tells the disciples not to restrict those who are doing good in His name.

Jesus, said the Pope, admonishes His disciples for dividing people into good and bad, and urges them to keep a close guard over their own hearts so as not to give in to evil.

Group-think temptation

Pope Francis said Jesus warns against a temptation while at the same time offering an exhortation.

The temptation, said the Pope, is to closedness and a group-think mentality.

The disciples think they have the exclusive right over Jesus, and that they are the only ones authorized to work for the Kingdom of God.

This attitude results in them considering themselves privileged and others as outsiders, to the extent of becoming hostile towards them.

Pope Francis added that every type of closure separates us from those around us who do not think like we do.

This  we know  is the root of many great evils in history: of the absolutism that has often generated dictatorships and so much violence towards those who are different, he said.

Listen to our report

Division and the devil

The Pope urged Catholics to be vigilant about a similar closed-minded attitude in the Church, as well.

The devil, he said, is the divider who seeks to arouse suspicions in order to divide and exclude others. He tempts with cunning, and it can happen as with those disciples, who go so far as to exclude even those who had cast out the devil himself!

Rather than being humble, open communities, said Pope Francis, we can fall into the trap of thinking ourselves better than others and pushing them away.

Instead of trying to walk with everyone, we display our believers license so as to judge and exclude, he lamented.

Judgement leads to separation, not communion

Pope Francis then encouraged Christians to ask for Gods grace so as to overcome a nest mentality and the temptation to judge and categorize.

These attitudes, he said, can turn Christian communities into places of separation and not of communion.

The Holy Spirit does not want closedness, said the Pope. He wants openness, and welcoming communities where there is a place for everyone.

Radical imagery

The Pope went on to say that Jesus also offers an exhortation in the days Gospel: instead of judging everything and everyone, let us beware of ourselves!

Jesus, he said, uses striking images of cutting off body parts, which symbolize the radical nature of His call to root out sin.

Jesus is radical, demanding, but for our own good, like a good doctor, he said. Every cut, every pruning, is so we can grow better and bear fruit in love.

Rooting out evil

Finally, Pope Francis concluded the Angelus address with an invitation to better our lives.

Let us ask, then: what is it in me that is contrary to the Gospel? What, in concrete terms, does Jesus want me to cut out of my life?
Pope Francis received the president of Chile, Sebastian Pinera, in an audience at the Vatican on Thursday morning, after which President Pinera met with Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin and the Secretary for Relations with States, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher.

Holy See Press Office

This morning, Thursday 9 September 2021, His Excellency Mr. Sebastian Pinera Echenique, President of the Republic of Chile, was received in audience by the Holy Father Francis, and subsequently met with His Eminence Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin and His Excellency Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States.

During the cordial discussions, appreciation was expressed for the existing good bilateral relations, as well as for the joint commitment to peace, social justice, and the protection of the poor, the marginalized and the most vulnerable.

The parties focused on the countrys domestic situation, paying particular attention to socio-economic development, the process of reform of the Constitution and relations with the Catholic Church. In this regard, serene cooperation was hoped for, in view of the contribution the Church makes for the good of the entire population in the charitable, educational and social spheres, especially in this critical period of the pandemic.

The talks also enabled an exchange of views on a number of matters relating to international and regional current affairs and the promotion of peace and human rights in the world.
As Pope Francis visits St Martins Cathedral in Bratislava on Monday for a meeting with Bishops, priests, religious, consecrated persons, seminarians and catechists, the cathedrals vicar speaks about this place of charity, and expectations for the encounter.

By Lydia OKane  Bratislava

I hope it will be a great and wonderful surprise what the Pope will say to us, says Fr Radoslav Saskovic, as he sits in the majestic surroundings of St Martin's Cathedral in Bratislava.

It is the eve of the Popes meeting with priests and religious in this place of worship, and the cathedrals vicar adds, I like to be surprised by him; this great Pope, this great Bishop of Rome, so I dont think I have any special expectation about what he is going to say.

Preparations are continuing unabated all around Fr Saskovic, as he describes this cathedral as a place steeped in charity.

I think this cathedral is one of the best places for the Pope to visit We are here in St Martins Cathedral and you know St Martin is one of the patrons of charity, of Christian love, service to poor people, he says.

Listen to the interview

With the establishment of the Archdiocese of Bratislava in 2008, Metropolitan Archbishop Stanislav Zvolensky established the tradition of an annual collection on St. Martins Day just after the Archdiocese was founded, so that all might imitate this great saint with good works.

The proceeds of the first St. Martins collection were donated to the Cenacolo Center, which offers help to those affected by drug addiction. The cathedral is also involved in care of the needy, and care of victims of human trafficking.

As the faithful await Pope Francis visit here on Monday, Fr Saskovic is hoping that his example of care and support for the poor and vulnerable will be a source of encouragement to people in Slovakia to lend a hand to those who need help and support.
Winning 45 percent of the Kuomintang vote, Eric Chu defeated dark horse contender Chang Ya-chung, an open proponent of unifying Taiwan with the Chinese mainland

Eric Chu Li-luan, the newly elected chairman of Taiwans largest opposition party, the Kuomintang (KMT), says he will facilitate greater exchanges and communication between the democratically run island and the communist Peoples Republic of China (PRC), while also fostering unity within the KMT in order to defeat the incumbent Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

Chu won with 85,165 votes, or 45.78 percent of the more than 370,000 KMT members who cast votes in the Saturday, Sept. 25 election. He beat incumbent chairman Johnny Chiang, as well as dark horse candidate Chang Ya-chung, head of the NGO Sun Yat-sen School.

The party should prioritize balancing relations with the PRC  which regards Taiwan as a renegade province  as well as with the United States, Chu said in debates leading up to the election.

The KMT, which translates to Chinese Nationalist Party, is the remnant of the government that unsuccessfully battled with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for control of mainland China and fled to Taiwan in 1949 following decades of civil war.

Taiwan is still officially known as the Republic of China (ROC), reflecting that legacy. However, attitudes are shifting, with a large majority of the islands people identifying themselves as Taiwanese only, rather than Chinese or even both.

Growth of a separate Taiwanese identity, as well as rising belligerence from the PRC, have posed a steep challenge for the KMT, which has in recent decades become known less for its anti-communism and more for its pro-business and Beijing-friendly policies.

READ MORE:

Taiwan Rebuffs Chinese Propaganda Claims That Afghanistans Fate Is an Omen for the Island

Biden Says US Committed to Taiwans Defense, Pentagon Appoints Taiwan-born Undersecretary

In 2020, the KMT lost the presidential election that saw the pro-independence DPPs Tsai Ing-wen win 57 percent of the vote.

The KMTs position is that cooperation with Beijing is necessary to secure Taiwans safety, as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has vowed to invade the island if pro-independence forces grow too strong.

During the election campaign, Chang Ya-chung emerged as a dark horse candidate, whose focus on Chinese identity and reconciliation with the mainland resonated with many deep-blue  referring to the KMTs traditional color  party members.

Eric Chu, a former mayor of New Taipei City, disagreed with Changs proposal to work towards a formal peace treaty between the ROC and the PRC.

While advocating restoration of good ties with the mainland, Chu also said he would strengthen links to the U.S, such as by re-opening the KMTs representative office in America, which has been shuttered since 2008.

Chu, as described in an editorial published by The Diplomat, has also criticized many of his KMT comrades as being overly reliant on the PRC.

In recent years, the KMT has made some gestures to emphasize its commitment to Taiwans defense. For example, following the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and the countrys subsequent fall to the Taliban, Chu said that were it not for the KMTs defense of Taiwan in and after 1949, a similar fate could have befallen the island.

During the Chinese civil war, the U.S. had withdrawn aid to the KMT, deeming the Chinese Nationalist government a lost cause. After the ROCs retreat from mainland China, the U.S. did not support Taiwan until the 1950s, when the Korean War broke out and put political pressure on Washington to check the spread of communism in Asia.
On 19 August 2021, a tweet from Gurkha Equal Rights announced that the hunger strike carried out by two Gurkhas and a Gurkha Widow to the death had ended after the Government finally agreed to speak to the Nepal Embassy.

Dhan Gurung, Pushpa Rana Ghale and Gyanraj Rai ended their hunger strike from Richmond Terrace outside Downing Street. They had been protesting about having equal pension rights as those given to former British soldiers.

The story developed in 2009 as the Gurkha campaign to achieve equality of treatment had a tremendous boostthanks to the incredible contribution of Joanna Lumley that brought about a change to Government policy and, for the first time, allowed Gurkhas who retired before 1997 and who had served for four years in the Armed Forces the right of settlement in the UK, according to The British Gurkha Welfare Society.

The Gurkhas have a fearsome reputation, so much so that the British East India Company took them on to fight on their behalf, and the Gurkhas fought in the 1817 Pindaree War. After doing battle in the Indian Rebellion of 1857, they became part of the British Indian Army.

On 4 December 1997, the BBC reported that The original deal worked out at Indian partition meant that the Gurkhas were paid at the same basic rate as their compatriots serving in the Indian army  considerably less than British troops. That was changed last February when Gurkhas were awarded the same serving pay as other soldiers. Some were also allowed to bring wives and children to Britain.

However, one thing that did not change was pensions, which are still paid at the basic rate. The rationale behind this is that the cost of living in Nepal is so much lower than in Britain. And in 2021, the matter is still not satisfactorily resolved.

On the nearby Monument to the Gurkha Soldier in Horse Guards Avenue, outside the Ministry of Defence (MoD), City of Westminster, London, the inscription reads THE GURKHA SOLDIER, Bravest of the brave, most generous of the generous, never had country more faithful friends than you.

The inscription was written by Professor Sir Ralph Lilley Turner MC, who served with the 3rd Queen Alexandras Own Gurkha Rifles in the British Indian Army during World War I.

On 19 August, the Government responded to the petition calling on the British Government to give Gurkhas equal pension rights as British veterans of the same rank and service, which at the time of writing had garnered 104,407 signatures, meaning it will be debated in Parliament. For most Gurkha veterans, the Gurkha Pension Scheme provides a pension at least as good as, and in many cases better than, that given to their British counterparts with identical periods of service, the MoD replied.

Mr Gurung told the BBC and other media that his pension in 1994 was 20 a month. Now the Gurkhas receive around 35 per month, while British soldiers receive around 800.

A joint dialogue will be initiated on 8 September for a meeting in December between the British and Nepali governments and the Gurkhas.

BREAKING NEWS ! Government has a struck a deal with the Nepal Embassy for a government to government dialogue. 13 days of fast unto death, the hunger strike has now been called off ! Thank you everyone for your support and love ! pic.twitter.com/VJYSuMjZ6t

 Gurkha Equal Rights (@gurkha_rights) August 19, 2021

By Vasilissa Agafonova.
Rights groups have condemned Eswatini's arrest of two lawmakers this week and the use of force against pro-democracy protesters. The southern African kingdom, Africa's last absolute monarchy, has been rocked by protests since June.

Protests re-ignited Thursday in Eswatini, previously known as Swaziland, as two pro-democracy members of parliament appeared in court.

Mthandeni Dube and Mduduzi Mabuza were arrested earlier this week on charges of terrorism for inciting unrest and violating COVID-19 regulations.

The unrest began over a month ago with protests calling for political reform.

Twenty-five-year-old Vuysiwa Maseko is a member of the Swaziland National Union of Students, which is among the central groups leading the demonstrations.

He says the arrests exemplify the lack of freedom in the country.

"Indeed, its angering and raging because these are the people's representatives in parliament," said Maseko. "They are the voices of the voiceless and arresting them means government is shutting 1.1 million voices  the population of Swaziland.

Weeks of demonstrations have cost the landlocked countrys economy at least $200 million.

Theyve also cost lives. Local police have confirmed over 30 people have been killed and many more arrested.

International organizations and governments have condemned the response by authorities, calling the use of force excessive.

Amnesty International spokesperson Robert Shivambu says the lawmakers should be released immediately.

"They have committed no crime and have been targeted by the government solely for for their political views," said Shivambu. "We believe that both MPs are victims of political witch hunt, which is designed to silence any critical voice that is demanding political reforms and human rights.

Government spokesperson Sabelo Dlamani declined to comment in response to the condemnation.

Instead, he deferred to Prime Minister Cleopas Dlaminis parliamentary address on Wednesday, in which he vehemently denied political motivation for the lawmakers arrest.

But the prime minister also said the rule of law would be upheld and applied to anyone who incited violence under the guise of free expression.

Until the government meets with the public for peaceful negotiations, Amnesty International spokesperson Robert Shivambu says more episodes of violence are feared.

"The government thinks that the only way to respond to these protests is crackdown that we have seen, they have deployed the police and the army to crack down on dissent. So we are we are concerned that things could escalate," said Shivambu.

The international support is welcome by student protesters like Maseko.

But members of the United Eswatini Diaspora say they want to see more than just talk from the international community.

Qhawekazi Khumalo says they want countries, from neighboring South Africa to other global powerhouses, to halt business with the government.

"Were calling for sanctions of all Swaziland products, particularly those that Emaswati are business shareholder in, and those are some of the things that the world has authority, you know to do," Khumalo said.

The jailed members of parliament remain behind bars after a judge deferred a decision to grant them bail at a Thursday hearing. A new date for a ruling has yet to be announced.
Three years ago, nearly every country in Africa agreed to be part of a continental free trade area intended to lower tariffs and boost economies. But the agreement has yet to be fully implemented because of restrictions stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The World Bank says the Africa Continental Free Trade Area Agreement set up the largest free trade bloc in the world, and has the potential to pull 30 million people out of poverty.

The agreement reduces tariffs between African countries and, the World Bank says, could boost Africas combined GDP by $450 billion by 2035.

But those prospects may not materialize because many countries in Africa have yet to fully open their economies due to health restrictions to combat the spread of the coronavirus.

Kennedy Adede, founder of Shining Hope for Communities (SHOFCO), which works in poor neighborhoods in Nairobi, says the lack of employment opportunities has to be addressed.

"People are going through a lot of hardship, people are more scared of dying from hunger than dying from this virus and that has become a challenge. How do we solve that? Thats why this is not just about the vaccine alone," Adede said. "It needs a multi-angle [approach] to fight this economically to ensure that we drive more jobs. If you think in Africa right now, the population of young people is scary and if they dont trust what we are saying, then we are gone.

Speaking at a recent webinar, John Nkengasong, director of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said that if Africa was better prepared to combat the pandemic, the free trade area would be flourishing.

Its really for us in public health to continue to make sure that we place the public health agenda at the center of political dialogues, at the center of the economic dialogue. Look at the damage the pandemic has caused to our continental aspiration for the continental free trade area. I will argue that without this pandemic, that whole aspiration, the developmental agenda would have been at a very different level today in the continent, Nkengasong said.

Nearly 18 months into the pandemic, just 2.5% of Africas 1.3 billion people are vaccinated. The African CDC wants to vaccinate 60% of the population by the end of 2022.

The agency says Africa had received 123.5 million vaccine doses by mid-August. The continent secured the vaccine through bilateral agreements and COVAX, a global initiative that seeks to provide vaccine to developing countries.

African countries will also share some 400 million Johnson & Johnson vaccine doses, which are being manufactured in South Africa.

But Nkengasong says Africa is still not receiving enough vaccine.

When COVID just started, it was very difficult for anyone in Africa to know somebody who has died of COVID but now is a common thing we know, and that is pushing that you see lines of people out there. So the first doses of vaccines that we supplied in the continent, some of those ended up in wastage because we were dealing with misinformation. The challenge we have now is that people are saying here we are with open arms, ready to get the jab, but the jabs are not there, Nkengasong said.

Africas economy is still expected to grow 3.4% this year, but thats of little consequence to the tens of millions who are struggling to find a steady income as the virus takes away jobs and lives.
The United Nations Environment Program on Monday marked the official end of toxic leaded gasoline use in vehicles worldwide. A company in Nairobi, where the UNEP is headquartered, is working on the next step  converting all buses and utility vehicles to electric power by 2030.

Lucy Mugala goes about checking on the energy levels of battery modules lined neatly on a workshop table. Mugala is an engineer at Opibus, a privately owned four-year-old Nairobi company that converts cars and public transport vehicles to run on electricity.

Today, Mugala and fellow engineer Esther Wairimu are fine-tuning plans to outfit a public transport bus with lithium batteries. Mugala said converting this bus reduces the effects of greenhouse emissions responsible for global warming.

A lot has been done currently in terms of mitigating the effects of greenhouse gases in Kenya, but very little is being done in the electrical vehicle sector, and that is the gap we are trying to fill at Opibus. We are looking at maximizing impact by targeting the largest sector, which is the public transport sector, and with this, we will be able to step by step be able to achieve a low carbon economy in Kenya and in Africa at large, said Mugala.

Douglas Agwata has been in the public transport industry for 15 years. On average, Agwata spends around $80 on fuel daily, a cost hed like to see come down.

However, Agwata said that drivers like him may find it challenging to adapt to electric vehicles.

He said that converting the engines from gasoline to electric is quite costly and that one may also find that there is a scarcity of charging stations, and this may prove to be quite challenging.

Joshua Anampiu is the strategy and planning manager at the National Environment Trust Fund, or NETFUND, a state corporation that raises funds for sustainable environmental management in Kenya.

Anampiu said shifting toward clean energy requires investment from the government, but he argues that the investment will be worth it.

No matter how costly it looks right now, we know in the long run it will be more effective towards preserving our environment, which is an existential threat right now if we do not take care of our environment. So, yes, there are areas we need to put up infrastructure. We need to change the entire mechanisms of the infrastructure, and this obviously is costly. And so, going forward, maybe invest now, put in a bit more cash, and then well reap the benefits in the future, he said.

The global end of leaded gasoline use has been lauded as a milestone by the United Nations Environment Program.

Jane Akumu is a program manager at UNEP. Akumu adds that a lot more needs to be done to ensure efficacy in abolishing the use of leaded gasoline.

You know, we need a lot of awareness for people to be able to know why its important to have cleaner fuels or cleaner vehicles. Policymakers need to also come in, and especially ... standards bodies. Its important for them to set regulations in place because the industry is pushed by regulation. What weve noticed is that in some of the countries where theres no regulation, poor fuel quality, poor vehicle qualities, are imported, said Akumu.

For Mugala and other clean energy champions, the challenge will be to reduce the costs of going electric and encourage consumers to go green.
Emmanuel Benson was planning to get his diploma in horticulture and landscaping from Nigeria's Federal College of Forestry Mechanization next year. Now, he's not willing to risk the return to school, after he was kidnapped by bandits with dozens of others earlier this year.

"Our lives are at risk  Nigerian students, especially in Kaduna state where we are," the 24-year-old said. As much as he wanted to complete his studies "the kidnapping and everything that is going on haven't stopped yet ... staying here anymore doesn't benefit anybody."

Benson is among a growing group of Nigerian students seeking alternative solutions to their education that won't further endanger them, as bandits in Nigeria's northern states grow more ambitious, staging increased abductions of students for ransom.

At least 25 Nigerian students who spent nearly two months in the custody of gunmen in the country's troubled northwest region are now putting resources together in the hopes of leaving the West African nation to study in another country, like the United States, according to teachers and parents at the Federal College of Forestry Mechanization in the state of Kaduna.

Some of the students, as well as parents and teachers at the Kaduna college, told The Associated Press that after spending about seven weeks in captivity before regaining their freedom in May, life hasn't been the same. They fear pursuing an education in Nigeria, and they are now relying on the help of a school committee overseeing their application process for overseas education.

There are no clear plans yet on how that enrollment would work out, except that they are hoping for scholarship opportunities in the U.S. or elsewhere.

Nigeria is no longer an option for them because "the country is not safe," according to Paul Yahaya, one of the 25 students.

Many families in Kaduna state say they now stay mostly indoors for fear of new attacks. Ransoms are hefty, and in Nigeria, with a national poverty rate of 40%, parents are struggling.

"Even the parents don't have money, because they have been struggling to pay their (abducted children's) ransom and they paid (so) much amount to the negotiators (who helped to secure the release of the children)," said Abdullahi Usman, the chairman of the committee of parents and teachers who is overseeing the application process for interested students.

If the students left, that would mean starting tertiary education afresh and losing at least three years spent so far for some.

The 25 students hoping to leave are among 1,436 students who have been abducted in the last year in Africa's most populous country, according to Peter Hawkins, the U.N. Children's Agency Nigeria representative. The education of up to 1.3 million Nigerian children has been affected because of the school abductions, he said.

The Kaduna school and many other schools in at least four states remain closed because of insecurity.

Kauna Daniel wants to leave, despite not having the money to do so or a passport, but he is still frightened.

"I don't want to go anywhere again," she said angrily over the phone. She said she hasn't been able to sleep since she was released from captivity in May because of trauma and an eye problem.

"The trauma we are passing through is getting out of hand and it is even now that everything is getting worse," the 19-year-old said, adding, almost as if she is pleading, that "it is better for me to stay at home."

The United Nations estimates that the country of more than 200 million people has 10 million children not attending school, one of the highest rates globally, with 1 million more afraid to return to classes as schools reopen in the coming weeks. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated those numbers, according to Save The Children Nigeria, which said 46 million Nigerian students have been affected by school closures as a result of the pandemic.

With the school abductions by groups of gunmen who often camp in abandoned forest reserves across the northwest and central parts of the country, some parents are caught in a dilemma. Should they brave the odds and send their children to schools, which are often in remote areas, or keep them home, away from the gunmen?

The Kaduna school committee chairman Usman said parents of affected students in Kaduna are "eager" for their admission to schools abroad because their children "are still vulnerable  and can be kidnapped anytime."

Friday Sani is one such parent. He said his two daughters spent weeks in captivity along with other students of the Kaduna college, and they now await responses from places outside of Nigeria, mentally unable to return to school in the West African nation.

"The government of Nigeria needs to have a plan to better prepare education systems to respond to crises," said Badar Musa of Save the Children International, Nigeria. "There is need for increased investment in education systems from both government and international donors."
A top Venezuelan official signaled on Saturday that talks between the government and the opposition aimed at resolving the country's long-standing political crisis have yielded "partial agreements.

The opposition is hoping to use the talks being held in Mexico City to secure guarantees of free and fair regional elections to be held in the fall, while the government of Nicolas Maduro wants to ease international sanctions on his economically crippled nation.

"We have been working mainly on partial agreements, especially those related to serving the people of Venezuela," parliament speaker Jorge Rodriguez, who was leading the government delegation, told reporters.

But officials provided no information on the nature of the agreements and a source in the opposition delegation told AFP that "so far nothing has been agreed."

The talks, mediated by Norway and hosted by Mexico, aim to resolve the crisis that has marked Maduro's eight-year rule.

The negotiations have a seven-point agenda including easing sanctions, political rights and electoral guarantees -- but not the departure of Maduro, accused by the opposition of fraudulent reelection in 2018.

The government is "very attentive" to all the economic guarantees that have been "wrested, blocked, stolen, withdrawn from the people of Venezuela," said Rodriguez, adding that Maduro seeks a partial if not total lifting of sanctions in exchange for concessions to the opposition.

The main opposition alliance headed by Juan Guaido reversed course this week when it announced that it would end a three-year election boycott and take part in mayoral and gubernatorial polls in November.

Speaking before the start of the negotiations, the head of the opposition delegation Gerardo Blyde expressed hope that the talks "will seek to alleviate the crisis, but the crisis comes from very serious basic problems, from a model which failed in Venezuela and which does not recognize the democratic order and the constitutional order."

He added that it's "a process which is beginning, which is hard, complex."

Neither Maduro nor Guaido, who is considered president by about 60 countries, was due to personally attend the closed-door talks, which were scheduled to run until Monday.

"We are in Mexico looking for a national salvation agreement to respond to the emergency, obtain the conditions for free and fair elections and the rescue of our democracy," Guaido tweeted.

Previous rounds of similar negotiations held in recent years have failed to resolve the crisis.
Two men have been accused of defamation after they allegedly lied to a Burkina Faso journalist in a recent report, which found that those responsible for distributing aid in the country are exploiting internally displaced women, demanding sex in return for food. The government and the media outlet which published the story are now at loggerheads as the trial of the two men is set for the end of the month.



In the northern town of Kongoussi on Wednesday, two men displaced by Burkina Fasos conflict stood accused of defamation after they told a local journalist that women in their community, including one of their wives, had been forced into sex in exchange for food aid distributed by the government.



A key witness, the director of Minute.bf, which initially published the story, did not arrive for the court hearing. The judge subsequently postponed the case until September 29.



Minute.bf published a statement on their website later in the day, claiming they had not received a summons to appear at the court.



Speaking to VOA Wednesday, Lassane Sawadogo, director of Minute.bf said he believes they spoke to credible witnesses despite doubts after publication.



"One of our sources clearly said that his wife traded sex for food. For us, a husband who makes such statements about his own wife cannot be lying. But how do we verify such information? We have now been told that the people we interviewed confessed they lied. Whats to say they are not lying again?"



Sawadogo went on to say he hopes the government will investigate the allegations of sex in exchange for food in other parts of the country too.



Last month, VOA and another news website focusing on aid, The New Humanitarian, also published stories documenting testimonies from nine women who said they had been forced into sex in exchange for food aid in the nearby city of Kaya.



One of the defendants outside the courtroom in Kongoussi told VOA he had lied to Minute.bf. Meanwhile, members of the governments social action department responsible for distributing aid in the area spoke to members of the local press. When VOA asked for an interview, they said they were banned from speaking to international media without authorization.



At a press conference on Monday, the minister for humanitarian affairs, Laurence Ilboudo-Marchal blamed Minute.bf for rushing to publish without verification in response to a question on the matter.



"Minute.bf, what you did there, you almost destroyed families because you didnt give us time to answer you," she said. "You were making an important denunciation. Did you write to us? Let us listen to you? Or come to ask us and say, 'Madam minister here are the accusations, what is your answer?' If you had published our response, maybe this wouldnt have gone to court," she said.



At the press conference, the minister also faced questions about a recent report from aid group The Norwegian Refugee Council, which said the government was slow to register newly displaced people and was risking lives as a result.



Over the last year, the government has also implemented a ban on journalists trying to visit official camps for internally displaced people in the country.



With neither the government nor Minute.bf seeming ready to back down, Burkina Fasos sex for food aid scandal remains unsolved.
The situation in the Taiwan Strait is "complex and grim," Chinese President Xi Jinping wrote in a congratulatory letter on Sunday to the newly elected leader of Taiwan's main opposition party, who has pledged to renew talks with Beijing.

Taiwan's Kuomintang (KMT) elected as their leader on Saturday former New Taipei City mayor Eric Chu, who said he would rekindle stalled high-level contacts with China's ruling Communist Party.

China claims Taiwan as its own territory and has stepped up military and political pressure to force the democratically ruled island to accept Chinese sovereignty, even though most Taiwanese have shown no interest in being governed by Beijing.

In Xi's letter, a copy of which was released by the KMT, he said both parties had had "good interactions" based on their joint opposition to Taiwan independence.

"At present, the situation in the Taiwan Strait is complex and grim. All the sons and daughters of the Chinese nation must work together with one heart and go forward together," wrote Xi, who is also head of the Communist Party.

He expressed hope that both parties could cooperate on "seeking peace in the Taiwan Strait, seeking national reunification and seeking national revitalization."

Chu, who badly lost the 2016 presidential election to current President Tsai Ing-wen, responded to Xi that people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait were "all the children of the Yellow Emperor" -- in other words, all Han Chinese.

Chu blamed Tsai's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) for tensions with Beijing after pursuing anti-China policies.

Chu, who met Xi in China in 2015, said he hoped to "seek common ground and respect differences, increase mutual trust and geniality, strengthen exchanges and cooperation so as to allow the continued peaceful development of cross-strait relations."

Under outgoing KMT leader Johnny Chiang's 17-month tenure, high-level contacts with China stalled amid military tensions and suspicion in Beijing the party was not sufficiently committed to the idea Taiwan was part of "one China.

As well as losing the 2016 polls, the KMT were trounced in elections last year after failing to shake DPP accusations they were Beijing's lackeys.

China refuses to talk to Tsai, calling her a separatist. She says Taiwan is already an independent country called the Republic of China, the island's formal name, and that only Taiwan's people have the right to decide their own future.
Botswana's health authorities say they have arranged to receive nearly 2 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines, enough to cover the entire adult population. If every adult takes the vaccine, Botswana could become the first country in Africa to be fully vaccinated against the coronavirus.

In a televised address Monday, Mosepele Mosepele, deputy coordinator of the Botswana Presidential COVID-19 Task Force, said the country reached agreements with vaccine manufacturers to supply doses to cover 1.9 million people. Botswana has an adult population of 1.6 million, but noncitizens are also eligible for the vaccine, Mosepele added.

Botswana received 60,000 doses of the Covishield vaccine from India and the COVAX facility last month. Mosepele said the uptake of the vaccine has been impressive, with 47,160 receiving the jab since March 26.

Mosepele said he is not sure when the 1.9 million doses will arrive, but that the largest portion of the pending shipment is from Johnson & Johnson, which is expected to deliver 1.1 million doses of its one-shot vaccine.

In the meantime, the government this week received 200,000 doses of the Sinovac vaccine from China.

Kabo Morwaeng, Botswana's minister of presidential affairs, urged people to take the Sinovac doses.

"I also wish to implore all those who may be reluctant to do so, to step up and take their jabs. This process is intended for the good of all of us," he said. "I must assure you that our health authorities, through the Botswana Medicines Regulatory Authority (BOMRA), will continue to ascertain that the vaccines we receive are safe for use by all of us."

Earlier this month, two people died after receiving the Covishield vaccine. BOMRA is investigating the incident.

Botswana Nurses Union spokesperson Aobakwe Lesolame said the government needs to speedily roll out the vaccination campaign once the doses arrive.

"We are pleading with the ministry (of health) that as these vaccines continue to arrive, they make sure that they roll out the strategy, very clear, very basic, very simple (and) disseminate across structures so that everybody can take part," Lesolame said. "The vaccine rollout plan should focus on using community halls so that we ease the burden on public health facilities."

Botswana has recorded 702 deaths from COVID-19, with February and March being the deadliest months. Authorities have confirmed 46,000 cases of the virus overall.


Abel Bautista looked out at the vast pastures around him and frowned. "Once," he said, "there were lines of people here for the harvest." Now, instead of coffee, these verdant hills near the Honduran border with Guatemala boast few trees and almost none of the eager workers, like him, who once picked them. Times are so hard here in his hometown that Bautista, a 40-year-old farm worker, recently made the long, perilous trek with a 15-year-old son across two national borders in a failed attempt to enter the United States. More than a dozen others from his extended family, including a teenage daughter, have made similar journeys in recent years, most successfully crossing the Rio Grande. One nephew and his infant son, family members say, disappeared along the way. It's not just that cattle have replaced the more labor-intensive coffee crop in this highland corner of the third-poorest country in the Americas. Worse, drug trafficking and violence have overtaken the streets of El Paraiso and nearby towns and converted surrounding farms into passageways for cocaine headed north. Officials meant to safeguard stability and development, meanwhile, are increasingly involved in the very crimes now pushing many locals to flee to the United States.

In El Paraiso, a town of about 20,000 people, these factors were personified by Alexander Ardon, a cattle rustler turned narcotrafficker turned mayor who ruled this corner of Honduras like a fiefdom until he fled and surrendered to U.S. authorities two years ago. Striking a plea deal with federal prosecutors, Ardon confessed to participation in 56 murders, torture and trafficking as much as 250 tons of cocaine into the United States. With the help of senior officials from the ruling National Party, according to transcripts of testimony he gave a U.S. court, Ardon consolidated land and power, turning El Paraiso into a cocaine corridor for partners including Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, the convicted Mexican kingpin. Official complicity in the narco trade, a trend echoed elsewhere across Honduras and Central America, has exacerbated an already long history of inequality in the region, further impoverishing much of the working class while enriching corrupt officials and wealthy elites who control most of the land, capital and government. Public officials are so involved in the drug trade and other corrosive rackets, say local human rights groups, migration researchers and foreign diplomats, that the elite's criminality is a principal reason for the renewed exodus of people from Central America. "It is a major contributor to the violence, the corruption and the impunity that have polarized the country and caused many Hondurans to become migrants," U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy, a longtime advocate of immigration reform and human rights issues related to Latin America, told Reuters. Since his arrest, Ardon's testimony has convulsed Honduran politics and shined a rare light on alleged crimes at the highest levels of government. Ardon was a key witness in the U.S. drug trafficking conviction of Tony Hernandez, younger brother of President Juan Orlando Hernandez and a former congressman, who was sentenced this year to life in prison for his "role in a violent, state-sponsored drug trafficking conspiracy," according to prosecutors. Ardon, now 45 years old and in federal custody, is also expected to be central to an ongoing investigation of President Hernandez, himself a target of a separate federal narcotics probe, according to a court filing by the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. In the trial against Tony Hernandez, according to transcripts reviewed by Reuters, Ardon said the president and his predecessor allowed him to traffic cocaine in exchange for millions of dollars in campaign contributions. In their February filing, prosecutors alleged President Hernandez sought "to use drug trafficking to help assert power and control Honduras." They didn't detail specific crimes. Government spokespeople in Tegucigalpa, the capital, didn't respond to Reuters' requests for comment from President Hernandez. In numerous public statements, the president has denied wrongdoing or that he ever enabled or struck deals with drug traffickers. He told local lawmakers earlier this year that U.S. prosecutors jeopardize cooperation between the two countries on counternarcotics, migration and other issues if they persist in believing testimony implicating him. "If certain offices in the United States make the mistake of rewarding drug traffickers who give false testimony," he said, "effective cooperation systems will inevitably collapse." Reuters couldn't independently verify the claims Ardon made in testimony against the Hernandez brothers or others mentioned in this article. A spokesman for the Department of Justice declined to discuss Ardon or either Hernandez case. Jeffrey Cohn, a New York-based attorney for Ardon, declined to comment on Ardons case, any sentence he may have received or his role in continued probes. Jesse M. Siegel, a defense attorney for Tony Hernandez, didn't respond to Reuters' requests for comment.

For people like the Bautistas, who have seen a legitimate local economy destroyed by crime and complicity of those in power, the lack of prospects has left little choice but to seek opportunity elsewhere. In August, U.S. authorities apprehended more than 39,000 Hondurans attempting to cross the southern border without permission, one of the highest monthly figures on record, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Honduras recently overtook Guatemala as the second-leading source of unauthorized migrants to the United States, behind Mexico. More than half a million Hondurans, over 5% of the country's population, have been caught at the U.S. border since January 2019. Faced with the swell in arrivals, U.S. President Joe Biden plans to send as much as $4 billion to Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador. The aid, meant to address "root causes" of migration, will be targeted in large part toward programs to fight graft. "This connection between organized crime and irregular migration is one that is growing," said Ricardo Zuniga, the senior U.S. diplomat focusing on Central America, during a recent conference. In addition to graft tied to drug trafficking, other corruption scandals have roiled Honduras in recent years. Last year, two government officials were charged with stealing funds for the purchase of nearly $50 million in mobile health clinics; both have pleaded not guilty and are awaiting trial. Separately, poor residents who support opposition parties say they have been excluded from relief packages distributed by Hernandez to supporters, a charge the government denies. The government, mirroring moves in neighboring Guatemala, has also weakened laws and agencies established to target corruption. Hernandez last year refused to reauthorize the presence of a group of foreign investigators, backed by the Organization of American States, who had successfully unearthed high-level graft schemes. Around El Paraiso  where Ardon built a rose-colored City Hall, with a helipad, loosely modeled on the White House  the mayor was all but untouchable. He and associates bought up so much land, and forced those unwilling to sell to leave their property anyway, that farms, families, and livelihoods disappeared. As he amassed wealth and power, the rate of extreme poverty, by one measure of government data, doubled in El Paraiso, where most locals live on less than $73 a month, one of the lowest income levels in Latin America. The career of Ardon illustrates the links between corruption, impunity, and the surge of migration from Honduras and elsewhere in Central America. To better understand his rise, and its lasting impact on families like the Bautistas, Reuters spoke with dozens of residents, emigres, human rights activists, and foreign and local security and government officials. "The story that's told is one of power, houses, women, horses," says Rolando Arturo Milla, a veteran member of Honduras' national human rights commission. "No one talks about the crimes, the pain, the blackmail, the intimidation." 'I am the king' Bautista, his sister Iris, and others in their extended family have lived near El Paraiso for generations. The entire family worked on nearby coffee fields until the early 2000s. Although pay was meager, about $8 a day at harvest, they supplemented their income with crops from small plots of family land and caught food in a nearby river. "We fished, we grew beans, we swam," Iris Bautista, now 43, recalled. Their simple, if hardscrabble, life changed with the turn of the century. U.S.-bound cocaine from South America, mostly flown or ferried across the Caribbean before law enforcement successfully thwarted some of those routes, was increasingly being smuggled by land. The shift empowered the Mexican drug cartels that have since come to dominate the trade and created lucrative criminal opportunities across Central America, too. Among those poised to take advantage were rustlers who had a long history of stealing and smuggling livestock. Ardon, then a young smuggler with a fifth-grade education, branched into narcotics starting in 2002, according to testimony he gave prosecutors. He quickly grew rich. The influx of drugs and money sparked turf wars, rivalries and related violence. In 2004, Iris Bautista's husband, Jose, was shot dead in the street. She never learned who killed him, or why. Police, she said, never found out, either. Spokespeople for local police didn't respond to requests for comment. Scared for her two young children, and a third on the way, Iris fled to San Pedro Sula, Honduras' second-biggest city. There, she washed clothes to earn money. In 2005, at the age of 30, Ardon ran for mayor of El Paraiso. Although he called himself a cattle rancher, many locals knew the source of his prosperity. His rags-to-riches ascent even made him a folk hero to some, local officials and residents said. Ardon's wealth, he told prosecutors, enabled him to bribe officials and buy votes  a tactic he would later use to help National Party allies at the national level. Ahead of a mayoral election later this year, some local politicians are still claiming ties to Ardon in hopes of capitalizing on his renegade cachet. In 2006, Ardon began the first of two four-year terms. From City Hall, he ramped up his drug trafficking business and made El Paraiso a fortress. By the town's main entrance, he installed a gate and armed guards who forced drivers to lower their windows and identify themselves. He moved around town with a retinue of as many as 20 assistants and bodyguards, a security detail more typical of a head of state than a provincial mayor. "I am the king," he told La Prensa, a Honduran newspaper. In the rare interview, in 2011, he dismissed rumors that he was involved in crime and equated his prosperity with that of El Paraiso. "I can't understand why people criticize a town in full bloom." With associates including a brother and other family members, he purchased large tracts of farmland. Ostensibly, the land was bought to graze cattle; in practice, it was used for hassle-free transit of cocaine. When a financial incentive wasn't enough to convince reluctant landowners, they used force, local officials said. Ardon told prosecutors he ultimately acquired 10 houses and 15 ranches, one with an airstrip. Soon, he controlled a large swath of the border with Guatemala. "El Paraiso was like private property between two countries," Leandro Osorio, a former chief of intelligence for Honduras' National Police, told Reuters. "Those who challenged him were dead." Bloodshed in the area quickly made the state of Copan one of the most violent corners of Honduras, which itself over the next decade would become the most murderous country in the world. By 2011, according to the National Autonomous University of Honduras, Copan had a homicide rate of 114 killings per 100,000 residents. The figure was a third higher than the national average at the time and 25 times the rate in the United States. As Ardon acquired territory, plantations that once blanketed the countryside disappeared. Between 2000 and 2010, land under coffee cultivation around El Paraiso was slashed in half, according to data from the Honduran Coffee Institute, an industry group. Abel Bautista found himself increasingly idle. He and another sibling, Edgar, had inherited small plots they used for subsistence. But they relied on work from bigger farms to make a living. Although their personal plots were too tiny to be of interest to smugglers, family members said, buyers close to Ardon acquired the land where they labored. The new owners razed those properties and planted pastures. "Just grass and grass," Abel said, speaking at his small wooden shack. Initially, some landowners held out. But threats by Ardon and his allies convinced most. Salomon Orellana, a university professor and economist in Santa Rosa de Copan, the state capital, described a common reply when a landowner declined to sell: "No problem, tomorrow I'll negotiate with your widow." The Bautista nephew, Licho Gonzalez, around this time decided to flee El Paraiso. Gonzalez's wife, like Iris' husband, was murdered by unknown killers, family members told Reuters. Local police didn't respond to a request for comment on the case. Fearing for his life and that of their one-year-old boy, Gonzalez left with the child, and was never heard from again. "We never knew what happened," Iris said. In 2007, as Ardon's trafficking grew, the world's most famous narcotrafficker  "El Chapo" Guzman of Mexico  came to visit. Jeffrey Lichtman, a defense attorney for Guzman, didn't respond to requests for comment. At a meeting about an initial deal in El Paraiso, according to Ardon's testimony, Ardon agreed to deliver 2,000 kilograms of cocaine to Guzman representatives just across the border in Guatemala. From there, Ardon said, Guzman's workers would truck the cocaine into Mexico and reroute it toward the United States. After that first haul, Ardon said, he met Guzman five more times and sent him 500 kg shipments, among other deliveries, in cattle trucks as often as twice a month through 2013. Influential politicians also came calling. In 2008, Ardon testified, he met Porfirio "Pepe" Lobo, a veteran politician who had nearly won the presidency for the National Party in the previous election. At a heliport in San Pedro Sula, Ardon said, Lobo asked for $2 million to help party candidates the following year. In addition to his own renewed run for the presidency, Lobo allegedly said, the money would help Juan Orlando Hernandez in a bid to preside over Congress. Last July, the U.S. State Department banned Lobo from entering the United States, saying in a statement that he had accepted bribes from drug traffickers. Lobo, in a telephone interview, denied meeting with Ardon to ask for money or to negotiate anything. He said he never received financing from any drug trafficker and called the State Department claim "false." Ardon told prosecutors he agreed to pay Lobo. In exchange, he testified, he asked for a representative in a Lobo administration, protection from law enforcement, and a highway connecting El Paraiso to a nearby town. Over the next year, Ardon said, he sent Lobo two payments of $1 million in cash. He also bribed three lawmakers, unidentified in his testimony, after a request by phone from Juan Orlando Hernandez, to support Hernandez's congressional effort. Both men, Ardon said, told him his trafficking would be safe.

'He knew he had to go' The following year, Lobo won the presidency. Hernandez secured enough support from lawmakers to soon take the helm of Congress. Lobo appointed Hugo Ardon, the mayor's brother, head of the national highway agency. Lobo told Reuters that Hugo Ardon's nomination followed lobbying by many local party players, not any specific quid pro quo with Alexander Ardon. Two security officials who investigated the Ardons' activities told Reuters that Hugo, upon taking the post, used government vehicles to help transport his brother's shipments. In his testimony, Ardon said Hugo helped him move drugs. Reuters was unable to reach Hugo Ardon for comment. To the Bautistas, El Paraiso grew unrecognizable. Iris, tired of meager wages washing clothes in the big city, decided to try her luck back home. Upon her return, she was surprised to see Ardon's ornate new City Hall, a building he told prosecutors he paid for with drug money and from which he ran his rackets. She also saw palatial new houses built around town. "There were mansions," she said, "but most people were still poor." In 2010, Iris's son Milton, then only 13, left home to look for work, first in Honduras, then in Guatemala and northern Mexico. He tried repeatedly to enter the United States, but failed. Iris so feared for Lurbin, an adolescent daughter, that she rarely let her leave home, worried she could fall victim to rampant sexual predation growing along with drug crime. When young girls disappeared, often turning up dead, townspeople suspected men working for Ardon. "They pulled their trucks alongside girls and picked them up," said Nelson Guevara, a local priest at the time. He said he heard many girls, seeking solace in confession, recount rapes and other abuses. Cohn, the former mayor's U.S. lawyer, didn't respond to a followup question about the allegations involving Ardon's men. Ardon grew closer to National Party figures, including Tony Hernandez. The two men forged a partnership, Ardon testified. Along with his other drug shipments, Ardon now began handling cocaine, stamped "TH," imported from Colombia by Hernandez. In 2013, Juan Orlando Hernandez prepared a run for the presidency. That year, Ardon told prosecutors, he met with the candidate in Tegucigalpa. Hernandez, Ardon said, asked him to finance his campaign in the state of Copan. Ardon agreed, he testified, and spent $1.6 million in drug proceeds on the campaign. Hernandez had another request  that Ardon not seek reelection as mayor. Ardon had gotten too much attention as a rumored drug trafficker, Hernandez told him. Hernandez said he couldn't guarantee protection unless he lowered his profile, Ardon told prosecutors. Ardon agreed not to run.
Voting has ended in Germanys national parliamentary elections with exit polling indicating a tight contest between outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkels center-right Christian Democratic Union and the center-left Social Democrats.

State Governor Armin Laschet of the Christian Democratic Union and outgoing Finance Minister and Vice Chancellor Olaf Scholz of the Social Democrats are vying to become the leader of Europes biggest national economy as Merkel steps down after 16 years as chancellor.

The exit polling for ARD public broadcaster shows both parties with 25% support, while a second exit poll by ZDF public television put the Social Democrats ahead by a 26%-24% margin. Both surveys had the environmentalist Greens party with its leader, Annalena Baerbock, third with about 15% support.

The newly elected lawmakers will likely have to form a coalition government, meaning it may take some weeks before Merkels replacement is determined. No party is expected to come close to a majority, with polling showing all the parties with less than 30% support.

Merkel has been reluctant to throw her support behind any of the leaders seeking to replace her, but on Saturday attended a rally for Laschet. She will remain in office on a caretaker basis until her successor is chosen.



As he voted in Potsdam, just outside Berlin, Scholz said he hopes voters "will make possible ... a very strong result for the Social Democrats, and that citizens will give me the mandate to become the next chancellor of Germany."

In Aachen, on Germany's western border, Laschet said the election "will decide on Germany's direction in the coming years, and so it will come down to every vote."

The leading contenders for chancellor are offering sharply divergent views on major policy issues.

Laschet says there should be no tax increases as Germany recovers from the coronavirus pandemic. Scholz and Baerbock are calling for taxes to be raised on the richest Germans, and back an increase in the minimum wage for workers.

Germany's leading parties also express differing views for controlling the effects of climate change.

Laschets Christian Democratic Union is pinning its hopes on technological solutions and a market-driven approach, while the Greens want to increase prices on carbon emissions and end the use of coal earlier than planned. Scholz has cited the need to protect jobs as Germany transitions to greener energy.

Some material in this report came from the Associated Press.
Iran says its prepared to take steps to live up to measures in the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers as soon as the United States lifts economic sanctions on the country.

"Iran is ready to immediately take compensatory measures based on the nuclear deal and fulfill its commitments just after the U.S. illegal sanctions are lifted and it abandons its policy of threats and pressure," Iranian President Hassan Rohani said on March 7.

Rohani made the remarks as he received Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney amid diplomatic efforts to revive the landmark nuclear deal. Ireland is not party to the deal, but Dublin has the role of facilitator in the implementation of the nuclear agreement.

Rohani criticized the European signatories of the deal  Britain, France, and Germany  for what he said was their inaction on their commitments to the agreement. He said Iran "is the only party that has paid a price for it."

U.S. President Joe Biden has signaled his readiness to revive the deal, but insists Iran first return to all its nuclear commitments.

Former U.S President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew Washington from the agreement that aimed to restrict Iran's nuclear program in exchange for relief from sanctions.

The Trump administration argued that the agreement failed to address Iran's ballistic-missile program or its support for regional groups that Washington considers terrorists.

After withdrawing in 2018, the United States reimposed sanctions on Iran. In response, Iran gradually and publicly abandoned the deals limits on its nuclear development.
Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob Monday signed a cooperation deal with the main opposition bloc, aimed at ensuring the stability of his new government.

Under the accord between Prime Minister Ismail and veteran opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, Ismail has agreed to a set of reforms including new laws to prevent party defections, limiting the prime ministers term to 10 years, and lowering the voting age from 21 to 18.

The agreement also ensures bipartisan agreement on every bill that is introduced in parliament, input from the opposition on a national recovery council, and an assurance that the opposition leader receives the same pay and privileges as a Cabinet minister.

Ismail said in a statement that the agreement will lead to bipartisan cooperation, help the government fight the COVID-19 crisis and revive the economy.

"The government is confident that this will not only see political differences being put aside but also ensure the national recovery will be inclusive and holistic," he said.

Ismail became Malaysias third prime minister in three years when he was appointed by King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah last month to succeed Muhyiddin Yassin. Muhyiddin resigned after conceding he had lost the majority of lawmakers. Ismail served as deputy prime minister under Muhyiddin.

The king praised the bipartisan cooperation deal in an address to parliament Monday.

It is this kind of maturity that is craved by the people, he said.

The king selected Muhyiddin as prime minister in March 2020 after the collapse of then-Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamads ruling coalition a month earlier. But Muhyiddin was beset by constant challenges to his leadership within his fragile coalition and rising anger over his governments poor response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The country of 32 million is suffering the highest rate of new daily cases per one million people in Southeast Asia, with more than 1.9 million infections and 20,711 deaths currently, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.

Muhyiddins tenuous grip on power began unraveling when a group of lawmakers with the United Malays National Organization, the largest party in the coalition, withdrew their support. UMNO, once Malaysias long-serving ruling party dating to the countrys independence in 1957, has a handful of politicians facing corruption charges, including former Prime Minister Najib Razak.

Muhyiddins 17-month tenure as prime minister is the shortest in Malaysian history.

Some information for this report came from the Associated Press and Reuters.
Cuba has introduced new controls over online content deemed to affect national interests, in a move described as Orwellian by independent media and activists.

Decree 35 was passed last week, following the biggest anti-government protests in decades, as Cubans called for better living conditions amid economic hardship and the pandemic. Details of the unrest spread in part because of social media.

The new law is aimed at content or messages that Havana deems to be false news, offensive or that may incite acts that upset public order." Under it, anyone who tries to subvert the constitutional order will be considered a cyberterrorist.

A special channel also has been set up for citizens to inform on anyone who breaks the law.

"Our Decree 35 goes against misinformation and cyber lies," Reuters quoted Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel as saying.

The Cuban president blamed the July 11 protests on an online campaign that he said was led by U.S.-backed counter-revolutionaries.

So far, the penalties for breaching the regulations have not been made public, but it is believed the government would fine offenders, a Cuba-based journalist who requested anonymity, said.

Orwellian measures

Independent media within Cuba and analysts have said the decree is similar to the totalitarianism described in George Orwell's novel 1984, in which Big Brother controls every aspect of citizens' lives.

This decree is a way of silencing any critical voices in Cuba, which may have existed after 62 years of communist rule, Normando Hernandez, of the Cuban Institute for Freedom of Expression and the Press, told VOA. The Miami-based organization supports opposition media on the island.

It is a way to kill off all liberty of expression. It means even if you call a meeting, this can be construed as cyberterrorism. Any content that the government construes as against the government can be seen as a crime, he said.

No arrests under the law have been reported. But Hernandez said that many Cubans already are fearful of violating the legislation, and they are avoiding posting on social media platforms.

Bertrand De La Grange, chief editor in Madrid for independent Cuban website 14ymedio, said the new decree is Orwellian.

They are trying to create the same totalitarian world as George Orwell described in 1984 or Animal Farm, he told VOA.

De La Grange said the government introduced further restrictions on free speech in response to the biggest demonstrations since the 1990s, which in part were caused by criticism over the high coronavirus rate.

The fact the regime is doing this shows it is on the defensive. It is not solving any of the major problems. The COVID-19 situation is much worse than the official media say, he added.

As of Thursday, Cuba has more than a half-million confirmed cases and 4,500 deaths from COVID-19, according to data from the Johns Hopkins University. Its new case rate is estimated at 9,376 a day over the past week.

De La Grange said 14ymedio and other independent media had managed to circumvent controls because Havana does not operate a total block on the internet in the way that China does.

This decree is a way to try to punish those who publish what the regime calls 'fake news' but it is what we know is the true situation, said De La Grange.

Under the new decree, the state telecommunications company can suspend access to the internet for those found to have broken the new law.

Journalist Camila Acosta said that despite the regulations, Havana could not prevent millions of Cubans from accessing social media.

They can charge independent journalists like me  I have had five telephones confiscated this year alone  but they cannot possibly control millions of Cubans who access social media all the time. It is impossible, said Acosta, who works for the news website Cubanet, and for the Spanish daily ABC.

Acosta was arrested after reporting on the July demonstrations and has been placed under house arrest for six months while police investigate her case.

This will make my job more difficult, but they have introduced previous legislation to attack the free media so this is not new. What is new is that it is an attempt to stop people organizing demonstrations, Acosta told VOA from her home in Havana.

Digital repression

Since the introduction of mobile internet a bit more than two years ago, platforms including Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram have allowed Cubans to air complaints.

Havana insists that it permits free speech as long as it is within the revolution. But Decree 35 has alarmed Cuba civil rights campaigners, who say it uses vague language regarding what information internet users should provide to the government.

The law says users should grant public security institutions the technical facilities and services they require and give the Communications Ministry the information that (the ministry) determines.

"We have to see the context of this. Cuba has already introduced legislation to restrict the activities of journalists and activists, said Amnestys Americas director Erika Guevara-Rosas, referring to a law passed in 2019. This new decree is not sending out a message to them, it is sending a message to the general Cuban population."

It wants to strengthen a culture of fear among anyone who might be thinking of organizing protests or complaining about the fact you have to stand in line for hours to get basics in Cuba, Guevara-Rosas told VOA.

The communist government wanted to formalize digital repression in a country in which it already controls all aspects of life, Guevara-Rosas said.

U.S. lawmakers, including Senator Marco Rubio, as well as foreign diplomats in Havana, have criticized the new measure.

What the dictatorship doesnt realize is that the Cuban people have lost all fear to voice their opinions, theyve realized the despotic nature of the regime and arent afraid of protesting against over 60 [years] of repression, Rubio told VOA.

Congress this month passed an amendment co-sponsored by the Republican senator from Florida to provide Cubans uncensored access to the internet.

It is now in the [U.S.] presidents hands to act upon what Congress has approved, Rubio said.

British Ambassador to Cuba Antony Stokes also voiced concern at the decree, tweeting, Harassment, detentions against peaceful protesters, trials without due process and censorship embodied today by Decree Law 35 silence legitimate voices and violate international conventions.
More than 100 officials of Tunisia's Islamist party Ennahda announced their resignations Saturday to protest the choices of the movement's leadership in confronting the North African country's political crisis.

The split within the ranks of Ennahda comes amid a deep political crisis in Tunisia. In July, President Kais Saied's decided to sack the country's prime minister, suspend parliament and assume executive authority, saying it was because of a national emergency. His critics called it a coup.

In a statement released Saturday, 113 officials from Ennahda, including lawmakers and former ministers, said they had resigned.

"This is a definitive and irrevocable decision," Samir Dilou, an Ennahda lawmaker and minister from 2011 to 2014, told The Associated Press.

Dilou said the decision to resign was linked to the "impossibility of reforming the party from the inside" because of decisions being made by the head of the party, Rachid Ghannouchi, and his entourage. He also noted that Ennahda, the largest party in parliament, has failed to counter Saied's actions.

Earlier this week, Saied issued presidential decrees bolstering the already near-total power he granted himself two months ago.

Wednesday's decrees include the continuing suspension of parliament's powers, the suspension of all lawmakers' immunity from prosecution and a freeze on lawmakers' salaries.

They also stated Saied's intention from now on to rule by presidential decree alone and ignore parts of the constitution. Laws will not go through the parliament, whose powers are frozen, granting him near-unlimited power.

Saied said his July decision was needed to save the country amid unrest over financial troubles and the government's handling of Tunisia's coronavirus crisis.
The collapse of the Soviet Union left thousands of people living in enclaves  portions of one country surrounded by another. For the residents, this presents unique challenges; merely to visit their own nations capital requires them to carry a passport and cross foreign territory.

Uzbekistan, celebrating its 30th anniversary of independence, maintains four exclaves in the heart of Central Asias Ferghana Valley. All are within the borders of neighboring Kyrgyzstan. The two largest, Sokh and Shohimardon, are proudly Uzbek. Yet for decades, the government in Tashkent did not invest in them.

Still, Numonjon Eraliyev, a greenhouse manager in Sokh, insists that we are not as isolated as people assume. He treats his guests to freshly cut cucumbers  the emerald-green bounty of a hilly area where water is drawn from 107-meter-deep wells.

For the second time, VOA had near-exclusive access to these unique exclaves. This time, the residents of Sokh are more vocal about one thing: They want a visit from President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, who is running for a reelection that is virtually certain.

He travels around the country.  We are Uzbekistan too, Eraliyev said.

Sokh, Uzbekistans ethnic Tajik district

Founded in the 1940s, Sokh is ethnically Tajik but was given by Moscow to the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic. Located at the foot of the Pamir-Alay mountains, it is the largest exclave in Central Asia with more than 80,000 people and boasts a history that spans centuries. Its people resisted the Bolsheviks during the 1920s and 1930s. In the 1990s, it became a suspected hideout for armed Islamic extremists.

Mirziyoyev has prioritized resolving border issues. In 2019, locals told VOA that Kyrgyzstan was deliberately blocking the most direct road between Sokh and the rest of Uzbekistan. But Tashkent negotiated with Bishkek, and in the spring of 2021, that road opened, allowing access to Sokh in one-fourth of the time. Traders in Sokh bazaar told VOA they can now sell fresh vegetables, fruit, and other goods delivered from the mainland every day.

Sokh people are known for their tenacity and patience. Our district has gotten much attention from the central and regional administrations, said Saidbahrom Saidmusayev, Sokhs mayor.

Saidmusayev, who once helmed Sokhs police, was appointed as mayor following an Uzbek-Kyrgyz water dispute in 2020 that destroyed several households and led to the conviction of 22 men for instigating public disorder and attacking officials. Mirziyoyev dispatched his prime minister, Abdulla Aripov, to assuage an angry Sokh citizenry with promises of investment, educational and job opportunities, and new infrastructure.

The government also promised an airport, a prospect welcomed even by those who will supply the land for it.

The future is here, said Valijon Rahmonov, a potato farmer. He has lost half of his cropland to airport construction but is ready to welcome travelers so long as he can retain the rest.

Mirziyoyev should listen to us, ordinary folks. Sokh is a great place to live, so we want simple things  better access to the mainland to enable growth, education and opportunity, he said.

Access to Sokh is restricted. Only Uzbek and Kyrgyz citizens can travel there without a special permit. That makes it and other exclaves seem incredibly remote. But a visiting reporter found its people to be better informed and more politically aware than many others in Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan.

For me, Sokh seems like a small country with big issues, with dozens of villages, each with its happy stories, as well as injustices and ignorance, said Kamoliddin Azizov, a journalist turned activist. Azizov says Sokhs residents are proud citizens who welcome the increased focus from Tashkent.

Because life involves a constant crossing of borders, Azizov said, people adjust to challenges. For example, nearly half of Sokh residents are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, a higher uptake than in many parts of Central Asia.

Forty percent of us are 18 to 30, said Ravshan Komilov, a youth leader, and many are eager to work abroad and see the world. There are jobs here, but you can't stop young people, Komilov added. Each day involves carrying our passport between two states, the one that surrounds us, and the one we belong to.

At least half of the households have a family member working elsewhere, mainly in Russia, whose remittances help build private houses and businesses. But the enclave also hosts bold new ventures, such as a collective of seamstresses who got their start with state support and now earn a modest income. Some are single mothers; others have husbands working in Russia.

In a new economic zone, 22-year-old Manuchehr Mirzobekov runs his familys business. The plant produces construction materials in high demand across Central Asia. He proudly shows off new and expensive equipment from China and aims to employ hundreds someday.

Our future is here in Sokh, he said.

Shohimardon, empty gem

Nearby Shohimardon tells another story. The second-largest Uzbek exclave in Kyrgyzstan, just an hours drive from the center of Fergana, it lacks Sokhs momentum and buzz. Shohimardons population of about 10,000 people enjoys magnificent waterfalls and rivers astride a valley in the Pamir-Alay. Perched 1,500 meters above sea level, locals and visitors alike gush over the beauty of the Uzbek Switzerland.

This former Soviet resort once housed sanatoriums, camps, dachas and facilities catering to officials and apparatchiks.

Uzbek journalist Sharifa Madrahimova recalls a childhood of summers filled with family rituals and fun.

The place used to be crowded, especially this park, she said, pointing to a now rundown structure by the Aksu river. With nary a reveler in sight, it is a partyland only for grazing cows and goats.

In summer 2019, VOA saw a lively bazaar, and cafes and traditional teahouses on its central street. Now, it is a ghost town.

Without visitors, even mother nature seems sad, said an elderly Uzbek traveler. I got a room at a private house for 10,000 soms (under $1) a night. There is nothing here. Why isnt government investing? Such a beautiful place, desperately in need of renovation and attention.

Travelers to Shohimardon, like Sokh, need a passport and COVID-19 PCR test. And since Uzbekistans new passport is expensive, Madrahimova said, most of us travel to closer locations with cheaper and easier access. She is returning to Shohimardon after nearly 30 years.

On the exclaves hilly streets, the powerful sound of water echoes. One gets so used to it that the silence is strange once you leave the area. There are no modern hotels. And as you drive higher up the main road, you pass old Soviet buildings that still lodge regional agencies, such as the tax office, factories, security services, universities and trade associations. But these dull gray buildings do not distract from the mountain scenes.

Gayratjon Mamatqulov of the Ferghana Consumer Rights Association blamed COVID-19 for the current sense of emptiness.

People are not traveling, and those who want to come must take a test, which is not free, and obtain new passports, since you cross a foreign country to see these exclaves, Mamatqulov said.

The local tourism office recorded more than 1,000 Uzbek and Kyrgyz visitors to Shohimardon in the first half of 2021, five time less than in 2019.

Shohimardons museum, another Soviet leftover, showcases the legacy of Hamza Hakimzoda Niyoziy, a Bolshevik stoned to death by the local resistance in 1929. His monument still stands, reflecting the tragic story of the educator, playwright, poet and composer.

A nearby Islamic prayer house claims the Prophet Muhammads son-in-law Ali as a visitor. Some even believe he died and was buried there. Its another empty place of pilgrimage today.

We miss people, said the local imam, who lives next door. Shohimardon did not experience much COVID, but we feel the pandemics impact.

Mamatqulov hopes Tashkent will shower Shohimardon with the same attention it is giving Sokh.

The government definitely sees potential, and this exclave should benefit from the arrival of internet and better relations with Kyrgyzstan, Mamatqulov said.

Ferghanas deputy governor, Khurshidbek Ahmedov, who returned to Uzbekistan to help the county develop, aims to improve tourism and attract investment to the exclaves.

We are working closely with Bishkek on this. The roads to Uzbek exclaves will be repaired, with rest stops in Kyrgyzstan, Ahmedov said.

At present, Uzbeks driving through Kyrgyz territory never stop. They fear the Kyrgyz wont want them, and VOA talked to several travelers who complained of harsh treatment by border and customs officials. Uzbek travelers have grievances with the Kyrgyz; Kyrgyz blame the Uzbeks. Officials insist that travelers with proper documentation have no problems crossing. VOA saw no long lines at any posts, which are open from dawn to dusk.

Mamatqulov, who regularly visits the exclaves, asserts they face the same challenges as other regions in Uzbekistan. People need good schools, better paying jobs, better conditions for business, reliable transportation and modern infrastructure.

They know they cant really have it all. They know they must work for them. But its harder in the exclaves and its always been that way, he said.
In Switzerland, a controversial same-sex marriage referendum has been resoundingly approved by voters of the conservative, rich Alpine country.

Nearly two-thirds of Swiss citizens, more than 64 percent, have voted to legalize same sex marriage and grant gay and lesbian couples the same rights as heterosexual partners. All 26 Swiss cantons, even the most traditional, Appenzell Inner Rhoden, accepted the proposal.

Backers of the same-sex marriage campaign erupted into applause and cheers when the results were announced.

A member of the marriage campaign committee, Matthias Erhardt, called the outcome a big achievement and the crowning vote of a 40-year struggle in the country for same-sex marriage equality.

The government also welcomed the result, saying it put an end to current existing inequalities in the treatment of people and an end to the imposition of the state on how its citizens should lead their lives.

Under the new law, same-sex couples in Switzerland will be able to jointly adopt children. Lesbian couples can access sperm donations and medically assisted procreation.

Opponents of the initiative said this provision threatens the well-being of children and effectively deprives children conceived by a sperm donor of the right to a father. Swiss law does not allow the identity of a sperm donor to be revealed until the child reaches the age of 18.

The Swiss Peoples Party national councilor, Verena Herzog, said the new law opens the floodgates to many potentially dangerous practices.

Herzog warned the expansion of reproductive medicine has not just opened a small door, but a garage door has been opened. She said homosexual men also will want to be able to benefit from reproductive medicine.

Opponents say they will not abandon the issue, noting that the matter could come up for another vote in the future simply by gathering 50,000 signatures of Swiss citizens.

The outcome of the vote makes Switzerland the 30th country worldwide to allow same-sex marriage. Switzerlands minister of justice says the first gay and lesbian marriage ceremonies will be allowed as of July 2022.
The Taliban hanged a body from a crane parked in a city square in Afghanistan on Saturday in a gruesome display that signaled the hardline movement's return to some of its brutal tactics of the past.

Taliban officials initially brought four bodies to the central square in the western city of Herat, then moved three of them to other parts of the city for public display, said Wazir Ahmad Seddiqi, who runs a pharmacy on the edge of the square.

Taliban officials announced that the four were caught taking part in a kidnapping earlier Saturday and were killed by police, Seddiqi said. Ziaulhaq Jalali, a Taliban-appointed district police chief in Herat, said later that Taliban members rescued a father and son who had been abducted by four kidnappers after an exchange of gunfire. He said a Taliban fighter and a civilian were wounded by the kidnappers, and that the kidnappers were killed in crossfire.

An Associated Press video showed crowds gathering around the crane and peering up at the body as some men chanted.

"The aim of this action is to alert all criminals that they are not safe," a Taliban commander who did not identify himself told the AP in an on-camera interview conducted in the square.

Since the Taliban overran Kabul on August 15 and seized control of the country, Afghans and the world have been watching to see whether they will re-create their harsh rule of the late 1990s, which included public stonings and limb amputations of alleged criminals, some of which took place in front of large crowds at a stadium.

After one of the Taliban's founders said in an interview with The Associated Press this past week that the hardline movement would again carry out executions and amputations of hands, the U.S. State Department said such acts "would constitute clear gross abuses of human rights."

"Everyone criticized us for the punishments in the stadium, but we have never said anything about their laws and their punishments," Mullah Nooruddin Turabi said in an AP interview. "No one will tell us what our laws should be. We will follow Islam and we will make our laws on the Quran."
Afghanistans Taliban government Sunday asked foreign airlines to resume commercial flights to and from Kabul, saying problems at the capital citys airport had been resolved and the facility is fully operational.



The Islamist group regained control of the war-torn country in mid-August following the collapse of the Western-backed Afghan government as American and allied troops withdrew from Afghanistan, ending nearly 20 years of involvement in the conflict.



The Kabul airport was closed for all commercial flights in the wake of the emergency evacuation of tens of thousands of foreigners and vulnerable Afghans that ensued after the Taliban takeover of the capital.



The airport, which was damaged during the chaotic evacuation, has since been reopened for a limited number of aid and chartered passenger flights with technical assistance mainly from Qatar.

"As the problems at Kabul International Airport have been resolved and the airport is fully operational for domestic and international flights, the IEA assures all airlines of its full cooperation," said Abdul Qahar Balkhi, the newly appointed spokesman for the Taliban Foreign Ministry.



Balkhi used an abbreviation for Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, the Taliban's term for their new government. The spokesman noted that the suspension of international flights had left many Afghan citizens stranded.



[A] majority of these Afghans are women, children, students, patients, and traders who need to travel freely. Moreover, many Afghan citizens who have international employment or pursue education abroad are now facing difficulties in reaching their destinations, Balkhi said.

There was no immediate reaction to the Talibans call for foreign airlines to resume flight operations.

A spokesman for Pakistan International Airlines (PIA,) when asked for a response, told VOA the state-run carrier is ready to restart commercial flights from Islamabad to Kabul but conditions on the ground are still demanding and insurance rates are too high to undertake the operation.



The Talibans appeal for foreign airlines to resume their flights comes amid stepped up diplomatic efforts by the Islamist group to seek international legitimacy for its nascent men-only caretaker government that is grappling with a severe economic crisis and has been criticized for excluding women.



The Islamist movement's return to power prompted Washington to block billions of dollars held in U.S. reserves for Kabul, while the World Bank and International Monetary Fund both halted Afghanistan's access to crucial funding amid worries about the fate of Afghan basic human rights under Taliban rule.



The global community at large has not opened direct engagement with the Taliban, saying it is waiting to see if the fundamentalist movement respects human rights and runs Afghanistan through an inclusive government unlike their previous rule from 1996 to 2001.



The Taliban at the time had enforced a brutal justice system, barred women from work and public life, and didnt allow girls to receive an education. But they have promised to demonstrate a more tolerant governance and respect human rights, especially for women, and prevent Afghanistan from again becoming a haven for international terrorists.



China, Russia and neighboring Pakistan have all moved to engage with the Taliban and been pressing the world to help Kabul meet urgent humanitarian needs of Afghans.



These countries have demanded the unfreezing of Afghan assets and the removal of other sanctions to prevent an economic meltdown in the turmoil-hit country. But they also have withheld recognition of the Taliban government until it delivers on its stated commitments.



The Chinese ambassador to Kabul met Sunday with the acting Taliban foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, and renewed Beijings call for helping the country.



In post-meeting tweet, Balkhi said that Ambassador Wang Yu emphasized the need for humanitarian assistance and cooperation with Afghanistan and enhancing trade between the two countries.



On Saturday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at the United Nations that international recognition of the Taliban at the present juncture is not on the table. He said the government in Kabul fails to reflect "the whole gamut of Afghan society  ethno-religious and political forces  so we are engaging in contacts, they are ongoing.



Lavrov noted that Moscow, Washington, Beijing and Islamabad are working collectively to hold the Taliban to the promises they made.



"What's most important ... is to ensure that the promises that they have proclaimed publicly [are] to be kept, said the chief Russian diplomat. And for us, that is the top priority.

For their part, Taliban officials have defended their government, saying it comprises representatives of all Afghan ethnicities and promising women will be inducted into it very soon. But they have pledged not to make any changes in the Cabinet under foreign pressure.
U.S. Homeland Security chief Alejandro Mayorkas and Texas Governor Greg Abbott clashed Sunday over enforcement of the countrys immigration laws after thousands of Haitian migrants massed  and then were cleared  from the U.S.-Mexican border city of Del Rio, Texas.

Mayorkas, in an interview on the Fox News Sunday show, defended the national governments response to the chaos at the border as complying with federal laws and in line with what he said was one of our proudest traditions to permit foreign migrants to enter the U.S. to seek asylum and safety from turmoil in their homelands.

But Abbott, a long-time critic of Washingtons response to thousands of migrants from Haiti and Central America crossing the southwestern border into his state, said Mayorkas and President Joe Biden have abandoned any pretense of securing the border and instead sent a message to the world that the border is open. Abbott spoke in a separate interview on the same program.

About 30,000 Haitians massed at the border in a 17-day period starting September 9, many of them trekking through Mexico after escaping the rubble from the massive 2010 earthquake in Haiti and living in South American countries for the last decade.

While several thousand Haitians eventually returned to Mexico, the U.S. sent more than 2,000 on deportation flights back to the Caribbean nation.

Mayorkas said another 12,000 were released into the U.S. on the promise of appearing at immigration offices within 60 days for the start of asylum hearings, while the U.S. is holding 5,000 migrants as it determines whether they should be deported or allowed to make asylum claims.

Government statistics show that 44% of migrants released on the promise to appear at asylum hearings fail to show up and often blend into life in the United States even as they are subject to arrest and deportation if immigration agents catch them. About 11 million undocumented migrants live in the U.S., officials estimate.

Mayorkas said, It is our intention to remove migrants ineligible to stay in the country. But he acknowledged, Our immigration system is broken and speaks to the need for legislative reform. In politically fractious Washington, however, congressional attempts to revamp immigration laws have for years been stalemated.

Abbott said Mayorkas and Biden are in dereliction of duty in enforcing U.S. border laws.

With the influx of migrants, he said his state troopers and agents are going to have to (take it upon themselves) to enforce immigration laws. Abbott ordered officials to line up dozens of state-owned vehicles side-by-side at the border to create a steel barrier to try to keep out more migrants.

They have left us in a position to do what we have to do, Abbott said, alleging the Biden administration cares more for people who are not in this country than Americans.

A week ago, photographs and videos were captured of horseback-mounted federal agents corralling Haitian migrants and pushing them back toward Mexico. Top U.S. officials, including Biden, deplored the actions of the agents and an investigation was launched, although conclusions about the agents performance on the job have yet to be reached.

Biden has promised the actions of the border agents will not tolerated and they will be disciplined.

But Abbott vowed if the agents are fired, I will hire you to help Texas secure the border.
Military veterans who carefully dug and sifted through clumps of dirt this month at a Revolutionary War battlefield in New York did more than uncover artifacts fired from muskets and cannons.

The meticulous field work gave the veterans  some dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder and physical injuries  a familiar sense of camaraderie and mission.

So while the archaeological dig at the Saratoga National Historical Park produced evidence from the tide-turning Second Battle of Saratoga, the teamwork behind the finds also benefited the veterans.

We can all come together, share your battle stories, your deployment stories, and share your love for the history of what youre digging," said Bjorn Bruckshaw, of Laconia, New Hampshire, during a break on a recent hazy morning.

Bruckshaw, 38, was part of a three-person crew that spent the morning digging small holes at spots that set off metal detectors, then searching though the damp clumps to uncover ... old nails, mostly.

But the self-described Revolutionary War buff was loving it.

Bruckshaw, an Army veteran injured in a roadside bombing in Iraq, is among 15 veterans taking part in the dig through American Veterans Archaeological Recovery, an organization that helps service members transition into the civilian world. While the group deals mostly with vets with disabilities, their focus is on what participants can do in the field instead of any injuries, said AVAR's Stephen Humphreys.

In the military you're trained to be on time for everything," Bruckshaw said. So transitioning into the civilian world is a little bit harder for a lot of people. For me, it was a little bit difficult suffering from TBI [traumatic brain injury] and PTSD from my combat injuries. But you have support groups like these.

National Park Service archaeologist William Griswold said the team is looking for artifacts that shed more light on the Battle of Bemis Heights, or the Second Battle of Saratoga, on Oct. 7, 1777. The American victory over British and German soldiers is credited with persuading France to lend crucial support the fight for independence.

The battle also burnished the heroic resume of future traitor Benedict Arnold, who was wounded in the leg and is memorialized here with a monument to his boot.

While maps and journal accounts from the time describe troop movements during that fateful battle, artifacts can pinpoint movements and provide a reality check.

For instance, historians know the British at Saratoga loaded their cannons with tin canisters packed with iron balls, or case shot, that spread out like shotgun blasts. Locations of the buried iron balls found here are being used to deduce more precisely where the cannons fired from.

Its a good way to check a lot of these textual sources because in the fog of battle, people often make mistakes or embellish things, Griswold said.

Field work was first conducted here in 2019, with supervision from the National Park Service's regional archaeology program. The American Battlefield Trust is a sponsor. Work was interrupted by the pandemic last year, but crews with shovels and metal detectors were back this month and wrapping up this week.

Its partially about the chase, said veteran Megan Lukaszeski. You never know what youre going to find. You could dig and you could find nothing, or you could dig and find the most amazing things.

After retiring from the Air Force, Lukaszeski went to school to study archaeology. The 36-year-old from New York has already taken part in AVAR excavations to recover remains at WWII crash sites in England and Sicily through the group's partnership with the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency. She plans to get her master's degree and pursue archaeology professionally.

For others, the work is more a chance to learn about archaeology while having some fun.

Former Army Col. Tim Madere once hunted for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. This month, the 68-year-old sifted dirt through a screen in a hunt for artifacts and shared laughs with other workers. The Savannah, Georgia-area resident said he has gotten over most of his PTSD, but believes you can never totally get rid of it.

He sees this sort of field work as a good way for people to manage it.

You hear their stories and then you tell yours so that we kind of get a better appreciation of what all these Americans did to protect the United States, he said. So its good to see other people, and theyre doing well.
The global battle against COVID-19 is expected to be top of mind for Vietnamese President Nguyen Xuan Phuc when he travels to the United States for the U.N. General Assembly session next week, following a weekend stopover in Cuba. It remains unclear whether he will meet with U.S. President Joe Biden or other Western leaders on the sidelines of the U.N. session.



Vietnam's Foreign Ministry announced plans for the visit Wednesday, saying Phuc will pay an official visit to Cuba from September 18 to September 20 before arriving in New York to attend the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly. He will be in the United States from September 21 to September 24.



In his first overseas trip since being elected president by the National Assembly in April, Phuc is expected to introduce Vietnam's diplomatic policy to the United Nations. In an interview Thursday with Vietnamese media, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Dang Hoang Giang stressed that Phuc would express Vietnam's desire to work with other countries on COVID-19 prevention and other urgent problems.



Giang said Phuc will meet with other leaders in New York to discuss ways of controlling the pandemic and speeding economic recovery. The former prime minister also will meet with leading U.S. vaccine manufacturers to seek the "earliest, fastest, and most effective possible delivery commitments for Vietnam, as well as medicine, equipment, and medical supplies to prevent COVID-19."





Aside from the pandemic, analysts will be paying close attention to see who Phuc meets on the sidelines of the General Assembly debate, particularly since this will be the first U.S. visit by a Vietnamese leader since the 13th National Party Congress in late January.



The visit coincides with Biden's first in-person meeting with his fellow QUAD leaders  Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Phuc held phone talks Wednesday with Suga, but it remained unclear whether he will meet in New York with Biden or any of the other QUAD leaders.



A source familiar with the matter told VOA that Phuc is expected to meet in New York with Korean President Moon Jae In. VOA also learned that Vietnam has been trying to arrange such a meeting with the U.S. side.



Vietnam considers the annual U.N. session in New York, which attracts dozens of world leaders, as a good opportunity for party-to-party and people-to-people diplomacy. Phuc also may reach out to thank Americans who have worked to help Vietnam overcome the impact of the toxic defoliant Agent Orange, which was widely used by the United States during the Vietnam War.



"Bilateral activities in the United States are expected to make important contributions to enhancing the cooperation between Vietnam and the new U.S. administration, promoting the well-developed Comprehensive Partnership, and be consistent with the shared goals and interests of both Vietnam and the United States," Giang said Thursday.



He said Phuc also will meet with members of the U.S. business community to "inform about Vietnam's efforts in controlling and repelling the pandemic and restoring production, thereby helping strengthen confidence and attract more investment from U.S. investors, businesses and partners."



Earlier this month, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh received U.S. Charge d'Affaires Christopher Klein and representatives from U.S. enterprises and investors in Hanoi. The Americans told the Vietnamese leader about their operations in Vietnam, describing their problems and making proposals related to supply chains, logistics, work permits and access to vaccines.



Chinh affirmed Vietnam's commitment to its vaccination campaign and said the country will double down on efforts to advance the proposals made by the U.S. businesses.



Vietnamese state media reported that Chinh also asked the Americans "to boost closer coordination with Vietnamese ministries, sectors and localities so as to effectively implement pandemic containment measures, maintain production activities, ensure social welfare for workers and facilitate Vietnamese businesses' investment in the U.S."
International recognition of the Taliban at the present juncture is not on the table, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Saturday at the United Nations.

Among the Talibans promises are ensuring an inclusive government; respecting human rights, especially for women; and preventing Afghanistan from becoming a haven for terrorists.

But the interim Taliban government, Lavrov said, fails to reflect "the whole gamut of Afghan society  ethno-religious and political forces  so we are engaging in contacts, they are ongoing."

Russia, the United States, China and Pakistan, he said, are working to hold the Taliban to the promises they made when they seized control of Afghanistan in mid-August. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said the Talibans desire for such recognition is the only leverage the world has.

"What's most important ... is to ensure that the promises that they have proclaimed publicly [are] to be kept," Lavrov added at news conference Saturday afternoon.

Lavrov addressed a wide range of topics, including the Iran nuclear deal and Russian mercenaries in Mali.

On Iran, Lavrov urged a greater effort from the U.S. to rejoin the deal.

"It seems evident they should be more active" in "resolving all issues related" to the accord, Lavrov told reporters, according to Agence France-Presse.

Negotiations stuck

Talks in Vienna among representatives from Iran, Russia, China, France, Britain and Germany have stalled, and Iran is no longer in compliance with the nuclear agreement, Lavrov said, simply because the United State has left it.

The deal was struck in 2015 and called for Iran to undo most of its nuclear program and allow international monitoring. In exchange, it would receive sanctions relief. Former U.S. President Donald Trump left the deal in 2018, and Iran resumed nuclear activities. U.S. President Joe Biden has said he wants to rejoin the agreement if Iran returns to compliance.

Iran's foreign minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, said Friday that the talks would resume "very soon," but Tehran has not been specific about the timeframe, according to AFP.

On Mali, Lavrov said the country had turned to a private military company to help it combat terrorism, something France and the U.S. oppose. Lavrov said the Russian government had nothing to do with any agreement between Mali and Russias Wagner Group.

Earlier Saturday at the General Assembly annual meeting, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said it was crucial that Afghanistan not be used to spread terrorism globally, and he called on world leaders to help minorities in the country, along with women and children.

The Taliban seized control of Afghanistan in August after the U.S. decision to withdraw troops from the country following 20 years of war the U.S and its allies initiated after the al-Qaida terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.

No 'misuse' of Afghan situation

It is important to ensure that the land of Afghanistan is not used to spread terrorism and perpetuate terrorist attacks, Modi said.

"We also have to be alert that no nation should be able to misuse the delicate situation in Afghanistan for their own selfish motives, like a tool, Modi added in an apparent reference to Pakistan, locked between Afghanistan and India.

Modis appeal to protect women in Afghanistan came amid indications the Taliban have been limiting womens rights since they seized Kabul, despite recent statements that they were willing to ease restrictions on women and girls. Women were largely banned from public life under the Talibans previous reign in Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001.

The prime minister of India, which competes with China for influence in Kashmir and in the Indian Ocean region, also cited the need to shield oceans from the race for expansion and exclusion.

Other speakers Saturday at the assembly included leaders from Ethiopia, Mali and Haiti.
Rwandan forces will help secure and rebuild areas of northern Mozambique destroyed by an Islamist insurgency, Rwanda's President Paul Kagame said Friday, as Mozambican officials began encouraging civilians to return to the gas-rich region.

The United Nations has warned of a continuing militant threat in Cabo Delgado, where Rwandan forces are patrolling burnt-out streets once besieged by the militants.

Kagame told a joint news conference in Maputo with his Mozambican counterpart Filipe Nyusi that Rwandan troops would help secure and rebuild the areas destroyed by the insurgency.

"The mission of Rwandan troops in Mozambique continues," he said. "The new action should be to guarantee security in the liberated areas until the reconstruction is finished."

Kagame said the troops would stay as long as Mozambique requests.

Nyusi thanked Rwanda for helping fix what had been destroyed by "terrorists."

Allied Rwandan-Mozambican troops moved in to recapture parts of northern Cabo Delgado -- an area hosting $60 billion worth of gas projects that the militants have been attacking since 2017 -- in July.

A day earlier, soldiers had laid out rifles and rocket launchers seized from the Islamist fighters, who Mozambique's government has said are on the run.

Some local officials have encouraged civilians to return, according to media reports, and the Rwandan military's spokesperson said 25,000 people had been brought home. "It is very safe for them to go back," Ronald Rwivanga told Reuters on Thursday.

But United Nations officials are not so sure.

A document compiled in September for U.N. agencies and other aid groups, seen by Reuters, said it was not clear whether militant capabilities had been much reduced. "Fighting continues in certain locations and civilian authorities have not been re-established," it added.

Children played in the streets of the town of Palma on Thursday and vendors sold goods from kiosks, six months after the militants attacked the settlement, killing dozens and forcing tens of thousands to flee.

But 60 kilometers south in the port of Mocimboa da Praia -- a hub needed for cargo deliveries for the gas projects -- the streets were largely deserted, flanked by windowless, rubble-strewn buildings and overturned military vehicles.

Graffiti, using a local name for the militant group, read: "If you want to make Al-Shabaab laugh, threaten them with death."

The war that remains is hunger

Aside from the Rwandans, a contingent of forces from the regional bloc, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) is also patrolling northern Cabo Delgado.

Rwivanga said the Rwandans had been moving civilians back into the area they control around a $20 billion liquefied natural gas (LNG) project run by oil major TotalEnergies, which was forced to a halt by the Palma attack.

Yet security analysts say the Mozambican military deficiencies that allowed the insurgency to take hold in the north -- including soldiers who are ill equipped, undisciplined and poorly paid -- will not be easily reversed.

Even with other forces there, they say, security is uncertain outside of small, heavily guarded areas.

Returnees, meanwhile, are more preoccupied with where the next meal is coming from. The World Food Program said this week that the first shipment of aid had reached Palma since the March attack.

"Now the situation is calm, the war that remains is hunger and lack of jobs," Ibrahimo Suleman, 60, a resident who works for a kitchen-fitting company said.

Many others remain too afraid or unwilling to return, with almost 750,000 people still displaced as of this month, according to the International Organization of Migration.
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A suicide car bomb killed at least eight people in the Somali capital, Saturday, September 25, near the president's palace, police said. (Reuters)
Zimbabwe is crafting regulations that would outlaw Private Voluntary Organizations (PVOs) suspected to be funding or campaigning for politicians in any election in the country.

According to the state-controlled Sunday Mail newspaper, the proposed amendments to the Private Voluntary Organizations Act, would include the shutting down of some PVOs and removal of their directors by a registrar, appointed by the government.

The newspaper reports that the proposed amendments to the Act would soon be tabled by Parliament of Zimbabwe.

Under the new regulations, PVOs funding or supporting candidates in an election will face heavy fines or imprisonment for a period not exceeding one year or both. At the same time, operating an unregistered PVO would attract a 10-year sentence.

A registrar, appointed by the government, would be expected to collect registration fees for PVOs and be in a position to run these organizations if they are found to be violating Zimbabwean laws.

Zanu PFs Tafadzwa Muguti recently attempted to introduce such regulations, which were declared null and void by a local court.

PVOs say this latest move is an attempt by President Emmerson Mnangagwas government to bring back Mugutis dumped regulations, which would lead to the shutting down of all PVOs said to be anti-government.

Muguti, Public Service Minister Paul Mavima, Information Secretary Nick Mangwana and presidential spokesperson George Charamba were not available for comment. They were not responding to calls on their mobile phones.

Independent social and political commentator, Effie Dlela Ncube, said the government is planning to shut down all PVOs suspected to be anti-government.

"It's plan to leave Zanu PF untouched in elections. This will result in the shutting down of non-governmental organizations in Zimbabwe focusing on democracy, governance and related issues. It's a scary."
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Breaking News The big news. Sent only as it happens.
CAMP RIPLEY, Minn.  Leaders and Soldiers of the Minnesota National Guard were inducted into the Court of Honor on Camp Ripley Sunday. The ceremony took place at 1p.m. in the Gen. John W. Vessey Recreation Center, where members of the Memorialization Board were joined by family, friends, colleagues and fellow Service-members of 19 Minnesota National Guardsmen.

It is truly an honor to be able to host this outstanding event each year, said Col. Scott St. Sauver Camp Ripley Garrison Commander. We recognize them for their service to our state and country and reflect on what they have done for all of us, he added.

Five leaders from the Minnesota National Guard were inducted this year in honor of their distinguished careers to the military service and the community. They were joined by fourteen Soldiers who died while deployed as a part of the Minnesota National Guard since Sept 11, 2001. This was the first time since its establishment in 1933 that personnel killed in action were inducted in the Court of Honor. Among them was Sgt. Jesse Lhotka, of Alexandria, an Appleton native and Minnesota National Guardsmen who was with the Montevideo-based 151st Field Artillery killed by a roadside blast on Feb. 21, 2005 in Baghdad, Iraq.

Lhotka was credited with saving the life of a fellow solider from nearby Benson whose Humvee had flipped, and had just helped evacuate another soldier, when he was killed along with Staff Sgt. David Day, 25, of St. Louis Park, who grew up in Morris, and 1st Lt. Jason Timmerman, 24, of Tracy.

Here is a list of all of this year's inductees to the 2016 Court of Honor on Camp Ripley:

First Lieutenant (KIA) Jason G. Timmerman

Command Sergeant Major (Ret.) Patricia J. Ibberson Hacker

Command Sergeant Major (Ret.) Douglas L. Julin

Command Sergeant Major (Ret.) Edward S. Mills

Sergeant First Class (Ret.) Gary A. Gamradt

Sergeant First Class (Ret.) Steven D. Johnson

Staff Sergeant (KIA) David F. Day

Staff Sergeant (KIA) Joshua R. Hanson

Staff Sergeant (KIA) Greg N. Riewer

Staff Sergeant (KIA) James M. Wosika Jr.

Sergeant (KIA) Brent W. Koch

Sergeant (KIA) Jesse M. Lhotka

Sergeant (KIA) Bryan T. McDonough

Sergeant (KIA) Kyle R. Miller

Sergeant (KIA) Corey J. Rystad

Specialist (KIA) George W. Cauley

Specialist (KIA) Daniel P. Drevnick

Specialist (KIA) James D. Wertish

Specialist (KIA) Carlos E. Wilcox IV

The addition to the regulation, including KIAs, is a lasting tribute to those who have given so much to the service of their nation, state and community, said Maj. Don Warner, Camp Ripley Public Affairs Officer.

The inductees join a group of former soldiers and honorees whose service dates back more than 150 years. The names of more than 320 Minnesotans are engraved on the monuments near the Minnesota Military History Museum, recognizing Minnesota National Guardsmen, both junior and senior for their unwavering dedication, loyalty and distinguished service.

The Memorialization Board selects inductees based on their service to the Minnesota National Guard, as well as continued service to their communities. The board reviews the nominations received and forwards recommendations to the Minnesota Adjutant General for approval.

We should be very grateful for their service and sacrifices given during their various military careers, said Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Jerry Lang, Memorialization Board Chairman. They have invested themselves to be a part of something great and have left an inspirational impact on peers, subordinates and superiors alike, Lang continued.
ST. PAUL, Minn.  The Credit for Military Service in a Combat Zone for service in 2014 will expire for most qualifying service members on October 15, 2018. The Minnesota Department of Revenue is reminding Minnesota service members to take advantage of the refundable tax credit before it expires. The 2014 credit is worth $120 per month, or partial month served.

The department recently sent letters explaining how to claim the credit to over 1,400 service members who may qualify. Service members have already claimed more than $1 million in refunds for the 2014 credit, with an average refund of $660.

To qualify for the credit, service members must meet all of the following requirements:

 Served in a combat zone or qualified hazardous-duty area anytime on or after January 1, 2014

 Were a Minnesota resident during the time of service

 Received combat pay which is exempt from federal and Minnesota income tax

To receive the credit, service members must send the following documents:

 Form M99, Credit for Military Service in a Combat Zone

 Corresponding Form DD-214 for each period of qualifying service

o If still on active duty, attach Leave and Earnings statements for each month of qualifying service.

Applications must be postmarked by October 15, 2018.

For more information on the military tax credit and to fill out the form, visit our website at www.revenue.state.mn.us.

Check out and share our video that explains who qualifies and how to claim the Credit for Military Service in a Combat Zone. Tax credits for service in a combat zone are also available for 2015, 2016, and 2017. For more information, visit the Members of the Military page on our website and sign up for email updates on military credits, application deadlines, and tax law changes.

For information on combat zone locations that qualify for the tax credit, visit the IRS website.

Get the latest news and updates from the Minnesota Department of Revenue by following the department on Facebook and Twitter or by signing up for our email subscription list.
The latest teaser trailer for the long-awaited fourth season of Stranger Things introduces audiences to a creepy old home called Creel House, which appears to have absolutely nothing to do with Gavin Creel. What it does have is a dark past. The trailer, which premiered during Netflixs Tudum fan event on Saturday, begins with a family in the 1950s moving in, only to notice some strange happenings. Cut to the 80s, when the Hawkins gang breaks in to search for clues. Unfortunately, they dont unearth a premiere date; we just know its sometime in 2022. Tick tock

002/004

Its the return of shaved-head Eleven, just in time to match Hopper. In the new teaser trailer for Stranger Things 4, we get a flashback to the laboratory in which Eleven was created, where a group of children are playing under the menacing eye of their papa, Dr. Martin Brenner. Brenner allegedly died by Demogorgon in season one, but in season two, a lab employee tells Eleven hes still out there. Eleven, are you listening? he calls out to her in the teaser. Looks like the new season will explore her supernatural origin story, or maybe even involve other psychokinetic kids.

Stranger Things 4 is now arriving in 2022, according to a Netflix sneak peek. You can watch the initial teaser from February 2020 below, where we catch up with surprisingly undead Russian prisoner Chief Jim Hopper. Based on the captions 001/004 and 002/004, we can expect at least two more teasers before Stranger Things finally returns. Work on the series resumed in September, after production was paused in January 2020. Jamie Campbell Bower (Twilight: New Moon), Eduardo Franco (Booksmart), Joseph Quinn (Game of Thrones), and Robert Englund (Nightmare on Elm Street) all join the cast this season as Hawkins residents with varying levels of creepiness. No release date yet, just eerie, eerie vibes.

001/004, February 2020

Look down, look down, dont look em in the eye, Hopper and his fellow prisoners should be singing in the teaser for Stranger Things season four. Despite the setting and technological advances (railroad tracks over ships), the teaser plays out like the beginning of Les Miserables, and Hopper is our Jean Valjean. Miraculously alive after we collectively mourned him in last seasons finale, Hopper is living his days as a slave of the law in Russia, after, you know, mowing a bunch of people down with a machine gun. That means more David Harbour dadbod and more Miami Vice with El, but considerably less hair. Hopper is bald and thats just something were all going to have to come to terms with. Maybe thats why Netflix revealed Hoppers return in a teaser trailer  it knew wed need time to cope with the loss. And time is abundant. Stranger Things 4 is no longer expected until 2022.
Evil I is for IRS Season 2 Episode 11 Editors Rating 5 stars * * * * *  Previous Next  Photo: Elizabeth Fisher/CBS

Nothing like a little Satan-worshipping to bring out the devil in you, huh? I Is for IRS has a lot of elements at play, but it mostly comes down to a battle for Kristens soul. Evil has been playing around with the idea of Kristen being possessed since the end of season one, and her actions and behavior since have pointed toward something going on with her. Theres the murdering, the growing aggression, and anger (see also: Frozen Fry Incident), the flirting with the idea of cheating on her husband, the fire jinn hallucinations, all that burning crucifixes on her body, and more! Now whether its actual possession by the devil (if youre into that stuff), something with her meds, or her new job giving her more agency, thats for you to decide depending on what you believe. Regardless, Kristen is certainly walking a tightrope between good and evil, and her fate depends on which way she decides to tip. This episode might resolve that issue.

When Andy returns home, he notices the changes in his wife immediately, and they scare him  theyre still in therapy about it (didnt Kurt say this would be a conflict of interest and hed recommend someone else??). Andy blurts out what he wants to know: Is Kristen having an affair? Did she sleep with Ben? Kristen laughs. Did she sleep with David? Kristen says hes becoming a priest, and she would never do that  which is probably not exactly what Andy wants to hear as the reason she wouldnt sleep with him. At the mention of David, however, our old friend, the fire jinn, appears in front of Kristen. She gets Andy out of the room and informs Kurt whats going on, and he prescribes her two new medications. Kristen feels like shes losing it. And maybe she is!

Shes not the only one. Lelands final exorcism has begun. It takes place over an intense three nights. David goes because hes obligated, but he doesnt expect much; He knows Leland is messing with him. But this time, somethings different. Leland seems to be actually struggling during the exorcism. Voices are coming through him. He kicks a priest clear across the room. David knows that Leland couldnt be faking it. Afterward, Leland is alone in his room, where he doesnt have to put on a show, and his hand is shaking. He looks scared. This exorcism just stopped being polite and started getting real, I think.

David is so baffled by it, he asks Kristen to attend the second night. The exorcism begins, and the same things start happening. It seems like Leland is really being tortured. He throws up some truly disgusting black tar stuff that starts bubbling on the ground. It seems wild to say, black tar vomit or not, we should be much less interested in Leland and more focused on whats going on with Kristen. Shes sweating and starting to panic, and she runs into the bathroom. She is unwell, folks. Now, she did start that new medication, so maybe thats whats causing her to have horrifically gross hallucinations in which her stomach bursts and a tiny alien worm thing comes tumbling out along with so, so much bile and guts and stuff. AS IF WE HAVENT HAD ENOUGH DISGUSTING CREATURES BURSTING OUT OF WOMEN ON THIS SHOW (#GoblinBaby4Life). So, sure, maybe it is the meds. Or, maybe it has something to do with a possibly possessed Kristen being at an exorcism.

She flees, realizes it was a hallucination, and drives to the closest bar for tequila. It is highly relatable! She is unmoored, our Kristen. And then Graham saddles up next to her.

Graham is at the center of this weeks case. The IRS has asked the Catholic church to assist in the process of determining if an organization that has just applied for tax-exempt status should, in fact, be a federally recognized religion or not. Apparently, it is part of the process to have other federally recognized religions weigh in. Bishop Marx wants the assessors to investigate and see whether this new religion, led by this Graham fellow and his buddy Bishop Jim, meets the requirements the IRS agent lays out. The organization in question? The New Ministry of Satan. And yes, before you ask, there are old ones.

Its obvious from the start that this New Ministry of Satan is bullshit. Sure, Graham is very charming, has answers for everything, and yes, has very clear skin, which he insists he got by praying to Satan (if only it were that easy!), but it mostly seems like a dingy office front where people are selling Satan merch and making up rituals in the back temple as they go along. Lots of horn headdresses are involved. But Graham is intrigued by Kristen, which is why he follows her to that bar. When she asks if hes here to convert her, he tells her what we already know  he isnt an actual believer, and he can tell she isnt either. Hes certainly caught her at the right time. After everything that went down at that exorcism, it seems that Kristen is looking to do a bad, bad thing. So she takes Graham out to her car and fucks him in the passenger seat. Andys going to wish she was hooking up with David!!

Kristen gets to her house, and while putting her underwear back on in her backyard, Sheryl spots her. She knows exactly what happened and doles out some heartwarming mother/daughter advice: Take a bath, scrub it all off, take a shower, throw out your clothes, tell no one. Its what Sheryl did all those times she came home to Kristens dad. Aw, what a sweet story. Anyway, Kristen follows that advice, but it isnt an easy process. The extra dirty water coming off her body and staining her bathtub surely doesnt help her calm down. The next day, she flies into Kurts office to tell him she needs to get off all this medication. In what seems to be a fit of paranoia, she questions whose side Kurt is on, if hes working with Leland, and passing on information to Sheryl. She screams at him and then fires him. As soon as she leaves the room, Kurt gets on the phone and says we need to talk to the person on the other line, but when Kristen bursts in, having heard him and believing her paranoia has been proven correct, Kurt says its his wife on the other line and she can talk to her if she wants. But why would Kurt be calling his wife at that moment? Is something up with Kurt?? This precious man???

Leland is also seemingly losing it after that second exorcism. Hes shaking, unable to move from his couch. He needs Sheryl to come over and help him. Help in this case means to draw him an actual bloodbath made with blood from jars labeled with peoples names. When Sheryl asks if he feels better after she poured one bottle over his head  labeled Jeremy, sorry to that man!  Leland asks for the two women from the airport. This show has gone off the rails in the very best, most special way, hasnt it? After a nice soak, you can see Lelands hand isnt shaking anymore. Hes back, babyyyyyy!

And just in time for the third and final night of his exorcism. Unfortunately for David, Lelands back to his old tricks  he fakes the whole thing until the end. The power of Christ compelled him to do absolutely nothing. But again, its Kristen we should be watching. As the priest is performing the exorcism on Leland, shes writhing on the floor of the bathroom, sweating, throwing up  you know, how a person might look if a demon were being pulled out of her. Also, maybe, how someone might look coming off a whole bunch of anti-hallucinatory drugs, no?

When the priest asks Leland if he rejects Satan, Kristen says, I do. It looks like this exorcism is working  just not on the intended. We dont see Kristens answer when the priest asks Leland the final question, if he claims the protecting power of God, but when David finally opens the bathroom door looking for her, she seems like a new person. She seems relieved. A weight has been lifted. She asks David  over fries, be still my heart  if an exorcism still works if the person doesnt believe in God. He says yes, God doesnt need you to believe in him. Kristens not so sure, but you can tell she really, really wants that exorcism to have worked.

And it does seem like shes changed. She realizes she has to get home because Andy is about to leave for Colorado, and she needs to talk to him before he goes. She leaves him a teary voicemail to wait for her and that shes been so awful and he and their kids are everything to her. He gets the message. She finds him sitting in the backyard, and they have a very sweet reunion! Is Evil romantic now? Evil is everything!

Andy invites Kristen to join him for a fire puja, a Tibetan Buddhist ritual for purification. They write down the affliction they want to be purified, dip them in butter, toss them in the fire, and they are cleansed. Kristen writes down I cheated on Andy and, per Andys directions, circles both his name and I because burning peoples names without that protective circle is real, real bad. Their afflictions burn up in the fire, and they talk about new beginnings and fresh starts. You know, the whole thing is like an exorcism but without the screaming and sweating and vomiting. It doesnt always have to be so hard!

Church Bulletin

 Before you start missing that fire jinn, now that Kristen has been exorcised, know that he appears at the foot of Lelands bed, and Leland greets him with a heeeeey.

 If you wondered how the New Ministry of Satan thing worked out, the team had enough evidence to prove it was a scam. Graham and Jim try to fight it by telling everyone that Kristen slept with Graham and now is trying to hurt him, but Kristen is a great liar. Bishop Jim promises that Satan will come for them all. As if they havent heard that before.

 Countdown to Ordination: 18 days, people!! You know things are only going to get wilder as we approach that date. Ben tries to persuade David to quit by reminding him that hell never have sex again. Kristens knee-jerk response: Thats not what I hear; priests do pretty well. KRISTEN BOUCHARD!!!

 The assessors are really coming for the Catholic church in this one, and it is A Thing To See: When Anita from the IRS assures them shes not here to audit the church because shes sure its using every penny of its substantial funds for altruistic purposes, Ben cant help but pipe in except for the lawsuits. BEN SHAKIR!!

Wait, Bishop Marx still doesnt know Bens name?? Poor Ben!

 Of course, a lot of the Evil discussion is about the horror aspects and the clever way the show can discuss topical issues but not enough is said about the great comedy going on. That builds up in the scene in which the team sits down with Anita, the scariest woman weve ever met, she announces shes from the IRS, and it immediately cuts to The Pop Up Book of Terrifying Things, complete with thunder and lightning is an example of some of Evils perfectly timed comedy.

 This episode opening! We get the song Fake Palindromes by indie-rock multi-instrumentalist Andrew Bird seemingly explaining what Sheryls up to after that strange transfusion last week. According to the lyrics, Leland is swapping Sheryls blood for formaldehyde. And now Sheryls super into it! She keeps coming back for more! More formaldehyde! Shes working with Leland, seducing men and then taking them home to, how should I put this, uhh drill tiny holes into their heads. I guess Leland has to get those jugs of blood from somewhere, right?

 Well, this is interesting: When Sheryl says shell only help Leland recover from his exorcism for something in return  their relationship is purely transactional  he offers up Edward, and Sheryl agrees. What are they going to do with Edward?? Its going to be gross, isnt it? Its totally going to be gross.

 Root beer is the devils drink, everybody!!
In the face of political turmoil following the assassination of the country's president, a 7.2-magnitude earthquake that killed more than 1,000 people and a tropical storm, Haitians are fleeing their country.

More than 10,000 migrants from Haiti converged on the US border at Del Rio, Texas, this week and up to 30,000 may also be seeking to travel north. Their experiences are similar to those of migrants from Central and South America, where political and economic instability and climate change are threatening their livelihoods.

In conversations with CNN, Haitians have pointed to social unrest, poverty and earthquakes among the reasons for their migration. The present border crisis paints a picture of how natural disasters  and their trickle-down effects  can push people to leave their homes, even if it means risking their lives.

"Haiti is one particular important case, but it is connected to a wider story of the dispossession of Black people, especially in the Caribbean," Keston K. Perry, a political economist and assistant professor of Africana studies at Williams College, told CNN. "Making the connection between existing inequalities that are linked to colonialism and enslavement of African peoples is important for us to understand how these communities have become particularly vulnerable and exposed to climate change."

Research has shown that climate migration will become more likely as the planet warms and people seek places they consider safer and more economically stable.

According to a UN report in April, weather disasters linked to climate change have pushed roughly 21.5 million people in countries already struggling with conflict to move each year, on average, since 2010. Though migrants don't often cite it as their primary reason for leaving their homes, a 2020 study found connections between the climate crisis and its effects on safety, the economy and migrants' livelihoods.

"Making a decision to leave their own country has to be the very last resort," Perry said. "They are unable to meet the resources, recovery and relief needs on a yearly basis, when they experience calamities like landslides, flooding and hurricanes that we're seeing happening more frequently -- and so we're going to be seeing more forms of migration."

A political challenge

The impact of climate change on the US border crisis "should not surprise anyone," Democratic Sen. Ben Ray Lujan of New Mexico told CNN.

"The National Security Assessment has been clear from the very beginning on this," Lujan said. "The US and our allies have to take the climate crisis seriously in all aspects of this, or everything is going to get worse. The science is clear, we're seeing it play out in front of our very eyes."

President Joe Biden recently requested a national intelligence estimate, the intelligence community's most significant intelligence product, to explore the security implications of the climate crisis, a senior State Department official told CNN.

The official said the concern about a global refugee crisis, triggered by more frequent extreme weather, is "really is the guiding force behind" the request for the report.

"The President wanted to make sure that we have a good understanding and a comprehensive understanding of this challenge," the official said, speaking about the link between climate change and migration. "It is going to be so massive and we understand that and we want to make sure that we see the ramifications, the consequences, the risks, and also what kinds of policy options exist today that are working well."

But Perry, who's originally from Trinidad and Tobago himself, said the US is contributing to the problem with its rampant fossil fuel emissions, and because it has not provided necessary climate financing to assist developing nations.

"The United States is not being held responsible, given it is the largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions globally," he said. "It has not shown any form of interest in supporting these people, who are escaping various forms of climate and agricultural crises that are linked to forms of intervention that the US has taken in those countries."

A spokesperson for the White House told CNN the US has "committed to bold, ambitious climate goals," including Biden's target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by around 50% of 2005 levels by 2030.

"Simultaneously," the spokesperson said, "the Biden Administration continues to implement a comprehensive strategy to address the factors that drive people to leave their countries, create legal channels to migrate, create protection for people in the region, reform our asylum system and deter irregular migration."

The US is a 'beacon'

As the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere, according to the World Bank, Haiti is extremely vulnerable to natural disasters with more than 90% of the population at risk. Across the Caribbean, climate change is expected to accelerate the frequency and intensity of extreme weather hazards, including hurricanes.

Central American countries including Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua have also been facing life-threatening levels of food insecurity as a result of years-long blistering drought and intensifying storms.

And much like vast swaths of the Western US, a 2020 study published in the journal Environmental Research Letters found that the frequency, length and intensity of droughts in these countries will increase as temperatures continue to warm through the end of the century.

Rep. Raul Grijalva, an Arizona Democrat and chair of the House Natural Resources Committee, said climate migration isn't unique to the United States, but it is in the country's interest to lead since it's already a destination for people who are fleeing their homelands.

"Like it or not, this beacon  'the US-of-A'  is out there," Grijalva told CNN. "People see that as a refuge, they see it as a new start, and they see it as an escape, and that force is not going away."

Even if migrants achieve their goal of settling in the US, they still face impacts of the climate crisis. This summer alone, an unprecedented heatwave killed hundreds in the Northwest, and Hurricane Ida devastated the Gulf Coast and Northeast with flooding. The West is in the grips of a historic drought that has caused water shortages.

On the US-Mexico border, most migrants cross the Rio Grande Valley in Texas. The region is one of the fastest-growing places in the US, but it is also getting hotter and drier for people living there. The Rio Grande river, which provides drinking and irrigation water to 6 million people and 2 million acres of farmland for both countries, is draining as heatwaves become more severe and rainfall decreases.

Perry said developed nations like the US should expect to see more migrants and refugees attempting to escape intensifying disasters.

"These crises reveal what has been going on beneath the surface in terms of structural inequities," Perry said. "At the end of the day, given what is happening in Haiti and in other parts of Latin America and the Caribbean, we are going to see future events of this kind, especially as the planet warms."

The-CNN-Wire

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According to The Tears Foundation, 1 in 4 women will experience pregnancy or infant loss. While it's something that happens to so many, people say they can feel alone in the grieving process.

However, there are support groups and nonprofit organizations that help families going through this.

5th annual "Rock and Walk" for the Tear Foundation 5th annual "Rock and Walk" for the Tear Foundation

WAAY 31 spoke with a woman who shared how The Tears Foundation helped her. At 37 weeks pregnant, Ruthe Myers' anticipation to meet her daughter was growing.

We were expecting to come home with our daughter a week later because we were a week shy from having our scheduled C-section, she said.

On Jan. 11, 2019, things changed.

Our world was turned upside down," Myers said.

Myers and her husband learned their daughter, Olivia, had passed away. The following day, they had to say both "hello" and "goodbye" to her.

"I had to give birth and was postpartum but came home without a baby, and so here I am with all the postpartum stuff, without a baby in my arms to hold. It was just numbing, going through the motions awhile," Myers said.

She described the following weeks as gut-wrenching and as if her world had shattered.

I was numb for a long time, until I found people that could help," said Myers.

Myers learned about The Tears Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports families who've experienced infant or pregnancy loss.

While we all have our own stories, all of our stories are different, and we all handle it differently, we all understand that weve all lost a child and have had to bury a child or cremate a child," said Myers.

On Saturday, the Alabama chapter came together to support one another for the 5th annual "Rock and Walk." The annual event has the names of children whose lives were lost too soon written on butterflies. The families could take the butterflies down and go on a walk with their child.

Families told WAAY 31 that it allows parents to be able to speak openly and freely about their heavenly child.

Everyone in this community wants to remember their children, so we know at least here, our daughter will always be remembered," Myers said.

It's difficult for Myers and her husband when people don't recognize that her daughter is still a member of their family.

"We wanted to shout from the rooftops, 'We still have a daughter. We still gave birth, she's always going to be a part of our family,'" she said.

The Alabama chapter for The Tears Foundation is holding a candlelight memorial for pregnancy and infant loss Oct. 15 outside the LImestone County Courthouse.
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
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Digital COVID-19 vaccine exemption certificates will be available for those with a legitimate medical reason from next month, the federal government has revealed.

But the national body for GPs has flagged concerns about patients demanding vaccine exemptions when they dont qualify, amid ever expanding vaccine mandates for workplaces and flagged no vax, no entry policies.

Digital COVID-19 vaccine certificates will be incorporated into the NSW and Victorian check-in apps. Credit:Joe Armao

Legitimate exemptions for COVID-19 vaccines can only be assessed and lodged to the Australian Immunisation Register by GPs, paediatricians and infectious disease physicians on behalf of a patient. Patients cant access the register themselves.

The federal Department of Health said digital exemption certificates would be available through Services Australia next month as vaccine certificates are already.
Victoria recorded another two deaths and 779 local coronavirus cases on Sunday. There were 34,280 vaccination doses completed in state-run services and more than 46,300 COVID-19 test results returned. Victoria now has 8011 active cases of the virus. Vaccinated economy trials to start next month The Victorian government has announced a series of vaccinated economy trials to begin across regional Victorian businesses from October 11.

Loading Minister for Industry Support and Recovery Martin Pakula said some businesses in regional Victoria would test systems in the two-week period before Victoria hit the key 70 per cent full vaccination mark around October 26, which is due to trigger greater freedoms for vaccinated Victorians. There will be 20 trial sites in regional Victorian areas with high rates of COVID-19 vaccination. The council areas where the trials will take place are Buloke, Pyrenees, Bass Coast, Bendigo, East Gippsland and Warrnambool. This is a really important step on the path towards becoming an open vaccinated economy, Mr Pakula said. We need these trials to ensure that we understand all of the potential issues that might arise.

Moreover, we need people to get vaccinated so that they can, once we get to 70 and 80 per cent, attend these venues, attend these events, attend these concerts safely and ensure that they dont catch the virus or pass the virus on to others. Greater Geelong, Surf Coast to exit lockdowns; Mitchell Shire lockdown extended Greater Geelong will exit lockdown from 11.59pm on Sunday, but Mitchell Shires lockdown will be extended due to its proximity to areas with large COVID-19 case loads. Health officials announced on Saturday that the Surf Coast would also be exiting lockdown at 11.59pm on Sunday. Deputy Chief Health Officer Deb Friedman said in previous times, areas like Geelong and the Surf Coast would stay in lockdown until they reached zero, but thats no longer in line with our management of this virus, under the national plan.

Loading Unfortunately, were not in a position to give the same news to the people of Mitchell Shire, she said. Mitchell Shire being directly adjacent to some of the local government areas that have the highest rates of COVID anywhere in Australia is perennially vulnerable to these incursions from the suburbs that they are adjacent to, and thats what were seeing regularly pretty much on a daily basis. Professor Friedman said one person who died overnight was in their 70s, while another was in their 80s, and neither was vaccinated despite being eligible for a significant amount of time. Thats not to make any sort of statement, its just a plea for me as a public health official, as a physician, but also as a human being, and a daughter: please get vaccinated, she told a press conference on Sunday.

If your elderly parents are yet to get the vaccine please recognise that they are especially vulnerable. Making phantom appointments not the behaviour we want to see: Premier Mr Andrews has also said he was disappointed to hear reports that some anti-vaccine advocates had been booking COVID-19 jab appointments and then not showing up. He said he had not been directly briefed on reports that doses were being wasted by those who opposed vaccination, but it was not the sort of behaviour we want to see.

Loading You might have a view, but dont stand in the way of other people expressing their view by pretending to take an appointment, he said. That means that someone who wants to turn up and get vaccinated so that they can save their life and the life of others cant get an appointment. That just doesnt make any sense. Thats the wrong thing to do, if in fact it is happening. Mr Andrews said there were more than 3400 Pfizer vaccine doses available over the next week which could be booked online, and almost 7000 AstraZeneca bookings available.

Digital COVID-19 vaccine exemption certificates revealed The race to reach vaccine targets comes as the Sunday Age reveals digital COVID-19 vaccine exemption certificates will be available for those with a legitimate medical reason from next month. Legitimate exemptions for COVID-19 vaccines can only be assessed and lodged to the Australian Immunisation Register by GPs, paediatricians and infectious disease physicians on behalf of a patient. Patients cant access the register themselves. The latest tier-1 exposure sites include the head office of a grain supply business in Ballarat, a pizza and pasta restaurant in Melbournes north-east, and a chemist in the northern suburbs. A positive case visited Da Vinci Pizza & Pasta Gallery in Watsonia on the evening of September 19, with the business now considered a tier-1 by the Department of Health.

Chemist Warehouse within the Merrifield City Shopping Centre in Mickleham, 29 kilometres north of the Melbourne CBD, has been listed as a tier-1 exposure site on September 21. CHS Broadbents office in the Ballarat suburb of Wendouree has been listed as an exposure site at various times on September 20 and 21, with staff who visited the site expected to isolate for 14 days and get tested immediately. Some patrons and staff at Ballarats Arch View Cafe may have to quarantine for 14 days, after a positive case attended the business every day between September 18 and September 25. The cafe is considered a tier-2 exposure site across eight days, but the Department of Health will be directly contacting some attendees to advise them that they are primary close contacts of the case.
As the pandemic has stretched on and on, so has the queue of people desperate to return to an Australia that has remained obstinately closed to the outside world.

Towards the back of the queue, out of public sight and mind, are thousands of recently graduated international students who returned home in the early months of the pandemic, only to wait for more than 18 months with increasing despair as the clock has run down on their visas to live and work in Australia.

Vivek Bhargava is one of more than 14,450 graduates whose 485 temporary visa has expired while outside Australia since February 2020. Credit:Ashima Raizada

Vivek Bhargava, who studied IT at Swinburne University and Melbourne Polytechnic TAFE, is one of more than 14,450 graduates whose 485 temporary visa has expired while outside Australia since February 2020.

Stuck in India and unable to return to an IT job he had in Melbourne before the pandemic hit, Mr Bhargava has co-ordinated a WhatsApp group of other 485 visa holders in the same position as him all over the world.
Politicians should be banned from bombarding people with mobile phone messages and automated phone calls, most Australians say, after millions of voters received texts from the United Australia Party backed by mining magnate Clive Palmer.

A strong majority of the electorate wants an end to special rules that allow the campaign tactics, with 78 per cent saying political parties should not send out automated text messages and 80 per cent saying parties should not call people with robocalls that play recorded voice messages.

The United Australia Partys Craig Kelly. Credit:

The findings are part of an exclusive survey for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age that also shows that 83 per cent believe political parties should not be able to contact people who list their numbers on the federal register meant to stop unwanted marketing calls.

The survey, conducted by research company Resolve Strategic, asked 1606 voters their opinions from September 15 to 19 to produce findings with a margin of error of 2.5 per cent.
WESTPORT  Feeling seen is a big deal, especially to teenager. Thats why it brings Staples High School biology teacher Kayla Iannetta joy to watch students walk past the Hall of Flags shes created in the schools main lobby with flags from 21 different countries as part of the schools Hispanic Heritage Month celebration.

I watch kids come up and slap their flag (of their country of origin), Iannetta said.

Hispanic Heritage Month runs until Oct. 15 and, according to the National Hispanic Heritage Month web site, celebrates the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America.

Iannetta said shes unsure what percentage of Staples students are Hispanic, but Westports Hispanic population in general has been growing over the past decade. According to the latest U.S. Census, Westports Hispanic population grew from 932 in 2010 to 1,592 in 2020.

This is the first time that Staples has had a Hispanic Heritage Month celebration, she said, and it was important to her to help organize it, not just because she is part Peruvian, but because she knows there are many students at Staples who claim Hispanic heritage and might benefit from seeing their culture recognized in this way.

Iannetta also helped organize the schools first Pride Month events last year, and said its crucial for students from a variety of backgrounds to feel included.

Though the United States is often referred to as a melting pot, she said, she prefers to think of it as a minestrone soup, combining a bunch of elements to create something new, while not losing the flavor of the original ingredients.

Thats kind of my goal  to make everybody stand out in a nice light, she said.

The flags featured in the Staples hallway include those from multiple South American and Central American nations, plus Spain and Equatorial Guinea, which is in Africa.

In addition to the Hall of Flags, Iannetta has created a display of art by Hispanic artists, and is in the middle of creating a display of various foods, music and cultural artifacts from a variety of countries. The display comes complete with QR codes that, when scanned, will allow students to listen to the music represented in the display and access recipes for the various foods featured.

That exhibit will be up next week, Iannetta said.

Theres also a display in the Staples library featuring books by authors from a variety of Latinx backgrounds, including Isabel Allende, who is from Chile, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, who is Colombian, and others. There are also more contemporary selections, including Sanctuary, by Paola Mendoza and Abby Sher and I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter, by Erika Sanchez.

We tried to be culturally representative here, said co-librarian Jennifer Cirino. We wanted to be inclusive.

Others who were excited about the Hispanic Heritage Month displays included art teacher Angela Simpson. Iannetta said Simpson, whose father is from Ecuador, helped her with one of the displays.

Simpson said the project is really exciting.

I think all cultures should be celebrated, he said.

Just as Iannetta noticed students flocking to their flags in the main lobby display, Simpson said the exhibit spoke to her as well.

I went straight to the Ecuadorian Flag, she said.
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Allentown, PA (18103)

Today

Some patchy fog early, then becoming partly sunny and quite warm. .

Tonight

Becoming mostly cloudy with a spotty shower late at night.
VAT is not charged on UK publications. Orders to the EU are posted without tax paid: you are responsible for VAT and any other charges on delivery

Every so often a book comes along that has a wide appeal, wider even that for cavers alone. In his 'bedside book', John Gillett explains how older cavers develop and maintain a positive attitude; it is filled with his stories and anecdotes, philosophies and stimulating thoughts. Younger cavers will one day become older and might wish to see where they are going. Older readers will surely recognise themselves and their friends, at least by reason of having experienced similar thoughts and escapades. But for everyone, just sit down and read and enjoy.

A Bedside Book for Older Cavers

John GILLETT

Mirador, Langport. 2013. 142pp, 17 b&w illustrations. Softback, 152mm  229mm. 8.99

ISBN 978-1-909220-75-1

JOHN Gilletts first book, Of Caves and Caving (see Descent 168 and 201), saw him detail his life story  at least, the part of it that relates to caving and this produced his subtitle: A way and a life. In essence, John wrote a series of cameos covering significant events or caving trips in a manner that would appeal to any caver. The book did well and the original 2002 printing went into a second edition in 2007.

Time has continued apace and John is now over seventy years old  but he remains active and, as his new title suggests, A Bedside Book for Older Cavers is intended to give all aging cavers something to read in their armchairs. More than that, his theme threading throughout the thirty stories is that everyone faces a daily challenge at some level and, no matter your age and ability, you should get out there, get on with it and do what you most desire. You might be surprised, after all, at what you can achieve and each of Johns trips, from the lava tubes of Lanzarote to Giants Hole, and from Sell Gill Holes to the huge French chamber of La Verna, were undertaken as a septuagenarian.

Along the way, John explores ideas such as what it means to be experienced, how risk might be quantified, the value of keeping a diary (and reading widely, including Descent), how to encourage folk of his age to take up the sport, what the loss of pubs means to our culture and, back to the theme of every caver taking on a personal goal, how ascending six floors on foot might be a personal Everest to overcome. In this, younger cavers might learn much  including, for some, a better understanding of the limitations of age; those more mature are more likely to nod, knowingly. His comparison of geriatric cavers with old banger cars forms a lovely anecdote, complete with a plea for anyone seeing an aged one struggle under a load, to please help him out.

As with Of Caves and Caving, delightful pencil drawings are scattered through the pages of what is produced by print-on-demand publishing, so while these are perfectly acceptable they are not reproduced at the highest quality, but it does mean that the book is attractively priced. The Kindle edition is even less at a shade over 3, complete with an amusing bit of legalese which does not appear in the paper edition: Any reference to real names and places are purely fictional and are constructs of the author. Yes, right!

For some light reading (including a few fictional stories), to dip into and out while relaxing by a fire, John has filled a niche that hitherto has lain empty. As he says, older folk ... are time-machines for visiting the past (so younger cavers, ask and ye shall learn) and if you are long in the tooth, caver, or non-caver, you can still be young at heart.

One piece of text by Johns seven-year-old granddaughter Clare, written after a trip to Thistle Cave, says much: My Grandad likes to go into caves. He goes into lots of caves. Granny says he is too old to go in caves now but she says it keeps him happy. Having described her sojourn underground, Clare ends with: It was good fun. I love caving.

Get em while theyre young, eh? Keep on caving, John.

Chris Howes

First published in Descent (235), December 2013
Description It's Only a Game From the cover Jim Eyre was born in 1925, so was just old enough to volunteer for service in the Second World War. A Lancashire lad, he had already experienced a series of escapades by the time he joined the Royal Navy and headed for Malta and the Med  which proved to be the ideal environment for more adventures. Those war years and his subsequent career as a freelance painter and decorator  to say nothing of his caving exploits and involvement in the heart of the Cave Rescue Organisation  established a pattern for Jim's life. A renowned author and cartoonist with a style all his own, Jim has written his life story  warts and embarrassments and all. He is one of those rare men who not only has accomplished much, but has the talent to tell the tales to others in a rich, humorous style. Here you will find the serious atmosphere of life on a minesweeper as well as the wild approach to shore leave of a naval rating, as seen through Jim's eyes. After the war, with Jim drawn to explore the world's caves, the balance of humour continues with his near escapes from the depths, told with relish, and the serious side of rescue and death underground. Join Jim in It's Only a Game; it might be, but not one you will put down in a hurry  and even then your sides will be aching from laughing.



For a PREVIEW (opens new window) For the companion title: The Game Goes On To purchase both books with a considerable saving: The Jim Eyre Set While stocks last, receive a free caving-related, laminated bookmark with your book order. VAT is not charged on UK publications. Orders to the EU are posted without tax paid: you are responsible for VAT and any other charges on delivery

Product Details Reference IOAG Data sheet Binding: Softback Size: 17cm x 24.5cm New or used: Book: new Pages: 256 Illustrations: 85 b&w cartoons and photographs Publication date: 2004 ISBN: 978-0-9526701-6-2 Other: Jim's story continues in The Game Goes On Author: Jim Eyre

It's Only a Game Dedication and acknowledgements

Foreword



1 Its Only a Game

2 The Royal Navy

3 HMS Kimberley

4 HMS Cadmus

5 Into Italy

6 In Limbo

7 Post War: A Brave New World

8 The Discovery of Lancaster Hole

9 A New Hudson and New Caves

10 Bang and Bedsteads

11 Jumpina Gulf

12 Holes that Bite

13 Cave Rescues and Crazy Customers

14 Digs and Disasters

15 Travel Broadens the Mind

16 Variety is the Spice of Life

17 Yugoslavia



By the same author

References and further reading

Publishers notes

Index

Non-UK orders

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If stock is limited, for example with a single copy of a second-hand book, it will be assigned to UK stock. If you require posting to an address outside the UK, selecting your options may not allow an order to be placed, even though stock is available. If this is the case, please contact us to enable the options you require.



Please see our FAQs relating to deliveries, and the Delivery page linked from the bottom of each page, before placing your order if time is an important element for your order. IMPORTANT NOTE FOR ALL DESCENT SUBSCRIBERS OUTSIDE THE UK We regret that due to the volatility of Royal Mail postage charges, we have been forced to remove the option for two-year subscriptions. We have also been forced to remove the option for economy mail to the EU, given indications that Royal Mail intends to remove this service. All international mail is now being despatched in paper wrapping using Royal Mail customs and address labels mandated by them. We also regret this means we can no longer indicate the last issue of your subscription on the mailing sheet or supply a reminder to renew with the final edition. Please track your own subscription ending or check with us at any time. IMPORTANT NOTE FOR EU CUSTOMERS On 1 July 2021 the EU removed all exemptions for tax and customs duty on low value items posted from the UK to the EU, meaning that although VAT is 0% on books and magazines in the UK, it is charged within the EU and the VAT (potentially plus a handling fee) now apply to all orders to the EU. Ideally, the VAT should be paid at the point of posting, but doing so requires registration with an agent to handle the payments, and this is incredibly expensive and not financially viable. To be clear, all small publishers in the UK are in the same position and we are unable to post any items to the EU with VAT or other duties paid. Ordering any item from Wild Places, including a Descent subscription, requires that you accept responsibility of paying the VAT and any other local charges on delivery. To be clear: Wild Places will NOT cover any charges levied by your country; it is your responsibility to accept these when placing an order. We apologise for the situation, but it is outside our control. We will maintain a link from the left-hand column on the home page with the latest updates. If you are an existing subscriber to Descent and have not replied yet to our enquiries concerning your deliveries, please make contact. NOTE: Subscribers in Norway or Switzerland (which are outside the EU) should place your order on the Subscription International page or contact us first.

Military history content For those seeking information on the military history content of It's Only a Game, roughly a quarter of the book concerns Jim's experiences in the Royal Navy during the Second World War. Initially trained on the HMS Drake, then joined the destroyer the HMS Kimberley at Malta and attained QR3 Gunnery rating before being transferred as a QR2 to HMS Cadmus, a minesweeper. Jim tells the story of the war from the side of a serving seaman, being active through the Mediterranean and around the coast of Italy, even to the extent of being in prison on VE day before travelling through North Africa prior to his demob. Lest anyone believe that Jim's storytelling about his military career, life as a painter and decorator, or his longlasting links with caving and cave rescue, might not interest them, this is akin to saying that James Herriot's books would only appeal to a vet. Jim's books will appeal to all ...
Williamson, WV (25661)

Today

Showers early then scattered thunderstorms developing later in the day. High 74F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Mostly cloudy skies. Scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Low 63F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%.
Canadas Roman Catholic bishops apology to Indigenous people  days before the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation  was a unanimous bid to atone for the atrocities of the Indian Residential Schools and a commitment to forge a new relationship between the church and First Nations.

Canadas Roman Catholic bishops apology to Indigenous people  days before the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation  was a unanimous bid to atone for the atrocities of the Indian Residential Schools and a commitment to forge a new relationship between the church and First Nations.

Thats the way Bishop William McGrattan of the Archdiocese of Calgary describes how the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) agreed to say sorry for the role that church played in the residential school system. A First Nations representative said shes grateful but is taking a wait-and-see approach.

Assembly of First Nations National Chief RoseAnne Archibald said she welcomed the bishops full-throated apology, but noted that their promises fall short of the actions the Indigenous community has called for.

"The words of the apology speak to a commitment by the (Catholic) church to the healing path forward with First Nations and Indigenous peoples," Archibald said in a statement Friday. "Only time will tell if concrete actions will follow the words of contrition by the bishops."

McGrattan invoked divine intervention in the assemblys decision to apologize.

"I believe God intervened in us coming together, with such a strong, committed message of this apology," said McGrattan, the newly elected vice-president of the CCCB.

It was, he added, "an opportunity for us to speak with one voice, a moment not only for the Roman Catholic Church, but for all Canadians."

The decision to apologize came at the annual CCCB plenary meeting of Canadas 90 bishops from Sept. 20-24.

Canadians commemorate the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Thursday, Sept. 30.

Calls for an apology from the Catholic church have grown stronger since revelations about unmarked graves on the grounds of former residential schools earlier this year  which began in May when 215 graves were identifed at the site of a former Catholic-run residential school in Kamloops, B.C.

The meeting, conducted online and presided over by the now-former CCCB president Richard Gagnon, Archbishop of Winnipeg, was a "unique moment to give a strong message with one voice," McGrattan said.

In making the apology, the bishops acknowledged the suffering Indigenous people experienced in Canadas residential schools, and apologized for the roles many Catholic religious communities and dioceses played in suppressing Indigenous languages, culture and spirituality.

At the same time, they acknowledged "the grave abuses that were committed by some members of our Catholic community; physical, psychological, emotional, spiritual, cultural, and sexual."

For these things, the bishops expressed "unequivocally" apologized and expressed their "profound remorse."

When asked what it meant to "unequivocally" apologize, McGrattan said that meant "no qualifications, no excuses, no rationalizations for this legacy and history of the churchs participation in the residential school system."

The bishops also pledged to work with Indigenous people towards arranging a Papal visit.

"We heard loud and clear this is important to Indigenous people, and we want to convey to them we see the importance of this, too," he said.

Although such a visit could be expensive, McGrattan said cost did not come up in the discussion and that it is "not the most important factor."

McGrattan realizes not all Indigenous people will be satisfied with the apology.

"All we can do is offer it in humility and hope it is accepted and brings peace and healing," he said, adding any future reconciliation efforts will be done together with Indigenous people, "not us telling them or directing them but listening to them."

The bishops have pledged to provide records that could help "memorialize" the students believed to be buried in unmarked graves, raise money for initiatives endorsed by Indigenous leaders, and work on getting the Pope to visit Canada.

While the apology came from the bishops, McGrattan hopes Canadian Catholics will "see this as an opportunity to also pursue reconciliation and commit themselves to tangible ways of pursuing it."

This includes donating to a new fundraising campaign that will be co-ordinated nationally, with all the funds raised directed to local projects in dioceses.

"Its going to be a national effort with a national goal, but the distribution to be done locally with local accountability with Indigenous people," he said, adding details would be released this week.

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"I hope it will resonate with the Catholic faithful," he added, noting other Canadians are welcome to participate.

Reflecting on the plenary discussion about the apology, McGrattan said it showed how "faith can unite us, can direct us doing what is right and just, even though sometimes weve failed in the past... I honestly felt the presence of the Holy Spirit."

In a statement after the plenary, Archbishop Albert LeGatt of St. Boniface said "Reconciliation must come from the hearts of the faithful and of our priests, and from myself. We seek to give ourselves to reconciliation. Thats why our archdiocese is actively working to encourage all the faithful to educate themselves on the history of Indigenous-Non-Indigenous relations, and then live reconciliation by continuing to dialogue with Native people."

In addition to other business at the plenary, the bishops elected a new president, Bishop Raymond Poisson of the diocese of Saint-Jerome, Quebec.

 with files from the Canadian Press

faith@freepress.mb.ca
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe registers for a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine at a COVID-19 vaccination drive-thru clinic at Evraz Place in Regina on Thursday, April 15, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Mark Taylor

REGINA - Federal Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller says Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe misunderstands his own health-care system.

Miller made the comment on Twitter after Moe blamed Ottawa for Saskatchewan's low COVID-19 vaccination rate in its far north, which has a predominately Indigenous population.

"Our Far North and Indigenous communities are running at a vaccination rate of less than 50 per cent, an area of exclusive federal jurisdiction," Moe tweeted Thursday after making similar comments earlier that week during a media scrum.

While mentioning rates in the north, the premier did not include communities in the south, which in some cases have vaccination rates as low as 12 per cent.

Miller said Moe's comments are alarming and unproductive.

"Stating that all this work is 'exclusive' federal jurisdiction is not only inaccurate, but undermines the spirit of Indigenous self-determination that has guided our co-operative approach and must continue in order to overcome this current wave," Miller tweeted. He did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Ottawa and Saskatchewan have worked together throughout the pandemic to provide vaccinations in the province's far north and in remote Indigenous communities, but health-care services are off reserves, which is within provincial jurisdiction.

"The whole idea that First Nations in the north are outside of Saskatchewan jurisdiction  and by jurisdiction I mean their responsibility  is this myth that we are often told in Canadian politics that leads to the continuation of the inequity Indigenous Peoples have had for generations," said Dr. Alika Lafontaine, president-elect of the Canadian Medical Association.

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Lafontaine said Moe's comments make it difficult for health-care workers to do their jobs.

"If you don't have your leadership pointing to the tools we know work, and emphasizing the need to provide care and take responsibility for the care of everyone within your province, that creates a very challenging situation to actually create any of this effectively," he said.

Indigenous communities face a unique challenge because of mistrust in a health-care system due to forced sterilization of Indigenous women and medical experimentation on children in residential schools, Lafontaine added.

Moe's comments about jurisdiction don't help increase vaccination rates, he said.

"You have to have your leader saying things that are factually true, and actually focus on the solutions of the problem, instead of pushing that responsibility somewhere else."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 24, 2021.
CHARLOTTETOWN - Prince Edward Island's chief public health officer is advising residents of the province to avoid travelling off the Island unless their trip is necessary.

Dr. Heather Morrison, chief medical officer for Prince Edward Island, speaks to the media after administration of the first COVID-19 vaccines on the island, in Charlottetown, Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2020. In a news release today, Dr. Heather Morrison says with rising COVID-19 case numbers in Atlantic Canada and across the country Island residents should "carefully consider" travel at this time. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Brian McInnis

CHARLOTTETOWN - Prince Edward Island's chief public health officer is advising residents of the province to avoid travelling off the Island unless their trip is necessary.

Jen Zoratti | Next A weekly look towards a post-pandemic future delivered to your inbox every Wednesday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.

In a news release today, Dr. Heather Morrison says rising COVID-19 case numbers in Atlantic Canada and across the country mean Island residents should "carefully consider" travel at this time.

The province reported one new case of the virus and currently has 40 active infections.

Officials also say there will be increased testing at points of entry for vaccinated and partially vaccinated individuals travelling to P.E.I. from within Atlantic Canada and for Islanders returning home.

People travelling to the Island who are not vaccinated will still be required to self-isolate for eight days with a negative test on day eight.

With rising case numbers in neighbouring New Brunswick, officials say anyone who has travelled to that province for less than 48 hours will be asked to be tested on the fourth and eighth day after they return, while anyone who stayed more than 48 hours will be asked to be tested at entry points and again on day four and day eight.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 25, 2021.
WASHINGTON - In the before times, Katie McCarron could count on her best Canadian customers to make the trip to her store in Portland, Oregon, to stock up on their favourite high-quality, human-grade pet food.

A Canada Border Services Agency officer hands documents back to a motorist entering Canada at the Douglas-Peace Arch border crossing, in Surrey, B.C., Monday, Aug. 9, 2021. The ban on non-essential land travel to the U.S. has some American companies looking for shelf space in Canada. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

WASHINGTON - In the before times, Katie McCarron could count on her best Canadian customers to make the trip to her store in Portland, Oregon, to stock up on their favourite high-quality, human-grade pet food.

COVID-19 had other plans. Soon enough, though, so did Portland Pet Food Co.

"Some of them would just be shopping in Portland, and we'd hear that they had been here, or they'd write us and they'd be asking, 'How can I order your food online with the border closed?" the B.C.-born McCarron said in a recent interview.

In the United States, however, every international shipment of pet food products requires a special health certificate, making it impossible for a small retailer like Portland Pet Food to offer online sales outside of the country.

"We can't ship to Canada  it's just too costly, and we do have to get these certificates issued each time we ship. So I just had to pursue getting into distribution."

Today, thanks in large part to a deal with the Canadian chain Pet Valu, Portland Pet Food is available in more than 500 specialty retailers in Canada, an expansion that equates to about 25 per cent of the company's worldwide retail footprint.

McCarron clearly already had expansion on her mind before the pandemic hit. Portland products are already available in Japan, and she recently signed an agreement for distribution in China. Korea and Taiwan are next on her list.

But the ongoing ban on non-essential land travel from Canada to the U.S., tentatively extended now for a 19th month until Oct. 21, drove home the importance of winning shelf space in a part of the world where crossing the border is no longer as easy as it once was.

President Joe Biden's administration drew a stark contrast last week when it announced a major retooling of the rules governing international travel and COVID-19, while at the same time extending the travel ban at the Canada-U.S. border.

McCarron is at a loss to explain why the U.S. continues to deny Canadians the ability to drive across the border for holidays, day trips or shopping excursions  a restriction the federal Canadian government began easing over the summer for fully vaccinated U.S. citizens and permanent residents.

"I am just as baffled" as others about the border, she said.

The U.S. Travel Association says the ongoing closure of the Mexican and Canadian land borders is costing U.S. businesses an estimated $1.5 billion a month in "travel exports," which the association defines as spending by foreign residents while visiting the U.S.

Canada, meanwhile, remains the largest single U.S. export market, accounting for nearly 18 per cent of all American goods sent out of the country last year. The two countries trade $1.7 billion worth of goods and services each day, for a total of $614.9 billion in 2020.

"My constituents are deeply frustrated by this, particularly given the trade and the relationships that people have across the border," Michigan Sen. Gary Peters said last week during national security hearings with Homeland Security Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas.

"We are very mindful of the economic consequences, and not only the economic consequences but the consequences on family members who haven't seen one another for quite some time," Mayorkas replied.

He said the progression of the Delta variant of COVID-19 "is not yet where we need it to be" in the U.S., and that there are communities near the U.S.-Mexico border that are also suffering as a result of the closure.

"We are looking at the situation, not only at the ports of entry on our northern border, but also on our southern border," Mayorkas said.

"We have heard similar concerns with respect to border communities on the South and the impact, economic and family impact, of the restrictions. We are looking at what we can do operationally, and we are moving in a very sequential and controlled manner."

Ready, Pet, Go! Leesa Dahl looks at everything to do with our furry, fuzzy, feathered, fishy (and more!) pet friends. Arrives in your inbox each Monday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.

It's jarring to consider the discrepancy in crossing the Canada-U.S. border by land, said Tori Barnes, executive vice-president of public relations and policy for the U.S. Travel Association.

"It is very stark that we're in a situation here where we've got Canada fully reopened, and from a U.S. perspective, you can only come in if you fly in," Barnes said.

"It's obviously significantly negative to the U.S. economy as well, and that's something that we've continued to articulate."

White House press secretary Jen Psaki had no explanation Thursday for why the land border remains closed while the Biden administration is announcing new vaccination requirements for international visitors arriving by air.

"Land restrictions, I don't have an update for you on where that stands, beyond it's been extended (and) we're continuing to consider additional steps," she said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 26, 2021.
REYKJAVIK, Iceland (AP)  Iceland briefly celebrated electing a female-majority parliament Sunday, before a recount produced a result just short of that landmark for gender parity in the North Atlantic island nation.

People arrive at a polling station in Reykjavik, Iceland, Saturday, Sept. 25, 2021. Iceland is heading to the polls for general elections on Saturday with nine parties running for seats at the North Atlantic island nation's Parliament, or Althing. Polls suggest Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdottir's Left Green Party could face a poor outcome, ending the current coalition. (AP Photo/Brynjar Gunnarsson)

REYKJAVIK, Iceland (AP)  Iceland briefly celebrated electing a female-majority parliament Sunday, before a recount produced a result just short of that landmark for gender parity in the North Atlantic island nation.

The initial vote count had female candidates winning 33 seats in Icelands 63-seat parliament, the Althing, in an election that saw centrist parties make the biggest gains.

Hours later, a recount in western Iceland changed the outcome, leaving female candidates with 30 seats, a tally previously reached at Iceland's second most recent election, in 2016. Still, at almost 48% of the total, that is the highest percentage for women lawmakers in Europe.

People vote at a local sports complex in Kopavogur, Iceland, Saturday, Sept. 25, 2021. Icelanders are voting in a general election dominated by climate change, with an unprecedented number of political parties likely to win parliamentary seats. (AP Photo/Arni Torfason)

Only a handful of countries, none of them in Europe, have a majority of female lawmakers. According to the Inter-Parliamentary Union, Rwanda leads the world with women making up 61% of its Chamber of Deputies, with Cuba, Nicaragua and Mexico on or just over the 50% mark. Worldwide, the organization says just over a quarter of legislators are women.

The female victory remains the big story of these elections, politics professor Olafur Hardarson told broadcaster RUV after the recount.

Icelands voting system is divided into six regions and the recount in western Iceland was held after questions about the number of ballots cast. The mistakes have not been entirely explained but are thought to be due to human error.

The three parties in the outgoing coalition government led by Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdottir won a total of 37 seats in Saturdays vote, two more than in the last election, and appeared likely to continue in power.

Opinion polls had suggested a victory for left-leaning parties in the unpredictable election, which saw 10 parties competing for seats. But the center-right Independence Party took the largest share of votes, winning 16 seats, seven of them held by women. The centrist Progressive Party celebrated the biggest gain, winning 13 seats, five more than last time.

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Before the election, the two parties formed Icelands three-party coalition government, together with Jakobsdottir's Left Green Party. Her party lost several seats, but kept eight, outscoring poll predictions.

The three ruling parties havent announced whether they will work together for another term, but given the strong support from voters it appears likely. It will take days, if not weeks, for a new government to be formed and announced.

Climate change had ranked high on the election agenda in Iceland, a glacier-studded volcanic island nation of about 350,000 people in the North Atlantic. An exceptionally warm summer by Icelandic standards  with 59 days of temperatures above 20 C (68 F)  and shrinking glaciers have helped drive global warming up the political agenda.

But that didnt appear to have translated into increased support for any of the four left-leaning parties that campaigned to cut carbon emissions by more than Iceland is committed to under the Paris Climate Agreement.

One candidate who saw her victory overturned by the recount was law student Lenya Run Karim, a 21-year-old daughter of Kurdish immigrants who ran for the anti-establishment Pirate Party.

These were a good nine hours, said Karim, who would have been Iceland's youngest-ever lawmaker.
WELLINGTON, New Zealand  New Zealand's prime minister says the government will start a pilot program of home-isolation for overseas travelers, ahead of what she expects to be increasing vaccination levels.

FILE - In this Jan. 22, 2021, file photo, a certified medical assistant prepares doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at a vaccination center at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. With more than 40 million doses of coronavirus vaccines available, U.S. health authorities said they're confident both seniors and other vulnerable Americans seeking booster shots and parents anticipating approval of initial shots for young children will have easy access. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)

WELLINGTON, New Zealand  New Zealand's prime minister says the government will start a pilot program of home-isolation for overseas travelers, ahead of what she expects to be increasing vaccination levels.

Currently New Zealanders have to quarantine in hotels for two weeks when they return home from abroad.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Monday a pilot program that will allow New Zealanders to quarantine at home will include 150 business travelers who arrive between Oct. 30 and Dec. 8. The program will involve monitoring and testing.

The only reason that we are running this self-isolation pilot now is in preparation for a highly vaccinated population, Ardern said.

A face mask hangs from a door knocker in Lisbon, Saturday, Sept. 25, 2021. Portugal is scrapping many of its remaining COVID-19 restrictions, after becoming the world leader in the vaccination rollout, but the wearing of face masks will still be mandatory on public transport, in hospitals and care homes, and in shopping malls. (AP Photo/Armando Franca)

The intention is that in the first quarter of 2022 when more New Zealanders are vaccinated, it will be safer to run self-isolation at home, she added.

Of the eligible population in New Zealand aged 12 and older, 43% had been fully vaccinated, Ardern said.

In Auckland, the nations most populous city which has been locked down since Aug. 17 after the highly-contagious delta variant leaked from hotel quarantine, 82% of the eligible population had at least a single dose of the double-shot Pfizer vaccine, she said.

New Zealand has taken an unusual zero-tolerance approach to the coronavirus and has been trying to completely eliminate the delta variant.

___

People dance in close proximity at Paradiso pop venue, club and cultural center, in Amsterdam, Saturday, Sept. 25, 2021, the day The Netherlands dropped the coronavirus related 1.5 meter (5 feet) rule. Paradiso is housed in a converted former church building that dates from the nineteenth century. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

MORE ON THE PANDEMIC:

 U.S. has enough COVID-19 vaccines for boosters, kids' shots

 Rowdy celebrations erupt in Norway as COVID restrictions end

 EXPLAINER: Whos eligible for Pfizer booster shots in US?

___

FILE - In this June 10, 2021, file photo President Joe Biden listens as Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla speaks about the Biden administration's global COVID-19 vaccination efforts ahead of the G-7 summit in St. Ives, England. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)

See all of AP's pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic

___

HERES WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING:

SYDNEY  Australias prime minister says he expects his country to open its international border well before the end of the year.

Australian governments have agreed to ease tight restrictions on overseas travel when 80% of the population aged 16 and older was fully vaccinated.

People wear face masks to protect against the spread of the coronavirus as they shop in Taipei, Taiwan, Sunday, Sept. 26, 2021. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying)

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the first steps would allow Australians to leave and

fully vaccinated citizens and permanent residents to return home.

That will occur before the end of the year. It could happen well before that, Morrison told American broadcaster CBS News.

More than 90% of the target age group in Australias most populous state and the worst impacted by the nations COVID-19 outbreak, New South Wales, will be vaccinated by the end of November, New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian said.

New South Wales reported 787 new locally acquired infections on Monday and 12 deaths in the latest 24-hour period.

FILE - In this Aug. 28, 2021, file photo, Mayra Navarrete, 13, receives the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine from registered nurse, Noleen Nobleza at a clinic set up in the parking lot of CalOptima in Orange, Calif. With more than 40 million doses of coronavirus vaccines available, U.S. health authorities said they're confident both seniors and other vulnerable Americans seeking booster shots and parents anticipating approval of initial shots for young children will have easy access. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)

Sydneys lockdown would ease on Oct. 11 after 70% of the states population had received second doses of vaccine, Berejiklian said. With 85% of the target population already injected with at least a single vaccine dose, the 80% target is expected to be reached two weeks after the 70% benchmark.

On Dec. 1, unvaccinated people are expected to have their pandemic restrictions lifted.

State Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant said she expected 92% of the target population would eventually be vaccinated.

New South Wales has the fastest vaccination rollout in Australia after the Australian Capital Territory.

___

SEATTLE  A Washington state trooper who helped develop the agencys use of drones has died after a battle with COVID-19 contracted on duty.

The Washington State Patrol said Detective Eric Gunderson died Sunday surrounded by his family and friends. He was 38. Gunderson frequently traveled around the country to speak about the state patrols use of drones.

The patrol said he contracted COVID-19 on one of those trips. Gunderson helped investigate the 2017 Amtrak derailment in DuPont and his work is credited with reopening roads more quickly after crashes.

He is survived by a wife and two sons. Gundersons death is the first line of duty death for the agency since it marked its 100th anniversary a few weeks ago, Chief John Batiste said. How I had hoped our second century of service would be more forgiving. But serving the public, as we do, has inherent dangers and this pandemic has been a foe to our agency and indeed our state and nation, he said.

Gov. Jay Inslee tweeted his condolences to Gundersons family, friends and colleagues.

___

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LOS ANGELES  Public health officials have identified more than 200 coronavirus outbreaks at police or fire agencies throughout Los Angeles County since the start of the pandemic, according to data obtained by the Los Angeles Times.

The 211 outbreaks, accounting for more than 2,500 cases between March 2020 and last month, represent 9% of total workplace outbreaks across the county, the newspaper reported Sunday. However, they have continued to occur regularly even as vaccination rates increased among police and fire personnel and the number of individual coronavirus cases per outbreak has fallen since last winter.

The data showed 38 outbreaks at public safety agencies were identified in April of this year  the most in any month since the start of the pandemic. A month later, 35 outbreaks  the second most  were recorded by the county Department of Public Health.

Overall, more than half of the outbreaks occurred at the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles Fire Department, where some employees have filed lawsuits challenging a new rule requiring them to be vaccinated by next month. Thousands have filed notice that they intend to claim a medical or religious exemption from the mandate.

Vaccination rates for LAPD an LAFD employees generally lag behind the 68% of eligible county residents who have gotten their shots.

Critics have accused the police officers and city firefighters of ignoring public safety  and their sworn duties to uphold it  by refusing to get vaccinated.
LONDON (AP)  Britons are encouraged these days  though in most cases not required  to wear face coverings in crowded indoor spaces. But Prime Minister Boris Johnson regularly appears in the packed, poorly ventilated House of Commons cheek-by-jowl with other maskless Conservative lawmakers.

FILE - In this June 21, 2021, file photo, Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson, left watches as a woman receive her COVID-19 vaccine, as he visits a vaccination center at the StoneX Stadium, home of the rugby club Saracens, in North London. Britain's Conservative government is hoping a combination of relatively high vaccination rates and common-sense behavior will keep a lid on coronavirus infections this fall and winter and avoid the need for restrictive measures. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali, Pool, File)

LONDON (AP)  Britons are encouraged these days  though in most cases not required  to wear face coverings in crowded indoor spaces. But Prime Minister Boris Johnson regularly appears in the packed, poorly ventilated House of Commons cheek-by-jowl with other maskless Conservative lawmakers.

For critics, that image encapsulates the flaw in the government's strategy, which has abandoned most pandemic restrictions and is banking on voluntary restraint and a high vaccination rate to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

As winter approaches, bringing the threat of a new COVID-19 surge, Britain's light touch is setting it apart from more cautious nations.

The story of this government in the pandemic is too little, too late, said Layla Moran, an opposition Liberal Democrat lawmaker who heads the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Coronavirus.

She said some U.K. hospitals are already seeing the number of virus patients in intensive care units that they would normally expect in the depths of winter, though overall daily hospital admissions are running at about a fifth of January's peak.

And while cases soared when restrictions were lifted this summer, deaths didn't follow at anywhere near the same pace. But the winter months, when respiratory diseases are usually at their highest, could bring an added challenge.

"Unless the government starts to do something differently, I dont think were going to be able to avert the worst this winter, Moran said.

The government argues that its plan is working so far  and it can change course if needed.

Britain has recorded more than 135,000 coronavirus deaths, the highest toll in Europe after Russia and about the same number per capita as the United States. Yet it also has organized a successful inoculation campaign that has seen 65% of the whole population fully vaccinated.

That relatively high rate led Johnson's government to decide in July that it was safe to scrap restrictions on business activity and daily life: no more social distancing, limits on gatherings or masks required anywhere in England. Businesses can impose their own measures, but otherwise Johnson has encouraged people to be sensible.

In contrast to many other European nations  even some with higher inoculation rates than the U.K.  proof of vaccination is not required in England to eat in restaurants, attend mass events or enter crowded venues such as nightclubs. Scotland, which is part of the U.K. but sets its own health rules, is being more cautious, introducing vaccine passports for nightclubs and keeping mandatory masks indoors.

Pupils and teachers in England's schools don't have to wear face coverings, despite the objections of unions and public health officials  a contrast to European countries including France, Italy and Spain that have kept mask requirements for schools.

While the U.S. has made vaccinations compulsory for millions of workers, Johnsons government requires proof of inoculation only for nursing home staff, and is considering it for health care workers.

Once the U.K. had some of Europe's strictest international travel rules, but it's easing quarantine and testing restrictions for many visitors starting next month.

The U.K. has often gone its own way during the pandemic. Health authorities gambled on a gap of two to three months between doses, rather than the three to four weeks recommended by vaccine makers, in order to speed the rollout. That paid off, with studies since suggesting the longer gap is at least as effective, and possibly more so.

Britain diverged from its peers again on the question of vaccinating kids. When the U.S., Canada and much of the European Union extended inoculations to children between 12 and 15, the U.K. held off, saying the health benefit to kids was marginal. Then Britain decided to vaccinate that age group after all  but initially with a single dose, rather than the usual two.

Britain has also gone further than most nations in giving vaccine booster shots, offering a third dose to everyone over 50. That puts it at odds with the World Health Organization, which has strongly objected to rich nations giving a third round of shots when poor countries dont have enough vaccines for their first. In the U.S., authorities endorsed booster shots for millions of older or otherwise vulnerable Americans.

Johnsons government is counting on vaccines to do the heavy lifting against the virus, supplemented by voluntary common sense behavior.

But after an exceptionally long and strict lockdown earlier this year, it's not clear Britons will freely choose any virus-prevention measures they're not forced to take. When restrictions were initially lifted, just under two-thirds of people said they planned to keep wearing masks in shops and on public transport. Now the number of people wearing coverings has declined sharply on the London Underground, which requires but barely enforces mask use.

Critics say the government has failed to learn from experience and seems to be fueled by optimism rather than evidence.

Stephen Reicher, a University of St. Andrews psychology professor who helps advise the government, recalled that a year ago, Johnson's team was slow to act when scientific advisers recommended a short circuit-breaker lockdown to curb fast-rising coronavirus cases.

As always happens if you wait and things get out of control, you have to impose greater restrictions, which is why we had a non-Christmas and such an awful winter and spring spent in lockdown, he told Sky News.

Moran, the opposition lawmaker, and other critics argue that moderate measures, such as better ventilation in schools and masks indoors, could avert the need for stringent restrictions this winter.

But the government notes that scientists most pessimistic predictions, which said cases could rise to 100,000 a day by the time schools reopened in September, haven't come true.

The U.K. is now averaging about 140 deaths daily  just over one-tenth of what it saw at the peak  and 30,000 new infections a day.

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Johnson said restrictions such as mandatory masks and work-from-home orders could be reimposed if hospitalizations surge. But he hoped it wouldnt be needed.

The result of this vaccination campaign is that we have one of the most free societies and one of the most open economies in Europe, he said. And thats why we are now sticking with our strategy."

Standing beside him at a news conference, Chief Scientific Adviser Patrick Vallance applied the brakes. He said the lesson of the pandemic was that when you make a move, you have to go earlier than you think you want to, you need to go harder than you think you want to.

So if this goes in the wrong direction  its important that the measures are put in place early enough and theyre significant enough, he said.

___

Follow all AP stories on the coronavirus pandemic at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic
EDMONTON - Four years before a mother and her 16-month-old son were killed in western Alberta, police had warned the public that a registered sex offender would be released and there was a chance he could harm a female, including children.

EDMONTON - Four years before a mother and her 16-month-old son were killed in western Alberta, police had warned the public that a registered sex offender would be released and there was a chance he could harm a female, including children.

Robert Major, 53, faces two counts of second-degree murder in last week's deaths of Mchale Busch, 24, and her son, Noah McConnell. Major has also been charged with causing an indignity to human remains.

Robert Major, 53, seen in an undated handout photo, is facing two counts of second-degree murder in the deaths of Mchale Busch, 24, and her 16-month-old son, Noah McConnell. Major has also been charged with causing an indignity to human remains. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Edmonton Police Service, *MANDATORY CREDIT*

RCMP have said the woman and her son died Sept. 16  the day before they were reported missing  and their bodies discovered Sept. 17 in Major's apartment in Hinton, about 290 kilometres west of Edmonton.

In July 2017, Edmonton police issued a public warning that Major would be living in the community. It is unclear when he moved to Hinton.

"The Edmonton Police Service has reasonable grounds to believe he will commit another sexual offence against a female, including children, while in the community," a news release read.

This week, RCMP said in a statement that Major had not been subject to any recognizance conditions since July 2020. It's unclear whether Hinton residents were warned when he came to town.

Cody McConnell, Busch's fiance and Noah's father, said they recently moved into the apartment building and had no idea they were living near a sex offender.

"The system failed Mchale and Noah by not letting us know we moved in next to a convicted sexual offender whom the police had reasonable grounds to believe (would) commit another offence," McConnell told media outside court in Edson, Alta., earlier this week.

The National Sex Offender Registry Database, which allows police to do searches based on information that has been collected, is not available to landlords or any other member of the public.

McConnell and his family said they want that changed, especially for those who are considered likely to reoffend.

"I feel like this should never happen to any other family ever again," McConnell said.

Three Parole Board of Canada documents from 2016 and 2017 show there were serious concerns about Major.

The board cited a 2013 psychological report that said he posed a high risk for impulsive behaviour and a high risk of sexually harming someone he deemed weaker than himself.

"The (psychological) report cites your repeated rationalization as a defence against insight, which suggests you have a limited awareness of the impact of your actions on others," the parole board documents said.

The board also noted that Major was sentenced to three years, 10 months and 30 days for an offence in 2012, in which he took a toddler from a babysitter's care for an unsupervised walk and sexually assaulted the child.

"File information indicates that you admitted to being sexually aroused by this assault and that you stated that you committed the offence for 'the thrill of it,'" the documents said

The documents indicated that Major was charged with sexual assault in 2006 and sexual interference in 2013. The first charge was stayed and the other withdrawn.

In 2015, while serving a sentence for the sexual assault on the toddler, Major was accused of inappropriately touching another inmate.

"Reports note that you have been diagnosed with substance abuse disorders, cognitive disorders, personality disorders, anti-social personality disorders, query epilepsy and low intelligence functioning," the documents said.

They also said Major completed a national moderate intensity sex offender program in 2015. He worked closely with mental health nurses, attended church and connected with pastors.

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"It was noted that the pastors were aware of your criminal history and welcomed you into the parish, offering you support."

The documents said he was granted statutory release in February 2016, and some of his leave privileges were revoked in 2017.

The board said this week that it could not disclose Major's warrant expiry date, which is the conclusion of an inmate's sentence when he is no longer under the jurisdiction of the Correctional Service of Canada.

Major's next court appearance is Oct. 20.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 25, 2021.

 With files from CTV
OTTAWA - The return of two detained Canadians may have ended the most contentious dispute in Canadas relationship with China, but experts say Ottawa faces a number of other extremely difficult challenges and choices in its dealings with Beijing.

Michael Kovrig, centre right, waves to media as his wife Vina Nadjibulla, centre left, and sister Ariana Botha after his arrival at Pearson International Airport in Toronto on September 25, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn

OTTAWA - The return of two detained Canadians may have ended the most contentious dispute in Canadas relationship with China, but experts say Ottawa faces a number of other extremely difficult challenges and choices in its dealings with Beijing.

Those include immediate issues such as whether to let Chinese telecom giant Huawei participate in Canadas 5G wireless network, as well as broader questions of whether the emergent Asian superpower should be treated as a partner, competitor or adversary.

Global Affairs Minister Marc Garneau acknowledged Sunday the degree to which the detention of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor  in apparent retaliation for Canadas arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou  had impeded ties between the two countries.

There was no path to a relationship with China as long as the two Michaels were being detained, Garneau said during an appearance on CBCs Rosemary Barton Live, referencing the colloquial term adopted around the world when discussing the former detainees.

Kovrig and Spavor were released Friday after more than 1,000 days in Chinese detention, the same day Meng was released from Canadian custody after reaching a plea deal with authorities from the U.S., where she had faced fraud charges.

With that situation resolved, University of British Columbia professor and leading expert on China and Asia Paul Evans says the newly re-elected Liberal government has a number of immediate issues to address and decisions to make.

Those include finally delivering a verdict on whether Huawei can participate in Canadas 5G network. Canada is the only member of the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing network, which includes the U.S., Britain, Australia and New Zealand, to have not already banned the company.

There are also ongoing questions about the degree to which Canadian universities can and should be allowed to partner with Chinese entities on research and development, and how to treat Chinese investments in strategically important sectors.

There are some very immediate issues that have been almost deferred, Evans said. So we have some immediate choices.

Yet there is also a clear need for a long-term strategy for Canadas dealings with both China and the broader Asia-Pacific region, said University of Ottawa professor Roland Paris, who served as Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus first foreign policy adviser.

Canada has quietly adopted a number of positions with respect to China as the two Michaels languished in Chinese prisons, particularly as Beijing has adopted increasingly aggressive foreign and economic policies.

That includes calling the Chinese communist government out over its attempts to stifle democracy in Hong Kong, treatment of ethnic Uighurs and other minorities, sabre rattling in the South China Sea, and use of economic and cyber espionage.

Yet the level of economic integration between Canada and China and the need to co-operate on issues like climate change means defining different aspects of the relationship in terms of what Paris describes as co-operation, competition and confrontation.

The complexity of those issues, along with the growing economic and geo-political importance of China and the surrounding region, led the European Union to release an Asia-Pacific strategy this month. The U.S. is expected to follow suit this fall.

This month Australia, Britain and the U.S. also announced a new defensive partnership aimed exclusively at China that includes Australias purchase of nuclear-powered submarines and which notably excluded Canada and New Zealand despite the Five Eyes alliance.

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While it isnt clear the extent to which Canada was aware of the arrangement before it was announced, Evans said the other three participants may have had concerns around Ottawa's inclusion.

They would have known there was a level of ambiguity about our approaches to China," he said.

The Liberals promised during the election to launch an Asia-Pacific strategy for the region, emphasizing the importance of building new trade ties and expanding existing ones while also referencing greater diplomatic and military relationships in the area.

Paris suggested the creation of such a policy should be a priority for the newly re-elected government.

All of our partners are trying to adjust to a changing Indo-Pacific, particularly with the rise of a more aggressive (China), he said. Many of those partners are starting to put together more co-ordinated national strategies. And now it's incumbent on Canada to do the same.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 26, 2021.
OTTAWA - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is being urged by several experts on sexual misconduct in the military to name a new defence minister as he sets about building a new cabinet following Mondays federal election.

Minister of National Defence Harjit Sajjan answers a reporters question as he joins Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau for a campaign event in downtown Vancouver, B.C., on August 18, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

OTTAWA - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is being urged by several experts on sexual misconduct in the military to name a new defence minister as he sets about building a new cabinet following Mondays federal election.

The calls are based on a belief that Harjit Sajjan has lost credibility when it comes to addressing what senior commanders themselves have described as an existential crisis within the Canadian Armed Forces.

Its just not imaginable, Maya Eichler, head of the Centre for Social Innovation and Community Engagement in Military Affairs at Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax, said of Sajjan returning to the position he has held since 2015.

It would show the government to be completely out of touch with how people feel about the issue and the kind of bold action that is needed.

Yet while Eichler believes it is time for a woman to take over as Canadas next defence minister, she and others warn such an appointment must include the right person and the necessary support to help them succeed in the role.

Like any discussion about picking someone for a position of power based on their sex, it is crucial to ensure that the person selected is set up for success and not failure, Eichler said.

While the symbolism of having a woman in the position of minister of national defence is important, it isnt just any (member of Parliament) or woman who will be able to do the job.

The concern is that appointing someone who doesnt have the requisite skill and experience to push what many believe is a long overdue change in the militarys culture while also managing the many other files in what is a challenging portfolio could hurt rather than help.

Among those other issues are different military missions around the world, the planned procurement of billions of dollars in new equipment and a large degree of upheaval among the senior ranks.

Appointing a woman could be a good thing in that itll bring new perspectives to the portfolio, said Charlotte Duval-Lantoine of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute.

But tying her appointment to the current crisis will undermine her competence, will put the blame on her if the military has a hard time with culture change, and will be used as a justification not to have a woman as MND for the next thirtyish years.

The only woman to have served as Canadas defence minister was Kim Campbell, who held the post for six months in 1993 before serving for five months as Canadas only female prime minister.

Megan MacKenzie, the Simons Chair in international law and human security at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, B.C., points to Campbells experience as prime minister as an example of what is called a glass cliff, where a woman is set up to fail after being put into a top position.

Campbell took over from Brian Mulroney at a time when voters were already fed up with his Progressive Conservative government, and was at the helm when the PCs were reduced from 156 seats in the House of Commons to two during the 1993 federal election.

The main thing in this situation is that they're called in to take a leadership role after another senior male has failed so seriously that their job was insurmountable, MacKenzie said.

And then what happens is the failures are pinned on that individual, and you have the conversation: Well, maybe a woman couldnt be good in that role, or she was not up to the job. And that's exactly what happened with Kim Campbell.  She was put in an impossible position.

Canada is not alone when it comes to having a man as its defence minister, with only seven of 30 NATO military alliance members having female ministers. Germany and France are also the only two G7 countries with women defence ministers.

Among the names being bandied around as possibilities to succeed Sajjan are Employment Minister Carla Qualtrough and Public Procurement Minister Anita Anand, both of whom have played key roles in Ottawas response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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We need a minister of national defence that is ready to make decisions that may not be well liked within the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces, Duval-Lantoine said.

If Qualtrough and Anand have demonstrated this kind of leadership, then yes. But it should be because they have those skills, not just because they are women.

Like many others, Sam Samplonius is of the view that whats important isnt the sex of Canadas next defence minister, but whether they have a true commitment to addressing the issue.

Just like (military sexual trauma) is not a women's issue, it is not the gender of the minister of national defence that will guarantee success of a shift in norms, said Samplonius, co-chair of Its Not Just 700, a group comprising military sexual misconduct survivors.

Whomever gets appointed needs to get fully informed of the issue, the proposed solutions already out there in many reviews and reports, and have the commitment to keep initiatives and programs aimed and developed to support persons impacted by (sexual trauma) on the agenda as a permanent item.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 26, 2021.
VANCOUVER - University RCMP says two young students at the University of British Columbia are dead following a single-vehicle accident early Sunday.

The RCMP logo is seen outside Royal Canadian Mounted Police "E" Division Headquarters, in Surrey, B.C., on April 13, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

VANCOUVER - University RCMP says two young students at the University of British Columbia are dead following a single-vehicle accident early Sunday.

RCMP says the male and female students, both 18 years old, were walking together on the sidewalk on Northwest Marine Drive at about 1:45 a.m. when a vehicle veered off the road and they were struck and killed.

RCMP says the two students were pronounced dead at the scene.

RCMP says the driver of the vehicle, a 21-year-old male, was taken to hospital with minor injuries and released to appear in court at a later date.

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UBC president Santa Ono issued a statement Sunday offering the university's condolences.

"This is an awful tragedy," he said. "It is difficult to comprehend and express the enormity of the loss of these two bright and promising young adults. On behalf of the university, I wish to extend our deepest and heartfelt condolences to their families, friends and loved ones."

Grief and trauma supports will be available to students, he said.

RCMP says the accident investigation continues and police have yet to determine if speed, alcohol or drugs are factors in the accident.

Police did not release the names of the deceased students.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 26, 2021.
More than 100 people streamed down Israel Asper Way Saturday afternoon, trekking to the Manitoba Legislative Building with dogs, signs and protests against masks and COVID-19 vaccinations.

More than 100 people streamed down Israel Asper Way Saturday afternoon, trekking to the Manitoba Legislative Building with dogs, signs and protests against masks and COVID-19 vaccinations.

The group started outside the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. They flashed posters saying "I Do Not Consent" and "My Body My Choice" as they undertook their 2:30 p.m. march.

"(The government and businesses) are creating a two-tiered society," a speaker told the crowd after theyd settled on the grounds near Broadway. "This is not right."

His words were met with cheers from people wearing shirts reading "Freedom" and "Im Not a Lab Rat".

"You guys have got frustration, maybe a little bit of fear, maybe a little bit of anxiety inside of you," the speaker said.

Saturdays rally comes after a year and a half of COVID-19s presence in Manitoba. People in various occupations across the province will require full vaccination or consistent testing to keep their jobs; unvaccinated Manitobans cant participate in certain activities, such as dining in a restaurant.

A table set on the legislative buildings grounds had take-home print outs on mask mandate exemptions, various laws and notices to school board superintendents for parents who dont want their children masked or receiving "any medical treatment" related to COVID-19.

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"It is the right of each child... to receive an education provided by the Manitoba Government that is free from discrimination," the notice reads.

Members of the First Nation Indigenous Warriors led the walkers, holding their red flags. Winnipeg police cars bookended the march from The Forks to Broadway.

Monstrosity Burger, a Corydon Avenue restaurant, was set to host a parking lot party after the gathering at the legislature, according to an online post. The eatery shared its support for the march on Instagram.

Provincial health enforcement recently shut down Monstrosity Burgers in-person dining. It has also received $40,000 in fines since Sept. 6 related to public health rules.

 with files from Malak Abas

gabrielle.piche@freepress.mb.ca
JERUSALEM (AP)  Israeli troops conducted a series of arrest raids against suspected Hamas militants across the occupied West Bank early Sunday, sparking a pair of gun battles in which five Palestinians were killed and two Israeli soldiers were seriously wounded.

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett speaks during a memorial ceremony on the 48th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War between Israel and Arab states in 1973, at Mt. Herzl in Jerusalem, Sunday, Sept. 19 2021. (Ohad Zwigenberg/Pool via AP)

JERUSALEM (AP)  Israeli troops conducted a series of arrest raids against suspected Hamas militants across the occupied West Bank early Sunday, sparking a pair of gun battles in which five Palestinians were killed and two Israeli soldiers were seriously wounded.

It was the deadliest violence between Israeli forces and Palestinian militants in the West Bank in several weeks. The region has seen an increase in fighting in recent months, with tensions fueled by Israeli settlement construction, heightened militant activity in the northern West Bank and the aftermath of a bloody war between Israel and Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip last May.

Israeli officials said they had been tracking the Hamas militants for several weeks and that the raids were launched in response to immediate threats.

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said the militants were about to carry out attacks "in real time." He praised the Israeli forces, saying they acted "as expected. They engaged the enemy and we back them completely."

Palestinians inspect a bloodstained site after an Israeli army operation that left some Palestinian men killed, in the West Bank village of Beit Anan, west of Ramallah, Sunday, Sept. 26, 2021. Multiple Palestinian gunmen were killed in shootouts with Israeli security forces during a sweeping West Bank arrest operation cracking down on the Islamic militant group Hamas on Sunday, the Israeli military said. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)

Lt. Col. Amnon Shefler, an Israeli army spokesperson, said Israeli forces came under fire while carrying out the arrest raids. He said at least four Hamas operatives were killed and several others were arrested in the overnight operation.

The Palestinian Health Ministry said two Palestinians were shot dead near the northern West Bank city of Jenin and three others were killed in Biddu, north of Jerusalem. The Israeli military said an officer and soldier suffered serious injuries during the arrest in Burqin, near Jenin, and were airlifted to a hospital for medical treatment.

Hamas confirmed that four of the dead, including all three killed in Biddu, were members of the Islamic militant group. Palestinian officials said a 16-year-old boy was also among the dead, though it was not immediately known if he was a militant.

The Palestinian Authority, which administers semi-autonomous areas in the West Bank, condemned the killings and said the Israeli government was "fully and directly responsible for this bloody morning and the crimes committed by the occupation forces."

But Hamas also criticized the Palestinian Authority, which maintains security coordination with Israel in a shared struggle against the Islamic group.

Hamas spokesman Abdulatif al-Qanou said that recent meetings between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli officials "encouraged the occupation again to pursue the resistance."

Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip after seizing it from the Palestinian Authority in 2007, praised those killed as "heroic martyrs." It called on its supporters to "devise tactics and means that harm the enemy and drain it with all possible forms of resistance."

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Also Sunday, Israel released Khalida Jarrar, a prominent Palestinian lawmaker, after nearly two years in prison. Jarrar, a senior figure in the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, has been in and out of Israeli prisons for years  often without being charged.

The PFLP has an armed wing and is considered a terrorist group by Israel and Western countries, but Jarrar has not been implicated in attacks. She was sentenced to two years in prison in March for membership in a banned group but given credit for time already served. She was freed several weeks before her sentence was to end.

Recent months have seen a rise in violence in the West Bank, with more than two dozen Palestinians killed in sporadic clashes with Israeli troops and during protests.

Many of the clashes have occurred near Beita, a Palestinian village where residents regularly demonstrate against an unauthorized settlement outpost, and near Jenin, which is known as a militant stronghold.

Last month, Israeli troops clashed with Palestinian gunmen during a late night raid in Jenin, killing four Palestinians. Sunday's clashes came a week after Israel recaptured the last of six Palestinian fugitives who tunneled out of a maximum-security Israeli prison earlier this month. The escapees were from Jenin, and two were caught there after an extensive search.

Israel captured the West Bank in the 1967 Mideast war and has established dozens of settlements where nearly 500,000 settlers reside. The Palestinians seek the West Bank as part of their future state and view the settlements as a major obstacle to resolving the conflict.
Adequate rates of vaccination can help prevent the rise of new mutations that could force people to get booster after booster dose of Covid-19 vaccine, the head of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Sunday.

The CDC and the US Food and Drug Administration recommended booster shots for many Americans last week to help preserve their immunity.

But that doesn't necessarily mean people will need to keep getting boosters. CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky told CBS's "Face the Nation."

"Our goal right now is to stay ahead of the virus. We want to boost now so we don't end up in a vulnerable place," Walensky said.

"We will see if we can get the amount of transmission down in this country, and truly around the world, which we are also working to do, and then we are anticipating and hoping we will not have more mutations that will require more boosting in the future."

'Our hospitals are filled with unvaccinated people'

Covid-19 is killing so many people in Idaho that some funeral homes are running out of space to store the bodies.

"We are working nonstop. We're exhausted. We're frustrated," Ada County Coroner Dotti Owens said. "Funeral homes are out of storage. Our hospitals are out of storage."

The county bought a mass fatality trailer late last year to accommodate a larger number of bodies, but even that is filling up, Owens said.

"Now we're packing them in there," she said. "Our internal cooler is full."

What's happening in Idaho is tragic, but perhaps not surprising.

Idaho has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the US, with 41.3% of residents fully vaccinated as of Saturday, according CDC data.

Only two states had lower vaccinations rates: West Virginia (40.3%) and Wyoming (41%).

And the average rate of Covid-19 deaths was more than four times higher in the 10 least-vaccinated states compared to the 10 most-vaccinated states, a recent CNN analysis showed.

In Idaho, Covid-19 has killed an average of 20 people a day over the past week, according to CDC data published Saturday.

At Cloverdale Funeral Home in Ada County, "our refrigeration facility here at Cloverdale is substantial, and it's full," managing partner Steve Salove told CNN affiliate KIVI.

He said part of the problem is many victims' family members are also sick with Covid-19 -- meaning bodies have to be stored until they recover and can attend a funeral service.

About 90% of Idaho's ICU beds were occupied, with 58.6% taken up by Covid-19 patients, according to data from the US Department of Health and Human Services.

Alaska is calling for additional medical staff to help with Covid-19 cases.

The state is seeking 297 registered nurses, 114 nursing assistants and a variety of other technicians and therapists to help hospitals that are struggling with staffing and near capacity. The endeavor will likely cost the state about $1 million per day, which will be reimbursed by the federal government, officials said.

The new resources come as the state has authorized hospitals to enact crisis standards of care, allowing the facilities to ration resources when overwhelmed by patients.

The CDC director said she's worried about hospitals in some states running out of beds.

"And when you see that, you worry that people may not be able to come in and get the proper care if they have a motor vehicle accident or if they're having a heart attack," Walensky told CBS on Sunday.

"People who are not vaccinated are 10 times more likely to be in the hospital. Our hospitals are filled with unvaccinated people."

Some schools have to pause in-person learning

The Filer School District in Idaho closed Friday due to "excessive staff absences and the shortage of substitute teachers," district officials said in a Facebook post.

Students will not learn remotely during the break, which ends October 4.

The district's Covid-19 dashboard showed 11 school staff and 56 students have tested positive for Covid-19 since school began September 7.

A combination of absences among teachers, kitchen staff, custodians and other workers as well as a lack of substitute teachers is making it difficult for the district to operate, Schroeder explained.

"It's hard to say if the absences and shortages have been caused by Covid-19," FSD Superintendent Kelli Schroeder told CNN in an email. "There are several other staff members who are out for illness and other reasons."

Children typically don't get infected in schools where proper precautions are taken, the CDC director said.

"Our science has demonstrated that the disease generally comes in from the community, and when schools are practicing the proper mitigation and prevention strategies, it is not where the transmission is actually happening," Walensky told CBS.

The CDC has recommended mask wearing for students, teachers and visitors in schools from kindergarten through grade 12, along with improved ventilation, physical distancing and testing on a screening basis.

"We know how to keep them safe," Walensky said. "When we don't use the proper mitigation, they're more likely to have outbreaks."

The good news for kids: the CDC chief said she think it might be OK to go trick-or-treating this year.

"Oh, gosh, I certainly hope so. If you're able to be outdoors, absolutely. Limit crowds. I wouldn't necessarily go to a crowded Halloween party," Walensky told CBS.

"I think we should be able to let our kids go trick-or-treating in small groups, and I hope that we can do that this year."

GOP governor: 'Vaccinations remain our ticket out of this pandemic'

Ohio, Gov. Mike DeWine recently announced the "Vax to School" program, which residents ages 12 and 25 may enter with proof of vaccination.

The program will give five scholarships worth $100,000 and 50 scholarships worth $10,000. All scholarship money can be used toward any type of education or job training the winner chooses.

DeWine noted an "alarming trend" of Covid-19 cases in young Ohioans, including 42,000 cases in children between the ages 5 and 17 since school started August 15.

"Vaccinations remain our ticket out of this pandemic," DeWine said. "Vaccinations are the way that we stop our hospitals from being overcrowded."

Correction: An earlier version of this story understated the value of Ohio's "Vax to School" program. Prizes will include 50 scholarships worth $10,000 each and five $100,000 scholarships.

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UTICA, NY  The T.R. Proctor class of 1971 is holding its 50th class reunion this weekend.

Classmates from near and far - some traveling from as far away as California and Missouri - returned to Utica to reunite with old friends. Some of whom they haven't seen in decades.

The reunion started out Friday with a party at Joes Restaurant and continued Saturday with a senior skip day at what was known to the class as "Beer Can Beach".

The days festivities wrapped up with dinner and dancing at their 50th reunion gala which gave everyone a chance to sit down and catch up.

One of the graduates, Leonarda Priore, says it was great seeing everyone again. Some of the people I'm seeing tonight, I wasn't necessarily that close to, and yet that kind of melts away. It melts away.

It's like no time has passed at all, says fellow graduate Marlene DAccurzio-Anderson. We just picked up where we left off. Our class was really unique I think. We really have a close bond, and really, really care about each other."

Sunday, there will be a remembrance mass for departed classmates at St. Mary of Mount Carmel  Blessed Sacrament Church, followed by lunch at Venturas Restaurant.
UTICA, N.Y. - Utica Police are investigating a shooting early Saturday morning on the 800 block of Mohawk Street.

Upon arrival, Police received additional calls of three males who walked into St. Elizabeths Hospital with gunshot wounds. All three males suffered various wounds to their bodies; one suffered wounds to the arm, one suffered wounds to his chest, and the other suffered wounds to his midsection. Police say later into their investigation, another male walked into St. Lukes Hospital, who suffered a gunshot wound to his head

Police say the wounds are serious but are not considered life-threatening.

Utica Police units remain on the scene conducting an investigation.

The Major Crimes Unit will be handling this case, and if anyone has information regarding the incident they are asked to call 315-223-3556 or you can submit an anonymous tip online through Mohawk Valley Crime Stoppers at 1-866-730-8477 or www.mohawkvalleycrimestoppers.com.
President Joe Biden is facing a huge week. In the early days of his presidency, his ambitions to expand the social safety net had some people hailing him as a potential successor to Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Lyndon B. Johnson.

But his agenda could come apart at the seams next week as Democrats face a looming government shutdown, the threat of a federal debt default and the potential implosion of either the infrastructure bill or the $3.5 trillion spending package.

If this happens, Biden's presidency will suffer a huge setback and the American Rescue Plan, his biggest accomplishment to date, could become a fading memory for many voters by the time 2022 rolls around.

The harsh reality of governing in modern times is sinking in. The threat of a filibuster allowed Republicans to pressure Democrats to compromise on the infrastructure bill, which passed in the Senate with bipartisan support after painstaking negotiations. Now, as the bill heads to the House, Republican leaders in the lower chamber are rallying members of the party to oppose the bill. Congressional Republicans are also upping the pressure by threatening to block a measure that would raise the debt ceiling.

Meanwhile, the rifts within the Democratic Party are in plain view. Biden, with the help of Speaker Nancy Pelosi, has to figure out a way to reconcile both the progressive and centrist flanks of the party. Moderate Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, for example, wants to limit the scale and scope of the $3.5 trillion reconciliation package and reduce the new tax burden on corporations and the wealthy that it would bring.

Meanwhile, progressives said they will not support the infrastructure package without passing the reconciliation bill that funds Biden's more ambitious social policies.

There is no clear path forward for the administration. If Democrats can agree on a framework for reconciliation, pass the infrastructure bill, and finalize the reconciliation package, reaching whatever compromises are necessary to pass that bill as well -- all before the September 30 deadline to avoid a government shutdown -- the party will have accomplished a massive feat.

Any alternative would be a disaster for Biden and the Democrats. If Congressional Democrats fail to pass at least one of the bills, the uphill battle they face in the 2022 midterm elections will be difficult. Add to this the devastating possibility of triggering a government shutdown or hitting the debt ceiling, and Biden's approval rating would likely plummet. His agenda would take a huge hit, with little opportunity to bounce back if Republicans campaign on his failures and gain control of the House or Senate (or both).

By the end of the coming week, Biden's fate should be clearer. Whether his extensive experience as both a senator and vice president will mean anything in our dysfunctional political system remains to be seen. He is still bound by what political scientists call the asymmetries of American politics, with the GOP willing to go much further in partisan warfare even as the Democrats are intent on following the rules.

But Biden has learned some tough lessons under former President Barack Obama, and the fact that he is relying on the reconciliation process to pass his version of the New Deal or Great Society is proof. He's also been much more direct in his criticism of the GOP, striking a different tone than the consensus-building rhetoric he had become famous for on the presidential campaign trail.

It is not clear that this is enough. Republican radicalism and Democratic divisions are immense obstacles. Even reconciliation might not be enough to finally tackle the many issues, ranging from child care to climate change, that have continued to go unaddressed decade after decade.

If the week ends badly for the President, it won't just be his problem -- it will be an ominous sign of the broader problems that afflict liberalism and the ability of our government to respond to major crises. Our planet is in demise, the systems that perpetuate racial injustice are still in place and economic inequality is only getting worse. Will Washington be able to step up and finally provide big solutions?

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Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou, who spent nearly three years in house arrest in Canada, returned home late Saturday, ending a prolonged extradition fight with the United States and sparking an outburst of national pride in China, where her release has been portrayed as a diplomatic victory for Beijing.

Meng, who was wanted by US federal prosecutors for fraud charges related to alleged Iran sanction violations, was arrested in Vancouver in December 2018. Beijing has called it a political arrest by the former Trump administration, and repeatedly demanded she be released.

Her legal battle strained relations between China, the United States and Canada, especially after Beijing detained two Canadians following Meng's arrest  a move widely interpreted as political retaliation.

On Friday, Meng was allowed to go home after reaching an agreement with the US Department of Justice to defer her prosecution until late 2022, after which point her charges could be dropped. Hours after her release, the two Canadians detained by China, Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, were also freed.

On Saturday evening, the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, where the tech giant Huawei is headquartered, rolled out a red carpet welcome for Meng, who arrived on a flight chartered by the Chinese government.

Wearing a red dress, Meng emerged from the plane without a face mask and waved to a crowd of more than 100 people waving Chinese flags and shouting "welcome home."

"I'm finally back home!" Meng said in a brief speech to those assembled on the tarmac, expressing gratitude to her "great motherland," the ruling Communist Party and, specifically, Chinese President Xi Jinping.

"As an ordinary Chinese citizen who had suffered this plight and been stranded abroad for three years, there was never a moment where I did not feel the care and warmth of the Party, the motherland and the people," said Meng, who is the daughter of Huawei's founder, Ren Zhengfei.

"Chairman Xi cares about the safety of every Chinese citizen, and he also keeps my situation on his mind. I am deeply moved."

Meng ended her speech vowing to uphold the leadership of Xi and the party, and pledging loyalty to her country.

"Where there is a Chinese flag, there is a beacon of faith," she said emotionally. "If faith has a color, it must be China red."

While Meng had repeatedly called herself an "ordinary Chinese" in the speech, the grand reception for her was anything but ordinary.

As her plane descended toward the airport, it was greeted by a special message from the control tower: "Here is China's Shenzhen Baoan Airport. The motherland is forever your most powerful support. Welcome back, Ms. Meng Wanzhou!"

Inside the arrival hall, hundreds of people gathered to welcome Meng. Holding national flags, flowers and banners, the crowd erupted in national pride, shouting slogans including "long live the motherland" and belting out patriotic songs.

Downtown, Shenzhen's tallest skyscrapers lit up with the message: "Welcome home Meng Wanzhou!"

And on China's internet, news about Meng's journey home riveted public attention and dominated discussions. Internet users tracked her flight across the Arctic Ocean, and tens of millions of people tuned in to watch state media's online livestream of her arrival (some ran on for six hours straight.)

Many called her a national hero, and hailed her return as a symbol of China's victory over the West.

"The reason why (Meng's return) has drawn so much attention is that this is a diplomatic coup for China, and a manifestation of China's strength," said one of the top comments on Weibo, China's Twitter-like platform.

In a commentary, Communist Party mouthpiece People's Daily described Meng's homecoming as "a major victory of the Chinese people."

The commentary called Meng's case an act of "political persecution" by the US to "crack down on China's high-tech enterprises" and disrupt the country's progress.

"China does not stir up trouble, but it is also not afraid of trouble," it said. "Not a single force can shake the status of our great motherland. Not a single force can stop the advancing steps of China!"

The US case against Meng centered on whether she had misled banking giant HSBC about Huawei's relationship with an Iranian subsidiary, Skycom, which the US alleges could have put the bank at risk of sanctions violations.

State media reports highlighted that Meng pleaded not guilty, but left out her admission to the court that she had misrepresented Huawei's relationship with Skycom to HSBC.

"In entering into the deferred prosecution agreement, Meng has taken responsibility for her principal role in perpetrating a scheme to defraud a global financial institution," acting US Attorney Nicole Boeckmann said in a statement Friday -- which went largely unreported by Chinese state media.

Also conspicuously absent was any mention of the release of the two Canadians, Kovrig and Spavor. Some social media posts about their fate were also censored in China.

The two Michaels landed in Calgary, Alberta, before 6 a.m. Saturday local time, a couple of hours before Meng touched down in Shenzhen. They were welcomed on the tarmac by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

"You've shown incredible strength, resilience, and perseverance," Trudeau said in a Twitter post. "Know that Canadians across the country will continue to be here for you, just as they have been."

Spavor, an entrepreneur with business ties to North Korea, and Kovrig, a former Canadian diplomat, were detained in China in December 2018, nine days after Meng was arrested while changing planes in Vancouver.

Beijing has repeatedly denied taking the two Canadians as political hostages, but observers and legal experts outside of China say the timing of their legal proceedings suggested otherwise.

Their hearings  held separately behind closed doors in March  were announced the day before the first high-level meeting between US and Chinese officials since Joe Biden came to office. And in August, just as Meng's extradition hearings entered their final stages in Vancouver, Spavor was sentenced to 11 years in prison for spying and illegally providing state secrets overseas. In the end, even their releases were timed just hours apart.

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Themed "brand power", the first part of this year's exhibition was held from Sept 18 to 21. [For China Daily]

The second part of 2021 Beijing Design Week called Design Expo got underway on Sept 24 at the National Agriculture Exhibition Center in Beijing.

As part of the Beijing Design Week, the exhibition was launched in 2018 and attracted around 100,000 visitors in its first edition. Themed "brand power", the first part of this year's exhibition was held from Sept 18 to 21.

With more than 20,000-square-meter space, one highlight of the exhibition is domestic design brands in many fields including environment protection, food, clothes, and art works.

According to Wang Yudong, deputy director of the office of Beijing Design Week Organizing Committee, this year's expo aims to discuss innovation and mode for Chinese brands.

Young designers' works are also highlighted in the expo as their designs focus on many social fields such as rural revitalization and garbage collection.

The Design forum and the Laurel Award ceremony were also held during the expo.

The Design Expo will conclude on Sept 27.

The second part of 2021 Beijing Design Week called Design Expo got underway on Sept 24 at the National Agriculture Exhibition Center in Beijing. [For China Daily]

(Source: chinadaily.com.cn)
Baku is the capital of Azerbaijan, one of the former Soviet republics. It is located on a small peninsula that juts out into the Caspian Sea. Historically, the city was an important center for the religion of Zoroastrianism and the home of several Jewish communities from Europe and the Caucusas region. Baku has been highly-coveted for centuries by various empires, in large part because of its natural harbor and vast petroleum resources. Several empires ruled Baku long before it became the capital of an independent Azerbaijan. Today, the city is well-known for its oil economy. In fact, oil has been exploited in the vicinity of Baku for more than a millennium.

Geography and Demographics

There are a couple of theories as to the origins of the name Baku. One theory hypothesizes that the name comes from the old Persian term, Bagavan, which means City of God. Another theory suggests that the name comes from the Persian term, Badkube, which translates as city where the wind blows, denoting the fact that Baku is frequented by blowing winds. The issue with this theory, however, is that the word Badkube was invented in the 6th century CE, while Baku was founded prior to the 5th century CE. In the Azeri language, Baku is pronounced Baki.

Panoramic view of Baku - the capital city of Azerbaijan that is located by the Caspian Sea shore.

Baku is situated on the southern end of the Absheron Peninsula, on the wide Bay of Baku, which forms part of the Caspian Sea. To its south are several small islands that form the Baku Archipelago. The coastal area of the city lies as much as 28 meters below sea level. Surrounding the city are a number of mud volcanoes and salt lakes. Bakus land area totals 260 sq. km. During Soviet times, the city was a popular vacation spot. Now, however, Baku, the Absheron Peninsula, and the Caspian Sea are classified as the most environmentally-devastated places on Earth. This environmental damage includes severe air, soil, and water pollution.

View of the historical mosques and the walls of Shirvanshahs Palace in the Old town with the modern glass Flame Towers skyscrapers in dramatic sunset light.

The city of Baku is divided into three parts: The Old Town, the boom town, and the Soviet-built town. The downtown area of the city is located in the Old Town, and includes the old walled city of Baku, which has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The walled city consists of narrow alleys, cobblestone streets, and ancient buildings, such as the Palace of the Shirvanshahs, the Maiden Tower, and the Juma Mosque. Since 1988, more than 225 street names have been changed to erase the citys Soviet legacy.

Tourists walking on the streets of Baku, Azerbaijan. Editorial credit: Vastram / Shutterstock.com

Bakus population is estimated to be about 2.37 million, making it the largest city in Azerbaijan, and home to approximately one in five Azerbaijanis. More than 90% of the citys population is of ethnic Azeri origin. Prior to 1988, there were significant communities of Russians, Armenians, and Jews. Azeri, a Turkic language that is the official language of Azerbaijan, is the most spoken language in Baku, but many of the citys residents also speak Russian as a second language. More than 94% of Bakus population practice forms of Islam (mainly Shiite). Prior to the Soviet era, Baku was home to three different Jewish communities: The Ashkenazim (Jews of Central and Eastern European origin), the Mountain Jews, and the Georgian Jews. When Azerbaijan was part of the Soviet Union, the Soviets seized most of the Jewish property in the city, though following the USSRs collapse, the Azerbaijani government gave the ownership of several synagogues and a Jewish college back to the citys Jewish community.

Economy

Oil platform off the Caspian Sea coast near Baku, Azerbaijan.

Petroleum is the mainstay of the Azerbaijani economy. Oil was expropriated naturally in Baku as far back as the 10th century CE. The first oil well in the city was drilled in the mid-19th century. Today, much of the Azerbaijans oil and gas infrastructure resides in Baku, including a pipeline that transports crude oil from a terminal close to the city all the way to the port city of Ceyhan, located on the southeastern Mediterranean coast of Turkey. Industries located in Baku produce equipment used by the petroleum sector. The city is also home to metalworking, shipbuilding and repair industries, electrical machinery manufacturing, the production of chemicals and construction materials, and food processing. The citys stock exchange has been operating since February 2001. Hotels owned by Western companies have also been built in Baku since the fall of the USSR. In the future, Baku has the potential to be a leader in the development of green energy. Because of its windy climate, for example, the city makes an ideal site for the development of wind energy.

History

Ateshgah Fire Temple in Surakhani near Baku, Azerbaijan.

What is now Baku has been inhabited since the Stone Age, about 100,000 years ago. There may also have been a settlement there during the Bronze Age. According to Christian tradition, it is said that the apostle Bartholomew was killed at the bottom of Bakus Maiden Tower. A fifth century historian named Priscus of Panium, mentioned the presence of the famous Bakuvian fires, which indicates that the site was an important center for the Zoroastrian religion. During the Islamic period, Baku is mentioned as a place with vast petroleum resources and a natural harbor suitable for both fishing and shipping.

The Old City Icheri Sheher in Baku, Azerbaijan.

From about the 8th century CE, Baku was under the control of the Arab Caliphate. Later on, a dynasty known as the Shirvanshahs took over. The Shirvanshahs established an Azeri state in the historical region of Shirvan. Between the 7th and 10th centuries, Baku was a frequent target for the Khazars, a semi-nomadic Turkic people. Between the 10th century and the middle of the 12th century, the city was a target for the medieval Slavic state known as Kievan Rus. The Mongols invaded Baku in the 13th century. The early 16th century marked the beginning of approximately two centuries of almost uninterrupted Persian rule. Russia was the last imperial power to gain control of Baku, when it did so in the early 19th century. Oil exploitation on a wide commercial scale began in 1872, when the Russians sold parcels of oil-rich land around Baku to private investors. Shortly thereafter, investors from all over Europe and the United States came to invest in the regions oil patch. These investors included the famous Rothschilds and Nobel brothers. An industrial oil belt, which was dubbed Black City, was built near Baku. By the 1890s, Baku provided 95% of the oil used by the Russian Empire, and about half all the oil in the entire world.

In 1917, in the midst of World War I and the collapse of the Russian Empire, Baku fell under the control of the so-called Baku Commune, led by a Bolshevik named Stepan Shaumyan. In the same year, the Bolsheviks, with the help of an Armenian militia, massacred thousands of Azeris and other Muslims in the city during what were called the March Days. A year later, members of the Azerbaijani faction in the Transcaucasian Sejm (parliament) declared Azerbaijans independence. Azerbaijani forces then captured Baku and massacred thousands of Armenians in revenge for the March Days. On April 28, 1920, the Russian Bolsheviks invaded Baku, which became the capital of the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic shortly thereafter. Baku and the rest of Azerbaijan were part of the USSR until it collapsed in 1991. In the same year, the first independent mayor of Baku was appointed. In the early years of the 21st century, the oil economy in the city entered a period of resurgence. New oil infrastructure was developed, including the Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli field and the Shah Deniz gas field.
Mali plans to hire private Russian mercenaries to assist with security in the country, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Saturday.

"Given the external support has been diminished from those who assumed an obligation to help eradicate terrorism there, they have turned to a private Russian military company," Lavrov said at a press briefing at the United Nations headquarters in New York, referencing a French plan to draw down its own military presence in Mali.

Russia is also contributing to Mali's defense on a state level, providing military and technical equipment, he said.

Mali's Prime Minister Choguel Kokalla Maiga has argued for the country's need for a new security strategy, citing rampant terrorism and other forms of criminal violence in his address Saturday to the UN General Assembly.

Mali's population is at a breaking point, he said, faced with "mass killings, villages razed and innocents cut down, in which women and their babies are often burned alive."

Maiga also accused France of abandoning his country with the "unilateral" decision to withdraw troops, and said his government was now justified to "seek other partners."

France has long been a major security provider in the region. According to the French Ministry of Defense, as of September, France had 5,100 troops deployed across five countries in the Sahel region: Chad, Mali, Niger, Mauritania and Burkina Faso.

But French President Emmanuel Macron announced in June 2021 an end to the current French deployment in the Sahel region, Operation Barkhane, with a gradual handover to a multilateral mission.

The incoming international effort will be spearheaded by the Takuba Task Force, a European military task force led by France which advises, assists and accompanies Malian Armed Forces in the Sahel, according to the French president.

France has already raised concerns over the potential presence of Russian mercenaries in Mali, during a conversation between Lavrov and French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian earlier this week on the sidelines of the General Assembly.

"The minister alerted his Russian counterpart to the grave consequences of involving the Wagner group in the country," a statement from the French foreign ministry read.

The Wagner group is a secretive Russian military contractor thought to be connected to -- and financed by -- Yevgeny Prigozhin, an oligarch so close to the Kremlin that he is known as President Vladimir Putin's "chef."

Known to operate in Libya, the Central African Republic, Syria and Mozambique, Wagner soldiers for hire have been repeatedly accused of bloody human rights violations.

Mali's transitional government did not respond to request for comment.

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Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin plans to appeal his conviction earlier this year on charges in the murder of George Floyd.

According to a court filing Thursday, Chauvin aims to appeal based on 14 issues with his case, claiming the court in which he was tried repeatedly "abused its discretion" for numerous reasons, including by denying Chauvin a change of venue, denying his motion to have the jury sequestered through trial, and denying his request for a new trial.

Chauvin was sentenced in June to 22 and a half years in prison after he was convicted on charges of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the May 2020 killing of George Floyd.

In an affidavit also filed Thursday, Chauvin said he currently did not have a lawyer after the Minneapolis Police and Peace Officers Association, which paid for his trial attorney, told Chauvin their "obligation" to pay for his legal representation "terminated upon my conviction and sentencing."

Chauvin is currently without any income "besides nominal prison wages," he wrote, and so he cannot afford private counsel for his appeal. However, when he applied for a Minnesota appellate public defender, he was denied representation, Chauvin wrote.

Chauvin has since submitted documents to the Minnesota Supreme Court and asked that his deadline for an appellate brief filing be stayed until the court reviews his application. Typically, Chauvin would have 90 days from the imposition of his sentence to file an appeal.

Reached for comment, John Stiles, the deputy chief of staff for Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison -- who led the prosecution of Chauvin -- told CNN the office is currently reviewing Chauvin's filing.

Video of the incident that led to Floyd's death showed Chauvin impassively kneeling on the 46-year-old Black man's neck and back while he was handcuffed and lying prone in the street for more than 9 minutes, gasping for air and telling Minneapolis officers, "I can't breathe."

Floyd's death and the video catalyzed nationwide protests over racial injustice and police brutality. That public attention -- along with the city's announcement during jury selection that it was paying $27 million in a settlement to Floyd's family -- were among the reasons Chauvin's trial attorney Eric Nelson had previously requested a change in venue.

Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill rejected the request, saying at the time, "I don't think there's any place in the state of Minnesota that has not been subjected to extreme amounts of publicity on this case."

Chauvin's filing Thursday also takes issue with the fact the court did not allow him to strike jurors he says were "clearly biased" in voir dire, the process in which prospective jurors are questioned and screened before being selected. Additionally, the filing says the court abused its discretion by allowing only limited evidence from a 2019 encounter between Floyd and police.

Chauvin and the three other former Minneapolis officers present in Floyd's death face separate federal charges for allegedly violating Floyd's constitutional rights. Chauvin was also charged in a separate indictment related to the use of unreasonable force on a 14-year-old in September 2017. He pleaded not guilty in that case earlier this month.

The-CNN-Wire

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TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHI) - Thirteen local celebrities hit the runway Saturday afternoon at the reTHink Inc. Headquarters.

The models, including our very own Susan Dinkel, got to strut in their outfits made from recycled materials.

The winner Pooja took home the title of Green Queen for best costume and Susan Dinkel took the crown for the most money raised.

This fashion show was all in an effort to raise money for reTHink Inc.'s programs, which are available to the entire community.

Organizers say their mission goes further than that,

"For me, at least reTHink is more than the programs. It's really a community of people that all share a desire to care for the planet, and also to make Terre Haute a more sustainable and beautiful and prosperous place," Board President Rebecca Bercich said.

The goal was to raise around $40,000 and organizers say they were set to hit that amount Saturday afternoon!

Click here to find out more about their programs.
GREENWOOD, Ind. (AP)  Another Indiana school board meeting was disrupted when residents refused to wear face masks while objecting to the districts requirement.

Sheriffs deputies were called to the Center Grove school board meeting Thursday night after those not wearing masks wouldnt leave so the meeting could start, the (Franklin) Daily Journal reported. Those protesting left after two deputies arrived.

A similar disruption happened in the southern Indianapolis suburbs as the Clark-Pleasant board meeting in Whiteland was adjourned after just two minutes last week because some people refused to wear masks.

State officials have allowed mask rules and other steps to stem COVID-19 spread even as several school boards have faced vocal  and sometimes misleading  opposition to such actions. A man was arrested in July when a handgun fell from his pocket during a Carmel school board meeting,

The Bartholomew Consolidated school board in Columbus decided this past week it will hold meetings virtually because of parent conduct.

Center Groves board could make a similar move, district Superintendent Rich Arkanoff said.

The board really wants to have meetings in person, but if they require masks, they will not conduct a meeting unless everyone there wears a mask, he said. Were aware of the virtual meeting option, but right now, the board doesnt want to do that.
STARKVILLE, Miss. (WTVA) - Keeping your child safe is a parent's number one priority and one of the most dangerous places a child can be is in the car.

On Saturday, the day is dedicated to teaching you how to keep your child safe while in a vehicle in what's known as "National Seat Check Saturday".

Paula Hamilton informs others on how to keep their children safe while riding in a vehicle. Courtesy: OCH Regional Medical Center. Paula Hamilton informs others on how to keep their children safe while riding in a vehicle. Courtesy: OCH Regional Medical Center.

Paula Hamilton is a healthcare worker at OCH Regional Medical Center.

She is also the only certified Car Seat Safety Technician in the area.

I still have parents and people in the community that ask me questions and look for advice," said Hamilton. "I want to be able to stay up to date and be able to help them.

Hamilton said motor vehicle accidents are a leading cause of death to children 12 and under.

To prevent a tragedy from striking your family, she said you need to know how to determine the correct size of car seat (based on height and weight), keep the car seat rear facing until the age of two or three, and require children to sit in the backseat until the age of 13.

She said she feels so passionately about helping others because of the frequency of deaths to young children in car accidents.

In 2019, studies showed more than a third (38%) of children under the age of 13 killed in passenger vehicles weren't restrained in their car seats, booster seats, or seat belts.

If you are in need of a car seat, Hamilton asked that you reach out to your local county health department.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told Fox News Sunday today that an estimated 12,000 Haitian migrants have been released into the US. The staggering number goes well beyond previous estimates tied to the Del Rio, Texas bridge encampment.

Mayorkas also said his 12,000 estimate could go up, as 5,000 other cases are still being processed. Those numbers indicate previous reports of 15,000 people at the encampment were incorrect.

More from Deadline

Approximately, I think its about 10,000 or so  12,000 thousand, Mayorkas told Fox News Sunday when questioned on the numbers. It could be even higher, he added. The number that are returned could be even higher. What we do is we follow the law as Congress has passed it.

The Del Rio encampment has been cleared of migrants and the Del Rio border crossing has been reopened. But more migrants are on the way, as images on Sunday show caravans on the move from Central America.

Mayorkas said the migrations are nothing new, but blamed the immigration laws for the problem. 11 million people in this country without lawful presence is a compelling reason why there is unanimity about the fact that our immigration system is broken and legislative reform is needed, Mayorkas said.

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Nas - Photo: Jared Siskin/Getty Images

On September 23, Grammy-winning and legendary hip-hop artist Nas returned to his hometown in Queens, New York to headline the Concert to Feed NYC at Forest Hills Stadium following the chart-topping release of Kings Disease II.

Proceeds from the concert benefitted City Harvest, New York Citys first and largest food rescue organization, and will help the organization rescue and deliver nutritious food during a time of historic food insecurity across the city. Native New Yorker, record producer, and creator of the groundbreaking series, Pass The Mic, DJ Cassidy, kicked off the night with an electric hour long musical journey celebrating New York.

After the concert, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards honored Nas with an official Key to the Borough and proclamation. A longtime supporter of City Harvest, Nas received the key alongside 10 frontline City Harvest workers, who worked tirelessly during the height of the pandemic to rescue and deliver more than 200 million pounds of nutritious food to their neighbors across New York Cityan unprecedented effort that was more than double the amount of food the organization rescued and delivered over the same time period pre-pandemic.

As New York City begins its long recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, countless New Yorkers will continue to feel the economic pain of the pandemic for years to come. The Concert to Feed NYC helped support City Harvests efforts to ensure that no New Yorker will have to worry about where their next meal is coming from.

We are grateful to our longtime friend Nas and to DJ Cassidy for partnering with City Harvest to raise enough funds to help us feed over 2.5M New Yorkers struggling to put meals on their tables due to the pandemic, said Jilly Stephens, CEO of City Harvest. At a moment when food insecurity rates continue to be at record highs throughout our city, we are proud to partner with them to bring fresh, nutritious food to thousands of families across the five boroughs.

Listen to the best of Nas on Apple Music and Spotify.

For the latest music news and exclusive features, check out uDiscover Music.

uDiscover Music is operated by Universal Music Group (UMG). Some recording artists included in uDiscover Music articles are affiliated with UMG.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed two bills on Wednesday relating to abortion rights, with both helping children hide medical information from parents.

The first bill, AB 1356, will create new offenses arising from recording or photographing patients or providers within 100 feet of the entrance to a reproductive health services facility. The other, AB 1184, will keep patient information confidential for patients who are not the primary policyholder for their health insurance. Healthcare services that patients can keep confidential include "reproductive health care and gender-affirming care," according to the governor's statement.

California has been a leader in protecting access to sexual and reproductive rights, but as weve seen recently with unprecedented attacks on these rights, we can and must do more, Newsom said in his statement. I applaud the establishment of the California Future of Abortion Council and look forward to its important work to advance our states leadership on this vital issue. Im proud today to sign these two bills that demonstrate our dedication to strengthening and further protecting access to reproductive health care services in California.

CALIFORNIA DEMOCRATS SEE HARRIS AND NEWSOM COLLIDING ON ROAD TO THE WHITE HOUSE

Newsom's statement noted his signing of the bills came after Texas enacted a ban on abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected, promising California would "remain a haven for all Californians, and for those coming from out-of-state seeking reproductive health services here."

All nine Republican members of the California Senate opposed the signing of AB 1184 and sent a letter to Newsom urging him to veto the bill.

We should be encouraging parents and family to be involved in their childrens lives, not removing them further from it, read the letter.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

Newsom's signing of the twin bills comes just over a week after he handily defeated a recall effort on Sept. 14. The election is set to cost taxpayers roughly $276 million.

Story continues

The governor's office did not immediately respond to the Washington Examiner's request for comment.

Washington Examiner Videos

Tags: News, Gavin Newsom, California, Abortion, Sexual Assault, Gender

Original Author: Asher Notheis

Original Location: Newsom signs bills allowing children to hide sex operations and abortions from parents
Week 4 in the Southeastern Conference featured six conference matchups, headlined by No. 7 Texas A&M taking on No. 16 Arkansas.

The Razorbacks pulled off the upset and should see a nice jump in the polls as a result. No. 11 Florida handled Tennessee convincingly, so it will be interesting to see where all three teams settle when the dust clears.

Speaking of dust, Vanderbilt ate No. 2 Georgias in a 62-0 rout and No. 1 Alabama beat up on Southern Miss. Auburn and Kentucky struggled to victories, and Missouri dropped a game to an ACC team.

Here are all the results from across the SEC this week.

No. 11 Florida 38, Tennessee 14

Brad McClenny/The Gainesville

Florida shut out Tennessee in the second half after leading by just three points at halftime. Emory Jones played quarterback for the entire game once again, leaving fans wondering when theyll next see a supposedly healthy Anthony Richardson.

In truth, the Gators didnt need Richardson this week with the way Jones and company ran the ball. Tennessee was a top-five rushing defense going into this game, but surrendering 283 yards is going to bring that down a bit.

Hendon Hooker threw two big touchdown passes early thanks to Floridas inability to tackle, but he wasnt so successful after that.

No. 1 Alabama 63, Southern Mississippi 14

Gary Cosby-USA TODAY Sports

What did you expect a Nick Saban team to do after narrowly winning a game many expected to be a blowout? Southern Miss felt the full wrath of the Alabama offense as the Crimson Tide put up 608 yards of total offense.

Bryce Young completed 20 of 22 pass attempts for 313 yards and five touchdowns, and Roydell Williams added 110 yards rushing and a touchdown on 11 carries. As they say in Tuscaloosa, Roll Tide Roll.

No. 2 Georgia 62, Vanderbilt 0

George Walker IV / The Tennessean

Georgia played exactly how the No. 2 team in the country should play against a last-in-conference Vanderbilt team. JT Daniels led the Bulldogs to a 35-0 lead in the first quarter and let the backups finish things off. Stetson Bennett threw for 151 yards and a touchdown in relief of Daniels.

Story continues

The Georgia defense dominated Vandy, allowing just 77 yards overall (24 passing, 53 rushing). The Commodores have an easier opponent next week in UConn, and Georgia has to worry about a good Arkansas team.

No. 16 Arkansas 20, No. 7 Texas A&M 10

Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

The Arkansas Razorbacks completed their second upset of the year with a win 20-10 win over No. 7 Texas A&M. The Aggies struggled to beat Colorado on the same weekend Arkansas convincingly beat Texas, and the prophecy was fulfilled on Saturday.

Arkansas quarterback KJ Jefferson threw for 202 yards and two touchdowns before getting hurt and exiting the game. Hed return to finish off the game and run the clock down after fighting for a first down.

Unfortunately, Arkansas schedule doesnt get any easier with Georgia next and Ole Miss after that. Texas A&M has a chance to rebound against Mississippi State before hosting No. 1 Alabama.

No. 23 Auburn 34, Georgia State 24

Jake Crandall/The Montgomery Advertiser

Quarterback T.J. Finley led Auburn to a comeback victory over Georgia State after starter Bo Nix was benched late in the third quarter. Nix finished the night with 156 yards on 13-of-27 passing. Auburn scored two touchdowns within the final minute of the game to secure a win, but this was not the performance of a top-25 team.

Nix will get a chance to redeem himself against LSU next week.

Kentucky 16, South Carolina 10

Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports

Kentucky struggled to get the win against South Carolina, but kicker Matt Ruffolo nailed three field goals to put the Wildcats in front. This is Kentuckys third-straight one-score victory, and Florida is a good deal better than Missouri, Chattanooga and South Carolina.

If the Wildcats plan on competing with the Gators, the turnovers have to stop. South Carolinas run game couldnt get the job done, mustering 58 yards on 26 carries. But Florida will capitalize on those fumbles, and a game many think could be close will get out of hand fast.

LSU 28, Mississippi State 25

Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports

Mississippi State shot itself in the foot against LSU on two drives inside the Bulldogs own 30-yard line. Tigers quarterback Max Johnson showed off his arm again, passing for 280 yards and four touchdowns.

The turnovers and big plays gave the Tigers enough momentum to hold on to the lead, and the Bulldogs watched on as the clock ran out against a conference opponent for the second week in a row.

Boston College 41, Missouri 34

AP Photo/Mary Schwalm

Boston College stayed perfect on the year after a thrilling overtime victory over Missouri. After a 17-17 first half, a Connor Bazelak interception allowed BC to go up by 10 in the third quarter.

Bazelak did his best to redeem himself, completing 30-of-41 passes for 303 yards and a touchdown. It was enough to get the Tigers within field goal range as time expired, and the game went to overtime. Bazelak tried to answer a Boston College score immediately, but the throw was intercepted to end the game.

[listicle id=55789]

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When rock legends die, the music remains even if the concert experience fades
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New Delhi: German luxury carmaker Audi has termed high taxation on imported cars in India an impediment for growth of the electric segment while noting that even some relief in terms of duties could help it sell more vehicles and convince its headquarters to re-invest in the country for local manufacturing of such models.

The company, which now sells five electric cars in the country, noted that lower taxes would help in lowering the price tag of the imported models which would help it in achieving a certain minimum volumes in the market.

With a certain scale, the company can then try to convince its global headquarters to re-invest in the country for setting up local manufacturing for models which are currently being imported.

In an interaction with PTI, Audi India Head Balbir Singh Dhillon noted that the company has been able to sell the first set of electric vehicles it imported into the country for sale.

"The first set of e-trons brought into the country are all sold off. It gives us confidence that people are ready, India is ready for electric mobility. All this is helping us to introduce more and more such cars," he noted.

The company last week added two new fully electric four-door coupes - the e-tron GT and the RS e-tron GT - in India, taking the total number of such cars in its portfolio to five models.

He, however, pointed out that import duties are turning out to be a limiting factor. "If duty is less, probably we can sell more in the country," Dhillon said.

"Import duties are high so that is something where our request to the government is if something can be done regarding it. Even if some relief is for a 3-5 years period it will help us achieve a certain minimum volume which would help us convince our headquarters to invest further in the country to start making the cars locally."

At present, cars imported as completely built units (CBUs) attract customs duty ranging from 60 per cent to 100 per cent, depending on engine size and cost, insurance and freight (CIF) value less or above USD 40,000.

Counting on the positives, Dhillon noted that lower GST rate of 5 per cent and help given by some state governments in terms of registration costs were some of the factors which were beneficial for the electric car segment.

"The biggest impediment is import duties which at over 100 per cent is a stumbling block," he added.

Dhillon noted that a constant good performance in terms of sales would help them in convincing the company's global headquarters to invest in local manufacturing of such cars.

"They (HQ ) need to believe that there is a demand so that they can think about further investments...There is a positive signal with e-tron range..We have to run for some time before we can go to them to re-invest in India," he stated.

Dhillon noted that the company is aiming for 15 per cent of its total sales per annum in the country to accrue from electric vehicles portfolio by 2025.

Globally, Audi has decided to become an electric vehicle manufacturer from 2033 onwards.

Dhillon stated that Audi India is taking steps towards the same direction and is already selling only petrol and electric cars in the country.

"We have moved to a petrol plus electric vehicle strategy now. We are not offering diesel cars now and it is only electric and petrol cars in our product range and that's the future. It is a step by step approach and one day will become a complete electric vehicle maker," he added. Also Read: Accenture recruitment: IT major invites applications for analyst, associate level jobs

In order to help its electric vehicle customers in the country, Audi India plans to set up over 100 charging stations across its dealerships and that of its group firms, Dhillon noted. Also Read: Huaweis Meng Wanzhou arrives in China ending 3 years of US extradition fight

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#mute
Mumbai: `Sooryavanshi` BTS picture shared by Akshay Kumar has left social media users pondering whether the cops have been rightfully portrayed in the movie.

On Saturday, Akshay had taken to his social media handles to inform fans that Rohit Shetty`s directorial cop drama will be releasing on Diwali this year. Ranveer Singh and Ajay Devgn have cameos in the film.

The release confirmation came shortly after the Maharashtra government announced that theatres will be opened in the state in October.

While announcing the release date, Akshay also shared a picture from the sets of `Sooryavanshi`.

In the image, Akshay, Ranveer, and Ajay can be seen chit-chatting with filmmaker Rohit Shetty. The stars are in the police uniform.

However, the post did not go down well with a few netizens when Spl DGP RK Vij found a loophole in the particular image.

"Inspector sahab baithe hai (tan kar) aur SP Sahab khade, aise nahi hota hai janab," the inspector tweeted.

Another social media user commented, "These people do not have any idea about protocols."

Responding to DGP`s tweet, Akshay clarified that it was just a BTS picture and everyone associated with the film has the highest regard for police forces.

"Janab ye toh behind the scenes photo hai. Hum kalakar logo ke lie jaise hi camera on hua, ekdum protocol wapas. Regards forever to our great police forces. Hope you like the film when you watch it," he wrote.

   Behind the Scenes            ,  protocol 

Regards forever to our great police forces. Hope you like the film when you watch it.  Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar) September 26, 2021

After Akshay`s clarification, DGP stated that his comments were in a `lighter vein`.

"Thank you for your response and respect you showed for the forces @akshaykumar. My comment was also in a lighter vein," DGP replied.

Speaking of `Sooryavanshi`, the film also stars Katrina Kaif in the lead role. It was originally scheduled to release on March 24, 2020, but was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
New Delhi: The Rajasthan Eligibility Examination for Teachers (REET)-2021 was held in the state on Sunday amid tight security arrangements. The exam conducted by the Rajasthan Board of Secondary Education was held in two shifts in a total of 3,993 exam centres across 33 districts. As many as 16.51 lakh candidates enrolled for the test.

Despite the heavy security set up, cheating was reported in some parts. In Bikaner, five people were arrested after it was found that were wearing specially designed slippers attached with Bluetooth devices meant to aid in cheating during the exam.

The slippers were provided to candidates for Rs 6 lakh. It is reported as many as 25 people were sold these slippers, and it was available all over the state.

"They were caught at a bus stand under Gangashahar police station area before the exam. During checking, the slippers and other devices were recovered. The main accused who is the gang leader is absconding while two members of the gang were arrested, Bikaner Superintendent of Police Priti Chandra told PTI.

Two persons have been identified as Madan Lal and Trilokchand, allegedly gang members who provided the slippers to candidates or their relatives while three were REET candidates.

Seven others were also arrested from different places in connection with fraud in the REET exam.

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New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's three-day trip to the United States was packed with meetings as he attended 20 of them during the around 65 hours he spent in the country, government sources said on Sunday.

He also had four long meetings in flights with officials on the way to and back from the US, they added. Sharing details, sources said PM Modi had two meetings in flight on Wednesday on the way to the US and three in the hotel upon his arrival.

On September 23, he had five meetings with as many CEOs followed by talks with US Vice President Kamala Harris and bilateral interactions with his Japanese and Australian counterparts Yoshihide Suga and Scott Morrison respectively. He also chaired three internal meetings.

He had a bilateral meeting with US President Joe Biden the next day and then attended the Quad meet. Sources said PM Modi also held four internal meetings on September 24.

As PM Modi left the US for India on September 25, he held two meetings on the flight back, sources said. The Prime Minister is known to keep a busy schedule on his overseas trips, packing his stay with important meetings.

Official sources say that one of his tricks is to pack his hours with back-to-back engagements so that it doesn't let the mind think much about any fatigue. As PM Modi returned from his three-day visit to the US on Sunday, sources said travelling around at a hectic pace while keeping tiredness at bay is not a new attribute of him.

"When he used to visit the US in the 1990s, an airline at that time used to give a monthly travel pass at heavily discounted rates. To make the most of it, PM Modi would always travel in the night as this ensured that he could visit most places while not having to spend a penny on hotels. His night would be invariably spent at the airport and in the plane," a source said.

As soon as he steps on the flight, the Prime Minister tunes his body and sleep cycle to the time zone of the destination, sources added, noting that if this means even if it is night in India when he takes off, he may not sleep if it would be a day in the country of destination.

He does the same thing when returning to India and tunes his body and sleep cycle according to the Indian time, ensuring that he is fresh and ready to go when he lands during the daytime.

PM Modi also ensures drinking a lot of water as doctors suggest that the air in the plane sucks out moisture in the body, they added.

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New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday reviewed the security situation and the implementation of development projects in Naxal-affected areas with six chief ministers and top officials of four states.

The chief ministers who attended the meeting were: Naveen Patnaik (Odisha), K Chandrashekar Rao (Telangana), Nitish Kumar (Bihar), Shivraj Singh Chouhan (Madhya Pradesh), Uddhav Thackeray (Maharashtra) and Hemant Soren (Jharkhand).

The chief ministers of West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala were also invited for the meeting. However, these four states were represented by either a state minister or top officials.

The Union Home Minister reviewed with the chief ministers and officials the security situation and ongoing operations against Maoists and development projects being carried out in Naxal-hit areas, the sources said.

Shah took stock of the requirements of the states, the strength of forces deployed to tackle the extremists, development works like the construction of roads, bridges, schools, and health centres being carried out in Naxal-hit areas.

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said the Maoist problem has been reduced to only three districts in his state and the meeting discussed what is required to be done to reduce it further.

Union Ministers Ashwini Vaishnaw, Giriraj Singh, Arjun Munda and Nityanada Rai also attended the meeting. Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla, Director of Intelligence Bureau Arvinda Kumar, senior civil and police officers of Central and state governments also attended it.

According to the Union Home Ministry data, Maoist violence has reduced considerably in the country and the menace is prevalent now in just about 45 districts. However, a total of 90 districts in the country are considered Maoist-affected and are covered under the Security Related Expenditure (SRE) Scheme of the ministry.

The Naxal problems, also called Left Wing Extremism (LWE), were reported in 61 districts in 2019 and in only about 45 districts in 2020. About 380 security personnel, 1,000 civilians and 900 Naxals have been killed in different violence in LWE affected areas since 2015 till 2020.

A total of about 4,200 Naxals have also surrendered during the same period, the data said. During the meeting, Maharashtra sought Rs 1200 crores from the Centre for development projects in the Naxal-hit regions of the state.

With the help of the Central fund, the Maharashtra government wants to run several good initiatives in Naxal-affected areas. Besides, opening new police check posts, it wants to start new schools and implement development-related schemes.

According to the Chief Minister, a total of 139 Naxalites are still alive in Maharashtra and 40 Naxalites have fled to other states.

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New Delhi, Sep 25 (PTI) The Delhi Police on Saturday said adequate security arrangements will be made across the borders of the national capital in view of the 'Bharat Bandh' called by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha on September 27 to protest the Centre's three contentious farm laws.

Samyukt Kisan Morcha, the umbrella body of over 40 farm unions spearheading the farmers' agitation, had on Thursday (September 23) appealed to the people to join the bandh.

A senior police officer said in view of bandh, adequate security arrangements will be made to maintain the law and order situation in the national capital on Monday (September 27).

No protestor will be allowed to enter Delhi from the three protest sites at the city's borders, the official said.

"The security will be preventive and we are fully alert. There is no call for 'Bharat Bandh' in Delhi, but we are watching the developments and adequate number of personnel will be on ground," another officer said.

SKM had also asked political parties to "stand with farmers in their quest to defend principles of democracy and federalism".

"As this historic struggle completes ten months, SKM has called Monday (September 27) to be observed as 'Bharat Bandh' against the anti-farmer Modi government."

"The SKM appeals to every Indian to join this nationwide movement and make the 'Bharat Bandh' a resounding success. In particular, we appeal to all organisations of workers, traders, transporters, businessmen, students, youth and women and all social movements to extend solidarity with the farmers that day," the SKM had recently said in a statement.

The bandh will be held from 6 AM to 4 PM during which all government and private offices, educational and other institutions, shops, industries and commercial establishments as well as public events and functions will be closed throughout the country, it had said.

All emergency establishments and essential services, including hospitals, medical stores, relief and rescue work and people attending to personal emergencies will be exempted.

Farmers from different parts of the country, especially Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been protesting at Delhi borders since November last year, demanding the repeal of the three contentious farm laws that they fear would do away with the Minimum Support Price system, leaving them at the mercy of big corporations.

The government, however, has been projecting the three laws as major agricultural reforms. Over 10 rounds of talks between the two parties have failed to break the deadlock.

Live TV
New Delhi: Congress on Sunday (September 26) directed its state unit chiefs, heads of frontal organizations and workers to partake in the 'Bharat Bandh' called by farmer unions on September 27 against the Centres three farm laws.

Party general secretary (organization), KC Venugopal, said the Congress and its workers will extend full support to the peaceful 'Bharat Bandh' called by farmer unions on Monday.

"We believe in the right of our farmers and we will stand by them in their fight against the black farm laws," Venugopal tweeted.

"All PCC Presidents, Chiefs of Frontal Organizations are requested to go out in front with our Annadatas in their peaceful Bharat Bandh across the country," he added.

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), the umbrella body of over 40 farm unions heading the farmers' protest, has urged people to join the bandh against the farm laws.

Besides Congress, Mahagathbandhan and the Left parties will also support Bharat Bandh called by SKM on September 27.

The farmers have been protesting at the Delhi borders since November last year against the Centres three farm laws-- The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act 2020. The protesting farmers allege these laws will end the 'mandi' and the MSP procurement systems, thus leaving them at the mercy of big corporates. The Centre has denied these allegations and claimed the three laws will increase farmers' income.

The central government and the farmers union have held 11 rounds of talks so far, however, they resulted in an impasse. After deliberations on January 22, talks have not resumed following violence during a tractor rally organised by protesting farmers on January 26.

(With agency inputs)

Live TV
New Delhi: Many non-NDA parties have extended support to the nationwide 10-hour strike on Monday called by farmers protesting against the three agri laws under the aegis of Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM). The outfit on Sunday appealed for complete peace during the Bandh and urged all Indians to join the strike.

"It was on September 27, 2020 that President Shri Ram Nath Kovind assented to and brought into force the three anti-farmer black laws last year. Tomorrow, there will be a total Bharat Bandh observed around the country from 6 AM to 4 PM, " the SKM, which is an umbrella body of over 40 farmer unions, said in a statement.

Farmer unions along with their supporters, including trade unions, have made detailed plans to ensure that life remains suspended tomorrow across the country, except for emergency services, it said. "It is a day to express support to the annadatas (farmers) of the country, the ones who keep all Indians alive," it said.

The Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, Samajwadi Party, Telugu Desam Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, Left parties and Swaraj India have backed the Bandh call.

Congress general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal said the Congress and its workers will extend full support to the peaceful 'Bharat Bandh' called by farmer unions. "We believe in the right of our farmers and we will stand by them in their fight against the black farm laws," he said in a tweet. "All PCC presidents, chiefs of frontal organisations are requested to go out in front with our Annadatas in their peaceful Bharat Bandh across the country," Venugopal said.

@INCIndia & our workers will extend our full support to the peaceful Bharat Bandh called by farmer unions tomorrow, the 27th September. We believe in the right of our farmers & we will stand by them in their fight against the black farm laws.  K C Venugopal (@kcvenugopalmp) September 26, 2021

In a tweet in Hindi, BSP chief Mayawati said, "The farmers of the country do not endorse the three farm laws brought in a hurry by the Centre, and are sad about it". She said her party supports their call for a peaceful bandh and asked the Centre to hold proper consultations with farmers and bring a new law with their agreement.

In Kerala, both the ruling LDF and the Congress-led UDF have supported the nationwide farmers' strike, even as the BJP denounced the hartal as "anti-people". INTUC state president R Chandrasekharan told PTI that since the hartal has the support of both LDF and UDF, the state is expected to come to a standstill on Monday.

He said except for RSS-affiliated Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), all other trade unions are supporting the strike. He said there would be no blocking of vehicles or forced shutting down of shops.

The YSR Congress government in Andhra Pradesh has also announced support to the Bharat Bandh.

Farmers from different parts of the country, especially Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been protesting at Delhi borders since November last year, demanding the repeal of the three contentious farm laws that they fear would do away with the Minimum Support Price (MSP) system, leaving them at the mercy of big corporations.

They are also seeking a legal guarantee for MSP.

The government and farmer unions have held 11 rounds of talks so far, the last being on January 22, to break the deadlock and end the farmers' protest. Talks have not resumed following widespread violence during a tractor rally by farmers on January 26 when protesters had stormed the Red Fort and hoisted a religious flag on the ramparts.

"Punjab's new Chief Minister extended his support, and in Jharkhand, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, Congress and RJD have been jointly planning for the success of the Bharat Bandh. In Tamil Nadu, the ruling DMK supports the bandh," the statement by the SKM said.

In the national capital, the SKM said, central trade unions will organise a protest rally at Jantar Mantar at 11 AM. "Several bar associations and local units of All India Lawyers' Union have extended their support," the farmers' body said.

The Delhi Police said it has taken adequate security measures like intensified patrolling and deployment of extra personnel at pickets in border areas of the national capital.

Every vehicle entering the national capital is being thoroughly checked, according to the police. A senior police officer said no protestor will be allowed to enter Delhi from the three protest sites at the city's borders

"In view of Bharat Bandh, adequate security arrangements have been made as a precautionary measure. Pickets at the border areas have been strengthened and all vital installations, including India Gate and Vijay Chowk will have adequate deployment," Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Deepak Yadav said.

The SKM said that the birth anniversary of Shaheed Bhagat Singh on September 28 will be marked by the farmers' movement and urged the youth and students to join in large numbers at the morchas to mark the day.

The SKM claimed that more than 605 farmers have lost their lives in the agitation so far.

It called for the closure of all government and private offices, educational and other institutions, shops, industries and commercial establishments as well as public events. All emergency establishments and essential services, including hospitals, medical stores, relief and rescue work and people attending to personal emergencies will be exempted, it said.

The three laws -- The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act 2020 -- were passed by Parliament in September last year.

The government has been projecting the three laws as major agricultural reforms.

Live TV
New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had planned to accord a grand welcome to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Sunday (September 26, 2021). PM Modi is returning from a successful three-day landmark visit to the United States.

Prime Minister Modi will be greeted in the national capital by thousands of his supporters and party workers. BJP is all set to welcome the prime minister with dhols and nagadas.

Delhi BJP president Adesh Gupta, seven members of the Parliament from Delhi, mayors of three BJP ruled municipal corporations, members of NDMC and senior party functionaries will also be present at the venue to welcome PM Modi.

The Delhi BJP president Gupta, in an interview, said that all MPs have been asked to reach the technical area of the airport where a stage has been set up.

"A big stage has been set up for the Prime Minister to come and accept the welcome from people. The garland to welcome his successful visit is specially curated with flowers from different regions of the country. There would be close to 100 dhols and nagaras from different states to welcome PM Modi," stated Gupta.

A stretch of 1.5 kilometres has been decked up for Prime Minister`s arrival.PM Modi is expected to arrive in the national capital around 10 am today after his visit to the US. Through the welcome meet, the party aims to thank the prime minister for his successful visit to the US to keep India's strategic and national interest in front of the world.

The Prime Minister, during his three days visit to the US, held a bilateral meeting with US President Joe Biden and participated in the first-ever in-person Quad leaders summit after the COVID-19 pandemic. He also addressed the UNGA during the visit.

(With ANI inputs)

Live TV
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the 81st episode of his monthly radio programme `Mann Ki Baat` on Sunday (September 26, 2021).

In his monthly address to the nation, the prime minister talked about a range of topics, starting from the importance of rivers to the can do culture of the countrymen.

PM Narendra Modi, while narrating an incident from Siachen, said, The 'Can do culture', 'can do determination' and 'can do attitude' of our countrymen is inspiring. He was referring to a newly achieved milestone by specially-abled trekkers in Siachen. The PM also went on to congratulate them and said, "I congratulate the team of eight specially-abled trekkers who recently created a world record by conquering the Siachen glacier.

PM Modi said the feat that the team of eight "Divyangs" have achieved was an inspiration for the whole country. "We all know about the Siachen Glacier. The cold there is so terrible that it is beyond the capacity of a common person to live there...A few days ago, the feat that a team of eight Divyang persons performed in this inaccessible region of Siachen is a matter of pride for every countryman. This team created a world record by hoisting its flag on the Kumar Post situated at an altitude of more than 15 thousand feet at the Siachen glacier," he said.

"Despite the challenges of physical ability, the feats that these Divyangs have achieved are an inspiration for the whole country and when you get to know about the members of this team, you will also be filled with courage and enthusiasm, just like I was," he added.

PM Modi also informed the team that concurred Kumar Post consisted of-- Mahesh Nehra, Akshat Rawat of Uttarakhand, Pushpak Gawande of Maharashtra, Ajay Kumar of Haryana, Lobsang Chospel of Ladakh, Major Dwarkesh of Tamil Nadu, Irfan Ahmed Mir of Jammu and Kashmir and Chongjin Ingmo of Himachal Pradesh.

Additionally, PM Modi also said that todays date is special as it marks World Rivers Day. He went on and emphasised upon the need for cleanliness, in accordance with the Swachh Bharat. Cleanliness is a responsibility to transfer values through generations and when it is being followed, it becomes the characteristic of the entire social life, PM Modi said during his address.

The Prime Minister also urged the people of the nation to follow the principles of Mahatma Gandhi "who had done the work of making cleanliness a mass movement" and keep the rivers clean. "In our scriptures, even a little pollution in the rivers is said to be wrong...'Bapu' (Mahatma Gandhi) was a proponent of cleanliness, he made cleanliness a mass movement and associated it with the dream of independence," PM Modi said.

PM Modis this episode of his monthly radio programme Mann Ki Baat comes after his recently concluded three-day visit to the United States where he addressed the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and attended the first-in-person Quad meeting.

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New Delhi: The Central government on Saturday (September 25, 2021) gave in-principle approval for a medical device park proposed near the Noida International airport at Jewar in Sector 28. Officials from Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (Yeida) said that this medical device park will bring massive business opportunities and create jobs in the health sector in the area.

Arvind Kumar, an undersecretary with the government of India wrote to Alok Kumar, additional chief secretary, infrastructure and industrial development department, Uttar Pradesh government. Kumar directed the concerned authorities that a detailed project report for the medical device park should be submitted by December 23 this year.

ALSO READ | Noida Authority halves transfer charges on property purchase, right time to buy home?

A report in the Hindustan Times revealed that the letter dated September 24 read that., We convey in-principle approval to the setting up of a medical device park on 350 acres of land on Yamuna Expressway as per the scheme guidelines of Promotion of Medical Device Park. The steering committee of the government decided that now the DPR is required to be submitted in 90 days....

Additionally, Yeida officials said that the in-principle approval means that the Yeida is expected to get over Rs 1,000 crore in funding and other benefits from the Central government.

The report also quoted Arun Vir Singh, CEO of Yeida, saying, It is a big achievement that we have got the approval from the Central government for setting up the medical device park. It will be the first such park in the country and the work on the DPR is already underway. We will submit it within the stipulated time and plan to launch the plot and shed scheme around Dussehra.

ALSO READ | Residents of posh Noida society beaten up by security guards - Watch!

Earlier, in November 2020, Yeida had earmarked 350 acres of land for the medical device park, following which it sent a proposal to the state government. The authority also revealed that it is expecting the Central government and private firms to invest 5,250 crore for the project once it is executed, said officials.

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Amaravati: Two fishermen from Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh lost their lives in the cyclonic storm Gulab in Bay of Bengal on Sunday evening while another still remained missing.

Three more fishermen reached the shore safely and called state Fisheries Minister S Appala Raju over phone from Akkupalli village and told him they were safe. Meanwhile, IMD has informed that the cyclone started making landfall and would cross the coast about 25 km north of Kalingapatnam as a cyclonic storm in the next three hours.

Six fishermen from Palasa, who were returning to their native village by sea in a new boat they purchased in Odisha two days ago, were caught in the storm. One of the six called his village over phone and informed that their boat lost balance and five of his fellow fishermen were lost in the sea. Subsequently, his mobile phone too went silent, indicating that he too might have gone missing. However, three of them swam to safety while two others perished.

The one who made the first phone call still remained untraced and his fellow fishermen fear he may still have been trapped in the ill-fated boat. The Fisheries Minister contacted the Navy authorities to carry out a rescue operation.

The three north coastal districts of Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam had been receiving moderate to heavy rain under the influence of Gulab. AP State Disaster Management Authority Commissioner K Kanna Babu said Gulab lay centered around 85 km from Kalingapatnam in Srikakulam district and likely to cross the coast between Kalingapatnam and Gopalpur (in Odisha) around midnight.

He reviewed the situation with the district Collectors and other officials in Visakhapatnam and directed them to be on high alert. He said NDRF and SDRF teams have been positioned in the three north coastal districts for rescue and relief operations. In Srikakulam district, 182 persons from Vajrapukothuru mandal have been moved to relief camps, according to Collector L Srikesh Balaji Rao. Meanwhile, the South Central Railway informed in a release that eight trains on the Vijayawada-Howrah route were diverted via Kharagpur, Jharsuguda, Bilaspur and Balharshah. Two other trains that were supposed to begin journey on Sunday, have been rescheduled for Monday.

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New Delhi: The landfall process of cyclone Gulab started on Sunday evening and it may continue for about three hours, the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The system hit landmass between Kalingapatanam in Andhra Pradesh and Gopalpur in Odisha.

"As per the latest meteorological observations, the cloud bands have touched the coastal regions and thus the landfall process has commenced over north coastal Andhra Pradesh and adjoining south coastal Odisha," the IMD said in a statement.

"The cloud bands have touched coastal regions and thus the landfall process has commenced over north coastal Andhra Pradesh and adjoining south coastal Odisha. System will cross coasts between Kalingapatnam & Gopalpur, about 25 km to north of Kalingapatnam during next 3 hours," the MeT department said in a tweet.

Cyclonic storm GULAB centered about 85 km east-northeast of Kalingapattnam and 95 km south of Goplapur at 4.30pm on September 26. To cross between Kalingapatnam & Gopalpur as a cyclonic storm by midnight of today. Landfall process will commence around 6 PM, the IMD said in its last bulletin.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Prime Minister Narendra Modi took stock of the situation Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Andhra Pradesh CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, he assured of all possible support from Centre. Taking to Twitter, Modi wrote, "Assured all possible support from the Centre. I pray for everyones safety and well-being."

Spoke to Andhra Pradesh CM Shri @ysjagan and took stock of the situation arising in the wake of Cyclone Gulab. Assured all possible support from the Centre. I pray for everyones safety and well-being.  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 26, 2021

During the landfall, the wind speed of the cyclone is about 90 kmph, an official said.
New Delhi: Cyclone Gulab made landfall over north coastal Andhra Pradesh and adjoining south coastal Odisha on Sunday evening, bringing heavy rains along with strong winds. The landfall took place between Kalingapatnam in Andhra Pradesh and Gopalpur in Odisha around 6 PM. The process will continue for next two to three hours, said the India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicted.

The cyclone is likely to impact Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam districts in north coastal Andhra. In Bhubaneswar, Met Centre scientist said that the cyclone will have major impact on Ganjam and Gajapati districts of Odisha. Besides, districts like Rayagada, Malkangiri, Koraput, and Nabarangpur would also witness heavy windfall of 55-65 kmph gusting to 75 kmph.

Issung an alert the IMD said, "Strong winds and very heavy/extremely heavy rainfall are likely to damage thatched huts, cause minor damage to power and communication lines due to breaking of branches and uprooting of trees, cause major damage to Kutcha and minor damage to pucca roads, some damage to paddy crops, banana, papaya trees and orchards, and there could be sea water inundation in low-lying areas after erosion of embankments, localised flooding of roads, inundation and water-logging in low-lying areas and closure of underpasses mainly in urban areas of the region."

The CS GULAB crossed north Andhra Pradesh  south Odisha coasts, about 20 km north of Kalingapatnam during 1930-2030 hrs IST, and lay centered at 2030 hrs IST of 26th Sep over north coastal Andhra Pradesh, likely to move west-northwestwards & weaken into a DD during next 06 hrs. pic.twitter.com/lMDJfWEQay  India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) September 26, 2021

Two teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and four teams of State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have arrived in the region as the meteorologists have warned that heavy rainfall could lead to floods.

Odisha: Two NDRF teams have been deployed in Gumma & Gosani blocks in Gajapati district in view of Cyclone Gulab "We have all the equipment needed in situations like Cyclone & flood & will tackle the situation accordingly," Vishwanath Chaudhari, NDRF Team Commander in Gosani pic.twitter.com/qvbOdugVIT  ANI (@ANI) September 26, 2021

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik taking stock of the situation. He assured all possible support from the Centre. "I pray for everyone`s safety and well-being," Modi wrote in a tweet.

Also, Indian naval ships and aircraft are on standby for rescue and relief operations in the areas likely to be affected by the cyclone.

The entire coastal region has been put on alert in view of the impact of cyclone. The district administration have opened control rooms monitor the situation. Authorities are evacuating people from low-lying areas and shifting them to relief centres.

As sea condition will be rough to very rough, fishermen have been advised not to venture into sea till September 27.

(With inputs from agencies)

Live TV
New Delhi: As cyclonic storm 'Gulab' hurtles east coast it is predicted to make landfall between north Andhra Pradesh and south Odisha coast by late Sunday (September 26, 2021) evening. The Cyclonic Storm lay centered over west central Bay of Bengal, about 140 kms east-southeast of Odisha's Gopalpur and 190 kms east-northeast of Andhra Pradesh's Kalingapatnam at 11.30 AM on Sunday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said in its bulletin.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi took stock of the situation and in a conversation with Andhra Pradesh CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, he assured of all possible support from Centre. Taking to Twitter, Modi wrote, "Assured all possible support from the Centre. I pray for everyones safety and well-being."

Spoke to Andhra Pradesh CM Shri @ysjagan and took stock of the situation arising in the wake of Cyclone Gulab. Assured all possible support from the Centre. I pray for everyones safety and well-being.  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 26, 2021

He also held discussions with Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik on the cyclone situation. "The Centre assures all possible support in overcoming this adversity. Praying for the safety and well-being of everybody," he said.

Meanwhile, the Eastern Naval Command and Naval Officers-in-Charge Odisha area have carried out preparatory activities to combat the possible effects. "The Indian Navy is closely monitoring the movement of the Cyclonic Storm and is in constant liaison with the state administrations for rendering assistance as required," a release from the Ministry of Defence told IANS.

While, Naval aircraft are ready at Naval Air Stations, INS Dega at Visakhapatnam and INS Rajali near Chennai to undertake an aerial survey of the most affected areas, casualty evacuation, and airdrop of relief material as required, the release said.

On the other hand, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik chaired a virtual meeting in Delhi to review `Cyclone Gulab` preparedness. The chief secretary of the state government, along with district collectors, also attended the meeting.

"Today I held a virtual meeting with the chief secretary and district collectors of Odisha to discuss the precautionary measure to be taken against `Cyclone Gulab` in the state. There is a total of ten districts which will be affected by the cyclone by today evening," Patnaik told reporters.

Several National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) teams have been deployed in 11 coastal districts of south Odisha.

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New Delhi: The Delhi Police have arrested two accused in connection to the shootout in the Rohini Court in the national capital, the sources informed. The accused have been identified as Umang and Vinay. Gunmen disguised as lawyers, present in the courtroom, shot gangster Jitender Gogi on Friday (September 24).

The assailants took out their weapons from under their lawyers` robes and opened fire at Gogi. Special force personnel escorting the gangster then fired back, killing both the attackers on the spot.

The two assailants were present at the court dressed as a lawyer, the police said adding that the other two accused were absconding since the shootout here.

According to the sources, all four assailants met at a mall and left for the court. It was planned that the Umang will wait outside in a car as a backup while the other three would go inside the courtroom to eliminate Gogi. But since the plan failed, Umang fled away, sources added.

The police said that the arrests are being made on the basis of some unusual activities captured in the CCTV near gate no. 4. Gangster Jitender Mann `Gogi`, who was fired upon by assailants in Delhi`s Rohini court premises on Friday (September 24), has died, said Delhi Police on Friday.

Delhi Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana had told ANI, "In view of his criminal record, Gangster Jitender Mann Gogi was being produced before the court today, under strict security arrangements but 2 people impersonating as lawyers, opened fired at him and killed him. Police responded and neutralized the two."

"There was no other injury to anyone be it judges or public...It`s a sensational case, seems like this incident was executed with advanced planning. The case has been transferred to Crime Branch," the police official said.

ALSO READ: Bharat bandh on September 27: Adequate security arrangements to be made across borders, says Delhi Police

Live TV
New Delhi: Ahead of the upcoming festival season, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday urged people to keep following the Centres COVID-19 protocol and ensure that no one is left out of vaccination's "circle of safety".

In his monthly 'Mann Ki Baat' radio address, PM Modi cautioned that the festival season is approaching and when the whole country will celebrate 'Maryada Purshottam' Shri Ram's victory over evil, people should remember the fight against Covid also.

"Team India is creating several records daily on this front. Several records have been created in the vaccination drive which is being discussed globally," PM Modi said.

Speaking on a wide range of topics in #MannKiBaat. Tune in. https://t.co/FNJDiv7Tvc  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 26, 2021

"We not only have to get the vaccine administered when it's our turn, but we also have to ensure that no one is left out of this circle of safety," he said.

Even after getting vaccinated, the necessary protocol has to be followed, PM Modi said, adding that he hopes once again Team India will keep the flag flying high in this fight against the Covid pandemic.

In his remarks, PM Modi called for collective efforts to keep rivers pollution-free, on the occasion of World Rivers Day. "We mark so many days, but there is one more day we should celebrate. It is `World River Day`. This day is such which is very consistent with the traditions of India," the PM said.

The PM called September an important month, a month when we celebrate World River Day, and said it is a day to remember the contribution of our rivers that selflessly provide us with water.

The Prime Minister said for Indian rivers are not a "physical thing, but a living entity". The Prime Minister also called for making record business of Khadi products on Mahatma Gandhi's birth anniversary on October 2.

Live TV
Ottawa: The Justin Trudeau-led Canadian government has lifted a month-long ban on passenger flights from India. The ban was put in place in view of the enhanced COVID-19 protocols.

"As of September 27, 2021, direct flights from India to Canada will resume," the Canadian government said on Sunday. Earlier on Tuesday, Canada had extended the restriction on all direct commercial and private passenger flights from India until September 26.

However, with the ban now expiring, passengers from India can now travel to Canada with a few precautionary measures, which include having a negative COVID-19 test report from an approved laboratory.

Read Latest Guidelines Here

-Indian passengers must have proof of a negative COVID-19 test from the approved laboratory at the Delhi airport.

-The report should be taken not more than 18 hours before departure.

-Prior to boarding, air operators will be checking the travellers test results ensuring they are eligible to come to Canada.

-Fully vaccinated passengers will have to upload the relevant information into the ArriveCAN mobile app or website. Those who are unable to meet these requirements will be denied boarding by the officials.

-Passengers travelling to Canada from India via an indirect route must obtain a pre-departure negative COVID-19 molecular test result from a third country before continuing their journey to Canada.

Air Canada is expected to resume its flights from India on September 27, while Air India will be resuming its flights to Canada from September 30.

Live TV
United Nations: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that India has developed the world's first DNA vaccine against COVID-19, which can be administered to all people above the age of 12 years.

"India, which lives on Sewa Paramo Dharma (service is the main duty), is engaged in vaccination development and manufacturing despite limited resources. I want to inform UNGA that India has developed the world's first DNA vaccine, which can be administered to all people above the age of 12 years," PM Modi said on Saturday while addressing the 76th United Nations General Assembly session here.

"Another mRNA vaccine is in its late stages of development. Scientists in India are also engaged in the development of a nasal vaccine for Corona. Realising its responsibility towards humanity, India has once again started giving vaccines to the needy of the world. I also invite vaccine manufacturers from all over the world today to- Come, Make Vaccine in India," the Prime Minister said.

Mourning the loss of lives lost due to the global coronavirus pandemic, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reiterated India's commitment to start giving vaccines to needy persons in other countries, even as he gave a clarion call to manufacturers to "Come, Make Vaccine in India".

"For the last one-and-a-half years, the whole world is facing the biggest pandemic in 100 years. I pay homage to all those who lost their lives in such a terrible pandemic and extend my condolences to the families," PM Modi said, addressing the high-level 76th United Nations General Assembly session.

India's vaccine delivery platform - COWIN, is providing digital support for hundreds of millions of vaccine doses in a single day, he added.

Last month, the Drugs Controller General of India gave Emergency Use Authorisation (EUA) to Zydus Cadila's indigenously developed needle-free COVID-19 vaccine, ZyCoV-D, which is to be administered to beneficiaries in the age group of 12-18 years in the country.

ZyCoV-D 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 coronavirus 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. The vaccine has a 66-per cent efficacy and it is to be stored in a temperature range of two to eight degrees Celsius.

The vaccine is needle-free, to be administered intradermally in three doses at days 0, 28 and 56. It is administered using PharmaJet, an applicator that ensures painless intradermal vaccine delivery.

According to Johns Hopkins university data, the deadly virus has so far infected 231,154,501 people and killed 4,737,927 globally.

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New Delhi: India recorded 28,326 new COVID-19 cases and 260 deaths in the last 24 hours, pushing the overall caseload to 3,35,52,805 and the total death toll to 4,46,918, as per data released by the Ministry of Health on Sunday (September 26, 2021). Out of these, Kerala contributed 16,671 fresh cases and 120 deaths.

Over 26,032 recoveries were also recorded in the country in the last 24 hours, taking total recoveries to 3,29,02,351 and the active caseload now stands at 3,03,476.

Out of 28,326 new COVID cases & 260 deaths across India, 16,671 cases and 120 deaths were reported in Kerala, yesterday  ANI (@ANI) September 26, 2021

An increase of 2,034 cases was recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours. The daily positivity rate stands at 1.90 percent, while the recovery rate is currently at 97.77 percent. According to the data, 85.60 Crore vaccine doses have been administered so far under the Nationwide Vaccination Drive.

Meanwhile, the global coronavirus caseload has topped 231.4 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 4.74 million and vaccinations soared to over 6.07 billion, according to Johns Hopkins University.

In its latest update on Sunday morning, the University`s Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed that the current global caseload, death toll and vaccination tally stood at 231,477,987, 4,742,762 and 6,072,672,218, respectively.

The US continues to be the worst-hit country with the world`s highest number of cases and deaths at 42,901,854 and 687,746, respectively, according to the CSSE. In terms of infections, India follows in the second place with 33,624,419 cases.

(With Agency inputs)

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Kolkata: A day after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee claimed that the Centre had disallowed her attendance at a global peace meet in Rome, Leader of Opposition in the assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, on Sunday (September 26) said she did not have a right to participate in such event as she "failed" to contain violence against BJP activists in the state.

Adhikari also accused his former mentor and the TMC supremo of not taking steps to arrest those who were involved in post-poll violence in Khejuri, Nandigram in Purba Medinipur district and other places of the state.

During a campaign for BJP nominee Priyanka Tibrewal for the by-poll to the Bhabanipur assembly seat where Banerjee is also contesting, Adhikari said, "You don't deserve to attend a peace meeting. You abetted those who attacked our activists and supported violent acts by TMC cadres."

He also said, "Despite our repeated pleas, your administration was silent. How can you then think of representing the country in a peace meeting?"

Adhikari's remark came after Banerjee had alleged that the jealous" BJP did not allow her to attend the event.

The CM had also claimed that she was invited to Rome in the first week of October to participate in the global peace meet in which the Pope, other religious heads, dignitaries from various countries are slated to attend, where she would have been the only Indian and the only Hindu lady.

Describing Banerjee as a dictator, Adhikari said, "Remember, you had ordered that there would not be any Durga idol immersion on Bijoya Dashami sometimes back in 2017 and the court had to intervene. Is it the true role for a Hindu?"

He also accused the "administration led by the CM" of trying to stop a Durga puja in Contai in Purba Medinipur.

"Your administration tried to stop a Durga puja as I am associated with it for 22 years. The puja will finally take place by the intervention of the court. Had you been a true Hindu, you could not have resorted to such an action using the administration," said the BJP MLA from Nandigram.

Adhikari wondered why the TMC supremo is "spending so much time and energy" in Bhabanipur if she is "sure of a big win in the September 30 by-poll".

Banerjee, who lost to Adhikari in Nandigram during the April-May assembly polls, is contesting the by-election from the Bhabanipur segment to retain her chief minister's chair.

A resident of Bhabanipur, Banerjee had won the seat twice in 2011 and 2016 but shifted to Nandigram, where the anti-farmland acquisition movement against the Left Front government had transformed her into a major political force in the volatile state, to dare Adhikari, her former protege, on his home turf.

The CM had claimed that a conspiracy was hatched to hurt her and defeat her in Nandigram.

Though she powered the TMC to a resounding win for a third straight term in office, the TMC boss failed to register victory in Nandigram.

Shortly after the poll results were announced in May, state cabinet minister and TMC MLA from Bhabanipur Sovandeb Chattopadhyay vacated the seat to facilitate her return to the assembly from there.

Adhikari also accused Banerjee of "having little knowledge of history as she often makes wrong statements about historical events in public meetings".

Reacting to Adhikari's comments on Banerjee, a Trinamool Congress leader said, "He has proved how he has adapted to the BJP's vindictive and intolerant attitude in less than a year after joining the saffron camp."

"Mamata Banerjee is very much conscious of the heritage and our history. We don't have to learn history from Adhikari," the TMC leader said.

He also denied the allegations that BJP workers in Nandigram and Khejuri were attacked by the ruling party, and said Adhikari's henchmen unleashed violence on TMC activists.

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New York: Indian envoy to UN, TS Tirumurti said that Prime Minister Narendra Modis in-person address at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) was a message in itself, even as leaders of 70 countries addressed the body virtually.

Speaking to WION diplomatic correspondent Sidhant Sibal in New York, Envoy Tirumurti said, "Prime Minister of India present in-person representing the largest democracy, in my opinion, that is the big message and this a very clear message of India's support to the United Nations, and to the multilateralism".

PM Modi on Saturday (September 25) addressed the body for the fourth time since 2014. During his address, he talked about COVID-19 crisis, climate change, terrorism and Afghanistan. The address, in many senses, was the grand finale of PM's 3-day US visit which saw him going to Washington for the Quad meet and bilateral with US President Joe Biden.

Asked about Sneha Dubey, the Indian diplomat who responded to Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan's rants on India at the general assembly, the envoy said, "We have tradition, asking young officers to give a right of reply..." and "our way of telling them, you go ahead, and perform--and you should be noticed.

WION: What was the big message from PM's UNGA address, his 4th address from the green podium since 2014?

TS Tirumurti: You know the big message was the presence of the Prime Minister, in the UNGA, in New York. At a time when they are adopting hybrid format and more than 70 world leaders are coming through the video to have the Prime Minister of India present in person representing the largest democracy, in my opinion, that is the big message and this a very clear message of India's support to the United Nations, and to the multilateralism. Apart from this, he has said several important messages, big messages in his own speech, and you have heard his speech. I would like to mention few highlights. One thing he was talking about, representing the mother of democracy and also from his own personal experience he has talked about how democracy can deliver and it has delivered. That is an important message. He talked about his vision for governance, which is to leave no one behind. He was also been emphasizing that India that represents one-sixth of humanity and India's developmental journey in many ways will be the development journey for the rest of the world. That is an important message he conveyed, that if India grows, then the world grows and when India reforms, the world transforms. I think that is a very powerful message, he has also talked about--India being there for the global good. Both as a provider and as a contributor for the global good--in this context he also mentioned about the fact that India will be resuming vaccine supplies to the rest of the world and this is something that has been welcomed very widely. Even some of the leaders mention it in some of their statements. They thanked India for standing by them with the vaccine contribution and there are also several other things he underlined, first is, the transforming role of technology, particularly citizen-friendly technology and also the fact he underlined-- technology with democratic values. That is something very important for us to keep in mind. The diversification, the resilience of the supply chain, is one very important aspect and the production centers as well.

When it comes to climate action, he underlined the ambitious action we are undertaking--you know very well that India is probably the only country in G20 which is on course to reach the Paris target. In this context, he referred to renewable energy contribution and also green hydrogen, just launched. He underlined our continued commitment to combat climate change. On the question of maritime security, he talked about oceans and the need to protect the resources of the ocean. I think why it is important, we have just had on August 9, during our presidency of the security council, an event on maritime security. It was a high-level event, in which PM himself was present. We had a presidential statement issued, which was probably the first presidential statement issued on the holistic concept of maritime security, so in many ways, it was extremely significant and therefore he underlined, that it is an important concept and needs to be taken forward.

He was very clear about and cautioned against regressive thinking and extremism. He was very categorical about--- terrorism and it should not become a political tool in the hands of people, because it will come to bite them and that is a very important thing he underlined. Terrorism has been a very important aspect which we have consistently underlined both in security council and outside. India took an active part in the global counter-terrorism strategy and it was adopted two months ago, and many of the concerns we have and many of the vision which we had on combatting terrorism, was reflected in the document.

On Afghanistan, he has, mentioned his views in SCO and here again he underlined the fact that the soil of Afghanistan should not be used by terrorists. He called for the protection of rights of women children and minorities. He talked about effectiveness and reliability of the UN, and in this context, he called for reforms-- the UNSC reforms is something which is not going anywhere in the last 15 years, and last year as well PM mentioned this, and this year again he underlined again, that we are committed to it and it is necessary and the will to make that happen. So, I think these are some of the important and find resonance in the UN context and in the context of Covid and so many other things like climate change etc. This is the big message.

WION: About the UNSC reforms, way forward, the challenges you see?

TS Tirumurti: The security council is an extremely important organ of the United Nations but unfortunately it is frozen in time. Over the last 75 years, there has been no change. The world has changed, but the security council hasn't. Therefore, it has not been representative of the changes taking place. When you are not representative of the changes, you become less credible. That is the real problem of the security council, it is becoming less and less credible to address world problems, therefore countries like India and many others have been calling for the reforms of the security council for last 15 years. We have a process called the intergovernmental negotiating process (IGN) and in the IGN we have been discussing this but it has gone nowhere. Obviously, the naysayers have had their say in this. And we are very determined that the chorus which is really growing for security council reform which we saw this time as well. And a great deal of determination that this IGN process should be focused on, and it should lead to text-based negotiation and we are hoping that in 75th session we will get enough steam to make sure we give a direction to this reform and we take it forward. That is the type of determination which many of us have and we hope to have others converted to our cause.

WION: India's role in the peacekeeping, if you can give details?

TS Tirumurti: India has played a huge role in peacekeeping. As you know we are the largest contributor. We have contributed 250,000 troops in peacekeeping. We have been pioneers in many ways. The first women peacekeeping contingent was from India and our women peacekeepers went to Liberia at that time. Also, we have had 174 martyrs, so we have played a huge role, we have given our blood for peacekeeping and that is why we felt that during our presidency, we should have, a high-level event which was chaired by external affairs minister himself in person. It was an extremely important event, and after more than 40 years, India for the first time tabled a resolution in the security council and it was against fighting impunity against the peacekeepers. It was extremely important because the crime is only increasing against the peacekeepers. That was passed unanimously in the security council. We have put in money on UNITE Aware technology platform. This is our way of telling the member states that India will walk the talk on peacekeeping. We have responded to secretary general's call, we have donated 200,000 vaccines for all peacekeepers around the world, which was very widely welcomed. We upgraded two hospitals, one in Juba in south Sudan and another one in Goma in DRC Congo. We have also felt that we should do more in the context of peacekeeping, the high-level event which happened under the presidency of India happened on technology and peacekeeping. Because now technology has exponentially increased. Because in some ways, the peacekeepers are far less equipped technologically and people are coming to harm them. It was very well received, there was a presidential statement issued. We will continue during our UNSC tenure but even outside. We call the resolution as protecting the protectors. We want to make sure that those protect civilians, the peacekeepers, we give them enough to protect themselves.

WION: You chose a young diplomat, Sneha Dubey, who replied to Pakistani PM Imran Khan at the General Assembly. It is in continuation of the tradition--Eenam Gambhir, Vidisha Maitra.

TS Tirumurti: We have tradition, asking young officers to give a right of reply, or exercising a right of reply and this is partly because we would like these young officers to go on to the big stage and deliver a powerful message and gain confidence. This is our way of telling them, you go ahead, and perform-- and you should be noticed. It is important that they gain confidence from this as young diplomats. That is really why we encourage them to do that. But at the same time, it also has another message. Especially when leaders, misuse multilateral platform, they talk a very false and very abusive narrative against India, then having a young diplomat going and calling them out is also in my opinion a very symbolic message to send, this is how we look at it.

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New Delhi: The Directorate of Education, Delhi has Thursday requested the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to waive off the board examination fees of all the students of classes 10 and 12 studying in the government, government-aided, Patrachar Vidyalaya, New Delhi Municipal Council, Delhi Cantonment Board and Department of Social Welfare schools, for the academic session of 2021-22.

Keeping in view the COVID situation in the country, the Directorate of Education, Delhi said in a letter to CBSE, "A number of requests have been received from parents, expressing their inability to pay the Examination fee due to loss of income in the ongoing pandemic."

Highlighting the economic impact of Covid-19, the Directorate of Education requested the CBSE to waive off the examination fee of all the students of classes 10 and 12 studying in the government, government-aided, Patrachar Vidyalaya, New Delhi Municipal Council, Delhi Cantonment Board and Department of Social Welfare schools, for the academic session of 2021-22, as a one-time measure.

Earlier this week, the CBSE announced that it will not charge any examination or registration fees from students who lost their parents to the Covid 19 pandemic.

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Bandipora: An encounter broke out between security forces and a group of heavily armed terrorists at Watnira area of Bandipora in Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday.

"Encounter has started at Watnira area of Bandipora. Police and Security Forces are on the job. Further details shall follow," Kashmir Zone Police tweeted.

According to sources, the encounter began after the security forces received input that two-three terrorists are present in a house in the area. "Heavy exchange of fire is underway. Further details are awaited," said sources.

In August, a Pakistani terrorist named Babar Ali was killed in the Chhandaji region of Bandipora by security forces.

Meanwhile, three Army soldiers were injured when the alert troops foiled an infiltration bid by terrorists from across the line of control (LoC) in Uri sector, sources said.

Defence sources said alert troops challenged heavily armed terrorists who were trying to infiltrate in Uri sector on Saturday evening. "An encounter ensued between the infiltrating terrorists and the army in which 3 soldiers were injured. The operation is still going on in the area," sources said.

Three soldiers injured belong to the 12 Jat regiment. They have been shifted to the hospital. Earlier on September 18, another major infiltration bid was foiled by the army in the same sector when a group of terrorists was forced to withdraw back after they were engaged in a sustained gunfight.

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Srinagar: Two unidentified terrorists were killed in an encounter with security forces in Bandipora district of Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday. A terrorist involved in the killing of BJP leader Waseem Bari and two of his family members was among two ultras killed in an encounter with security forces in Bandipora district of Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday, the police said.

"Killer of BJP leader late Waseem Bari, his father and brother killed in the encounter. Further details shall follow,'' Kashmir Zone Police said in a tweet. Incriminating materials including arms and ammunition recovered, the Jammu and Kashmir Police tweeted.

Confirming the news, IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar said, "In a joint operation, two terrorists have been neutralised in the encounter. Both have been identified; one locally trained and 1 trained in Pakistan. One was involved in the killing of BJP leader late Waseem Bari and his family members.''

The security forces had launched a cordon and search operation in Watrina area of Bandipora in north Kashmir following inputs about the presence of heavily armed terrorists there, a police official said.

He said the search operation turned into an encounter after the terrorists opened fire upon the forces, which retaliated strongly.

In the ensuing encounter, two unidentified terrorists were killed, the official said. He said incriminating material, including arms and ammunition, was recovered from the site of the encounter.

The search operation is on in the area, he added.

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New Delhi: Actor Arjun Rampals girlfriend Gabriella Demetriades's brother Agisilaos Demetriades was arrested by Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Saturday (September 25) after drugs were recovered from his possession in Goa. Arjun, who is currently busy shooting for his upcoming film in London, has released a statement requesting the media not to drag his name in the controversy.

Dear Friends ,Followers & Public, I'm as shocked and taken aback as you are with this latest development today. It's unfortunate that my name is being unnecessarily dragged in every publication though I have no association whatsoever, wrote the 48 years old.

Calling himself and his partner Gabriella law-abiding citizens, Arjun further wrote, As far as my family and I are concerned, my direct family and I are law-abiding citizens. And while the incident involves a person who is a relative of my partner, I have no other connection or relationship other than that with this person.

The actor urged the media to refrain from using his name in the controversy. I request the media to not make headlines using my name as we are NOT related and this is causing hurt and confusion for my own family and the people I have a professional relationship with, requested the actor.

The actor concluded his note by showing full faith in the judiciary of the country and wrote, I have faith in our legal system and whoever is on the wrong side of the law, should be treated as the judiciary deems fit. My trust is in the system in these matters. Let the law take its course and kindly refrain from attaching my partner's and my name to something we have nothing to do with. I appreciate all your support and humbly request you to be honest and sensitive in this regard.

Arjun Rampal and his girlfriend Gabriella Demetriades are in a live-in relationship and have a two year old son Arik Rampal. The actor was earlier married to model Mehr Jesia from 1998 to 2019 and has two daughters with her - Mahikaa Rampal and Myra Rampal.
New Delhi: Actor Aparshakti Khurana, who recently became father to a baby girl, penned a heart-warming message to celebrate her first Daughters' Day.

Taking to his Instagram handle on Sunday, Aparshakti shared a selfie in which his daughter Arzoie can be seen resting her head on his right shoulder while his wife Aakriti Ahuja puts her head on his left shoulder, making an adorable family picture.

Along with the photo, the 'Helmet' star wrote a beautiful message, addressing his daughter.

"Dear Arzoie, It feels like I've known this name since forever. Like you were a part of me long before you actually became a part. Daughters are a blessing, the world says so. But you Arzoie, you are a manifestation of our purest dreams. We've been waiting for you since forever and now our world feels complete because we have you in it," he wrote in the caption.

The new dad promised to be there for her always, through thick and thin.

"Today on your first daughter's day, I promise to lend you a shoulder when you need one. A gossip buddy by the day and your 3 AM friend by the night (when you just want to vent/bitch it out). I promise to be both. I promise to be your BFF and do as many cool Social Media trends as you would want me to. Sometimes, we'll also let mumma @aakritiahuja join the gang. She seems like a fun person. @arzoie.a.khurana #Arziyaan we love you! Happy first Daughter's Day," he added.

Aparshakti and Aakriti welcomed Arzoie on August 27, 2021.
New Delhi: Commemorating Daughter's Day, Tahira Kashyap Khurrana shared a throwback picture of the time when she was pregnant with daughter Varushka.

In an adorable post, Tahira shared a picture in which her son Virajveer is seen kissing her pregnant belly, before the birth of her daughter. Tahira said, "This is when it all started our love story.. #happydaughtersday #daughter #daughterslove".

Often offering glimpses into the different aspects of motherhood, Tahira Kashyap Khurrana uses her social media to update her followers into the sweet, adorable, as well as quirky and fun moments with her children.

Reflecting the same and more in her upcoming book 'The 7 Sins of Being A Mother', Tahira unfolds the unsaid yet relatable facets of motherhood, through fun and exciting incidents of her life.

Author, filmmaker and influencer, Tahira has written multiple books like 'Cracking The Code: My Journey in Bollywood', 'Souled Out' and 'The 12 Commandments of Being a woman', Tahira Kashyap Khurrana demonstrates stories of varied backgrounds.

Highlighting the varied aspects of life in the most relatable form, Tahira Kashyap Khurrana is known to strike a chord with the masses with her witty, smart and engaging writing.

After the success of short films with Toffee, Pinni and Quaranteen Crush Tahira is all set to make her feature film directorial debut with 'Sharmajee Ki Beti', shoot for which began recently.
New Delhi: Prominent personality and actress Priyanka Chopra attended the Global Citizens Live 2021 on Saturday in a gorgeous earth-themed dress and fans cannot get over her outfit.

The global sensation took to her Instagram handle to share pictures of her look as she posed in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. The dress was designed by Prabal Gurung who is based in New York City.

Her husband Nick Jonas reacted to her look with a "Wow" in the comment section, as always being her biggest cheerleader!

She was styled by Law Roach, had make-up done by Morgane Martini and hair by Laurie Zanoletti.

She captioned the post, saying, "An Evening in Paris" with a heart emoji.

Take a look at her breathtaking post:

Global Citizen Live is 2021 featured Priyanka Chopra as one of the hosts and the actress had shared many BTS clips from the event on her social media.

It was broadcasted live on September 25- 26 2021 with several artists setting the stage on fire with their thrilling performances.

Earlier, the Global Citizen had organised an event titled 'Vax Live: The Concert To Reunite The World'.

On the work front, the actress has her plate full with multiple projects.

Priyanka will be seen in Matrix 4, a rom-com film Text For You and an upcoming Amazon Prime Videos spy thriller Citadel.

She will also star in the Hindi film Jee Ley Zaraa along with Katrina Kaif and Alia Bhatt. The film will be directed by actor-filmmaker Farhan Akhtar.
New Delhi: Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan's daughter Suhana Khan had a blast on her night out with friends in New York last night. The diva had taken to her Instagram on Saturday night to share a glam picture of her posing with her besties.

She looked like the ultimate fashionista in a crimson red, off-shoulder leather dress which she had paired with a designer clutch.

Suhana had gone all chic and styled the outfit with a poker-straight ponytail.

Take a look at her Instagram story:

Many fan accounts dedicated to the star kid later shared more pictures from the same night out on Instagram.

In the photos, Suhana was seen walking down New York City streets with her friends in a glam look.

Check out more pictures:

For the unversed, SRK and Gauri Khan's darling daughter headed to New York University in 2019 where she is studying acting. She completed her graduation from Ardingly College in England.

Sometime back, filmmaker Theo Gimeno shared the first look poster of his short film starring Suhana in a lead role. Titled as 'The Grey Part Of Blue', it stars Robin Gonnella in the lead role besides Suhana. It has been written by Theo Gimeno.

Speculation of her making her starry entry into the movie business has always been around and now that she is studying acting as a course, looks like very soon the pretty girl will be making her big-screen debut.
Mumbai: Actor Tisca Chopra on Sunday said her Instagram account has been hacked and asked her followers to not respond to any suspicious links sent from her page.

The 47-year-old actor took to Instagram and posted a note informing that many of her pictures and videos have been "deleted".

Chopra said she has filed a case with the cybercrime cell and the officials are looking into the matter.

"You guys must know how much I love interacting with you all here on the gram. I love sharing my life, work and fun content with you. Sadly my account has been hacked, a lot of posts deleted and my account messed with.

"The lovely peeps at @instagram along with the cyber crime cell assure me that this will be dealt with very fast.. And with strong consequences for the hacker(s)," she wrote.

The actor, who has more than a million followers on the social media platform, asked her fans to "not click on any links or DMs" from her account.

"Commenting on posts and liking them is safe," she added.

Chopra was last seen on the Disney+Hotstar series "Hostages" and the 2019 feature "Good Newwz".
New Delhi: Cheque books of three state-backed banks - Allahabad Bank, Oriental Bank of Commerce (OBC), United Bank of India (UNI) - will become invalid starting from October 1, 2021.

Cheque books of these three banks will become invalid because they were merged with larger banks. As part of the merger process, the larger banks are now onboarding customers of the merged banks. For instance, Allahabad Bank was merged with Indian Bank while OBC and UNI banks were merged with Punjab National Bank (PNB).

Updating the customers about the change, PNB has urged the customers of the UNI and OBC banks to issue cheque books with PNB IFSC and MICS details so that they dont face any issues.

The old cheque book of eOBC and UNI are going to be discontinued from 1-10-2021. Please replace your old cheque book of e-OBC and e-UNI with the PNB cheque book with updated PNB IFSC and MICR, PNG recently tweeted. Customers of OBC and UNI banks can issue PNB cheque books via ATM, online banking, official PNB app or by visiting any nearby PNB branch.

Besides PNB, Indian Bank has also urged the customers of Allahabad Bank to issue new cheque books to continue using the important banking facility in October 2021 and afterwards. The bank said in a tweet the all the cheques with Allahabad Bank details will become invalid after September 30, 2021. Also Read: Central Govt Employees Alert! DA hike may happen again: Check the salary increase

Erstwhile Allahabad Bank customers can continue to enjoy a seamless banking experience with Indian Bank by ordering new cheque books as the old ones will no longer be acceptable w.e.f 1st October 2021 Indian Bank had said in a tweet. Also Read: IRCTC launches Mahalaya Pind Daan package: Check price, destinations of Pitra Paksha train

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As we approach the holiday season, central government employees are set to get another treat in the form of a raise in their Dearness Allowance (DA) and Dearness Relief (DR) (DR). It is expected that the Central government will increase DA rates for both employees and retirees by another 3% ahead of the holiday season. This decision is expected to be made soon, given the central government has already reinstated employee DA. The government increased the DA from 17 to 28 percent, with the surge taking effect in July 2021.

It should also be noted that the government increased the House Rent Allowance (HRA) for employees from 24% to 27%. With the possibility of another 3% increase in the DA and DR, the DA would be about 31% of their basic wage in the not-too-distant future.

The government previously increased the Dearness Allowance by 4% in January 2020, followed by another 3% rise in June of the same year. In January 2021, central government employees received yet another raise, with the DA increasing by 4%.

Employees' unions, on the other hand, are anticipating the raise announcement to be made soon. The DA is payable at a 31% rate, according to AICPI statistics, because the index for June 2021 climbed by 1.1 points, bringing the total number to 121.7.

The DA increase, which was planned to be announced in September 2021, will most likely be effective in the first half of 2021. However, there has been little indication from the government that it plans to announce another hike in DA. According to media reports, if it is announced this month, the DA will be payable with the October payment.

Employee unions, on the other hand, believe that the government should include the DA increase in the September wage as well. With that stated, it's worth noting that the increase will help about 48 lakh central government employees and around 65 lakh retirees.

The Centre has already increased the Variable Dearness Allowance in an attempt to provide some relief to its staff (VDA). This put the monthly cost between Rs 105 and Rs 210. The new prices went into effect in April 2021. At the time, it was estimated that 1.5 crore workers would gain from it.

All of these modifications follow a brief DA freeze that lasted roughly 18 months because to the Covid-19 outbreak and the resulting economic impact. With all of the raises that the central government was implementing, a few states hiked their DA rates for government employees. Uttar Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Haryana, Karnataka, Rajasthan, and, most recently, Assam are among these states. The majority of them had raised the DA for government employees by about 11%.

If the government raises the DA by 3%, it will be equal to 31% of the base pay. Employees and retirees only need to calculate the DA amount by multiplying their base wage by the equivalent percentage. For instance, if an employee is paid Rs 20,000 per month, 3% of that is around Rs 600. As a result, on top of the Rs 20,000 minimum income, stated employee will receive an additional Rs 600. If the raise is 31%, then 31% of Rs 20,000 becomes Rs 6,200, which is the amount the employee will receive.

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New Delhi: In the 45th meeting of GST Council in Lucknow early this month, the members had decided to make Aadhaar authentication mandatory for claiming GST refund. To bring the change into effect, the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), on Saturday (September 26), announced that it has amended GST rules.

The new rules have been introduced to bring in various anti-evasion measures. Some of these measures include disbursal of GST refunds only in the bank account linked with the same PAN on which Goods and Services Tax (GST) registration has been obtained.

Moreover, the CBICs notification also stated that businesses defaulting on filing the summary of returns and paying monthly GST will not be able to file GSTR-1 for returns for the succeeding month. This rule will come into effect starting from January 1, 2022.

On the increased scrutiny by CBIC, AMRG & Associates Senior Partner Rajat Mohan told PTI, "To arrest tax evasion, the government has made Aadhaar authentication for the proprietor, partner, karta, Managing Director, whole-time Director, and authorised signatory compulsory before filing an application for revocation of cancellation registration and refund application."

CBIC will amend Rule 59(6) of the Central GST Rules with effect from January 1, 2022, to bring the new rule related to GSTR-1 return filing to effect. Also Read: Punjab cabinet expansion: 7 fresh faces likely to take oath as ministers today

As of now, GST filers can file for returns for outward supplies or GSTR-1 if the filer defaults on GSTR-3B for the preceding two months. All the new changes were discussed and approved in the GST Council meeting headed by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on September 17. Also Read: Flipkart changes dates for Big Billion Days sale after Amazon Great Indian Festival announcement

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New Delhi: Accenture is inviting applications from candidates for the analyst and associate job roles in the finance department located in two major cities in India. Commerce graduates and other non-tech aspirants can also apply for the job at the global IT giant.

Heres everything you need to know about the recent vacancies at Accenture:

How to apply for an Accenture job?

Candidates planning to bag a job at Accenture can visit the official website of the company at https://www.accenture.com/us-en/careers.

Job locations

Accenture new job openings will require candidates to work closely with its Noida or Chennai locations.

Departments

Accenture is currently hiring for the finance department in invoice processing operations and accounts payable processing.

Job details for Analyst

Candidates applying for the analyst position in invoice processing operations are required to have Procure to Pay Processing skills. Moreover, applicants also need to have experience of 3-5 years for applying for the job. Non-tech graduates can also apply for the job.

Candidates hired for the role will be required to work on problems of lower complexity, along with working with peers. Exposure to clients will be limited in the job role.

Job details for Associate

Aspirants applying for the job role of associate will be required to work for Accentures Chennai office. They will be working in the finance department and will need to have skills related to accounts payable processing. Also Read: GST new rule: Aadhaar authentication now mandatory for GST refunds

BCom graduates with one to three years of experience can apply for the job that requires candidates to solve routine problems. Also Read: Huaweis Meng Wanzhou arrives in China ending 3 years of US extradition fight
After a significant exploit was identified, around 2 billion Google Chrome users worldwide were advised to update their browsers. Almost all Google Chrome users are at risk of being hacked as a result of this assault. After a new zero-day flaw was discovered in Google Chrome, Google confirmed the hack in a blog post. We already issued a warning on CVE-2021-30563, a zero-day vulnerability, and now another one has surfaced that is just as hazardous, if not more so. CVE-2021-37973 is the name of this vulnerability. In its blog, Google said, "Google is aware that an exploit for CVE-2021-37973 exists in the wild."

This is referred to as a zero-day exploit since cybercriminals were able to exploit it before Google was aware of it and could provide a fix for Google Chrome to block them. Also, when you realise that there are 2.65 billion Google Chrome users, you can appreciate the scope of the problem.

One of the most important implications of Google's blog post regarding the Google Chrome breach is that it was discovered by Google employees rather than by a third party. And, most crucially, that all users need to upgrade to Google Chrome, and the sooner they do so, the better. The exploit's threat perception or ranking was also provided by Google.

Google revealed threat ranking on its blog, "High CVE-2021-37973 : Use after free in Portals. Reported by Clement Lecigne from Google TAG, with technical assistance from Sergei Glazunov and Mark Brand from Google Project Zero on 2021-09-21."

It also added a feel-good part, "We would also like to thank all security researchers that worked with us during the development cycle to prevent security bugs from ever reaching the stable channel."

Heres how to check if your Google Chrome browser is protected:
New Delhi: Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou arrived in China on Saturday, ending her near three-year U.S. extradition fight, the same day two Canadians detained by Beijing for more than 1,000 days returned home, potentially paving the way for improved ties between China and the two western allies.

Meng, the daughter of Huawei Technologies founder Ren Zhengfei, was allowed to go home after reaching an agreement with U.S. prosecutors on Friday to end a bank fraud case against her.

The extradition drama has been a central source of discord between Beijing and Washington, with Chinese officials signalling that the case had to be dropped to help end a diplomatic stalemate.

Two Canadians detained by Chinese authorities just days after Meng`s arrest - Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor - were embraced on the tarmac by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau after they landed in Calgary.

"You`ve shown incredible strength, resilience, and perseverance," Trudeau said in a Twitter post with photos of him welcoming them home. "Know that Canadians across the country will continue to be here for you, just as they have been."

In the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, Meng wore a patriotic red-coloured dress as she exited a plane to be greeted by well-wishers.

"I`m finally back home," Meng was quoted as saying by the Global Times tabloid backed by the ruling Communist Party. "The waiting in a foreign country was full of suffering. I was speechless the moment my feet touched Chinese soil."

Chinese state media welcomed Meng back but were silent about Kovrig and Spavor, who were released hours after Meng on Friday.

Huawei said in a statement that it "looked forward to seeing Ms. Meng returning home safely to be reunited with her family." It said it would continue to defend itself against U.S. charges.

The agreement opened U.S. President Joe Biden to criticism from Washington`s China hawks who argue his administration is capitulating to China and one of its top companies at the centre of a global technology rivalry between the two countries.

Some Republican senators swiftly condemned Meng`s release and urged the White House to address the U.S. Congress on the issue.

"The release of Ms. Meng raises serious questions about President Biden`s ability and willingness to confront the threat posed by Huawei and the Chinese Communist Party," said Marco Rubio in a text message to Reuters.

Senator Jim Risch said in a statement that the deal was "a victory for one of the world`s most brutal and cruel regimes," and would embolden the Communist Party "to use other foreign citizens as bargaining chips because it now knows hostage taking is a successful way to get what it wants."

Some Chinese commentators felt otherwise.

"By agreeing to let Meng return to China, the Biden administration is signalling that it hopes to clear the mess left behind by the former Trump administration," said Wu Xinbo, dean of the Institute of International Studies at Fudan University.

`BLURRING WITH TEARS`

Chinese state broadcaster CCTV carried a statement by Meng, written as her plane flew over the North Pole, avoiding U.S. airspace. Meng said her eyes were "blurring with tears" as she approached "the embrace of the great motherland."

Meng was detained in December 2018 in Vancouver after a New York court issued an arrest warrant, saying she tried to cover up attempts by Huawei-linked companies to sell equipment to Iran in breach of U.S. sanctions.

Acting U.S. attorney Nicole Boeckmann said Meng had "taken responsibility for her principal role in perpetuating a scheme to defraud a global financial institution."

Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said the charges against her had been "fabricated" in order to suppress the country`s high-tech industries.

At the airport in Shenzhen, Meng`s hometown, a crowd of well-wishers chanted patriotic slogans and held aloft red banners to welcome her return.

"The fact that Meng Wanzhou can be declared not guilty and released is a huge victory in politics and diplomacy for people in China," said Liu Dan, who was among the crowd.

State news agency Xinhua attributed Meng`s release to the "unremitting efforts of the Chinese government".

Hu Xijin, editor in chief of the Global Times, wrote on Twitter that "international relations have fallen into chaos" as a result of Meng`s "painful three years".

He added, "No arbitrary detention of Chinese people is allowed."

However, neither Hu nor other local media have mentioned the release of Spavor and Kovrig, and reactions on China`s Twitter-like Weibo social media platform have been few and far between.

China`s foreign ministry has not commented publicly.

China has previously denied engaging in "hostage diplomacy", insisting that the arrest and detention of the Canadians was not tied in any way to the proceedings against Meng. Also Read: GST new rule: Aadhaar authentication now mandatory for GST refunds

Spavor was accused of supplying photographs of military equipment to Kovrig and sentenced to 11 years in jail in August. Kovrig had still been awaiting sentencing. Also Read: Flipkart changes dates for Big Billion Days sale after Amazon Great Indian Festival announcement
On September 27, Xiaomi will unveil a new smartphone in China. However, ahead of its introduction, the smartphone maker has teased a few major features of the Civi. The Snapdragon 778G SoC will power the Xiaomi Civi, according to the most recent teaser.

Through an official post on its Weibo account, the company verified the chipset powering the Civi. Apart from the Snapdragon 778G, Xiaomi has confirmed a number of other features about Civi ahead of its September 27 launch.

Xiaomi has previously confirmed the Civi's design, which appears to be identical to the Vivo V21 5G. Since we're on the subject of the phone's hardware, Xiaomi also revealed that the Civi will have the smallest chin of any Mi phone ever. The Xiaomi Civi will also come with a 4,500 mAh battery, which Xiaomi claims would provide the best battery life of any Xiaomi smartphone released this year.

The phone will also have a triple-camera arrangement on the back, as shown in the teaser image. A 32 MP selfie camera with a dual soft-light LED flash and autofocus lens will be housed in the hole-punch camera cutout on the front.

While display specifications are unknown, the Civi will include a curved screen and anti-glare glass protection on the back panel. Multiple phones in the new Civi series will be unveiled by the firm, the first of which will arrive in China tomorrow.

Live TV

#mute
Islamabad: At least four security personnel were killed and two others injured in a blast targeting Pakistan's paramilitary forces in the country's restive Balochistan province, an official said on Sunday (September 26).

The outlawed Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the attack.

A vehicle of the Frontier Corps (FC) was attacked in the Khosat area of Harnai district on Saturday, according to the Dawn newspaper.

The FC soldiers were patrolling when their vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device, resulting in the death of four soldiers and injuries to two officers.

Security forces rushed the injured to nearby hospitals.

Balochistan has been witnessing a spate of low-level violence for years. On Friday, two security personnel were killed and five others injured in an attack in Awaran district of the province.

The local Baloch nationalists, the BLA and the Taliban militants are involved in these attacks.

In 2019, the United States designated the BLA, which is fighting the Pakistani rule in Balochistan province, as a terrorist organisation.

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Zurich: Switzerland agreed to legalise civil marriage and the right to adopt children for same-sex couples by a nearly two-thirds majority in a referendum on Sunday, making it one of the last countries in Western Europe to legalise gay marriage.

According to results provided by the Swiss federal chancellery, 64.1% of voters voted in favour of same-sex marriage in the nationwide referendum that was conducted under Switzerlands system of direct democracy.

"We are very happy and relieved," said Antonia Hauswirth of the national committee "Marriage for All", adding supporters would celebrate in Switzerland`s capital Bern on Sunday.

Amnesty International said in a statement that opening civil marriage to same-sex couples was a "milestone for equality".

However, Monika Rueegger of Switzerland`s right-wing Swiss People`s Party (SVP) and member of the referendum committee "No to Marriage for All" said she was disappointed.

"This was not about love and feelings, it was about children`s welfare. Children and fathers are the losers here," she told Reuters.

The amended law will make it possible for same-sex couples to get married, and to adopt children unrelated to them. Married lesbian couples will also be allowed to have children through sperm donation, currently legal only for married heterosexual couples.

It will also make it easier for foreign spouses of a Swiss individual to get citizenship.

Swiss Justice Minister Karin Keller-Sutter told a media briefing the new rules would likely come into force on July 1 next year.

In a separate referendum, 64.9% of Swiss voters rejected a proposal to introduce a capital gains tax.

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SEOUL: North Korea is willing to consider another inter-Korean summit if mutual respect between the rivals can be assured, state news agency KCNA reported on Saturday, citing Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

The comment comes just a day after North Korea urged the United States and South Korea to abandon what it called their hostile policy and double standards towards it before formal talks can be held on ending the 1950-53 Korean War.

The 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty, leaving U.S.-led U.N. forces technically still at war with North Korea.

The question of formally ending the war has been complicated by North Korea`s pursuit of nuclear weapons.

"I think that only when impartiality and the attitude of respecting each other are maintained, can there be a smooth understanding between the north and the south," Kim Yo Jong said.

Constructive discussions offer a chance for meaningful and successful solutions to issues including "the re-establishment of the north-south joint liaison office and the north-south summit, to say nothing of the timely declaration of the significant termination of the war", Kim said.

Addressing the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday, South Korean President Moon Jae-in repeated a call for a formal end to the war but later said time is running out to achieve such progress before his term ends in May.

North Korea for decades has sought an end to the war but the United States has been reluctant to agree unless North Korea gives up its nuclear weapons.

Kim, who is a powerful confidant of her brother the leader, said she noted with interest the intense discussion in the South over the renewed prospect of a formal declaration of the end of the Korean War.

"I felt that the atmosphere of the South Korean public desiring to recover the inter-Korean relations from a deadlock and achieve peaceful stability as soon as possible is irresistibly strong," she said.

"We, too, have the same desire."

Expectations were raised that a declaration on ending the war, even if not an actual treaty, would be made during a historic summit between then U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korea`s Kim Jung Un in Singapore in 2018.

But that possibility, and the momentum that the two leaders generated over three meetings came to nothing. Talks have been stalled since 2019.

U.S. President Joe Biden said in his own U.N. address that he wanted "sustained diplomacy" to resolve the crisis surrounding North Korea`s nuclear and missile programmes.

North Korea has rejected U.S. overtures to engage in dialogue and the head of the U.N. atomic watchdog said this week that its nuclear programme was going "full steam ahead".
United Nations: Britain's Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, met Saturday (September 25) with a top UN official amid the world body's biggest gathering of the year.

The royals came to UN headquarters to speak with Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed. All three appeared later Saturday (September 25) at the Global Citizen Live concert in New York's Central Park.

It was a lovely meeting, Meghan said as the couple left the UN headquarters.

The UN said, Mohammed commended the couple's efforts to promote vaccine equity worldwide and hailed priorities they and the UN share, including climate, women's economic empowerment, youth engagement and mental health.

Meghan and Harry pressed for vaccine equity during the star-studded, 24-hour concert. It features performances staged in locations from New York to Paris to Lagos, Nigeria, and Seoul, South Korea.

The United Nations is in the midst of the annual General Assembly gathering of world leaders, though the couple didn't participate in the speeches in the assembly hall.

The former Meghan Markle has been involved with the UN women's agency, becoming an advocate for political participation and leadership several years ago. Harry visited the children's agency UNICEF at in New York in 2010.

Earlier this week, Harry and Meghan visited a New York City school, the World Trade Center's centerpiece tower and the September 11 museum, among other stops in New York.

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New Delhi: Taliban authorities in the western Afghan city of Herat killed four alleged kidnappers and hung their bodies up in public to deter others, a local government official said on Saturday.

Sher Ahmad Ammar, deputy governor of Herat, said the men had kidnapped a local businessman and his son and intended to take them out of the city, when they were seen by patrols that had set up checkpoints around the city.

An exchange of gunfire ensued in which all four were killed, while one Taliban soldier was wounded.

"Their bodies were brought to the main square and hung up in the city as a lesson for other kidnappers," he said.

The two kidnapping victims were released unharmed, he said.

ALSO READ | India should initiate dialogue with Taliban: Farooq Abdullah

Herat resident Mohammad Nazir said he had been shopping for food near the city`s Mostofiat Square when he heard a loudspeaker announcement calling for people`s attention.

"When I stepped forward, I saw they had brought a body in a pickup truck, then they hung it up on a crane," he said.

Footage of the bloodstained corpse, swinging on the crane was widely shared on social media, showing a note pinned to the man`s chest saying "This is the punishment for kidnapping".

No other bodies were visible but social media posts said others were hung up in other parts of the city.

In an interview recently, senior Taliban figure Mullah Nooruddin Turabi said the group would restore punishments like amputations and executions to deter criminals.

Despite international condemnation, the Taliban have said they will continue to impose swift and severe punishments on lawbreakers to stop crimes like robbery, murder and kidnapping that had become widespread in Afghanistan.

Washington, which condemned Turabi`s reported comments on punishments, has said any potential recognition of the Taliban-led government in Kabul, which replaced the Western-backed government that collapsed last month, would depend on respect for human rights.

According to the official Bakhtar news agency, eight kidnappers were also arrested in a separate incident in the southwestern province of Uruzgan.

ALSO READ | 'Lived in Kabul right under their nose': Taliban spokesperson on US, Afghan forces considering him a 'ghost-like' figure